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.
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.
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