Bede Burke has been a farmer at Winton, west of Tamworth, for almost thirty years.

He is married to Narelle, with whom he has six children, and together they operate a mixed farming and egg production enterprise.

Bede has held board positions on several rural co-operatives and now chairs a rural merchandising company.

Since 2000 he has been a member of the NSW Farmers Association Egg Committee (which he now chairs) and Exotic Diseases Committee.

He has been chairman of The Nationals’ Tamworth Electorate Council since 2010, overseeing the first political primary election ever held in Australia.