Tag / Archibull Prize

by Lynne Strong

Its World Environment Day and we are celebrating with the launch of our 2019 schools programs

 

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Each year Picture You in Agriculture conducts extensive research into our two schools-based programs The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas. Our research has shown the environmental issues of most concern to young people are ensuring Australians have access to clean air (95%) and clean water (93%) and that we all work together to reduce the amount of waste we generate (90%). Also highly ranked by young people is using clean energy (87%) and knowing what food is bad for you (85%).

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84% of young people surveyed believe it is everyone’s responsibility to look after the planet and identified farmers as the main partners they want to work with to achieve this. Our programs, The Archibull Prize in secondary schools and Kreative Koalas – Design a Bright Future in primary schools, open students’ eyes to the world of agriculture, particularly the variety of STEM-based careers. The programs also offer students one-on-one access to their very own farmers with the Young Farming Champions.

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This year our Young Farming Champions will Google Hang Out with students in the 15 primary schools participating in Kreative Koalas, sharing their career in agriculture with a strong focus on the impact of the fibres they choose to wear and use to reduce the impact of their fashion choices on the planet.

Twelve Young Farming Champions from the wool, grains, dairy, horticulture and eggs and poultry industries will be delivering The Archibull Prize in 20 schools. Our YFC have got off to an early start with Google Hangout Meet and Greets which will be followed up with face-to-face workshops in schools. In addition, a number of Archibull Prize schools have indicated they will be getting out of the classroom and taking the students to their local universities and farms where possible.

The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas both employ 21st-century learning, which empowers young people to be critical, creative and confident communicators working together to solve real-world problems that have real-world impact. In turn, this creates job-ready employees of the future.

Our research also shows us how we can tailor the programs to meet the needs of participating students and teachers. Using this feedback we supplement the face-to-face visits of the Young Farming Champions with digital technology, for example skyping from a paddock direct to a classroom, or participation in the Paddock Pen Pals program.

Teachers have the opportunity to participate in a professional development workshop held at Tocal College, which is supported by partners Aussie Farmers Foundation, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and Hunter Local Land Services. The workshop is led by the Young Farming Champions, including new inductees from the University of New England and their alumni mentors, and a team of coaches.

The coaching team includes Jenni Metcalf, Greg Mills and Gaye Steel and will be strengthened in 2019 with the addition of Josh Farr from Campus Consultancy.

“It’s a privilege to work with this cohort of change-makers and leaders. As the YFC take their stories of personal and career growth into schools, they inspire the next generation to aim high, tackle some of the world’s biggest problems and most importantly, to act locally first, in their own backyards.” Josh Says

Today is World Environment Day, and, with a fresh perspective that comes from something new, it is Josh who clearly sees the connection between this important day and our objectives:

“Working with the Young Farming Champions provides me with the opportunity to empower young leaders who take a proactive stance on environmental sustainability and climate change.”

World Environment Day

by Lynne Strong

Can you guess what our Woollies are up to for Woolmark’s Wool Week

The Woolmark Company’s Wool Week runs from May 20 to 26, championing the best wool and wool-rich apparel and home textiles in time for winter. So with all this woolly attention we wanted to know what our Wool Young Farming Champions were up to for Wool Week.

For Sam Wan wool has taken her around Australia and around the world. This time last year she was in Hong Kong as part of the International Wool Textile Organisation’s (IWTO) Young Professionals Program and this week she flies off to Italy for a study tour in conjunction with her Elders Employee of the Year 2018 award. But before she jumps on a plane this is what Sam is doing for wool:

  • Preparing for this (and next) week’s wool sale
  • Zooming in with the Western Sydney University team who are participating in this weekend’s National Merino Challenge
  • Organising presentations for her three Archibull Schools – Irrawang High School, Northern Beaches Secondary College and Burwood Girls High School
  • Attending an interview with WoolProducers for their Wool Ambassador Program
  • Wool sale day on Thursday
  • Promoting wool everyday through her blog: Wool for Every Day

Phew! This girl really loves her wool.

But Sam in not our only woolly.  Another YFC gearing up for a year of spreading the wool love into schools with The Archibull Prize is Lucy Collingridge. This week Lucy is organising google hang-outs and school visits for Greystanes High School and St Johns Park High School. That’s in her spare time. At work as a biosecurity officer with Local Land Services Lucy will be meeting with a wild dog baiting group to help wool producers to sustainably improve on-farm productivity and profitability.

YFC Peta Bradley lives and works in Armidale and will be wearing wool, especially as the temperatures start to drop. Around her neck will be her favourite Merino Wool Scarf, which is a divine blend of wool and possum fur. On the weekend she will be stewarding in the wool shed at the Dubbo Show and as that means standing around on concrete floors she will have Woolmark woollen socks on her feet. During her working week with Merinolink Peta will be assisting wool producers breed the best sheep.

YFC Bessie Thomas from Burragan Station in western NSW is recovering from last week when she took on the position of shearer’s cook at Burragan, where pulled lamb and gravy rolls were on the menu (along with quiche, fruit and chocolate muffins). According to Bessie the lamb and gravy pan was nearly licked clean! Not that life is going to slow down for Bessie – there are still 5000 merinos who need crutching and plenty of ewes to be pregnancy tested. Then Bessie needs to prepare for her own school visit with The Archibull Prize to Hurlstone Agricultural High School.

Showing our woollies come from all backgrounds we have YFC Chloe Dutschke who hails from the wine regions of South Australia and who is this week mustering sheep around the Hay plains. She is moving ewes to sheltered paddocks in preparation for lambing and classing young rams. YFC Adele Offley was born and raised on a sheep property near Crookwell on the southern highlands and today wool is still in her blood. She will be spending wool week working with wool growers in her job as a wool technical officer. And she is promoting this fabulous fibre across social media.

Dr Danila Marini is enjoying a Pint of Science , a global event that began in the United Kingdom six years ago, featuring University of New England’s scientists talking about their latest research and findings.

YFC Dione Howard is a woolly working as a veterinarian with Local Land Services and on a daily basis conducts disease investigations for wool producers. But adding to Wool Week, in her position as WoolProducers Youth Ambassador, she will be travelling to Melbourne to attend the Animal Health and Welfare Advisory Committee and the WoolProducers board meeting.

Wow. It may be Woolmark’s Wool Week with an emphasis on fashion but our woolly YFCs are all contributing to ensuring this remarkable fibre is grown in the best of conditions on the happiest of sheep, and sharing their stories in schools and across social media.

Our favourite woolimation

Happy Wool Week Woollies.

#LoveWool #WearWool #Thisflockinglyfe

 

by Lynne Strong

Lessons Learnt Number Three – Leadership development is an evolution

 Young People may only be 20% of the population but they are 100% of the future.

Too often their voices aren’t heard.

At Picture You in Agriculture we are providing them with the skills and opportunities to earn a seat at the decision making table.

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Welcome to next chapter in our Lessons Learnt series. At Picture You in Agriculture we are big fans of the concept of Communities of Practice where people who share our vision and are getting great stuff done come together and share their lessons learnt, their successes and work together to amplify each others voices, pool their expertise and make more great stuff happen. This blog post in our Lessons Learnt series shares how we are supporting the leadership development of our Young Farming  Champions using Anika Molesworth as a case study. 

We believe leadership development is an evolution. In the initial workshops of the two-year Young Farming Champion program participants are taught the basic skills – how to tell their story, how to reach audiences, how to interact with media, both print and social. They then use The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas as a safe environment to hone these skills and are encouraged to take them into the wider community.

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Young Farming Champion Anika Molesworth is using her voice, the skills she has learnt, the accolades she has garnered and the networks she has created to amplify youth voices and mobilise a movement for #ClimateActionNow .

Pivotal to the success of this leadership journey is a continuum of support, networks and opportunities. In this edition of our Lessons Learnt series we look how Anika Molesworth is using her voice, the skills she has learnt, the accolades she has garnered and the networks she has created to amplify youth voices and mobilise a movement for #ClimateActionNow .

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In the last eight weeks Anika has been the keynote speaker at the NSW Geography Teachers Association Conference, Prime Super International Women’s Day lunches and the Rotary District 9520 Conference, talking about her love for her semi-arid property near Broken Hill and the way in which it is being affected by climate change.

Anika Prime Super

How these conferences came about is a lesson in networking and communication. For Rotary it was availing themselves of local talent at their conference held in Broken Hill. Prime Super invited her to speak after sponsoring the NSW/ACT Regional Achievement and Community Award for Agricultural Innovation, which Anika won in 2018.

“While all the award winners are special, sometimes one comes along that stands out,” General Manager Distribution, Prime Super Mark Ashburn says. “We think her work on sustainable agriculture is inspiring and directly contributes to the success of tens of thousands of our members directly involved in agriculture.”

The Geography Teachers conference was an amalgam of many avenues.

“I saw Anika present at the Brave New World Agriculture to 2030 Conference in Sydney in November 2018,” president of the Geography Teachers Association of NSW Lorraine Chaffer says. “Much of what she said had links to topics in the NSW Geography Syllabus. I was impressed by Anika’s positivity about the future and her message about taking action and later found a TED TALK she had made the previous year. The link to geography was very strong so I approached Anika, via Twitter, with a request to present at the GTANSW & ACT Annual Conference in Sydney – using a mix of her Brave New World and TED talks. We were not disappointed.”

Although all of Anika’s recent presentations have followed a similar theme, she finds it important to tailor each talk for the organisation. “To be impactful and give a memorable presentation, it is important to tailor every presentation to the specific audience and have a clear vision on what you want to achieve by giving your talk,” she says.

“The whole process of presenting is adaptive and ever-evolving. I always ask myself, who are my audience? What do they want to hear? What is the message I want to convey? How do I want them to feel and what do I want them to do when they leave my presentation?”

Education needs to go beyond changing what is inside people’s heads. It also needs to facilitate action by providing supportive infrastructure and practical know-how. Anika’s presentations inspire and give people tangible actions they can make as individuals, and this becomes evident at question time. “I often get questions from the audience on big global challenges, which cannot be given quick, easy answers,” Anika says.

“My response is often that I don’t know all the answers and that’s why we need all-hands-on-deck working collectively to find the solutions. Having audience buy-in is very important to me. We are all responsible in trying to find the answers to these big questions, to work together in doing that, and I am pleased if I can help start that conversation.”

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Feedback from Anika’s presentations has been positive and encouraging. Geography teachers described her as engaging, highly inspirational, informative and relevant to the curriculum they are teaching. Prime Super believes her positive outlook for the future will translate to their members having a positive outlook for their financial future.

“We have been thrilled with the event feedback, much of which has included a request to bring Anika back after her trip later this year,” Mark says. “When you get an ‘encore’ and you’re a super fund something has gone right. Anika is a delight to work with and we hope to continue to work with her in the future.”

The trip that Mark alludes to is Anika’s acceptance into the esteemed leadership program Homeward Bound and her travel to Antarctica later in the year. Remuneration from these speaking engagements will go towards Anika’s fundraising for the program, but Anika feels the speaking opportunities go beyond financial contribution.

“They provide me with a platform to share my story and topics I believe are important and they further hone my communication skills, helping me practice and learn so I can do it even better next time.”

This is proof that leadership development is indeed an evolution. Picture You in Agriculture provides transformational leadership training for young people in agriculture between the ages of 20 and 35 and young people in schools between the ages of 10 and 18. Our programs use agriculture as a foundation to inspire students and young agriculturalists to think critically and creatively about real-world issues and work collectively to take action and create real-world impact.

#ClimateActionNow #StrongerTogether #YouthVoices #YouthinAg

 

 

by Champions for Change

Young Farming Champions Muster March 2019 Second Edition

This week’s top stories from Young Farming Champions across the country.

In the field

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This week there is a woolly buzz in classrooms in Sydney and we are thrilled to launch the pilot of our new program Paddock to Plate Pen Pals. Supported by Australian Wool Innovation this new program will see students Google Hanging Out with our Young Farming Champions working in the wool and sheep supply chain.

Skype sessions have been used successfully in the past to take the schoolroom to the field, such as when YFC Emma Ayliffe used the technique with Parramatta Public School for The Archibull Prize. For teacher Esra Smerdon the experience brought a real-world connection to the classroom. “When we skyped with Emma, she was able to show us how they used moisture probes to identify whether or not they needed to water and how they used that data to inform them,” she said. See case study here

Carlingford West Public School Google Hangout with Danila Marini

Monday morning CSIRO Sheep Researcher and YFC Dr Danila Marini beamed into Carlingford West Public School to discuss all things animal wellbeing, virtual fencing and technology and teacher Zoe Stephens says students were fascinated:

On Tuesday morning it was Riverina Local Land Services District Veterinarian and Wool YFC Dione Howard turn

This is what teacher Zoe Stephens had to say ” What a great connection! The students were so engaged and interested. I think you may have inspired some students to become future vets! The medical equipment you showed the students were amazing, especially as they could identify that we use the same equipment for humans! Thanks for your time and enthusiasm!

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Elders Wool broker Sam Wan and sheep musterer Chloe Dutschke will beam into Carlingford West PS later this week. Paddock to Plate Pen Pals will also be supported by blog posts, social media and case-studies.

Alexandria Galea

In the Central Highlands of Queensland, YFC and Secretary of the Central Highlands Cotton Growers and Irrigators Association (CHCGIA) Alexandria Galea and YFC and Cotton Info Extension Officer Sharna Holman worked with a team to deliver a Teach the Teacher Tour to gain hands on experience of agriculture.

Sixty teachers visited an irrigation farm, took a quick agronomy lesson and had a siphon starting competition. The adventure continued to a horticulture farm, to an automotive packing plant for citris and grapes and Fairbairn Dam.  Events like this aim to inform teachers of farming practices and give them a positive and fun experience of agriculture so that they can share this knowledge in the classroom. Great work Alexandria and Sharna.

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The Archibull Prize is celebrating its 10th birthday this year and the team is looking back over what we have learnt throughout our decade long journey of harnessing the best and brightest young ag minds to take the farm into urban classrooms. Our first Lessons Learnt Blog explores careers in agriculture and offering real world skills to solve real world problems. Elders wool broker and AWI YFC Samantha Wan shines as an example of the calibre of young professionals working with school students to encourage careers in agriculture. Read more HERE

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Out of the field

YFC Dr Danila Marini talks sheep welfare and the fascinating new world of virtual fencing with University of New England:

“Since ancient livestock herders began erecting barriers of brush and stone to contain animals, fencing has been a time-consuming and expensive business for farmers. Imagine, then, the virtual fence: an invisible line on the landscape that animals will not cross, which can be created on a map on a tablet, and moved or erased at a touch. After decades of research trial and error — lots of error — the concept is now a reality, at least for cattle. The rapid minaturisation of technology means that the solution may soon be applied to sheep, and that’s where UNE post-doctoral student Dr Danila Marini steps in.” Read more HERE

Danila Marini

Climate YFC Anika Molesworth is off to Antarctica this year and has co-authored a story in the lead up to her adventure via The Crawford Fund titled “Farming on Thin Ice.”

“Later this year, two young agricultural researchers who are both former Crawford Fund scholars and now RAID Network members, will be setting off to Antarctica. They were selected to take part in an incredible 12-month program with a cohort of 95 women in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) from around the globe. The Homeward Bound programme is a global leadership initiative to equip women in STEMM with strategic and communication capabilities in order to influence policy and decision-making regarding the sustainability of our planet.” Read more HERE

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Bianca Das (left) and YFC Anika Molesworth (right) will be setting off to Antarctica later this year.

Friend of Art4Agriculture and consultancy guru Greg Mills caught up with Wool YFC Peta Bradley at Zone Junior Judging in Armidale. Peta was meat sheep judge and Greg was the steward. The winner and runner up  from Armidale will compete at the zone final at Sydney Royal Easter Show next month.

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YFC and 2017/18 ADAMA Young Agronomist of the Year Runner-up Emma Ayliffe is fresh off the plane from ADAMA’s Young Agronomist study tour to Israel. Emma and the study tour team had a jam-packed trip and returned with many agricultural insights. Stay tuned for Emma’s recap on the Picture You in Agriculture Facebook page this week!

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YFC Meg Rice attended a NSW Farmers workshop last week that was aimed at developing practical leadership skills in women.

Meg Rice

YFC and Local Landcare Coordinators (LLC) Erika Heffer and Jasmine Whitten are both off to Sydney this week for the Statewide LLC Gathering. Jasmine checked with the  Picture You in Agriculture Facebook Page from the Dubbo airport this morning on her way to the big smoke. She’ll keep us updated on all the Landcare happenings this week, so keep an eye out!

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Prime Cuts

Wool YFC Chloe Dutschke is one of six finalists for the this year’s Peter Westblade Scholarship. The Scholarship exists to promote the practical skills associated with the sheep and wool industry and aims to deliver hands on experience and mentoring to young people aspiring to a career in the wool industry. The recipient of the 2019 Peter Westblade Scholarship will be announced at the scholarship dinner on April 4th. Good luck Chloe!

We’re excitedly looking for the next crop of Young Farming Champions to join out team in 2019! Expressions of Interest are now open for University of New England Young Farming Champions. If this is you or someone you know, please share the word! Find our more HERE

 

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IN 2019 there will be a smorgasbord of opportunities for schools to partner with our Young Farming Champions.   In 2019 we will be rolling out our Primary School program Kreative Koalas – Design a Bright Future Challenge  in Western Sydney and the Hunter.

Kreative Koalas is an innovative STEM project-based learning program that focuses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It empowers teachers to engage young people with a diverse range of academic skills, provides them with teamwork, problem solving and communication skills and a creative vehicle to design real world projects that have real world impact.

Competing for cash prizes and the title of Grand Champion Kreative Koala schools are:

  • Provided with a blank fibreglass koala for students to create an artwork on or to use as the subject of an artwork which focuses on a sustainable development goal.
  • Paired with Community Champions, business and community groups who hold the knowledge, wisdom and experience to assist the students to learn about local projects which are already addressing Australia’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitment.

Contact Lynne Strong E: headkoala@kreativekoalas.com.au to access an expression of interest brochure

#YouthinAgVoices #YouthVoices #StrongerTogether

by Lynne Strong

HOW THE ARCHIBULL PRIZE EMPOWERS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Archibull Prize EOI Open

The Archibull Prize is celebrating its tenth anniversary. A decade of working with teachers has meant we have refined and enhanced the program’s delivery of 21st century learning skills, enabling teachers to combine traditional learning with skills most valued by employers, and, in turn, create a meaningful real-world connection to Australian agriculture. That the program’s cornerstone is a painted fibreglass cow illustrates the power teachers have seen transferred to students.

“The Archibull is an outstanding example of STEAM and Project Based Learning. The creation of the blog engages students using new media and technology. It uses the Arts to excite students about very important issues that face this next generation. It provides them with an understanding of Australian agriculture and the vital role it plays both locally and globally.  The painted Archie is a wonderful reminder of the collaborative effort a school can achieve and is a tangible artwork to remind students that they are 100% the future and what are they doing about it.”  Inel Date Secondary School Teacher  

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Check out this small selection of the phenomenal stories of agriculture told by students on the Archies in the last ten years 

“The most profound impact I have seen in this project has been the collaboration, connectedness and belonging that this cow has brought to our school.

Believe me people; a giant fibreglass cow WILL bring your school community together. The cow has lived in my classroom for two terms. At times we would have 8 or more people working around the cow, engaged in conversation, growing relationships and painting, one stroke at a time, the perfect picture of community.” Secondary Teacher Amy Gill

Benefits of participation in The Archibull Prize have been identified as:

  • Opportunity for students to meet young people excited to be working in the agriculture sector
  • An application of school learning to real-world environments
  • A sense of optimism for the future
  • Increased student awareness of STEM focussed careers
  • Development of core skills valued by employers including ability to work in teams, communication, problem solving, time management and leadership
  • Enrichment opportunities for gifted and talented students
  • Flexibility for teachers with the program delivery allowing for both in-curriculum or extra-curriculum delivery
  • Incorporation of multiple subject areas, with teachers and students from all faculties and age groups working together
  • Allows schools from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds to share ideas

In evaluating the 2018 Archibull Prize, Larraine Larri from Renshaw Hitchens and Associates found the program to have positive impacts, particularly on teachers. “The Archie has demonstrated to teachers the ways in which farmers care about the environment and their animals,” Larraine said. “This cohort of teachers now has the understanding and capacity to engage their current and future students in these understandings towards greater valuing of our farmers and agricultural industries.”

Young people will be the ones most affected by an uncertain and changing future, but they are also in the prime position to define and champion that future. The Archibull Prize enable and empowers students to work together to identify and solve problems and take actions that contribute to a better future .

Expressions of interest are now open for secondary schools for 2019 Visit The Archibull Prize website here to find out how to apply

Check out The Archibull Prize Hall of Fame here 

The Archibull Prize also offers teacher professional development opportunities Check out what the teachers said about our workshop at Tocal College  

BE PART OF THE 2019 ARCHIBULL PRIZE ACTION

 

 

by Lynne Strong

HURLSTONE AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL WINS 2018 ARCHIBULL PRIZE

The 2018 Archibull Prize has been run and won with Hurlstone Agricultural High School taking out the prestigious title of Grand Champion Archibull with an ornately decorated, sacred-cow themed Archie representing horticulture.

32 primary and secondary schools across New South Wales and Queensland took part in the ninth instalment of The Archibull Prize. Participants included public,independent and catholic schools, selective schools, alternate schools and performing and creative arts schools from rural and urban communities.

The students were joined by Young Farming Champions as they researched their nominated agricultural industry and presented their findings in blogs, infographics and multi-media, and by adorning their Archie – a life-sized fibreglass cow.

Thanks to support from the Aussie Farmers Foundation schools were able to study horticulture, for the first time and Hurlstone Agricultural High School created Brahman: The Sacred Cow as their Archie. “Brahman: The Sacred Cow is a visual investigation of the issues of sustainability and food security in the horticulture industry,” the school said. “Our artwork aligns the nourishment of the body with the nourishment of the soul…. and utilises the visual conventions of religion to celebrate horticulture, specifically, its capacity to sustain our world’s population.”

Reserve Grand Champion

Reserve Grand Champion Archibull was awarded to Calvary Christian College – Carbrook Senior College, from Queensland who researched the egg and poultry industry to create Le-EGG-O, an Archie with elaborate LEGO figurines. “We went with this idea because LEGO, much like chickens and eggs, speaks a universal language,” the school said. “LEGO is internationally recognised and children from multiple nationalities will demonstrate recognition, be able to read booklets, construct, play, plan and dream. Likewise, poultry & eggs are an internationally recognised food source, with many countries having their own unique take on dishes cooked with chicken or eggs.”

The awards were presented at a ceremony held at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday 20th November, attended by dignitaries including CEO of Foodbank Brianna Casey and Youth Off The Streets founder Father Chris Riley.

Watch the winners animation here

You can find a list of all award winners in our Hall of Fame here 

Check out the event in photos here 

Expressions of interest for the 2019 Archibull Prize are now open.

#ArchieAction #Archie18

 

by Champions for Change

Young Farming Champions Muster November 2018 2nd Edition

This week’s top stories from Young Farming Champions around the country.

Happy National Agriculture Day!

This week we’ve gone all out to celebrate National Agriculture Day in a BIG way, culminating in The Archibull Prize National Awards and Exhibition Day at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday.

School students, teachers, YFC and special guests travelled from across Australia to be part of the 2018 Archibull Prize. Mega congrats to everyone involved: all the winners, participants, movers-and-shakers behind the scenes and espeically to Hurlstone Agricultural High School whose Archie “Brahman” took out the Grand Champion Archibull award for 2018. For full coverage head to our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter and look for our hashtag #Archie18

But for YFC, our #AgDay celebrations started earlier in the week when 13 YFC travelled to Sydney for a brilliantly engaging professional development workshop…

Sydney Workshop

Current and alumnus Young Farming Champions gathered at the magnificent Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) Headquarters in Sydney for a workshop. Admiring the wonderful view of the harbour and the bridge from the boardroom of AWI, the YFC attended sessions on understanding and working with different personalities, understanding how policy is developed and refining the elevator pitches. This workshop the YFC were lucky enough to be joined by the experienced management team of Gaye Steel, Greg Mills and Jenni Metcalfe that challenged and brought the workshop to life as well as experts in the policy writing and social media fields.

Workshop

This workshop also saw a YFC workshop first with 4 Alumni YFC joining via video conference on Sunday for a very special session with the incredible Paige Burton on the effective use and ins-and-outs of social media. This allowed some of our YFC to join from as far away as Wilcannia!  Paige shared with the group many of the techniques of ensuring that the reach of the YFC are heard far and wide. We can certainly see how this young lady was named by Impact 25 as on of the 25 Most Influential People in the Social Sector. There will be many products of this workshop on social media this week for the #Archie18 Archibull prize awards.

The products of the weekend were even more accomplished YFC (which is hard to believe considering the rest of the achievements in this weeks Muster) in the arts of social media, pitches, interviewees and #youthvoices of agriculture!

In the Field

Grains YFC, farmer and talented photographer Marlee Langfield has started canola harvest on her property in the NSW Riverina. “I have harvested more seeds than I planted, so I’ve already won!” Marlee jokes! “Very busy times right now, but I’m loving it.” Check out this gorgeous shot Marlee took of her crop earlier in the season:

Marlee's Canola

Did you catch Landline on Sunday? Cotton YFC Alexander Stephens is driver extraordinaire behind the wheel of the cotton harvester in this awesome story on the revival of cotton growing in the Kimberley Ord River region.

Out of the Field

Rice YFC Erika Heffer visited Parliament House in Sydney this week for the Parliamentary Friends of Landcare event, highlighting Local Landcare Coordinators who have run unique projects this year.  Erika says, “The highlight was meeting ministers that have an interest in Landcare and hearing Niall Blair, the Minister for Primary Industries, acknowledge Rob Dulhunty, the Landcare NSW outgoing chair.”

Erika Landcare

Murray region Local Landcare Coordinator Erika Heffer and Local Landcare Coordinator from Bland Temora in the Riverina Britt Turner

Cotton YFC and founding member of Farmers for Climate Action Anika Molesworth spoke with ABC Radio National this week, tackling the question “How can farmers adapt and innovate to ensure the future of farming and our agricultural land?” Listen to Anika’s interview here.

Beef YFC and our current Aussie-in-Canada correspondent Kirsty McCormack presented for a 4H group in Brandon, Manitoba last week. She shared her insights on Young Farming Champion and Archibull Prize programs as well as the Australian beef industry and its challenges. Well done Kirsty!

Kirsty McC

Grains YFC Keiley O’Brien has been featured in this week’s Allied Grain Systems “Mates in Grain.”

Read Keiley’s full story on the Allied Grain Systems Blog here.

Keiley OBrien.jpg

 

Prime Cuts

Well done to Cotton YFC Alexandria Galea who was named a finalist in the Queensland Ministers Emerging Leader Award for innovation leading to profitability and sustainability. Finaists and winners were celebrated at Wednesday’s AgFutures Innovation and Investment Forum in Brisbane.

Congratulations to YFC Anika Molesworth on her win in the NSW and ACT Regional Achievement and Community Awards on Friday. Anika took out the Prime Super Agricultural Innovation Award. Well done!

Huge congrats to Wool YFC and Wool Technical Coordinator Sam Wan who is up for the title of Elders Employee of the Year. Kudos Sam!

Exciting international news for Beef YFC and stud Limousin cattle breeder Jasmine Green and husband Hayden from Summit Livestock. Jas and Hayden’s cow Summit Meadowgrass was named “Limousin Miss World” in the world Cattlemarket.net championships. While Jas stayed home to keep the stud cows fed and watered, Hayden travelled to Farmfair in Edmonton, Canada last week to receive the award. Summit Meadowgrass was nominated to represent Australia after winning supreme exhibit at Sydney Royal Show earlier this year. Incredible achievement, well done Jasmine!

Jasmine Greens Miss World cow win

Cotton YFC, agronomist and farmer Emma Ayliffe had a special visit from ADAMA Agricultural Solutions head office representatives (who’d just popped in from Israel!) and local managers last week to receive her Runner Up Young Agronomist of the Year award. Top job, Emma!

Emma with ADAMA rep

#ArchieAction #YouthinAg #YouthVoices18

by Lynne Strong

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED IN 2018 NATIONAL #AGDAY CAREERS COMPETITION


Over 30 entries were received in our National AgDAy Careers Competition from primary and secondary schools in both rural and urban environments. We even had entries from the Charters Towers School of Distance Education and the Port Augusta School of the Air.

Students were asked to identify their interests and favourite subjects, imagine an agricultural career, research the educational pathway to that career and play with LEGO!

This year we teamed with Career Harvest and Aimee Snowden from LittleBrick Pastoral who designed 12 LEGO figurines illustrating agriculturalcareers. Students then had the choice of crafting their entries around one ofAimee’s characters or designing their own.

We were blown away with the LEGO figures returned to us! There were animal welfare officers, farm architects, florists, robotics engineers and heavy vehicle mechanics just to name a few. In all 22 unique careers were identified.

Considering the quality of the entries it was difficult to determine the seven finalists but here, in alphabetical order only, they are:

  • Frederick Herrmann from Yanco Agricultural High School who chose to be an architect to design and construct rural infrastructure
  • Hamish Maclure from Yanco Agricultural High School who described in great and exacting detail the life of a stock and station agent (which suggests he has spent more than one day at the sales!)
  • Joshua Carpenter from The Henry Lawson High School who envisaged a career as an agricultural teacher – and one who returned to his home town of Grenfell to teach
  • Molly McCreadie from Gwynneville Public School who also chose to be a farm architect
  • Paige Brown from Yanco Agricultural High School who wants to be a wool classer
  • Sienna Banks, also from Gwynneville Public School who chose an animal welfare officer.(This was a popular profession with at least three students choosing it!)
  • Tom Ramsay from Charters Towers School of Distance Education who chose to be a contract musterer.

The judges also made special mention of the entry from Eliza Friend from Frensham School Mittagong

Congratulations to all students who entered the competition and designed LEGO characters to show us the broad world of agricultural careers.

Our winners will be announced at The Archibull Prize Awards at Sydney Olympic Park on November 20th 2018 

Special shoutout to Career Harvest who have donated the iPad minis as prizes 

by Champions for Change

Young Farming Champions Muster November 2018 1st Edition

Goat triplets.jpg

This week’s top stories from Young Farming Champions around the country (and globe!)

In The Field

Cuteness alert! Central Coast farmer, entrepreneur and YFC Tim Eyes and his partner Hannah have had triplets! Triplet goats that is… and they are absolute kid perfection:

Tim says, “Our triplets are from one of our two boer goats. I wanted to get goats after my trip to South Africa.

“They live in the paddock at The Food Farm with our free range chooks and our maremma guardian dog. One kid is female the other two are male. I’m looking forward to some of the highest consumed red meat in the world.”

As part of his role as a YFC, this year Tim’s involvement with the Art4Agriculture Archibull Prize program saw him build an incredible relationship with students at The Lakes College on the Central Coast, who are part of Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off The Streets program. Recently Tim was the lucky winning bidder of a mural painted by The Lakes College students, in conjunction with Losty and Mercy College, which raised money for Aussie Farmers. Congratulations Tim!

The Lakes College students are kicking huge goals with the 2018 Archibull Prize and this week they are even taking their Archie on a tour across drought stricken New South Wales to further raise money and spirits for Aussie Farmers. This is an inspiring group of students worth watching! Read more about it below in our Archie Action section.

Out of the Field

YFC Steph Fowler and YFC Lucy Collingridge have jetted off to Alberta, Canada, for the Rural Agricultural Societies of the Commonwealth (RASC) Conference.

The Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) is a confederation of over fifty leading national and regional Agricultural Show Societies, Agricultural Associations and Research Bodies working in twenty Commonwealth countries.

Steph and Lucy both received scholarships from the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW to travel to and attend the event, which is designed to give delegates a taste of the agriculture industry in the host country while providing a forum for discussing mutual successes and challenges in agriculture around the world.

Lucy also tagged along on the pre-conference tour which showcased local attractions, farms and food production facilities. “It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to network with people from around the world who face the same problems and successes we do here in Australia with our country shows,” Lucy says.

Read more about the conference program and itinerary here

The Cowra Guardian covered a story on Steph’s trip here

Safe and happy travels Lucy and Steph (pictured below)!

Steph Fowler in Snow

Grains YFC and 2018 Narrowmine Showgirl Keiley O’Brien is featured in this week’s Behind the Sash series, sharing her story, love for rural Australia and “demonstrating that the perfect showgirl is who you are and not a sterotype.” Listen to Keiley’s great interview here.

Keiley with lamb

Prime Cuts

It was an exciting day at the University New England Graduation Ceremony last week with YFC and YVLT Chair Dr Jo Newton receiving the Young Distinguished Alumni Award. You can watch Jo’s address, where she encourages everyone to “pay it forward” at this link. Well done Jo – what a year this amazing young woman has had.

Western New South Wales based YFC, Farmer and Researcher Anika Molesworth has been announced as a headline speaker at the Rotary District 9520 (which covers the corners of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales) Conference in April 2019.   

Anika Molesworth AGROCKSTARS

Lifetime Highlights

It’s been a huge few weeks at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW, for some of our YFC who have finished studies…

Congrats to Grains YFC Keiley O’Brien  (Bachelor of Agriculture and Bachelor of Business), Cotton YFC Casey Onus (Masters of Business Administration), and YFC Jasmine Whitten and YFC Emma Turner have both submitted their theses.

Mega Congratulations to Cotton Young Farming Champion James Kanaley who married the love of his life Jessica Skilbeck yesterday in the Riverina

James and Jessica Kanaley.jpg

Archie Action

With The Archibull Prize 2018 National Awards and Exhibition Day fast approaching, it’s all action on the Archie front!

This year’s Archie artwork finalists from schools across New South Wales and Queensland have been announced and their life-size cow artworks will start making their way to Sydney for the National Awards in just a few weeks time. Read all about it here to see which school’s Archies will be displayed at the Awards and at the 2019 Sydney Royal Easter Show. Well done to all the students, teachers, school communities and Young Farming Champions involved!

Two inspiring young woman have been announced as the guest speakers for this year’s Archies. CEO of Foodbank Australia and self confessed “huge fan of the Archies” Brianna Casey, and councillor for the City of Sydney and former Deputy Lord Mayor, Jess Miller are both incredible advocates for agriculture and change. It is with great excitement that we look forward to sharing the day of our national awards ceremony with them.

And in the meantime, make sure to get your votes in for your favourite Archie in the People’s Choice Award – voting closes November 12th!

As many finalists head to Sydney, a very special Archie from The Lakes College is taking a looong detour with its creators  – heading west to Mudgee, Coonamble, Brewarrina and Bourke – and raising money for drought affected farmers and communities.

Sixty-three students from Father Chris Riley’s Youth of the Streets program will be fixing fences, feeding cattle, running games for rual kids and hanging out donated groceries vouchers. Their amazing Archie – which students have turned into a giant money box – is going along for the rie. And when you drop a coin into the metal bucket inside, it chimes like raindrops on a tin roof.

 “From the head to the hide, let’s bridge the divide”

The Lakes College Archie

Teacher Amy Gill says their Archie is all about courage, generosity, learning from past mistakes, looking forward and creating change, while the drought relief convey is a tool for education and a celebration of what farmers do, a symbol of support and recognition. Read more about the ethos of The Lakes College Archie here.

Read more about the convoy in this Sunday Telegraph story.

Well done to all the students and teachers involved and our wonderful YFC Tim Eyes!

#ArchieAction #YouthinAg #YouthVoices18

by Lynne Strong

The Archibull Prize 2018 Artwork Finalists Announced

Its gives us great pleasure to announce the following schools in NSW and Queensland have been selected to display their Archie Artworks at The Archibull Prize 2018 Awards and Exhibition Day and at the 2019 Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Gwynneville Public School

Little Bay Community of Schools

Malabar Public School

Beaudesert State High School

Calvary Christian College Snr Carbrook

Granville South Creative and Performing Arts High School

Hurlstone Agricultural High School

Irrawang High School

Kellyville High School

Kinross Wolaroi School

Moss Vale High School

Picnic Point High School

The Henry Lawson High School

Bombala High School

The artwork judge has made her decision the People Choice closes on 12th November. Make your choice here

Congratulations to all the schools involved in The Archibull Prize 2018 you have done your school and agriculture very proud