Beef industry innovator

At the time of the Award, Alison McIntosh was Principal of AJM Livestock Solutions, a business that offers beef cattle producers a number of specialised services including electronic data capture for improved herd management and compliance to the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS).

Alison’s Award ambition was to further her leadership contribution to the beef industry through further education and networking and to support the uptake by beef cattle producers of new technology for improved herd management, through the production of an industry training package.

While Alison did not receive a Bursary, awarded only to winners, she continued to pursue her leadership ambitions and in 2011 was accepted into the Australian Rural Leadership Program (Course 18).

Alison’s contribution to the beef industry was acknowledged with her selection as the winner of the NAB Agribusiness and Cattle Council of Australia ‘Rising Champion’ Award.

The Award required Alison to speak and attend several events. She was dinner speaker at the Youth Ag Central Forum hosted by the Future Farmers Network.

Alison was appointed a Director on the Board of the Australian Beef Industry Foundation.

Rural sustainability campaigner

At the time of the Award, Claire Penniceard had been farming for the previous two decades and was the owner and sole Director of The Pig Pen Pty Ltd, a significant pig production business that grows out pigs in north-east Victoria on contract to service specialist export markets.

The Pig Pen’s environmental credentials have received a number of Awards, including the Pork Industry Environmental Stewardship Award and the only farming enterprise ever to become a national finalist in the Banksia Awards.

The challenges of getting approval from her shire council to set up an intensive enterprise on her own broad acre farm is what motivated Claire’s Award ambition. Claire believed that shires across Australia were having to come to terms with significant change in land use, both for urbanisation and more intensive agricultural purposes, and the unplanned nature of this land use was causing significant social and environmental conflict over amenity and resources.

Claire’s answer to the conflict was the Precinct Strategy, a planned land use change, which allows for the strategic co-location of enterprises including intensive agriculture, industrial and conservation entities and would allow for the efficient provision and servicing of the infrastructure required for them. Leading up to the Award she spent the previous six years working on the Precinct Strategy and had created and led an industry reference group to support the planning process. The zoning process had been completed and a planning panel approved the process.

Claire believed the Precinct strategy had the potential to change how we utilise our land for sustainable agricultural production nationally against the challenges of food security. She was committed to speaking with various national bodies and agencies about her experiences and knowledge and the benefits of the Precinct Strategy.

Farmer advocate

Jane Milburn is an agricultural scientist, freelance writer and media consultant.

Jane’s Award ambition was to cultivate a fresh brand for Australian agriculture, through credible and positive stories about sustainable food production, delivered through a consumer focused web platform.

While Jane did not receive a Bursary, awarded only to winners, she continued to pursue her Award ambition, actively communicating the importance of Australian agriculture and sustainable food production and farming practices. Jane was successful in launching a trial web platform.

Jane, during her Award tenure was invited to speak and attend a number of events, including the Rural Women’s Symposium and the Westpac ‘Learn, Lead and Succeed, Queensland forum.

She has continued to promote Australian agriculture and fresh healthy produce,  and worked in the health side of food after being appointed the Communications Manager for Diabetes Australia -Queensland. She was appointed Honorary Secretary of International House Board of Management and was a Mentor to the Australian Future Grain Leaders Program.

Regional food champion

At the time of the Award, Stacey Fallon held the position of Food Development Officer with the Eyre Peninsula Regional Development Board, working with a diverse range of primary industries, including seafood, grain, meat and wine. Stacey also helped her husband run their 7,000-acre cropping and livestock property in Lock on the Eyre Peninsula.

Her professional position involved improving the region’s primary industries business capabilities, through efforts such as facilitating the entry of food companies into new markets, providing feedback to growers to stimulate new product and process development, and supporting market driven value chains, to increase the region’s food sectors sustainability.

A key focus of Stacey’s role had been the establishment and ongoing management of Brand Eyre Peninsula ‘Australia’s Seafood Frontier’, a marketing initiative designed to cement the Eyre Peninsula’s position as one of Australia’s top food producing regions.

Stacey’s vision was to see Eyre Peninsula become a market leader, by working collaboratively in sharing resources, by employing more innovative marketing and education programs and by increasing customer knowledge and appreciation for the region’s produce.

Her Award ambition was to travel to the world’s largest food market organisation; the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to learn from their marketing programs. ASMI is a world leader in marketing and had successfully implemented a number of innovative initiatives, such as consumer point-of-sale items and retail sale aids, targeted food service staff training and education programs including an interactive web based training program. The study would provide Stacey with the knowledge and know-how to execute new marketing initiatives in the Eyre Peninsula and to develop the Eyre Peninsula Retail and Food Service Seafood User Guide.

Encouraging women and youth back into agricultural industries

Erin Gorter is a broad acre farmer from Kojonup in south west Western Australia. At the time of the Award she was President of the Evergreen Farming Grower Group and Chair of WA Q Lamb.

Erin’s Award ambition was to further develop her leadership skills, to support her leadership advancement and to encourage women and youth back into agricultural industries.

While Erin did not receive a bursary, awarded only to winners, she continued to pursue her Award ambition and took up a number of additional leadership positions, including being appointed to the WA Meat Industry Authority Board, appointed Executive Officer of Southern DIRT (Dollars Information Research Technology) and Executive Officer of Evergreen Farming. Erin also completed the GrowZone Leadership Program, a six month mentoring program for rural business leaders.

Erin, through the Award, was invited to speak at a number of events, including the 2010 Farming Ahead Conference, the Lambex Conference and the Grower Group Alli­ance Forum.

Aquaculture educator

At the time of the Award, Dr Catriona Macleod was the Research Group Leader for Ecosystems Effects of Aquaculture at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute.

Catriona’s Award ambition was to improve the understanding of aquaculture’s effects on the environment and to improve the industry’s ability to mitigate and manage its environmental footprint.

While Catriona did not receive a Bursary, awarded only to winners, she continued to pursue her leadership development and her contribution to her industry.

She was elected Deputy Chair of the IMAS Reserch Committee, responsible for developing the research agenda within the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies within UTas and elected to the IMAS Education Committee.

Catriona was invited to speak at a number of significant industry events, including the Australiasian Aquaculture Conference and the International Council for Exploration of the Seas Annual Science Meeting in Nantes, France.