Lara Webster
Tamworth, NSW
Lara Webster is a Queensland rural reporter.
Lara has grown up in regional Queensland working with horses and cattle beside her father.
From the time spent by her dad's side, Lara has inherited his passion for the bush and the people who are a part of it; that's why she wanted a career which would enable her to travel the country to the most remote places and share the stories of rural Australia.
Lara recently finished her Bachelor of Journalism at the University of the Sunshine Coast and is now looking forward to the adventures being a rural reporter will bring.
Latest by Lara Webster
Farmers hit with $100,000 insurance bills as extreme weather events become more frequent
Farmers consider running the gauntlet and leaving machinery uninsured as premiums go through the roof, with insurers blaming erratic weather, inflation, and increasing costs for the price hikes.
How an ex-tropical cyclone in north-east Queensland is causing havoc in outback NSW
Large parts of northern NSW have been hit by heavy storms causing flash flooding. Some farmers are delighted to see the dams fill, but homes and businesses have been inundated.
Australia's junior rodeo champions dream of big bucks and buckles in the United States
Teenage cowboys and cowgirls are working hard to achieve their goals of competing on the bigger US rodeo circuit.
Cold water, shade sails and sprinklers keeping cows cool as heatwave builds
Dairy cows are one of the animals most susceptible to heat stress, which can result in reduced milk production and fertility. As temperatures soar, farmers look to keep their cows cool.
How a 79-year-old cowboy and a $250 steed claimed glory in a contest where horses can cost half a million dollars
Casino horseman Neil Flynn has a knack for finding diamonds in the rough and turning them into performance horse champions.
Once home to a pair of the world's largest pears, this fruit dynasty houses 160 years of orchard innovation
The longevity of Greenhill Orchards comes down to the dedication of the Yeomans family, innovation, and their love of all things fruit.
Farmers breathe sigh of relief as livestock prices rebound after rain
Prices for some cattle have doubled as buyer confidence is restored following rainfall for many areas that have endured a long dry spell.
140mm of rain for the year then 116mm in a night puts 'smiles on dials' of farmers doing it tough
After one of the worst winter seasons, heavy rain "means a hell of a lot" to many producers in New South Wales, where 70 per cent of the state is in drought.
Hudson bushfire in north-west NSW downgraded but similar conditions expected on Thursday
An emergency warning has been downgraded for the Hudson bushfire burning in the Narran Lake Reserve in north-west New South Wales, but authorities are bracing for similar conditions on Thursday.
Farmers await emergency fodder drops, as RFS confirms homes destroyed in devastating Tenterfield fires
As the reality of losses begins to sink in, easing weather conditions are at last helping firefighters get on top of fires still burning in New South Wales border communities.
'Scariest thing we ever experienced': Multiple fire fronts converge in border town as homes confirmed lost
As multiple blazes threaten Tenterfield region and beyond, farmer firefighters, neighbours and councillors have rallied together to support each other.
Among the grain crops of northern NSW, there's a boom of farming mums planting fields of flowers
Tamworth mum Shona Robilliard started with a few seeds in her veggie patch, but in search of a better work-life balance she's ditched the vegetables and is now a fully fledged cut-flower farmer.
Dry conditions are returning to northern NSW, but these farmers have learnt a thing or two about managing drought
Farmers have gathered in a dusty paddock in northern New South Wales to share how they have improved their readiness for life without regular rain.
When Margaret was a little girl all she wanted was a sister. Instead she got a baby goat
We all have that one thing we cannot live without and for farmer Margaret Graham that thing is goats. It all began when her mum got her a baby doe.
700 cattle, horses, dogs, van, truck, ute and water tanker — lone drover Brian's a busy man
Brian Glendinning moves 700 beef cattle and his camp every day in the search for feed as some parts of the country dry out, despite other regions flooding.
Why are consumers missing out as lamb prices plummet at the saleyards?
With some lambs and sheep selling for as little as $2 a head, why are consumers only just starting to see minor price cuts at the supermarket?
Enjoy Wagyu or Angus steak? These breeders say Hereford should also be on the menu
You might have ordered a Wagyu steak at a restaurant or bought yourself a nice cut of Angus from a butcher and now Hereford cattle breeders are vying for the same familiarity with consumers.
From an elephant testing fences to a 'spaceship' tractor, AgQuip has seen it all over its 50 years
Since launching in 1973, AgQuip has become the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural field day. This year it celebrates 50 years.
Farmers who 'needed rain a month ago' receive vital hay donation
Convoys of semi trailers carrying hay for farmers were a familiar sight during the most recent drought, and now they've returned to north west New South Wales.
More bee hives to be destroyed as varroa mite is detected in new area of NSW
Varroa mite has been detected for the first time in Kempsey, with the source of the infestation unknown.
These girls grew up on a farm in the family for more than a century. Now they've made a heartbreaking decision
For five generations the Amos family has bred merino sheep on the same property on the New South Wales-Queensland border — but that is about to change.
Big funding injection, ambitious deadline for Australian 'first' project to decarbonise cotton growing
With the NSW government chipping in $36 million, the project at Moree aims to produce green hydrogen, renewable ammonia, and solar power to lower fertiliser and fuel emissions by displacing 1.4 million litres of imported diesel.
Damage bill tops $90 million as feral deer march across Australia, deeper into suburbia
The economic impact of Australia's growing feral deer population has been quantified for the first time, with farmers copping the worst damage.
When a farmer and a pharmacist fell in love, they never imagined the impact it would have
Spring Ridge hasn't had a doctor for 30 years, but that all changed when a local farmer met a pharmacist.
Last year northern NSW was in flood. Now it's so dry farmers are trucking in hay at 'astronomical' prices
As an El Niño looms and fears of drought creep in, farmers and hay suppliers in the Hunter and New England are struggling to find local stock feed.