Humans of Agriculture

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Hey! We're back and this week we thought given it's the first of May, we'd do a quick check in with what's happening at Humans of Ag.

We've been out filming with goFARM, NSW DPI, Dairy Australia, and the team at BlackBox. 

Our Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in conversation series are alive and well on their channels. We've had the chance to sit on the banks of the Namoi river with Greg Rummery in Walgett, on Tom Coggan's deck overlooking a creek and in a few paddocks with Anna and Steve Madden.

We're on the road to Beef Australia, Elders FarmFest and more

Welcome to our newest Partner - Rabobank, we're really excited to have them on a sponsor of the Humans of Agriculture podcast and keep your eyes peeled for a few ads from their Rabobank Research team.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

We won't be able to give Esther Price justice in these show notes, but if you have ever been in the room with her then you know just how ExtraOrdinary she is. The influence she has on people around her is incredible, particularly when she is on stage, she really is absolutely captivating.

Esther calls Western Australia (WA) home and always has. She is about to become a Grandmother and is more physically fit than ever. 

"I've had the privilege of work and a love for adventure taking me all over the place, but always return home to WA."

Esther started her career in livestock journalism before she was even 18 years old, at a time well before social media where people really wanted to have a journalist in their life, because it was their only way of getting their voice heard if they needed to.

"I would take down my P Plates down as I drove into work because I didn't want people to know how young I was."

The connections Esther made in this role that gave her the kick-start into soon managing National agricultural conferences and starting her own business. She had the tenacity, people skills, foresight and brains to know there was as a huge gap in the industry at the time for events, marketing and PR, and so she capitalised on it.

Fast forward to now, and Esther is still a powerhouse in the industry, but she has also developed a love for hiking, adventuring and mountaineering. She has tackled some of the greatest climbs in the world and there's not much that deters her - not even a crash in a 12-seater plane the day before embarking up a mountain in Uganda.

This is the incredible Esther Price.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Gratitude for Opportunities

06:17 Early Memories in Agriculture and the Power of Storytelling

12:18 Celebrating Agriculture and Creating Positive Stories

32:07 The Challenges and Rewards of Mountaineering

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

“I never thought I'd be chatting on an agriculture podcast.”

Founder and CEO of IVM Group, Nick Bloor describes his business as having a mission to improve people's lives through plant science. At only 19 years old, Nick founded his first business in vegetation management space. To us, Nick’s work is pretty mind-blowing. And he is so humble in how he talks about the business growth and people. To Nick, people are everything. 

“I don't grow a business, our people do.”

Podcast partnership: Nick Bloor was announced as the recipient of theJudges Choice Award in the category of Innovation at the 2023Syngenta Growth Awards. This podcast episode is in partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Challenging Stereotypes in Agriculture

08:04 From Weed Control to Building a Business

15:32 The Evolution of IVM Group: Milestones and Success

24:40 The Future of Agriculture: Sustainable Plant Management

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to the Tom and Mick Show! In this episode they are joined by special guest - Justin Oakenfull, from Elders at Inverell and recently the 2024 National Young Auctioneer Of The Year! 

Key Topics:

*Note this was recorded in early April and the livestock markets have shifted since. 

To describe Sarah Sivyer as worldly and business savvy would be absolutely under-selling her. Sarah describes herself as a ‘serious data nerd’ and a ‘serious business model nerd’. After sitting down with her to record the podcast, we believe it and love it!

“I'm going to sound a bit wacky, I just love excellent businesses.”

Sarah has some incredible experiences and habits that have led to this appetite for continual growth and data-driven success. Just to name a few: 

As life would have it, it’s of course never quite that linear progression. Now back on the family farm, Sarah chose to generate impact in her own way that wasn't the traditional dairy farm she had always known... She instead developed a subscription model for pastuerised eggs that has social impact. 

There’s so much more to Sarah’s story, from raising a toddler while running the business, marketing strategies and her most recent endeavours in agritourism.
 
Sarah's story is part of our partnership with the Nuffield Australia - Nuffield Scholar program - Where we are shining a light on some of the incredible stories of some of their scholars.

A message from this episode sponsor,ANZ Agribusiness:

Farming in Australia is never without opportunity, nor challenge. From season to season, and from day to day, producers manage a myriad of risks and rewards as they produce the vast range of commodities global markets now demand. At ANZ Agribusiness, we’ve been supporting farmers to take opportunities and manage through challenges for over 150 years. We’re a proud and long term partner of Nuffield Australia, supporting its goal of capacity building for producers, their businesses, industry and rural community. Our network of regionally based Agribusiness bankers are ready to support both our existing customers, and any farming business seeking a review of their banking arrangements at any time. Find your local ANZ Agribusiness manager atANZ.com.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

06:14 Growing Up in a Farming Family

16:00 Studying for an MBA and Networking

29:58 From Ginger Beer to Egg Subscriptions

44:16 Competing with Excellence and Building Customer Relationships

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This week we're sitting down with Nancy Crawshaw, the New Zealand winner of the Zanda McDonald Award.
Nancy shares her journey in agriculture and the importance of connection to the land. She discusses the multi-generational impact in agriculture and the responsibility of caring for the land for future generations. Nancy talks about her experiences as a Quality Assurance manager in Naracoorte and the challenges and growth that came with managing a team through COVID. 
She highlights the power of networking and the value of mentoring in the agricultural industry. Nancy's career aspirations include staying involved in the family business and focusing on people management in agriculture.

Takeaways
The connection to the land and the responsibility of caring for it for future generations is a core value in agriculture.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Tessa Chartres is the 2024 Zanda McDonald Award winner for Australia, in this episode she sits down with host Oli Le Lievre to chat about her background, her role as the General Manager of Business Development at Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL). She highlights the impact of the drought on regional communities and the importance of long-term thinking in preserving agricultural assets for future generations. Tess also shares her involvement with as the Chair of the Southwest Music Regional Conservatorium and her vision for the town of Deniliquin in Southern NSW, emphasising the need for collaboration and positive thinking.

Other topics discussed:

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:09 The Big Battle of Easter - The Deni Rams vs Finley Cats

03:27 Transition to Deniliquin and MIL

05:12 Impact of Drought on Deniliquin 

06:24 Initial Takeaways from MIL

08:04 Overview of Murray Irrigation Limited

09:48 Importance of Long-Term Thinking

11:00 The Future of Regional Communities

12:38 The Role of Southwest Music Regional Conservatorium

13:49 Vision for Deniliquin as a Town

16:18 The Zanda Mentoring Trip and Areas of Interest

21:04 The Importance of Collaboration and Positive Thinking

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

We're about a quarter of the way through 2024 (HOW?!) and we thought it was time to give our Community a bit of an update.

It's almost exactly 4 years since the release of our first ever podcast, and there's been almost 250 podcasts since then which feels HUGE. 
 
In that time so much has evolved as we continue to grow and adapt.  A quick shout out to all the ExtraOrdinary humans who have shared their story with us in that time! 

In this episode, Oli and Milly talk about where HOA is today, compared to where Oli thought it might be. Oli also gives us a bit of an insight into perhaps where it's going and the potential to tap into our Community more. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Mark Peart believes that purpose should drive a business, closely followed by Profit.

It's a concept that may take a bit to digest, however, Mark's views are that with profit, the opportunity to do good can continue for a longer term.

Mark has had an extraordinary career, in his early 30s he decided the dream job and life he was living was not necessarily the pathway he wanted to continue to take. He transitioned through various roles, working across Australian agriculture, property development and aviation before settling back into agriculture.

His approach to business is one of innovation and thinking outside the box, whether it was crowdfunding capital to support the business or looking at new ways to provide livestock with the supplements they need via the water they drink every day.

This weeks chat is fascinating and we can't wait for you to get into it.

To find out more about DIT Agtech, check out their website!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This is the Tom and Mick Show! In this episode they are joined by special guest - cattle buyer Jimmy Blain, AKA 'Bull Train'. They cover the following:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Hamish Marr has been in the room for some of New Zealand Agriculture’s key discussions, yet the moment that he is most proud of and one that has defined his life more than any other was when a young boy asked him if he could teach him to be a farmer.

Several years on from that initial conversation, Hamish continues to mentor and coach Fergus on his family's property on the South Island of New Zealand. 

“Fergus, he's a success story. He couldn't be farming, but now he is, and our industry is very lucky to have him. And I'm hoping in 20 years time, we'll still have him somewhere. I doubt he will be with me, because one day, he will be too good for me.” 

Amongst his other roles, Hamish has been a Nuffield scholar studying the role of Glyphosate in farming, is New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy and previous roles with Federated Farmers.

Podcast partnership appreciation: Hamish Marr was announced as a Community and People Award recipient at the 2023Syngenta Growth Awardsin Sydney. This podcast episode is in partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

From Italy and French Polynesia to New Zealand and Australia, Roberta Marcoli has committed herself to research in aquaculture. Roberta’s energy is infectious and we learnt so much about the ocean and the world under the sea, how it has evolved to where it is today and how it can help shape the future. 

Roberta understands how communities around the world rely on fish, and how we can ensure we are not depleting our ocean resources through fishing activity. 

Co-hosts Oli Le Lievre and Milly Nolan sat down with Roberta at evokeAG. 2024 after her Future Young Leader presentation. She was on stage for 10min in a TED talk style delivery that had us engaged from start to finish. 

We talk about her journey, the evolution of aquaculture, how consumer sentiment has changed, what to look for when purchasing fish as consumers, wild caught vs. farmed and the opportunity for farmed fish to have an impact in feeding the world in a sustainable way. 

Our #FutureYoungLeader stories are proudly sponsored by 2024 AgriFutures evokeAG.evokeAG. 2025applications will open later in 2024. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Katia Taylor was always passionate about making a difference in the environment and climate. She initially began studying politics at University, but soon decided that she could have far more impact through science. 

And for Katia, agricultural science is the biggest platform to have the influence she wants to have in the world. 

She is now a Postdoctoral Researcher withCSIRO, looking at all things soil biomes, microbes, carbon, nutrients and crop residues. Essentially looking at ways to build richer, more resilient soils that contribute to a more productive and sustainable sector. 

Her technical knowledge is incredible and she has a remarkable commitment to her research. 

Co-hosts Oli Le Lievre and Milly Nolan sat down with Katia at evokeAG. 2024 after her Future Young Leader presentation to delve into more of Katia’s story. 

Our #FutureYoungLeader stories are proudly sponsored by 2024 AgriFutures evokeAG.evokeAG. 2025applications will open later in 2024. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Guy Coleman entered the evokeAG. stage and started handing around ANZAC biscuits his Mum had made. He was also holding his Grandmother’s 27th edition Country Women's Association cookbook. And then he started talking about open source weed technology. 

He explains that open source technology means that a fundamental idea is available for everyone to iterate upon and make different versions of, just like the ANZAC biscuit recipe. This way, improvements and accessibility can be made at a much more rapid pace. 

Always interested in building things and science, Guy was known to keep his housemates up at night building robots. Now based in Copenhagen doing research in weed technology, Guy says that, ‘Australian agriculture will always have his heart’. 

Oli Le Lievre and Milly Nolan sat down with Guy at evokeAG. 2024 after his Future Young Leader presentation and chatted about his dream of open-source technologies in agriculture being the way of the future and what he’s seeing on the ground in Europe. 

Our #FutureYoungLeader stories are proudly sponsored by 2024 AgriFutures evokeAG.evokeAG. 2025applications will open later in 2024. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Long before Sam Lambert was immersed in agriculture, he was an aspiring musician and studied economics in Canberra. 

Now, Sam is the Co-Founder ofzenGate Global where they believe everyone should have equal access to technology and innovation. 

They work with different ag markets around the world to deliver supply chain resilience solutions, like in Sri Lanka where they work with their tea producers to connect buyers and sellers. 

Hosts Oli Le Lievre and Milly Nolan sat down with Sam at evokeAG. 2024 after his Future Young Leader presentation and chatted about his upbringing and how he is bringing his ideas to life. 

Our #FutureYoungLeader stories are proudly sponsored by 2024 AgriFutures evokeAG.evokeAG. 2025applications will open later in 2024. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In today’s episode, Oli chat’s with Fiona and Liam Mann from Eradu in Western Australia. Their journey into the space of Agriculture and farming today is as creative as it is inspiring. 

Both raised on farms, Liam originally from Scotland, moved to Australia for a harvest season in 2004 and never left after meeting his neighbour's daughter, Fiona. 

Through their fate meeting, and an incredible amount of hard work to follow, Fiona and Liam have turned their dream into a reality. And all with the help of oil. [Not the black stuff that made the Beverly Hillbillies a fortune from however]. It has been through the development of their premium product,Block275 Cold Pressed Canola Oil.

Their commitment to their farming journey recently led them to being announced as winners in the category of “Innovation” at the Syngenta Growth Awards in 2023. 

Admitting they may have been the smallest farmers in the room filled with award candidates hasn't stopped them from achieving their goals. Starting out leasing land, borrowing machinery, working in off farm employment and raising a family while establishing their business, make it clear that perseverance and thinking outside of the box to value-add to their high grade Canola seed oil, all seem to be part of the secret sauce of their success in establishing themselves to where they are today.

“It is absolutely really hard to get into farming. But if you want to, if you want it bad enough, and you've got some luck on your side, then absolutely, you can do it”- Fiona Mann

The Mann's story serves as an inspiration to those aspiring to start their own farming journey, free from tradition, embracing innovation, and crafting a unique path in an ever-evolving industry.

This is the fifth podcast episode in a partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Natalie Bell's grandma told her, "It's not a risk, it's an adventure". Natalie has lived by that since growing up in Sydney and shifting to a career immersed in Australian livestock. Natalie has since founded Hylo Ag, designed to repurpose plastics used in cattle ear tags.

We sat down with Natalie at evokeAG. 2024 after her Future Young Leader presentation to find out more about her journey and recycling endeavours. She has big goals that are aligned with the National Waste Policy to recover 80% of all waste by 2030. 

Our #FutureYoungLeader stories are proudly sponsored by 2024 AgriFutures evokeAG. evokeAG. 2025applications will open later in 2024. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

“You've just got to be there, in the discussion, because something will trigger something and make you think, and I think that's the best thing.”

18 months ago, tragedy struck at the Langley’s property at Pine Hill in South Australia.

After suffering a medical episode, Ted Langley’s brother would pass away. After 30 years in partnership, the succession to the next generation would be immediate. 

140 years on from when the Langley family first established themselves on the property, Ted, alongside his daughter and two nephews, continues the families legacy.

The constant during their time; the importance of change and evolution. 

Ted’s open mindset to adoption of continual improved farming practices is inspirational. His recent announcement as a 2023 Syngenta Growth Award recipient in the category of productivity is well deserved. A great listen for where you are tuning in from today!

This podcast episode is in a partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This year, Australians are expected to spend almost $465m on flowers for Valentine's Day (Australian Retailers Association, 2024)… 

We had some questions and wanted to know more. 

We had a bit of trouble finding a flower farmer, but as fate would have it, we found ourselves Liv Coutts. We set off to ‘Pemberley’ in Malmsbury, Victoria to meet Liv and find out more.

Liv plays an integral role on her and her husband’s livestock and cropping farm with a bit of a twist – she's also a flower farmer.

In this In The Know episode, Liv tells us all about the flower industry’s initiatives in sustainability, consumer trends and how to get started yourself.

Resources: https://ausflowertraders.com.au/industry/ & https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9432-ara-roy-morgan-media-release-valentines-day-2024

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

“If you can see it, you can be it”- Marty Lovegrove

There’s some conversations that leave you with a smile, they’re raw and real and people that do extraordinary things while not taking it all too seriously. Marty Lovegrove is definitely one of those people!

As a kid, Marty wanted to be a shearer – just like his Dad. As a youngen he’d dream about the early days spent in the woolshed on the family farm on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. 

He may never had pursued the shearing thing, however he most definitely has built a remarkable career in agriculture. 

In this chat, Oli and Marty talk about business ownership, the big leaps, backing yourself and the rewards associated with creating opportunities for the next generation of agronomists coming through.

Marty has been recognised as a Syngenta Growth Award winner in the category of Productivity Advisor, so – let’s hear his story and get to know him! 

Podcast partnership appreciation: Oli recently caught up with Martin Lovegrove after he was an Award recipient at the 2023Syngenta Growth Awardsin Sydney. This is the third podcast episode in a partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to the In The Know On the Go Podcast! This week, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Col Medway, Senior Director at LAWD, to get across the latest trends and happenings in the Aussie Rural Real Estate market.

We last caught up with Col in October 2023, he was busier than eer and the market was slowing. So let’s find out what’s the latest in all things Rural Property. 

In this episode we cover:

1. Richmond Grove. Lower Hunter NSW. 1056 hectares. Equine facility. 340 Meg water entitlements. EOI. 

2.Commins PortfolioDarlington Point NSW, 2800 hectares. Flood irrigation cotton and grain producing farm. 14,000 Meg Murrumbidgee water and groundwater entitlements. (Estimating $90 million plus).

Nigel Corish was born with Cerebral Palsy, living with a disability has shaped much of his life outlook and amongst the challenges, it has fostered a need to be adaptive and think outside the box, you could say, it’s even a superpower. 

Nigel has an impressive feat of accomplishments to his name, from Cotton Grower of the Year, Young Australian Farmer of the Year, and Nuffield Scholar. 

In this week's episode Nigel talks about the moments of frustration, the desire to be ‘normal’ and when he learnt to embrace and acknowledge his disability. 

In our chat he openly shares with us the challenges he has encountered living with this medical condition and how through hard work in many moments of frustration, self acceptance and nurturing in an inclusive environment in his community and family, made it possible for him to live a normal, active life and achieve his dreams.

Nigel is a true inspiration. His grit and determination to achieve all he has in his lifetime serve as an inspiration to those living and not living with a disability in Australia. A must listen. This is Nigel Corish’s story. 

Nigel’s story is part of our partnership with the Nuffield Australia - Nuffield Scholar program - Where we are shining a light on some of the incredible stories of some of their scholars.

A message from this episode sponsor,ANZ Agribusiness:

Farming in Australia is never without opportunity, nor challenge. From season to season, and from day to day, producers manage a myriad of risks and rewards as they produce the vast range of commodities global markets now demand. At ANZ Agribusiness, we’ve been supporting farmers to take opportunities and manage through challenges for over 150 years. We’re a proud and long term partner of Nuffield Australia, supporting its goal of capacity building for producers, their businesses, industry and rural community. Our network of regionally based Agribusiness bankers are ready to support both our existing customers, and any farming business seeking a review of their banking arrangements at any time. Find your local ANZ Agribusiness manager atANZ.com.

In this episode we talk about: 

Family Farming, Inclusion in Agriculture and Agricultural communities, Cerebral Palsy, Determination, Self acceptance, Mental health, The Nuffield Scholar Program, Cotton, Australian Cotton, Farming, Cotton Grower of the year, Young Australian Farmer of the Year, Regenerative agriculture, Irrigation efficiency.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Did you know Australia has some of the oldest vines in the world?

Nigel Blieschke is a 2023 Syngenta Growth Award winner in the Sustainability, Advisor category.  

In this episode, Nigel shares  his journey from childhood in the Flinders Ranges to becoming a leader in viticulture, addressing challenges in the industry, and providing insights into the future of sustainable agriculture. Nigel's experiences, from early vineyard work to managing world-class wineries, offer a valuable perspective on maintaining quality while adapting to industry trends and challenges, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in agriculture and viticulture.

Other topics discussed:

Viticulture, Wine, Vines, Grapes, Australian Wine, Sustainability, Barossa Valley, Global Trends, Business Management, Team Management. 

Podcast partnership appreciation: Oli recently caught up with Nigel Blieschke after he was a Sustainability Advisor Award recipient at the 2023Syngenta Growth Awardsin Sydney. This is the second podcast episode in a partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

I am so excited to share this episode with you. Julia Spicer is one of those people you meet and you instantly feel like you’ve known them for years. 

She’s a true champion and advocate for rural Australia, the people within these communities and is eager to see innovation unlocked and enabled.

Believing that rural communities needed vibrant and viable businesses to keep rural communities going she founded Engage and Create Consulting. She is also Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur. 

Oli caught up with Julia in his recent trip to Goondiwindi where they chatted about her life, her journey into a career in Ag, her passion into seeing regional communities thrive now and into the future and how she manages to be an influential voice for regional communities. 

Julia is action focused, believing that actionable influence in business in the bush is just as powerful as being in politics, and that this influence enables regional leaders to have a seat at the table as key decision makers. 

In this episode we talk about:

Bush Businesses, Rural communities, Championing Australian Agriculture, Business development in Regional Australia, Innovation in rural Australia. 

MORE READING: 

Do you love hearing stories of #HumansInAgriculture? Be part of our community and sign up to receive our E-newsletter Sign upHERE. 

Curious to learn more? email: hello@humansofagriculture.com

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

When it comes to things synonymous with visiting a farm, a tour is right up there. Sam Coulton takes great pride in it, so much so, that within his business he has established a dedicated crew to lead farm tours to support the education and understanding on their cotton farm near Goondiwindi. 

The Coulton family have incredible ties in farming. From humble beginnings, including mixed grain and livestock farming, to today as accomplished cotton producers where the farm even has a clothing and fashion business Goondiwindi Cotton attached to it. 

In our chat, Sam shares his story, opening up about the financial pressures that drove their farming business to the decision to grow their first cotton crop in 1977, a move that proved to be both risky and transformative.

Most recently, Sam has been involved in a project with Cotton CRDC where he is diverting cotton clothing that would otherwise be landfill and spreading it on grower paddocks to break down in the soil, providing environmental benefit. 

We hope you enjoy our time with a true Legend of Australian Agriculture. This is Sam Coultons story.

In this episode we talk about:

Farming Australian Cotton, Fashion, Global Perspectives, Innovation, Family Farming, Irrigated cropping, Sustainability and Environment. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Over 60 years ago, an American farmer would be reading the American Farm Bureau magazine. Unbeknown to him at the time, it was a moment that would prove pivotal in the development of Australia’s cotton industry, and Australian agriculture would never look the same again…

Growing up in Wee Waa, the Kahl family were at the centre of the development of Australia's Cotton Industry. James’ journey has also taken him from revolutionising an underwater scallop grading process in Tasmania and Japan, to becoming Chair of the Cotton Seed Distributors and in more recent years reaching carbon neutrality in his business… James’ wealth of life experiences is as vast as the landscape in which he farms.

As familiar in a paddock as he is in a boardroom advocating for Australian Cotton and Agriculture, now aged in his 70’s and with his three sons at the helm of the farming business, James enjoys an active but different role in the business. 

This is James Kahl’s story.

In this episode we talk about:

Migration to Australia, Australian Cotton, Innovation in Aquaculture, Being Chair of Cotton Seed Distributors, Developing the Cotton Seed Industry, Water rights advocacy, Carbon Neutral Certification, Syngenta Growth Awards, CSIRO, Succession, Family Farming and more!

Podcast partnership appreciation: Oli recently caught up with James Kahl after he was a Sustainability Award recipient at the 2023Syngenta Growth Awardsin Sydney. This is the first podcast episode in a partnership withSyngenta Australiafeaturing recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.

Do you love hearing stories of #HumansInAgriculture? Be part of our community and sign up to receive our E-newsletter HERE

Curious to learn more? email:hello@humansofagriculture.com

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to the first episode of the #InTheKnow podcast for 2024! This week, host Oli Le Lievre and Century Orchards Farm Technical Manager Gemma Nunn delve hive-first into the world of bees. 

Century Orchards farm is based at Loxton in South Australia, on the mighty Murray River. In this episode, Gemma explains the in’s and outs of bee pollination at the 700 hectare almond and 100 hectare pistachio orchard. Century Orchards joined the Bee Friendly Farming Certification Program to help them make sure their bees are as healthy and happy as can be. 

Gemma explains that bees are like livestock and we learn just how important they are for Aussie Ag and horticultural production. 

In this episode, Oli and Gemma cover: 

Bee Friendly Farming is a certification program that works with land managers to help protect, preserve and promote pollinator health. Bee Friendly Farming provides guidelines for farmers and gardeners to promote pollinator health on their lands. 

If you would like to learn more about Bee Friendly farming certification head to www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au. 

Sponsor appreciation: This episode has been sponsored by theWheen Bee Foundationto raise awareness about Bee Friendly Farmer certification.

This episode with Fritz Bolten is our very first “Mother - Son” duo for the Humans Of Agriculture podcast! We sat down with Fritz's Mother, Frauke Bolten-Boshammer, about two years ago. They both have incredible stories, as a family and as individuals. 

We talk about farming in Kununurra. The wet season. Succession and handing over the reigns, even when it doesn't quite involve your own children. Grief and loss following his fathers death by suicide when he was a teenager. Being a Nuffield Scholar. And what's next.

Fritz’s story is part of our partnership with the Nuffield Australia - Nuffield Scholar program - Where we are shining a light on some of the incredible stories of some of their scholars.

A message from this episode sponsor,ANZ Agribusiness:

Farming in Australia is never without opportunity, nor challenge. From season to season, and from day to day, producers manage a myriad of risks and rewards as they produce the vast range of commodities global markets now demand. At ANZ Agribusiness, we’ve been supporting farmers to take opportunities and manage through challenges for over 150 years. We’re a proud and long term partner of Nuffield Australia, supporting its goal of capacity building for producers, their businesses, industry and rural community. Our network of regionally based Agribusiness bankers are ready to support both our existing customers, and any farming business seeking a review of their banking arrangements at any time. Find your local ANZ Agribusiness manager atANZ.com.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In August last year, Oli had the chance to sit down with David Egerton-Warburtonfor their podcast Boots off Log on! We thought we'd share the chat as, we thought it'd give a little bit more context behind Humans of Agriculture and why it started.

We're back to regular episodes from next week and we can't wait to bring you more extraordinary stories in 2024!!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Despite Oli getting it very wrong... we are definitely back on Wednesday the 17th of Jan (not the 18th)...

Between now and then we are running around Northern NSW, next week we have a little special episode which will give you a bit of insight into the behind Humans of Ag and what summarises what we would love to see HOA become this year... 

See you in a couple of weeks!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This week we are sitting down with Nick Crundall the CEO of Market Check a specialist grain marketing advisor.

Nick grew up in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, his connection to agriculture was fairly minimal however today, he's determined to show kids just like him, the careers and opportunities in agriculture.

Initially he wanted to be a real estate agent, it was the interest in economics that saw him apply for and be accepted to Agriculture Economics at Sydney Uni before a summer internship with Meat and Livestock Australia solidified his interest and passion in Agriculture.

Since then, his career moves and interests have been well thought out, leaning on mentors, friends and the broader network to ultimately become a CEO in his mid-30's.

In this episode we chat about:

Welcome back to the Humans Of Agriculture Podcast with your host, Oli Le Lievre. There is so much to unpack in this episode with Jack Milbank. He's a Father, farmer, Nuffield Scholar, beer maker, cattle breeder and agronomist... Jack reflects on the seismic shifts in Zimbabwe's economy, the loss of his family farm, and the tragic death of his mother, which prompted him to forge a new path in Australia. 

“Your whole life, you think you're going to do something. For that to suddenly change in a three-month window does make you re-evaluate things pretty quickly. And you don't actually have much choice, you have to innovate”. - Jack

In this conversation, Jack and Oli discuss topics, such as:

This episode is part of our partnership with Nuffield Australia. Over the next 12 months, we'll be sharing a variety of stories from different scholars, understanding their journeys, pathways and how their Nuffield Scholarship has helped shape their careers.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to the Humans Of Agriculture Radio! Oli and Milly sit down for a chat in this episode called... 'Moly'...

2023 has been HUGE and we have so much that we want to share with our Community. We chat about the insights from our Community Survey, mental health, Careers In Agriculture and touch on what have been some of our favourite podcasts throughout the year.

Over the next few weeks we will be doing more of this, but also bringing back some of our most popular Humans of 2023, chatting to some experts on timely matters and sharing some of behind the scenes from the team... As well as hopefully some better jokes (please help us out here). Stay tuned!

There are some amazing support networks and helplines out there, we've listed a couple below which we spoke about on this episode:
LifeLine - 13 11 14
TIACS - 0488 846 988

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

For this weeks Friday episode, we're switching things up and drawing attention to our Careers In Agriculture channel that you might not be so familiar with!

Oli recently sat down with Ben Dwyer, Chief Operating Officer - Agribusiness at Harvest Road Group to find out about their latest job opportunities.

The team are on the lookout for several staff to join their business, but today we are chatting about the Station Manager Role at Minderoo Station.

In the chat, Oli and Ben discuss:

From their job advertisement:

Minderoo Station is not just a location; it's an experience. Encompassing four pastoral leases across 760,000 hectares, boasting diverse landscapes ranging from the rugged Pilbara mesa ranges to the tranquil riverfront stretching 180 kilometres and the captivating Exmouth Gulf coastline. Established in 1878 by the pioneering Forrest Family, Minderoo stands as the foundation of Harvest Road. Over the past decade, the herd has flourished, now home to an impressive line of composite cattle. The homestead is conveniently located just 30 minutes from the Onslow airport.

We are seeking a leader who has an established reputation and is looking to etch their mark on Australia's Northern Pastoral industry. Your commitment to animal welfare and adept stock handling is paramount. Your leadership, by example, champions health, safety, and wellbeing. Infuse a spirited horse culture and seamlessly harmonise daily operations with the grand vision. Your financial acumen and strategic prowess shape the future, while your innovative spirit fuels business productivity. A penchant for community engagement and exceptional communication skills seamlessly weave you into our diverse tapestry.

Your role at Minderoo is pivotal – a testament to your expertise. Our remuneration package respectful to your remarkable contributions. A modern, inviting home awaits, currently undergoing a splendid renovation in 2023. Positioned at the crossroads of Western Australia's natural wonders, including Ningaloo and Karijini National Park, your downtime will be just as fulfilling as your workdays. Your imprint on Western Australia's largest vertically integrated beef business awaits.

You can learn more about Harvest Road Group by visiting our dedicated Harvest Road Group Careers In Ag page and learn more about this role by going to  STATION MANAGER, Harvest Road Pastoral, Minderoo Station.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Bryce Ive's story is as colourful as Bryce himself. We have something to learn from all of our conversations on the Humans Of Agriculture podcast, but this chat is especially special and enlightening. 

Bryce grew up a 'naughty boy' who was in trouble just as often as he was successful. He adored arts and performance, staging Shakespeare productions with over 100 people from the age of 14, whilst also running his own radio station and trying to stay out of the School Principals Office. Despite a connection to agriculture through family and friends, it certainly wasn't on the cards for Bryce.   

"If you'd said to me at the age of 18, 'Bryce, by the age of 40 you'll have had a profound connection and partnership with many key parts of Australian farming and agriculture', I would have been like, 'You are drunk!'"

Thankfully, Bryce's journey in agriculture did indeed unfold! 

In a nutshell, he utilises creative arts to create an energy that allows people to unlock their brilliance. In this chat, we learn about Bryce's fluid ideas around his gender and sexuality, his dedication to empowering and valuing young people, how he has learnt to love himself and how becoming a Dad has shaped him and influenced his facilitating.  

Oli has been a HUGE fan of Bryce and anyone who has been in a room with Bryce knows just how remarkable he is.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Random unpredicted rainfall in some parts of Australia with bushfires in other areas, El Niño declaration across the media and some very early winter crop harvesting... The Humans Of Agriculture team got thinking - what on earth is happening to the weather?

So, we got in the expert - Karl Lijnders from Weather Matters for a chat with Oli. 
 
Karl got us up to speed on the weather and what it all means, touching on the following topics:

Find out more from Karl - https://www.weathermatters.org/

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Erica Halliday embodies optimism. Her upbeat nature is genuinely infectious, even when she is talking about some really difficult periods for her, her family and the business.

Erica and her husband Stu run Ben Nevis Angus Stud, a 5th generation family business situated in Walcha, New South Wales. Erica is a natural storyteller who believes in bringing something to the business, not taking from it. It was fascinating to learn how her and Stu built their foundations which added to the family business and Angus Stud when it was time to merge.

While you’d be forgiven to think everything is always rainbows and butterflies for Erica given how optimistic she is, she has certainly had more than her fair share of struggles. With three natural disasters in 12 months, Erica says it was humour that got her through - and that you can believe!

An absolute asset to agriculture, Erica has ideas about climate change, sustainability and the future of the beef industry. She believes that the beef industry is not only part of the solution for climate change, but for global food security as well. On their own property, they are implementing change that works with their soil and natural environment.

With all her spare time, Erica sits on the board for Angus Australia and is a Director of Rural Aid. 

We left the conversation with Erica feeling energised and there’s so many more pockets of gold from Oli's chat with her.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Who better to help us get 'In The Know' than with our Minister for Agriculture himself!

Before getting the gig, Minister Murray Watt said to the Prime Minister, "I'd be really keen to take on agriculture, it has issues that I care about. I was really keen to write maintain some sort of portfolio that kept me connected to rural and regional Australia, and agriculture is a pretty good one for that."

In this episode, Oli and Murray cover: 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

How does a person become the Managing Director (MD) of one of the biggest Agricultural Research & Development Corporations in the country? Well, Jason Strong accredits a lot of his success and career progression to judging livestock. For him, that’s just about where it all began!

With an arguably unrivalled love for cattle, livestock and agriculture more broadly, Jason is the current MD of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Oli had the opportunity to sit down with him for this episode. 

They cover a lot... What brings Jason joy, what he's seen in the evolution of agriculture over the years, how mindset of the industry can sure us forward in approaching challenges, the different stages of his journey and career, industry targets for carbon neutrality, communication... It's a jam-packed episode. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Your host, Oli Le Lievre sits down with Catherine Sayer for this weeks In The Know On The Go episode. They touch on the following: 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This weeks guest is Sandra Ireson, a seventh generation farmer from the Snowy Mountains! But she now finds herself on the Hay Plains with her husband and family.

We first came across Sandra's work through her involvement in the Hay Inc Rural Education Program. About 10 years ago, Sandra and a few others started the program designed to bring city kids to rural communities and show them what's involved in farming and agriculture. Today, it's still going all guns blazing with more than 130 alumni and counting! 

In this episode, Sandra mentions that the local school is actually closing down at the end of the year... With no local school, it means that kids will either turn to School of the Air, or they need to travel further afield for their education. This is just one of the challenges their rural community faces, on top of natural disasters and population decline. Sandra has some great messages around drought preparedness and not buying into the media hype.

Sandra is one of those people who is super involved in the community and seems to juggle a lot - she volunteers in various groups, she's got the family farming business, and she also wants to contribute to the industry. She's also been involved with a few different programs through Meat and Livestock Australia (episode sponsor) Red Meat Ambassadors Program.

How on earth she fits it all in, we're about to find out! 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to the In The Know On the Go Podcast! This week, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Col Medway, Senior Director at LAWD, to get across the latest trends and happening in the Aussie Rural Real Estate market.

We cover:

This episode was recorded on October 4th. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

It's just about a wrap for our Better Business Series! This Part 2 episode with Ed Bradley & Bea Litchfield from Hazeldean will round out the series. If you haven't already, go back and listen to all of our previous incredible guests: Mitchell Highett, Grace Brennan and Phil Cloros. 

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Bea and Ed, discussing their innovative approach to running a family business. Ed shares his experience transitioning into a family business, and they both emphasise the importance of onboarding and building a strong team.

They talk about hiring practices, the value of culture and attitude in the workplace, and the benefits of engaging with tech-savvy young talent through internships. Bea and Ed's commitment to embracing innovation while honouring their family legacy shines through in their approach to business management.

Thanks for tuning in to the Better Business Series!

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In agriculture we often have husband and wife duos on the farm, but not so often in Agribusiness! So we're stoked to have had the opportunity to chat to co-CEO's - David and Natalie Egerton-Warbuton from Agrimaster. Together, they established the software development company in 2001 and have since began raising their family in Western Australia. 

The pair talk about communication and how they balance their business partnership with their marriage. It's obvious from how they interact that they're the definition of a power couple. They admit to understanding each others strengths and weaknesses and how 'beautiful' it is to be brave and trust in each other... And to also call 'bullish*t' on each other at times too! 

Nat is much more executional, so you can find her in the engine room. Dave on the other hand is generally more conceptual and strategic, looking toward the future for the next opportunities. The duo began working out of the cottage on the farm which had four bedrooms... And three of those rooms were offices! Their business has come a long way since then and they are almost ready to celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Our Better Business Series is coming to a close with final guests Ed Bradley & Bea Litchfield from Hazeldean. 

In Part One, we delve into the history of Hazeldean, a long-standing agricultural enterprise founded in 1865. Bea and Ed provide insights into their unique backgrounds and how they have each established themselves within the business. Family succession is a central theme, and the duo discusses their experiences and strategies in managing this transition.

Board meetings play a crucial role in shaping Hazeldean's direction and effective communication is key to their success. They share their methods for keeping the team informed, from shared calendars to group messaging. Daily team meetings, monthly manager gatherings, and private planning sessions ensure alignment and efficiency.

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Sam Burke has invited Oli and all listeners to his place for a BBQ and we're holding him to it!

Sam's career spans over 30 years in the culinary world. From his early days as a milkboy to becoming a corporate chef, Sam has gained valuable lessons from every part of his career progression. He is now the Corporate Chef and Foodservice Business Development Manager for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

Sam's enthusiasm for his work and red meat is evident, and he talks about the pride he feels representing Australian producers on the global stage. And he doesn't have to wait until his 100th birthday for a letter from the Queen… Queen Elizabeth II has already sent him one for his cooking!!

"A producer loves to hear what happens to their product when it leaves farm gate... And then on the other side, the chef loves to hear what happens when that animal is produced… So we’re [MLA}] like the link between which conveys the positives messages… And I love that role.” - Sam

Episode sponsor - Meat and Livestock Australia. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to episode six of the Better Business series and our second with Phil Cloros from Mongrel Boots. 

In the first part of our chat, we explored Phil's background and his perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the family business, especially in the context of generational differences and workforce challenges. 

In this second part, we delve deeper into how Phil manages communication within the family business, the role of the next generation, and the importance of modernising their approach to stay relevant in the market.

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode, Oli chats with Olivia (Liv) Thompson, a Director at LAWD. Liv's early years were spent on Northern Territory cattle stations, and she recently came full circle by selling one of those stations as a real estate agent.

Although Liv's career began in real estate, she took a detour to Texas, USA, working as a cutting horse trainer. Throughout this episode, Liv openly discusses her rookie mistakes, her love for the Northern Territory community, the cultural insights she gained from her time overseas and the evolution of her career.

Liv reflects, "It just amazes me that you would never know if somebody was a truck driver or if they had a string of properties and were an absolute millionaire. So you just can't judge a book by its cover," when talking about the people in the Northern Territory.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

We're half way through the Better Business Series! Here is episode five with Phil Cloris from Mongrel Boots as our guest. 

In this episode, we dive into Phil's journey with Mongrel Boots, a fifth-generation Australian shoe business founded in 1930. We explore how Phil, alongside his family members, has worked to maintain the family values and ethos while also bringing in non-family employees on their journey. Phil shares insights into navigating generational shifts and the importance of balancing craftsmanship with modernity.

The craft of boot-making is becoming less and less common. Phil discusses the challenges in finding skilled labour, how they've adapted to ensure the quality of their boots remains top-notch and how their branding has evolved.  

This conversation provides insights into family businesses, the evolving landscape of manufacturing in Australia, and the dedication to producing Australian-made goods. Stay tuned for our next episode with Phil being released next week!

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This week Oli had two guests join him on the Humans of Agriculture Podcast! Lachie Knight and Ned Olsson from Clipex met up with Oli during the 2023 AgQuip Field Days. Clipex is a family business which started in manufacturing a solution for fencing and then expanded into other livestock handling equipment. They now have businesses across the globe in the likes of Ireland and Uruguay. 

Ned's family established Clipex and Lachie has since joined the team. The trio touch on the following: 

"So we're Swedish background and we always say it's the Viking that comes out in us... We're up for a  fight and a bit of a challenge. I suppose always grew up as a kid in our family that if there's a problem, it's just because there's a solution waiting to be found." -Ned

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Better Business series and our second with Grace Brennan, Founder and CEO of Buy From The Bush.

Your host, Oli Le Lievre and Grace discuss various aspects of Grace's journey in building and growing her impactful business. Grace shares insights about the role of vulnerability, utilising outsourcing, the importance of admitting what you don't know, and asking questions. She also highlights the significance of building a team of individuals with shared instincts and skills.

Grace talks about the lessons she learned from her husband's experience in farming, problem-solving, and adapting in the agriculture sector,
"He's taught me to believe that even if you fail, your decision wasn't wrong because you made that decision. He really believes in his capacity to make the right decision at the time." - Grace

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In a past life, Anthony Lee has scrubbed dishes, flipped burgers, varnished boats, worked on ski fields and spent time as a postman... Now, Anthony is the CEO and Director at family business, Australian Country Choice (ACC), a beef, cattle and food processing company. 

Anthony first came onto Oli’s radar following his speech at the EKKA Brekkie in 2022, his passion about education and promoting opportunities to the next generation was equally inspiring and motivating. Since that day, Oli wanted to sit down and find out more about Anthony. 

So what better opportunity than at ACC’s annual staff event in Roma in late August. 

The event is dedicated to bringing together the hundreds of people across the business for three days of connecting in teamwork and stockmanship. It's a fitting setting as Anthony talks about 'culture before capability' throughout this episode, and how he goes about crafting culture in his role as CEO. They also touch on:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Better Business series and our first with powerhouse, Grace Brennan, Founder and CEO of Buy From The Bush.

Your host, Oli Le Lievre, and Grace cover everything from her upbringing in Sydney, to falling in love and moving out to 'the bush', all the way to establishing Buy From The Bush. And if you are familiar with Buy From The Bush, you would know just how quickly it escalated in Australia.

For Grace, her connection to the bush started when she travelled out to her High School sweethearts family farm,

"Jack's [Grace's now husband] dad was kind of inspired in the sense that he really believed in involving me in some of the business and asked him my opinion. And I remember even when I was a 16 year old visiting the farm, he'd say, 'Now I've got this problem, what do you reckon about it?' And that was his way, he was a natural teacher. And he was interested and curious and asked a lot of questions of me. So I think I was very lucky in that way. And I did, I suppose, offer something unique."- Grace

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, Oli is joined by Jordy Kitschke, founder of Flux Robotics and former evokeAG. Future Young Leader (2019). We follow Jordy's journey from growing up on a farm in South Australia, to founding not one, but two AgTech businesses.

For Jordy, it started on the family cropping farm where he had a list of problems he wanted to fix that was a mile long... He was listening to podcasts on the tractor, learning about various technology and software that he thought could help him solve some of these problems. 

But first, Jordy wanted to understand agriculture more broadly, which took him overseas to South America and Africa. From there, he ended up working in the commercialisation and product development of different technologies. All of this set him up to be the CEO of a business at the ripe age of 22!

“I try to think, ‘What am I actually passionate about?’ Because I'm passionate about all sorts of things… I think what I'm passionate about is solving important problems that I think I'm well-placed to solve. It's like if I don't do it, then who is this going to? Is it going to be solved?” -Jordy

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Better Business series! In this episode, we return with Mitch from Bullseye Ag. If you missed the first episode, make sure you go back and give it a listen. 

This time, we continue to learn from Mitch and his experience in building a business, which sometimes meant removing himself from the business, "So that if this fell apart, the whole business wasn't going to fall apart." 

Mitch shares the lessons he's learned and things he would perhaps do differently if he had his time again... 

"So that would be my big thing is that don't be afraid of the risk. But make sure you go in there knowing that there is one and how to mitigate it as much as possible." - Mitch

Stay tuned for the next episode, where we'll be sitting down with Grace Brennan, the powerhouse behind Buy from the Bush, a business that has made a huge impact on rural Australia.

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Rebecca (or Beck) Underwood was on our "Women in Agriculture" panel back in March, 2023. Your host, Oli Le Lievre found the conversations with Beck really insightful, so he decided to sit down with her again to chat about how she has progressed her career, how she has grown in confidence and her ideas around inclusivity in agriculture.

A highly regarded agribusiness professional with over 20 years’ experience in Australian agribusiness, Beck is currently the National Sustainability Field Manager for Nutrien Ag Solutions. Based in Albury, Beck is passionate about providing profitable and sustainable agricultural solutions to Australian farmers. She is also a founding member of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Diversity & Inclusion committee.

"There’s so many opportunities in ag. And I think if you're standing back and you're not putting yourself out there, then you're going to miss some of these opportunities. So it's really putting your hand up, I guess. And I've said this to you before Oli, but I have been wondering, why do we need to highlight Women in Ag? And I say that being very brutally honest. Why do we need to highlight Women in Ag? Why can't it just be people in ag, or humans of ag?"-Beck

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Better Business series! In this episode, Oli dives into the journey of Mitch Highett, the Managing Director and Founder of Bullseye Ag.

Mitch's story is a mix of farm life around the world and working in major ag companies. Bullseye Ag offers farm management and consultancy services. But it's not just about that – it's a story of growing the team and taking them on a journey, fostering autonomy, and staying transparent.

"And this is why I've got gray hairs coming up every day, is because that part is the only part that actually matters, is just being honest with how the business is going. Are you happy with it? Are they happy with it? Can we be doing something better?"- Mitch

Come back next week to hear more from Mitch! 

This episode of The Better Business podcast is supported by the Farm Business Resilience Program through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

If Malkah wasn’t a Relationship Credit Analyst, she would use her love of problem solving be an entrepreneur. Oli and Malkah chat about her unique upbringing, moving throughout South America, Europe and Australia which is absolutely fascinating. Her Mum (also her hero) actually started a career as a professional tennis player before going back to her roots in agriculture.

Malkah was always exposed to agriculture, but she didn't necessarily always know that it was the career path she wanted to pursue. Now, she is immersed in the corporate ag world and spends her free time developing Lymbo, an app that’s putting a creative twist on connecting employers and employees.

“Firstly, I love a challenge. And I think that I thrive off actually building something, like I'm very creative in that sense. And I just once I think about a problem, I just really want to fix it... And I think this problem just really stuck with me."

Malkah was a finalist of the 2023 AgriFutures evokeAG Future Young Leader. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Join host Oli Le Lievre as he chats with Samantha (Sam) Wan, an Australian wool broker based in Melbourne. There's something about wool that gets people so energised and Sam is no exception. This episode was recorded from the Hamilton Sheepvention, so we hope you're forgiving of some faint background noise! While recording, Oli was huddled around a heater while Sam was nice and warm in her Elders water-proof woollen jacket!!

Episode Highlights:

Massive thanks to Elders for sponsoring this episode!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This week your host, Oli Le Lievre travelled out to the Hamilton Sheepvention to discuss 'The Importance of Evolving within Agriculture' with Mark Gubbins, 'Coolana' Managing Director and Brendan Rinaldi, Elders Vic/Riverina GM. 

The Elders marquee was full to the brim, so a huge shout out to the 100 or so people in the crowd! We finish this episode with questions from those that attended. 

When we talk about 'evolving within agriculture', certain words like succession come to mind. Mark farms nearby and he chats about how his family and the property has changed over the years. Change includes navigating different eras like the dispersal of their Corriedale stud, seasonal conditions and market fluctuations. Mark is currently handing over the reigns to his children so we talk about what's keeping him occupied these days and it sounds like a lot of fishing might be on the cards!
 
Brendan took a different path, opting not to be on the farm but instead pursuing a career in finance and agribusiness. We are putting that down to his first memories on the farm cutting burrs from wool... Just kidding! He describes himself as a bit of an academic and an 'accidental farmer'. Brendan now co-owns the farm with his brother, looking after the books and economic side while overseeing Elders Victoria & Riverina regions.   

A huge thanks to Elders for sponsoring this episode and inviting Humans of Agriculture to be at the 2023 Sheepvention. The audio is a bit crackly in spots, not our usual quality but hoping you can bear with us considering we recorded live!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Oral lice treatment?! No matter what wool length?! We’re listening… Traditionally, sheep are treated for lice through a backline at the time of shearing. With a new oral treatment producton the market, your host Oli Le Lievre got curious and asked some questions of Dr Jane Morrison:

And of course, we were curious about our guest Jane as well! She’s from the land and her earliest memories are on the farm with her dad. Now a Veterinarian, she has spent the last 18 years with MSD Animal Health Australia.

Disclaimer: The information shared is general in nature. We're asking questions of Dr. Jane Morrison. And she's providing her insights from her expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of her views or the product. This episode is really designed to just be a conversation starter. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the space.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, host Oli Le Lievre is joined by co-host Milly Nolan for the first time! Milly is mates with our guest and knew he would make a ripper episode, so we teed it up while we were all in Armidale together. Introducing Jack Laurie, 5th generation cattle farmer and founder of Breeder Genetics. 

With a profound love and passion for cattle, breeding, data and genetics, Jack's whole life has been dedicated to the sector. At the ripe age of 20, Jack established Breeder Genetics after spending time in America and Canada where he saw an opportunity he wanted to address... The outcome was a breeder-to-breeder genetic platform. 

He talks about the business as 'our', but in reality it is just him day-to-day with some assistance from his sister, Georgie. He speaks fondly of his family, mentors and other people in his network who help him along the way. Success to Jack is the amount they can give back to their clients and the industry, which is pretty special. 

He is exhilarated by what the future might hold for the industry and his involvement in it. Jack is humble, his knowledge of the industry is crazy and his energy is infectious. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Call to Action

13:14 Experiences in Canada and the US

30:24 The Importance of a Team for Business Growth

38:37 Measuring Success Beyond Revenue

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Today's guest is Michael Fox from Fable Food Co. Fable are a relatively new entrant to the market, they are producing alternative proteins products including beef & pork from mushrooms.

Michael has extensive global experience as an entrepreneur, he founded and led Shoes of Prey a women's fashion business for a number of years. Michael is passionate about the food he consumes and so founded Fable as he saw a market opportunity, he understands consumers, mass markets and how detrimental following a consumer trend can potentially be. I love getting different perspectives, for me, I'm excited by the emerging opportunities for all of agriculture and alternative proteins is one of those

https://fablefood.co/

Follow us on instagram: @HumansofAgriculture_

Reach out with any questions and if you enjoyed the chat, Like, rate & share the podcast! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/humans-of-agriculture/message

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Tom (T-Truck) and Mick (Corkscrew) are back on with their fourth? fifth? episode of the Monthly Markets. They’re joined by special guest Ciaran O'Gorman from StockCo.

While having a laugh and some fun, they explore current market conditions, the impact of seasonal and climatic factors on livestock prices, and the opportunities available to producers and traders. The discussion also delves into finance rates, the outlook on interest rates, and the potential for future growth in other markets. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Before you listen to this ep, go back and listen to "The Agri Lawyer taking on Mount Everest with Trent Thorne" if you haven't already!

Trent Thorne has returned from his attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Host, Oli Le Lievre sits down with him to reflect on his incredible journey and the raw decision to turn-back, only ~8hr from the top.

Below is an exert from Trent after he decided to listen to his body:

"But it still immediately stung for the obvious reasons…  Because I knew thatmy one shot was gone.  We talked about it being one and done. And that's still my intention. I have no plans to ever go back.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Recap

06:22 The Challenges of the Final Days

13:05 The Descent and Health Issues

27:15 Delicious Surprises: The Quality of Food on the Expedition

42:26 Overwhelming Support: The Impact of the Everest Expedition

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to the In The Know On the Go Podcast.
This week, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Col Medway, Senior Director at LAWD, to get across the latest trends and happening in the Aussie Rural Real Estate market.

We cover:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Julia "Chief Hope Officer" Jones is an absolute straight-shooter. Your host, Oli Le Lievre, was fortunate enough to meet Julia earlier in 2023. They have become friends and he fondly calls her JJ.

From across the ditch, JJ has been, "married to agriculture for 20years". She is a wealth of experience in finance, markets, sustainability and agriculture. In this episode JJ gives a raw account of how her self-assured, authentic self wasn't always so... And at times it worked against her. 

We dive into JJ's journey of self-discovery, the challenges she faced, and the emerging opportunities and trends she sees for agriculture in the coming years.

She's optimistic about the future of agriculture, "There is something for everyone. It doesn't matter what you want to do. And you will not work in a more rewarding, cool, fun, insane, frustrating, mental, progressive, fast-paced environment than agriculture. So there's no way you can't find something you'd want to do in ag."

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

This ‘Under the Hood’ series is planned to take you behind the scenes to understand more about what it’s like to build a brand and support livelihoods on Purpose. Throughout it I hope you can get more of an understanding as we talk through some of the different aspects of what we do, why we’re making the decisions we do…

and in a really honest way, open the doors to feedback from you about what are the good ideas, the sh*t ones as well as showing the opportunities for you either individually or as a business to work with us. 

In Episode 1, I sit down with Charlotte Durack from Studio Agriculture.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In the fourth and final episode of Carbon Shortcuts: An introduction to all things Carbon in Aussie Agriculture, hosts Oli Le Lievre and Sam Noon pick Professor Richard Eckard’s brain one last time about all things carbon in agriculture.

It has been a learning journey for all the challenges and opportunities in addressing carbon emissions within agriculture. The carbon series may be concluding, however, it serves as a starting point for ongoing conversations and deeper exploration of carbon-related issues (and opportunities) in agriculture. This final episode wraps up with a focus on the following: 
The ‘transition zone’ 

Series sponsor
This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solutionhere, show notes or by listening to all episodes in the 4 part series, plus a bonus episode with Ruminati founder, Bobby Miller.

Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

What would you do if you want a bus? 
Well, in 25 words or less, that is something our next guest had to answer. 

And to be honest, as he starts to talk about and open up in this chat, it really did change his life. I first came across Tim Gentle when I was studying down at Marcus Oldham. 

He turned up with these virtual reality headsets, what he was trying to do was really take people on farm from wherever they were, it was pretty new technology, and it was bloody mind blowing what he'd done. 

Over the years I got to know Tim, I knew what he was doing in the education space, however, I knew nothing about his story.

Behind the scenes and grew up in Melbourne, had a dad as a dairy farmer, had spent a bit of time on a cattle station in Oodnadatta, and had a love of technology building his first websites which is where he had his first busneess.

In this chat Tim talks about:

As this episode shows, there is a broadness and pathways that different people can take within Agriculture

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome to episode 3 of “Carbon Shortcuts: An introduction to all things Carbon in Aussie Agriculture”, where hosts Oli Le Lievre and Sam Noon uncover more key learnings shared by Professor Richard Eckard, the expert in carbon. 

The discussion revolves around the opportunities for farmers on their land and sheds light on unexplored areas of the agricultural supply chain. They also answer audience questions and discuss the industry's progress in reducing its carbon footprint.

This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solution in the show notes or by listening to episodes 1 and 2 in the 4 part series. 

Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

It's not everyday that we have someone new to the team and it's definitely not everyday where you get to sit down with them for a podcast episode and find out more about who they are, what drives them and what impact they want to make on agriculture.

Fortunately for us, in her second week in the job after travelling to Sydney to an Ag Careers Expo Milly Nolan and host Oli Le Lievre got to sit down to chat about the first couple of weeks. 
We cover:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode of, Carbon Shortcuts: An introduction to all things Carbon in Aussie Agriculture, hosts Oli Le Lievre and Sam Noon are joined by Professor Richard Eckard from the University of Melbourne. The discussion revolves around the different types of carbon markets, the distinction between offsetting and insetting, and the emergence of biodiversity credits. 

This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solutionhereshow notes or by listening to our bonus episodes after episodes 3 and 4.

Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode, Oli Le Lievre and Samantha Noon embark on a journey to explore the carbon space in Australian agriculture.
They are joined by Professor Richard Eckard, a renowned expert in climate and agriculture, to shed light on key concepts like carbon neutrality and net zero.
 
The conversation covers Australia's emission reduction goals, the choice of baseline years, and the differences between net zero and carbon neutral. Across this series we aim to demystify the carbon space and shed light on the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Key areas covered:

This series is sponsored by Ruminati, an online emissions calculator created by farmers for farmers. You can learn more about their solutionhereshow notes or by listening to our bonus episodes after episodes 3 and 4.

Disclaimer: The information shared as part of this carbon series is general in nature. We're asking questions of Professor Richard Eckard. And he's providing his insights from his expertise. Humans of Agriculture doesn't endorse any of his views as part of this. They're really designed to just be conversation starters. And if you want to get more information, please reach out to specialists and experts in the carbon space.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode of the Humans of Agriculture podcast, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with guest Leila McDougall. 

Leila shares her unique journey from a small town called Walcha in New England to her involvement in various creative pursuits, including being Miss Australia, acting, producing, and writing. 

Leila reflects on her unconventional resume, attributing it to her love for creativity and the interconnectedness of different skills. As the discussion delves into agriculture, Leila explains how her fascination with fashion stemmed from the Australian wool Fashion Awards and her family's involvement in the wool industry. 

Growing up on a farm, Leila cherishes her early memories and highlights her parents' hard work and determination to fulfill their dream of owning land. 

She acknowledges her mother's active role in farming, breaking stereotypes and proving that women can excel in the field. Leila opens up about being severely dyslexic, which posed challenges throughout her academic and professional journey. She shares her experience of learning differently, developing a photographic memory, and finding creative ways to overcome her dyslexia. 

Leila discusses her passion for fashion design and her struggle to enter the industry due to the competitive nature of the field. However, she found an opportunity through the Australian wool Fashion Awards, winning a scholarship that paved the way for her career in fashion. The conversation also touches upon the issue of dyslexia in agriculture, with Leila recounting a story that highlights the challenges faced by dyslexic individuals in communication and the lengths they go to overcome them. Leila's story is inspiring, showcasing resilience, creativity, and the power to turn obstacles into opportunities.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to part 2 of the Clancy Mackay story.
If you missed Part one, you better go back and listen to our previous episode!

In Part 1 of this chat, Oli Le Lievre and Clancy Mackay covered Clancy's childhood in the NT, moving to Goondiwindi and becoming a bit of a "wildcat",  rodeoing in the USA, flying mustering helicopters and the impact of his father's death.

Just some of the things Oli and Clancy's chat about in Part 2:

If you haven't already listened to Part 1 of Clancy’s incredible story we HIGHLY recommend you go back and do so.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

It's one of the most powerful conversations we've had to date. Clancy Mackay... a bush kid who grew up in the scrub of the Northern Territory. A teenager that 'played up a bit', however it's been his love of the land, of animals and of his family that have persevered. 

In Part one of this chat, Host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Clancy Mackay a current student at Marcus Oldham. At the ripe old age of 27, Clancy Mackay has decades of wisdom on top of his shoulders and real life lessons that have led him down the path he is on.

He's adventures have included rodeoing in the USA, being an outback mustering helicopter pilot and collecting croc eggs among many other things!

At 27, Clancy has fit a lot into his life and therefore has a lot of stories to tell, so to make sure we don't miss anything. Welcome to Part OneL

As we mentioned, there's a lot to Clancy's story and we couldn't cut parts out so we will have Part Two of Clancy’s incredible story available for you next Wednesday.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

"If you had said to me in year 12, or at uni, or even when I was living and working in Sydney in the ag world, that I would have my own business as an online yoga instructor, I'd probably laugh at you."

The definition of fun and bubbly, Em Armstrong grew up on a sheep farm on the Hay Plains in NSW, where she loved the freedom of the wide-open spaces (cue Dixie Chicks), riding bikes and having a family “beach holiday" at the irrigation channel playing mermaids.

“I think you look back on it now and you almost take it for granted, but as a mum now seeing other kids, I'm just like, ‘oh my god’, we literally had the best life growing up.”

After school, all Em knew was that she wanted to work in the world of agriculture but couldn’t put her finger on what. So, she took a gap year… or two"

You might hear host Oli Le Lievre referring to her as Porty, well that's because that was her nickname when they were back at uni together at Marcus Oldham! 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

While at the Northern Australian Food Futures Conference, host Oli Le Lievre sat down with Tom White, an agronomist for Elders in Katherine.  Originally from Toowoomba, Tom has a real love of plants and has wanted to be an agronomist since doing work experience at B&W Rural...during a drought. 

They discuss:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this episode, Host Oli Le Lievre chats with Bela Farbas the Founder and CEO of 4Zero Technologies (Bela will do a better job of explaining what this is in the podcast).

Bela shares his journey from his early days in Yugoslavia to his current (and unique) role in the agricultural industry and how it gives him “that warm and fuzzy”. 

What Bela and Oli chat about:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

He's a hard man to get hold of, often travelling Australia and to various locations around the world. At the age of just 24, Callan Daley is playing a key role as the Business Development Lead for MEQ Probe. 

Callan joins host Oli Le Lievre to chat about the journey from Queensland farm kid to the juggle of uni and ultimately finding his feet in a growing start up business, right back home in agriculture. 

A few of the other things Callan chats about:

Callan is a trailblazer for the next generation in the agriculture industry, and he is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Well it's one full year since host Oli Le Lievre took the plunge from the day job and pursued the dream of Humans of Agriculture fulltime. 

We're not a full blown team so as all normal podcasts do, Oli sat down with his sister and housemate Sass to chat about the journey over the past 12 or so months. To change it up,. Sass took over the hosting role and asked Oli a few questions. 

In this conversation you'll hear about:

And a huge thank you to all of you for tuning in, the journey's really only just getting started!

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

In this podcast episode, host Oli Le Lievre chats with Ben Dwyer, who has been influential in shaping businesses and people within the Australian Agricultural industry for more than 30 years.

Ben is an extremely down-to-earth person, with a passion for raising cattle and building a good team culture who also holds the position of Chief Operating Officer of Agribusiness for Harvest Road.

In 2023, we released a video as part of our This Is Aussie Ag Series, and got to spend time with Ben and the broader team as we explored their Beef, Horticulture and Aquaculture operations.

In this conversation, Oli and Ben cover a range of topics including questions and advice on business, agriculture, people, leadership and just general life.

Just some of the things Ben covers in the chat:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Tim Jarvis is an adventurer, explorer, environmental scientist, documentary filmmaker and global speaker.

In February of 2023, Host Oli Le Lievre had the chance to sit down with Tim at EvokeAg, a global Agrifood Tech event that was held in Adelaide. 

What was fascinating about Tim was his approach to use storytelling from his first hand experiences in some of the most remote and isolated parts of the world to convey important messages about the environment and climate change to people and organisations all around the world.

As part of all the other things he does, he also does a lot of work around climate change and sustainability… which coincidently has BUCKET LOADS to do with Ag🌾🧑‍🔬🐂.

In our latest pod🎧, we have a chat with Tim about how:

-Getting lost at an adventure camp in Malaysia as a 12-year-old led to realising that having confidence to do something = achieving great things.

-“Self-delusion is a useful attribute”, sometimes you gotta break down the big challenge into small do-able bits (hence we've put this in dot points).

-He’s seen the shift from denial about climate change, to denial of our contribution to climate change to a level of panic about climate change

-He doesn’t really like being called an environmentalist because it puts up barriers in peoples minds.

-He wants to work with people so they benefit from their businesses, while also looking out for the longevity of the planet🌍 for future generations 👨‍👩‍👦.

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

So far this year we've been fortunate to speak with incredible athlete, Nedd Brockmann who we've already released and coming up in the next few episodes, Adventurer Tim Jarvis.
However, most of the rockstars we speak to are after the event, this time, we sit down with Agribusiness Lawyer Trent Thorne in the lead up to his expedition to summit Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.

Now, Trent is incredibly Humble about this and we find that extraordinary, so we wanted to find out what the preparation has been like and what is his mindset like as he heads into the unknown where only a touch over 6,000 people (on this planet of 8 billion) have been before him and of that only 11,346 

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Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

While we were at the Australian Dairy conference, our host: Oli Le Lievre, had the chance to sit down with Stephen Fisher to hear his story. At the age of 16 Stephen turned down an opportunity to return to the family farm, some 20 years later Stephen decided it was time to make a return to farming and took numerous opportunities in share farming before realising the opportunity he could have in taking back farm ownership and growing the wealth and opportunity for those in his local community through agriculture investment. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Welcome back to the Humans of Agriculture podcast, this week host Oli Le Lievre sits down with the one half of the Four Daughters. Bonnie and Molly Penfold are back in the family beef business and their brand, Four Daughters.

In this episode, we chat about both of their early influences in and around agriculture, the support and encouragement from their parents for each of them to pursue a career outside of agriculture, what they learnt from their time as guest podcast hosts and the challenges and opportunities in running a direct to consumer meat business.

Read the fullstory on HumansofAgriculture.com

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Candid and open, Sallie Jones isn't afraid of telling her story.

She's another of our powerhouse Women in Ag for the month of March, and if you're familiar at all with her story - maybe you buy Gippsland Jersey milk, or you've had one of their famous milkshakes, or maybe you're part of Women in Gippsland - then you know what we're talking about.

But if Sallie Jones is a new name for you, she's a farmer's daughter, a farmer, an innovator, a mum, a mental health advocate, and a leader.

In 2016, her dad took his own life. Through the grief, Sallie wanted to honour the legacy her dad had built, even though at the time, the industry was entering a dairy crisis. Gippsland Jersey was born a few months later in partnership with another generational dairy farmer, Steve Ronalds.
 
Gippsland Jersey is an ode to supporting local producers and creating premium products, and it is a result of the community that rally behind them, because they can see just how passionate Sallie is.

She's been on one hell of a ride so far, and we can wait for you to hear all about it.

In this conversation, Sallie discusses:

This episode contains themes of suicide and mental health, please reach out to Lifeline, This Is A Conversation Starter or someone you trust if you need help.

Lifeline: 13 11 14
TIACS: 0488 846 988

Women in Agriculture Live Podcast in partnership with Nutrien Ag Solutions
Get your tickets here 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

We are back, and in this episode of This is Aussie Ag we are heading from conception to consumption in Western Australia.

We’re here to meet the team to understand the role of people within their vertically integrated gate to plate beef business, an established and growing aquaculture brand and emerging horticulture operations.

Watch here: This is Aussie Ag - Harvest Road Group

00:00 Introduction
00:42 Mark Wiedermann
01:11 Who is Harvest Road
02:30 Minderoo Station
05:30 Ben Dwyer
06:52 Building team culture at Harvest Road
07:50 The Minderoo livestock team
08:48 Brickhouse Station Horticulture
11:10 Koojan Downs Feeding Facility
13:07 Livestock Supply chain movements
14:45 Harvey Beef
18:25 Blair Stubna
19:58 Aquaculture operation in Albany
21:16 Justin Welsh 
22:16 Carnarvon Oyster Nursery
23:53 Jobs in Aquaculture 
24:36 Carbon Neutral Sustainable Aquaculture
26:04 Paul Slaughter, CEO Harvest Road
27:29 Summary of the episode

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

On Day 2 of the Australian Dairy Conference in Tasmania this year, Oli sat down with Nedd Brockmann. This podcast is a live recording of that chat.

In 2022, Nedd cemented his legend status by running from Perth to Bondi in 47 days, and not only that, but he raised $2.5 million for homeless charity We Are Mobilise.

This conversation at the Australian Dairy Conference was all about getting excited by what's possible, and who better to be inspired by than Nedd Brockmann himself. 

In this conversation, Nedd talks us through:

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Pip Courtney.

What else should we say? 

She started at ABC's Landline in 1993, became the host of the program in 2012, and continues to thrive in the role today - - but there’s so much more to the story

Pip didn't grow up on a farm, but she grew up around ag - cultivating an express interest for the inner workings of farmers, farms and farming. 

Pip's work in the Australian media scape has brought so many amazing stories to our screen and we're so excited to share a bit of her story with you after she has spent the best part of thirty years sharing the stories of others. 

In this week's chat Pip covers:

We also got to find out her "coffee" order, what Akubra she wears, what job she'd do if she could do anything and her influence on the next generation of people in ag - from storytellers to scientists. 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

If we could tell you one thing about Joy McClymont, it's that her name embodies her. But she's not only joyful, she's determined, persistent, and a real mover. 

Joy has a knack for getting bodies moving - whether it's getting her kids and dogs up for a run in the morning, training clients through her fitness hub Off the Track Training, or teaching PE to distance ed students - and she has many motivators for doing so.

In this episode, Joy talks all things:

Check out Off the Track Training here: https://offthetracktraining.com/

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

We sat down with Dylan Grimes at his vineyard, Mount Macedon Winery, for this weeks episode of Humans of Agriculture. 

Dylan is Co-Captain of AFL team, Richmond Football Club. He has 3 AFL premierships under his belt, he was named 2019 All Australian and received the AFL Players Most Courageous Player Award, as well as the Jack Dyer Medalist Richmond’s Best and Fairest player in 2021 - but over the past few years, Dylan has taken some of his hard work and determination and turned it toward the property he and his wife own.

Whether you're a Tigers fan or not (or you don't follow AFL at all), there's something in this conversation for everyone. 

Dylan breaks down his journey from footballer to farmer - the highs, the lows and the learnings - and how his work on the farm has benefitted his work on the footy field. 

Some of the things covered in this chat are:

Check out Mount Macedon Winery: https://www.mountmacedonwinery.com.au/ 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Maybe you've heard of the A Fiver for a Farmer founder, Jack Berne, but if you haven't, let us introduce you to this legend. 

When Jack was 10, he saw a news story about just how bad the droughts were for farmers in Australia, and from his home in the Northern Beaches, he decided to do something. 

Four years later, Jack's in high school and he's still championing Aussie Farmers through his foundation, Jack's Mates. Whether he's raising money at schools through dress up days, spreading the word on TV or on the radio, visiting fire, drought, or flood affected farms, or just being a 14 year old, Jack is certainly motivated to make a difference. 

On this weeks episode we talk all things:

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.

https://afiverforafarmer.com.au/ 

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

After growing up on a farm in Tassie, being a jillaroo in the Northern Territory then a banker in Mangoplah, NSW, Ginny Stevens realised there was a lack of services for creating community within farming towns.

She loved farm life, but she started to notice the immense challenges that come with living and working on a farm, and she believed she could do something positive for the people in those communities.

So in 2014, Active Farmers was born.

Nine years later, Active Farmers is part of 61 communities, has over 40 trainers, and participants ranging from young farmers to older farmers to community members from outside of agriculture to Ginny’s own parents-in-law. 

Ginny's journey through her career, motherhood and philanthropy is an inspiring one to say the least, here are a few things covered throughout the chat:

https://activefarmers.com.au/

Today's sponsor is Rabobank, if you have a community initiative idea you can submit it via their website under the tab 'Rabo Community Fund'

Meet Warren Davies.

His family chose farming in Kyabram after a life of owning milk bars, butchers and post offices in Melbourne - and Warren couldn't have been happier to live life in the country as a 15 year old. But even though he escaped the problems he was facing in the city, he quickly realised that the vision he had for farm life was slipping away from him.

This week we hear the stories of the Unbreakable Farmer - what were the moments that brought him to his tipping point? How did he push through to become the motivational speaker he is today? It's been a journey to find his voice, but by working through his challenges and expressing them to others he hopes to create an environment where mental health is discussed openly.

In this episode you'll hear about:

Themes covered in this podcast may be triggering, please reach out to Lifeline, This Is A Conversation Starter or someone you trust.

Lifeline: 13 11 14
TIACS: 0488 846 988