We have all heard the catch cry “agriculture is full of old people”. Well that’s rubbish. Its time to stop the proliferation of this highly damaging myth.   Art4agriculture for one knows agriculture does attract exciting and inspiring young people. What agriculture doesn’t do well is invest in them

Art4agriculture’s Young Farming Champions are determined to reverse this paradigm and we have the runs on the board to prove that with the right support networks we can ensure that agriculture invests in and nurtures its young people  .

Our next step is setting up a collaboration model which will connect like minded young people who are partnership orientated and put them in the spotlight and provide identified pathways to industry leadership.

So what can all the “old people in agriculture” do to help us. We are asking our industry leaders to participate in our “Bring a Friend” initiative. This is how it works. If you are invited to a decision making event ask the event organiser if you can bring a friend. Then identify an exciting young person in agriculture under 35 who deserves to be heard and take them with you.

Over the next few months we will not only be showcasing exciting individuals in the Agrifoods sector we will be showcasing watershed initiatives that are setting the bar for investing in young people from rural and regional and remote Australia.

This week it is the Heywire Youth Summit that is on the podium. Art4agriculture’s Emma Visser is lucky enough to be selected as one of “ 36 young, thoughtful and opinionated Australians who are coming together in Canberra this week to attend Heywire – a “Tell It Like It Is” Regional Youth Summit.

Emma has paired up with Alyssa Allen from Donald Victoria, Melody Pedler from Jondaryn Queensland  and Krissy Riley from Anna Plains Station in WA to form the “Agriculture Group”

Emma and Alyssa

Over the course of the week the participants get training in how to develop and pitch their proposals and communicate their ideas effectively.

Lots of great ideas already

This training culminates in a presentation on Thursday, in front a panel of judges, where the Heywirers pitch their ideas.

LtoR  Alyssa Allen, Melody Pedler, Krissy, Riley and Emma Visser pitch

This morning the agriculture group pitched an idea for an agriculture exchange program to improve skills, increase opportunities and open doors for young people in agriculture.

Fantastic insights from Ella Hind

To watch each person sense their individual power, to understand that – for once – they may actually be issued with a voice. Watching that revelation is magical, and I felt much of that taking place today. By the end of the week, I hope we’ll be unified by that magic and our shared experiences. Experiences that could well turn out to create the best week of our lives.

You can follow “Team Agriculture” visionary ideas on Twitter via

@krissyT89 Krissy Riley

@MelodyPedler Melody Pedler

Special thanks to Krissy Riley for some of the photos appearing in this blog