It's a good thing Aly Bunton loves talking to people, as her Public Affairs role with Bayer Crop Science Australia depends on good relationships. And it's not just with the suits in Canberra; Aly is well-connected with scientists and farmers all over to ensure Bayer stays on the front foot of industry issues globally, and that Governments are aware of how different policies impact Aussie farmers. With no previous ties to farming, a career in agriculture was a little unexpected for Aly. She expla...
Jun 23, 2025•36 min•Season 6Ep. 105
In an increasingly noisy world, how can ag speak with a unified, consistent voice? The changing dynamics of agricultural advocacy in Australia has caught our attention, and we're keen to explore whether industry representation is still 'fit for purpose' in a rapidly shifting political and social landscape. With around 270 farm advocacy bodies in Australia with a combined annual spend of $400-600 million, there's no shortage of voices sticking up for ag. But how effective are they in delivering g...
Jun 16, 2025•52 min•Season 6Ep. 104
Cattleman Stuart Austin doesn't shy away from a challenge and his next venture is no exception. Stuart is well-known for his work in the natural capital space in his former role as General Manager of Wilmot Cattle Company, a regenerative grass fed beef operation in NSW. In this chat with Tom & Mick, Stuart explains the various arms of his new venture Audacious Agriculture and the land-use challenges he's noticing overseas, which he thinks we could learn from. Despite the career pivot, his pa...
Jun 09, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 103
It's not often you get the chance to hit the pause button, zoom out and look at the bigger picture of your farming business. Farmers are often great at being operational - getting the crop in, or managing livestock cycles - but perhaps not as well practiced at thinking through a strategic plan: where you want your business to go and how you want to go about it. Many of us tend to simply let things unfold and that's why Jeanette Long's pearls of wisdom are so helpful - she's a director, trainer a...
Jun 04, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 102
Six years ago, South Australian accountant Tom Cosentino ditched his day job and bought a cattle property without ever having touched a cow before. Relying on YouTube to learn the basics, Tom reckons his naivete has also helped endear him to other farmers willing to teach. Hear how Tom feels great freedom without the ‘generational inertia’ behind him, and perhaps under less pressure than those who’ve inherited a family businesses. He shares his rollercoaster experience as a first-generation farm...
Jun 02, 2025•48 min•Season 6Ep. 101
It's time to level up our produce game! There are few things more disappointing than biting into a floury apple, or cutting open a bruised avocado... if only we knew what mango to choose based on skin spots, or how to best store pears so they ripen perfectly… That, friends, is the mission of our next guest, Thanh ‘The Fruit Nerd’ Truong. He's put a modern spin on the traditional fruiterer, using his growing social media profile to share entertaining tips on choosing, storing and prepping fruit a...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 100
In this second episode of our AgRi-silience series, Jono Mudge gives a glimpse into the realities of stepping up as the next generation in a family business. It hasn't been an easy run of seasons for mixed farmers in South Australia's mid-north, but the AgRi-silience program came at the perfect time for Jono - deflecting his attention away from the seemingly endless dust, to what he can control. From the humble workshop whiteboard to navigating new apps, Jono explains how simple tools are leadin...
May 19, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 99
After a brief hiatus, Tom and Mick are back at it... This time they sit down with their first international guest, José Paz Vermal of Argentina, to discuss the current state of play in the wool market. Summary This chat delves into the dynamics of the global wool market, discussing current trends and challenges. The market hasn't been flash for a while, but José thinks that can be turned around with a focus on quality and better marketing. Find out what opportunities there are for growers in 'na...
May 14, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 98
Succession planning is complicated territory for any business, but perhaps more so in farming with families at the core of most operations. It's not just relationships and family legacies that hinge on effective succession planning, it also plays a critical role in building strategic foresight, sustainability and continuity into a business. Succession is delicate stuff, so we thought we'd draw on the experience of accountant Chloe Arthur and lawyer Kirsty Evans to learn what can make the process...
May 12, 2025•56 min•Season 6Ep. 97
In the first episode of this special AgRi-silience series, we visit Mark and Rachel McInerney at Riverton, South Australia, to hear how they navigate adversity by redefining their roles on the farm and turning professional development into a catalyst for business renewal. In this chat you'll hear: How an HR masterclass became the starting point for major business change The impact of back-to-back climate challenges and how they planned through uncertainty How weekly planning, clear roles, and ex...
May 05, 2025•54 min•Season 6Ep. 96
A couple weeks back, I spotted through the Global Food Forum that Nutrien Ag Solutions has decided to partner with Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia. This move marks a big investment in how the ag industry interacts with the next generation of producers. So I decided to ring up Carissa Buckland, who works in Nutrien as their Director of Corporate Affairs. Carissa shares her unconventional journey from studying history and politics to working on farms and eventually climbing the c...
Apr 28, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 95
Derek Peterson has had a colorful career. He's found himself at the head of ROAM, an agriculture tech company trying to solve the problem of methane emissions. But he didn't get there following the 'traditional path.' In this chat we cover his career so far, from working on Wall Street to becoming a visionary entrepreneur whose journey expertise bridge traditional agriculture, finance, and the emerging industry of — medicinal cannabis. In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, we dive into the i...
Apr 22, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 94
When I got a chance to head to evokeAg this year, I heard Jocie Bate speaking and thought to myself, we need to get her on the podcast! I came across an extraordinary character whose ideas may just revolutionise the future of agriculture. "It's amazing how quickly the sector is evolving," says Jocie Bate on her mission to fully automate the paddock with robotics. Jocie Bate and her husband, Andrew, founded SwarmFarm Robotics, a pioneering agtech business transforming how we think about farming s...
Apr 14, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 93
“If we don’t get it right, the opportunity will be given to people post the farm gate. And it’ll happen to farmers again.” Hugh Killen's CV is incredibly impressive, he's spent decades working across the globe in finance and markets, before returning home to work in aussie agriculture. In this chat, we explore Hugh's time in finance, his time leading publicly listed iconic Australian Ag companies, and his mission today at the helm of Impact Ag Australia to help Aussie farmers seize the opportuni...
Apr 07, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 92
Tess Cook grew up on her families beef property in Queensland. When she was on stage at evokeAG, she mentioned the challenge and lack of understanding of different career pathways in Ag. Now this is so interesting because it’s being talked about a lot, but talking isn’t solving much - we want to know more to see what we can do! Tess recently moved to Matamata, New Zealand, to begin her career as a vet and we can’t wait to follow her career! 00:00 Tess Cook's Journey to Veterinary Medicine 10:08 ...
Apr 02, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 91
We’re sitting down with Lauren Roellgen this week. She wears a few different hats including aa an Associate Director at LAWD, a farmer-in-training on her family farm, and the Chair of the Future Farmers Network. She shares her family’s inspiring journey from Germany to Australia, how they built a successful cotton farming enterprise, and the modern challenges of succession planning, sustainability, and innovation in agriculture. In this episode, you will hear: - Lauren's family journey from Germ...
Mar 31, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 90
EvokeAg is one of the premier events for agrifood tech and innovation, and this year’s edition in Brisbane took things to a new level. In this episode, Oli catches up with Harriet Mellish, General Manager at AgriFutures Australia, to unpack what went into making EvokeAg 2025 a success, the evolving conversations in the agri-tech space, and how the event itself operates like a startup—iterating and improving each year. In this episode, you will hear about: - EvokeAg as a Startup - What Worked in ...
Mar 26, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 89
This episode is part of our partnership with Cotton Australia, we’re joined by Liz Stott, a cotton grower and the Deputy Chair of Cotton Australia. She brings a plethora of insights into the industry's innovations, sustainability efforts, and leadership development programs that are defining the Australian Cotton industry. Then, I have a yarn with Jim Gall, CEO of RB Sellars, to discuss why the iconic Australian workwear brand is now incorporating Australian grown cotton into its garments and wh...
Mar 25, 2025•33 min•Season 6Ep. 88
I first met Ed Currenti in the sheep yards at Mount Hesse, over more than 15 years we've stayed in touch and followed each others journeys closely. Ed is the General Manager at Prestige Foods, in our chat he shares his journey from a city upbringing to a successful career in agriculture and food production. He discusses the importance of mentorship, the role of education in understanding food sources, and the innovative practices at Prestige Foods. The conversation highlights the significance of...
Mar 18, 2025•50 min•Season 6Ep. 87
Joining us from his ute on top of a hill during a busy week of shearing is the 2025 Zanda McDonald Award winner from Australia, Jack O'Connor. Jacko is the General Manager at his family mixed farming operation, Oxton Park. His career has seen him working on farms in developing countries such as Uganda, in the Head Office for Meat and Livestock Australia and now back home in Harden, NSW. In this chat we cover; The moment he found out he won the award from the shearing shed reflecting on his life-...
Mar 14, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 86
Maegen Blom is the Operations Manager within her family owned business Mills Bay Mussels. She is the 2025 Zanda McDonald Award winner from New Zealand , so we thought we would love to get to know a bit more about her and share it with you! We cover: How she found out that she'd won, a bit more about the vertically integrated business selling direct to businesses and households, her role and passion for supporting and promoting the aquaculture industry in New Zealand and what the year ahead has i...
Mar 12, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 85
In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , host Oli Le Lievre sits down with fourth-generation pineapple farmer Bert Harris. From his family's century-long farming legacy in Queensland to the modern-day challenges of growing pineapples, dragon fruit, and pumpkins, Bert shares insights into the evolution of farming, his deep connection to the land, and the future of Australian agriculture. Highlights: – Bert’s family has been growing pineapples for nearly 100 years, adapting to urban expansion an...
Mar 10, 2025•37 min•Season 6Ep. 84
What does world-class gelato have to do with agriculture? A whole lot, as it turns out and a world of flavour! In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Steve Arnold and Keegan Ryan from Gelato Messina, one of Australia's most iconic gelato brands. With over 30 stores across the country, Messina isn’t just about delicious scoops—it’s a vertically integrated food business, growing its own ingredients and sourcing directly from Australian farms. Steve, a former c...
Mar 03, 2025•25 min•Season 6Ep. 83
In this week of Humans of Agriculture we have the pleasure of catching Paul Niven. Paul has come back to Australia after a long career working within China’s dairy industry. He’s a seasoned agricultural leader with a wealth of experience agribusiness and international consulting. He paints a picture of how his small roots from growing up on a farm in Central New South Wales eventually lead to working in China’s rapidly evolving dairy industry. Paul provides unique insights into the challenges an...
Feb 19, 2025•46 min•Season 6Ep. 82
For Liz, it was easy to fall for her now husband with their shared love of nature. It became their dream to purchase their first farm and test out a theory they had in Uni - that agriculture and conservation could live in harmony rather than conflict. In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli Le Lievre sits down with Liz Blair to discuss how agricultural practices can reframe their relationship with the world around them. Liz grew up in Scotland before moving to Australia where she learned ...
Feb 10, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 81
It’s 35 degrees in this industrial area of Moorabbin on Melbourne’s fringes. 6 Australian butchers are 3 hours into their final preparations before they head to France and we’ve got the privilege of seeing this closed session! Oli sits down with Luke Leyson and Tom Bouchier, as they prepare to represent Australia at the World Butchers’ Challenge 2025 in Paris. Dubbed the "Olympics of Meat," this high-stakes competition sees teams from around the world showcase their butchery skills, creativity, ...
Feb 03, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 80
Welcome to part 3 of our mini-series on agricultural financing, partnered with Legacy Livestock. We wrap up our conversation Richard Brimblecombe, CEO of Legacy Livestock, by exploring the transformative role of livestock financing in modern agriculture and how innovative solutions are empowering Australian farming families. Richard shares his journey from cattle property life in Queensland to leading Legacy Livestock, a company dedicated to helping progressive producers unlock the full potentia...
Jan 27, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 79
The three-generation curse. Perhaps you've heard this ominous phrase before. Farming families know the reality all to well that their land and careers are built over generations. So why is it so common to hear stories of how quickly all that hard work can become undone? And is it possible to avoid this curse? In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , we sit down with Ben Law, a former financial advisor who had enough of the fluff and became "The Financial Bloke" and founder of AgriCoach. Ben sh...
Jan 20, 2025•54 min•Season 6Ep. 78
James Wagstaff reflects on his 20-year career with The Weekly Times, one of the most consumed print news publications among ag folks. It can feel like print is in flux thanks to the shift to digital platforms and indie social media content creators. However, with a focus on quality over quantity, James shares the big stories that have shaped the agricultural space, his life as a journalist, and the readers who keep coming back for more. In this episode, Oli sits down with James Wagstaff, the edi...
Dec 18, 2024•41 min•Season 6Ep. 77
Uncertainty of reaching the finish line is always on the mind of an ultra-marathon runner like Michael Crowley. But by pushing through, you can make the unbelievable possible. Such is the story for Australian agriculture and the long future ahead of it. In this episode, Oli sits down with Michael Crowley who recently took up the top job with Meat and Livestock Australia. They dive into Michael's history with AG, the time he ran 100 km for mental health, and his dream of passing on a sense of ste...
Dec 10, 2024•41 min•Season 6Ep. 76
