January 29, 2019January 29, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Our farmers are destined for The Good Place

For fans of The Good Place ( see footnote) a recent survey has shown that Australian farmers are more likely than their community peers to get a free pass

A 2017 Regional Wellbeing Survey conducted by the University of Canberra found rural communities have a higher percentage of volunteers (up to 70.7%) compared to their urban counterparts (24.5%), reflecting the strong connection rural people have to their communities.

The survey found farmers, in particular, had high rates of volunteering with over half the respondents giving up time for unpaid work.

Benefits of volunteering include a better understanding of community, new skills, knowledge and contacts, new perspectives, expanded networks, increased influence, growth in confidence and personal satisfaction.

At Picture You in Agriculture many of our young people give generously of their time in volunteer roles ranging from positions on the Youth Voices Leadership Team (YVLT) to engaging with agricultural shows, taking on industry roles and setting up projects and organisations. They do these things to add to the diversity of thought, creativity, perspectives, opportunities, and problem-solving approaches that can deliver successful outcomes for agriculture and rural and regional communities.

In 2018 19 Young Farming Champions travelled over 24,000 kilometres to visit schools participating in The Archibull Prize. That’s the equivalent of travelling ½ way around the equator. They volunteered over 2650 hours to share their love of agriculture and inspire other young people to follow their career journey .

Here we catch up with six young women to discuss one of their multiple volunteering roles, and to find out their three wishes for agriculture.

BESSIE THOMAS – sheep grazier, Cobar NSW

Bessie volunteers as communication manager for Youth Voices Leadership Team

My motivation is for consumers to have a better understanding of Australian agriculture and food cycles. I can’t change billions of consumers but I can help people in agriculture better their communication with consumers.

Volunteering fills my need for human connection. It fuels my intellectual need to keep my brain working and learning; it fulfils my need for a creative outlet beyond my home; it aligns with my morals and professional skills.

I love being part of a tribe of fierce women with a vision for the best future for young people. Hopefully volunteering in this capacity will lay foundations to make my daughter’s path in life more enjoyable.

Bessie’s three wishes for agriculture:

More understanding of, and patience towards, consumer views
Agriculture being proactive rather than reactive
Broader minds of those in decision making positions

JO NEWTON – research geneticist, currently based in Ireland

Jo volunteers as chair of Youth Voices Leadership Team

In agriculture we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to professional development opportunities for young people. The training, opportunities and support I’ve received through my involvement with the Young Farming Champions (YFC) program easily surpasses the other programs on offer.

When the opportunity arose to be a part of the YVLT I jumped at the opportunity to give back to a program that’s given me so much. Not only have I gained invaluable skills, confidence and knowledge I feel like I’ve found my tribe in the YFC. It really is a privilege to chair such a proactive, responsive and inspiring group of people.

Jo’s three wishes for agriculture:

A united agriculture voice to the community
A tribe of young change-makers with the skills and confidence to take a seat at today’s decision making tables
To share and promote our stories about Australian agriculture

DIONE HOWARD – district veterinarian, Wagga Wagga NSW

Dione volunteers as the WoolProducers’ Youth Ambassador and Young Farming Champions Mentor Leader

I had very little experience with policy prior to the Youth Ambassador role. It has opened up a whole new world in the agricultural space and I feel that I now have a much clearer idea of how decisions are made that affect farmers and people like myself as a veterinarian.

The Animal Health and Welfare focus of WoolProducers is also a natural alignment with my skill set and I hope to establish some strong career-long connections as well as governance skills through my involvement with the organisation.

Dione’s three wishes for agriculture:

Greater connectivity through internet, landline and mobile phones
Genuine cross-industry collaboration
The corporate sector sees regional and rural Australia as an ideal base for their businesses

LUCY COLLINGRIDGE – biosecurity officer, Narrabri NSW

Lucy volunteers with RAS Youth Group

I was a state finalist in The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition in 2016 and I was eager to continue my involvement and be a part of the team that contributes to the wonderful public education and entertainment aspect of the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I applied for the RAS Youth Group, and was accepted, in late 2016.

The Youth Group is a committee of young agriculturalists with similar passions however we are all from different backgrounds and are involved in many different aspects of the Australian agricultural industry.

The monthly meetings we hold are a great introduction to formal committees, strengthening our communication and time management skills. The networks I have developed have been phenomenal and it has provided me with the opportunity to steward for the merino sheep classes as well as the Young Judges Competitions for fleece and merinos.

I enjoy working with those from an agricultural background as well as engaging with those who may not have had any exposure to agricultural beforehand.

Lucy’s three wishes for agriculture:

Increased brand awareness of our unique agricultural products
Australians are proud of their farmers and the products they produce
All farmers have access financial literacy upskilling

AIMEE SNOWDEN– the LEGO® Farmer, Southern Riverina, NSW

Aimee founder of Little Brick Pastoral volunteers to encourage young people to consider careers in agriculture

I started the LEGO® Farmer, now under the brand Little BRICK Pastoral, as a bit of fun. As it grew I realised the potential it had to be a celebration of Australian agriculture. I want my images be a positive reflection of Australian food and fibre production and to illustrate the everyday of farming in a unique way.

Starting Little BRICK Pastoral has led to agricultural education, classroom resources and now careers education. Using LEGO® I can literally create any person I want and I hope to showcase the diversity of our industry. A career in agriculture is not just a farmer driving a tractor all day.

Aimee’s three wishes for agriculture is an industry that:

Is viewed in a positive light
Showcases the diversity of careers in agriculture
Speaks with a united voice

Alana Black – policy and communications officer, Griffith NSW

Alana founded Fledgling Farmers and volunteers her time to encourage farmers to have succession plan conversations

My Mum has always said to us if you’ve got a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food in your stomach then you’ve got something to give back to your community.

Growing up in Rydal (popn. 50), I was raised as much by the community as by my fantastic parents. I think volunteering from a small age – I’ve probably been volunteering at the local show society since I was five years old – it’s just been bred into me. The feeling you get from volunteering is unlike any other.

When I moved to Sydney after university I had to get into volunteering because I thought how else was I going to meet people and build a community around me like I have back at Rydal.

Life doesn’t have much meaning if you’re not trying to do something to help someone.

Alana’s three wishes for agriculture:

For farming families to adopt business management and positive communication practices to aid generational transitions
For the Australian Government to adopt schemes like the UK’s Young Farmer Entry Scheme and Canada’s Agricultural Financial Service Corporation to help get more young people into agriculture with the opportunity to become an owner/operator
That we embrace the digital and technological agriculture revolution

FootNote – The Good Place is a fantasy TV show depicting a heaven-like utopia designed, in reward for people leading a righteous life.

January 28, 2019January 28, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions Muster January 2019 2nd Edition

This week’s top stories from Young Farming Champions across the country and the globe. In the Field The power of collaboration is a defining feature of our Young Farming Champions (YFC) team, and this week it was well and truly evident! Wool YFC Bessie Thomas is based on Burragan Station near Wilcannia in Far … Continue reading “Young Farming Champions Muster January 2019 2nd Edition”

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

In the Field

The power of collaboration is a defining feature of our Young Farming Champions (YFC) team, and this week it was well and truly evident! Wool YFC Bessie Thomas is based on Burragan Station near Wilcannia in Far Western NSW and last week Bessie’s family’s wool went up for auction. Enter Wool YFC Samantha Wan. Sam is a Wool Technical Coordinator and Auctioneer with Elders at the National Selling Centre in Melbourne. Sam sent through photos and videos so that Bessie and her family could experience the next step of the process chain.

A 1000 km and 11 hour journey by road for a true example of #Farm2Fabric #StrongerTogether

The Journey of Wool in pictures from YFC Bessie Thomas’ property in Far Western NSW to YFC Sam Wan’s place of work at Elders, Melbourne.

Back on Burragan Station, Bessie compiled a visual memory of 2018:

“It was the driest year we’ve had since I moved here in February 2011. We received 83mm of rain for the year – better than some – when our yearly average is between 250-300mm. We’ve now been hand feeding a mixture of grains and hay for almost two years and we’ve sold about 50 percent of our usual herd. I’m proud we made it through and still have happy sheep growing wool to show for the hard work put in this year (especially by my husband who only had 14 days off all year), but geewhiz, it’s time for some rain (and a family holiday!) please! Bring it on 2019! We can do this!”

With no sign of relief for many drought-affected regions of Australia, YFC and Moree-based agronomist Casey Onus shared a photo of the harsh reality of cotton farm dams in the current climate. These dams are either bone dry or being utilised as a paddock to try and grow a crop.

YFC Casey Onus shares the harsh reality of drought affected cotton farms.

The drought has brought about key learnings for many members of the YFC network – these formed the first instalments of our blog series “Lessons Learned from the Drought.” In Part One of the series Cropping YFCs Emma Ayliffe and Dan Fox teamed up to share what farming in one of the worst droughts in NSW had taught them

Emma Ayliffe and her partner Craig bought a farm in the middle of drought, but positivity ,diversity and preparedness are paying off.

“Smile! We can’t make it rain… When you find yourself in the dust stand up, brush it off and go again. A new year means 365 days to kick goals.” says Emma

In Part Two of the series, Grains YFC’s Marlee Langfield and Keiley O’Brien share their insights into making hay (and growing crops) while the sun shines … and shines, and shines!

“If we can grow a remarkable crop in one of the most challenging seasons then I can’t wait to see what we can do when it DOES rain,” – Marlee Langfield.

227 days from start to finish – harvesting canola windrows in December on YFC Marlee Langfield’s property near Cowra, NSW.

Cotton Australia’s Young Farming Champion Emma Ayliffe took cotton, community and educational interaction to a new level in 2018 as she worked with Parramatta Public School in The Archibull Prize.

Parramatta Public School won the Professor Jim Pratley Award at The 2018 Archibull Prize Awards

This amazing level of all round engagement first started at the 2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show and Emma followed up with school visits and skyped in to show the students a moisture probe in action in the middle of a paddock. You can read more about Emma’s work with Parramatta Public School here.

Out of the Field

We have already heard about the wonderful work of Wool YFC Samantha Wan and her championing the #farm2fabric journey of Bessie’s wool. Samantha has taken the next step in sharing all things wool by creating a blog for all things wool titled I Wool, Wool You? You can jump on and follow Sam’s blog here.

While we’re on the subject of wool, YFC Melissa Henry had a successful weekend at Bungendore Show with her stud Quebon Coloured Sheep, bringing home Grand Champion Ram. Melissa and her family operate their stud at Young, in the beautiful Hilltops region of NSW.

YFC Melissa Henry operates Quebon Coloured Sheep, who had a successful weekend at Bungendore Show.

And wait there is more on the subject of wool!!! Sheep Producers Australia is providing a fantastic opportunity through their Sheep Industry Ambassadors program

There was also plenty of opportunities for young beef producers with the 2019 Angus Youth National Roundup held in Armidale in January . This event draws over 170 competitors from Australia, NSW Zealand and Germany and some familiar YFC faces! YFC Jasmine Green judged the parader’s competition and YFC Dee George helped organise the event, both women encouraging other young people to develop their skills and instil a love of Angus cattle.

“My first roundup was in 2005. Throughout my years competing and now helping organise an event like this, I have made lifelong friends and contacts within the industry. I learnt so much and will continue to learn more through my involvement with AYRU.” Dee says.

YFC Jasmine Green judged the parader’s competition at the 2019 Angus Youth National Roundup.

Superstar Jasmine Whitten has just started her new job with Landcare NSW. Jasmine has made the move west to Cobar to start the position as Local Landcare Coordinator for the Bourke and Far West Region. We are sure that she will be a wonderful addition to the Landcare Team! You can see Western Landcare post here.

Narromine based Grains YFC Keiley O’Brien has certainly had a busy 12 months. She has been rewarded for her hard work with 2 big pieces of news coming in over the last week. Firstly she has begun a new job at RuralBiz Training and to cap it all off she had the honour of speaking at her local Australia Day Ceremony. This is an honour for anyone to be asked to speak at such an event – so a massive congratulations to you Keiley.

Now a shout out to Aimee Snowden, close friend of the Young Farming Champions program. Aimee is the founder of Little Brick Pastoral, who teamed up with the Archibull Prize in 2018 for the National Ag Day Careers Competition. We love following the adventures of Aimee and her Lego Farmer who this month attended BrickVention in Melbourne. Check out the Little Brick Pastoral blog to catch the highlights from BrickVention and what’s ahead for Aimee in 2019!

This one’s straight off the plane! YFC Sam Coggins has just arrived at Rothamsted Research in England – he will be there for three months contributing to a project (funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) aiming to enable better agronomy tools and services for small-scale farmers in Africa. We look forward to sharing more updates from Sam’s trip!

Horticulture YFC Tayla Field is profiled in this month’s edition of Vegetables Australia, speaking about what drives her passion for agriculture.

Tayla has been extremely busy since graduating from university, after participating in two leading professional development courses for the horticulture industry, as well as participating in The Archibull Prize and working full time.

YFC Tayla Field is profiled in the January-February edition of Vegetables Australia. You can read the full article and catch up on all of the horticulture happenings here!

Meat Scientist and Young Farming Champion Dr Steph Fowler is in her mobile office on the road for the next two weeks with her master’s student Bridgette travelling from Cowra NSW to Qld to collect data from northern cattle. Ever wondered what a meat scientist does? Well now is your chance.. follow Steph and Bridgette’s journey on our Facebook page here

Prime Cuts

YFC Calum Watt is off to a cracking start for 2019 – Calum successfully applied for an industry grant to undertake a barley breeding program on top of his PhD from early 2019. Calum was featured in Farm Weekly towards the end of 2018 when the Council of Grain Grower Organisations Ltd funding was announced. Has also published his first scientific article. Congratulations all round Calum!

YFC Calum Watt was featured in Farm Weekly following his successful grant application to undertake a barley breeding program in 2019.

Mega congratulations to one of our inaugural YFC Hollie Baillieu who has recently taken up a new role as Manager of Public Policy at Woolworths

Hollie Baillieu

As part of the Government Relations and Industry Relations team, Hollie will use her passion for agriculture and experience in the sector to work with industry and government throughout Australia. She sees relationship building as key to this role. Hollie will also take on a mentor role for our Young Farming Champions in 2019. Thank you Hollie. Your career journey life experiences will bring a wealth of knowledge and valuables insights to our new Mentor-Mentee program Cultivate – Empowering Influencers

We are also super excited to see long term Young Farming Champions and The Archibull Prize programs champion supporter Emeritus Professor James Pratley awarded an OAM for significant service to agricultural science through roles as an educator, researcher and adviser.

Wrapping Up

Whilst Australia Day brings many mixed emotions our Young Farming Champions took the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful produce our Australian farmers feed and clothe us with in this video and these words

“Today we look backwards, forwards and most importantly see where we are right now and decide what it is we must do to make the best decisions into the future. The future isn’t a place we just get to go – it is a place we get to create. Together.”

We look forward to working with young people in rural and regional Australia and urban communities in 2019 to co-create the bright future we all deserve

#YouthVoices19 #YouthinAg #ThisisAusAg #StrongerTogether

January 23, 2019January 24, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions Marlee Langfield and Keiley O’Brien share what the drought has taught them

Continuing our Lessons Learnt from the Drought Series. Today Grain Young Farming Champions Marlee Langfield and Keiley O’Brien share what the 2018 Drought has taught them.

Marlee Langfield ( photo Cowra Guardian) and Keiley O’Brien ( photo Western Magazine)

Young Farming Champions Marlee Langfield and Keiley O’Brien are two young women taking drought by the horns as they embark upon new agricultural roles with their partners in central New South Wales.

At 23 Marlee is CEO and manager of her family farm “Wallaringa” near Cowra, where she and her partner Andrew Gallagher produce grains and oilseeds. Just up the road at the Rawsonville Crossroads between Narromine and Dubbo Keiley, 23, and her partner Ross Noble run a diversified contracting business.

Drought has affected both businesses in the last two years and shows little signs of easing in 2019 so how has the season affected Marlee and Keiley and what lessons have they learnt?

“We began our 2018 sowing program planting dry into marginal moisture with our fingers crossed for follow up rain,” Marlee says. “Then we received a break half way through the program which restored our faith. The crops thrived off 5 to 13mm rain fall events throughout the majority of the growing season which is significantly less than the ‘norm’.”

However with droughts often come severe frosts, which affected the low lying areas of Marlee’s canola. “The main stem of a canola plant acts like a timeline displaying a visual of plant health by the appearance of the pods: shrivelled up and discoloured pods means it has been frosted, plump and elongated means it has enjoyed ideal conditions,” Marlee explains. Frost damaged canola has extremely low yield potential thus the decision was made to cut 12% of the Wallaringa canola crop for silage –which went as good feed to dairy cows.

Sowing canola seed with an air seeder

The canola plant pocks through 12 days after sowing

227 days from start to finish – harvesting canola windrows in December

2018 highlighted for Marlee the difference small management decisions could make to the farming operation and also brought unexpected bonuses – with little rainfall there was low disease pressure and therefore reduced monetary inputs. “All things considered we really did grow a remarkable crop,” she says with optimism often missing in drought-related conversations.

Hay making comprises the bulk of Keiley and Ross’ contracting business but they learnt early on to diversify to spread their risk. In 2018 this decision proved invaluable. “In a good year such as 2016 we bale around 15,000 large square and round bales,” Keiley says, “but in poor years, like 2017 and 2018 we averaged around 5,000 large square and round bales.” To support the business they grow irrigated lucerne for the horse market and offer sowing, spraying and harvesting services to clients.

Drought exacerbates financial pressures and Keiley used the dry time to upskill. In December she graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Agriculture/Bachelor of Business majoring in marketing and this year is undertaking a Certificate IV in Bookkeeping and Accounting.

Keiley graduated from University of New England with a Bachelor of Agriculture and a Bachelor of Business Majoring in Marketing.

She and Ross also attended a Young Farmers Business Program in Dubbo.

“We were in the middle of re-structuring our business from a partnership to a company so the YFBP really helped us get our head around what we were doing and broke those big and complicated notions into easily understood blocks,”

“Another highlight was goal setting. We have goals of what we want to do and where we want to go but going through the SMART approach and physically writing them down on paper really re-enforced to us our aspirations and future direction. Mingling with other young people who had a passion for agriculture was also great because we made some good mates and industry connections.” she says.

Keiley and her partner Ross and daughter Ruby

Andrew (left) and Marlee with agronomist Baden Dickson ( centre) Source The Land

Both Marlee and Keiley recognise the support and guidance they have received as they transition into business owners and operators in their own right. From a young age Marlee worked alongside her parents on Wallaringa and absorbed the world of grains, and then later gained off-farm experience to enable her to take the reins of the family property. Keiley credits Ross’ father with giving him deep foundations in the working of land and machinery, as well as providing equity to get their joint business off the ground.

Support has also come from a range of industry advisers and local businesses and Marlee credits her agronomist, Baden Dickson, in particular for supplying much needed expertise.

Going forward Marlee and Keiley will put lessons learnt into practice and continue their educational journeys, learning from those who have gone before them.

“As young people with a relatively young business we have learnt to be open with the way we do things,” Keiley says. “You don’t always have to take on board everything everyone says, but you should always thank them for taking the time to share their knowledge and ideas with you.”

And when the drought finally relinquishes its hold, what then?

“If we can grow a remarkable crop in one of the most challenging seasons then I can’t wait to see what we can do when it DOES rain,” Marlee says.

and Marlee will be documenting every step of her farming journey with her magnificent prize winning photos

#drought #YouthVoices19 #YouthinAg #StrongerTogether #ThisisAusAg

January 18, 2019February 10, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions Dan Fox and Emma Ayliffe find farming in a drought is a steep learning curve

Young Farming Champions Dan Fox and Emma Ayliffe come from different ends of the farm ownership spectrum but both have learnt valuable lessons as they have embarked upon new enterprises during a drought.

Dan, the 2018 Australian Innovation Farmer of the Year is a fifth-generation farmer, whose family have been farming in the Marrar district of southern New South Wales for more than 80 years. Over the last decade Dan has been helping move the farm from a traditional mixed sheep and cropping property to a continuous cropping enterprise using regenerative agriculture, and in the last two years he has introduced even more changes.

Dan has planted cover crop brassica/legume/grass pasture mixes of lentils (left) oats,cereal ryegrass, filed peas, faba beans, turnips and tillage radish which not only enrich the soil they also provide highly nutritious feed for sheep

Emma Ayliffe is a well-respected agronomist, private consultant and business owner who in 2018 bought her first farm with partner Craig Newham at Burgooney near Lake Cargelligo in the Central West of NSW, where they set about growing wheat, barley and lambs.

Emma Ayliffe and Craig Newham bought a farm together in one of the worst drought years on record

On first glance it may appear Dan and Emma have little in common; one is changing a generational farm, another is starting a farm from scratch. But like all farmers they share the inconsistencies of the weather, and they realise that it is not so much what happens to them, but how they react to it, that makes the difference.

“Our average rainfall is 500mm but in the last twelve months we only received 200mm, and we also had some of our most severe frosts on record, yet we were able to harvest wheat at the area average of 2.5tonnes/ha,” Dan says.

Harvesting Wheat on the Fox Family Farm

This amazing result is due to changes Dan has implemented in the last two years to conserve soil moisture during the summer fallow period.

“We got 100mm of rain in the fallow period and looked after it with our stubble, fallow sprays and groundcover management. That’s the only reason we ended up with a crop, because of the stored soil moisture before the crop went in. Years like this, which is one of the driest we’ve seen, show this approach to be a very valuable tool and dry years are when you really learn. Anyone can grow a crop in a good year but it takes a bit of skill in a drought.”

Harvesting lentils

Emma follows the principles of moisture conservation but in her case even the early rains were missing.

“We didn’t get a good break to sow into and then we never really had any good in-crop rainfall. This meant poor to no yields for most of our cropping area and not much stock feed resulting in us sourcing grain for our sheep and grazing off crops,” she says.

No shortage of dust storms but very little rain

It was a testing year to start farming but valuable lessons were learnt.

“Fortunately we both work other jobs to help keep some money rolling it and we learnt about diversification. Sheep were an amazing asset to us this year.”

Drought puts a lot of pressure on farmers and their animals – with hand feeding a daily ritual

Speaking from her own experiences in this challenging dry period Emma has this advice:

“Smile! We can’t make it rain. Do your budgets so you know what you’re up for. Don’t be scared to ask for help or advice from people who have been doing it longer. When you find yourself in the dust stand up, brush it off and go again. A new year means 365 days to kick goals.”

And how does the prolonged dry effect confidence going forward?

“This is farming, This is the “gamble” that we take to grow food and fibre. It reiterates to us the importance of having a good drought management strategy in our business to support us in tough times. As a farmer it makes me want to work harder to learn how to do more with less, as an advisor it makes me admire the strength and resilience of the growers I work with even more so.” Emma says.

Dan, too, is optimistic.

“We’re only 2 years in and I’ve got a lot of confidence that the longer we stick with this system to build soil health and reduce our harmful insecticides and cut our fungicides right out, the better it is going to be. I think if we get a dry period such as this in ten years’ time our results will be better again – we’re pretty excited by the future.” he says.

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

There’s a Rural/Rural Divide and it’s not doing Agriculture any favours

Food is our common ground, it creates communities, a universal language and experience

This week’s social media sensation (see Footnote) and Wool Young Farming Champion Bessie Thomas from Wilcannia in Far Western NSW who knows all about dry river beds and what its like to farm with very little water is very unhappy about the farmer versus farmer divide she is witnessing in the media and she wants it to stop

This is Bessie’s plea ……..

The environmental crisis of the Murray Darling river systems has hit headlines this week and copping most of the flack is Australia’s cotton farmers.

While temperatures soar, rivers dry up and fish die across New South Wales, bridges are burning in my social media feed too.

Water users, including farmers, downstream are blaming irrigators upstream and right now being a cotton farmer in Australia seems dirtier than the algal waters of the Menindee Lakes.

Murray-Darling debacle aside – read this great perspective from Mike Logan for more on that – this week’s online cross industry interaction has illuminated an ingrained problem that affects us all: there’s a rural/rural divide and it’s not doing agriculture any favours.

I have livestock farming friends downstream who’ve de-stocked and are showering with a single bucket of rainwater because the river water they would usually use is too putrid. And I’ve got irrigation farming friends upstream who’re being blamed for taking water they also don’t have. Verbally their stones are aimed at each other, though I’m sure they’d be friends if they met at a BBQ.

I have a friend who lives in marginal livestock country, farming meat-sheep, working in agribusiness and completing PhD research with an end game of helping feed the world’s hungry. Her farm just happens to be smaller than average for the region.

Her research gives her access to a global audience, with invitations to speak at agricultural events world over. And while some locals throw verbal stones about “hobby farming,” everyone who hears her speak is enchanted by her passion for the industry and love of the outback landscape. Even if her external audiences only take away one positive message from her talks, that is an inspiring thing. It could simply be, “I’ve always wanted to visit the outback and now I’m actually going to do it!” and that would would be invaluable to her region.

I have another friend who works in the city but farms in the country on weekends and during holidays. “Part-time farmers” get a bad rap from us “full-timers,” yet who’s to judge if part-time job is a full-time passion?

When her colleagues ask what she’s up to for the weekend and she tells them about her farm, she is building connections with consumers of our produce. Next time those work colleagues order dinner at a restaurant they’ll think of her and maybe they’ll choose the dish with locally grown ingredients over an imported product. That is an enormous benefit to all of us.

Every step of the agriculture cycle is vital to a healthy and wealthy nation. Every day, Australian farmers produce nutritious, safe and affordable food for 60 million people and are entrusted as stewards of 60 percent of the Australian landscape.

‘If we can’t respect each other as experts in what we do,

then we can’t expect consumers to.’

Art4Agriculture Young Farming Champion founder and mentor Lynne Strong recently told me,

“When our fellow farming industries are under the hammer it’s hard to know how to support them without making comment on the controversy. Yet, the best way for agriculture to build social licence, maintain it and be credible, is cross-commodity support.”

We don’t have to agree with each other, but let’s ask questions, listen to the answers and respect each other enough to broaden our minds. It’s time to build cross-industry relationships and be each others advocates.

Let’s bridge our rural/rural divide and embrace the power of collaboration to build lasting connections with consumers.

#StrongerTogether #YouthVoices19 #YouthinAg #BreaktheDrought

Footnote:

Bessie volunteers ( in the little spare time she has ) as our social media manager and she created this fabulous video of life on her farm in 2018 Check it out it, its gone viral this week and will melt your heart. We cant wait to share with you the Random Acts of Kindness it has generated

January 16, 2019January 18, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Agriculturalist Anika Molesworth – joining a 1000 women in STEMM to invest in tomorrows leaders today

Agriculture needs its leaders. But leaders don’t just happen. To be effective a leader must have a vision that extends beyond their own backyard, have the skills to communicate that vision, a network of collaborative cohorts, the courage to engage in difficult conversations and the perseverance to see the vision transformed into action. So how do we support tomorrow’s leaders today?

Young Farming Champion Anika Molesworth is well regarded for her passion to see agriculture flourish in a changing climate. She has attended COP21 in Paris, conducted seminars at Broken Hill, presented at numerous conferences, spoken at TedX and is currently studying a PhD comparing Australian agriculture with that in South East Asia.

I am absolutely fascinated, intrigued and inspired by the natural world. Its systems are so incredibly complex and with such extraordinary interplay. But I also realise how extremely fragile it is. How precarious it is to mismanagement. People living and working in rural and regional Australia, particularly people in agriculture, play such an overwhelmingly important role in the management and protection of these systems, and in many instances give these landscapes and ecosystems a voice. They share the story of the land, of how it can be harnessed to feed and clothe people and nurtured to sustain vibrant biodiversity. I am driven to amplify that voice.

Anika is ready for the next leadership step: Homeward Bound.

Homeward Bound is a ground-breaking leadership initiative, set against the backdrop of Antarctica, which aims to heighten the influence and impact of women in making decisions that shape our planet.

The course will cover leadership training, environmental and research policy, career strategy, visibility, networking, fund raising, and presentation and communication skills, and will culminate in a journey to Antarctica over the 2019/2020 summer.

Picture – Oli Sansom.

“Programs like Homeward Bound and the Young Farming Champions help to upskill and empower individuals,” Anika says. “Yet in doing so, the outcomes and impacts from these programs are so much further reaching. What they do is help individuals seeking greater clarity in their own personal skillsets, purpose and values, become clearer on their sense of self, what they believe and what’s important to them. It helps them focus their two most precious resources, time and energy, more effectively.”

Christina Kirsch of ClearSky Solar with Anika Molesworth at the 2018 Green Globe Awards

Christina Kirsch of ClearSky Solar met with Anika at the 2018 Green Globe Awards. Christina participated in the initial Homeward Bound course in 2016 and still feels the reverberations.

” The goals are to create connectedness and networking among women where the collective is more important than the individual,” she says. “It is about women taking responsibility and ownership of ideals and to collaboratively develop programs going forward.”

Anika holds similar views:

“When you enable teams of highly energized, values-focused people, the enthusiasm and energy released can be formidable.”

One of the challenges Anika will face as a participant in Homeward Bound is to raise the funds required to travel to Antarctica. This on its own can be a daunting task. Although Homeward Bound will provide training and assistance on how to go about this, ultimately it is up to the individual to align with investors who want to be part of that shared collective.

Anika believes she has genuine reasons for asking people to invest.

“I have been through the YFC program and collected a treasure-trove of public speaking skills, industry knowledge, article writing experience and media training, and connected with the most inspiring group of young Australians and mentors. The Homeward Bound program builds on this and amplifies this with its global alumni network, teachers and mentors. It expands my networks to women across the globe working in STEMM.”

These are skills Anika will develop, to the benefit of all Australian agriculture.

As details are finalised we will share Anika’s fundraising initiatives including her Crowdfunding page . In the meantime if you would like a spectacular guest speaker for your event or would like to discuss other opportunities for collaboration please email Anika at anika.molesworth@gmail.com

This is what others are saying about Anika as a keynote speaker

“Anika shared her passion for a sustainable agriculture at the Ag to 2030 Brave New World Conference in 2018. She challenged thought leaders in mainstream Australian agriculture and gained their respect as a credible voice in how a changing climate is impacting Australian primary production systems.”
Ag Institute Australia

“It was a pleasure to engage Anika Molesworth as a presenter during the National Farmers’ Federation Towards 2030 Leadership Program in Canberra in 2018. Anika is a most engaging speaker; honest and reflective, open to feedback, happy to share her challenges and successes and very generous with her learning and advice.”
Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

“[We were] transfixed by Anika Molesworth and her passionate presentation. This wasn’t like any conference presentation, this was truly passionate and heatfelt. It was a privilege to listen. Walking away inspired.”
Kelpie Ap

Visit her website to learn more here

If you would like to make a personal donation you will find Anika’s Crowdfunding page here

Will you invest in tomorrow’s agricultural leader today?

#YouthinAg

#YouthVoices19

#mothernatureneedsherdaughters

#HumanSynergistics

#Antarctica

#womeninSTEM

#womeninscience

#leadership

#womeninleadership

#HomewardBound

January 15, 2019January 16, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Wool Young Farming Champion Samantha Wan going beyond the awards

Mega-congratulations go to Sam Wan, Wool Young Farming Champion and Elders’ Wool Technical Coordinator at the National Selling Centre in Melbourne, who was announced as the Elders Employee of the Year in 2018.

The ‘Thomas Elder’ Employee of the Year recognises and rewards an individual who is consistently a high performer, who demonstrates a commitment to safety, and who lives the One Elders values – integrity, accountability, team work, customer focus and innovation.

Sam was nominated by her managers for her work initiating the accessibility of auction footage as it takes place online, improving Elders’ end to end service to growers, training of next generation wool staff and representing Elders and agriculture at industry events and through programs such as Art4Agriculture.

As part of the award Sam now has $10,000 to put towards a study tour, and yes, she will be reinvesting in wool. Firstly she will attend EvokeAg in Melbourne in February and then she will be winging across the waters to Italy.

“I have chosen to go to Italy to further enrich my understanding of the wool supply chain in Europe,” Sam says. “I will visit mills dating back to the 16^th century and have direct contact with iconic historical brands. I will see fabric being spun and weaved and get a feel for their passion when working with Australian merino wool; and I’ll be able to communicate that back in Australia to growers …. and to anyone else who will listen!”

Supported by Australian Wool Innovation, Sam often credits the Young Farming Champions Program as being of great benefit in her career and as part of paying it forward has joined the Picture You in Agriculture Sponsor Seeking Sub Committee.

“I would like to ensure that no school or student, who is genuinely interested in agriculture, is turned away,” she says, “and that future Young Farming Champions are fully resourced to develop the skills needed for tell their story and establish themselves in their chosen industry.”

Congratulations Sam and we look forward to hearing of your Italian adventures.

#YouthinAg #YouthVoices19 #WearWool #LoveWool

January 14, 2019January 15, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions Muster January 2019 Edition 1

Happy New Year from team YFC!

Another year, another 365 days of opportunity for this amazing bunch. While everyone has been enjoying their summer breaks the team keeps on achieving. Here are snippets from the last 2 weeks.

In the field

Over the last few weeks we have seen a huge number of dust storms blow through parts of Australia. While dust storm are not uncommon, the drought that continues to linger is making them more prevalent and more spectacular. A number of YFC have been caught in the middle of the dusty events with some great pictures captured here from right across New South Wales

This great video footage from Cotton YFC Ben Egan at Warren

and this from Wool YFC Bessie Thomas as Wilcannia

and this from grains YFC Keiley O’Brien at Narromine

Out of the Field

The New Year is a time of change for many, with several of our YFC stepping into new positions around the country!

Wool YFC Katherine Bain has got a promotion at Paraway Pastoral becoming a Business Analyst for Central West NSW Region. This role will see Katherine working closely with station managers analysing farm financial and production information. Congrats Katherine.

It’s a long way from Ivanhoe, NSW to Launceston, TAS. Wool YFC Emma Turner made the move just before Christmas to join the Australian Wool Network as a Wool Admin and Buyer.

In contrast, Eggs YFC Jasmine Whitten is heading out west to Cobar, NSW to take up a position as a Local Landcare Coordinator in January.

Jasmine also jumped on Picture You in Agriculture socials this week capturing her experiences at the Santa Gertrudis Junior Show in Warwick, QLD. It was her third year as a group leader at the show. The event aims to provide an opportunity for students aged 7-18 years to learn about all things beef from meat science, how to parade an animal, to be a junior judge!

Wool YFC Lucy Collingridge has also been supporting the next generation. Lucy helped her home show society host 36 kids aged from 5-25 years for the Cootamundra Hereford Heifer Show.

The two day show allowed kids to learn about breeding, growing and showing cattle, with detailed workshops on public speaking, halter making, assessing animals, artificial insemination, animal husbandry, grooming, parading and marketing.

Lucy said, ‘We had kids travel from all over NSW and even as far as SA! Due to the hot weather, a number of local studs provided cattle for the kids to use to reduce the risk of heat stress to transporting the livestock.’

Summer heat is quite a contrast from Lucy’s worldly adventures in Canada. Lucy’s written a guest blog capturing her experiences here

Huge accolades for YFC Tegan Nock pictured here celebrating with partner Frank Oly. Their collaboration Grassroots: A Documentary, recently won ‘Best Climate Change Documentary’ at the Life Science Film Festival in Prague.

tegan_

Grassroots was written & produced by Tegan and directed by Frank. You can watch the doco (for free) over on the Australian Science Channel. Grab yourself a cuppa & settle in when you’ve got 20 min up your sleeves to be inspired by what a passionate group of people is able to achieve.

Watch it here

Congrats are also due to YFC Prue McCormack has had a busy few months ticking off 3 major milestones. Prue finished her Vet Science degree at CSU while 37 weeks pregnant! Prue & Shannon welcomed son Jock into the world on August 1st. Coincidentally Jock shares his birthday with horses, which is fitting given both his parents love of horses! Prue has recently commenced part time work at New England Veterinary Services while still operating her equine dentistry business

Prue & Jock at Jock’s Christening

Last year Wool YFC Danila Marini won the Professional’s category at the LambEx Young Guns Competition. At LambEx Danila shared some of her work as a post-doc at the University of New England. She’s part of a larger team of researchers exploring how virtual fencing may help better manage livestock. Danila’s research focuses on sheep. If you missed LambEx, you now have the opportunity to watch her presentation online here. This is one you don’t want to miss

Danila impressed LambEx audiences with her presentation

Keeping with the YouTube theme, Lucy Collingridge recently spoke to the University of New England about her time experiences at UNE. Congrats Danila and Lucy, great to see your communications skills being put to good use.

#YouthVoices19 #YouthinAG

Picture You in Agriculture

Art4Agriculture

Twitter

Art4Ag

YouthVoicesYFC

January 9, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

Young Public School takes home a swag of awards at Kreative Koalas

Regional newspaper The Young Witness has featured Young Public School and their swag of awards at the Kreative Koalas- Design a Bright Future Challenge Awards Day.

We have reprinted the story below

Young Public School, aided by a range of partnerships, took out a raft of awards at the 2018 Kreative Koalas- Design a Bright Future ceremony held in Goulburn on November 27, 2018.

National program director Lynne Strong congratulated Young Public School for forging partnerships with farmers and environmentalists, with sponsors and corporate businesses and with not-for-profit organisations and communities.

“Research has time and time again shown that kids who go to schools that have strong relationships with business and the community have a much greater opportunity to thrive.

Businesses and communities who engage with schools can enrich and enhance the delivery of education and students can see their learnings have real-world significance. When schools, parents, business and communities partner together great things can happen in the lives of children and young adults.” she said.

Kreative Koalas, a program designed to create awareness of Australia’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDG), asks schools to design a community project and call to action, and to display their interpretive artwork on a giant fibreglass koala. Class 2/3 studied SDG 12: Responsible Production and Consumption, while Class 4D studied SDG 14: Life Below the Water.

Class 2/3 created Koko Kompost Koala, which won the Australian Wind Services Award for Best Kreative Koala Artwork, and instigated a partnership with Cleanway to reduce and recycle waste at the school. As part of their studies they were also visited by Wool Young Farming Champion and Sustainability Ambassador Adele Smith. Adele spoke to the students about how farmers have an important role to play in responsible production and wool as a sustainable fibre.

Class 4D created Chewy the Choking Koala to illustrate the impact of irresponsible consumption and the damaging effects on life below the water. Under guidance from Finn Martin from Local Land Services students went on an excursion to a local creek. “We have been shocked and saddened by the amount of rubbish going into our waterways and eventually into the ocean,” the school said. The students also participated in the Take 3 movement, which encourages everyone to remove three pieces of rubbish from the environment every time they are out. 4D’s dedicated participation was rewarded when they were named the Holcim Reserve Grand Champion Kreative Koala.

#SDG #ZeroWaste

January 2, 2019January 28, 2019 by Action4Agriculture

A NEW WAY TO EMPOWER RURAL AND REGIONAL WOMEN

Chair of our Youth Voices Leadership Team Jo Newton recently penned a piece for Stock and Land on why agriculture doesn’t need another leadership program. And why not? Because we already have a tried, tested and proven one in the Young Farming Champions program that offers participants leadership pathways beyond the traditional intensive workshop model.

Jo has received plenty of positive feedback from the article and it has prompted us to reflect on the mentorships and partnerships that support our Young Farming Champions as they transition to leadership roles. Jo personally values being mentored by David Mailler

‘David is someone I look up to. He challenges my thinking, encouraging me to look at a problem from new angles’. says Jo

Dione Howard, who works as a district veterinarian, has recently formed a professional alliance with chair of Hunter Local Land Services Lindy Hyam.

“As some-one starting my career journey its very valuable to have a mentor who has had successful careers in multiple sectors beyond agriculture. Lindy can help guide me through both my career and leadership journey challenges, help me make difficult decisions and offer advice when I am not sure which direction to take.” says Dione. Watch Lindy talk about her career journey here

It was also our own Lynne Strong who introduced Anika Molesworth to Farmers for Climate Action, where she now sits on the board of directors.

“The best way to harness the energy of our emerging leaders is to connect them to one-another and greatly improve our collective capacity to shape a bright agricultural future. Farmers for Climate Action, like the Young Farming Champions program, is a network of individuals from all walks of life, from all different regions and farming industries – who all share a common vision. We are taking the journey together – and the shared values, support and respect we have for one another is the reason we are successful.” says Anika

In 2019 PYiA, in conjunction with Young Farming Champions, will launch an extension to their leadership development with the introduction of a unique inter-generational mentorship model to empower rural and regional young women. The program, Cultivate- Empowering Influencers will support experienced leaders, coaches and champions to support young rural leaders to support emerging leaders and aspiring leaders to transform agriculturists into advocates and changemakers by:

Creating confident, independent thinkers and skilled communicators,
Building capacity to be adaptable and resilient in complex and challenging times,
Developing enthusiastic, knowledgeable and capable young people taking an active role in the decision-making processes.

The model recognises successful people surround themselves with a framework of empowerment including the five principles of connect, coach, inspire, champion and mentor.

Young people need to identify others who can assist them with these principles. The initiative will see experienced leaders, mentor intermediate leaders such as Jo, who will in turn work with new Young Farming Champions and potentially with students who show potential though The Archibull Prize.

Training of both mentors and mentees is critical to success and the program will begin with an intensive two-day program bringing together mentors and mentees.

“This is a Pay-it-forward model of mentoring. Experience is leveraged in a hand up model, across three generations of leaders. Seasoned leaders mentor leadership program graduates into the hands-on aspects of business leadership, while YFC program graduates work with new participants, smoothing the way to more visible roles. This way experience is shared and expanded upon.” says Zoe Routh from Inner Compass Leadership Development.

For more information on how your organisation can partner with us please contact Lynne Strong Partnerships Manager E: lynnestrong@art4agriculture.com.au

#YouthVoices19 #YouthinAg

Action for Agriculture

The world needs creative, innovative and courageous young people who can connect, collaborate and act. We know that youth may only be 20% of the population but they are 100% of the future. The time is now to let them share their dreams and design the future they want to see.

Month / January 2019

Our farmers are destined for The Good Place

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Young Farming Champions Muster January 2019 2nd Edition

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Young Farming Champions Marlee Langfield and Keiley O’Brien share what the drought has taught them

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Young Farming Champions Dan Fox and Emma Ayliffe find farming in a drought is a steep learning curve

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There’s a Rural/Rural Divide and it’s not doing Agriculture any favours

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Agriculturalist Anika Molesworth – joining a 1000 women in STEMM to invest in tomorrows leaders today

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Wool Young Farming Champion Samantha Wan going beyond the awards

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Young Farming Champions Muster January 2019 Edition 1

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Young Public School takes home a swag of awards at Kreative Koalas

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A NEW WAY TO EMPOWER RURAL AND REGIONAL WOMEN

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