In partnership with Corteva Agriscience we invited young people in agriculture to share with us their journey to a career in the agriculture sector. We asked them to show us what they stood for and if they could wave a magic wand what would they change

 Today we begin the series with Renae Kretchmer story who is jointly celebrating her 21st birthday and the release of her Heywire video.

Renae shares with us

• the strength of country communities, especially in times of need
• farmers are some of the most driven, intelligent, innovative and resourceful scientists you will ever meet
• showing young people that exciting young people are farming  will encourage a younger generation to become involved with agriculture
• agriculture is sustainable, regenerative and innovative

Meet Renae Kretchmer

For those who don’t know farming, there are things that fill your heart with joy; like springing out of bed on a frosty morning as if it’s Christmas to check for newborn lambs, even when it’s too cold for the motorbike to start. Or, sitting out on the deck after a hard days’ work, looking across the land and knowing you’re truly doing good. It is having the satisfaction when a new species of native bird decides to call the farm home, or the delight in raising chickens totally free-range. It is having the opportunity to put your heart in what you do

As a kid I was asked; ‘what do you want to become?’

It was simple: A farmer.

Do the pictures you see of old bloke with a pitchfork scare our youth away from such a rewarding and fulfilling career in agriculture? Is this stereotype masking the fact that farmers are actually some of the most driven, intelligent, innovative and resourceful scientists you will ever meet?

Despite the perception an A-grade student may not be perceived to ‘want to be a farmer’. I was proud to answer the question?

I wanted to be part of the new generation that you saw when you googled “Farmer”

For me it has always been easy to see; farmers are cultivators of life, they feed the world, are true stewards of the land and perhaps have the most important job out there. But they are constantly combatting this ‘farmer misconception’, and that must be changed. I want all young people like me to have the confidence to say with pride that she wants to be a farmer and to feel they have made a valued choice. For her to have the opportunities to cultivate that spark of interest into something amazing.

Farming is unlimited opportunities to marvel at nature; to experience wholeheartedly the joys each new season brings. To be at the mercy of the weather but still have profound faith. To pray for rain and then dance when it’s bucketing down.

My dream is to be a regenerative, ethical, diverse and pasture-raised farmer and to inspire others to peruse this profound career .

And here is a fact: we need farmers and we need people who support farmers to do what they do.

Too often we are reminded that the average age of a farmer is almost 60. For me I see a whole generation of innovative youth excited to take part in the progression towards a sustainable and regenerative agricultural career.

Watch Renae’s beautiful bitter sweet Heywire story here