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“If you believe in your heart that you need to do something, and you know in your heart its right… and especially when you’re in a position to make the change, you can’t back away from it.” Alison Mirams 

This is one of the favourite quotes of Action4Agriculture director Lynne Strong who has spent decades championing young people and watching as they shine and make a difference to the world around them. This belief was mirrored recently at the 2022 NSW Sustainability Awards (also known as the Banksia Awards), announced in October, where both Young Farming Champions and students from our school programs were celebrated. Take a look at some of the winners:

Minister’s Young Climate Champion: Winner – Kreative Koalas participant St Brigid’s Primary School; finalist – Kreative Koalas and The Archibull Prize participant Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education.

NSW Communications for Impact Award: Finalist – Action4Agriculture/Kreative Koalas

NSW Youth as Our Changemakers Award: Joint Winners – Young Farming Champions Anika Molesworth and Josh Gilbert.

What a night! Read more about Lynne’s thoughts on the awards and young people as changemakers here.

The Team

The NSW Sustainability Awards prove our YFC and our school programs have impact and 2023 will bring more opportunities to fly the agricultural flag with the launch of two new programs: Action4Youth and Young Environmental Champions. Both programs will allow YFC to engage the next generation in agricultural conversations and agricultural career pathways. Stay tuned!

In the Field

From paddocks (and oceans) in Australia and across the world, to wool-selling centres and city-based jobs providing help for the hungry, our Young Farming Champions prove there is plethora of career opportunities beyond (and behind) the farm gate.

One YFC making the most of his agricultural pathway is Sam O’Rafferty who works with Summit Ag in southern NSW, where rain and flooding have impacted the production area and planting season for cotton. Despite the challenges Sam reports that cotton seedlings are established and the crop is powering along. Thanks for the update, Sam.

Francesca Earp’s agricultural field is in Laos, where she recently returned after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. “I was in Laos for three weeks meeting with organisations working on female empowerment, and planning fieldwork for next year’s PhD data collection. I also attended the wedding of one of my colleagues Bouakeo and his wife Koung.”

Providing food is not just a land-based activity as Bryan Van Wyk, our fishing YFC and operations manager for Austral Fisheries, reports from northern waters:

“We have just finished our 2022 tiger prawn season in the Northern Prawn Fishery. 52 vessels fished waters west of Darwin (NT) through to Weipa (QLD) for the past three months catching a variety of different prawn species. At the top of the list sits tiger prawns which are one of the largest and most sought after wild caught prawns in the world. It has not been an easy year for fishers. We have faced many challenges in tough economic climates, which you can listen more about here in an interview with the ABC (6 mins in).”

As part of her successful career as a wool broker Samantha Wan attended AWI’s Wool Broker Forum held in Sydney recently.

“It was highly informative with insightful guest speakers covering global business intelligence, consumer research, education and more, and also an excellent opportunity to network with others in the same area of the supply chain and have open dialogue on current issues.”

A shout-out to George Lehmann from AWI who has been supporting Sam and other Wool YFC by providing access to a range of guest speakers including Bridget Peachey (sheep health and welfare), Miles Barritt (traceability), Mark Scott (Woolmark certification) and Geoff Linden (genetics and animal welfare.) AWI also runs a wool podcast called The Yarn, which recently featured YFC Katherine Bain. Listen here.

Congratulations to Tayla Field who has started a new job with Foodbank Australia as a national program manager for agriculture.

“Foodbank is a non-for-profit business that sources a range of products including food and non-food items such as personal hygiene products for charities. In my new role I will be looking after the agricultural programs that source fresh food at Foodbank including working with growers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. The role will cover fresh products including meat, dairy, eggs and fresh produce, while also touching on logistics/transport and packaging. I am looking forward to building on my current skills and developing a new network within a range of agricultural industries.”

Out of the Field

Congratulations are in order for Katherine Bain who has channelled her love of sheep and agricultural shows to be named the runner-up in the Victorian Rural Ambassador Awards. As part of the competition Katherine spent three days at the Royal Melbourne Show in September where she not only participated in competition interviews, but gained behind-the-scenes insights into how a royal show is orchestrated. Highlights included the commentator’s box (“very impressive”), presenting ribbons to the finest Burmese Mountain Dogs (“a new but very enjoyable experience”), the show’s ‘Big Brother’ room (“where they keep an eye on everything!”) and participating in the Young Farmer Challenge. Well done, Katherine. I think you have inspired us all to have a shot at the Rural Ambassador Awards!

Staying with shows and Lucy Collingridge was recognised for her commitment to the agricultural show movement when she was awarded life membership of the Cootamundra Show Society at their 2022 Show. Lucy began her agricultural journey on a farm in Condobolin, however it was the Cootamundra Show that expanded her love and education about all things ag; from running the ute competition before she could legally drive herself, to competing in the junior judging events to now overseeing the fleece junior judging Group 9 final, and managing the website and social media for the show society from nine hours away. Lucy has been hands on wherever the Cootamundra Show Society has needed her for many years.

Lucy is pictured with her Mum, Sharon, and the Cootamundra Show President Geoff Larsen.

How can we re-imagine solutions to food security, and support SDG 2: Zero Hunger? This was the question Dylan Male took to high school students across Australia and Indonesia as a guest speaker at Asialink’s ‘Asia Education Foundation’ in early November.

“Eradicating hunger and malnutrition is one of the great challenges shared by our global community. Climate change, an increasing population, increasing farm input costs, land degradation, biodiversity loss and conflict are just some of the key colliding challenges adding pressure to our food systems. Positively, agricultural scientists are working with farmers around the world to optimise food production and support a world of #ZeroHunger,” Dylan says. “It was great to be a part of a program that is supporting young people to develop their own solutions and action orientated ideas, which will help contribute towards a world of Zero Hunger into the future.”

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Congratulations to Anika Molesworth, who not only was joint winner of the NSW Youth as Our Changemakers Award, but has been named as Australian Geographic’s Conservationist of the Year.

Want to hear Anika talk about electric cars in the Outback? Check out this Central Station podcast.

Personal Highlights

Jess Fearnley had a lovely surprise during her holidays. Her partner Christopher Pattison proposed to her on the shores of Lake Macquarie and she said yes! Congratulations Jess; we wish you both a lifetime of happiness.

#creatingabetterworldtogether #YouthVoices #YoungFarmingChampions #Action4Agriculture

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What better way to headline the September Muster (when many of us are still shivering through the tail of winter) than to check in with Bryan Van Wyk as he sends his prawn fleet into warm northern waters. Bryan is a wonderful example of respecting and showcasing those we work with in fishing and agriculture.

“We currently have our fleet of 11 prawn trawlers dispersed across northern Australia over productive “prawn paddocks” ready to deploy their nets for the 2022 tiger prawn season. An incredible amount of behind-the-scenes work goes into getting a fleet like this to sea. I’m talking about a huge collaborative effort from a range of highly skilled contractors, engineers, surveyors, fleet and engineering managers, various suppliers and of course, our crews. We have 60 of the most extraordinary, dedicated, and strongest men and women from all around the world working together to produce some of the highest quality seafood Australia has to offer.

This is the tiger prawn season. Three months at sea catching what many consider to be one of the largest, most premium, and delicious wild caught prawns in the world. At the top of that list sits Skull Island prawns. Skull Island tiger prawns are renowned for their beautiful glossy red colours, versatility in high end dining rooms and sustainability. Primarily sold to Japan, it can fetch a hefty price of up to $100 per kilo retail, but Skull Island prawns are also making their presence felt in Australian domestic markets with many of the country’s best chefs instantly falling in love with the product after cooking with them. Today we raise a glass, salute the people at sea and wish them all a safe and productive 2022 Skull Island season.”

Check out this video starring Bryan talking about the career he loves.

The Team

Despite COVID complications still impacting The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas, our YFC are doing their part to bring agriculture into the classrooms. Emily May made her live radio debut with ABC Illawarra talking about the successful Paddock Pen Pals program.

“I am really passionate about this program, which connects school students in urban areas with upcoming young rural leaders, allowing them to learn about the wonderful world of agriculture.” Well done, Emily.

In the Field

Also on the ABC was Danielle Fordham, alumni officer at Tocal College, speaking with Bridget Murphy from ABC Newcastle in the lead up to the celebration of 50 years of female students at the college.

“Representing the Tocal College Alumni is deep passion of mine, as an ex-student and now staff member. I have been given the tremendous opportunity to connect and promote our fantastic community. This significant milestone is not just a special occasion for the College, but most importantly a significant milestone for ‘Women in Ag’. As a proud woman in ag, I am continually inspired by the legacies of the women who have pathed the way before me and I hope to continue their ambition in breaking barriers and promoting diversity in our community.”

Literally in the field is Lachlan White who is on the tractor preparing summer feed paddocks for his beef cattle in the Hunter. Having learnt best practice pasture management from dairy farmer Butch Smith, Lachlan, who is now a farm manager with a large pastoral company, has all the skills and resources to prepare and sow 500ha of summer millet/brassica. His steers will enjoy the summer feed, alongside paddocks of existing kikuyu.

Last week Young Farming Champion and agronomist Sam O’Rafferty hosted a group of growers and fellow work colleagues to Tasmania for a cropping tour. They visited several farms in the Midlands and North West Coast regions.

It was fantastic to see many different agricultural production systems and see some of the amazing crop yields that are being achieved.

Out of the Field

Out of the field it is show season with many of our YFC involved.

NSW Rural Achiever state finalist, Lucy Collingridge attended the 2022 Narromine Young Woman competition in July. Lucy joined NSW Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW Dugald Saunders, and 2022 The Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman winner Molly Wright in judging the 2022 competition. Lucy was impressed with the passion and dedication the entrants demonstrated for agriculture and their rural communities:

“all of the entrants are outstanding young women and should be so proud of their contribution to their rural communities and ag industries. It’s opportunities like the Young Woman (formally Showgirl) competition that will continue to develop women across rural NSW who are our future leaders and role models for the next generation”

Katherine Bain, representing Beaufort Show, is one of 11 finalists in the Victorian Rural Ambassador awards for 2022.  Katherine is representing young people in wool. The winner will be announced at the end of September.

Continuing her duties as the 2022 National Rural Ambassador, Dione Howard, attended the Brisbane EKKA in August.

“It was an honour to judge the Qld Rural Ambassador Award and meet ten incredible young people promoting shows, agriculture and rural life. The night show at the EKKA, a tour through Qld Parliament House and an agricultural tour coordinated by AgForce Qld were highlights of a jam-packed few days.”

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Conferences are always a good place for our YFC to meet up and often present to industry.

Katherine Bain teamed up with Katie Barnett in September when they attended the SALRC Livestock 2022 conference.

“It was an exciting two days as we listened to a range of speakers talk about the potential future of livestock from a social and technological standpoint,” Katherine says. “We also got to put our thinking hats on and work through a future scenario about what farms could look like in 15 years. My table was looking at the potential of using robotics on farm, and what the opportunities and restraints of this might be. We got to meet a wide range of people in the livestock industry, from producers to researchers. I would like to thank AWI for sponsoring me to go to this wonderful event.”

Emily May was attended the 2022 Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast in August and was particularly impressed with the session on reversing the rural brain, which included insights on how to attract city kids to agriculture from friend of the YFC Scott Graham. Presenting at the conference were YFCs Liz Lobsey (discussing raingrown cotton) and Connie Mort (discussing new herbicides) while Emma Ayliffe was presented with the ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust ‘Young Cotton Achiever of the Year’.

Out of the field our YFC are also stepping up to take on industry and media roles.

Florance McGufficke is revelling in her new role with the Vincent Fairfax Foundation as part of the inaugural VFFF Youth Advisory Group.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity and honoured to have been selected to be a member of this amazing group and work with such an influential and passionate organisation. ‘Backing young people’ is where it needs to start and I believe this initiative is going to create numerous opportunities. I am excited to see where this journey will take me and what I can give back to the experience. Thanks to Lynne for sharing and helping me to ‘go for it’.”

Young Farming Champion and NSW Rural Ambassador Jess Fearnley has also been busy. As part of her position on the Researchers in Agriculture for International Development (RAID) she co-hosted a scholars day before the Annual Crawford Conference.

It was rewarding to put my presentation skills and facilitation skills to the test that I learnt with YFC.

As part of the Rural Achiever program we also had the opportunity to head to visit the Royal Adelaide Show on an exchange program to see the behind the scenes of the show!

Following in the footsteps of YFC Dione Howard and Sam Wan before her, Emma Turner has been announced as the 2022 WoolProducers Youth Ambassador. As part of the “Raising the Bar” program Emma will gain insights into policy development and board operations at WoolProducers, the national advocacy body for Australian wool growers. Emma currently works as the District Wool Manager for Elders in Mildura.

Jo Newton has been invited to contribute a regular column for Australian Community Media.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to be a regular contributor for Australian Community Media’s publications. It’s important the voices and images we see in media reflect the diversity of people working across the agricultural sector. Not only is it important to have different perspectives represented in media, but also to help young people identify role models and be able to visualise themselves working in food and fibre production.”

Catch Jo’s new column on FarmOnline.

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The FarmOnline column is a continuation of Jo’s advocacy work. In her role as a research geneticist she travelled to Rotterdam in The Netherlands to attend the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production in July where she co-chaired a session on “Young Scientist Career Development” alongside Dr Marta Godia, Dr Hugo Toledo and Dr Biaty Raymond.

“It was an honour to co-chair the first Young Scientists Session, a valuable and much needed addition to the conference agenda. Our panellists all spoke incredibly honestly and openly about their career journeys including tackling tough topics like mental health and imposter syndrome, which was very inspiring for all in attendance.”

Photo credit European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders/Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction Technology Platform

Lifetime Highlights

Marlee Langfield became Marlee Gallagher in late August when she and Andrew married at The Rustic Maze and Country Garden near Cowra. Check out this beautiful shot starring their beloved dog, Ellie. Congratulations to you both Marlee and Andrew.

Photo credit to Anne Cooper Photography 

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One of the foundational aims of Young Farming Champions is to tell the positive stories of Australian agriculture; to share experiences and truths beyond industry; to engage and connect with those in the wider community. In the last few months our Young Farming Champions have excelled.

Leading from the front was Emma Ayliffe who is profiled in the current edition of RM Williams Outback magazine (and spruiked on the front cover). Read an excerpt of Em’s story here. In the same edition (143) Jess Fearnley featured as the winner of the RM Williams RAS Rural Achiever Award.

Every two years RM Williams publishes a special edition known as Great Australians that profiles quiet Australians doing amazing work in the bush. The 2022 edition, in newsagents now, features none other than our own Anika Molesworth. See the story here 

Not to be outdone are Sam Wan and Katherine Bain who share their love for all things wool in the popular Graziher magazine. See some of the photos accompanying the story (out now!) here.

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The Team

We welcome to the YFC team a new cohort who will participate in the Cultivate -Growing Young Leaders program this year. Sponsored by Riverina Local Land Services please make welcome Katharine Charles, Kate Webster and Sam O’Rafferty who is co-sponsored by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

In the Field

Biosecurity warrior and Young Farming Champion Lucy Collingridge loves her job at the forefront of protecting our economy, environment and community from pests, weeds and diseases.

In the literal field this winter has been agronomist Olivia Borden who is working with Northern Territory cotton crops. Olivia recently hosted a team of Australian cotton industry scientists as they explored whether the knowledge from a cotton production course designed for the south could be applied to the north. Scientists from the field trip concluded:

“Supporting the staff and farmers who are establishing cotton in the region is definitely worthy of our time and assistance. There is a hunger to see cotton succeed in the NT, a promise to undertake trials and to become more open in sharing their learnings. All of this is likely to result in a great future for cotton in the NT.”

Olivia is on the forefront of cotton production in the north and we look forward to future updates.

Staying with plants, and its congratulations to Steph Tabone who has started a new job as a horticultural researcher with Applied Horticultural Research.

“My role at AHR involves leading and contributing to key industry projects including the Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection project and the Potato Industry and Communication Extension project. The diversity of the role could see me organising farmer workshops and demonstrations in the field, reviewing global literature for new and relevant research, writing factsheets, facilitating a webinar with technical experts, and completing trials in a field and lab environment.

Steph also attended the ‘Hort Connections’ annual conference in Brisbane in June with AHR.

“It presented a great opportunity to meet new people, and of course reconnect with old friends in industry, and I attended a field tour, where we visited a high-tech greenhouse snacking tomato operation.”

“My career goal is to support farmers to sustainably produce high quality and safe food for our population. In this role I can work closely with farmers, which gives me greater clarity of their pain points, further enabling me to provide content that is of value to them. This is exciting because we have the potential to deliver innovative solutions that addresses some of our industry’s major challenges.”

Veronika Vicic, who is a PhD candidate at Charles Sturt University, needs your help.

“I am in the final wrap up of my PhD and we are searching for consumers far and wide to help complete my study and eat some beef! If you are a club or association we can donate $300 for 20 participants or $1000 for 60 participants to attend a consumer tasting session. We are located in Wagga but can travel to outer regions if large groups are able to attend a session.”

For more details (or to book a long YFC lunch) see the flyer here .

Another PhD candidate, Franny Earp, is about to wing her way to London in July to take part in a film summer school held by UCL anthropology department.

“The school will focus on the practical, critical and theoretical skills required in making documentary and visual ethnography films and how to tell other peoples’ stories via visual resources. I am hoping to use visual ethnography as a data collection method for my PhD on female farmer empowerment in agricultural development programming and so the course will help expand and enhance my skills in the area.”

Encouraged by fellow YFC and shearer Tom Squires, who she mentored in the Cultivate -Growing Young Leaders program, Sam Wan extended her sheep and wool expertise by learning to shear with the Shearer Contractors Association of Australia’s (SCAA).

“I loved it. I loved that it was 5 days so parallel to my work in wool broking yet was still separate, that it challenged limits and ways of thinking and doing. It was an incredible opportunity to learn from highly experienced teachers, all shearers themselves, sharing the translated version of their learning into a system of steps to pinpoint a flow, reduce body strain and work with the sheep. It was great to understand how much pride they had in their work and care taken with the sheep, their gear and their clients. Alongside a mixed cohort that were clearly focused on being present, I got to set up combs and cutters, manoeuvre self and sheep angles and adjust grips to shear the full length of the fibre. The practical component of having access to equipment and sheep to shear was invaluable.”

As part of her job with AgCAREERSTART with the National Farmers’ Federation, Chloe Dutschke attended FarmFest in Toowoomba.

“It was so great to be in QLD to showcase AgCAREERSTART, made even better when friendly faces such as YFC Meg Rice came by my stall.”

Applications for 2023 AgCAREERSTART host farmers are open now and participants open July 12.

Out of the Field

The NSW Showgirl has been renamed to The Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman of the Year  and Katie Barnett has been the recipient of the rebranded award for the Kempsey Show Society. Katie is looking forward to representing Kempsey and rural NSW in the year ahead and as an active member of her show society, welcomes the return of the agricultural show after a couple of tumultuous years.

“As a Kempsey Show Society Director and the Chief Cattle Steward it was great to be able to run a show and have our community come together after 2 years of cancellations due to Covid and floods. Despite the wet weather and mud (plus a few bogged vehicles) we had an awesome turnout and a large number of youth involved. Aren’t small towns the best!”

Speaking of agricultural shows here is a video made when Dione Howard (National Rural Ambassador) and Jess Fearnley (RM Williams RAS Rural Achiever) added some star power to the Orange Show:

“One of the highlights of my month was the attending the Orange (and Bathurst) shows. I love the local shows in my area so when I was able to volunteer for the Bathurst show and help steward in the horse ring and take over the social media account for the Orange show with the help of Dione it was great to get more involved,” Jess says.

Dione also caught up with another YFC when she and Lucy Collingridge (RM Williams RAS Rural Achiever finalist) attended the Global Food Forum 2022 in Melbourne on June 1, an opportunity provided by RAS of NSW.

“It was a very informative day with trends and insights from across food production, processing and sales. A major theme consistent across all areas of the supply chain was the labour shortage. Other key takeaways included how businesses have adapted/diversified following the pandemic, and how important it is to be taking ownership of telling our story using a values-based approach. Time to go over our YFC workshop notes with CFI!,” Dione says.

Dylan Male was invited by the ABC to attend the live audience of ‘Q+A’ to present his question “What are the strengths that Australia should leverage more to ensure we are the partner of choice for pacific nations? Where are we going wrong, and what can we do right?” to panellists including Monique Ryan Independent Member for Kooyong; Andrew Bragg Senator for NSW; Mehreen Faruqi Senator for NSW; Alexander Downer Former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister and Amanda Rishworth Federal Minister for Social Services.

Having previously lived in PNG and Solomon Islands, this was a topic close to Dylan’s heart.

“I felt thankful to the ABC for providing a platform for young Australians like me to have a voice and ask questions to our most senior politicians.”

Catch the episode on iView here.

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After years of knocking on the door, Emma Ayliffe has been recognised with one of Cotton Australia’s most prestigious awards when she was named the ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust ‘Young Cotton Achiever of the Year’ in June. Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said that he was impressed with her new ideas and work ethic:

“Emma is showing how fresh ideas and hard work can benefit all the growers in her region and other regions. I am particularly impressed with Emma’s commitment to improving the social licence of cotton and that will have benefits for the country as more people hear how our cotton is among the world’s best in quality and sustainability.”

To Emma, the award is proof she is making a difference in the cotton industry.

“To make the final three is an achievement in itself so win it is amazing. Having the Chris Lehmann Trust and ADAMA support the ‘up and coming’ in such a way illustrates the vibrancy of the cotton industry. I can’t wait for cotton conference in August to be presented with my actual award and catch up with so many wonderful people.”

Congratulations to YFC alumni James Kanaley who was also a ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust ‘Young Cotton Achiever of the Year’ finalist

Lifetime Highlights

With many Covid restrictions lifted our YFC are scratching itchy feet with renewed overseas travel. Taking a trip to Canada to visit family and friends was Katherine Bain.

“The highlight was whale watching in Georgia Strait – we saw lots of seals and sea lions and two orcas!”

We’re jealous Katherine!

#YouthinAg #CreatingaBetterWorldTogether

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It was a big month for Young Farming Champions with the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April, highlighted by Dione Howard winning the 2022 National Rural Ambassador finals.

Dione Howard 2022 National Rural Ambassador with Karl Milde the 2021 National Rural Ambassador 

Listen to Dione share her story on Humans of Agriculture here

Winning the NSW title in 2021 was a long-held dream for Dione and her success inspired YFC Jessica Fearnley and Lucy Collingridge to put up their hands and be named as RAS Rural Achievers this year. We are thrilled to announce that Jess was the winner.

YFC alumni Lucy Collingridge had a very exciting April she segued from her RAS Rural Achiever experience to the podium at  the Department of Regional NSW 2022 Awards where she was runner up in the Jennifer Bates Memorial Award, which recognises the contributions made by young women (<35yo) in the department, not only towards their work but towards our industries and rural communities in NSW. Well done Lucy

“I’m lucky to work with the best team doing some pretty cool things for our ag industry and native wildlife. I’m also lucky to have worked with some awesome people along the way who I am grateful to now call friends.”

Not to be left out of the action, Samantha Wan was recognised by her peers, the Youth Group of RAS, for her dedication and support of the wool industry.

“The RAS Youth Group launched the RAS Youth Medal to recognise young people under 35yrs for their contribution to the RAS of NSW, a section of the Sydney Royal Easter Show or industry. Nominations were received from each committee of the RAS and the RAS Youth Group determined each nominee’s suitability. “

Accolades such as these on the national stage highlight the success of our Young Farming Champions program.

“There’s no doubt that YFC training has been pivotal to my success, from being equipped to answer tough questions, to holding my own in front of the camera. It’s also given me the confidence to know where I am on my leadership journey to apply for awards such as this,” Dione says.

Congratulations to all YFC for your participation, wins, promotion of our team and for being genuine and passionate advocates for Australian agriculture.

Read Dione and Jess’ plans for their award year journey here 

The Team

Congratulations also to our 2022 YFC Leadership Team committee members appointed at recent AGM: Francesca Earp takes on the role of convenor and is joined by Jessica Fearnley, Chloe Dutschke, Emily May, Katherine Bain and Dione Howard. A huge thank you to Jo Newton and Lynne Strong for their work on the executive on 2021 and to outgoing YFC Marlee Langfield, Meg Rice, Calum Watt, Tayla Field and Samantha Wan.

We welcome to the YFC team a new cohort who will participate in Cultivate this year. Hunter Local Land Services scholarship winners are Lachlan White and Danielle Fordham who both come from non-farming backgrounds (and you know how excited we get when we get “townies” joining the team – we love “townies”). Florance McGufficke is the AWI scholarship winner.

We have also initiated two interns in Katie Barnett and Reynolds Tang-Smith to bring their wisdom to the diversity of voices.

Of course our team is backed by some of the best minds in the business. Our Kreative Koalas and Archibull Prize art judge Wendy Taylor and Craig Taylor designed the entire District Exhibit display at the 200th Sydney Royal Easter Show and gave Princess Anne a guided tour. Don’t we work with amazing people?

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Craig and Wendy even got a gig on the Royal Family Instagram page 

Wendy and Craig weren’t the only ones who met Princess Anne

YFC Leadership Team member and the 2022 National Rural Ambassador Dione Howard was one of 8 people who dined with Princess Anne on Saturday 9th April and our YFC Rural Achievers Jess Fearnley and Lucy Collingridge also met the Princess

And wrapping up the team work for April was Lynne Strong who shared the Action4Agriculture programs with the Ducks on the Pond podcast. Have a listen here.

In the Field

The congratulations continued in the field with Connie Mort who has been recognised be her employer with a place in the Global Sales Champion Network.

“This a new initiative by Corteva Agriscience to recognise the top team members across the company who strive to put customers first and grow their success. I was awarded a place in the 2022 Class, which will allow me to work with more than 20 other Corteva team members from all over the world and share our experiences and learn from one another about how to best deliver for growers.”

Chloe Dutschke is thriving in her new job as a training and new career officer with National Farmers Federation and attended the NFF “Sustaining the Nation” conference on April 5 and 6.

“The conference was well attended and covered a huge array of topics including, climate change, carbon farming, community growth and workforce shortages and had a varied line up of speakers including both the Hon Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud and Shadow Minister Hon Julie Collins. I had some wonderful conversations with attendees about the incredible Ag gap year program AgCAREERSTART I represent and it was also great to catch-up with some YFC and previous workshop speakers such as Sally Murfet. Most of all it was such a buzz to be at a conference again and feel the power of face to face connection and future learning.”

Chloe and AgCAREERSTART team at the National Farmers Federation Conference ( in the centre of the pix is team leader Kayla Evans ) 

Jessica Fearnley, a development officer with NSW DPI in Bathurst has gone nuts (and not just with her Rural Achiever win).

“We are currently finishing off a five year hazelnut project and we are in the middle of harvest. As hazelnuts are not mechanically harvested we needed to get down on our hands and knees and sweep up the nuts!” Getting dirty all in the name of science, Jess.

Hazelnuts are an emerging industry in Australia

How is this for an office? Dylan Male sends us this image of working on his PhD in inner-city Melbourne.

“I wanted to include this picture in the Muster to highlight to readers that a career in agriculture doesn’t always involve being on the farm. With over 80 % of today’s jobs in the agriculture being beyond the farm gate, I think it’s as important as ever to bring awareness to this. You can be fully involved in agriculture, and yet be living and working in an urban environment. Key message: Young people from urban environments should never think that they are not ‘farmy enough’ to get involved in agriculture!”

Dylan also got to up his Young Farming Champions journey with the board of his scholarship provider Riverina Local Land Services

Wondering where your career in agriculture can take you? Geoff Birchnell, one of earliest Young Farming Champions has popped up on The Financial Bloke podcast recently. A Tamworth boy, Geoff started his career in agribusiness as a chartered accountant before transitioning to full-time farmer, co-founding 3R Livestock in 2018. Check out the 3R website to learn more about this agricultural entrepreneur.

Young Farming Champion Bryan Van Wyk day job certainly opens our eyes to the world of wild catching fishing.

Bryan recently shared his prawn spotting experience on LinkedIn

” I’ve done some pretty epic things in my career  my career so far but my first go at prawn spotting has been one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. There have been many respected spotters before me and there are also some experienced legends still flying. Having the opportunity to join this unique class of fishers has been a privilege.

During the start of the fishing season, banana prawns aggregate in schools that can vary between 1 to 100+ tonnes in mass. These dense schools stir up muddy sediment on the sea floor creating “mud boils” that can be seen anywhere from vessels, planes and even satellites. Scientists aren’t 100% sure why this rare prawn phenomenon occurs but it’s believed to be for a combination of spawning, feeding and predator avoidance behaviour.

It’s not always as simple as finding mud and it’s an art that can take years to perfect. I’ve already learnt a lot from the pros. Factors used to distinguish which mud boils are worth fishing include shape, colour, density, head and tail characteristics and also tides/winds. There are at times 100’s of mud patches out there that are created by certain types of fish, hard bottom, tides and fishing vessels. Finding the prawns in all this can be challenging!

With 7 planes flying around at different altitudes and 52 prawn trawlers all competing for the same resource, you can’t help but feel the pressure up there. When you can’t find anything, or worse, make the wrong call, the feeling of non-performance is sobering. I can say though, that when you get it right and you get confirmation on the radio that the boil you just guided a boat to is loaded with pure prawn, then it is one of the best feelings in the world. Nothing but adrenaline, excitement, satisfaction and high 5’s with the pilot.”

Out of the Field

Coinciding with her National Rural Ambassador win Dione Howard has appeared on the popular Humans of Agriculture podcast, talking about, among other things, the joy and benefits of working with young people in The Archibull Prize.

One of our newest YFC, Danielle Fordham, has hit the ground running and is already sharing her “Out of the Field” experiences with us:

“On 31st March I got the opportunity to celebrate and support Tocal Agricultural College student, Kaitlyn Simpson, as she received the Women’s Network Hunter NSW 2021 Breaking Barriers scholarship award. The Breaking the Barriers Scholarship supports women in male-dominated fields, such as agriculture. Because of programs and opportunities like this, there is a growing demographic shift where women in non-traditional trades are being recognised and encouraged. Notably, as a result, there are a growing number of female students at Tocal and currently, female enrolments outnumber males by 70 percent in Tocal’s full-time ag courses. This is an amazing achievement for Katie and I cannot wait to see what other barriers she overcomes during her career.

“The night was also a great opportunity for me to reconnect with the Women’s Network Hunter and fill them in on my journey and recent achievement of becoming a Young Farming Champion since receiving their scholarship in 2017. It was deeply heart-warming to tell them what their scholarship has enabled me to do and the barriers I’m taking on now.” Thanks for sharing Danielle.

Danielle was also busy promoting Tocal College at their recent Field Day

Teasing us this month are Samantha Wan and Katherine Bain who provide this photo below with a cryptic message from Sam: “”Behind the scene shots, Sunday 27th March at Katherine’s property – St Enochs (Stockyard Hill, Victoria) for a photoshoot for a Winter edition publication. Stay tuned!” Now you’ve got us all curious girls – can’t wait to learn more!

Prime Cuts

Jo Newton has been elected president of the Victorian and Tasmanian Branch Committee of the Australian Association of Animal Sciences.

“The Australian Association of Animal Sciences (AAAS) plays an important role in fostering collaborations across institutions and disciplines and in nurturing the next generation of animal scientists and I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the AAAS Victoria & Tasmania Branch. I look forward to working with this branch and wider AAAS members over the next 12 months.”

For the past 65 years AAAS, and its predecessor the Australian Society of Animal Production (ASAP) has brought together animal scientists, consultants, extension specialists, producers and students to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, foster collaborative research and provide applied solutions for Australia’s animal based industries. AAAS based its activities around the core values of professional integrity, evidence based science, ethical sustainable animal enterprises and lifetime support. Congratulations Jo.

Partners in the Food Farm YFC Tim Eyes and Hannah Greenshields shared the stage at the recent National Farmers Federation conference with some luminaries in the world of food including Chef Matt Moran and NFF president Fiona Simson. Tim and Hannah are renowned experts in how to break down prejudices and
open minds to alternatives through values based conversations between people of diverse values and worldviews.

Tim described the opportunity as a farming journey highlight

“Meeting passionate, stereotype-busting leaders and innovators can spark enthusiasm and defeat pessimism. Its is so important to communicate using voices who are real and trusted by the audience. People want to hear the unfiltered, passionate voices of real people.”

Mega thx to Stacey Davidson at NFF for these wonderful pix 

Lifetime Highlights

Sometimes our greatest lifetime highlights are the little moments. Or as Jon Kabat-Zinn says: “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” Thanks to Marlee Langfield for reminding us of this with her beautiful sunset shot. “Just a moment in time I captured one March afternoon but possibly the most romantic sunset you will ever see. You can see the change of seasons in this photo as the days start to cool down and we welcome autumn with burnt paddocks and shorter days.”

Can you believe 2022 is already a month old! The New Year brings us opportunities to achieve goals and to step-outside comfort zones to challenge ourselves as advocates and leaders for agriculture. But before we turn with focussed eyes to the opportunities of the new year, let us take a moment, here in January, to reflect on the year that was 2021. It was a year under the shadow of a pandemic that impacted  our Young Farming Champions (YFC) in different ways from time management issues to staff shortages but, as you will see, workshops and growing the YFC team where touchstones in a sometimes turbulent year.

Cultivate – Growing Young Leaders

The two-year long Cultivate program is our introduction to the world of Action4Agriculutre and Young Farming Champions. The program is designed and run to support young people involved in a broad range of agricultural careers to be skilled, confident and comfortable to share their stories.

What did 2021 look like for our Cultivate cohort?

Francesca Earp

COVID complicated study for Franny in 2021 causing her to drop one PhD (but complete two Masters degrees!) but her persistence paid off with when she secured a scholarship for another PhD at James Cook University. Whilst studying she also worked on consultancy projects so in 2021 she was, understandably, a busy person. Participation in Cultivate helped Franny manage her time and expectations:

“I am learning to not overcommit myself and to focus my schedule to activities that align with my passions and values. This is a challenge I am still working on, but the workshops throughout the YFC program (particularly Workshop One with Josh Farr that taught me about core values and how they direct you in everyday life) and the guidance of my supervisors and mentors continues to help me ensure I am filling my schedule in a realistic and appropriate way.”

Bryan Van Wyk

Bryan’s personal highlight of 2021 was purchasing his first home and his biggest challenge was addressing COVID-induced labour shortages, which saw him sourcing, training and managing a team of casual workers to unload prawns in the remote town of Karumba.

As a YFC Bryan nominates the first workshop with Josh Farr as a highlight where he was introduced to Google Calendar.

“I work in operations in a highly dynamic work environment where organisation is key to productivity. Google Calendar has been a game changer for me. Not only has it helped me keep better track and planning of day-to-day tasks, but it has allowed me to get the most out of each day, both on a personal and professional level.”

And on the YFC as a whole Bryan says:

“We are not the same group of people we were at the start of 2021. We have become more confident, more knowledgeable, experienced and more authentic. If there is one thing to be proud of it’s the support and encouragement we have given each other through various platforms. I feel I can reach out to any YFC for advice or information at any time and I hope others feel that way about me.”

Shannon Chatfield

Workshops were also high on the list of highlights for NTCA supported YFC Shannon, particularly those held by Josh Farr

“the workshop on goal setting and lifestyle design has helped me to structure my work day to be more productive and this has encouraged me to take on more community engagement activities and make more time for my professional development” and Roxi Beck – “her workshop has been valuable to me in learning how to communicate better with the general public and have more confidence to answer some tough or perhaps uncomfortable questions. Her workshop focused on the importance of shared values and how to practice the listen and ask process when having these conversations.”

Shannon’s role in the beef industry in 2021 was impacted by staff and management challenges, challenges she overcame with support from YFC mentorship:

“Having a YFC ‘buddy’ to talk to regularly and discuss challenges and ideas has helped me to develop professionally and become a better contributor to such conversations and situations.”

Dylan Male

Showing determination and commitment to a cause was a highlight of Dylan’s year as he ran his first marathon, finishing in a very respectful time of 3hr 38m. This work ethic was reflected in his approach to the Cultivate program.

“Together (as YFC), we continue to display the qualities of leadership and our shared determination to advocate for the Australian agricultural sector. My biggest YFC learning was realising the importance of forming genuine connections and relationships with other people. Without this we are unable to make the changes we set out to achieve.

“My biggest challenge has been setting long-term goals and figuring out how I can achieve them. I am overcoming this challenge by pursuing opportunities to develop my skills and knowledge, by collaborating with others and by becoming intentional in everything I do. The YFC program has been pivotal in this.”

Veronika Vicic

PhD student Veronika names the publication of her first research paper as a highlight in a year that was overshadowed by the pandemic.

“The continuation of uncertainty surrounding COVID and not being able to plan things too far in advance both at work and at home was a challenge this year. I think this was a big reminder to just keep going with the flow and not to put too much pressure on anything in life. Josh’s workshops on time management and allocating time to what was important have helped improve my work-life balance.”

Veronika finds the community and networking established through the Cultivate program to be another highlight of 2021:

“We work in different industries under the banner of agriculture and it has been really nice to reach out to others and learn from them. It just proves how diverse and rich agriculture is.”

“Taking back fun and adventures”

Steph Tabone

“Personally, the biggest highlight for me was spending quality time with family and friends, especially after not being able to see them for many months. It’s amazing how it can recharge you to keep striving towards your goals. The influence of COVID on our way of life in 2021 certainly put strain on my mental health, but with access to good resources, good strategies and a supportive network I was able to overcome it. It’s important to recognise that with those challenges came many positive opportunities to learn and try new things that I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced.”

Participation in Cultivate helped Steph work her way through the travails of 2021.

“I learnt a lot about myself through the YFC workshops, and the importance of good self-awareness and drawing upon shared values in our interactions with others. Being strong, positive advocates for our industry and providing our fellow YFC’s with support for all achievements large or small, is something I am proud of.”

“enjoying all that nature has to offer”

The Alumni

On graduation from the Cultivate program participants become fully fledged YFC, multiply their impact by visiting schools, have opportunities to grow their networks, forge careers and to take on leadership roles and development. They routinely reach for the sky and are amazingly successful in realising their ambitions. Let’s chat to a couple of our alumni.

Emma Ayliffe

Long-standing YFC Emma Ayliffe blazed her way through 2021. She was named Australian Young Farmer of the Year, continued to build her rapidly growing business and managed her own farm with partner Craig through rain and mice plaques.

“My biggest learning from being a YFC in 2021 was that the power of the people around you is critical for learning, briefing, opportunities and moving forward; and I am proud that despite meeting obstacles and challenges the YFC as a group pulled off amazing workshops and skill building opportunities. The workshops of 2021 have added so much value and allowed everyone to keep moving forward.”

Working through different strategies and techniques to run both a consultancy and her own farm was one of Emma’s biggest challenges in 2021. Being part of the YFC network helped her overcome and thrive.

Dione Howard

Another Alumni kicking big goals was Dione Howard who realised a long-held dream in 2021.

“Being named the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Rural Achiever Representative for 2020-21 was a personal lifetime highlight. I am excited to be representing NSW in the National Rural Ambassador Competition in Sydney during April 2022.”

As with many YFC, Dione found time management a challenge but also relished the opportunities to connect with esteemed leaders as part of the online YFC workshops. “It was wonderful to workshop sessions with Charlie Arnott and Roxi Beck from CFI and Kwame Christian, as well as to learn from Gaye Steel. I love to be able to continue learning as an alumnus of the program and building on my skills and knowledge.

“I continue to be amazed at the ability of the YFC program to transition to learning online, which began in 2020 but has evolved to a seamless delivery of content that fits in around everyone’s schedules, using the impressive Mighty Networks platform.”

This image is from a photo shoot for The Daily Telegraph, a story about the bumper season for cropping farmers projected at the time (July 2021). My partner Joe and I wandered through the paddocks on the property at Wallendbeen where he works. I think it sums up another year of isolation, but an excellent season for farmers and our enthusiasm for what’s to come!

Jessica Fearnley

Returning to COVID lockdown and working from home were Jess’s major challenges in 2021 but these did not stop her from securing a project lead role for a traceability project in collaboration with Woolworths.

Through her YFC workshops Jess increased her facilitation skills.

“It takes a lot of time and practice to learn how to facilitate well (and to work a room using zoom!), a skill I still need to constantly work on.”

Jess was also proud of the way the YFC evolved as a group in 2021.

“Transitioning from YVLT to the new project specific YFC Leadership committee with the Innovation Hub will be a great move going forward.”

Samantha Wan

COVID challenges continued to impact all YFC and Sam was no different but she came to realise the strength of working under pressure.

“I gained an appreciation for small things and, when struggling, was able to refocus on taking stock of what is important, reminding myself of values and re-evaluating goals and boundaries.”

These sentiments were echoed in her approach her YFC work.

“All training – the coaching on resilience, flexibility and scheduling – came together to continue to bring agriculture into classrooms and, in a time where so much was put on hold, the YFC team was still able to develop and grow; delivering our own workshops and creating content to share with the YFC network.”

2022 Highlights (already!)

Our Cultivate cohort and our Alumni have hit the ground running in 2022 and in less than a month have already achieved milestones.

For Cultivate member Veronika Vicic this took the form of receiving an Australia Day award from the National Council of Women of NSW in recognition of her contribution to the rural community. Veronika was presented with the award at Parliament House in Sydney on Jan 24.

“Receiving this award has re-ignited my passion to continue following a career path in agriculture and to voice how rewarding involvement in this industry is. In my academic and non-academic career I hope to continually engage in community outreach and through leadership I hope to encourage younger audiences to be aware of Australian agriculture.”

YFCs Lucy Collingridge and Jessica Fearnley has been announced as 2022 RAS RM Williams Rural Achievers.

“I applied to be a Rural Achiever as I wanted to connect and discuss agriculture with other rural achievers, members of the ag society and the general public. I love the Royal Easter show and being given the opportunity to help on sections stewarding and judging is so exciting! I used to love helping at my local show and have continued my connections with local shows around the Central Tablelands with my role as a Development Officer for NSW DPI. With the Rural Achiever award I hope to inspire the younger generation and general public to take a greater interest in where the food and fibre comes from. YFC, Lynne and Dione, have all inspired and helped me along my Rural Achiever journey and I am so lucky to have them in my network!” says Jess

Moving forward in 2022

We welcome Florance McGufficke to the Cultivate team as the AWI scholarship winner. Florance has hit the ground running, attending the first workshop of the year with Julia Telford who conducted DiSC personality profiling for the YFC.

“What I took away from this workshop was that it is important to understand your ‘style’ or ‘personality’ but it was more about learning how to identify other people’s styles, so that we can work collaboratively, communicate effectively and build strong relationships personally and professionally,” Florance says.

https://youtu.be/bufldNRy5Xg

Workshops have been identified by all YFC as major highlights of their leadership development journeys and 2022 brings a suite of new opportunities.

Josh Farr will help define what success looks like and show how to keep each other accountable and pair with new buddies;

Rebel Black will lead a discussion on the balancing of Me:We:Us to create a Dream Team

Cynthia Mahoney will conduct two workshops on Courageous Conversations, building on the Compassionate Curiosity framework the YFC learned during workshops with Kwame Christian and Kaydian Comer held in 2021

Cathy McGowan AO, will take YFC on a deep dive into how to truly live our values, understand how we want to be seen by the world and what legacy we want to leave.

Headline Act

Its harvest time and our Young Farming Champions are reaping the rewards. We mean this both literally and figuratively.

Across eastern Australia the headers are rolling, the chaser bins are chasing and trucks are moving along regional roads, brimming with the best grain in the world. Widespread rain has added challenges to the harvest (see this video from Marlee Langfield’s sister-in-law) but in return the country is receiving a long Christmas drink. And if you thought harvest was only commercial crops, we’ve got news for you – find out more below In The Field.

It is also harvest figuratively.  2021 has been another year of challenges and opportunities for the YFC and they have applied themselves to polishing skills such as negotiation, presentation and strategising. This hard work and dedication to their crafts will harvest rewards throughout their long careers. Over the festive period we, too, will sit down with a long Christmas drink and reflect on these learnings. We look forward to sharing them with you in our January Muster.

In the meantime, enjoy the harvest, enjoy the rain and sit down with a cuppa to see how the YFC are finishing their year.

In The Field

In a drier year wheat and canola harvests are usually wrapped up by Christmas but as the video above shows the extended rain period this year is causing plenty of interruptions, some downgrades in grain and plenty of bogged machinery. On the upside there are record crops coming off the paddocks. This is how three of our grain growers are coping:

Marlee Langfield (Cowra):

“an empty 15t header on top of sodden soils and double digit bog holes in a day have become the norm, but we now have recovery down to a fine art! We are currently harvesting canola and finding a mix of quality and an abundance of yield.”

Check out Marlee’s final AEGIC (Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre) report here for a more detailed harvest wrap.

James Kanaley (Griffith):

“Canola harvest has been exceptional at home. Yields have been twice the long term average and easily a record for our farm. We broke our canola record in 2020 also. Quality hasn’t been too bad but marketing canola has been more difficult as there is only one export quality grade of canola. Client’s harvests out west have been very strong, above average yields, but poor wheat qualities.”

Emma Ayliffe (Griffith):

“We are finally getting a roll on out here after a lot of stop/start with rain and we’re still managing to bog the odd truck or chaser bin. The rain has caused downgrades but the upside is that the yields have been amazing, well above average. At this stage we have all of the canola done, we hope to be finished all our wheat by Christmas and then will have oats and lupins to do after Christmas. To put in perspective we usually harvest mid-October to the 3rd or 4th week in November (typically about 5 weeks). We are going into week 8…with probably still 3 weeks to go at the current rate.”

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It’s not only traditional grains being harvested at this time of year. December/January is the harvest time for kangaroo grass. “It’s a busy time in the field with lots of research and seed collection taking place across Dja Dja Wurrung country in Victoria,” says Dylan Male who is completing the first year of his PhD studies investigating the development of kangaroo grass into a modern day crop. We look forward to learning more Dylan.

Also harvesting is our fishing YFC Bryan van Wyk, providing us with exceptional Australian prawns for the Christmas table:

“We have recently finished the 2021 tiger prawn season. Our fleet of 11 prawn trawlers worked their way between western Northern Territory all the way to northern QLD. All crew have returned home safely and the vessels are now tied up in Cairns ready for routine summer maintenance. Tiger prawns are considered a premium, high quality seafood and like most Australian premium seafoods, our tiger prawns are on their way to Asian markets (Japan).  We also have a magnificent supply of MSC certified golden banana prawns on display in Coles and Woolworths ready for Australia to indulge in this Christmas.”

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Harvest may be grabbing the headlines at the moment but our graziers are not to be out done. On December 8 Melissa Henry appeared on ABC news talking about the rise of black and coloured sheep. Look for Melissa from the 25 minute mark in this video.

And Adele Smith is being called the Wool Wizard after promoting her work with wool for the Chicks Who Ag blog.

Out of the Field

Once they’ve got out of their respective bogs and other harvest commitments our YFC are busy doing what they do best – sharing the good stories of Australian agriculture and leading by example. This was brightly illustrated during Ag Week from November 15. Three of our YFC – Danila Marini, Jo Newton and Emily May – presented at the Centre of Excellence Virtual Ag Week conference.  Danila spoke to school students about research and technology for animal welfare, Jo spoke about the future of dairy farming and Emily gave insights into peri-urban agriculture. Friend of the YFC, Kate McBride, also presented about farming in the Murray-Darling river system.

Still on Ag Week and Tim Eyes did things his way when he zoomed into classrooms around the country. Joining Tim on his zoom was one of his cows, peering in the window as he spoke.