NEXT GENERATION
ALL OVER AUSTRALIA, YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A PASSION FOR THE LAND ARE BRINGING NEW ENERGY — AND IDEAS — TO THE COUNTRY.
Meet enterprising young people from around Australia who have a passion for the land.
SAM JOHNSTON Social media campaigner
In 2014, Sam, and his friend Jim Honner co-founded the social media campaign Thank A Farmer For Your Next Meal with the aim of generating positive press about farming, farming practices and primary producers.
“We wanted to show consumers and people based in metropolitan areas where their food and fibre comes from, who makes it and how it’s made,” says the 24-year-old of the initiative, which now has approximately 90,000 followers. Sam, a rural property sales and marketing manager based in Sydney, continually engages with primary producers through his work, the Thank A Farmer For Your Next Meal network and regular trips home to his family property near Forbes, in Central West NSW.
“I would love to play a pivotal role in bridging the widening gap between city and bush, producer and consumer. I believe farmers and people from the land have a duty to continue to work closely with our city-based friends, family and consumers to show them exactly what goes on ‘on farm’. We need to give them access to more understandable information and provide transparency about where their food and fibre actually comes from, the processes involved and the people who produce it — it’s a story worth telling,” says Sam.
The pair’s recent initiatives include Phone A Farmer Day and the #Whenigrowupiwanttobeafarmer photograph competition. @thankafarmerforyournextmeal
MITCHELL EAST Regenerative agriculture farmer
Third-generation farmer, Mitchell returned to the family farm, Willara Gold, in Manjimup, Western Australia, five years ago. Now 26, he works alongside his parents and sister to produce passionfruit, broccoli and avocado as well as raise sheep. Mitchell is integrating regenerative agriculture methods, so as to limit chemical impact and minimise soil disturbance such as planting cover crops between the avocado rows.
“My goal is to produce the highest quality, safest and most ethical products I can. I’d love to see more positive movement into locally sourced, sustainable food that is grown using regenerative practices. From a consumer’s perspective, it’s about understanding why you bought your food and how its produced, not just the price of it,” he says.
Mitchell is also endeavouring to introduce and involve more young people in agriculture. “I think there’s massive potential with regenerative farming to encourage young people to join the industry.”
TESS CAMM Beef farmer
Tess oversees the successful branded beef company, Signature Beef. The 28-year-old ensures carcasses meet market requirements and customer specifications, and is involved in both sales and new product development. Tess recently won a Nuffield Australia scholarship, giving her the opportunity to study and travel overseas; her research will focus on maximising the value capture of beef co-products, including collagen, pharmaceuticals and offals.
“I love sharing personal experiences of life on the land with our chefs and retailers. It builds a valuable — and very much valued — connection between producers,” Tess explains.
Signature Beef is in the process of constructing Signature Onfarm, a bespoke processing facility in Central Queensland. Tess will focus on integrating Signature Beef’s production, utilising her connections across the whole supply chain. signaturebeef.com.au >
“I love sharing personal experiences of life on the land with chefs and retailers. It builds a valuable connection between producers…”
SAMANTHA WAN Wool technical coordinator and auctioneer
Based in Melbourne, Samantha, 31, is partnering with Australian wool growers to maximise returns, support young wool staff and identify areas of improvement.
Despite growing up in Sydney’s western suburbs, Samantha, who now works for Elders, developed a love for wool through mentoring, experience at agricultural shows and on-farm work. Wool for Everyday, her passion project, focuses on product curation and promotion. She says she enjoys the challenges, diversity and problem-solving nature of her work, as well as the opportunities to travel. In 2019, Samantha was awarded the Wool Broker Award by National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia and accepted a Youth Ambassador role with Woolproducers Australia. She also won a Young Farming Champion prize in 2017. “I hope to pay it forward by working to maximise grower returns and encouraging the next generation of agriculturalists,” she says. samanthawan.com.au
JAMES ALEXANDER Organic and biodynamic farmer
A 2020 Nuffield Australia scholar, 29-year-old James works with regenerative farmer Charlie Arnott at Hanaminno, an organic and biodynamic farm near Boorowa, NSW. They keep shorthorn cows, merino sheep and pastured pigs.
“I enjoy nurturing animals and plants and working with nature,” says James, whose Nuffield project is focused on regenerative agriculture in mixed farming businesses. “Agriculture occupies a huge amount of land around the globe and regenerative farming practices can help farmers positively impact the planet and its inhabitants. I am involved with community and industry organisations that focus on building and sharing knowledge among peers.”
SHANNON LANDMARK Veterinarian and coordinator of the University of Queensland Northern Genomics Project
Shannon, who won the 2019 Zanda Mcdonald Award (an award that recognises young people working in primary industry sectors in Australia and New Zealand), is the coordinator of the Northern Genomics Project, which aims to develop a DNA test for gene assessment in north Australian cattle. Shuttling between Mareeba, Far North Queensland and Brisbane, the 28-year-old works with 54 collaborators across Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, travelling extensively to undertake ovarian scanning and pregnancy testing of cattle. She is also completing an MBA and working on a start-up company in the field of genetics, data and beef.
“I hope to see genomic predictions adopted widely in beef cattle, with bulls bought and sold based on their genomics. I think my research background, the experience I have gained through my MBA and the mentoring I’ve received through the Zanda Mcdonald Award could give me the tools to make this happen,” she says.
RIKKI BRUCE Mechanical engineer
Rikki, 29, undertook a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering after having her son in 2011. She was nominated valedictorian for her academic and personal achievements, which now include being awarded Northern Territory Young Achiever of the Year in 2019 and a nomination for 2020 NT Young Australian of the Year.
Now halfway through a three-year graduate program, she thrives on the challenges of the industry. “I’m always learning something new as the field is broad. I like the oil and gas industry because I get to be onsite and gain exposure to various types of machinery and equipment, plus play a part in operating a liquefied natural gas plant,” she says. Rikki is also the NT Indigenous representative for Young Engineers Australia. “I hope to be a role model for other women and encourage them to consider STEM roles through mentoring/volunteering,” she adds.
JOSH MURRAY Egg producer and farmer
At 19, Josh is already an award-winning agricultural entrepreneur. His business, Josh’s Rainbow Eggs, which he started when he was nine years old, is an ethical and sustainable egg empire, with 16,000 pasture-ranging chickens producing more than 90,000 eggs per week. The chickens roam about a 100-hectare off-grid farm at Kerrie, in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. At night, the chooks sleep in state-of-the-art sheds. “Feeding is automated, there’s heating and cooling, and eggs are taken away on a conveyor belt,” says Josh. “We had a nutritionist make up a feed mix and seven Maremma sheepdogs keep an eye on them.”
Josh is currently completing a degree in Business at La Trobe University. “I’m studying marketing now, and I already know a lot of this stuff. They talk about the way a lot of industries are going into more premium products with good narratives, sustainable and ethical — and hey, that’s us!” joshsrainboweggs.com.au