The 20-truck Farmers Across Borders Meekatharra Hay Run went from Esperance on Saturday January 25 arriving in Meekatharra on Australian Day. This is one of the faces from the journey:
Driver: Ross Stone
Location: Esperance
Occupation: Farm worker
OF all the people on the Farmers Across Borders Meekatharra Hay Run who know of tough times, Ross and Natahna Stone and their four daughters Inaya 'Naisy', 21, Amelia 'Meerny', 18, Imogen 'Immy', 17 and Annika 'Anni', 15, are a true testament of country spirit.
They exude the same resilience that the agriculture industry is so proud of - an industry known for having difficult times and tight margins, it's no secret a strong passion and great determination is required in agriculture.
And the Stone family has shown that on many occasions.
'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is a saying that rings true for the Stones, as enduring tough times has given them even more empathy for drought-stricken pastoralists.
The family has been an integral part of the 2020 WA hay run (that ended last week in Meekatharra after starting in Esperance), particularly with Ross and Naisy putting their hands up for key responsibilities.
Naisy is the Farmers Across Borders co-secretary, along with her aunty Christiane Smith, which involved co-ordinating a lot of behind-the-scenes work, such as determining the depot destinations for each driver and how much hay each station was to receive based on their needs.
According to the group, the hay run wouldn't have gone ahead if it wasn't for Ross.
He contacted people to come on board as drivers and being the well-respected man he is and seeing his passion for the cause, many said "I wanted to do the run because Ross asked me".
While he was crucial for helping organise the logistics of the hay run, which included leading the convoy for the 1300 kilometre journey and speaking on behalf of the group on the two-way, he also wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.
Ross single-handedly baled all 2000 bales of hay and straw that were carted and was one of two main men who loaded the bales onto the 20 road trains.
He is the sort of person that has so much passion behind him to help others that he can't and won't be stopped.
If there was a logistic hurdle or a permit required or any challenge that would have stopped the hay run going ahead altogether, Ross would sort it out and never took no for an answer.
It's that kind of passion, determination and support that farmers in drought need.
"The response you get from pastoralists is pretty overwhelming when we drop the hay off to the stations," Ross said.
"To see a bit of a smile in their face and hope in their eyes is what it's all about.
"They are pretty hardy people out there and not everyone can do that way of life.
"After what we had been through, I knew first hand what the hard times are like, so if I could keep that from happening to one or two people, then that's what I wanted to do."
As the drought is forcing many pastoralists to face the prospect of losing their station, it's a feeling that Ross knows all too well.
The family used to farm crops and sheep at Quairading but lost their farm after a series of bad years with drought and frost.
Forced to start over, the Stones moved to Esperance in 2011 because they had family there and "wanted to be somewhere where it rained".
Having lost his family farm, it's no surprise Ross experienced some emotional turmoil afterwards, but he said Greg Fisher, who he now works for, was really supportive.
"Greg has really gone out of his way to help us," he said.
"I was in a bad way when we lost the farm."
Despite seeing the challenges the agriculture industry can bring from such a young age, Ross and Natahna's daughters' perceptions of the industry haven't been tainted, in fact the two eldest - Naisy and Meerny - are studying agriculture at university with the vision of pursuing a career in the sector.
"If anything, what we have been through has given us more passion for agriculture - it's in our blood," Ross said.
"All the girls grew up riding on machinery and being out in the paddock because they loved it."
Throughout the hay run, the generosity of Ross was mirrored in his daughters as they were always more than happy to do a favour for someone else, without expecting anything in return.
"I think going through what they did at such a young age has really made them generous, kind people - they always think of others," Ross said.
"We don't have much but we like to help other people when we can - we're givers, not takers."
Seeing as Ross was the driver leading the convoy, it's only fitting that he drove a truck labelled with a name that stood out and had a good story behind it.
Named 'Propa Flash', the Kenworth truck, owned by Greg, used to operate around the Kimberley and drive to and from the Kununurra depot on a regular basis.
A local old Aboriginal man used to say it was "a propa flash truck" and the name stuck.
Now a semi-retired truck and used as a back-up when someone else's breaks down, Ross is the usual driver and Greg said it's "Ross's truck nowadays".
Like most road users, truck drivers have their frustrations with other drivers, particularly due to their lack of understanding the size and capabilities of trucks.
Ross said some of the main issues he has encountered with other road users was them not considering the speed trucks are going and the stopping distance they require.
"I ran up the back of a car in Perth city once," he said.
"A woman pulled into my lane and stopped in front of me to pull into a driveway but I had no room to stop and no choice but to run up the back of her and the car was written off.
"You don't look one car ahead, you look three cars ahead because that's the distance you'd need to stop if you had to and the cars in front just have to move or you run into them."
Drivers are also under time restraints to get to their destination which have to be noted in a log book.
"So trucks can't just sit behind a car doing 80 kilometres an hour in a 100km/h zone because they won't get to their destination on time," he said.
While the only accident he was involved in fortunately resulted in no major injuries, he has been no stranger to bearing witness to the dangers of the road, having seen three fatalities, one that stands out in his memory was when he was the first to find a couple wrapped around a tree, which was especially traumatic.
Yet seeing first hand the dangers that come with being on the roads and enduring the worst of the agriculture industry, Ross and his family are some of the most positive, passionate people you might come across.
Their resilience is a sign of emotional strength.
Their willingness and desire to help others in need is admirable and truly selfless.
Their positivity is inspiring.
The Western Australian agriculture industry ought to be proud to have people such as the Stones determined not to give up.
- Make sure you grab this Thursday's Farm Weekly for a special feature on the Meekatharra Hay Run.