Month / September 2020

by Action4Agriculture

Meet Alice Burwell who shares a passion to make a difference and fight for gender equity

In partnership with Corteva Agriscience we invited emerging leaders in the agriculture sector to share with us what drives them. We also asked them to tells us if they had a magic wand what would they change in the agriculture sector.

Our guest post today comes from vet in training Alice Burwell. Alice shares a passion to make a difference and fight for gender equity that has been a consistent theme in our 2020 stories

“Wow, you want to be a vet. You must really love animals”.

Yes, this is partly true. But this is only part of my story. I would always make it very clear that I wanted to be a preventive healthcare vet for large farm animals and help livestock farmers set up their businesses in a way that keeps animals healthy and prevent health problems in herds whenever anyone asked, even as a seven-year-old.

Yet as I grew up I found myself having to justify my potential value to the industry because I am a young female?

I  was determined to show female vets are just as enthusiastic about working outdoors with large animals as male vets.

Why should this matter?

If people work hard to gain knowledge they can contribute to industry, they deserve to be treated with respect for their knowledge and contributions regardless of their background, degree or gender.

What do the girls in the pink vests in this image have in common?

Passion is the common denominator, not gender here.  Yes, we are all female. Yes, we are all aspiring rural veterinarians. And the reason we were selected as the student delegates for the Australian Cattle Vets conference in 2020 is because of our burning passion for the livestock industry.

Veterinary science used to be a male dominated sector and I am proud to be part of the generation that is changing this.

Where did this burning passion for the livestock industries stem from? For me, it was the days I would spend growing up helping my father and grandfather in the lambing sheds or feeding calves like these ones

I have always been so determined to make my mark on the livestock industries as a professional and have always had an interest in the wider agricultural sector. The management from paddock to plate and from calf to cow is what excites me. I am becoming a veterinarian so that I can help improve the health, welfare and productivity of our livestock industries through producer education and adoption of new research, at herd levels.

Today veterinarians provide holistic farm services and have broad skills in farm consultancy and management as well as providing technical skills and advice on animal health and welfare.

As a vet I aspire to provide the farmers I work with exceptional value from improvements in animal health and management behind the farm gate as well as support them to optimise the value they get from their farming production systems.

The challenge of showing farmers my  worth is a both a daunting and  exhilarating task. I have studied veterinary science and participated in many extra-curricular activities so that I can play my part in making the agricultural industry sustainable for generations to come. There is nothing more exciting for me than helping producers turn calves into productive, healthy cows that are the building blocks for a producer’s successful business. Regardless of the species, it is the full circle of producing profitable, healthy beef/dairy cattle and sheep in a sustainable and welfare conscious manner that excites me.

As an industry we have many opportunities to showcase our industry is gender inclusive and ensure veterinarians are valued for the diverse skills and knowledge they bring to the farm team.

“As a rural vet you feel connected with the people you work with on farm and you are also an essential part of rural communities. Its a career where you have a strong sense of purpose and you get up everyday knowing you are making a difference”

by Action4Agriculture

Meet Elizabeth Argue who at the age of ten was busy opening doors to a career in agriculture

In partnership with Corteva Agriscience we invited emerging leaders in the agriculture sector to share with us what drives them. We also asked them to tells us if they had a magic wand what would they change in the agriculture sector.

Our guest post today comes from Elizabeth Argue who at the age of ten was busy opening doors to a career in agriculture

It all started with a passion to be a 10 year old jillaroo and a letter

Elizabeth shares with us:

  • It’s never too early to chase an agricultural dream
  • People, and nurturing the potential of people, is the heart of agriculture
  • Strong rural women can play a pivotal role in agriculture
  • modern agriculture calls for a range of individuals with an ever increasing range of skills from all walks of life.

………….

When you think of a ten year old girl from a cattle property on the Mid North Coast of NSW. You probably picture a girl riding her horse having fun with the neighbours kids building cubby houses at the river. Although I did build my fair share of cubby houses, my ten year old self was pouring over the pages of The Land newspaper, looking over all the job vacancies on cattle stations. I had decided then that school could wait and making a living working the land on a station, most probably like McLeod’s daughters was for me…

Well I was passionate!

I soon found an ad that jumped out at me for the Acton Super Beef company. So I wrote a letter to the company explaining my passion and eagerly awaited a reply. To my and I think my parents surprise a few weeks later I received a reply from Ms Acton herself, kindly thanking me for my letter but explaining that life on a property can be tough, even for someone older than ten. She emphasised the importance of education and suggested I wait a few more years before heading out.

Fast forward to my graduation from high school, I wrote back to Ms Acton and a few months later found myself as a station hand in Central Queensland. Looking back I thank my ten year old self for opening the door that my eighteen year old self could walk through.

Ms Acton was one of the first strong rural women who played a pivotal role in my journey within agriculture. Broadening my horizons considerably and highlighting the significant contribution strong women make to the industry. I have since realised the immense potential that can arise from fostering relationships and opening doors for others, in particular younger generations. This has led me to appreciate that although there are some incredible innovations, technological advancements and pathways developing within the multifaceted agricultural industry – it is the people and fostering the potential of people that is at the heart of the industry.

The people I met while working on the station ranged from hard working station hands, governesses, animal nutritionists to analysists. The list is endless and that was just centred around one property. Since transitioning to study Agriculture and Business at the University of New England, joining various agricultural committees, traveling abroad and working overseas, my perception of agriculture has changed significantly.

From my naïve view as a ten year old romanticising spending days on a horse mustering cattle I have come to realise the agricultural sphere is so much more than this and growing every day. Although there will always be a call for those stockmen and women mustering cattle, modern agriculture also calls for a range of individuals with an ever increasing diverse range of skills from all walks of life.

It is my passion for people that is driving my vision for the future. I want a career where I can open young peoples eyes to the diversity of rewarding careers in the industry I love. I want to ignite a spark  in particular women from all backgrounds to discover their inherent calling in agriculture. There is a plethora of opportunities developing and I would love to be the one to open doors for others to these opportunities, just like Ms Acton and a letter opened for me.

#CareersinAgriculture #genderequity #inclusivity #WomeninAg

by Action4Agriculture

Meet Veronika Vicic who sees a commitment to genuine and lasting relationships between producers and consumers as the key to success for agriculture

In partnership with Corteva Agriscience we invited emerging leaders in the agriculture sector to share with us what drives them. We also asked them to tells us if they had a magic wand what would they change in the agriculture sector.

Today we share PhD candidate Veronika Vicic’s story

“As future leaders of agriculture, its is imperative we encourage relationships between agriculture and the wider community by sharing our stories and our commitment to understanding the values of the community and shopping behaviours of consumers

Veronika invites us to:

  • Find innovative ways to keep the lines of communication open along the agricultural supply chain
  • Enable others to broaden their agricultural knowledge and  encourage individuals to enter our diverse industry will strengthen agriculture 

As a young person who grew up in Sydney  I only became aware of the  exciting opportunities in the agriculture sector at university. University has shown me research and development play a pivotal role in Australian agriculture supporting farmers to produce food and maintain the landscapes we grow it on

Being city born I am also aware that as future leaders of agriculture, it is imperative we encourage relationships between agriculture and the wider community by sharing our stories and our commitment to understanding the values of the community and shopping behaviours of consumers

Consumers in our society are becoming increasingly conscious of animal welfare standards, the quality of their food and where it is being sourced.  My first hand experience has shown me consumer views can be distanced from the reality of modern agricultural practices. The diversity of views shared on social and in print media can either expand the urban-rural gap, or minimise it. Bridging the gap is where I believe we should  begin.

Working within the industry has given me confidence we strive to maintain some of the world’s highest standards. It has also shown me it is imperative we communicate the efforts behind Australian producer’s work ethic and commitment to the quality products that consumers receive and how the industry maintains this standard by continually shaping business models to suit evolving consumer demands. I see our role is to communicate to our consumer audience in a way that everyone can understand and engage with.

Meat judging in Japan

My research is based within the beef and dairy industries. My team’s focus is to optimise supply chains for non-replacement calves within the dairy industry.   Producers are committed to giving their animals the best whole of life experience and my team supports them with the latest research to help them make the best decisions for their animals and their enterprises. When starting this project I could instantly see that the pathways of communication from producers to consumers were often lost along the supply chain and with the increasing consumer interest in supply chain transparency, this was the initial gap my team and I had to address.

Growing calves in Koroit 

The big question we asked was how do we engage with the community so they can identify biases and agendas in media, are able to distinguish fact from fiction and be informed consumers?

As a city kid exposed the world of agriculture at university I am passionate about sharing my story and encouraging other young people to follow my journey to a rewarding career in agriculture. Through my research I want to be able to support farmers to make the best decisions for their animals and their business and help them share their stories to encourage others to effectively navigate the complex and nuanced modern supply chain landscape.

Participating in consumer beef research

You can do a deeper dive into Veronika’s research here

 

 

by Action4Agriculture

Agriculture in the Classroom – Students tackle Fake News

The joy of using agriculture as an educational tool is it can be used to teach everything on the Australian curriculum (including critical thinking skills) and help young people get jobs

Critical thinking skills are one of the top four employability skills 21st century employers want most.

Our research shows that young people want to significantly increase their creative and critical thinking skills This includes determining the difference between what’s real and what is “Fake News”

Our research has been complemented by the fabulous work of our partner  Western Sydney University in their study of News and Young Australians

As this article in The Conversation highlights, we live in an age of fake news and Australian children are not learning enough about media literacy.

The challenge for teachers is how do we better prepare young people to effectively navigate the complex and nuanced landscape of modern news and social media.

We are excited to be part of a team helping teachers do this using fake news in agriculture as an example.

Part of what the students will find out is what is fake news in Australia is not necessarily fake news in other countries. This helps to reinforce the message that there is not a one size fits all solution to the challenges our farmers face to grow food and natural fibres on the hottest, driest inhabited continent

What does a Fake News lesson plan look like?

A quick summary of it might look something like this  

  • Teachers ask the question, “What is Fake News?’
  • Students discuss their ideas.
  • Class teachers can facilitate the discussion by making a brainstorm of their answers.
  • Younger students, play the ‘Get Bad News’ game to help them understand the process of creating fake news and the effect it has globally;
  • Older students play the ‘BBC iReporter’ game for older classes.
  • As a class, google the following:
    • Hormones in milk in Australia
    • Hormones in chicken

Teachers might then invite the students to break into groups for a wider discussion and share their learnings with the community via their Archibull Prize ( secondary schools) or Kreative Koalas ( primary schools) digital learning journal

The aim of each task is for the students to create and present a short presentation of their findings at the end of the lesson

Tasks could look like this

  • Group 1 – Look at fake news as a concept. What is it? How does it happen? Can they create a checklist to help other students to spot fake news?
  • Group 2 – Investigate what the media gains by spreading fake news. Present an explanation of their findings.
  • Group 3 – What’s a credible resource? What’s credible science? Students investigate these 2 headings and provide short explanations of both.

(Group 2 and 3 could also create visuals (such as a poster or comic strip) to accompany their work.

  • Group 4 – Invite the students to discuss the ethics around deceptive advertising and its consequences. Students can use the Consequence Wheel for this exercise

Some resources the teachers might use:

News and Young Australians

We live in an age of ‘fake news’. But Australian children are not learning enough about media literacy

Beyond fact-checking: 5 things schools should do to foster news literacy

The media exaggerates negative news. This distortion has consequences

We look forward to sharing the students agricultural flavoured journey to detect biases and agendas in media and feel empowered to distinguish fact from fiction, be savvy consumers, and learn to advocate for public good?

And this very important feedback from a teacher. Another question agriculture can ask itself.

Is our succession plan and capacity to spark interest in careers in agriculture reaching young people where they are at

by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions Muster September 2020

Headline Act

The NSW Young Achievers Awards were presented in an online ceremony on September 11 and the star of the show was our very own Emma Ayliffe who was a finalist in the First National Real Estate Leadership Award. Emma beamed into the ceremony clad in a red dress standing in a bright yellow paddock of canola. “As one of the few rural finalists I saw it as an opportunity to capture the beauty of the rural landscape I live and work in; a landscape many people don’t get an opportunity to see.” What an extraordinary way to showcase agriculture to the world! Well done Emma, we are so proud of you.

In The Field

Emma’s yellow paddock of canola is typical of the good season she, and all others involved in cropping, are currently experiencing, and work is on to ensure the crops are maximised. Emma has been busy monitoring and managing – checking for rust and powdery mildew, baling lighter sections of wheat crops, keeping an eye on insect populations and rehilling paddocks for the return of cotton at the end of the month.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dan Fox, who farms at Marar in the Riverina, is looking forward to harvest, which will include wheat, barley, fava beans and vetch. Vetch is planted as a companion crop to feed nitrogen into the soil for cereal crops and has allowed the Fox family to reduce fertiliser use. If Dan could wave his magic wand, he would love a frost-free spring and the icing on the cake would be 50-100 mm of rain. We wish you the magic Dan.

Our livestock YFCs are also experiencing a busy spring. Chloe Dutschke has weaned a mere 15,000 lambs, selling the wethers and retaining the ewe lambs, which have been returned to the paddock.

Jasmine Green from Summit Livestock is gearing up for their second annual heifer and genetics sale on October 6. “The sale will be online only using the AuctionsPlus platform (think eBay for cows!),” Jasmine says. “We have put together photos and videos of the sale lots and, rather than running a sale day event, people can look at them and bid without leaving home or tractor.”

Other YFCs work with NSW Local Land Services. Biosecurity officer Lucy Collingridge recently appeared on WIN news to warn about growing wild dog populations

Rice Young Farming Champion and Landcare Coordinator Erika Heffer partnered with Kimberley Beer from Mixed Farming Systems and the Murray Regionals Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Sandy Dellwo to design and deliver the roll out of Murray LLS Sustainability Credentials Project which helps farmers map their farm to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Veterinarian Dione Howard has been using Facetime to look (virtually) at sick sheep in the paddock and determine treatment plans. Dione has also been using her social media skills on Instagram where she was recently featured on @getagducated and shared this video about her work as a vet.

 Out of the Field

Online communication skills, honed through the YFC program, having been coming to the fore during COVID. Dione joined Lucy Collingridge, Katherine Bain, Danila Marini, Chloe Dutschke and Sam Wan recently to beam into classrooms as part of Paddock Pen Pals. Sam has been coordinating the PPP team and mentoring Tom Squires and Matt Cumming for their first school visits.

Jo Newton has been mentoring younger YFC, assisting Meg Rice with her role in the newly formed Innovation Hub and Katherine Bain as she works behind the scenes to roll-out the next series of Leadership is Language. “My early agricultural journey has been shaped by role models and mentors. I believe in using the opportunities I’ve been afforded to pay it forward to support others,” Jo says.

YFC intern Jess Fearnley is receiving mentorship from PYiA director Lynne Strong. The pair has teamed up to collate materials for a Deep Dive into Careers in Agriculture, which will be used for students participating in The Archibull Prize.

The SA Branch of the Australian Association of Animal Sciences is proud to present the “Hot Topics in Animal Sciences” webinar series during September, starring our very own Danila Marini who will present on virtual fencing and animal behaviour.

Anika Molesworth has, too, been on stage, presenting “Fighting for Love” at the virtual Global Energy Smart Summit.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Anika spoke about the challenges climate change brings to families and landscapes, and most importantly, what we can do about it. She received some heart-warming  feedback, with participants commenting on her passion and optimism, with one listener saying “You made me believe in the future again.”

See more of Anika on her newly launched website.

Prime Cuts

Congratulations to our wonderful and inspiring Jo Newton who has been named a winner of the 2020 Global Enactus Alumni Award (over 30 Category) at the Enactus World Cup. The award recognised alumni who live the Enactus values of integrity, passion, innovation and collaboration, and exemplify the Enactus mission of engaging the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to use innovation and business principles to improve the world. Jo’s involvement with Enactus began through the University of New England team in 2010.

The World Cup saw teams from 32 countries meet online. Collectively the 1730 university teams of 72,000 next gen leaders improved the lives of 3.2 million people around the world. Jo was a judge and says: “Watching the presentations in the semi-final round and seeing each team’s progress against the UN sustainability goals reinforced to me the impact a team of driven young people can have.”

Congratulations to Meg Rice who has been elected to be as a board member of Country to Canberra

Another worthy achievement, often overlooked, is the way our own driven young people support each other. When Emma’s Young Achiever Awards was bumped from a black-tie event in Sydney, Lucy Collingridge stepped into the void to organise an online black-tie celebration for her. And with our Melbourne YFC still doing it tough in lockdown it was encouraging to see them reach out to each other, such as when Sam recently sent Jo some greenery to brighten her world. Here lies one of the greatest strengths of the YFC program.

Lifetime Achievements

The YFC also support and celebrate each other through life-time events, whether that be a growing family or time-out for some self-love, so it is with great pleasure we shout-out to Jasmine Green, who with her husband Hayden, welcomed Arthur William Green to the world on August 7 …..

…. and Jess Fearnely who had the experience of a life-time when she jumped out of her comfort zone to participate in a three-day snowshoe hike through the Snowy Mountains, which included camping out in the snow!

Jess also ran 100km through rain, hail, sun and snow to raise $1500 for the Fred Hollows Foundation. This money will restore sight for 60 people

Amazing stuff, girls.

#YouthinAg #STEMCareersinAg 

by Action4Agriculture

Leadership is Language with host Hannah Hawker and Guest Graham Smith

In today’s review of our Leadership is Language webinar interviews Graham Smith, Australian Rural Leadership Program Manager, sits down with Young Farming Champion Hannah Hawker to discuss the importance of throwing out stereotypes and misconceptions when it comes to leadership and language.

Key Messages

  • Language is spoken language, body language and listening
  • Pay attention to how you feel when communicating
  • Think positively, think strategically and act in an adaptive, authentic way

 Pull Quote

“….leadership really is a series of processes. It’s not a product or an output or an outcome .. and if you dig down into that, more often than not, communication will come up as the most important process in leadership.”

 out Graham

Graham Smith coordinates the Australian Rural Leadership Program and his deep roots in the non-urban landscape of Australia stem from an upbringing in Barraba in northern NSW.

He has career has included positions with the Australian Public Service and CSIRO, General Manager of Questacon and secondary teaching. His public sector work has been recognised by an Australia Day Medallion and Australian Public Service departmental award for leadership.

Graham has a committed professional interest in Indonesia and its fast developing economic and cultural relationships with Australia. These relationships extend to his leadership development with ARLP.

Connect with Graham:  LinkedIn and Twitter

About Hannah

Hannah is an enthusiastic farmer’s daughter from Central West NSW where she has returned to continue her teaching career, delighting in the opportunity to share knowledge with secondary students. These two passions are consolidated through her involvement in local and state level agricultural shows; behind the scenes organisation, as a competitor and on the microphone as an MC and ring announcer. Completing her term as President, Hannah is now sitting on the board as Executive Advisor for ASC of NSW Next Generation where she assists in the continuation of skill development opportunities for young agriculturalists. Hannah is a 2013 Young Farming Champion Alumni, who represented the red meat industry

Connect with Hannah:    LinkedIn and  Twitter

About Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1992 with the aim to develop leaders for rural, regional and remote Australia. The Foundation runs a series of leadership courses including the flagship Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP).

 

 

 

 

by Action4Agriculture

Perceptions of agriculture as a career – the problems are well understood time to focus on the solutions

 

Over the next 6 months we will be sharing a series of articles showcasing the extraordinary work that is being done to engage young people in conversations about the production of the food they consume and the natural fibres they use and promote career pathways for young people into agriculture.

A significant body of this work is being done in our schools, inviting teachers to empower students to come up with their own solutions to agricultures images and perceptions challenges and opportunities .

We would like to thank Lorraine Chaffer from the NSW&ACT Geography Teacher’s Association for her support in providing context from a teacher’s perspective

What we know:

  • Surveys reveal that Australians, and Australian students, do not understand the importance or value of agriculture in the context of Australia, Asia and the world.
  • Most teachers and students have a general understanding of sustainability and over the course of time develop some understanding about the components or pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic and social.  This will vary between subjects and the focus of school teaching programs. Much of this understanding has a focus on environmental sustainability linked to subject specific topic content. Some of the subjects are electives and not studied by all students.
  • Many senior students (Years 11 and 12) do not choose to study agriculture for their HSC. The subject is perceived as being less valuable than others for ATAR calculations and link to future careers.
  • In K – 10 there are limited opportunities to develop deep, cross curricula knowledge and understanding about sustainability, the importance of agriculture in feeding Australia and the world (and issues of food security) and the application of sustainability considerations in the daily decisions made by farmers.

From an agriculture perspective there is a need to demonstrate:

  • that 82% of careers in the agriculture sector which enable farmers to produce food, fibre and affordable clean energy are in areas with predicted high growth in the future.
  • that the workplace opportunities and multiple career paths in food and fibre production and the study of agriculture presents an excellent prospect for capable students.

We look forward to showcasing the experimentation, the success stories, the learnings, the tweaks and opportunities to multiply the impact of the success stories

#YouthinAg #CareersinSTEM #CareerswithPurpose

 

by Action4Agriculture

Meet Ishaya Usman Gadzama who has journeyed from Africa to Australia to seek every opportunity, open every door, give back and pay forward 

In partnership with Corteva Agriscience we invited emerging leaders in the agriculture sector to share with us what drives them. We also asked them to tells us if they had a magic wand what would they change in the agriculture sector.

Today we share with you Ishaya Usman Gadzama’s story. Ishaya grew up in  Sub-Saharan Africa and witnessed children dying of malnutrition first hand. His aspiration is to fight hunger and improve people’s lives through the provision of safe, affordable, nutritious food for all. This challenged him  to ensure best practice animal well being. Ishaya is currently studying a PhD at the University of New England investigating  Animal Behaviour and Welfare.

Ishaya shares with us:

  • Seeing food insecurity first-hand has been a driver to study agriculture
  • Young people can be effective mentors for other young people
  • Seek every opportunity, open every door, give back and pay forward

This is Ishaya story …..

As a young child growing up in Sub-Saharan Africa, I followed my parents to our family farm, but at that period I thought I was being punished until one day while resting under one of the Mango trees I observed an ant after coming across a ‘food’ it immediately went and call the others and they came and took the food to their home. This behaviour made me become inquisitive about living things.

Going into high school I already knew where my heart was at, so I studied more of Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry and these courses laid the bedrock of my knowledge in the field of Biological Sciences as my best grades came under these courses.

My enthusiasm for agriculture continued to grow as I witnessed how children in my community die of severe malnutrition such as kwashiorkor and marasmus due to inadequate or poor access to high-quality food. For years, I asked myself what if I was in their shoes? In addition, the United Nations projected the world population to reach 9.8 billion in 2050. There is therefore the need for an increased effort towards food production – growing more grains, fruits and vegetables, raising more livestock, harvesting more fish and collecting more eggs and milk. These ignited a deep passion within me to seek a profession in agriculture to contribute to finding lasting solution to food insecurity issues and to make sure people have regular access to high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

Motivated by the passion to improve food production, I proceeded to the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria in search of world-class education to study Agriculture for a Bachelor Degree. It was there that I was nurtured and taught by elite lecturers with international experience in both practical and theoretical courses in crop and animal production, agricultural economics, and biotechnology.

I believe the only way we can feed approximately 10 billion people by 2050 is if food production becomes much more sustainable and governments  need to take action. I joined the services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) in June 2014 working as a Research Fellow at the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, where I supervised undergraduate field practicals, carried out on-farm training of staff and farmers in feed formulation; contributed in on-farm animal-based research studies and field surveys and advised the government through NAPRI reports.

As a staff-in-training (SIT), I obtained theoretical knowledge and practical training over the course of two years studying for a Master’s degree in Animal Science and I shared my research findings with different stakeholders at national and international seminars and conferences, and through publications.

I am driven by curiosity to learn and I like to apply scientific knowledge in a societal context. In February 2019, I was appointed as a next generation Social Media Ambassador for Global Food Security Symposium at the Chicago Council for Global Affairs. I am involved in several volunteering activities such as the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), Grooming Leaders for Agriculture (GLA) and FarmCoach Agro-Services, through which I acquired a solid experience in mentoring which had positively impacted the lives of young people. I have been supporting young agricultural students in their personal and professional development to become excellent young professionals who can effectively contribute to food security, food safety and sustainability. Currently, I am mentoring 17 young people sharing my knowledge and inspiring them to take careers in the agriculture sector to contribute in feeding about 10 billion people by 2050.

As a result, I received an Award for my outstanding leadership and valuable contribution to the development of the Agriculture sector in Nigeria and also for my service as a mentor in the ongoing Grooming Leaders for Agriculture (GLA – seniors programme). My commitment to motivate people and communities towards a positive change was rewarded by winning a merit and experience-based award (the Marshal Papworth scholarships) to study an MSc in Agricultural Sciences and Production Systems at Harper Adams University in the UK and in February 2020, I was also nominated for a Chevening Scholarship in the UK.

Furthermore, I won the prestigious Netherlands Fellowship Programme (now Orange Knowledge Programme) where I was trained by world’s leading experts at Aeres TCI in Animal Feed formulation and production. This gave me the privilege to establish professional networks with resource persons working in the poultry, pig and feed processing industries.

Doggedness and a search for knowledge have always been my strong points, perhaps this explains why I was awarded the University of New England International Postgraduate Research Award (IPRA) scholarship for a 3 years PhD programme in Animal Science and I also won the UNE International Accommodation Scholarship.

My passion, ideas and commitment to provide the solutions and leadership needed to improve people’s life through agriculture right from childhood made me to volunteer as one of UNE’s International Students’ Ambassador; leveraging the UNEBuddy online platform, interacting with potential students online sharing my experience and engaging in discussion on UNE’s innovative research culture, and answering questions related to teaching and research in UNE. This concretize my selection as UNE HDR Representative in the Department of Animal Science, where I am identifying the research needs of HDR students, contributing in discussions supporting the strategic plans of the Faculty of Agriculture and advancing the capabilities of Ag students.

I love so much agriculture related courses and I took some online trainings offered by Coursera and I was awarded financial assistance which earned me certificates in Dairy Production and Management, Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Chicken Behaviour and Welfare, Sustainable Food Production through Livestock Health Management and How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper.

Aside from academics, I love giving back to the community so I was featured in study international  and ABC New England North West  radio interview and online

My aspiration to fight hunger and improve people’s lives through the provision of quality-food, challenged me to delve into the area of improving animal welfare. I was awarded a PhD project in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at UNE which is being funded by AgriFutures Australia. There is an increasing demand for meat chickens produced in a free-range system in Australia. This recent increase has been largely driven by the perception that free-range chicken meat is a welfare friendly product.  My research aimed at motivating meat chickens to access the outdoor environment and we hypothesised that this will improve their health, welfare and meat quality.

I am also running for the position of Student Representative to represent UNE students in the UNE Council and to contribute effectively and ethically to strategic decision-making for the sustainable development of agriculture and to ensure students’ interests and voices are heard.

 

 

by Action4Agriculture

Leadership is Language with Host Kirsty White and Guest Rebel Black

In this week’s Leadership is Language review human agronomist Rebel Black sits down with Kirsty White to discuss what leadership means to her and why she thinks, at the end of the day, life is a game to be played.

Key Messages

  • Leadership is being my best, blooming where I am
  • We’re all leaders but great leadership requires a high level of personal responsibility.
  • Inspiration and leadership education is right there in front of us, we just need to open our eyes to see it.
  • Leadership and learning is a lifelong journey

 Pull Quote

“…..I think leadership, great leadership requires a high level of personal responsibility, and that’s a very challenging thing to do. It’s much easier for us to blame the outside world for the things that are going on in our lives or in the lives of the people that we care about. True leadership, I believe is a hundred percent self-responsibility, which then enables you to navigate through life in a more easeful way,….”

 About Rebel

Rebel describes herself as a human agronomist with a mission to bloom where she is planted. She is passionate about connecting rural women and is both inspiring to, and inspired by, them. In 2015 Rebel launched THE Rural Woman – an online community offering programs, training and support.

In 2018 THE Seed Scheme was introduced, a project to enable 700 women-led online micro-enterprises in rural and regional Australia through strategic and aligned partnerships with business, government and philanthropists.

Rebel is many things – mentor, speaker, coach, consultant; all borne from her natural gift of communication and her belief in personal responsibility.

Connect with Rebel:   LinkedIn  and  Twitter

About Kirsty

Kirsty is a dynamic farmer, mother and business operator from Bald Blair Angus Stud in northern NSW, with a passion for connecting and empowering the rural women in her community. With a background in business, office management and politics she brings a suite of varied skills to all she undertakes.

Connect with Kirsty: LinkedIn  and   Twitter 

 Want to know more?

THE Rural Woman     www.theruralwoman.com

THE Seed Scheme            www.theseedscheme.com.au

 

by Action4Agriculture

NEWS FROM THE MOOS AND KREATIVE KOALA KIDS

The 2020 COVID  ready editions of The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas – Design a Bright Future are off and running in 34 schools from Tasmania to Queensland, and here is a wrap of their first few weeks in action.

As you can see the Moos are definitely in the News

In the media

Caragabal has received rain! This momentous occasion for students and families of Caragabal Public School in western NSW made ABC headlines. Kids spoke about the breaking of the drought and how sustainable practices are shaping their farming future.

Also talking to the ABC about Kreative Koalas was teacher Martha Atkins from Medowie Christian School in the Port Stephens region. The students also shared their journey to #ZeroHunger with the Port Stephens Examiner

Medowie took out the title of Grand Champion Community Project for Change in 2019, so this is definitely a school to watch out for.

The Port Stephen Koala Hospital will be opening on September 25, and radio station NEWFM radio, previewed the event, which guest stars the Grand Champion Koala artwork from Raymond Terrace Public School.

On our blog

Medowie also featured on our PYiA blog (we love to celebrate our schools and feature them regularly) discussing their goals for 2020 with zero hunger and cookbooks!

Meanwhile, James Erskine Public School reflected on what they had learnt from Kreative Koalas in 2019 and how it has affected their school twelve months down the track.

St Catherine’s Catholic College at Singleton told us how COVUD has had some positive changes, allowing teacher Joanna Towers extra time to study and to investigate the world of regenerative agriculture.

Innisfail State College, who is taking part in both the Archies and Kreative Koalas, is improving critical thinking through collaboration, connection and communication.

Carlingford West Public School met a special group of young women from our Young Farming Champions program who totally busted their stereotype of what a farmer looks like.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Webinars and resources

Thank you to John Holloway from the Murray Darling Basin Authority Education Team for his very well received Deep Dive into Water webinars and the extremely engaged students who joined him. See the story here. John will be available to run more webinars for Stage 3, Stage 4 and Stage 5 after the holidays.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Thanks also to our wonderful collaborator Kris Beazley from Richmond Agricultural College – Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education who is running eight one-day Hack-a-thons, focussing on design thinking train the trainer workshops, for teachers participating in our programs.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Following on from their Caragabal Public School story the ABC has created a teacher resource on the breaking of the drought.

Expressions of interest are now open for 2021

If you are a secondary school you can submit an EOI for The Archibull Prize HERE 

If you are a primary school you can submit an EOI for Kreative Koalas HERE 

Visit our website to find out more

Shout out to our supporting partners who are empowering young people to be critical and creative thinkers and changemakers ready for the jobs of the future.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.