Tag / Skills Training in Agriculture

by Action4Agriculture

VFFF Youth Advisory Group – In conversation with Florance McGufficke

Young Farming Champion Florance McGufficke is a member of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Youth Advisory Group –

The foundation recently profiled their Q&A in their December 2023 newsletter.   

Tell us a bit about you! Where are you from, what do you do, and what are some of your passions/interests?

Florance: I grew up in Cooma on our intergenerational family owned and operated Merino sheep farm, Greendale Merinos. I now live in Dubbo, where I work at Elders as the NSW Livestock and Stud Stock Sales Support Officer.  My sisters and I also run a small bespoke art market business, 3.Little.Sheep, creating original and unique artworks, with our designs printed on a range of tea towels, cards and socks.

I completed a Bachelor of Business and Agriculture at the University of New England and resided at St Alberts College in Armidale, where I was involved in the college community, sport and the leadership team. I have always really loved being involved in team sports, playing soccer and netball, and even rugby 7s during my time at university.

In 2022 I was fortunate to receive a Young Farming Champion Scholarship, and in 2023 I was named The Land Sydney Royal Agshows NSW Young Woman. Through these opportunities, I have been able to travel around NSW and act as an ambassador for women in rural and regional communities. I feel fortunate as a young woman to have been provided with a platform to connect, learn and develop – to educate people about Australian agriculture, especially wool, and hopefully bridge the divide between urban and rural communities.

I love agriculture and have a passion for Merino wool. I hope to continue to breed highly productive and profitable Merino sheep and share the qualities of this sustainable, renewable, and natural fibre. One of my goals it to encourage young girls to see themselves in agriculture and be supported to take on careers in this sector.

“I aspire to be a leader for young people, to inspire them to  believe in their abilities, dream big and achieve their aspirations.  By sharing my story, I hope to encourage them to find their voice  and embrace their journey.”

What is your connection to rural and regional Australia?

I was born into agriculture as a fifth generation grazier. My early days saw me in ‘Daddy Day Care’ helping my dad in shearing sheds and sheep yards.

I remember finding my first poddy lamb, George, standing on the front seat of my dad’s two door Toyota Hilux and hitting my head on the roof as we bounced around the lambing paddocks – I think this is where my love for sheep started.

My two sisters and I had the best childhood, growing up with our cousins right next door and always being outside – we would ride our bikes all over the farm, and by that I mean we would ride them down the hills and dad would load  them on the back of the ute for the uphill journey.

Growing up our school holidays always seemed to align with some sheep husbandry activity, from shearing to lamb marking. I am no stranger to a sheep race or shearing shed and can operate a tractor. My latest resume addition is fencing!

I love living and working in rural and regional Australia, from the people and communities to the lifestyle and opportunities.

You have been a member of our Youth Advisory Group for more than a year now. What has been the highlight of the process so far? 

“The opportunity to join the YAG came at the perfect time for me and has been a fantastic experience. I have loved being able to come together as a group that didn’t previously know each other and as young people from different backgrounds and walks of life.”

VFFF’s Youth Advisory Group- Florance is second from the left

Everyone is so interesting, lovely, and passionate about the future of young people. It is nice to meet other likeminded people and come together at the amazing VFFF office, and experience city life (which is great, but I love the country air too much!).

My highlight would be getting to meet, work, learn and laugh with the VFFF team, Members and YAG, and be part of an incredible family foundation.

🌱 #YoungFarmingChampion 🐑 #GreendaleMerinos 🎨 #3LittleSheepArt 📚 #UNEAlumni ⚽️🏐 #SportsEnthusiast 🏉 #Rugby7s 👩‍🌾 #WomenInAgriculture 🚜 #RuralLife 🐏 #MerinoWoolPassion 🏆 #SydneyRoyalAgshow 🌾 #AustralianAgriculture 🤝 #YouthAdvisoryGroup 🌳 #RuralCommunities 📢 #YoungLeaders 💡 #InspiringYouth 🌟 #VFFFImpact 🏙️🌁 #CountryLifeVsCityLife 🤝 #CollaborationAndCommunity

 

by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions are celebrating milestones with a Nuffield Scholar and a film-maker

Our Young Farming Champions represent all manner of food and fibre industries and this week we are celebrating with Steph Tabone (horticulture) and Bryan Van Wyk (fishing). So, as you plan a prawn and vege stir-fry for dinner tonight, let’s go behind the scenes and look at two young people helping put the food on your plate.

We are proud to announce that Steph is our first Nuffield Scholar! Steph, who works as a researcher with Applied Horticulture Research, was announced as a 2024 Scholar at a gala dinner in Perth held in September.

2024 Nuffield Scholars with Steph Tabone 2nd from left in the front row 

Former Nuffield Scholar and now CEO of Nuffield Australia Jodie Redcliffe says farmer-led research is a proven recipe for success.

“For more than 70 years Nuffield Scholars have travelled the world, bringing home the latest intelligence, farming practices and developments to share with their peers. Their scholarship is an investment in themselves and their capacity to lead their business, their community and their industry by widening their knowledge and networks.”

Supported by Hort Innovation under the Vegetable Research and Development Levy, Steph will investigate the use of legumes as an alternative nitrogen source for vegetable cropping systems. She will use the $35,000 Nuffield Bursary to visit the US, Denmark, India and Brazil to connect with researchers and leading growers in this field.

“Nitrogen fertilisers have a large greenhouse gas emissions footprint through the manufacturing process, transport and in-field use, highlighting the need for alternate nitrogen solutions. Legumes can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere through a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia bacteria, can improve soil health and offer other rotational benefits. The challenge is knowing when the nitrogen will be released into plant-available forms. I hope to explore the factors that drive nitrogen release from organic residues, and the practical strategies that growers can use to sync the release with the nitrogen needs of a succeeding vegetable crop,” Steph says.

Spreading love for food industries in a totally different way is Bryan Van Wyk, fleet operations manager at Austral Fisheries, who has been busy behind and in front of the video camera.

Brian lives (and thrives) in northern Queensland and uses filmmaking to tell his story.

“Understanding food origin and how food selection can play a big role in overall sustainability is an important yet complicated process for the average consumer to understand. Film making is an effective way of enabling community members to absorb, digest and understand relatively complex stories about seafood through visual and audible experiences,” he says.

Bryan recently shared his love of fishing and north Queensland with an entry in the Mission Beach Outdoor Food Festival, earning fifth place for his high-octane entry.

“Film making (for now) is simply just a hobby for me that, hopefully, inspires others to get out and enjoy life or tell their story.”

You can catch Bryan’s film here.

Bryan is currently busy keeping the Austal fleet moving with the tiger prawn season but he has also incorporated film-making into his work by compiling branded Instagram reels and collecting underwater footage of bycatch reduction devices for educational videos. Recently he found himself on the other side of the camera when he starred in an Austral promotion for Coles. See him talking about the banana prawn industry and Austral’s role as conservationists of the sea here.

Steph and Bryan are both shining examples of young people excelling in Australia’s food and fibre industries and we are proud to call them Young Farming Champions.

by Action4Agriculture

Empowering young people to be global citizens – Celebrating the continued success of Paddock Pen Pals

In 2018 Young Farming Champion (YFC) Emma Ayliffe stood before a classroom of excited Sydney students participating in The Archibull Prize to talk about moisture probes and data collection in the cotton industry. But Emma was not anywhere near Sydney. Instead she was standing in a paddock of cotton stubble and it was the power of technology that allowed her to beam live into the classroom.

In Wilcannia YFC Bessie Thomas’ three year old daughter was receiving letters from students at Hamilton North Public School and the Action4Agriculture team was keen to build on the opportunity to offer schools the chance to connect with young people working in agriculture in innovative ways

With Emma’s session being an immediate success we realised the model could be replicated and scaled as Paddock Pen Pals. Paddock Pen Pals launched in 2019 at Carlingford West Public School in Sydney and, under the tutelage of teacher Zoe Stephens, 300 Year 6 students gained a first-hand look at the wool industry.

Four years down the track and Zoe and Carlingford West continue to rely on Paddock Pen Pals to give students a real-world agricultural insight and to prepare them to be global citizens. With international migration happening on a larger scale than ever and with Carlingford West having a high percentage of English as a second language students, cultural demographics are changing in the classroom. This demands new educational responses in a world where diversity is the norm.

Source 

Building relationships with young farmers offers students an opportunity for exchange of ideas and collaboration. The Paddock Pen Pals program is coordinated by Young Farming Champions’ Leadership Team member Emily May. in the recent round of Paddock Pen Pals at Carlingford West six Young Farming Champions engaged students with wool and horticulture.

Promoting wool were veterinarian Dione Fitzgerald, animal welfare researcher Danila Marini, sheep grazier Katherine Bain and sustainable agriculture project officer Katie Barnett.

1 / 6

“Participating in the Paddock Pen Pals program is always a valuable and enjoyable experience. It’s an opportunity to introduce students to the industry I love and just how much good is going on around them. The students are always so engaging and ask some of the greatest questions that I have ever received,” Danila says.

Danila’s presentation to the students can be viewed here.

Katherine was able to give students a look at a working sheep property and was also warmed by their interest.

“The kids asked some really good questions, especially about sheep welfare and working with the dogs,” she says.

Representing horticulture were DPI industry development officer Jessica Fearnley and researcher Steph Tabone.

Jess was able to relate agriculture to the students’ own lives.

“We discussed how trees can be looked after for best performance in a backyard and what the supply chain of horticultural industries looks like. It was a great opportunity to shed some light on the different processes in agriculture and how many steps there are to get from paddock to plate,” she says.

Paddock Pen Pals has morphed over the years as the Young Farming Champions refine their delivery and presentations using skills acquired in their own YFC training.

“I think we’ve got the format down pat with being able to see the classroom so that we can ask questions and see the hands go up, and with students coming up to the microphone and camera to ask questions. We were ahead of our time doing this in 2019 and it is great to continue to be part of this program,” Dione adds.

For Zoe Stephens, who has advocated for the program not only at Carlingford West but through her work with City Country Alliance of Schools, Paddock Pen Pals continues to be a rewarding experience.

“I want thank all the Young Farming Champions for helping to create another successful experience for our year 6 students. The students were all highly engaged, ready to ask questions and take copious notes. We all learnt so much. The YFC really are champions to give their time to inspire and inform these young minds. Their passion and commitment to sustainable and new innovative farming techniques is so exciting to see.”

Zoe has seen Paddock Pen Pals transform from simple beginnings to today’s highly detailed and interactive presentations, which can run multiple sessions simultaneously.

And the transformation has been recognised further this week with the release of the book “Primary Science Education – A Teacher’s Toolkit” by Anne Forbes.

“The innovative Paddock Pen Pals program was used to focus students’ attention on the sustainable production of food and fibre … [giving students] experiences of real-life experts.” Anne writes.

 

Action4Agriculture is delighted with Paddock Pen Pals continued success and the international exposure it will receive as part of Anne’s book.

by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions create a lasting legacy with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

Action4Agriculture’s overarching aim is to create a movement of resilient and innovative young people in agriculture who are advocates and leaders of their industry and community. Our work with Young Farming Champions was under the spotlight this week at the Sydney Royal Easter Show with two of our own, Keiley Noble and Florance McGufficke, applauded on the highest stage.

Keiley, who wears many caps including mother, policy officer with the NSW Government and small business (rural contracting) owner, won the prestigious RM Williams Royal Agriculture Society’s Rural Achiever Award.

Keiley Noble winner of RM Williams RAS Rural Achiever with her trophy and husband Ross and daughter Ruby ( Photos Facebook)

Florance, a livestock and stud stock sales support officer with Elders, won The Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman.

Florance McGufficke with RAS President Michael MIlner and runner up Jessica Towns ( photos Facebook )

“The Young Woman competition has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience and this will be just the beginning for me and the wonderful cohort of young women I met during my week in Sydney, and I am honoured and grateful for this opportunity,” Florance says.

The success at the 2023 Sydney Royal marks three consecutive years when YFC have been rewarded the Rural Achievers title with Dione Howard honoured in 2021 and Jessica Fearnley in 2022. Dione was also awarded the national Rural Achiever (Ambassador) title.

Mark Muller, from RM Williams, was on the judging panel for Jess and Keiley

“Both are the kind of intelligent, committed and engaging people whose works and endeavours lift those around them. Their combination of drive and humility is inspiring. Their deep appreciation for the agricultural sector and its possibilities in terms of their own careers and its importance at a local, national and international level make them rightly regarded as leaders in their field,” Mark says.

Watch Keiley talk about here win here ( Video Facebook)

YFC success with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW highlights the benefits of leadership and professional development, which are taught and honed through the Young Farming Champions program.

“The YFC community is a wonderful network of role models who step up and take on opportunities, and support other YFC to do the same,” Dione says.

“The YFC training sets us up to thrive in opportunities such as Rural Achiever and Young Woman. From sharing a room with a (virtual) stranger at workshops, to reflecting on your values, to practicing answering questions without notice – we’ve had the opportunity to do all of this as a YFC, and while it’s not any easier in a competition, the muscle memory is there. Not to mention that getting to practice sharing your story in front of school students (in Kreative Koalas and The Archibull Prize) sets YFC up to share their experiences with any audience – for Florance and Keiley that happened to be a full amphitheatre at Sydney Royal.

“Whether someone has had a year of YFC training or been in the program for several laps around the sun, the training and support makes you feel inspired to take on new challenges and enables you to thrive in opportunities to showcase yourself and the industry.”

Dione was in Sydney to support Keiley and Florance and her attendance (and support of the wider YFC network) did not go unnoticed.

“I have been on a pathway of personal and professional development through my involvement with the Young Farming Champions. This has been such an influential part of my growth in the last few years. It has allowed me to think with a broader perspective, be a leader, develop my story and ambitions so I can share and inspire other young people and has connected me with numerous like-minded and passionate people in agriculture, especially my mentor Dione Howard.

“I am so fortunate to have been accepted into the YFC program; to Lynne and all members thank you for the support and guidance you continue to provide me.” Florance says

Action4Agriculture looks forward to continuing the YFC legacy with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW in future years and the further development of agriculture’s young leaders; leaders who thrive when working together as illustrated by Jess’s comments as she hands the Rural Achiever baton to Keiley:

“Keiley was outstanding at Sydney Royal and it was my pleasure to see her flourish as part of the weeks program. I am looking forward to seeing what she does in the coming year.”

 

Dione Howard at Sydney Royal Easter Show 2023 ( Video Facebook )

 

 

 

 

 

by Action4Agriculture

From The Archibull Prize to Young Farming Champion – how Action4Agriculture works for Danielle Fordham

Traditionally agriculture has not conducted longitudinal studies following the journey of participants in its agricultural awareness programs. We look forward to that changing.

Today’s story is very rewarding for our organisation. Our journalist the wonderful Mandy McKeesick interviewed Danielle Fordham who we first met over 12 years ago when she participated in The Archibull Prize during secondary school

 

Young Farming Champion Danielle Fordham (centre front row ) inspiring the next generation of agriculturalists to follow in her footsteps 

Background

Action4Agriculture offers a holistic suite of programs designed to inspire and empower agricultural advocates and leaders. We realise this is not a sprint but a marathon that requires long-term commitment from ourselves, our partners and, most of all, the young people we want to inspire and cultivate.

Danielle Fordham is the perfect example of how the programs and training come together. She was first exposed to Action4Agiculture through The Archibull Prize at Caroline Chisholm College and in 2022 became a Young Farming Champion sponsored by Hunter Local Land Services. As our new program, Action4Youth, readies for roll-out in 2023, Danielle has already been involved – sharing her agricultural journey with students as part of a pilot program at Lake Illawarra High School.

This is Danielle’s Action4Agriculture story ……

Danielle, you were part of the team from Caroline Chisholm College that was named Grand Champion Archibull in 2011 with the wonderful Rubick’s Cube inspired creation “Moobix Cube”. Can you tell us about your Archibull experience?

I was part of The Archibull Prize in 2011 and 2012 and the experience was incredible. It connected my learnings in the classroom to the real world. As a cohort, my friends and I loved participating, bonding and getting to meet like-minded people our own age who shared the same passions.

I enjoyed researching issues such as how to feed a growing population, learning more about cow by-products (did you know cow parts are used in cosmetics and medicine?) and showcasing the trophy-worthy dairy and red-meat industries. It was great to come up with creative ideas to communicate these issues and showcase agriculture in a new light to the wider public.

The experience opened my eyes to the endless opportunities in agriculture and it cemented my interest and career ambitions in the agricultural field. Most importantly The Archibull Prize connected me with the brilliant organisation that is Action4Agriculture (previously Art4Agriculture) and the opportunities it has provided me.

 

Since high school you’ve become a poster girl for the diversity of Australian agriculture, undertaking a business traineeship, attending Tocal Agricultural College (Double Dux!!), working in agribusiness, studying an environmental university degree and working as the Alumni Officer at Tocal. How did it feel to add Young Farming Champion (YFC) to your resume in 2022?

 

It was deeply empowering to be selected as a Young Farming Champion. I was struggling to find my connection back to the agricultural industry as I had moved into the environmental science sector and the YFC program provided the best opportunity to combine the two.

The experiences and workshops provided by Action4Agriculutre as a YFC have strengthened my confidence and ability to a stand as a clear, trusted voice in agriculture. I want to make a positive impact on agriculture and support the community, and YFC has enabled me to do this and more. YFC has broadened my horizons and I feel I can go further with my career than I ever imagined.

 

And, specifically, what skills has the YFC program given you?

The YFC program has taught me essential skills such as how to be an effective communicator, how to be an inspirational speaker and presenter and how to efficiently manage my time. The program has given me a network of peers and industry and community contacts.

Through YFC I have converted my passion for agriculture into a vehicle to empower other young people, such as my students at Tocal Agricultural College.

 

In 2023 we are launching Action4Youth, which aims to introduce disadvantaged young people to career pathways in agriculture. You participated in a pilot program at Lake Illawarra High School last year. What was that like?

It felt incredibly rewarding to be able to connect with students who were like me: interested in agriculture but who didn’t grow up on a farm or have the money to study agriculture straight out of school.

I was able to share my story and empower the students to think outside the square. I could assure them there are plenty of opportunities out there after school and, as a living example, that you are not limited by your HSC or ATAR results. If you are passionate about a career or lifestyle, there is nothing stopping you. You have just got to keep looking for your next step and embrace the skills and lessons you learn along the way.

Additionally, I was equally inspired by the Lake Illawarra students and their tenacity and enthusiasm. It was great to learn from each other and feel connected to the future of agriculture and our communities.

Young Farming Champions Lachie White and Danii Fordham were a big hit with students and teachers at Lake Illawarra High School  

Overall, how do you feel the Action4Agriculture programs align with your aspirations for your own career?

The Action4Agriculture programs align with my aspirations of being a clear, trusted and influential leader in the sustainable agriculture field in two particular arenas: marrying agriculture and science, and promoting women.

The environmental world is in turmoil with global issues of climate change, ocean acidification, food and resource insecurity, habitat destruction, and contamination. These issues threaten all our livelihoods and existence; and this make creating a future we all want to be part of a shared responsibility.  Agriculture is a key industry in combating and controlling these issues with opportunities in technological innovation, sustainable and regenerative practices, environment restoration, carbon capture and rehabilitation integration. The opportunities for agriculture to be part of the solution are endless.

To create these solutions it is vital to strengthen the connection and relationship between agriculture and science and I plan to do this by promoting sustainable agriculture.

Championing women in agriculture and science is also a passion of mine and in 2022 I organised an event to recognise 50 years of female students at Tocal College. By telling my own story and connecting with like-minded women we can overcome social challenges and promote equality.

Action4Agriculture’s ethos and opportunities to connect directly with the next generation and particularly the training and networking received as a Young Farming Champion enables me to effectively communicate these challenges and find the solutions we all need.

 

 

by Action4Agriculture

Meet Ryan McParland who has discovered PEOPLE are the biggest challenge for changemakers

Earlier this week our wonderful journalist profiled our newest Young Farming Champion, Ryan McParland. That post has provide to be one of our most popular ever

 

Today Ryan shares his personal story ……………

Troy, Shaun, DIanne and Ryan McParland 

I grew up on a small dairy farm near Jamberoo, which turned into a commercial beef cattle enterprise as my parents left the dairy sector due to economic pressures of deregulation and urban encroachment in the early 2000s.

My entire family has been involved in the agricultural show movement for many generations and I had exposure to showing cattle and helping at our local Albion Park show from a very young age. My parents were also heavily involved in the local Rural Youth /Junior Farmers clubs, which ceased operation around 2006. In 2007, to keep me connected to the show movement, they bought me a trio of Rhode Island Reds, which led me to joining the Dapto Poultry Club. With the support of many mentors I have learnt about breeding and showing poultry and progressed through the young judges’ competitions. I am now president of the club.

“Four generations of our family have showed, so you can definitely say it is in my blood,”

I also shared the family passion for showing farm produce, which led to judging appointments. In 2016 I won the NSW Poultry Judging Championship and the NSW Fruit and Vegetable Judging Competition in the space of three days. I have a love of learning and judging and sharing this knowledge with others.

In 2013 I started a cadetship as a mechanical engineer with BlueScope Steel, studying at University of Wollongong. In that first year of employment I realised how important my agricultural and show background, as well as volunteer exposure, were to my engineering work ethic and success.

Conversely my work with the steelworks assists the show movement and the connection between agriculture and industry and with BlueScope’s support and sponsorship I kicked off the Illawarra Young Farmers Challenge in 2014, which has now run in some capacity for nine years.

In 2017, through my work, I took a 12-month study exchange to the University of Colorado, an experience rewarding for my studies and my own development – before I left I probably was considered still a young country boy, with not many road skills. Things have certainly changed!

While in America I attended State Fairs, Poultry and Cattle Shows and learnt about 4H and Young Farmer Programs. This inspired me, on my return home in 2018, to start a youth group of similar minded people who had an interest in agriculture and, in particular showing, and to see if we could resurrect a youth in ag group and keep the show movement alive.

We started the Albion Park Show Youth Group, which quickly expanded to include people from all over the south coast and in 2020 formed “The Ag Group – South Coast & Tablelands” covers show societies bounded by Milton to the south, Moss Vale to the west and Camden to the north.

Oh, boy – what a time to start a new movement – a combination of COVID and extreme weather events resulted in most shows being cancelled for three years.

But our journey has taken us from strength to strength with a lot of challenges and a lot of doubters and I have realised the biggest challenge can be managing people. I have been able to identify the challenges of engaging and motivating youth volunteers for the agricultural show movement and with this knowledge I have confidence we can bolster volunteer numbers in all agricultural shows.

My leadership journey has taught me I too need to role model best practice

I recently chaired a meeting where I had to stop myself from blocking an idea from a new member. I regained my thoughts and was able to channel their energy and direct their idea into something that they can own and still meet the club’s requirements. We have to remind ourselves someone fresh on a committee is not going to know the history of the club/society, pre-context, what has been tried before, etc., BUT they can offer a fresh perspective, enthusiasm and energy. As a snr or experienced person in a committee, you have to take it on yourself  to guide, to use open ended questions, explain the past, and self-reflect to make sure the reason you may disagree is in the club best interest not your own.

 

My motivation for continuing this work is to promote positive perceptions of the rural sector and of rural volunteering and to learn to work with and influence others for the benefit of all.

by Action4Agriculture

Meet Ryan McParland who is helping young people create and drive youth led organisations

The agricultural show has been part of the Australian landscape since the 1820s, providing a vital connection and
conversation between the city and the bush. Over the years the show has struggled to retain its relevance in a changing
world but Ryan McParland is leading a charge of young people determined to modernise and revolutionise this mainstay of
agricultural pride. With Ryan at the helm the enthusiasm of youth from both urban and rural environments is married to the
wisdom and experience of age, and all in the show world are coming along for the ride.

Ryan McParland with his father Shaun at Government House 

Action4Agriculture director Lynne Strong recently spent a number of weeks working with Ryan McParland at agricultural shows in the Illawarra. She has been inspired by his vision for building a cohort of committed youth volunteers who can support rural and regional Australia.

“The leadership journey begins with knowing how to lead yourself, then to lead teams and finally to lead systems. I believe Ryan has the capacity to not only lead systems but to drive meaningful change within Australian agriculture. He has the skills to create a movement and also the skills to gather around him the role models, mentors, champions and funding partners that he needs to be successful,” Lynne Strong CEO Action4Agriculture

Ryan grew up on a Jamberoo dairy farm and his family have always been strong supporters of the agricultural show movement, including the now-defunct Rural Youth program.

“The McParland name is synonymous with Albion Park Show and I got to know Ryan when he was still in school and would come to show meetings [at age 15 Ryan was the youngest member ever of the Albion Park Show]. I’ve watched his development, seen the beginning of his career with the steelworks and been fascinated by his never-ending enthusiasm for agriculture”  says Colin Hollis former MP and show committee stalwart.

Ryan’s road to honorary Young Farming Champion is differentiated by the fact he does not work in agriculture; instead Ryan is a mechanical engineer with BlueScope Steel and a tireless volunteer for agricultural shows in his spare time. Harry Murphy is Ryan’s boss at BlueScope and understands the tightrope Ryan often walks.

“We work a nine day fortnight where Ryan puts in longer days but that works for him because he then has a four day weekend for his show commitments. He’s a very skilled and keen young engineer who’s a very systematic thinker with excellent time management, and we lean on those skills in our business. He’s learned a lot of those skills through his involvement with agricultural shows, which makes him well ahead of the curve for someone of his age and experience,” Harry Murphy, Manager  Energy Services Asset Development, Digital, Services and Manufacturing Excellence

Ryan, who has been with BlueScope since he began a cadetship ten years ago sees a flow between his agricultural world and his engineering one.

“Growing up on a farm you realise things don’t always go as planned, things change, and you develop a mindset of adapting and getting on and getting the job done. You deal with many different people at the shows and this develops leadership skills. I think that goes a long way towards shaping my career.

“But in the reverse, there’s a big safety and risk management culture at the steelworks that when combined with the structure, critical and creative thinking, people management and problem solving that comes with engineering, can be transferred to agriculture,” Ryan says.

The benefits are also material ones with BlueScope sponsoring Ryan’s show work.

“BlueScope has a vision of industry and agriculture being connected and they see there’s a pathway of bringing people into both industries,” he says.

Carmen Martinago is a McParland family friend who knew Ryan while she also worked at BlueScope, and it is her own volunteer work with Albion Park Show since her retirement that has brought her into a closer working relationship with him. She has watched as he inspires volunteers at their local show, converting them to committee members, and liaises with groups such as the Wollongong Camera Club to leverage benefits to all.

“Ryan has got that combination of having very good ideas and having the boundless energy to actually bring those ideas to fruition. He does this by bringing other people along with him – he’s got this lovely collaborative approach – and he truly acts as a leader; even the older members of the committee become part of the journey,” Carmen Martinago former Learning and Development Manager BlueScope

Over the years Ryan has held just about every position available within agricultural shows but his passion is a modernised revival of Rural Youth, which he has developed into The Ag Group (TAG). His enthusiasm for the project was one of the reasons he was chosen as a RAS Rural Achiever in 2020/2021, joining one of our original YFC: Dione Howard.

“Ryan is a fantastic role model to young members of the agricultural show movement – he takes the time to show youngsters all there is to showing (livestock, poultry) and ways they can volunteer to ensure that the show movement thrives.

At Sydney Royal I very much enjoyed seeing Ryan in his element within the show community who gets behind him and likewise who he supports. Ryan is a natural choice to be an honorary Young Farming Champion, with a career outside of agriculture and a passion and great success within the sector.” Dione Howard, National Rural Ambassador

 

by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champion Katie Barnett has been selected for NSW Government Regional Youth Taskforce

We are super excited to announce Young Farming Champion Katie Barnett has been selected as one of 18 young people for the NSW Government Regional Youth Taskforce. We look forward to sharing with you the big issues that Katie will advocate for

In the meantime you can learn more about the taskforce below

Press Release

New taskforce to advocate for regional youth

Published: 19 Jan 2023

Released by: Minister for Regional Youth

The Regional Youth Taskforce will get a brand-new look with Minister for Regional Youth Ben Franklin announcing 18 new young leaders from across regional NSW who will advocate for their peers and deliver positive outcomes for young people.

Mr Franklin and Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall met with 2 of the new members in Uralla and said the Taskforce will provide policy and operational advice to the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government to advance the needs of young people in the regions.

“This group has been selected from more than 140 applicants, and includes two young people from each of the State’s 9 regions who will meet throughout the year to focus on the NSW Regional Youth Framework pillars: work readiness, wellbeing, connectivity and community,” Mr Franklin said.

“Throughout the year the Taskforce will join me and senior representatives from Government and its agencies to have their say about services, programs and infrastructure that is important to them.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government knows there’s no better way to be informed on the issues that matter to young people in regional and rural NSW than to hear them directly from this exceptional group of young people.

“In the role, our 18 new members will hone their skills in driving policy change, advocate for real outcomes for young people, and provide a voice for regional youth within the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

Katie Barnett from Kentucky says she’s thrilled to represent rural and regional Australia and, most importantly, her region of New England North West.

“I feel privileged to have this opportunity and am looking forward to my time on the 2023 Regional Youth Taskforce. I’d like to see more opportunities for young people in my community including more employment, better housing and education,” Ms Barnett said.

Fellow Taskforce Member Jack Lyon echoed her sentiments.

“Young people, no matter what walk of life they come from, deserve more opportunities and better outcomes in the future than they have now,” Mr Lyon said.

“I want to see more work ready outcomes, youth empowerment, a stronger sense of community and perhaps a different focus for how to prevent youth mental health problems.”

Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall congratulated Katie and Jack on their appointment.

“Kate and Jack will be excellent ambassadors and advocates for the needs of our region and their peers – I wish them every success,” Mr Marshall said.

Mr Franklin thanked the outgoing 2022 Regional Youth Taskforce for their input guiding major NSW Government policy decisions.

“Some of the 2022 Taskforce’s achievements include raising awareness of the need for more mental health support for regional young people, improving messaging to youth about the harms of vaping and inclusion and awareness for LGBTQIA+ young people living in the regions,” Mr Franklin said.

“I congratulate the members of the new 2023 Taskforce and look forward to working with them and hearing their views on how the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government can continue to serve young people across regional NSW.”

Get more information on the Regional Youth Taskforce.

by Action4Agriculture

Reflections on 2022 from our Young Farming Champions Leadership Team

As we venture forth into a new year and put some distance between ourselves and the lockdowns, restrictions and online world of the pandemic, we want to take a moment to reflect on the Young Farming Champions (YFC) program and lessons learnt in 2022. We spoke with four YFC alumni – Jo Newton, Dione Howard, Franny Earp and Emily May – to get their impressions of the year that was. We found that the highlights have been mentoring from a supportive community, while a wish-list includes face-to-face workshops (or conferences) and long-term funding to secure the future of the program.

What made you proud about being a YFC in 2022?

Dione: “I am proud of the mentoring relationships that have been developed and continued this year between YFC alumni and new program participants. The support extends beyond the program and its workshops, to mentoring throughout many big life decisions that our YFC are making.”

Jo: “Peer-to-peer mentoring was particularly evident in the preparation of school presentations, with YFC presenting in front of one another and providing advice and support to each other.”

Franny: “The YFC community is a supportive space that allows for mentorship and collaboration. I have experienced this community both in terms of YFC activities such as workshops and school presentations, but I have also experienced the community on a personal level through the new friendships I have formed within the YFC community.”

Emily: “I was proud of the way many YFC stepped up this year and embarked on school presentations as part of the Paddock Pen Pals Program and I was especially proud of the YFC who mentored their fellow YFC.”

 

A big part of YFC is the Innovation Hub (iHub) where YFC get to workshop big ideas. What did this look like in 2022?

Jo: “Having been a YFC since 2013, this year I am most proud of watching newer YFC like Emily and Franny step up and become involved with the iHub and continue their own leadership journeys.”

Dione: “For the iHub, I am proud of the ongoing efforts to deliver Paddock Pen Pals [into schools] and connect with students across Australia. It is the perfect representation of how Action4Agriculture and YFC have adapted during challenging times over the past few years.”

Franny: “Over the year the iHub has experienced many changes including additions to the leadership team and the structure of the hub. I am proud of the way that iHub operates as a ‘flat’ hierarchy ( holacracy), which allows for each member to assume different roles and responsibilities that speak to them and their interests. I believe this ‘flat’ structure will continue to improve the hub’s communication and coordination.”

Emily: “While navigating the change in the iHub structure we were able to host various sessions and support our fellow YFC despite being a very small team of volunteers. This was very fulfilling and rewarding to be a part of.”

 

Image source 

 

It feels like everyone is a bit over online learning after the pandemic. What things could be done differently to improve YFC and the iHub?

Dione: “I would love to see YFC have the opportunity to attend a face-to-face workshop. The life skills and friendships I have made from face-to-face YFC workshops over the years will stay with me forever.”

Jo: “I think we could probably improve the on-boarding process for new iHub members to help them understand how it works.”

Franny: “I also feel that it would be helpful to provide an on-boarding activity to iHub. As a new member this year, a clearer vision of what iHub hopes to achieve and clear action points would lead to significant change.”

Emily: “I believe more regular accountability workshops would be of benefit. This would allow us to understand everyone’s work and stress loads and evaluate people who may either need a bit of a break to unwind or may need a bit more additional support during busy times. It also provides a structured session for a bit of a debrief, which we all need from time to time in a safe environment.”

 

What would you do if you could wave your magic wand for YFC?

Jo: “If I had a magic wand I’d provide long-term stable funding to the YFC program as it truly is one-of-a-kind in its approach to building capacity and supporting the development in agriculture’s current and future leaders.”

Dione: “I would wave my magic wand for ongoing funding for YFC, face-to-face workshops and the travel to get there – how many waves does the wand get? It would also be ideal to have administrative support for Lynne for the YFC – everything from on-boarding to following up RSVPs and presentation preparation.”

Franny: “I would love to see an in-person event. In my ideal world, we would have a conference-like event that went for several days and included both workshops as well as opportunities for YFC members to present their own research/work.”

Emily: “My favourite and the most rewarding part of the whole YFC family is the impact I can have on those around me through sharing my experiences and assisting others to follow their goals. While encouraging people to do this is always difficult, having a system that more heavily encourages the giving back portion may just be the push some people need to get them to step up and experience the sense of fulfilment and the greater appreciation for the work that goes into creating this program.”

 

Final words?

Jo: “To me the community of YFC alumni continues to be a place of shared values and source of inspiration and I hope that the community of YFC can continue to support, nurture and champion one another.”

Dione: “The YFC network is a family where we can learn, grow, and learn some more. We have the opportunity to practice difficult conversations and overcome challenges that instill us with skills for life. The community of practice that has been created over the years is something to be immensely proud of, which includes tried and tested ways that we know work well for young people.”

Franny: “In my eyes, I see YFC as a community network and as a training program. I believe that the network is future-proofed because we have some strong and loyal YFC alumni who are passionate about keeping the conversation alive and work closely with new YFC to help them feel supported.”

Emily: “For me the YFC alumni network is a community of likeminded individuals who share in each other’s wins and learn from each other’s losses. It is a community we can all call upon for support, assistance and guidance but also a community that enriches and inspires others in both the agricultural and wider world to look to us as role models.”

by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions Muster November 2022

 

 

 

Headline Act

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

The Team

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

 

In the Field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Out of the Field

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

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

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

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

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

 

Prime Cuts

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

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

 

 

Personal Highlights

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

#creatingabetterworldtogether #YouthVoices #YoungFarmingChampions #Action4Agriculture