My name is Tom McPherson and I grew up in Canberra and moved to Sydney when I was eight years old. Except for the occasional farm visit, agriculture was not a major part of my life until high school. I developed a love for it through school and then spent some time working on a cattle station in the Northern Territory before starting my degree.
My passion is in understanding how the industry can benefit from the use of technology, and what it takes for agricultural innovations to be worthwhile for agricultural producers. When I finish my degree, I want to assist farmers in solving these challenges such as climate change, water scarcity and changes in consumer behaviour, either working in adoption programs or helping to create technologies that address their needs.
It’s such a privilege to be awarded the Horizon Scholarship in 2022. As someone wanting to better understand innovation in the industry, the opportunity to engage with leaders and peers from all parts of the agriculture sector is an invaluable opportunity. I am particularly looking forward to work placement and would love to spend more time on-farm, learning from producers about their systems and the challenges they need to solve.
Working with the AgriFutures Innovation Program is an amazing opportunity to learn about agricultural technology and its adoption in Australia. The most exciting part about working with AgriFutures is the ability to learn about the industry more broadly, rather than the specifics of one organisation or one industry.