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.
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.
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