FARMERS WITH FOLLOWERS

MEET THE LAND LOVERS FINDING FAME ON TIKTOK

- By Sarah Marinos.

PETER'S PATCH OF PARADISE

Farming is in Peter Vallance's blood. The third-generation farmer from northwestern Victoria is up at 5.30am and spends 12 hours a day working on his family's 9000-hectare property.

But far from being a lone figure, carrying out his work in rural isolation, Peter, 35, is quite the social media celebrity. People all over the world tune in to his TikTok to watch videos of him navigating harvesting, feeding his 200 sheep and 700 head of beef cattle, and maintaining machinery and fences.

Better known as malleeboy3490, Peter has, at times, attracted more than 700,000 followers on the platform. Many of them don't know one end of a tractor from the other, but they're fascinated with farm life and Peter's colourful cast of four-legged costars.

"The TikToks began because a friend of mine, who wasn't in farming, thought people living in the city would find the stories that I shared with him interesting," Peter tells New Idea. "I wasn't so sure but I put a few things on Instagram and people liked it. Then I tried TikTok, and it took off! People ask questions about everything, from what I have for lunch when I'm in the tractor all day, to what happens when we shear the sheep."