Young Farming Champions Muster December Edition 2

This week’s top stories from Young Farming Champions across the country.

In the Field

What would a December wrap up be in YFC world without some harvest photos? It’s been a tough year for many grain producers but fortunately some were able to get the headers out after some late rain to finish the season. Grains YFCs Keiley O’Brien and Marlee Langfield sent in some epic paddock shots, thanks ladies! Wishing those who are still yet to finish their harvest all the best.

Grains YFC Keiley O’Brien – “Not everything we planted made it through this year due to the drought. We had to spray some oats out earlier as it was too moisture stressed, so we are extremely grateful that we are even using the header this year.”

Grains YFC Marlee Langfield – “Team work makes the dream work. Harvest 2018, we did it!”

Young Farming Champion Tim Eyes and partner Hannah Greenshields are reaping the benefits of introducing bee hives at their Food Farm on the Central Coast .

If there is one thing that is integral to a healthy ecosystem on a farm, it’s bees! These little guys are from our hive from Bee Yourself – they are native stingless bees who are the hardest workers on our farm doing a wonderful job of pollinating our chemical free produce.

Click on the video to watch the bees in action

Out of the Field

YFC and Youth Voices Leadership Team Chair Jo Newton had an opinion piece published in the Stock and Land. She called for a focus on creating pathways into leadership instead of the rollout of further intensive leadership development programs. Read the full article here. She was very excited to get lots of great positive feedback and people/organisations reaching out

Coinciding with National Soils Day, Grains YFC Sam Coggins featured on an episode of The AgVocate Podcast. ‘Soil is not dirty word’. You can catch Sam talking all things soil and why he’s so passionate about Ag here

Our YFCs not only get to share their stories with students as part of the Archibull Prize, they are also involved with Picture You in Agriculture’s recently launched Kreative Koalas program. This program encourages students and teachers to have courageous conversations around the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Wool YFC Adele Smith visited Young Public School in November to share wool’s sustainability story. Check out what the students from Young Public School learnt in the program in the video below!

You might have heard Wool YFC and Riverina Local Land Services District Veterinarian Dione Howard on the ABC NSW Country Hour a couple of weeks ago. Dione spoke about the risks of livestock grazing canola which has been an issue this year due to farmers using failed crops for grazing. You can hear her interview from 21:08 here.

Congratulations to one of our inaugural YFC Hollie Baillieu on her new position as Manager of Public Policy at Woolworths.

Formerly Senior Policy Office to Hon Niall Blair MP Minister for Agriculture in NSW Government, Hollie was the inaugural chair of the NSW Farmers Young Farmer Council. Passionate about upskilling young people in agriculture on policy and how to develop it we are looking forward to Hollie taking on a mentor role.

Prime Cuts

It has been a very exciting week for wool YFC Sam Wan, who celebrated a birthday and was also named as Elders 2018 Employee of the Year at the One Elders Awards! Sam joined the Elders team in 2012 and is currently in a Wool Technical Coordinator role at Elders National Wool Selling Centre in Melbourne. Sam’s award recognised her innovative ideas, as Sam connected wool growers with the live auction room by live streaming wool auctions online. Well done Sam!

Wool YFC Sam Wan was this week named as Elders 2018 Employer of the Year. Image courtesy of Elders.

Congratulations to grains YFC Rebecca Thistlethwaite who was recently announced as one of the 2019 Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Rural Achievers. Rebecca will be involved in RAS and ASC activities during the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2019 and we look forward to following her journey!

Grains YFC Rebecca Thistlewaite has recently been named as one of the 2019 RAS Rural Achievers

It’s been a big few weeks for Grains YFC Jess Kirkpatrick, she’s bought a little farm and in January is heading up to Tamworth to commence her dream job as a Grain Marketer with Graincorp.

Grains YFC Jess Kirkpatrick has had a big month securing her dream job and buying a farm!

It is the week for graduations! University of New England celebrated YFCs Lucy Collingridge who has completed her Graduate Certificate in Agriculture and Keiley O’Brien who graduated with a Bachelor of Agriculture and a Bachelor of Business majoring in Marketing. YFC Dione Howard graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology and Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Congratulations ladies!

YFC Lucy Collingridge (right) graduated from University of New England. She is pictured with YFC Jasmine Whitten (left) who is set to graduate from UNE in 2019.