Humans of Agriculture: Recent Episodes
Humans of Agriculture
Welcome to Humans of Agriculture. This podcast series is dedicated to discovering more about our food system, from the people involved in it.
Along the journey we'll be meeting people from all walks of life from Australia and from afar. Join us as we find out how our communities and our culture shape what we eat, and ultimately who we are. More people, More often, Identifying with Agriculture
This week Oli had two guests join him on the Humans of Agriculture Podcast! Lachie Knight and Ned Olsson from Clipex met up with Oli during the 2023 AgQuip Field Days. Clipex is a family business which started in manufacturing a solution for fencing and then expanded into other livestock handling equipment. They now have businesses across the globe in the likes of Ireland and Uruguay.
Ned's family established Clipex and Lachie has since joined the team. The trio touch on the following:
- Lachie's upbringing with his Dad running cattle throughout Eastern Australia while his Mum was building a career focusing on the people element of succession planning
- How the Olsson's developed the fencing product and left the family farm to establish the business
- Neds' family unit and how each member is gifted and able to contribute to the business in their own way
- Working with international manufacturers and engineers
- Ned's passion for business, even as a kid
- Lachie's connection with customers and what he defines as 'solution driven outcomes'
- What advice Lachie and Ned have for young people looking at a career in agriculture
"So we're Swedish background and we always say it's the Viking that comes out in us... We're up for a fight and a bit of a challenge. I suppose always grew up as a kid in our family that if there's a problem, it's just because there's a solution waiting to be found." - Ned
Welcome to Episode 3 of the Better Business series and our first with powerhouse, Grace Brennan, Founder and CEO of Buy From The Bush.
Your host, Oli Le Lievre, and Grace cover everything from her upbringing in Sydney, to falling in love and moving out to 'the bush', all the way to establishing Buy From The Bush. And if you are familiar with Buy From The Bush, you would know just how quickly it escalated in Australia.
For Grace, her connection to the bush started when she travelled out to her High School sweethearts family farm,
"Jack's [Grace's now husband] dad was kind of inspired in the sense that he really believed in involving me in some of the business and asked him my opinion. And I remember even when I was a 16 year old visiting the farm, he'd say, 'Now I've got this problem, what do you reckon about it?' And that was his way, he was a natural teacher. And he was interested and curious and asked a lot of questions of me. So I think I was very lucky in that way. And I did, I suppose, offer something unique." - Grace
This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
In this episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, Oli Le Lievre is joined by Jordy Kitsche, founder of Flux Robotics.
We follow Jordy's journey from growing up on a farm in South Australia, to founding not one, but two AgTech businesses and then being a finalist in the 2023 AgriFutures evokeAG. Future Young Leader Award.
For Jordy, it started on the family cropping farm where he had a list of problems he wanted to fix that was a mile long... He was listening to podcasts on the tractor, learning about various technology and software that he thought could help him solve some of these problems.
But first, Jordy wanted to understand agriculture more broadly, which took him overseas to South America and Africa. From there, he ended up working in the commercialisation and product development of different technologies. All of this set him up to be the CEO of a business at the ripe age of 22!
“I try to think, ‘What am I actually passionate about?’ Because I'm passionate about all sorts of things… I think what I'm passionate about is solving important problems that I think I'm well-placed to solve. It's like if I don't do it, then who is this going to? Is it going to be solved?” - Jordy
Welcome to Episode 2 of the Better Business series! In this episode, we return with Mitch from Bullseye Ag. If you missed the first episode, make sure to give it a listen.
This time, we continue to learn from Mitch and his experience in building a business, which sometimes meant removing himself from the business, "So that if this fell apart, the whole business wasn't going to fall apart."
Mitch shares the lessons he's learned and things he would perhaps do differently if he had his time again...
"So that would be my big thing is that don't be afraid of the risk. But make sure you go in there knowing that there is one and how to mitigate it as much as possible." - Mitch
Stay tuned for the next episode, where we'll be sitting down with Grace Brennan, the powerhouse behind Buy from the Bush, a business that has made a huge impact on rural Australia.
This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
Rebecca (or Beck) Underwood was on our "Women in Agriculture" panel back in March, 2023. Your host, Oli Le Lievre found the conversations with Beck really insightful, so he decided to sit down with her again to chat about how she has progressed her career, how she has grown in confidence and her ideas around inclusivity in agriculture.
A highly regarded agribusiness professional with over 20 years’ experience in Australian agribusiness, Beck is currently the National Sustainability Field Manager for Nutrien Ag Solutions. Based in Albury, Beck is passionate about providing profitable and sustainable agricultural solutions to Australian farmers. She is also a founding member of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Diversity & Inclusion committee.
"There’s so many opportunities in ag. And I think if you're standing back and you're not putting yourself out there, then you're going to miss some of these opportunities. So it's really putting your hand up, I guess. And I've said this to you before Oli, but I have been wondering, why do we need to highlight Women in Ag? And I say that being very brutally honest. Why do we need to highlight Women in Ag? Why can't it just be people in ag, or humans of ag?" - Beck
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Better Business series! In this episode, Oli dives into the journey of Mitch Highett, the Managing Director and Founder of Bullseye Ag.
Mitch's story is a mix of farm life around the world and working in major ag companies. Bullseye Ag offers farm management and consultancy services. But it's not just about that – it's a story of growing the team and taking them on a journey, fostering autonomy, and staying transparent.
"And this is why I've got gray hairs coming up every day, is because that part is the only part that actually matters, is just being honest with how the business is going. Are you happy with it? Are they happy with it? Can we be doing something better?" - Mitch
Come back next week to hear more from Mitch!
This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
The search for the next generation of Future Young Leaders in agrifood is underway. Applications are now open for the evokeAG. Future Young Leaders Program and close on Monday, 4 September 2023, offering five emerging leaders the opportunity to showcase their ideas, innovation, or research to an international audience at evokeAG. on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia.
The program recognises the contributions of young industry leaders in our food, fibre and fuel production systems, and provides them with the support systems, networks, and connections to thrive in their careers.
For more information on how to apply for the Future Young Leaders Program, visit https://www.evokeag.com/evokeag-2024/future-young-leaders-2024/
If Malkah wasn’t a Relationship Credit Analyst, she would use her love of problem solving be an entrepreneur. Oli and Malkah chat about her unique upbringing, moving throughout South America, Europe and Australia which is absolutely fascinating. Her Mum (also her hero) actually started a career as a professional tennis player before going back to her roots in agriculture.
Malkah was always exposed to agriculture, but she didn't necessarily always know that it was the career path she wanted to pursue. Now, she is immersed in the corporate ag world and spends her free time developing Lymbo, an app that’s putting a creative twist on connecting employers and employees.
“Firstly, I love a challenge. And I think that I thrive off actually building something, like I'm very creative in that sense. And I just once I think about a problem, I just really want to fix it... And I think this problem just really stuck with me."
Malkah was a finalist of the 2023 AgriFutures Future Young Leaders Award.
The search for the next generation of Future Young Leaders in agrifood is underway. Applications are now open for the evokeAG. Future Young Leaders Program and close on Monday, 4 September 2023, offering five emerging leaders the opportunity to showcase their ideas, innovation, or research to an international audience at evokeAG. on 20-21 February 2024 in Perth, Western Australia.
The program recognises the contributions of young industry leaders in our food, fibre and fuel production systems, and provides them with the support systems, networks, and connections to thrive in their careers.
For more information on how to apply for the Future Young Leaders Program, visit https://www.evokeag.com/evokeag-2024/future-young-leaders-2024/
Join host Oli Le Lievre as he chats with Samantha (Sam) Wan, an Australian wool broker based in Melbourne. There's something about wool that gets people so energised and Sam is no exception. This episode was recorded from the Hamilton Sheepvention, so we hope you're forgiving of some faint background noise! While recording, Oli was huddled around a heater while Sam was nice and warm in her Elders water-proof woollen jacket!!
Episode Highlights:
- Sam's journey from a non-agricultural background and what sparked her passion for wool
- An insight into international wool markets and the global appreciation for Aussie wool
- Elder's new wool handling facility and the integration of automation in the wool supply chain
- Mentoring the next generation and the opportunities in agriculture
Massive thanks to Elders for sponsoring this episode!
This week your host, Oli Le Lievre travelled out to the Hamilton Sheepention to discuss 'The Importance of Evolving within Agriculture' with Mark Gubbins, 'Coolana' Managing Director and Brendan Rinaldi, Elders Vic/Riverina GM.
The Elders marquee was full to the brim, so a huge shout out to the 100 or so people in the crowd! We finish this episode with questions from those that attended.
When we talk about 'evolving within agriculture', certain words like succession come to mind. Mark farms nearby and he chats about how his family and the property has changed over the years. Change includes navigating different eras like the dispersal of their Corriedale stud, seasonal conditions and market fluctuations. Mark is currently handing over the reigns to his children so we talk about what's keeping him occupied these days and it sounds like a lot of fishing might be on the cards!
Brendan took a different path, opting not to be on the farm but instead pursuing a career in finance and agribusiness. We are putting that down to his first memories on the farm cutting burrs from wool... Just kidding! He describes himself as a bit of an academic and an 'accidental farmer'. Brendan now co-owns the farm with his brother, looking after the books and economic side while overseeing Elders Victoria & Riverina regions.
A huge thanks to Elders for sponsoring this episode and inviting Humans of Agriculture to be at the 2023 Sheepvention. The audio is a bit crackly in spots, not our usual quality but hoping you can bear with us considering we recorded live!
Oral lice treatment?! No matter what wool length?! We’re listening… Traditionally, sheep are treated for lice through a backline at the time of shearing. With a new oral treatment product on the market, your host Oli Le Lievre got curious and asked some questions of Dr Jane Morrison:
- What does it take to get a new product to market?
- How do farmers benefit from using the new oral lice treatment?
- How does the oral product work and how long is it effective for?
- How long are the withholding periods for meat and wool?
And of course, we were curious about our guest Jane as well! She’s from the land and her earliest memories are on the farm with her dad. Now a Veterinarian, she has spent the last 18 years with MSD Animal Health Australia.
Disclaimer: The information shared is general in nature. We're asking questions of Dr. Jane Morrison. And she's providing her insights from her expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of her views or the product. This episode is really designed to just be a conversation starter. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the space.
In this episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, host Oli Le Lievre is joined by co-host Milly Nolan for the first time! Milly is mates with our guest and knew he would make a ripper episode, so we teed it up while we were all in Armidale together. Introducing Jack Laurie, 5th generation cattle farmer and founder of Breeder Genetics.
With a profound love and passion for cattle, breeding, data and genetics, Jack's whole life has been dedicated to the sector. At the ripe age of 20, Jack established Breeder Genetics after spending time in America and Canada where he saw an opportunity he wanted to address... The outcome was a breeder-to-breeder genetic platform.
He talks about the business as 'our', but in reality it is just him day-to-day with some assistance from his sister, Georgie. He speaks fondly of his family, mentors and other people in his network who help him along the way. Success to Jack is the amount they can give back to their clients and the industry, which is pretty special.
He is exhilarated by what the future might hold for the industry and his involvement in it. Jack is humble, his knowledge of the industry is crazy and his energy is infectious.
Tom (T-Truck) and Mick (Corkscrew) are back on with their fourth? fifth? episode of the Monthly Markets. They’re joined by special guest Ciaran O'Gorman from StockCo.
While having a laugh and some fun, they explore current market conditions, the impact of seasonal and climatic factors on livestock prices, and the opportunities available to producers and traders. The discussion also delves into finance rates, the outlook on interest rates, and the potential for future growth in other markets.
Before you listen to this ep, go back and listen to "The Agri Lawyer taking on Mount Everest with Trent Thorne" if you haven't already!
Trent Thorne has returned from his attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Host, Oli Le Lievre sits down with him to reflect on his incredible journey and the raw decision to turn-back, only ~8hr from the top.
Below is an exert from Trent after he decided to listen to his body:
"But it still immediately stung for the obvious reasons… Because I knew that my one shot was gone.We talked about it being one and done. And that's still my intention. I have no plans to ever go back.”
Welcome back to the In The Know On the Go Podcast.
This week, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Col Medway, Senior Director at LAWD, to get across the latest trends and happening in the Aussie Rural Real Estate market.
We cover:
- Current trends is rural real estate
- Changing dynamics of Aussie ag and what that means for farmers and investors alike
- The role of livestock farming and mixed farming in carbon sequestration efforts
- Market outlook for the remaining 6 months of 2023
Julia "Chief Hope Officer" Jones is an absolute straight-shooter. Your host, Oli Le Lievre, was fortunate enough to meet Julia earlier in 2023. They have become friends and he fondly calls her JJ.
From across the ditch, JJ has been, "married to agriculture for 20years". She is a wealth of experience in finance, markets, sustainability and agriculture. In this episode JJ gives a raw account of how her self-assured, authentic self wasn't always so... And at times it worked against her.
We dive into JJ's journey of self-discovery, the challenges she faced, and the emerging opportunities and trends she sees for agriculture in the coming years.
She's optimistic about the future of agriculture, "There is something for everyone. It doesn't matter what you want to do. And you will not work in a more rewarding, cool, fun, insane, frustrating, mental, progressive, fast-paced environment than agriculture. So there's no way you can't find something you'd want to do in ag."
This ‘Under the Hood’ series is planned to take you behind the scenes to understand more about what it’s like to build a brand and support livelihoods on Purpose. Throughout it I hope you can get more of an understanding as we talk through some of the different aspects of what we do, why we’re making the decisions we do…
and in a really honest way, open the doors to feedback from you about what are the good ideas, the sh*t ones as well as showing the opportunities for you either individually or as a business to work with us.
In Episode 1, I sit down with Charlotte Durack from Studio Agriculture.
- Charlotte and I got talking in late 2021, up to that point our look and feel was guided by me and I knew i wanted it to be different however didn’t quite have the skills or know where to start.
- We chat about the approach to giving us a look that was fresh, unique and allowed us to focus on celebrating agriculture and honouring tradition while also being a modern brand.
- I also learnt a thing or two about perception and understanding… here I was thinking the handwritten parts of our brand were the ‘human touch’ which they are, AND they are also our way of filling in the gaps with each individual story.
In the fourth and final episode of Carbon Shortcuts: An introduction to all things Carbon in Aussie Agriculture, hosts Oli Le Lievre and Sam Noon pick Professor Richard Eckard’s brain one last time about all things carbon in agriculture.
It has been a learning journey for all the challenges and opportunities in addressing carbon emissions within agriculture. The carbon series may be concluding, but it serves as a starting point for ongoing conversations and deeper exploration of carbon-related issues (and opportunities) in agriculture. This final episode wraps up with a focus on the following:
The ‘transition zone’
- Exploring tools and opportunities for farmers
- Hurdles in adoption and implementation
- Due diligence in toxicology
- The biggest lessons so far from Australia's carbon journey
Series sponsorThis series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solution here, show notes or by listening to all episodes in the 4 part series, plus a bonus episode with Ruminati founder, Bobby Miller.
Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.
What would you do if you want a bus?
Well, in 25 words or less, that is something our next guest had to answer.
And to be honest, as he starts to talk about and open up in this chat, it really did change his life. I first came across Tim Gentle when I was studying down at Marcus Oldham.
He turned up with these virtual reality headsets, what he was trying to do was really take people on farm from wherever they were, it was pretty new technology, and it was bloody mind blowing what he'd done.
Over the years I got to know Tim, I knew what he was doing in the education space, however, I knew nothing about his story.
Behind the scenes and grew up in Melbourne, had a dad as a dairy farmer, had spent a bit of time on a cattle station in Oodnadatta, and had a love of technology building his first websites which is where he had his first busneess.
In this chat Tim talks about:
- The ride of the first business
- His bankruptcy due to a business deal that had gone wrong
- With zero dollars in his account, his family home needed to be sold and it was the end of his first marriage.
- As Tim says, the bus literally changed his life. Today alongside his wife and CEO, Kat, they really are shaping a narrative and helping educate people right across Australia as to what actually happens inside the farm gate and right through the supply chain.
As this episode shows, there is a broadness and pathways that different people can take within Agriculture
Welcome to episode 3 of “Carbon Shortcuts: An introduction to all things Carbon in Aussie Agriculture”, where hosts Oli Le Lievre and Sam Noon uncover more key learnings shared by Professor Richard Eckard, the expert in carbon.
The discussion revolves around the opportunities for farmers on their land and sheds light on unexplored areas of the agricultural supply chain. They also answer audience questions and discuss the industry's progress in reducing its carbon footprint.
- Agricultural supply chain carbon targets and reduction actions
- The differing roles between the private and government sectors
- The different classes and variations of emissions
- Greenhouse gas accounting frameworks
- How farmers can begin to get involved in carbon projects/markets
This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solution in the show notes or by listening to episodes 1 and 2 in the 4 part series.
Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.
It's not everyday that we have someone new to the team and it's definitely not everyday where you get to sit down with them for a podcast episode and find out more about who they are, what drives them and what impact they want to make on agriculture.
Fortunately for us, in her second week in the job after travelling to Sydney to an Ag Careers Expo Milly Nolan and host Oli Le Lievre got to sit down to chat about the first couple of weeks.
We cover:
- Milly's early memories of agriculture
- the decision points in her career to date
- What it was like to make the decision to come and join the team at Humans of Agriculture.
- Sharing agriculture's real story and what she's learnt to love and appreciate
- What impact is she looking to have through Humans of Agriculture
- How to build trust through storytelling
- A few jokes that may or may not have taken longer to get than expected...
In this episode of, Carbon Shortcuts: An introduction to all things Carbon in Aussie Agriculture, hosts Oli Le Lievre and Sam Noon are joined by Professor Richard Eckard from the University of Melbourne. The discussion revolves around the different types of carbon markets, the distinction between offsetting and insetting, and the emergence of biodiversity credits.
- The difference between the Voluntary and Compliance Markets
- The different Participants and Trades in each market
- The revenue potential and investment required to be involved in carbon projects
- and Shifting focus from Carbon to the emergence of Biodiversity and understanding the emerging opportunity
This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solution here show notes or by listening to our bonus episodes after episodes 3 and 4.
Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.
In this episode, Oli Le Lievre and Samantha Noon embark on a journey to explore the carbon space in Australian agriculture.
They are joined by Professor Richard Eckard, a renowned expert in climate and agriculture, to shed light on key concepts like carbon neutrality and net zero.
The conversation covers Australia's emission reduction goals, the choice of baseline years, and the differences between net zero and carbon neutral. Across this series we aim to demystify the carbon space and shed light on the challenges and opportunities it presents.
Key areas covered:
- Understanding Australia's emission reduction targets & how they have been set
- Baseline years and carbon neutrality
- Carbon Neutral vs Net Zero vs Climate Neutral
- Various other environmental claims
- The challenge & opportunity for carbon neutrality in Agriculture
This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solution here show notes or by listening to our bonus episodes after episodes 3 and 4.
Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.
In this episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with guest Leila McDougall.
Leila shares her unique journey from a small town called Walcha in New England to her involvement in various creative pursuits, including being Miss Australia, acting, producing, and writing.
Leila reflects on her unconventional resume, attributing it to her love for creativity and the interconnectedness of different skills. As the discussion delves into agriculture, Leila explains how her fascination with fashion stemmed from the Australian wool Fashion Awards and her family's involvement in the wool industry.
Growing up on a farm, Leila cherishes her early memories and highlights her parents' hard work and determination to fulfill their dream of owning land.
She acknowledges her mother's active role in farming, breaking stereotypes and proving that women can excel in the field. Leila opens up about being severely dyslexic, which posed challenges throughout her academic and professional journey. She shares her experience of learning differently, developing a photographic memory, and finding creative ways to overcome her dyslexia.
Leila discusses her passion for fashion design and her struggle to enter the industry due to the competitive nature of the field. However, she found an opportunity through the Australian wool Fashion Awards, winning a scholarship that paved the way for her career in fashion. The conversation also touches upon the issue of dyslexia in agriculture, with Leila recounting a story that highlights the challenges faced by dyslexic individuals in communication and the lengths they go to overcome them. Leila's story is inspiring, showcasing resilience, creativity, and the power to turn obstacles into opportunities.
Welcome back to part 2 of the Clancy Mackay story.
If you missed Part one, you better go back and listen to our previous episode!
In Part 1 of this chat, Oli Le Lievre and Clancy Mackay covered Clancy's childhood in the NT, moving to Goondiwindi and becoming a bit of a "wildcat", rodeoing in the USA, flying mustering helicopters and the impact of his father's death.
Just some of the things Oli and Clancy's chat about in Part 2:
- Using challenges as stepping stones to overcome obstacles in his life and the importance of not letting hardships ruin your life.
- How so much alone time during flights allowed him to do a LOT of thinking and therefore develop different perspectives. Clancy believes that being comfortable with solitude and handling personal problems independently is crucial for personal growth.
- His plans to create a different approach to working with cattle and focuses on effective communication and teamwork after finishing at Marcus.
If you haven't already listened to Part 1 of Clancy’s incredible story we HIGHLY recommend you go back and do so.
It's one of the most powerful conversations we've had to date. Clancy Mackay... a bush kid who grew up in the scrub of the Northern Territory. A teenager that 'played up a bit', however it's been his love of the land, of animals and of his family that have persevered.
In Part one of this chat, Host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Clancy Mackay a current student at Marcus Oldham. At the ripe old age of 27, Clancy Mackay has decades of wisdom on top of his shoulders and real life lessons that have led him down the path he is on.
He's adventures have included rodeoing in the USA, being an outback mustering helicopter pilot and collecting croc eggs among many other things!
At 27, Clancy has fit a lot into his life and therefore has a lot of stories to tell, so to make sure we don't miss anything. Welcome to Part OneL
- How Clancy’s parents bought a bare block in the territory and Clancy recalls his early years living in a caravan with no power, running water or telephone. He was a true bush kid, he did his schooling via School of the Air through the UHF radio, and once his school day was done (usually by mid morning) he'd spend the rest of the day running around outside and hunting and fishing in the river (He is unsure how they weren’t taken by a croc).
- Eventually, his parents moved him and his brothers down to Goondiwindi so they could see other people (as you can guess, they’d been pretty isolated as kids). Later on due to his parent’s separation, Clancy retaliated by playing up and being asked to leave the boarding school he was at.
- Clancy worked with cattle and started doing rodeos and riding broncs, eventually heading to the US where he rode 40 horses in 35 days. He did well and started learning Boiler-making while riding for a US college team, hoping to go pro. Unfortunately, 6 months into it, his dad was diagnosed with cancer and he made the decision to head home.
- Upon arriving home and with the motivation to make money to support his dad, Clancy flew through his chopper license exams in a record 4 months, which he then used to muster cattle right across Australia, eventually getting into catching feral buffalo and collecting crocodile eggs.
- Despite what seems to be an exciting adventure, Clancy also talks on the podcast about his dad’s struggle with illness and later death, which understandably has affected him greatly.
As we mentioned, there's a lot to Clancy's story and we couldn't cut parts out so we will have Part Two of Clancy’s incredible story available for you next Wednesday.
"If you had said to me in year 12, or at uni, or even when I was living and working in Sydney in the ag world, that I would have my own business as an online yoga instructor, I'd probably laugh at you."
The definition of fun and bubbly, Em Armstrong grew up on a sheep farm on the Hay Plains in NSW, where she loved the freedom of the wide-open spaces (cue Dixie Chicks), riding bikes and having a family “beach holiday" at the irrigation channel playing mermaids.
“I think you look back on it now and you almost take it for granted, but as a mum now seeing other kids, I'm just like, ‘oh my god’, we literally had the best life growing up.”
After school, all Em knew was that she wanted to work in the world of agriculture but couldn’t put her finger on what. So, she took a gap year… or two"
You might hear host Oli Le Lievre referring to her as Porty, well that's because that was her nickname when they were back at uni together at Marcus Oldham!
Right back in the early days of 2020 I remember reaching out to Hugh, time of year: summer. Day – not sure. Location: Barwon Heads on the side of the road.
At the time: Hugh was the Head Stockman on Beetaloo Station and I was just blown away by how mature he was. Hugh came on for a chat for episode 25 of the podcast. I feel pretty fortunate to nowadays call Hugh a mate and someone I’ve had plenty of conversations with.
In that episode, we talked about what Hugh was up to and his passion for advocating for the northern beef industry. He was fairly settled in his role, and had big aspirations for where his career would take him. Switching the chopper cab for a classroom and the stock camp for a shoebox of a bedroom didn’t seem to be on the list.
Fast forward to 2021 and Hugh was a finalist in the Zanda McDonald Award, he recognised he wanted to learn more and even came up with his own succession plan at the age of 23 to make himself redundant & pursue further education.
I have wanted to sit down with Hughie for a while and chat about his first year of at Marcus Oldham. What lead to the decision to study, what the year has been like, with Movember underway how he’s kept himself mentally healthy and how getting familiar with himself has enabled him to push the boundaries of what he’s capable of.
Imagine at the age of 10 with the help of your Grandma, you discover and decide on what career you want to pursue and what university course you will study.
Well that was the reality for Talulah Gaunt. Growing up in South West London, Talulah always loved animals. In her early days the interest was found through zoo's and aquariums until as a consumer she began to become more interested in farming.
One day she was exposed to someone who was a campaigner, and this led Talulah down a pathway to find out more about farm animal welfare and the world leading standards within the UK. This took her on to what she calls 'an obsession' to find our more about food, product labelling, marketing and especially animal welfare messaging.
I’m amazed with Talulah's self-awareness and willingness to broaden her perspectives. She’s spent time working on dairy farms in Wales and New Zealand before heading over to Australia and as part of her visa working on a grains and cotton property in the Northern NSW town of North Star.
I found this chat really refreshing, it is so true that there is no linear pathway that 'you must follow this pathway to be in agriculture' and Talulah is a prime example of that. Anyone with a passion can get involved in agriculture.
Today, Talulah is the Manager for RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme, her work involves overseeing the programs for higher animal welfare across Australian farms to transition to higher welfare practices.
evokeAG, Asia Pacific’s premier agrifood tech event, is heading to Adelaide on the 21st and 22nd of February 2023. The event brings together – in one room – farmers, innovators, startups, researchers, corporates, government, and investors to drive impact, and create change for the future of food and farm.
evokeAG. is offering Humans of Agriculture listeners a 10% discount on tickets during November. If you’re interested in attending the two-day event in Adelaide head to evokeag.com/event to purchase your ticket and use the code HOA23.
See you in Adelaide!
Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast.
We missed you all last week, sometimes life gets a little busy and last week I was in New Zealand and thought we had things covered, however, we just couldn't quite manage the juggle.
This week I’m sitting down with a man who is a huge advocate for Mental Health, while we’re on that topic – if you haven’t donated to our Movember page – check it out with the link HERE.
Brendan McGee is an agronomist with Elders and he reckons his little pocket of Beaudesert in Qld could well be one of the greatest spots to be in Australia.
Brendan’s journey is certainly an interesting one from working with race horses, to the paddocks as an agronomist and where we happened to find him for this chat.
He understands the challenges with farming in Australia and wants to see the conversations around mental health shift. He’s doing his fair share too, he is part of the Elders Wellbeing Committee, has started up mental health Mondays and takes an active role in chatting with his colleagues and clients around the importance of being mentally healthy.
EvokeAg Tickets:
Get a 10% discount to EvokeAg in Adelaide on the 21st and 22nd of February 2023.
Full details below:
This episode is part of our collaboration with AgriFutures evokeAG.
Elders has returned as the official Platinum Partner of the evokeAG. 2023 event to be held on the 21st and 22nd February 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia.
evokeAG. brings together farmers, innovators, startups, researchers, corporates, government and investors to drive impact, and create change for the future of food and farm.
evokeAG. is offering Humans of Agriculture listeners a 10% discount on tickets during November. If you’re interested in attending the two-day event in Adelaide head to evokeag.com/events and use the code HOA23.
Welcome to our first check-in for Movember.
You're listening in on Sam Fryer and I having a chat and checking in on each other. This month we're encouraging those in our community
Using Movember as the month to get your annual check up - check the cherries, visit the doctor, get a skin cancer check, and check in on your own mental health.
We also chat about a few ideas for the month that we'd probably be keen to do more often including Unlocking our childlike fun and Mental Health Monday's.
Our team is open to everyone and anyone: Link HERE
There's not many people that can pay their way through university through being a cowboy, but my next guest has done exactly that.
Today, Luke Chaplain hasn't quite given up the dream but it has taken a bit of a backseat to his work today. From Cloncurry he is running a growing film business alongside his sister while also undertaking a Nuffield Scholarship into the opportunities for Drones in mustering in agriculture.
You'll hear:
1) How does Luke get ready to ride bucking bronc's on the weekend
2) Some of his travels around the world competing
3) The role of the Farmers 2 Founders course in getting him up[ to speed in being business ready
4) Trialling 1,000 different jobs from acting, to media, professional bronc rider and today a small business owner.
Kristina Hermanson is enjoying a sabbatical currently, so what better time to sit down with her and reflect on her career so far and ask some of those questions about what has driven her and what continues to drive her.
Kristina is starting a new role with Nuveen, a natural capital asset Manager in January. Her new role is Head of Natural Capital for Asia Pacific and Africa, so I had to ask her – How does a CEO get ready for their first day of work?
Also in this conversation we cover:
- How her leadership style has changed as she’s transitioned businesses and industries
- How she brings other people within her team onboard with her vision
- The balance of showing up and putting on a brave face and being vulnerable
- Where she see’s the role of agriculture heading into the future
- How agriculture can be more inclusive as an industry
If you haven't checked out our newest podcast 'In The Know, On The Go' it's helping get the agriculture community across what matters, be sure to follow the links below:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-know-on-the-go/id1648678449?uo=4
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dblOpr5vn4osWip67FoY3
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-know-on-the-go/id1648678449
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dblOpr5vn4osWip67FoY3?si=81738e2e45d94ace
Sick of sifting through the paper? Waiting around only to miss the headlines play through the wireless?
In The Know, On The Go by Humans of Agriculture gets you up to speed on the things that matter in Aussie Agribusiness and then join us as we do a deep dive on a topic you want to know more about.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-know-on-the-go/id1648678449
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dblOpr5vn4osWip67FoY3?si=81738e2e45d94ace
Sick of sifting through the paper? Waiting around only to miss the headlines play through the wireless?
In The Know, On The Go by Humans of Agriculture gets you up to speed on the things that matter in Aussie Agribusiness and then join us as we do a deep dive on a topic you want to know more about.
Steph Schmidt is a Farmer, Mum, Psychologist, Small Business owner and incredibly passionate about the future for Agriculture through its people.
Steph is the 2020 winner of the Agrifutures Rural Woman's Award, the award enabled her to build on her idea focused on making paddock tested psychological tools more accessible to farmers and Rural Australia.
Living through drought in 2019, Steph was asked to run a few community sessions focused on resilience and looking after yourself. These sessions were the instigator for her applying for the Rural Woman's Award and going on to lead her down the pathway of bringing proactive measures into the everyday.
Rural Woman's AwardsApplications close on Wednesday the 19th of October, 2022. Find out more HERE!!
Follow us on Instagram @humansofagriculture_
Read more stories at HumansofAgriculture.com
Read the press release about our latest podcast partner: https://www.lawd.com.au/post?post_id=10555
Welcome to the first of our In The Know On The Go podcast series.
This week and for the fist episode in this series, I’m sitting down with Col Medway, Col is a Senior Director with LAWD. LAWD are a rural real estate advisory and transactions business. I am keen to find out about the state of the rural markets including:
· Where are the strongest performing regions and where are the lower or opportunistic regions
· What’s the interest like from corporates and where are they buying
· Where is the market heading?
· Are there any emerging trends?
· Are challenges emerging with the increasing cost of finance?
· The northern development – what’s happening up there?
If you enjoyed this chat we’d love for you to share it with others. If you have any questions for Col please send either us a message or get in touch with them directly at lawd.com.au
Josie Clarke is blazing a trail, just this year she has been in Mexico for her PhD, on the stage as the winner of the NSW/ACT Rural Woman's Award, a finalist for the National Rural Woman's Award and most recently named a 2023 EvokeAg Future Young Leader.
Josie founded an organisation called Ability Agriculture, they help give a voice to people with a disability working in agriculture and to shift the perceptions of their capacity within the sector.
EvokeAg Tickets & Info:
If you're keen to head to EvokeAg in Adelaide from the 21-22 February, get your ticket or apply to be an exhibitor today at www.evokeag.com
LAWD Sponsorship:
We're excited to share that LAWD have come on board to support Humans of Agriculture for a further 12 months, if you want to read about it - check it out here.
Content, Marketing and Community Specialist:
The CMC Specialist role is open till Friday the 7th of October. Apply now by following this link HERE
"If you look after the little things, the big things will take care of themselves"
Campbell Chesworth is a new generation of dairy farmer. A millennial with a master’s degree in urban planning, he’s driven to make a tangible, positive impact on the world. As business development manager of The Little Big Dairy Co., Campbell oversees the company’s sustainability program and its mission to become Australia’s first circular dairy by 2025.
Campbell's story will be so relatable for many of our listeners. Finishing school he was unsure of the career path he was looking to take and so undertook study at Sydney University. It led to him gaining valuable life experience including heading to Malawi, a landlocked country in Africa to work with subsistence farmers.
Back in the family business today, Campbell has big dreams and a driving passion for the business to continue to improve and do better by the cows, by the community and managing the environment.
Check out Little Big Dairy.
We also have a job advertisement - Content, Marketing and Community Specialist.
Penny Schulz is a red meat and wool producer from South Australia, well that’s the first of many hats she wears, she also runs her own consulting business, is a university lecturer, an industry advocate and has a number of advisory roles as well.
In today’s chat Penny and I chat about her journey and specifically around one of her areas of expertise, the AgTech scene - it’s challenges, opportunities and in answer to one of my favourite questions, Penny believes that when younger people can see the technology and science that goes into agriculture, that will completely change people’s opinions.
This episode is part of our collaboration with EvokeAg which is going ahead in Adelaide on February 21-22, 2023. You can get your tickets now HERE.
This episode was recorded on Gadigal Country and Ngarriindjeri Country and we pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
G'day and Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast
You're in for a treat this week, Oli is sitting down with the World's Okayest Pilot & Flying Outback Vet Doctor Campbell Costello.
Cozy is an absolute character, for the past 17 years he has been a practicing vet. His work has taken him across Australia and the World, these day's he services remote and rural communities and businesses mainly across Northern Australia.
We chat about:
- The most incredible job in the world
- The Mongol Derby & seeing the world through his vet work
- The stark reality of mental health and suicide in the vet profession
- Learning through school of the air
- Managing grief and loss following the passing of his father
- The love of aviation inherited from his father and grandfather
And his question for a future guest: "You have the chance to speak to yourself at your high school graduation, would you tell yourself to do anything differently or would you stick to what you’ve done?"
This episode was recorded on the lands of the Mithaka people in south western Queensland. The country was absolutely incredible and if you head to our social media, you can check out the incredible landscape, waterways and area that has been cared for thousands of years.
Welcome back to another episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. This week we're heading back a couple of weeks and bringing you to the Riverine Plains Innovation Expo on Yorta Yorta country.
My Next Guest Is... Ben Barlow.
Ben has always been around agriculture, his earliest memories come from being around agriculture and he remembers fondly the importance of hard work from his early years.
Upon finishing his university degree, Ben was encouraged to get away from the farm and so he pursued an opportunity to become a bank teller in Mildura, an area that he would go to excel at and have various executive roles both in Australia and in the United States.
There was never any doubt that Ben would stay involved in agriculture, he says "It doesn't leave you". His interests have seen him take a small holding of just a couple of thousand acres up to tens of thousands of acres across Western NSW.
Ben mentions several mainstream global issues such as carbon, soil fertility, lack of water, lack of arable land and a growing world population as key areas where agriculture intersects with them and can be a solution.
On a trip to Israel several years ago, while looking at water technology, Ben came across biologicals and he decided to extend his trip to learn a little more.
After arriving back in Australia, he found three companies in the space. Fast forward to today and he has the majority interest and is the Managing Director of New Edge Microbials. So if you want to know more, check out the full episode and if you'd prefer to watch this episode then head to our YouTube Channel.
G'day and welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast.
This week, I'm on Yuggerra and Turrbal country and I'd like to pay my respects to their elders past, present and future generations.
To paint the picture of where we are, we're up at the Ekka in Brisbane, after a couple of years away from the main ring, it is all back and happening! We're standing at the back of the grandstand overlooking the cattle ring.
My next guest is Tim McKinnon, Tim is a Senior Director with LAWD and is a leader valuer for Australian rural properties. Like many of our guests, Tim's involvement in agriculture started at a young age on his family's dairy farm in SW Vic.
Tim and I chat about his early career aspirations - the dream to become a stock and station agent, heading to the big city lights of Melbourne to study a property course and how that opportunity opened the door for him.
As one of the founders of LAWD, we chat about the priorities of the business in the early days and how they began to build their team and culture, the importance of backing yourself, the learnings from a new board and setting the standards for what the business could be, not what it was.
I enjoyed chatting about the Australian Rural Leadership program with Tim and how this has helped shape his perspectives, a bigger question around belonging and working in agriculture from a capital city and finally his advice to year 10 students.
Tim McKinnon started life on a dairy farm in South Western Victoria. Like many farm kids, Tim lived for the time on the farm whether that was before or after school or during school holidays.
Today, Tim is a Senior Director with LAWD. In this chat, while we're standing overlooking the cattle ring, Tim and I chat about that journey from farm kid, the role of mentors, what his experience was like with the Australian Rural Leadership Program, and the opportunity to be in the early stages of creating a business alongside some of the leaders in the agriculture industry.
If this is your first time listening to our podcast, we're on a mission to find out more about our food system from the people involved with it and each week we sit down with people from all walks of life and chat about their life and their journey.
I’m really excited to bring my next guest to you, he’s someone who I was really keen to pick his brain. Troy Setter is a well-renowned industry leader, his involvement and passion for the beef industry dates back to his childhood and the cattle showring. When it comes to what it takes to be a CEO, I reckon Troy started that journey way back in his early days.
Troy was fortunate to pick up a cadetship with the Twynam Group, which meant he worked alongside studying at the University of New England. From these early years it was evident that he was someone with a lot of grit and determination and would make sure he was having a bit of fun while balancing what was important to him.
I’ve chatted with guests before who have talked about momentum and how once you create momentum opportunities seem to come up. Troy is definitely one of those people, he says yes to opportunities and a quote I read the morning of our interview from Waverley Stanley seemed to ring pretty true. ‘If I want to do something, I’ll find a way, if I don’t want to do it, I’ll find an excuse”
Troy talked about the difference between who his customer is and who his consumer is. This philosophy is something I’ve reflected on quite a bit and it’s a
· We talk about the difference between customers and consumers
· About having difficult conversations about what goes on in the industry,
· Of lessons in leadership and setting the boundaries for team cohesion and success.
I hope you enjoy this chat with an industry leader as we get a bit of an insight into Troy Setter and his journey to being CEO of Consolidated Pastoral Company.
We are in Brisbane on the lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people. We took the chance to sit down with Gary Leeson. Gary is the Innovation and Business Development Manager for Organic Crop Protectants. A company that he joined in 1993 and for 25 years build to be a leader in the organic farm inputs space before selling to Yates Australia.
Gary grew up around agriculture and has been involved in farming his whole life, he's passionate about getting the right tools in the hands of customers to help them profitably convert their farming operations to certified organic production while ensuring we meet the challenges we face on a global scale.
Now I'll be honest, some of the more technical aspects I had to really concentrate on and it was only after listening back that I started to wrap my head around it. Gary helps us understand some of the fundamentals of organic farming, some of the challenges as well as how his business has looked globally to find the best research and development to help them progress.
In this episode we talk about:
- biological crop inputs
- regenerative agriculture
- the drivers and desire to leave the planet better for the next generation
- Various roles and finding his feet in the organic space
- Leveraging global science to support their business
Mary O'Brien is passionate about Men's Mental Health. Her simple analogies resonate so clearly with blokes and women right across rural and regional Australia, helping them to understand the challenges around Mental Health and letting them know that there is help out there.
We were in town for the Riverine Plains Innovation Expo and off the back of her session we thought we'd grab Mary O'Brien from Are You Bogged Mate to have a bit of a yarn about what her work is.
Mary travels the country running workshops, her approach is simple - start the conversation and use references that people can relate to.
When ti comes to suicide the stats are quite alarming. 76% of suicides are men. Of all deaths for people aged 20-24, 40% are from suicide.
For every 1 death there are 30 suicide attempts.
So why are people getting bogged, what are the simple steps people to look after ourselves but also those around us.
If this conversation does prompt any concerns for you or someone you know there is help out there. Our friends over at the TIACS helpline are available on 0488 846 988. or you can reach lifeline on 13 11 14.
This week, I thought I would take the chance to sit with someone who has been on the list on my whiteboard nearly since Day 1. Angeline Achariya is a remarkable woman, over the past 20 years she has had a variety of roles in global food innovation, she’s an expert in turning ideas into products and being able to commercialise them.
When I met Angeline back in 2019, she was leading the Monash Food Innovation Centre, it was incredible. I was shown how they come up with new concepts from the intricacies of a new chocolate bar to 3D printed food, to how and where to stock products on supermarket shelves within the 'virtual supermarket'.
Today I’m keen to find out more about her story, how did she end up in the food innovation space, what’s making her passionate about doing food better, what’s it like to launch more than 1,000 products into the market, and the importance of connecting agriculture and food, how does she balance her values alongside needing to meet business objectives and what are some of the emerging trends and surprises throughout her career.
This episode is part of our collaboration with EvokeAg, We are really excited about the evokeAG. 2023 event that will be held on 21-22 February 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia. If you're interested in attending the two-day, full-scale, global event or partnering, visit evokeAG.com for more details.
Claire Mahoney is the CEO and Founder of The Bravery.
Claire was part of the consumer and insights panel at the Australian Organic conference. During her talk she mentioned some research which her company had commissioned firstly looking at what issues are aussies most passionate about and how to best wield the power for change. This led onto their second piece of work ‘who do you believe’ The work looked at which brands do Australians believe are truly making a difference in the sustainability revolution. Do they believe what they are seeing and hearing? Which brands are cutting through…
- Number one issue Aussies care about is climate change
- On top 20 issues very little varies between boomers, millennials and Gen X, however mental health is in the top 3 for young Aussies.
- 86% are skeptical about the claims that brands make.
- 3 in 4 Aussies cannot name a brand that is taking action on environment or social causes.
- The top 10 brands that Aussies think are taking action might blow you away!
To be honest, the companies that the average consumer saw as sustainable was pretty interesting and eye opening.. I sat down with Claire to find out more about the Bravery, their work in the communications and social impact space and how she hopes to create change and have an impact through her work.
Andrew Henderson is the Independent Chair of the Safemeat Advisory Group, we sat down with Hendo to get the 101 on Foot & mouth Disease to understand a bit more about what it is, how it's transferred and what work is happening in the background to prepare and combat it coming to Australia.
What is Foot and Mouth Disease?
How is it spread?
Why is it a significant threat to Aus livestock sector?
What’s the process to regain market access?
How long has it been a concern for Aus for?
Why more of a concern now?
Is there a vaccine?
Check out the full AusVet Plan here - https://animalhealthaustralia.com.au/ausvetplan/
To get access to resources and information head here: https://www.integritysystems.com.au/
G’day and welcome to a special deep dive episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. In these deep dive episodes we’ll be looking to find out more about specific businesses, topics and industries.
We’re heading to the Australian Organic conference on the 21st and 22nd of July up in Brisbane, so ahead of the conference we wanted to sit down and have a chat with Ryan Reynolds from the Organic Milk Co.
Ryan is the General Manager of The Organic Milk Co, so we sat down to understand a little bit more about their business, the products they are selling, how many farmers are they working with, what are their goals and most importantly what are the topics and discussion that he’s looking forward to at the inaugural Australian Organic conference.
Australian organics is the leading peak body for the organic industry, a member owned not-for-profit organisation protecting and promoting the future of the Australian Organic industry. If you’re keen to head along to the conference it’s being held on the 21st and 22nd of July in Brisbane and you can find out more at www.Austorganic.com
Michael Patching is an Australian Veterinarian based in Singapore. With a Masters in Animal Welfare Ethics & Law from Edinburgh University Patcho is driven by making change and having impact. Within animal welfare, he wants to see some basic, yet difficult changes occur and he see's this as an obligation.
Patcho grew up in the suburbs of Perth and from a young age knew that he wanted to be a Vet.
His career, may have well taken a secondary seat to his love of Rugby. Travelling the world as a semi-professional player his footy career took him to play rugby, and work as a vet in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and across Asia.
After completing his studies, a Masters in Animal Welfare, Patcho headed to Vietnam where he took up a role with Meat and Livestock Australia. His career to date has been focused around improving animal welfare standards across the supply chain and Patcho is incredibly passionate about this.
This episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast has been sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more about LAWD, head to www.lawd.com.au
You may have heard of Ned Hannigan, if not, he’s a professional rugby player. His rugby career has taken him around the world, so far he’s played more than 50 games for the Waratahs, 25 games for the Wallabies, the highest honour & spent a bit of time playing in Japan as well. But Ned’s a bloke from the bush, home is at Pasadena, the family property not too far from Coonamble in NSW.
In this chat we talk about the journey Ned’s been on, where rugby has taken him and how his mindset and perspective has shifted around who he is and what he does.
- The culture within high performance teams
- Realising that the dream as a professional athlete was coming true
- The importance of trying your best
- Lessons in blocking out the external noise and being kind to yourself
- Separating who you are from what you do
After losing her first child in her early twenties, Olympia packed up her life and headed to the northern territory. As she says she was running away from her issues. She found herself as the only female working in an export yard and as only Olympia can do quickly became part of the crew, and may have surprised them.
She headed for the USA, as an avid horse lover she became a horse trainer in Stephenville Texas, a dry county. She would ride her bike several miles after a long day of training horses to have a few beers at the local club.
Olympia left the dry county and met her now-husband Eric, a US Marine who deployed to Afghanistan several times. Olympia shares the reality of living in a Marine Corps Town, the thoughts of not when they would return but if they would return home.
Olympia is simply extraordinary her will to make a difference is inspiring and this is where she finds herself today, reducing food waste going to landfill and feeding it to the Soldier Flies which ultimately then lead to becoming a stock feed. She cares deeply about the environment and is having a remarkable impact.
This episode was recorded on Ngunnawal country and is part of our collaboration with EvokeAg. Throughout the series we’re shining a light on the people - from all walks of life - who make our global agrifood system so vibrant. We’re hearing their stories of innovation, their diverse background, what drives them and why shaping the future of food is so rewarding. If you're keen on attending or partnering for EvokeAG 2023 in Adelaide, head to www.evokeag.com
Julia was an architect, her passion had led her to working on international projects that were creating spaces that could inspire people and make the world a better place through design. She began to obsess over the materials they were using to build these projects. She couldn't bring herself past the amount of petroleum-based plastic wrap that was being used, even on low-carbon embodied projects.
She met her now-husband Jordy, who at the time was working on his own business growing and selling organic and biodynamic wines from South-West Victoria.
Their business, Great Wrap is revolutionising the products we use at home in our kitchens as well as pallet wrap, which, subsequently goes on nearly every product that's produced ever, at some stage in its life.
Great Wrap takes potato waste and through a sophisticated process turns it into a cling wrap that can be used for keeping household items fresh and keep items that are placed on pallets together and dry during transport. Their product is completely home compostable, meaning that it will break down in the soil into carbon and water.
I loved my time with them out at their factory in Tullamarine in Melbourne, I learnt a lot from them about start-up business, and the difference between the types of 'degradables', and left feeling so inspired by what these two have achieved and will go on to achieve. So inspiring!!
This episode is a collaboration between us and EvokeAg, heading to Adelaide in 2023 on the 21st and 22nd of February the event brings together incredible people who are shaping the future of Food. To find out more head to www.evokeag.com
For the past 30 or so years Prue Bondfield & husband David have forged an incredible partnership and it has seen them take their business Palgrove, from strength to strength. Uncovering new opportunities and blazing the trail to show what is possible with a vision, dedication and surrounding yourself with the right people.
Having just recently completed the final stages of their succession plan which saw the property sold off, Prue shares more about what’s next for them.
- Prue has taken anything but straight forward path to getting to her roles in the industry including Chair of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework.
- Growing up in regional Queensland her life as a solicitor went against the grain, later she moved into corporate roles before it was the love of a farmer at a BnS kick-started an incredible love of agriculture.
- Teamwork has been at the foundation of the success of Prue & David Bondfield. In this chat, Prue talks about the transition, the moment where she woke up and realised that the next stage of her life was starting.
- Prue talks about career choices, finding passions, the importance of balance and that if you set your mind to it then you can do just about anything.
- Also, never serve up mouldy scones
This episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast is part of our collaboration with EvokeAg. We're sitting down with people from right across the Global Agrifood system hearing their stories. EvokeAg is headed to Adelaide, South Australia on Feb 21-22 2023, if you would like to find out more then head to www.EvokeAg.com to find out more.
Image credit: Regional Investment Corporation (https://www.ric.gov.au/about/board)
Our next guest is just an incredible person, she’s a self confessed coffee snob, adventure racing, dog loving, mother of two and someone I feel really lucky to have sat down with on Gunditjmara country in western Victoria not too far from the turf that she grew up on.
Anna Speer has built her reputation as a business leader at the forefront of industry innovation and evolution; her ability to lead teams and implement change has seen her as the CEO of AuctionsPlus, Chief Operations Officer of Australian Agricultural Company and in her current role today as the CEO of Greenstock, the Red meat side of Woolworths where she is responsible for the Woolies networks supply of Beef, Lamb and Pork.
But there’s a fair bit of the Anna Speer story that I certainly didn’t know. In this chat, we go beyond the day to day to understand more about the journey, the role of mentors, communication, professional development through the Australian Rural Leadership Program and more. This is the story from pony club kid, to ringer to today being Unashamedly Anna.
In this chat we find out about Anna’s story but we also found out what was happening in the meat sections and behind the scenes during the pandemic.
- Are the supply chains for big supermarkets sustainable
- What does the first week as a CEO look like?
- What have been the learnings at the centre of change in industries?
- How has Anna approached communication, mentors and making the big decisions.
This episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast was recorded live on location thanks to Hope & CO in Hamilton on Gunditjmara country and extend our respects to the traditional owners for your care of the lands, air and water and recognize the importance of storytelling to connect people and place.
Annabelle Hickson hails from just down the road from where our host, Oli Le Lievre grew up.
Annabelle landed her dream job straight out of uni working for the Australian newspaper, her work fascinated her and she certainly landed on her feet.
That was until she met 'the farmer'. The story took a turn and Annabelle found herself in Moree, with a lot of journalism skills but with an inability to get work.
Annabelle's rejection subsequently turned into opportunity as she began blogging, then wrote a book titled 'A tree in the house' and since 2020, she has been self-publishign her own magazine Galah Press.
The Humans of Agriculture podcast is sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. Find out more at www.lawd.com.au
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/humans-of-agriculture/message
Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast hosted by Oli Le Lievre.
This week we sit down with James Knight, a farmer located at The Sisters down in South West Victoria.
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James shares his story from City boy who fell in love with agriculture (and subsequently a country girl!)
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James' story takes twist and turns through university, finding his feet, returning back to his wife's family property and then the need to head off again.
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This conversation talks about mental health and the times where James found himself 'in the dark'. He found through seeking Professional help and the support of those closest to him that he was able to get his life back on his own terms.
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James has sat in corporate farming operations as the operations manager at Warakirri Cropping, an assistant farm manager, and today how he and wife Georgie have grown the family business into the thriving business it is today.
This episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast was recorded on the country of the Girai Wurrung people, we pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
If today's episode sparks any areas that you'd like to discuss more around mental health - Check out Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via www.lifeline.org.au, or the TIACS helpline on 0488 846 988. or at www.tiacs.org
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/humans-of-agriculture/message
Welcome back to another week of the Humans of Agriculture podcast.
This week, Oli Le Lievre sits down with David Kininmonth the manager at Mount Hesse a 8,000 acre Sheep operation in Winchelsea in South West Victoria.
One of the coolest parts of this chat is, Dave was actually one of the very first people to give Oli a go in farming and over nearly (crazy to think) the past 20 years, Dave has been a mentor and provided opportunities and a sounding board for Oli in agriculture.
In the chat, Dave shares some of his stories from the past 30 years managing the property; how he has seen himself as a custodian of the land, the importance of working and empowering his team as well as making sure that the business was financially sound in order to support the dreams he had for the property.
Dave is leaving Mount Hesse later this year after more than 140 years of the Kininmonth families relationship, in Dave's time as the custodian of the land it's safe to say that he is leaving the environment and business in a better place than when he started.
The Humans of Agriculture weekly podcast is proudly sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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Annabelle Cleeland has built her career around rural journalism. Growing up in Kew just on the outskirts of Melbourne's CBD Annabelle proudly told her dad at the age of 14 that she was going to be a farmer...
Although the dream of farming was put on the backburner for a few years while she built her career, the love of agriculture and sharing stories of the people involved in the industry was always front of mind.
Annabelle and I sat down for a bit of a chat ahead of a panel we're on in the coming weeks around Storytelling in agriculture and the different ways to do it.
We'd love to know your thoughts on where have people, businesses, industries, brands done it well and what can we learn from it!
Get in touch with us @humansofagriculture_ on Instagram or via our website www.humansofagriculture.com
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When you think of Humans of Agriculture you probably don’t think of a TV Producer, Director, or Cameraman but our next guest is just exactly that. Tommy Lawrence has worked on some of the most iconic TV shows Australia has ever had from X-Factor to Bondi Rescue, but it was his love for Rural Australia and life in the top end that has seen him bring the stories of people from across Northern Australia to TVs across the world.
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Tom spent his childhood in Darwin, whilst attending High school it was a film and media class that caught his eye. The only problem was that they thought his behaviour wasn't quite up to scratch
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After giving an apprenticeship a go, Tom returned home to Darwin where he landed himself amongst the construction industry. Not long after, Tom had been playing with some mates cameras and decided it was time for the leap of faith and he headed to the Gold Coast for university which is just the beginning of this journey with the camera in hand.
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So far his work has seen him working on Territory Cops, Mega Truckers, Outback Wrangler, Creating Outback Ringer, X-Factor, Bondi Rescue, and well there’s plenty more to come in the documentary space
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Tom’s first big job in Sydney after never being there before was on Australia’s most iconic beach, Bondi! He worked as a crew member on Australia’s most successful television show- Bondi Rescue
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The Mort's family history in Australian agriculture goes back to the early days of Thomas Mort, Thomas was a pioneer and led some of the first exports of Beef from Australia. Today Charlie Mort is the founder and Executive Chairman of mort & Co, one of Australia's largest private beef businesses.
Starting his career in the Stock and Station agency game, Charlie moved across Queensland for roles with Prime Ag that later became Elders. As the drought hit in the early 1990s, an opportunity came up to begin lot feeding cattle.
A bloke from Muttaburra called and assumed Charlie was the expert in lot feeding. Once he got them onto feed successfully, Charlie let him know that it was his first time, and well it's safe to say that Charlie has since well and truly earnt those credentials today.
Starting Mort & Co in 1997, Charlie sought out the support of others who could help him turn his dream into a reality. Building the business piece by piece into the diversified business it is today.
Charlie certainly has ridden many of the highs and lows, today his vision for the business continues to see it innovate but it all comes back to getting the right people in the right seats to bring it all together.
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This week on the Humans of Agriculture podcast we’re heading back to share the story of an extraordinary family and Antola shirt ambassador.
Tiff Sayers is an incredibly strong woman, I walked away from this chat just in awe of her resilience and optimism. In this episode Tiff shares her journey and the story of her daughter Ava.
In March of 2021, Ava was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma only a month before her 8th birthday. For the past 12 months and for a further 6, Ava and her mum Tiff alongside sister Caitlin have been calling the Ronald McDonald House home.
The family left their home near Harvey Bay literally overnight they headed to the Ronald McDonald House and that’s been home for the past 12 months.
In this chat, Tiff talks about the world that has been the Ronald McDonald house and the bond that she has amongst the ‘Ronnie Mac Family’.
At the end of this episode, I sat down for a quick chat with Preshni Pillay from the Ronald McDonald House to find out more about their programs and their support.
To check out more about Ronald McDonald house click HERE.
Click here to view the Antola Shirt Range
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Dione Howard wears many hats: a National Rural Ambassador, Vet and Young Farming Champion.
In high school she knew she wanted to be a doctor of sorts, the decision was whether she wanted to be a doctor of people or animals.
It came down to she was a whole lot more comfortable dealing with animal blood than that of humans. She walked out of university and began her work near Hay in south-western NSW, in the midst of the drought, followed by bushfires and ultimately a pandemic. It has seen her work varied but as she says, her job is to help keep animals safe and make sure on the ground they detect any potential disease or threats to Australia's agricultural sector.
Our weekly podcast is sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in Agribusiness valuations and transactions. Our question this week, when was the last time Australian farm prices saw a decline? Check out our socials for the answer!
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Welcome back to another episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, hosted by Oli Le Lievre. This week we sit down with Stephen O'Brien the CEO of Mort & Co. Stephen's a fourth generation flour miller and baker, his early career was with Defiance milling in Toowoomba. Stephen knows the value in teamwork, as one of 9 children it was instilled in him at a pretty early age and followed him onto his pursuits as a rugby union player. Stephen had bigger aspirations than working as a trainee and at the age of 26 decided that he would head to university to complete a Commerce degree. Stephen's career has spanned management roles in Australia and the USA for both listed and private businesses. This chat felt a bit like a reverse job interview, so I hope you enjoy it!
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G'day and Welcome back!
We're straight back into it after a few days on the Darling Downs in Southern Queensland, and we can't wait to share what we were up to with you soon!
While we were up there we sat down with a few different people from Mort & Co, and the first one we're excited to share our podcast with is Lily Bingham.
Lily is the Feed Commodity Officer and as she says, without knowing much about beef, has certainly found a business and area she's passionate about.
Lily shares that both her dad and their farm manager have played a vital role in supporting her (and her sisters) while in her day-to-day work it has been people both at MSM Milling and now at Mort & Co have provided her the opportunity to learn and grow.
I hope you enjoy this chat and if you haven't yet, head over to @humansofagriculture_ on Instagram to view our latest story!
Thank you to our weekly podcast sponsor, LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions.
Humans of Agriculture is hosted by Oli Le Lievre
Podcast produced and edited by Humans of Agriculture.
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Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast, I'm your host Oli Le Lievre. Mike Lee came onto the stage at EvokeAg 2020 and I think he captured the minds, eyes, and ears of everyone in the auditorium. Mike’s job, is as a futurist, he works with some of the largest organisations globally to help them see what our food system may look like in the next 5-25 years. Today, Mike and I chat a little bit about his journey, from his upbringing in Detroit to starting his own dining experiences. Today as the founder of The Future Market and as the co-founder of Alpha Foods. I love Mike’s realness in his approach as he works with businesses to create delicious products, enticing while being good for people, the planet and doing it in a profitable way. If you want to get ahead of the pack, you can find out more about EvokeAG 2023, which is being held on 21-22 February 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia. If you're interested in attending the two-day, full-scale, global event or partnering, visit evokeAG.com for more details.
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G’day and Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast.
I’m your host Oli Le lievre and it’s a pleasure to bring another incredible story to you.
Our next guest is the 2022 Australian Zanda McDonald Award winner, Charlie Perry grew up on his family's property 'Trent Bridge', however made the decision after school to pursue a corporate role working as a Management consultant for Ernst & Young. Charlie's work saw him working on significant government and infrastructure projects of national significance and those skills have followed him into his current role within the family business as well as being the current chair of the Australian Wagyu Association.
Charlie's shares an honest, enjoyable and engaging story of his path as we talk about some of the bigger challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves to him.
Opportunity with our podcast sponsor LAWD:
An exciting opportunity for an Entry-level role, joining Australia’s fastest-growing rural property agency, LAWD and benefit from direct guidance from one of Australia’s leading rural property agents, Col Medway. Col is seeking a candidate with a passion for agriculture, exceptional written and verbal communication skills, and an appetite for hard work and personal drive for success, to “ride shot gun” with him as he travels Australia marketing a diverse range of agricultural assets. You will learn on the job and be trained in all aspects of rural property transactions, providing a unique and accelerated experience upon which to launch your career. Have a think about if you have the discipline and stamina to work at pace, this is a role for hard working, straight-shooting high achievers. The position is highly suited to agricultural discipline graduates or property graduates with a deep knowledge of Australian agriculture. To find out more or apply send your CV to info@lawd.com.au
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G’day and Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast.
I’m your host Oli Le lievre and it’s a pleasure to bring another incredible story to you.
I had seen her light-hearted ways via her Instagram channel, she definitely is a bit of a larrikin, and based off the response i got after sharing just a tiny snippet of this episode with you, I reckon there’s a few of you out there that are Grace McLeod Fans as well.
Today's episode covers Grace’s story from a young loving farm kid to an extraordinary woman. Grace has been through quite the transition as her family has undertaken the complicated process of succession. As you’ll hear it actually has resulted in the sale of the family farm, Grace walking away from the life she knew but is thankful she still has her family intact and that her parents now have the freedom to enjoy their retirement.
Opportunity with our podcast sponsor LAWD:
An exciting opportunity for an Entry-level role, joining Australia’s fastest-growing rural property agency, LAWD and benefit from direct guidance from one of Australia’s leading rural property agents, Col Medway. Col is seeking a candidate with a passion for agriculture, exceptional written and verbal communication skills, and an appetite for hard work and personal drive for success, to “ride shot gun” with him as he travels Australia marketing a diverse range of agricultural assets. You will learn on the job and be trained in all aspects of rural property transactions, providing a unique and accelerated experience upon which to launch your career. Have a think about if you have the discipline and stamina to work at pace, this is a role for hard working, straight-shooting high achievers. The position is highly suited to agricultural discipline graduates or property graduates with a deep knowledge of Australian agriculture. To find out more or apply send your CV to info@lawd.com.au
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John Harvey is a household name to many in the Agriculture industry, he's the current Managing Director the Agrifutures and during his time at the helm, the organisation has continued to innovate and support emerging ideas, concepts and industries in Australian Agriculture.
John Harvey is another test case, it doesn't matter where you're from or what your background is.. a career in agriculture can provide incredible opportunities for you.
John has spent the vast majority of his career in what he calls 'an optimistic space' helping connect ht edots between Innovation, commercialisation and Research and Development. He has successfully seen the move of the organisation to Wagga Wagga in southern NSW, supported new and emerging industries and established the Asia Pacific largest AgriTech event, EvokeAg.
We were due to be meeting up face to face at EvokeAg which would have been in just a couple of weeks, however, unfortunately, this year it couldn't quite go ahead as planned.
The Humans of Agriculture podcast is hosted by Oli Le Lievre.
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Well if you said back in early 2020 that we would go into lockdown for nearly two years and in that time produce 100 episodes of a podcast I would have laughed and said you're crazy but for me, the pandemic has provided a beautiful silver lining.
It's been the chance to sit down with extraordinary people each week and pick their brain on a topic that I'm really trying to work out for myself, or I am leaning on them for some advice or I'm just generally curious and fascinated by who they are and what they do.
For episode 100, Alys Marshall who has been producing episodes behind the scenes since July of 2021 sit down and talk about some of the highs, the lows and how I have approached some of the conversations.
From topics such as alcoholism to mental health, regenerative agriculture and climate change to international market access. Our guests all come with the most incredible backgrounds and outlook on life.
Thanks for tuning in, here's to the next 100!
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Welcome to episode 99 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast! It's only taken 99 episodes to cross the Tasman but this week we have our first kiwi. Rhys Roberts is fresh off winning the 2022 New Zealand Zanda McDonald Award. Hailing from the mid-Canterbury region on the south Island of NZ, Rhys is the CEO of Align Farms Group where he manages seven farms and a market garden.
Rhys is passionate about producing nutrient dense food in a way that's good for the planet and the people that consume it, while being good for the people working in his team. He see's himself as a food producer and is extremely passionate about the Future of Work. passion as a food producer and to be progressive in what he does is what drives him. He is passionate to continue to produce nutrient dense foods for the populations and his other passion ist the future of work, what might that be you ask, well you better listen on. I loved his way of thinking, his sense of humour and I hope you enjoy the chat!
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Richard Rains has devoted a lifetime to the Australian agriculture industry, yet his story of success began when he was told that returning to his family’s farm would not be an option for him. As a child from Dunedoo, Richard Rains hardly saw his future in a career that had him liaising with the Korean Government and doing business with McDonald’s in North America. Richard's story is remarkable as he shares more about his childhood, the advice he received from his father to pursue a career in agriculture in the city, the importance of education and why Richard is so passionate about supporting the next generation. Read Richard's story on https://humansofagriculture.com/2022/02/01/its-always-been-about-the-people/ This episode was sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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James Cleaver loves the country. He’s the first to admit that his hometown of Nyngan – famous for the Big Bogan, a statue that locals have eventually come to laugh at – is his favourite place in the world. Yet, he refuses to romanticise it. James was encouraged by his parents to get off farm and to get a trade or qualification that could support him outside the farm gate. In this episode, James talks about what it's been like to find his dream job, twice, first as a lawyer and then later as a banker. He talks through what it's like to balance expectations, on pursuing purpose and finding a career that really lights you up. He has since found this with his work with regional youths as he helps provide opportunities for those not just on farm.
The Humans of Agriculture podcast is sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. Find out more at www.lawd.com.au /// Sponsor ad: To access the Farmer Business Network offering please head to: Apply now for interest free input financing and ask about the 0% Club, visit www.fbn.com/ourpromos. Subject to approved credit purchases only. Terms and Conditions apply. Offer ends 31 March 2022.
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We often hear stories of that elusive dream, of packing up and moving regionally – falling in love, starting a side hustle and well for many that's where the dream stops, but our next guest shares what that transition was really like. What there is to be gained and what there is to learn through the process. Jill talks us through some of the key moments in her life, the importance of mentors and having someone to lean on and chats about how she's building her businesses and community across rural Australia! We would love to hear what your takeaways are from this episode!
This episode was recorded at The Exchange in Dubbo, on Wiradjuri country. Check them out! https://www.yourexchange.co/ This episode was sponsored by LAWD the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. www.lawd.com.au
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So many people will spend their entire lives working tirelessly on the land, labouring quietly behind the scenes, but Bryce Camm has stepped out to speak up. On his LinkedIn page, Bryce presents a pretty impressive resume: Chairman of Beef Australia, Chairman of the Australian Beef Sustainability Steering Group and the Immediate Past President of the Australian Lot Feeders Association. All of this whilst running his family’s family business, Camm Agriculture, with properties across Queensland. Cattle have always been Bryce’s bread and butter. He grew up on Natal Downs in North Queensland, bouncing between life on the station, with its big musters distant horizons, and boarding school, then university, in the city. - Bryce talks about the circumstances that led him to coming home. - The reason he has stepped so heavily into various industry roles and what it has enabled him - and how he manages to fit these different roles in This episode is sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. Find out more at www.lawd.com.au Bryce is an Antola Shirt ambassador and if you want one of the comfiest, high quality shirts made from Aussie cotton getting around then head to antolatrading.com
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G'day and Welcome back to 2022! Karen & Jamie or Dodge as he’s better known have a truly extraordinary story. From the moments they met at Ag college to their very first date to McDonalds, their life has never been dull. In his younger years, Jamie took to the world of bull riding, a natural competitor and sportsman, as tough as they come, not even a broken neck could stop him from getting a Guinness world record. On the 27th of March 2014, their lives changed forever. Dodge was heading home from work at the Dubbo saleyards when a truck ran him off the road, sending his car into a tree and bursting into flames. This was only the beginning, but these two epitomise the word resilience took the only path they knew. As we explore their life together, you'll learn a little bit more about the disappearing wedding ring, that even when faced with life and death they found something within themselves and each other to fight on. It truly is an incredible story and I hope you enjoy it! Soon you'll be able to watch this podcast via video as well, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
To read more about their story head to www.humansofagriculture.com
Thank you to this podcast sponsor, LAWD, the specialists in Agribusiness valuations and transactions.
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As a kid Scott vividly remembers jumping off the school bus and racing to the woolshed during shearing. Tearing through what was left of his Dad's lunchbox and then jumping head first into the wool bins.
To this day, that love and passion for growing wool hasn't strained if anything it could well be even stronger.
It's a passion that Scott's daughters have inherited, their input in the day-to-day help to keep Bella Lana Merinos moving with the times.
Hannah, the youngest of the three girls, is juggling her on-farm work while studying a sustainable communities degree. It's this unique insight which is helping shape the thinking for how wool can position itself in the discussion around sustainable fashion and sustainable farming into the future.
This episode has been sponsored by LAWD the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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Alex Thomas has always looked up to her dad. From her earliest days escaping the school room to shadow him on the family's sheep station in remote South Australia to caring for him.
Today, Alex is an established social entrepreneur putting health and safety front and centre for those in rural communities, ultimately helping get people home at the end of the day.
Her relatability, humour and practical approach has also seen her consulting to medium and large sized organisations working across rural australia, re-orientating them back to the primary intent of 'not killing someone at work'.
Her story traverses her childhood as a kid of School of the Air to heading to the big city (were she finds herself based today) for boarding school. Overcoming personal challenges including the crushing acceptance that she wouldn't be taking on the family property, Alex set out on her own path and hasn't looked back.
Alex's passion for people and community has seen her be named a 2020 Syngenta Growth Award winner in the People and Community category.
This episode has been sponsored by Syngenta, the team that has been bringing global agricultural innovation to Australia for more than 90 years. Their world-class seed varieties and crop protection productions help farmers overcome climatic challenges, and sustainably grow more food, feed and fibre for all of us.
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Five years ago, Tom and Emily Hancock were in the market for a new spray rig when they saw a country pub come up for sale for the same price. Today, they might be the most famous publicans in Australia.
If you haven’t heard of the Collie Hotel you might just be living under a virtual rock. To their 14,000 odd Instagram followers Tom and Emily Hancock broadcast videos that depict the hilarious mundanities and contradictions of country pub patrons - videos that have put Collie Hotel on the map.
Satirising all walks of country life, from stock and station agents to contract harvesters to hens party attendees, Tom acts alongside his daughter Eliza while Emily films, often while juggling their new baby on her hip.
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Chris Toohey spent his childhood growing up on the family's Riverina Property growing Rice, cattle, sheep and other dryland irrigated crops.
With a love of plants and a recommendation from his parents to go and explore opportunities outside the farm gate, Chris begin his apprenticeship as a landscaper and worked his way up.
Seeing the opportunity to take his skills on the road he took off on a road trip around Australia before a back injury led him to move away from the physicality of the job.
Heading to university as a mature age student, Chris' career was set out for him, Agronomy was the obvious choice. Chris has never looked back.
Chris is a 2020 Syngenta Growth Award Winner in the productivity category and this is his story.
This episode has been sponsored by Syngenta, the team that has been bringing global agricultural innovation to Australia for more than 90 years. Their world-class seed varieties and crop protection productions help farmers overcome climatic challenges, and sustainably grow more food, feed and fibre for all of us.
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Darrylin Gordon is a Jaru native woman and pastoralist currently managing 361,000 hectares of country at Lamboo Station in the East Kimberley region WA. She has been celebrated as the 2018 WA Rural Women of the Year Awards and was the runner up in the National Award, Darrylin is seen as a trailblazer not just for women but for agriculture more broadly. Her story converses a woman who has faced her fair share of challenges, tackling them head on and creating opportunity. Her grandfather has been a key influence in her life and the one who at times has given her the grounding she has needed to go on to have the impact she could have.
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From the Silicon Valley to South America, Sarah Nolet has never seen anything more exciting than the boom of the Australian agtech industry in the past half decade.
She’s only been in the country for six years, but in that time Sarah Nolet has managed to transform Australia’s footing in the international ag-tech industry.
Sarah has been recognised as a 2020 Syngenta Growth Award Winner in the Innovator Category. It's not surprising given the mark she's made on the industry in the past six years. We cannot wait to see where Sarah is headed and how Aussie AgTech is going to boom with her skills, passion and enthusiasm.
This episode has been sponsored by Syngenta, the team that has been bringing global agricultural innovation to Australia for more than 90 years. Their world-class seed varieties and crop protection productions help farmers overcome climatic challenges, and sustainably grow more food, feed and fibre for all of us.
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Dave O'Brien has found himself at a crossroads several time during his life. As he left high school Dave wasn't sure what he wanted to do, with an opportunity popping up to work alongside his sister in the TV industry, Dave jumped head first into it. However, it wasn't quite what he was looking for. During the chat Dave talks about finding his passion and how agriculture has really shaped who he is today. Dave also speaks to the importance of mens health and why he is involved in Movember this year. This episode has been sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more, head to www.lawd.com.au
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Simon Doolin’s Great Grandfather started farming around North Star in Northern NSW in 1924, almost 100 years ago. Today, everything Simon does is with this legacy in mind, with the aim of leaving the country and community better than he found it, ready for the next generation. Simon has been recognised as a 2020 Syngenta Growth Award Recipient in the Sustainability category. As this chat outlines, it really is no surprise. He constantly seeks for better ways to do things, more efficiently. Over recent years, Simon has worked closely with bakers and other people along the supply chain. Today, he and his team work knowing that they have the relationship and knowledge of exactly where their grains are going. This episode has been sponsored by Syngenta, the team that has been bringing global agricultural innovation to Australia for more than 90 years. Their world-class seed varieties and crop protection productions help farmers overcome climatic challenges, and sustainably grow more food, feed and fibre for all of us.
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For Ginnie Hope-Johnstone, success was to go to university, get a degree and get a good job in the city. So after school, that's exactly the path she took. After successfully completing a dual degree in sports administration adn event management, she scored the corporate role she was after. But by the age of 28, Ginnie had longed for wide open spaces and had always wanted to be a jillaroo on a Northern Territory cattle station, so what else do you do than take the leap! After 'living the dream' for two years, Ginnie returned to Victoria however the urge to find a job that she wanted to do wasn't quite there, so she established her own business: VC Events Co! Ginnie's story traverses the years of building a career, pursuing a dream and then really finding what you're passionate about and building a career and business around it! Enjoy the chat! This episode is sponsored by LAWD the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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If you ever said to me when I was starting out I'd be having a chat with one of my greatest friends Grace on the podcast, I would've thought we'd it probably not suitable. However, fast forward a couple of years and Grace's story is so applicable and hopefully inspiring for those wondering what opportunities there are for young people in Rural Australia to go after. Grace hails from Geelong, down in Victoria but her journey to Texas and now living there was a matter of circumstance, as the optimist that she is, she saw being made redundant as part of the pandemic as an opportunity to use her skills and experience and hit the road. Enter Texas, that's Texas Qld not America! This chat is full of a few laughs, understanding what it was like to be somewhere that nobody knows you and finding her place and unlocking opportunity to contribute to what is now her community!
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For those familiar with twitter, Sam Heagney is a household name.
From his insights to his humourous and engaging videos that have captured the eyes of tens of thousands of people.
His approach to celebrating agriculture has come from his background as a kid growing up on Melbourne's outer suburbs.
His time in agriculture has nearly gone full circle, not far from where it all began on his wife's family's property 'South Burnarba'.
This episode has been sponsored by LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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As a boy from Western NSW, Pat Barrett stepped straight out of a Sydney private school into a role as a station hand - a ringer - in Australia’s top end and he hasn’t looked back. Pat Barrett was a difficult man to get hold of - a completely unsurprising fact considering he spends the majority of his time on stock camps across the Kimberly and the Pilbara, where reception and free time are both in short supply. When Oli did get a chance to catch up with him he was in Broome, preparing to leave early the next morning to drive a thousand kilometres to meet up with one of his four contracting teams.
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Content Warning: This episode talks about the loss of a child. Justin & Kate Boshammer's journey is unlike many. They met at the age of 18 through the Angus Youth Cattle program. Kate's path followed setting up multiple businesses and helping out where she could on the property. A decade on from the two stepping out on their own and establishing JK Cattle Company they have built an enviable business. Nothing could prepare them for what they would go through in 2020, their daughter Zara was bron in April of 2020 with a condition that doctors were unable to diagnose. Over the next few months, they would spend significant time travelling to specialist appointments and in hospital in Toowoomba and Brisbane. Sadly, Zara's condition Pallister Killian Syndrome is incurable and in October of 2020, Zara passed away aged just seven months. Since her passing, Kate & Justin have established Zara's Day. The first Zara's Day was held last year and raised more than $150,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service (Qld Division) and the Steve Waugh Foundation. The second Zara's day is coming up and you can find out more here: Please visit www.zarasday.com.au for more information on how you can support Zara’s Day this year.
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Ahead of the Agrifutures Rural Women's Award National Announcement, we sat down with two previous winners, Sue Middleton (2010) and Jo Palmer (2019) to find out about their stories on entering, winning and life after the Award.
Both Sue and Jo have come at the award from two very different backgrounds, however the opportunities the Award has opened up for them is immense. For Sue it meant 18 months of presentations, meetings and advocating for Agriculture and rural Australia and for Jo, well she has hardly said no to any opportunity that has been put in front of her, all while managing it fairly remotely!
The Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award National Announcement is being held virtually next Wednesday the 20th of October at 12:30pm AEDT. To Register, go to www.agrifutures.com.au/rwa
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Frauke Bolten-Boshammer is a pioneer, a woman filled with grit and determination that has seen her overcome a life full of obstacles, despite the setbacks Frauke perseveres and her story will connect on so many levels.
From her early days as a child in Germany, working hard for her father.
To finding love and moving around the world looking for the big break. After settling in Kununurra in Northern Australia, tragedy strikes Frauke's like where she is left alone as a single mother to raise her kids.
Frauke's story shows that life is full of obstacles but within that is opportunity.
Frauke is an Antola Trading shirt ambassador, to shop the range head to https://www.antolatrading.com/
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From the moment we started talking I was engulfed in the stories of Liv Bordon. From humble beginnings in Victoria's Mallee on the family pig farm through to chasing the sunrises and sunsets of outback New South Wales. Liv shows that agriculture truly is full of opportunity, with a dream and a willingness to go after them the world truly is your oyster.
Part of Liv's childhood was spent living in a house with no power, cooking over the open fire and to this day it's one of her true loves From outback shearing sheds where her body was left battered, bloodied and bruised Chasing the dream in the territory and beginning a career as an agronomist based out of Katherine
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For 180 years Corrina Wright’s family have been growing grapes on their property at McLaren Vale, but when she took over she began to make some seismic changes. It was 1839, just years after the South Australian Colonisation Act had been passed and George Fife Angus had bought 13,000 acres of crown land for a mere 12 shillings an acre, when William and Elizabeth Oliver bought their farm from him and began planting grapevines. They were Corinna Wright’s great, great, great grandparents, and today Corinna makes wine from the grapevines they planted. To read more of the story head to: www.humansofagriculture.com
We'd like to thank this episodes sponsor, LAWD the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au To view the antola range and check out the latest shirts including their kids shirt which has $2 from every shirt going to the Ronald McDonald House then head over to www.antolatrading.com
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Emma Germano is a household name in Australian agriculture. Her involvement in key industry groups and bodies has been instrumental in the corporate and policy arenas where she regularly goes in to bat for farmers.
A little lesser known side of Emma is the journey and learnings along the way that have been instrumental in helping her navigate the field of agripolitics and key industry roles.
From putting it all on the line in the pursuit of a small business in Melbourne to standing in the rain bidding to buy back the family farm, Emma's journey isn't straight forward and it has come with plenty of challenges.
She truly is a trailblazer for what the next gen of ag leaders are bringing to the table and is a very, very worthy Antola ambassador!
We'd like to thank this episodes sponsor, LAWD the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
To view the antola range and check out the latest shirts including their kids shirt which has $2 from every shirt going to the Ronald McDonald House then head over to www.antolatrading.com
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Randall Wilksch is passionate about changing the narrative around the Australian grain industry, and a good way to do this, he thinks, is to get more women involved.
Coming from a family of grain growers on South Australia’s lower peninsula, Randall Wilksh is the first to admit he fits neatly into the category of archetypal farmer.
But he in no way sits idly in his stable position within the grains industry, instead, he questions the very nature of the industry itself.
Are we as farmers doing enough to connect with our consumers? Are we doing enough to correct misinformation about our products? Are we doing enough to ensure our practices are sustainable? Are we doing enough to encourage more women into the industry?
These are all questions Randall asks himself and the Australian farming community as a whole.
Randall is one of the Antola Trading Shirt Ambassadors, celebrating incredible people from right across Australia who are having an impact within their industry or community. To check out the whole range go to www.antolatrading.com
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Sam Johnston and his mate, Jim, created Thank a Farmer for your Next Meal in their free time while at university in the city, but that was seven years ago, now Sam leads a very different life.
It was when he began to bring city friends home in the school holidays that he recognised just how interesting everyday country life can be for those who don’t get to experience it regularly.
“I remember moving a mob of sheep with these friends - which for people who grew up on the land is an everyday thing - and they thought it was amazing, they had their phones out taking videos, taking photos.”
It was later, while at university in Sydney, that Sam was approached by his mate Jim with the idea for Thank A Farmer.
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Simone Kain is the first to admit that she’s reluctant to enter the political sphere, but, in the same breath, recognises the power and influence of the children’s books that she has created.
Co-creator of the popular George the Farmer books that help educate children about the systems that work to get their food on the table and their clothes on their back, Simone Kain didn’t always see herself as connected to agriculture.
While Kain spent plenty of time as a child with the animals around her parent’s farm, she always preferred to be drawing rather than doing hands-on jobs around the property.
This preference for the creative arts meant that for years Simone felt that she wasn’t connected to agriculture.
Simone is one of the Antola Trading Shirt Ambassadors, celebrating incredible people from right across Australia who are having an impact within their industry or community. To check out the whole range go to www.antolatrading.com
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Life for Shanna Whan was punctuated by her relationship with alcohol - she’s been the girl that was date raped, the winner of college drinking comps, the forty year old drunk and, now, the woman who started Sober in the Country.
Shanna Whan’s story begins - like so many others belonging to country children - with a desperate desire to be free of boarding school.
With her newfound liberation, she jumped at the chance to work with stock and to sit on a horse all day, and took a job as a Jillaroo.
But life outside the school gates wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and, within a year, Shanna was a victim of date rape and three cases of sexual assault.
You can check out the full write up on Shan at https://www.humansofagriculture.com/blog/check-on-your-wild-mate
Content Warning: this post contains discussions of suicide and sexual assault.
to Find out more about the crucial work Sober in the Country are doing visit www.soberinthecountry.org
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When Amanda Moohen landed her first job in the beef industry, she was one of only five women working alongside 100 men, now, she’s pulling more women into the male-dominated sector by simply sitting down and having a drink with them.
From an Albies college girl walking to morning classes in her pyjamas, to being scouted by the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) for a new managerial role, Amanda Moohen’s career is an impressive one.
Growing up on a beef grazing property on Queensland’s Darling Downs, cattle have always been of interest for Amanda.
But it wasn’t until studying Ag Science at university that she recognised that a career in agriculture can be quite difficult to get into, especially as a woman.
Amanda is one of the Antola Trading Shirt Ambassadors, celebrating incredible people from right across Australia who are having an impact within their industry or community. To check out the whole range go to www.antolatrading.com
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Country women are well known to be expert jugglers of all things farming and family, but Georgie Somerset might be one the best of all.
Georgie is a rural leader who has developed an enviable CV through her broad experiences, for more than 30 years she has juggled being actively involved in the family beef business while working for some remarkable organisations.
Amongst her CV she is the President of AgForce Queensland Farmers, a Director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Qld division) and a Board Director for the ABC. Georgie is an advocate for australian farming, regional communities and particularly supporting women in the industry.
You can shop the Antola shirt range and make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House in Brisbane at www.antolatrading.com
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With a degree in marine biology and a love of surfing the South Coast, Ewan McAsh is transforming the Australian oyster industry from product to plate.
Ewan McAsh was 24 and fresh out of university when his Dad, previously a commercial fisherman and looking to leave his office job, proposed buying an oyster farm together. To Ewan, who recently graduated with a degree in marine biology, farming native oysters seemed simple enough.
Fast forward fifteen years and Ewan has gone on to set up multiple businesses and now finds himself as the CEO of a Global Tech company solving problems in the aquaculture industry.
We'd like to thank this episodes sponsor LAWD, the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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Welcome to Episode 61 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. It's the beginning of our collaboration with Antola Trading, celebrating the diverse impact and discovering the stories of some remarkable Aussies who are the newest ambassadors for the Antola workwear range.
Jane Thomson is the founder and Managing Director of The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society, a wine community for women that connects people right across the supply chain from growers to consumers, She’s also the founder and Chair of the Australian Women in Wine Awards (AWIWA). The AWIWA is the world's first and only awards platform for women in wine.
Starting off her career in psychology before moving into PR & communications where she has been recognised as an award winning Digital communicator. On top of the accolades, Jane is also an author of ‘The Fabulous ladies guide to wine’.
Jane works hard and passionately to both engage female wine consumers and to promote and highlight Australia's women in wine.
To find out more about Jane check out the Fabulous Ladies Wine Society website, https://fabulousladieswinesociety.com/.
Next week we'll sit down with Ewan McAsh, Smart Oyster farmer and entrepreneur.
Thank you to this episodes sponsors, LAWD the specialists in Agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
and Antola Trading, where every shirt has a story. You can check the shirts out at www.antolatrading.com and make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charity with every purchase.
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Welcome to Episode 60 of the HoA podcast, I’m excited to be sitting down with someone who I've had the chance to get to know as well as work alongside on some project work up in the Northern Cattle industry.
Hannah Murray is currently the Business Development Officer with the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, I feel like Hannah is one of those gems of our industry that’s very much in touch at the grassroots and is one to watch for sure. Like many of our guests, her career hasn’t quite been linear, from working on northern cattle stations, a stint supporting school kids with their horses, A vet assistant, Back into the cattle and equine business, and now with the NTCA. Han is an incredible networker, a great asker of questions as we may go on to have a laugh about.
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Heidi Morris is a true advocate for the agriculture industry, at first, her name might not spring to mind but if we say Lens.Of.Rosie then maybe that will ring a few bells. Heidi has worked in the grains, cotton and beef industries in Australia as well as a stint in Canada. Her photos and the drive behind them to share more of the agriculture sector have captivated audiences. As Heidi talks about, sometimes it’s not all daisies and sunshine but her passion for sharing stories hasn’t faltered. Now, I’m not sure if she’s comfortable with being called a bit of a nomad but she certainly has seen more of Australia than many.
During this episode we spoke about the trials and tribulations of life on social media, documenting the aspects of agriculture that many Australians aren’t used to seeing and the cultural history of this country that we should all be paying closer attention to.
To check out more of Heidi's photos and to follow her travels follow @Lens.of.Rosie on instagram
I’d like to thank this episodes sponsors, LAWD the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more you can head to their website www.lawd.com.au
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If you're a fan of Rugby union these next two names should be fairly familiar for you. Lewis Holland and Charlotte Caslick are both primed for their second Olympic games, Charlotte is an Olympic gold medalist after winning gold with the Womens 7s team at Rio in 2016. What makes these two extra special is their affiliation to farming and the path that they have been on since they turned their dreams into a reality purchasing a property in 2016.
Perspective is a beautiful thing, it allows you do empathise and understand someone else's situation or assess your life through a different lens. When it comes to achievements or disappointments it was the drought not long after Lewis and Charlotte purchased their farm that provided the reference point and perspective that they needed. I found this chat incredibly insightful, both Lewis and Charlotte are so down to earth, we talked about overcoming adversity, the lessons that farming has taught them and how its transferred into their sporting lives.
I'd like to thank this episodes sponsor – LAWD, the specialists in Agribusiness valuations and transactions. To find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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Today I'm excited to be welcoming Jill Kelly to the podcast. For more than a decade, Jill has been a district Vet with the Local Land Services in Western NSW supporting farmers with ruminant nutrition, welfare and sustainability on farm. When she's not up to her elbow dissecting a sheep carcase, Jill's creative side flares to life as a painter where she goes by the alias of Miss Vet.
I love the saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" – During the recent drought there were a few shining beacons, one being the well-known #BuyFromTheBush Campaign, for Jill it turned her hobby into something more. For Jill, on the front line of supporting farmers it was a little initiative called the Drought Smoko, as she describes 'an idea born our of necessity', every Tuesday she'd bake a cake, and spend the morning chatting about a topic that would help the farmers in her community with their livestock in the midst of the drought.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate & review it and recommend any guests or topics you'd love for us to cover.
This episode is sponsored by LAWD, The specialists in Agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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This week I'm excited to welcome Paddy Ward to the Humans of Agriculture Podcast.
Paddy is a country boy through and through, from a childhood living out at Mount Hope he took up a lease opportunity and begun mustering goats to make a quid and support his dream of flying.
He may be the unofficial Mayor of Condoblin, a community man at his core and his list of involvements in the town are extensive - He's the President of the Aero Club, on the Condoblin Races Committee, Avid golfer, retired rugby player and mate to many.
Paddy gives us an insight into his life from a kid from Mount Hope commuting 3 hours a day to and from school to finding an alternative income at the midst of the 2019 drought. Enjoy the chat!
The Humans of Agriculture podcast is proudly supported by LAWD the specialists in Agribusiness valuations and transactions, to find out more head to www.lawd.com.au
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Mark LaBrooy is an author, a hunter, a chef and one of the founders of the well renowned Three Blue Ducks. He has worked across the world in fine dining, is incredibly passionate about the process in getting food onto your plate. Join us as we chat about animal welfare, consumer choice, the importance of community and the satisfaction and emotion involved in having a better connection to our food system.
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Welcome to Part 2 of these podcast with Jane Weir. Part One kicked off with Jane sharing a bit about her early life, her travels overseas and her return home to not just the family property but back into Agriculture. In Part two, Jane shares more about her recovery, she gives you an insight into her tenacity and her motivations as she went after discovering what she was truly capable of. Enjoy!
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Todays guest is a captivating story teller, her journey has been anything but straight forward. I first met Jane at Beef Australia, she was part of the advancing beef leaders program and shared a piece she had written in front of the audience, speaking about the importance of representation she used 'The Hat' as a symbol that represents our industry, good bad or indifferent the people wearing that hat are symbolic of who we are as people. You can find it on our Instagram or facebook. From a young age, Jane Weir had seen through her parents what it was like to be a trailblazer. Daring to have a greater impact they left their relatively accomplished farming operation near Roma in Central Qld and headed north where they took on the next challenge at Amelia Downs, not too far from Charters Towers. In Part One you will hear about Jane's early life, from a kid working the land alongside he parents to trying to get as far away from agriculture as she could, ultimately pursuing a dream of riding horses internationally. Taking a few short cuts, Jane returned home in 2013, where she was training a young horse when the horse fell onto her, beginning the journey that would be three operations, a bone marrow transplant and years of recovery. Thank you to this episodes sponsor who really help me make it possible to bring these conversations to life. LAWD are the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at www.lawd.com.au
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Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast with Munro Hardy.
Today we chat about Munro's extensive experience and journey into agriculture to where he is today as part of the team at Agriwebb.
He's a man of mystery who over the last decade has found his home in the air working in some of the most remote places in Australia. Determined to get his 'ticket' to fly, he dreamt of being a helicopter pilot and there wasn't much that could stop him from achieving it. He's spend the off-season or wet season collecting crocodile eggs and even spent a stint as an underground miner. If you aren't aware of Munro Hardy, by the end of the chat you'll have a bit of insight into what drew him from Western Victoria to the vast expanses of the north, he now finds himself working in AgTech with Agriwebb.
Thank you to this episodes sponsor who really help me make it possible to bring these conversations to life. LAWD are the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at www.lawd.com.au
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G’day and welcome to episode 53 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast.
This week I’m very excited to welcome a friend and someone who I’ve got to know pretty well over the last few years as we worked together on a project and our own personal development through the NFF 2030 leaders program.
Nicole McDonald is a trained researcher in the field of vocational psychology who has put her skillset to use in a variety of settings, one of which being for over half a decade she has been looking to understand not just cotton farm workers’ job satisfaction with a research project looking at how they can adapt in regard to what the future skillsets may be for Cotton farmers.
If you want to find out more about or get in touch with Nicole you can find her on twitter @Nic_career
Thank you to this episodes sponsor who really help me make it possible to bring these conversations to life. LAWD are the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at www.lawd.com.au
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Dr Holly Ludemann is a vet as well as the Founder and Managing Director of the Livestock Collective. Like all our podcasts, I wanted to understand where her story starts and where the passion comes from, the experience of putting her head up and being a face of live export at a time when the industry was facing significant external negativity, this led her to taking a team of media on board and travelling from Australia to Kuwait to gather data and footage as to what happens on board.
This chat is fascinating from someone on the ground and responsive for the overall health and wellbeing of livestock onboard
As always, thank you to this episodes sponsor who really help me make it possible to bring these conversations to life. LAWD are the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at www.lawd.com.au
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Dr Robyn Alders was born and raised on a grazing property on the Southern Tablelands of NSW and for more than the last 30 years, has worked closely with smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia as a veterinarian, researcher and colleague. She’s Honorary Professor with the Development Policy Centre within the Australian National University, a Senior Scientific Advisor with the Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security and is a mentor in Timor Leste with a program focused on improving nutrition.
Her journey begins as a young girl, with a dream of becoming a drover. When her horse fell sick and she saw the incredible work that vets do. From that day, her life took a turn, it's left her with some incredible experiences and stories to share.
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Shannon Speight
Shannon is the co-founder & CEO of Black Box Co. Shannon's career is anything but linear; born in Mount Isa she followed her parents across Australia for their work before beginning her studies with a focus on becoming a large animal vet. It was during her uni days that she stopped and reflected, and ultimately deciding to defer her studies saw Shannon heading to Northern Australia where her love for cattle and the northern pastoral industry really shone through.
But it hasn't all be high tech for Shannon, as a qualified Vet, her work saw her playing an integral role in the Northern Genomics project where ultimately while on her mentoring trip as part of the Zanda Mcdonald Award saw her life changing opportunity really uncover itself.
Shannon's accolades are plenty; the 2019 joint Zanda McDonald Award Winner, more recently being listed by Forbes as one of the 30 under 30 Asian region Entrepreneurs… mind blowing!
Her story is one of tenacity, of rolling your sleeves up, of taking time to learn about others and what the problem is on hand, and what really makes Shannon so incredibly unique, on top of being able to fit in everything, is her willingness to give back.
As always, thank you to this episodes sponsor who really help me make it possible to bring these conversations to life. LAWD are the specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at www.lawd.com.au
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She's the author and photographer of five books that has seen her traverse Australia from the back of horses to the cabins of trucks. She's seen more of this country that most Australians and more of this country's agricultural industry than the average cockie. It wasn't all smooth sailing but following a life changing accident in her mid teenage years, Al Mabin has had a self-belief and a can-do attitude that has seen her create opportunity in some of the most unlikely situations.
Thank you to this episodes Sponsor, LAWD, specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at http://www.lawd.com.au
You can check out Al's website @ https://almabin.com/about/
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This episode looks to do things slightly differently. After reaching the one year milestone of Humans of Agriculture and sharing more than 50 stories of people via the podcast, the opportunity presented for Oli to sit down with Jacqui Payne (JP) about some of the takeaways from these conversations, what led to the concept of Humans of Agriculture, and find out a bit more about Oli.
This episode coincides with the announcement of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, in which, Oli is incredibly excited to have received the alumni scholarship. You can find out more about the program at www.rural-leaders.org.au - Cohort 28 of the program will see 25 people from right across Australia undertaking a 15 month leadership development program.
Jacqui is currently part of Course 26 and so it provided a great opportunity to get JP out of her comfort zone and become an interviewer for the podcast.
As Oli mentions, he's looking for collaborators and people to come and 'give it a go' so if you are interested please get in touch at oli@humansofagriculture.com
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Tracey Hayes is a remarkable women, her accomplishments are extensive from on the ground and in the paddock of the northern pastoral industry through to the boardrooms. Despite many setbacks and challenges throughout her career, Tracey approaches her career and life with optimism and humility and her success is a result of this.
Tracey's childhood was spent on the family station at Ooonandatta, South Australia where she also spent a bit of time being schooled at the local aboriginal school.
She talks about her Global Executive Masters at Sydney University and the perspectives and insights she developed through the course.
Approaching last years Northern Territory Election, Tracey talks through a few of the learnings and reflects on her team giving it the best shot they could.
Thank you to this episodes Sponsor, LAWD, specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at http://www.lawd.com.au
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Stuart Austin is currently the General Manager of Wilmot Cattle Company where he has been for the last 4 and a half years. Stuart describes himself as being passionate about the beef industry and food production and presently managing a growing natural grassfed beef operation in Northern NSW. Stuart believes in farming within what you can control, within his business that's grass, money and livestock. , I’d love to know a bit more about your background and your current role with Wilmot Cattle Co. · This episode has a lot of golden nuggets, Stuart talks about finding his feet in his twenties, the importance of mentoring through setting up his business for young people in Canada. · Stuart talks about the role of mentors in his life as an aspiring manager and then in his business today. · Stuart shares a bit about a course he did with RCS which you may remember is Terry McCosker – giving him the opportunity to share information and have advisors from multiple farming businesses. · Two goals in life – 1 is to help people. The other is to make people laugh. Thank you to this episodes Sponsor, LAWD, specialists in agribusiness valuations and transactions. You can find out more at http://www.lawd.com.au Find out more about Stuart and Wilmot Cattle Company at: www.wilmottcattleco.com.au
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Happy birthday to us! It's 12 months since we released episode 1 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast and what a fun and exciting journey it has been chatting with so many incredible people in so many diverse areas of the agriculture industry.
Welcome to episode 45, today's guest is Stacey Curcio. She is the founder and business owner of Cultivating Wellness. She grew up in Central Queensland and is the daughter of Terry McCosker who recently appeared on the podcast. Today I'm very interested to understand more about the holistic approach to health, where Stacey's interests came from and find out more about the relationship between our ecosystems and the flow on impacts that can have on Human health. As she describes her big picture is to improve the health and wellbeing of others, and demonstrate the value of lifestyle, nutrition and naturopathic medicine For our first family double up, it's nearly a 'meet the McCoskers'.
You can find more about Stacey via her website https://cultivatingwellness.com.au/
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Welcome to episode 44 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast
Emma Black is one of the co-founders and current Chief Operating Officer for Black Box CO. Growing up in Western Qld she has a passion and a deep love for the northern livestock industry. Emma has worked right across the beef supply chain from nutrition, consulting, to meat processing and now working with producers across Northern Australia. Working in extension services taking a whole of business approach working directly with producers and industry to assist in livestock nutrition, pasture management, data analysis and general. She is the inaugural winner of the Zanda McDonald award taking home the prestigious title in 2015 and continues to be a judge, mentor and supporter of not only recipients but also the finalists and other applicants.
You can find out more at www.blackboxco.com.au
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It is a privilege to have Dr Terry McCosker on the Humans of Agriculture podcast this week. As I listened back to this episode I found myself madly scribbling notes and filled with a sense of optimism. There's one quote that sticks out from this episode:
"I didn't try to convince anyone that didn't want to listen. I would only talk to people who wanted to listen and had an open mind. That took the pressure off"
Terry McCosker has been involved in the agriculture industry for more than fifty years, he's been at the forefront of transformative change and world firsts. He has never been one to take the easy road, reverting to basic principles when faced with the unknown. His career has seen him working for the Department of Primary Industries, managing farm businesses and the past 25 years within his own organisation Resource Consulting Services. His story is incredible and one thing that really stands out is that in the face of uncertainty and criticism he has always fronted up with honesty and accountability.
As you will find out in today's chat, Terry was fundamental to working with farmers to assist them in balancing their ecosystem. His philosophy of land is that 'we don't own it, we are just custodians of it for a short period of time. Our role in life is to pass it on in better condition than we found it".
Thank you to this episodes Sponsor, LAWD the real estate land specialists. You can find out more at http://www.lawd.com.au
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Welcome to episode 42 of the HOA podcast. This week I'm sitting down with two Extraordinary Lucy's. There's a double meaning there because these girls are the brains and brawn behind ExtraOrdinary Outback stories. As journalists, they knew the job prospects weren't available to them in Dubbo, so they set about sharing stories themselves. The girls have an incredible background that has shaped their perspectives. Whether that be the Mongol derby for Lucy T, or reporting on the drought in Western NSW. Nowadays with Lucy Samuels at the helm of her Cessna 182 the girls take to the airways and airwaves to share the stories of everyday people with incredible stories. This chat has plenty of laughs, a mix of seriousness and banter. What they didn't bring up is they are finalists in the NSW regional women of the year awards next week, these two truly are extraordinary. Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast. You can find them on Instagram and facebook @extraordinaryoutbackstories Thank you to this episodes Sponsor, LAWD the real estate land specialists. You can find out more at http://www.lawd.com.au
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Heidi Wright is the founder of Wright Social, supporting businesses to succeed in Australian Agri-Rural markets through smart social media strategy, brand positioning and lead generation tactics. She didn't grow up in Agriculture despite living in a farming community, her Dad, a dentist by trade was actually an entrepreneur and inventor as he brought Lightforce to life! Through a number of experiences and roles in industry, Heidi has found her niche and she is supporting businesses and people to better connect and share their story. Her work with young people is incredibly impressive and her approach in supporting them tell 'their story' and 'be authentic' is incredibly powerful.
You can find more about Heidi and her work at https://wrightsocial.biz/
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Kari Moffat has worked in the live export industry for the past 7 years, with a focus on South-East Asian feeder and slaughter markets. Her current position is Animal Welfare Assurance Manager for AUSTREX, overseeing the Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), which ensures animal welfare in overseas markets. Kari is currently the Chair of the Young Live Exporters Committee, an executive with Queensland Livestock Exporters Association. Given the theme for this month is to understand more about the live export industry I took the chance to kick off some of those questions with Kari, however, I also was fascinated at how she fits it all in and how she continues to give back to industry. One thing I admire about Kari is that with all her work, it's about a bigger purpose for herself; whether that be supporting young people in industry, supporting people understand animal welfare in destination countries or her approach to leadership and community roles.
Live Export. Animal Welfare. Career Progression. Agricultural Careers. Leadership.
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Welcome to episode 39 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. It's our first discussion focussing on the Live Export Industry and one that i'm really interested to learn more about. Today i sit down with Ollie Thorne, A uni student who in 2020 took his remote learning to the high seas as he spent 9 months moving cattle across the world. Ollie gives an insight into what his life is like on board and how the study actually helped him while he was doing some 'soul searching' on board. We'd love to have questions, queries, comments - absolutely everything. What is it you want to know about the Live Export industry? Please rate, review, subscribe and come on this journey with us as we get More People. More Often. Identifying with Agriculture.
Live Export. Livestock. Animal Welfare. International Trade. Food. Health. Mental Health.
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Over the last 15 years, Catherine Marriott has worked in management, strategic and leadership roles in the agricultural, research and regional development sectors, both in Australia and overseas. She is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and was the 2012 WA Rural Women of the Year. It's fair to say that Maz's career has thrown its fair share of challenges yet with a dose of optimism and getting on with the job she lifts up and inspires those around her. 2020 gave her the opportunity to challenge the identity in which she has to understand what her contribution was and how she could be 'totally effective' from home. After losing a parent at a young age, Maz talks about trying to fit a lot into a short period of time and how she tried to make the most of every opportunity presented to her. Her work has seen her contributing in Australia and overseas and her work to empower women working in the rural sectors is inspiring. She was on the ground in Indonesia during the live export ban in 2011 and she around the 24 minute mark talks about her first hand recount and experience as she lived and breathed it. She's a true leader, someone who I find incredibly humble, inspiring and bloody lucky that I could sit down with her for a chat. I had so much fun recording this, I'm sure you can all hear that as we chat. If you like humans of ag, where we're going please rate, review and subscribe and most importantly, hit me up with any thing you want to talk about! Question - What's the difference between manipulate and influence?
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Caitlin McConnell is an extremely high achieving young agriculturalist. With a corporate career in litigation law, she also sits on multiple organisations as the chair of the RNA Future Directions committee, non-executive director of the Future Farmers Network, Committee Member of the RNA and she still manages to find time to roll her sleeves up and help on the family grazing property. Caitlin's family property 'Cressbrook Station' is home to the oldest residence in Queensland and is also Queensland's oldest farming business. In today's chat, Caitlin talks candidly about her life experience from growing up in the midst of the Millenium drought and the effect this had on her father, her family and herself. She talks about her challenges with mental illness and how she has found a way to manage it, reconnect herself with farming, balance study and continue to give back to the community. If you or someone you know needs help you can get assistance from Lifeline on 13 11 14, via Beyond Blue or you can reach out to our friends at the This is a Conversations Starter (TIACS) hotline - on 0488 846 988.
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Sam Fryer has an extraordinary story. Growing up in Hughenden in Far North Queensland he is a brother, a son, a father and his story of challenge and adversity is more than most of us will ever experience in a life time. Sam has a unique outlook on life, it's his experiences that have shaped his perspective and his optimism is infectious and awe inspiring. Within this 50 minute episode are little pieces of life advice from someone who has seen a lot. Sam reached out during #Movember to join the Humans of Agriculture team, as we got chatting Sam's story absolutely blew me away. For a bloke who has faced more than his fair share of challenges it is Sam's optimism and zest for life that is so infectious. Sam is a true storyteller and if you're anything like me during this chat, he will have you captivated to his story with complete and undivided attention. As you join us for today's episode you can expect to hear a bit about; - The childhood of someone with a sister with special needs - The transition from a school of 5 students to a school of 1,500 thousands of kilometres from home - Sam's own personal stories of grief through losing a close mate and his sister Alex - His battle with mental illness, and; - How he is implementing good habits to better manage himself and support those around him *If Today's episode raises any concerns with you or you need to talk to someone you can reach out to the TIACS foundation of 0488 846 988, lifeline on 13 11 44 or beyond blue 1300 22 4636
MentalHealth #Agriculture #DisabilityintheBush #Disability #adversity #hope #motivation
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Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast for 2021. We're kicking of the year with a few episodes talking about Mental Health with people sharing their own stories. It comes off the back of a successful Movember by the Humans of Agriculture team, but it also comes with the realities of friends struggling with their own mental health challenges. I took the chance late in 2020 to sit down down with Dan & Ed from Trademutt and Mark Ahmelman from 'TIACS foundation' to chat about Mental Health, check in on the year and just have a general catch up. - Both Dan and Ed talk about their own approaches to mental health management - Mark talks through his own experience with mental illness and ways he overcame it - The importance of supporting friends and family around you TIACS foundation provide a free text, chat and call back service connecting individuals seeking counselling services with qualified professionals. You can find them at www.tiacs.org or 0488 846 988
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Brianna Casey is a pretty incredible person, her list of accomplishments is extensive – a CEO at the age of 23, a passionate ‘agvocate’ and people person. Brianna has spent her fair share of time on ‘The Hill’ in Canberra where she has succeeded in lobbying government to increase their support of the Food relief organisations and in turn some of the most vulnerable people in society.
For me, Brianna has been somewhat of an informal mentor – bouncing ideas off her and earlier this year we were chatting and I said ‘I really want to shift the narrative around agriculture and bring different groups into the conversation to try and make Agriculture more circular – I’m thinking of doing a podcast’ the response I go was “DO IT” – the initial shove was the catalyst for what has now been 41 episodes since the end of March; a very welcome distraction, challenge and opportunity to ask questions of people and get some insights on how the world has been changing before our eyes this year. I owe Brianna a big Thank you and a big welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast Brianna!!
Today we have a bit of an all-round chat from food waste and food insecurity, leadership, being given a chance to prove yourself, rural mental health, and the importance of being human.
This is also the last episode in what has been our first season. I’d like to thank everyone who’s tuned in, kept me motivated and kept me company over the last few months. Next year we’ll be back bigger and better and hopefully with a few new voices on the airwaves too as we look to diversify with new and interesting segments and series.
Look after yourselves, stay safe and stay sane and I can’t wait to join you all in 2021.
LinkedIn: Brianna Casey | Foodbank
Facebook: Foodbank
Twitter: @briannacasey1 | @FoodbankAus
Instagram: @briannacasey1 | @foodbankaus
Hunger Report via Foodbank.org.au
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He's probably best known for his decades of tv screens in Melbourne as the resident weather presenter across multiple networks. But behind that, Rob Gell is an incredibly innovative thinker and extremely entrepreneurial guy. He has always been incredibly passionate about the nature, science and he is very realistic with his outlook on how we can make progressive change for the better. He shows no signs of slowing down in what should be his 'semi-retirement'. He's founded one start up and working in another, while assisting a couple of other businesses all with a sustainability lens.
As you'll find out behind Rob's energy and drive is an ambition for a better future particularly with his grand-daughter in mind.
I'm calling this episode a lesson with Rob Gell because he is one knowledgeable man and he's giving me a heck of a lot of stuff to go and look at.
Rob Gell:
ReThink Sustainability: https://www.rethinksustainability.com.au/
Attentis: https://attentistechnology.com/
Circular Things: https://circularthings.com/
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Today we're chatting with Steve Faulkner who is a viticulturalist with Oakridge wines based in the Yarra Valley.
They're the unsung heroes behind that beautiful glass of rose or the flavours that jump out at you in your shiraz.
Today's chat with Steve covers some technical aspects of wine making which is really interesting. Steve mentions in 2009 there was a significant shift in practices and weather patterns and this has led to adjusting how they actually grow the wines in the vineyard. With harsher, hotter summers and springs like this year that are very wet – the flow on effects of climate change are seeing harvests and seasons change.
I had this "A-ha" moment during this. A lot of what Steve talks about around plant health and soil health reminded me a lot of what both Amy Knight in Ep (24) and Steph Geddes Ep (13) were talking about relating to people.
As Steve talks about the cross-over between soil management I'm really surprised that more farmers generally aren't talking. I would love to float the idea of bringing together a group of people – not just farmers but from different aspects of the food system to come and chat the translation of healthy soils to healthy people and amazing products.
It's a great chance to plug the HoA Movember - https://movember.com/t/humans-of-agriculture?mc=1
The ripple effect, Mental Health for Rural Australia– https://therippleeffect.com.au/
Oakridge Wines - https://www.oakridgewines.com.au/
@viticulture_australia
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Today we're venturing down to the asparagus marshlands of Koo Wee Rup to chat with James Terry. James is a grower, exporter, trader, people manager, logistics organizer – you name it and it could quite possibly be in his job description.
I'm excited about this one, we're doing a bit of a pow wow as we chat all things asparagus and this year in particularly has been challenging from the aspect of weather, transport and logistics, access to labour and everything in between.
So interesting facts:
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The 24 hour supply chain sees product picked and marketed quite often within 24 hours.
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Every single spear involves people and hands.
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Robotic automation has proven to be too slow and human power is far more efficient
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Some of the pickers have been away from their families back home in Vanuatu for more than 12 months
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Todays guest is Justin Webb a co-founder of AgriWebb a farm management software that is supporting farmers to digitise their paddock records replacing the old paper book. Justin's story spans many countries, many businesses including founding several of these himself in the financial space with successful exits.
Justin speaks openly and candidly about not being a farming kid but needing to step in and run the family operation when his father fell ill. It was this moment where as a business man and a highly skilled mathematician he looked at the farming business at an analytical level, without pumping his tyres up but Justin and his co-founders have gone on to re-define farm management in Australian agriculture and are taking on the world.
This is slightly different to other chats and I hope you learn a bit more about the world of AgTech, of AgriWebb, of the opportunities for the agriculture industry to and some more about the evolution of what is happening inside the farmgate.
https://www.agriwebb.com/au/
Instagram: @Agriwebb
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G'day and welcome to episode 29 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. I'm your host Oli Le Lievre and today we're sitting down with Fiona Baird. A few months ago Hugh Dawson said, 'Oli you've gotta chat to Fi'. Fi's an incredibly impressive person, I've never met her in person yet I feel like I already know her. Her journey potentially comes across as someone who was always destined for agriculture but jumping the Tasman she initially came to Australia as a make up artist before a life changing event led her to close her eyes, put her finger on a map and well… the rest is history.
She's worked across the cape as a head stock women, across live export boats and in market and is now running her own clothing business Apple Tree flats supporting women in Indonesia.
Enjoy the chat
You can get in touch with Fi @appletreeflat_nz
www.humansofagriculture.com
Instagram: @humansofagricutlure_
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Welcome to Episode 28! It's been a chaotic few weeks with getting the episodes recorded and live as part of the Royal Melbourne Show. So we're back to one a week now so it's practically a holiday!
Today I wanted to sit down with a good mate and pig Farmer from Northern Victoria. Tim Kingma or TK as he is more commonly known is one of the most passionate blokes I've ever come across. His K.I.S.S approach (Keep is Simple Stupid) has kept me on the straight and narrow a few times.
I wanted to share TK's story from volunteering in Africa and meeting his now wife, Mariah, to taking over and running the family pig farm. He's heavily involved in the community and is passionate about supporting Australian agriculture and in particu -lar the pork industry.
We're going to chat about animal welfare, his community, consumer awareness and some of the opportunities in and around pork.
I would absolutely love any questions you've got on this and we can follow them up with TK!
Get in touch with us at hello@humansofagriculture.com
Website: www.humansofagriculture.com
Instagram: @Humansofagriculture.com
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It's Episode 6 and our final episode as part of this collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria as we have been celebrating the Royal Melbourne Show Online.
Today's guest is Dr Joanna Newton, she has an incredibly impressive resume that this year grew with the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to agriculture through her advocacy and support of young people, volunteering and contribution to dairy science.
Despite growing up in metro Melbourne it was an opportunity to get involved with Agriculture at Jo's school Tintern Grammar that instilled a love and desire for the industry.
Jo headed off to the University of New England in Armidale, where a chance meeting with a farmer at a formal dinner led her to completing her work experience, implementing data recording for his merino flock and what has blossomed into an incredible friendship.
Jo has accomplished so much already in her career, at the age of 16 Jo was not deterred by being told she was 'too smart for agriculture' and we are so thankful she is part of the industry today.
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Ed Gannon is the Editor at the Weekly times and is the Editor-in-Chief for NewsCorp Rural. He has been involved with the Royal Melbourne Show for many years, particularly as the MC and host of the Agribusiness Luncheon. Today we're finding out about Ed's story – From growing up on a dairy farm at Tinamba in Gippsland, he went off to Uni in Melbourne. By chance he was walking past the weekly times office and they had a job advert on the window – he walked in, interviewed and since 1990 he has progressed through the ranks at the Weekly Times.
Without the chance to have the Agribusiness luncheon, I thought beyond just getting Ed's story I wanted to ask him some questions about Australian ag today;
Took the chance to understand the
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What 2020 has taught him about journalism
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The Gathering of stories and best information has pushed home the fact you need to get face to face
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Some of the 'significant moments' and for ED it was seeing some of the evolution of stories into real change
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Ed was the Deputy editor when Country of Origin labelling was subsequently implemented
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Satisfaction in seeing young people chase an issue and make a difference
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We touch on some issues like Climate change, Regenerative Ag, issue of labour & role of technology & people
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Ed's comments about the role of the show and how it's changing with the times were incredibly insightful
You can find out more about the show at https://royalshow.com.au/
https://royalshow.com.au/podcasts-interviews/humans-of-agriculture/
or find us at www.humansofagriculture.com Instagram @Humansofagriculture_
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Today I'm sitting down with Father son duo – Ray and Dion Brook. Ray has been involved with the Royal Melbourne Show since his first visit as a young fella in 1959. I've found it incredibly interesting over these conversations that when we're chatting about what they'll miss it keeps coming back to missing seeing those friends and the chance to meet new ones.
Before we jump right into it I'll quickly apologise – we had a few sound issues in the first couple of minutes but stick with us – this chat is incredibly insightful and a couple of great perspectives to hear!
Today I wanted to find out a bit more about these two so where better than a quick update on what the local footy season has done.
And then we'll get into finding out about Dion & Ray
· Ray finished school and became a shearer to help support the farm
· In 1974 he committed to two weeks of no work to exhibit for the first time at the Royal Melbourne Show.
· Why they both have worked off farm to support their farming busineses
· The success for the Brooks has gone three generations with Stanley Brook winning Supreme Short horn bull in 1974, Ray winning in 1996, Dion in 1998
· The extra involvement and opportunities with the RASV
· And finally; some incredible wise words about the opportunities in agriculture
You can find out more about the show at https://royalshow.com.au/
https://royalshow.com.au/podcasts-interviews/humans-of-agriculture/
or find us at www.humansofagriculture.com Instagram @Humansofagriculture_
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Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast in collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria. The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) has proudly presented the Royal Melbourne Show since 1855. The Show is Victoria’s largest and most iconic annual community event, attracting around 450,000 visitors over 11 days each year and annually contributes more than $244 million in value to Victoria’s economy. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year, the Royal Melbourne Show was cancelled for only the third time in its 165 year history.
Aimee has been involved with the Royal Melbourne Show her whole life with her dad first exhibiting back in 1997. She’s progressed through the ranks of exhibiting, judging and now has a critical role assisting the RASV in the facilitation of the Royal Melbourne Show Beef Cattle and Carcase Competitions. Currently working at NH Foods in Oakey, Queensland - Aimee was looking forward to the Royal Melbourne Show as a bit of a family reunion but unfortunately 2020 had other plans.
Today I wanted to find out a bit more what drives Aimee and what has shaped her involved in agriculture and the Royal Melbourne show.
- She touches on the importance of local shows & how her love for them has been shaped by her dad
- The opportunity and importance of young people to get involved with show societies and the chance to join various committees and boards has helped her in her career
- She received the RASV Youth Travel Award and heading to the US where in true Aimee fashion she was looking at youth programs in Texas to bring back to Australia
- Touches on the importance of communication in how agriculture communicates with a broader audience
- Some of the skills she’s learnt through the Royal Melbourne Show and the various life skills that accompany it
You can find out more about the show at https://royalshow.com.au/
https://royalshow.com.au/podcasts-interviews/humans-of-agriculture/
or find us at www.humansofagriculture.com Instagram @Humansofagriculture_
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Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast in collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria. The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) has proudly presented the Royal Melbourne Show since 1855. The Show is Victoria’s largest and most iconic annual community event, attracting around 450,000 visitors over 11 days each year and annually contributes more than $244 million in value to Victoria’s economy. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year, the Royal Melbourne Show was cancelled for only the third time in its 165 year history. Today we're chatting with Doug & Lorelle Deppeler to understand a bit about their story and affiliation to the Royal Melbourne Show. They're farmers from Derrinallum in South West Victoria. This year would have marked their 48th consecutive year of showing their Suffolk sheep at the show. Today we're finding out more about - How Suffolk sheep brought these two together. The rest is history… - This year they are celebrating 50 years of breeding stud sheep and so I wanted to know what it is that keeps Doug getting out of bed in the mornings to keep on going - We chat about the implementation of practices on their farm to work with nature to get the best outcomes in the environment they farm - The importance of being adaptable and being proactive in making decisions - Beyond the show ring I ask why the show is important to them and it came back to the community and seeing friends from all over Victoria - How they have had some highs and lows over the years but a really special moment for them was in 2010 winning the interbreed champion ram and ewe – no one had won the double before and it's only been done once since - The disappointment has definitely been felt this year with what would have been their 48th year attending and exhibiting at the show You can find out more about the show at https://royalshow.com.au/ https://royalshow.com.au/podcasts-interviews/humans-of-agriculture/ or find us at www.humansofagriculture.com Instagram @Humansofagriculture_
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Welcome to the Humans of Agriculture podcast in collaboration with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria.
The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) has proudly presented the Royal Melbourne Show since 1855. The Show is Victoria’s largest and most iconic annual community event, attracting around 450,000 visitors over 11 days each year and annually contributes more than $244 million in value to Victoria’s economy.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year, the Royal Melbourne Show was cancelled for only the third time in its 165 year history.
After what has been an incredibly testing year for many people we are VERY excited to be celebrating the Royal Melbourne Show online.
Over the next 11 days we will be hearing stories from a range of people who are all actively involved in the Show and some of them for nearly fifty years!
Today I'm chatting with Jason Ronald. Jason has an incredibly impressive CV and he wears many hats. He's a farmer from the Tallarook region in Central Victoria, President of the Seymour Agricultural and Pastoral Society, Director for the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and most notably he received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his contribution and services to the community including social welfare, cultural, political and agricultural organisations!
So who better to kickstart this celebration of the show. Today we're chatting about:
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Jason's story and involvement in agriculture in agriculture from a young age
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His grandmothers influence on being community minded and how this has continued through for him with his involvement in many organisations over many decades
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His fathers involvement at the local and Royal Melbourne Show levels
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As well as understanding a bit more about the significance of the show over the years
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We touch on the RASV's various awards and support programs that see people undertake international learning and development opportunities
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The role of the show and the responsibility of the various committees to ensure the issues of today are what is being reflected by the Royal Melbourne Show
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Towards the end I love Jason starting to talk about the role and influence of young people within agriculture and the organisations he is apart of
You can find out more about the show at https://royalshow.com.au/
https://royalshow.com.au/podcasts-interviews/humans-of-agriculture/
or find us at www.humansofagriculture.com
Instagram @Humansofagriculture_
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G'day!
We're incredibly excited to be doing a six part series #CelebratingtheShow online this year. For only the third time in its 165 year history the Royal Melbourne Show is not going ahead at the Show grounds in Melbourne.
From Saturday the 19th of September and for the next 11 days we will be chatting with some pretty incredible people involved with the show to find out a bit more about what it means to them, and for one of our guests, what it means to not be exhibiting at the Royal Melbourne Show for the first time in 48 years!
Follow us on instagram @HumansofAgriculture_ and reach out with any questions!
Tune in on Saturday morning and check out:
https://royalshow.com.au/
https://royalshow.com.au/podcasts-interviews/humans-of-agriculture/
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G'day and welcome to episode 27 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. This week I'm sitting down with someone who has worked in a variety of roles in multiple countries and has been creating his own farm management business from the ground up.
Mitch Highett, spent a lot of his early years growing up in Sydney but it was the love for agriculture that had him longing for chasing his dream. Not long after finishing exams he headed for America where he got his first taste of 'cowboy life' and ever since he's been building his experience in a variety of roles.
As you'll pick up, Mitch's motto is "Just say yes" its led him to some amazing situations and also a precarious one on a TV dating show (not the one you're thinking) but it's all part of his story!
We chat about:
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The realisation early on that the family block wouldn't be enough to support him and he would need to set about going his own way
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Heading to Canada and in his early 20's he was given an overseer role that saw him in charge of an incredibly diverse team including non-English speaking workers.
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Returning to Australia, getting a degree and then moving into trying something different which saw him getting involved in Agriculture advisory for large organisations
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Identifying his own gap in the market and developed something that could be easily understood for high net worth investors looking for an agriculture asset of their own
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Mitch touches on the importance of trying things and also sometimes throwing your hat in the ring for things that may be a bit out there – as Mitch says it's about finding the thing that differentiates you from others!
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Welcome to Episode 26
Today we're chatting with Sammie O'Brien – if you're a Queensland local you may recognise her from Queensland Weekender and Creek to Coast. Her work has seen her travel across the majority of Queensland, looking at everything from iconic getaways to iconic people. I can safely say it's the first time the town of Dulacca has been mentioned on the podcast but I hope it won't be the last!
I found it really interesting when I asked Sammie if she actually saw herself in agriculture. Her answer was no, I don't feel like I'm doing enough. But it's exactly people like Sammie who are able to articulate the story and bring agriculture onto mobile phones and TV's across the country, for a consumer audience. Luckily, when I shared with her our definition of a human of agriculture – she actually does see herself in the industry.
Today we're chatting about:
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How Sammie's affinity with the country but agriculture more generally came to be
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Taking some time off to and leaving the city behind to explore agriculture with a stint as a drover and meeting friendly locals in pubs that saw her giving them a helping hand
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Following her stint in the country she had a number of young girls in particular inquisitive and wanting to know more about agriculture and how it this 'trip' came about
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The change of scenery and the sense of accomplishment from a 'day feeling like a day'
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The perceptions from both consumers but also how industry see's the work Sammie is doing to promote the industry
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Opportunities outside the farm gate for people to get involved with agriculture and she ties in the skill of storytelling with getting out there and experiencing it for herself.
Make sure you head to our website www.humansofagriculture.comor to our Instagram @Humansofagriculture_ and make sure you have marked September 19 in your calendars! We're heading (virtually) to the Royal Melbourne show and celebrating the Show with 6 incredible people who have amazing stories about the importance of the Royal Melbourne Show to them and their communities.
You can follow Sammie on Instagram @sammieobrien
See you next week!
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You can find out more on our Instagram over the coming days. Today's guest is an incredible young bloke, he's been our eyes in the sky 800km from Darwin to give us a view from the cockpit of a mustering chopper. To be honest – since I spoke with Hugh earlier this year I knew he had something different about him. I don't think there's many people I've come across who have their shit together quite as well as Hugh, let alone at the age of 22. His involvement in the business, his involvement in industry and his desire to find out more so he can make his own judgements as well as promote agriculture more broadly is down right remarkable. We chat about the journey from school the need for a degree and his one gap year that's coming on five - A little bit about the family wine making business - Some footage he saw of the cattle live export industry in 2011 and being drawn to finding out more - The passion for livestock, animal welfare and understanding more about the Australian standards we export is absolutely contagious - The curiosity to continually learn and grow his understanding of practices and being involved in community groups so he can give back The Northern beef industry, but more importantly Australian agriculture is lucky to have the heart and mind of Hugh Dawson working in it. Check out more at our instagram @HumansofAgriculture_ On Instagram and twitter you can find Hugh at - @Hpjdawson @thelivestockcollective @youngliveex To stay across what is happening at the Royal Melbourne Show check them out @Royalmelbshow
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Today we have something a little bit different in store – We're chatting all things nutrition and as a bonus I've brought my sister Sass along because last time I spoke with Steph Geddes I got peppered with questions I should have asked. Amy Knight is a qualified nutritionist and Dietitian with Nutrition Australia. Their work has been changing lives of Australians for more than 40 years through education and information sharing, they are advocates for good nutrition and healthy eating and they are spreading messages far and wide to create healthier Australians. Today we're having a bit of a chat about:
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Amy's background
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Diving into some of the way health and nutrition messages are being spread
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Dispelling myths about frozen fruit and veges - Talking about supplements and I might make a comparison to sheep
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The importance of a healthy balanced diet; and
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Going beyond the farm gate and meeting with farmers to understand more about how nutritious food is produced and complimenting the full circle with others along the supply chain One thing that really surprised me was that only 7% of Australian adults and 5% of children meet the recommended daily guidelines for vegetable intake and if each of us ate just half a cup more of vege's a day we would save the government $100m a year on health expenditure, we'd put more money in farmers pockets and we'd be healthier. Instagram: @Nutritionaustralia www.nutritionaustralia.org You can join the conversation with Australian Almonds: From the Orchard to your Plate on Wednesday 2 September - check out Hort Innovation for details.
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Welcome to Episode 23!
We're getting a few loyal listeners so I'd love for you to jump over to our Instagram @HumansofAgriculture_ and let us know if you've got a routine for when you tune in – is it while having a walk, zoning out and having a coffee. While you're there you can check out some of the photo blogs and our video with the team from Green Eggs last week!
Today I'm sitting down with someone who really helped me about 18 months ago and gave me the confidence to chase what I was after. It was a big piece of self discovery for me and her advice I have carried with me ever since. Georgie Aley is a household name within industry circles but for those outside of agriculture her story can resonate with absolutely anyone. She has received some of the highest accolades in industry - being awarded the 2013 Rabobank Emerging leader award, recognised in 2014 as one of the 100 women in Australian Agribusiness and she went on to make the AFR's 100 women of influence! I've worked alongside GA and I can tell you she is an absolute gun!
Today we're chatting about:
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How agriculture found Georgie
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Understanding where she wanted to have impact and how she set off to begin that process
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Giving back and developing herself including the Youth Ag summit and her time at the Future Farmers network
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Setting goals and absolutely smashing them out of the park years ahead of schedule
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Creating options and being somewhat in control of your career
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Her journey so far in Agriculture and from her perspective some of the perceived challenges for Women in Agriculture
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What advice she would give to young people thinking about entering the agriculture industry
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I couldn't help myself but throw in a Dr Seuss quote! Welcome to Episode 22 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. I'm your host Oli Le Lievre to anyone new. We've got an exciting week ahead for you. We’ve got today's podcast and later in the week you better jump on our Instagram @humansofagriculture_ to see us release our first feature video with today's guests. Since the beginning I've said I wanted to understand more about our food and fibre system from the people involved in it, each week we've featured people from all over and this week it's awesome to be chatting with Kate and Ollie Warner from Jaskro Park. They are two-fifths of the family business that runs cattle, sheep, cropping and 2 free range egg businesses – Caravan Eggs and Green Eggs Today we're finding out more about their businesses - How a family business like this operates - The importance of animal welfare to their business - The growth and understanding they get from engaging with consumers, chefs and the community - The goals of their business and highlight that not all goals are monetary - That as a society we are really losing connection to our food - And for those playing along at home we get the answer to that Age old question – What came first – The chicken or the egg. Find out more about Jaskro park @Greeneggsfreerange
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Welcome to Episode 21 – Today's guest is someone who is having an incredible and positive impact across agriculture and rural Australia. She's someone who is so honest and authentic and what you see is what you get. To me, Airlie Landale is one of the most humble and highly intelligent people I have come across and it's an absolute pleasure to speak with her today.
In 2014, she created a database as she began to follow her dream of working hand in hand with her father to learn the ropes of the family business. Little did she know, what she was cultivating would go on to fill one of the biggest resource deficits and play a crucial role in the modernisation of farming businesses across the country – providing them with a single platform for information and connect them in a central place.
Today we cover a bit of that story to date, and I feel we only just scraped the surface!
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We talk about living the side hustle game & building a business on the side of your day job.
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The 'paralysation with perfection' that our society creates with such a fear of failure
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We talk about her recent appointment to the board of Rural Aid and the thought process, the moments of self doubt and realising what it is you bring to the table
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We talk about the male vs female founders and how Airlie thinks she would've gone raising capital
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Probably my favourite part of this chat is where I ask Airlie the advice she would give to young women in Year 10/11 at school about entering the agriculture industry but also life more generally.
You find Airlie at www.farmtable.com.au or on all the socials at Farm Table Au or on LinkedIn as Airlie Landale
More on Rural aid @ www.ruralaid.org.au
Follow us on instagram @HumansofAgriculture or reach out to me directly oli@humansofagriculture.com
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Craig Heraghty has spent much of his career at Global professional Services firm, Price Waterhouse Coopers. His work has taken him across the globe working with some of the largest businesses in Australian agri business. He's a country boy at heart raised in the regional NSW town of Parkes. His passion for rural Australia has been exemplified by his recent and fairly large decision to retire, in arguably the prime of his career and with extensive opportunities to pursue something for himself. A life as a grower, maker and creator – it all sounds pretty cryptic right, but I reckon we'll unpack it in here.
It hasn't all been sunshine and daisies, it’s a story of perseverance, overcoming the adversities of mental health, resultant family losses, more notably this is the story of somehow who is true to who they are. The discovery and finding of purpose and meaning of true values in their life.
We chat about:
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The struggles and dislike for agriculture in his early days, the exposure to the millennium drought and wanting to 'get away from it'
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Shifting the early perceptions of agriculture and finding commonalities beyond the farmgate
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The surprise sense of belonging and how people rallied around and took pride in 'being from the bush' in the city office
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The number of females entering the industry (and it's about time!) but more so the opportunity for females to see lights on the hill for where they can go. As Craig says "They're going to redefine what agriculture and the traditionally male dominated industry has been – it can only be a positive thing"
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When suicide entered the family five years ago – Craig's entire family were taken aback. Asking questions and not adequately grieving and dealing with what had happened.
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Giving up alcohol four or five years ago, getting help from a psychologist. One thing that changed Craig's perception was how much stronger he felt after actually reaching out for help
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Green Light to talk is an initiative by PWC and you can find Craig on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0DMh8uktUI
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The importance of people in business to show a bit of vulnerability and the humanness aspect means a lot to younger people in business
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The importance of finding out who and what you care about and shedding yourself of those people that aren't necessarily important
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Take notice of the behaviours of others and be the reflection of all the good interactions you've had over your time and don't repeat the ones that you don't want to carry forward
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Be authentic, be genuine and be engaged
Sober in the Country – Shanna Whan: https://www.soberinthecountry.org/
Craig on instagram @Made_by_CMCH
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G'day and welcome to episode 19 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast. You can stay up to date with what we're up to by following us on Instagram @humansofagriculture_. We've got a few video's coming out in the next few weeks. Today's guest is definitely an overachiever! Her list of accolades is extensive but features some of the following – 2019 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur of the year, 2020 Telstra Victorian business woman of the year, Forbes 30 under 30…
With business partner Nicole Lamond launched a fair trade, ethical Vitamin tea called Eloments Tea.
The belief that ethical and fair trade is a non-negotiable but in the tea business isn't always adhered to.
Wanting to have impact at the farmer level came to Julie from not actually being among farms, that's where the fascination came from. She personally recognized the disconnect that she had to farming, and wanted to bring thought to the small scale family owned tea gardens that supply tea to businesses all over the world. Seeking to disrupt and improve at various pints within the supply chain, this is a business doing things differently.
You can find Julie on LinkedIn under Julie Hirsch
Website: www.elomentstea.com
If you're chasing a taster of their tea jump over to https://universalvillage6517.activehosted.com/f/47to check it out!
Find us on Instagram @humansofagriculture_
oli@humansofagriculture.com
www.humansofagriculture.com
Cheers
Oli
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Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast - Episode 18 I’m your host Oli Le Lievre and thanks for joining me as I share these conversations during a pretty unique time in our lives. One thing I have loved in the last few weeks is people reach out from all walks of life asking more about agriculture and particularly those from city backgrounds that may not know a way in. It’s bloody cool, and if you do want to chat - please reach out!
I thought I’d take the chance to jump back to a chat I had for the Future Farmers network mentor of the month podcast with Matt Linnegar earlier this year - we chat about leadership, mentoring, purpose and just generally Matt’s journey.
I really enjoyed listening back to this conversation with Matt, not only because he’s a ripping bloke but he offers some incredibly sound advice.
The conversation highlights Matt’s passion for the industry and how understanding what impact he wanted to have – really drove his career forwards. Matt’s relationship based approach is very relatable, from the frontline of Issues as the CEO of the National Farmers Federation to now working with some of the most remote communities in Australia and overseas.
Currently as the CEO of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Matt is a strong supporter of leadership development as a critical factor to the success of rural, regional and remote Australia.
This chat is a bit of fun and so I thought id start it a bit differently!
Check out the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation - https://rural-leaders.org.au/
If you want to talk more reach out oli@humansofagriculture.com
www.humansofagriculture.com
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G'day and welcome to Episode 17 of the Humans of Agriculture podcast! Welcome back to those of you loyal listeners and thanks for your support! For those of you joining for the first time, Humans of Agriculture is dedicated to discovering more about our food system from the people involved in it – chatting with people from all walks of life. Today we're doing things slightly differently and this week is a bit of a collaboration with two superstars that are growing the conversations in Australian ag, allllll the way from the west coast – which now more than ever seems a bloody long way away!
Similarly, but differently to us, Generation Ag is the masterpiece of two incredibly passionate and talented people that are building a community for anyone passionate about our primary industries. Their podcasts take a different tone and style to ours and if you're not familiar with their work, you better head on over and check out and they are well worth a listen. You can skip this weeks episode, or you can give it a listen but it’s a little bit about my story to date – which was fairly weird but I loved talking with them.
Today's duo is Kayla and Lavinia from Generation Ag. Kayla grew up on the Darling Downs in Queensland before joining the navy after school. She now lands on her feet with the Grain Industry Association in WA as program manager for the Career's in Grains project!
Lavinia is from a family farm North East of Esperance, she runs her own digital marketing business out of Perth and is secretary of AgConnectWA aiming to create more events for young people in ag and minimize the isolation for young farmers!
You can find them both at:
www.facebook.com/generationag
Instagram: @Generation.Ag
Make sure you are following us @humansofagriculture_ or www.humansofagriculture.com to keep up to date with what we're up to!
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Today's guest has worked across Europe, America and has been instrumental in the growing of a global community of businesses, start ups, investors and governments to support a sustainable food system.
Sharon Cittone has been listed by Forbes in 2018 as one of the "Powerful Women Shaping the Future of Food". She believes in the importance of collaboration and see's her role as being one of the connectors to create opportunities for others.
One thing I love about Sharon is she is so incredibly humble, she's walked shoulder to shoulder with Former US President Barack Obama in Milan, Italy but when I asked her about some of her "wow" moments she actually mentioned the satisfaction that she gets through working with businesses and connecting the right people to get something done.
As you'll find out:
1) She's surrounded herself with a group of amazing, young, thought provoking people and I was fortunate to spent about 6 months working alongside Sharon last year.
2) Sharon is very much a realist and she talks of the importance of getting the economics right in order to achieve the bigger picture.
3) We talk about some of the new innovations and the roles of innovators in the food system more broadly.
4) I know Sharon knows so much, so I thought I'd probe and see what her thoughts are with the improvements in online learning and what may be happening in the education space.
5) And we touch on tourism and the domestic travel prospects both in Italy and Australia.
Her purpose is to improve the world we live in and she's going about achieving this through producing and promoting sustainable projects with her expertise.
You can find Sharon on twitter: @Sharibuu
on LinkedIn at Sharon Cittone
Follow us on instagram: @humansofagriculutre_ or get in touch with me directly: oli@humansofagriculture.com
Thanks for listening and enjoy!
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Andrew Ive is the founder of Big Idea Ventures, He scouts the world for businesses to support. Investing in entrepreneurs to change the world.
At twelve years old he put together a sketch of a fire escape.. That sat in the back of a sketch book for years & opened this entrepreneurs ticket to the world.
Andrew came across into the food scene about 7 years ago, with a wealth of knowledge as an entrepreneur he lives and breathes innovation.
As you’ll find out there’s two stories of Andrew offering opportunities to two Australian start ups, giving them the opportunity to come to the US to grow their businesses. Within days they had both relocated to the states and Andrew provided the opportunity for their products to revolutionise the food scene.
He’s a big believer in people and the opportunities for agriculture and food to provide solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.
He believes it is possible to create the delicious foods we crave and love without having an impact.
- We chat about Andrews journey
- The opportunities that arise working with entrepreneurs in developing regions like India and Africa. Working with their people and cultures to create change.
- Will we see a whole bunch of plays at replicating chocolate in fun and funky ways?!
Andrew Ive on LinkedIn.com
www.bigideaventures.com
Plant based/cell based - utilise the network or looking for funding. Get in touch!
Revolution Gelato- https://www.revolutiongelato.com/
Grounded Foods - https://www.groundedfoods.com/
https://anchor.fm/humans-of-agriculture/episodes/7-HoA---Free-From-Opportunities-sounds-Cheesy---with-Veronica-Fil-edbnpi
Uplift Foods - https://upliftfood.com/
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This week we're taking a slightly different turn but it's still along the lines of people and stories. This week is mens health week and from family scares to friends experiencing serious complications it's just an area that you can’t be too cautious. One area that hits closer to home than most and to be honest it feels a bit weird because I don't think I've ever said it aloud is Mental Health. I vividly remember at school, the area that would have the greatest impact on our lives in those early years post school would be car accidents. Fast forward and suicide was the number one reason I was attending funerals, and it was for men of all ages. Trade Mutt From stock camps to construction – Ed Ross has lived a lot of experiences. In 2018 he founded a business with his good mate Dan Allen called Trade Mutt. This story is one of a pretty cool journey and it has a long way to go, from a few funky work shirts to shifting the conversations around mental health from construction, to mining to farming. I tell you what these shirts are like nothing you have ever seen before! Mental health landscape has been segregated to be clouded in negativity, when in fact as Ed says – "we all have mental health and it’s a spectrum from happiness, love and joy through to mental illness with depression and anxiety". This is a conversation starter (TIACS.org) – text back service where you can get access to a psychologist. Available to anyone and everyone. Whether its financial troubles, personal struggles or you're needing to have a chat – absolutely reach out to them! Lifeline is available on 13 11 14 There are a few swear words but this conversation is a really tough one, but it’s the tough ones that are so incredibly important.
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I am privileged to have Nutritionist Steph Geddes from Body Good Food on the podcast.
In a little aside, Steph the superstar was 37 weeks pregnant when we recorded this and I wish her all the best as she welcomes a little one into the world very very soon!
Today I had about half a dozen questions from friends, farmers, strangers and new mothers. Wanting to take the chance to understand more about some of the decisions they’re making around food today and what it could mean for them into the future. From testing intolerances in early childhood to a farmer asking if we should actually be eating dairy!
Steph and I begin our chat talking about how dieting can be incredibly restrictive or obsessive and in fact it doesn’t need to be. Food shouldn’t create anxieties and it can be so exciting to discover the endless possibilities.
We discuss the linkages between gut health and your overall health and wellbeing, your gut actually is the foundation and research is showing there’s a correlation between your gut health to things like your moods & mental health and your digestion.
Recently, we have seen a rise in plant based diets (which in fact we all should be) BEFORE You jump down my throat - that’s the foundation should be plants.
The importance of understanding seasonality through local farmers markets and the effects of food miles on nutritional value - i really enjoyed this chat and found it incredibly insightful to some of the questions we see pop up day-to-day.
I don’t want to take over the chat for you but when you listen to the next 40 minutes you should jump over to Instagram and check our Humansofagriculture_
- You can pop your questions in the comments or we can link you directly withSteph!
Enjoy the chat and i’d love it if you took 30 seconds to rate and review & let me know what conversations you’d like to hear.
You can find Steph on Instagram @nutritionist_stephgeddes
www.bodygoodfood.com.au
Humansofagriculture.com
oli@humansofagriculture.com
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I wanted to release this episode AS SOON AS IT WAS RECORDED! Today's Guest is Georgia Beattie, CEO of Bulla Park - Australia's Largest Organic Mushroom Farm & traditionally you'd say she's fairly new to Agriculture but Agriculture touches every aspect of our lives & Georgia is no stranger to Food & Drink space. At just the age of 20, Georgia Launched her first business - Lupe Wines. Inspired by the inability to get a glass of wine at a music festival- Her epiphany came a few years later, for every dollar she made she was putting a plastic cup into the world, in her own words "it was the dumbest business for someone my age, I knew better". Her resume includes CEO of Realestate.com's venture Spacely, CEO of Startup Victoria, Board member for Secondbite & Rowing Australia. She's a women of influence and boy oh boy are we lucky to have her in Agriculture! This chat is a cracker - it's a mix of life advice and a solid dose of reality. It's applicable to absolutely anyone, from talking about finding your purpose and where you want to have impact. "No one is you, and no one knows how to do something the way you do - use it!". One of my favourite parts of this chat is the reference to creating your own velocity, and using it to have a real impact with your purpose! I can't wait for you to hear this chat, The Humans of Agriculture have a voice and this one is an absolute rockstar! You can find Georgia on: Twitter (@Gbeattie), www.georgiabeattie.com or www.bullapark.com Head over to our instagram @Humansofagriculture_ or our website www.humansofagriculture.com See ya next week!
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Today we're chatting Chinese consumers and who better to hear it from than Mark Tanner the managing Director of China Skinny. China Skinny are the worlds most read weekly newsletter about marketing to Chinese consumers.
We chat about everything from the here and now, to some of the opportunities for Australian exporters. You'll be re-assured that Mark believes that the mid term looks positive for Australia. The way we've handled Covid actually reassures that our systems and processes work. Backing our 'clean green image' is one of trust & transparency.
Covid has opened up some new habits, new markets with access to more regions of China with the increased use of e-commerce. Activities like cooking at home has risen so how can we accommodate these new behaviours with Australian food and beverage products?
You can get in follow China Skinny and Mark Tanner via his website (www.chinaskinny.com) & weekly newsletter.
We'd love for you to submit any questions @Humansofagriculture_ or reach out to me @ oli@humansofagriculture.com
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Hayley Blieden is the founder of the Australian Superfoods Co. With a background in sports nutrition, Hayley's first exposure to Australian native foods & their superfood status was while working at the North Melbourne Football Club. Discussing with players their diets during the off season, Hayley began investigating Australian native foods… Fruits like the Kakadu plum hosting 100x the vitamin C of an orange and 5 x the antioxidants of blueberries – these superfoods are possibly one of the biggest underdogs in the world of nutrition.
This episode is slightly longer than most, but I just found this chat so intriguing that it deserves every minute. From the lack of awareness of superfoods in Australia, to some of the significant cultural aspects associated with native foods – this chat covers it all. With 18 products on the shelves, the Australian superfood co is harnessing the nutrition opportunities with the latest processes in food manufacturing to take Australian superfoods to the world… but before all that get's going, you better find out what they are!
You can find out more on the Australian Food Co @AustSuperfoods on Facebook & Instagram
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Welcome to Episode 9 – We're heading to outback NSW to chat with Anika Molesworth at her family's sheep station in Broken Hill in far west NSW. It's not so much what happens on the farm that defines Anika but her passion & determination to creating a better future through advocating for sustainable farming, environmental conservation & climate change action.
Anika references the sense of responsibility she feels to not only protect her land, but the communities and industry that are so intertwined with it.
She sees a significant role for farmers to connect people to climate through the food and through what may seem like small & meaningless roles. Her work has seen her front and centre in national debates, on televisions but it’s her work in the fields of South East Asia that stands out to me.
The snippet played earlier is one aspect that was really eye opening for me & how it's not always necessarily the facts that will have the most profound impact on a person.
You can see more from us at @HumansofAgriculture_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/humansofagricultureofficial
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"We have a lot of people, the only meat they eat will be Provenir because the animals have not been through the undue stress of traditional systems"
Welcome to our 'mini-panel' for Episode 8. We're bringing a consumer facing beef brand, on farm processor and farmer together!
Chris Balazs is one of the founders and CEO of Provenir, a high welfare, premium beef brand that processes the animals on farm to reduce the stress in the final hours of the animals life.
Gill Sanbrook, is a farmer from Holbrook in NSW, she talks about farming like an art – creating a landscape that is full of life, caring for her animals and how at first she struggled seeing the animals processed on her farm, but it was this that has given her a far greater appreciation for caring for the animals & her landscape.
Gill talks about how special it is to work with a business like Provenir and also the ability to connect with the chefs. Closing the loop on food and giving the chefs the first hand experience and understanding through working hand in hand with farmers.
More info on Provenir and where to find it @ www.provenir.com.auor @Provenirmeat
Please reach out to us @HumansofAgriculture_ on Instagram or on Facebook @Humansofagricultureofficial. Alternatively you can leave us a voice mail on www.anchor.fm/humans-of-agriculture
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If you were given an offer of $200,000 dollars to pack your life up and move to the USA to kickstart your business.. would you? Well that's the reality of today's guest. She packed up her life within 48 hours and committed everything, today we're jetting across to Los Angeles to chat with Veronica Fil the founder of Grounded Foods. Grounded are a plant based 'cheese business', Veronica is an economist who had a F&B marketing agency in Australia, her husband is a fine dining chef. Veronica knew 'plant based was not just a trend. She knows that there will always be consumers looking for 'free from' products and it's their mix of skillset that opened the opportunity. As dark as it may sound, Veronica realises the economic opportunity in this sector & is here to make money, while catering to what consumers are demanding. Her story is incredibly unique; facing death constantly with an auto-immune condition, Veronica see's business success as her ticket to better medical treatment.
Thanks for your support, please reach out with any questions via our instagram @HumansofAgriculture_ or Facebook (@humansofagricultureofficial_). Veronica can be found @Grounded_foods
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Welcome to Episode 6 – Today I'm chatting with Sam and Steph Trethewey of the Tasmanian Agricultural company. Sam has been a strong advocate for the agriculture industry and the need for continual improvement, and has achieved this with various agribusiness roles & startups – he now has turned his hand to production Agriculture and with his partner Steph with a background of journalism and communications - they are a formidable force. They are building a business that relies on symbiotic relationship between nature, their animals and their management, this model of farming known as 'regen ag' is gaining traction. So is it the latest trend? By listening you'll find out how Tas Ag Co is building a style of farming & a brand that is bringing transparency. As a beef brand without a cow, it's an interesting business model that will be one to watch.
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Today's guest is Michael Fox from Fable Food Co. Fable are a relatively new entrant to the market, they are producing alternative proteins products including beef & pork from mushrooms.
Michael has extensive global experience as an entrepreneur, he founded and led Shoes of Prey a women's fashion business for a number of years. Michael is passionate about the food he consumes and so founded Fable as he saw a market opportunity, he understands consumers, mass markets and how detrimental following a consumer trend can potentially be. I love getting different perspectives, for me, I'm excited by the emerging opportunities for all of agriculture and alternative proteins is one of those
https://fablefood.co/
Follow us on instagram: @HumansofAgriculture_
Reach out with any questions and if you enjoyed the chat, Like, rate & share the podcast!
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Delusional, Crazy or naively optimistic? I want to have 10,000 conversations with people in different areas of our food system and share the conversations via our platforms.
12 months down the track of the initial thought process, it's taken a long time to get the wheels turning - but i finally feel like there's motion. A quick 10 minute glimpse into some of the things that have driven me to start Humans of Agriculture, where I want to take it & the desire for more people to share their story across the food system.
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"I Believe it Can Be" - Giacomo Cavalli is the Sustainability Manager at the Media Trade Company. Giacomo's perspectives are drawn from his experiences dealing with people, institutions and governments across Europe. Our conversation covers some incredible start ups, the role of corporates and governments moving forward. He references a number of the Sustainable Development goals, in particular SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals, at all levels partnerships are critically important to achieve Social, Economic and Environmental outcomes. As this conversation highlights just some of the exorbitant numbers of people facing inequality around the world. It is Giacomo's approach with optimism and positivity for a better future that is infectious, in his words "I believe it can be". Enjoy the conversation. SDG's - https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300 UNESCO stats on students out of school - https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/03/26/nearly-14-billion-children-around-globe-are-out-school-heres-what-countries-are-doing-keep-kids-learning-during-pandemic/ Giacomo Cavalli on LinkedIn Instagram: @HumansofAgriculture_
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David Cornish an agribusiness lecturer takes the time to have a chat about some of the changes the students are going through with Covid-19 and how with the right mindset, there will be a lot to learn.
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