Mr Arena founded Tailor Made Fish Farm 18 years ago in Port Stephens as the first eastern seaboard producer of Baranundi and has since established a restaurant on site and more started fancy lettuce production.

Located at Bobs Farm he and a small staff produce one tonne of fish every week to a Sydney wholesaler who in turn sells to restaurants.

Likewise his fancy lettuce, spinach, basil, parsley and buk choy grown under aquaponics are sold through the Newcastle markets to eateries across the Hunter and Port Stephens included.

But it hasn’t been without challenges and he adds that there are easier, less time consuming ways to make money.

“As an electrician-builder by trade I often ask my self what possessed me to do it but I think those skills were good preparation for this farm,” Mr Arena said.

“There are a lot of long days but in life it’s not always about the money but the other rewards.”

There’s much to impress the judges from his environmental credentials – passive solar techniques heat the fish tanks – through to the way he’s diversified the business. 

In a market saturated with frozen barra from Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, with their questionable farming methods, quality has become the Tailor Made trade mark.

“The restaurant has improved our product,” Mr Arena said.

“Coming face to face with the consumers every day there’s nowhere to hide.”

He’s up against a New England super fine wool producer, a Northern Tablelands apiarist, and a Manning Valley egg producer.

“It’s great to just make it as a finalist,” he said.

“The average person doesn’t understand the challenges involved for farmers and, for some, includes working with the supermarkets.

“When Bi-Lo wanted us to send our produce to the Sydney warehouse, only to have it sent back here to its supermakets, I thought ‘this isn’t right’.”

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, and President of NSW Farmers, Derek Schoen have congratulated the four finalists who each receive $2000.

Mr Blair said the finalists are leaders in their fields, who have demonstrated excellence in farming.

“The state’s $12 billion primary industries are in good hands, reflected by the high calibre of finalists we have in this year’s competition,” Mr Blair said.

The winner of the 2016 Farmer of the Year will receive $10,000. The Award is an initiative of NSW Farmers and NSW Department of Primary Industries, with support from The Land and SafeWork NSW.