Beyond the Farm Gate

John Clohesy is a fourth-generation farmer with a broadacre cropping and livestock operation near Sea Lake in Victoria. He is also the Chair of the Royal Hotel Co-op. In this episode, John explains how his farming operation has changed over the years and how evolving technology has influenced his business. He also opens up about the circumstances that led the Sea Lake community to become joint own...

Guy Webb is the Global Agronomic Lead at Loam Bio. Loam Bio is undertaking significant agricultural, microbial, and climate science research and development to improve farms by removing excess carbon from the atmosphere and returning it to agricultural soil, resulting in healthier, more productive farms while fighting climate change. In this episode, Guy reveals the evolution of Loam Bio and how t...

Nathan Free is the President of the Victorian Farmers Federation Horticulture Council and co-manages a leading organic produce and stone fruit farm with his family in Lake Boga, in Northwest Victoria. His journey from a humble roadside stall to a Nuffield Scholar and a key figure in the VFF is nothing short of remarkable. In this episode, Nathan delves into his agricultural journey, his dedication...

This episode is part two of our two-part chat with Hugh Dawson. In the last episode, we heard how Hugh ended up as the Head Stockman for one of the Northern Territory’s largest cattle stations and the industry groups and not-for-profit organisations he got involved with while he was there. In this episode, Hugh tells the story of how he decided to leave the NT to study at Marcus Oldham College, hi...

Hugh Dawson is a young agriculturalist whose love of the industry has taken him all over Australia. Hugh grew up on his family’s farm in South Australia, but after high school, he found himself as the Head Stockman on a 2.6 million acre station in the Northern Territory. In this episode, Hugh shares his journey to the Northern Territory, the lessons he learnt as a leader, and why he’s so passionat...

Pip Grant is the CEO of Riverine Plains Inc. Riverine Plains Inc. specialises in farmer-driven research and extension to benefit broadacre farmers in Victoria and New South Wales. Throughout her career, Pip has been on the cutting edge of agritech innovation and has committed her life to programs and technology to improve outcomes for farmers and rural communities. In this episode, Pip digs into A...

The Hon David Littleproud MP is the Leader of The National Party, Member for Maranoa, and Federal Shadow Minister for Agriculture. David has represented Queensland’s Maranoa region since 2016 and held many positions in the Federal Parliament. However, his connection to ag started much earlier than that: growing up on the family farm near Chinchilla. In this episode, David opens up about his approa...

Fiona Best is the CEO of Birchip Cropping Group. Birchip Cropping Group, or BCG, is a Victorian not-for-profit agricultural research group run by and for farmers and is dedicated to increasing prosperity for all farmers through scientific research and innovative strategies. In this episode, Fiona shares how her growing up on a farm influenced her career choices, how her journey to the boardroom in...

Florance McGufficke is the Elders NSW Livestock and Stud Stock Sales Support Officer in Dubbo. In 2023, Florance was recognised as an ambassador for women in rural NSW when she was named the Land Sydney Royal AgShows NSW Young Woman of the Year which was previously known as Sydney Royal Showgirl. In this episode, Florance speaks about the opportunities life in agriculture has given her and shares...

Michael Robertson is the Director of CSIRO Agriculture and Food. The CSIRO is an iconic Australian scientific organisation that has had agricultural research as a cornerstone of its work for almost a century. In this episode, Michael will break down the tangible effects that past agricultural research has had on Australian farmers as well as the research the CSIRO is currently undertaking. He’ll a...

Bianca Tarrant is the CEO of Our Cow. Following extreme bushfires in 2019, Bianca and her partner Dave created Our Cow which is an online subscription service providing Australian meat directly from the farmer to the customer. In this episode, Bianca will open up about the issues that she and many other Australian farmers struggle with, the genesis of Our Cow, and where she hopes the business goes...

Jack Jordan-Hill is a Product Specialist for CLAAS LEXION harvesters in Australia. Jack has travelled the world because of ag, from delivering product presentations in Europe to harvesting grain in the United States. But his love of ag started at home, in Victoria, as a child on his family farm. In this episode, Jack shares the opportunities afforded to him by a career in agriculture and why he lo...

Dr Anthony Young is a Senior Lecturer in Crop Protection at the University of Queensland. For over 20 years, Anthony has been researching how to detect and prevent diseases affecting agriculture. He is also passionate about creating beneficial microbial communities for improved soil health and better agricultural outcomes for farmers. In this episode, Anthony explains how current ag research is be...

Tim Rethus is a farmer in Horsham, Victoria. Before pursuing his passion for ag as a dryland broadacre cropping farmer, Tim was a chemical engineer. Today, he uses the lessons he learned in chemical engineering on his farm to innovate and push the envelope. In this episode, Tim shares his early connection to ag before heading off to university and pursuing a career as a chemical engineer. He’ll el...

It's been a while, and Annie is back with some exciting announcements from the world of Rural Bank podcasts. Firstly, 'Beyond the Farm Gate' is making a comeback! So keep an eye out for some fresh new episodes coming soon. Annie will be passing along the torch to some new voices who'll be continuing to shine a light on great ag stories from across the country. Plus, we've just launched a brand new...

Original publish date: Tue 09 Nov 2021. Oli Le Lievre is the Founder of Humans of Agriculture, a modern media company that aims to strengthen the connection between the food and fibre system, as well as the broader community, by making agriculture more relatable. In this episode, Oli shares his journey, from growing up in Sydney, to jackarooing, before completing his studies at Marcus Oldham Colle...

Original publish date: Tue 10 May 2022. Catherine Velisha is a third-generation farmer with a passion for business and creating opportunities. Her first-hand experience on the farm shapes her newest venture, the Velisha Education Group (VEG), as she works to promote pathways into horticulture, and safety on the farm. In this episode, Catherine shares the story of how her family started in horticul...

Original publish date: Tue 12 Oct 2021. Growing up on a farm, Andi White has always had agriculture in her blood. And while Andi and her husband Hayden have been living and working on the same farm in NSW’s Tocumwal for the past 16 years, they’ve always dreamed of owning their own farm. That opportunity came in 2020 when the property they’d been managing for the past 10 years went up for sale — an...

Original publish date: Tue 06 Jul 2021. Shanna Whan is the CEO of Sober in the Country, a national advocacy program for social change in the bush. In this episode, Shanna shares her (very) personal journey, from growing up in her local rural scene to her battle with alcohol — which led her to start 'Sober in the Country'. She’s determined to spread the message that ‘It’s ok to say no to a beer’ th...

Original publish date: Tue 16 Mar 2021. James Walker is a fifth-generation farmer from Longreach in Queensland. In between farming James is an accomplished entrepreneur with a focus on improving profitability in the livestock industry. In this episode, you'll hear how innovation has future-proofed James' family farm, how he's diversified his income stream through AgriTourism and AgTech, and how he...

Original publish date: Tue 16 Feb 2021. Agriculture, why wouldn't you want to be a part of it? So says today's guest, Tom Murphy of Kulin in Western Australia. As you listen to Tom speak, it’s easy to tell that he truly loves farming. And his passion for farming runs deep. It's a passion that's led him on a journey across the Nullarbor and back, working for some of the biggest names in Australian...

Kate Nicolson runs Croftdown, a property in Bathurst, where she runs miniature donkeys, highland cows, and Angus beef cattle; with a particular passion for her donkeys. Kate grew up in a traditional farming background, surrounded by sheep, horses, and cattle, which she left to pursue a career in bushfire science, before ultimately being pulled back to rural life. In today's episode, Kate details h...

Dr Rachel Carey is a Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, with expertise in all things food systems. Whilst working as a cook on a remote cattle station in Queensland, UK-local Rachel realised how good the food culture was, and how it was tied directly to how much food was grown near the city. As a result, she's since conducted research on the governance of sustainable food syst...

Greg Kuchel is the Regional Manager of Agribusiness with Rural Bank for both the Wimmera and Mallee regions. Greg also sits on the board of the Birchip Cropping Group — a key industry body for growers in the region. Despite growing up in South Australia, Greg has become well and truly entrenched in Victoria's Wimmera farming community, and he's passionate about not only farming but also supp...

Kate McBride is a fifth-generation farmer from New South Wales and the youngest member to sit on the Western Local Land Services board. Kate uses her agriculture experience to advocate for drought and water management and the importance of understanding the role that climate change plays in these areas. Her advocacy work has led her to become an Anne Kantor Fellow at the Australia Institute, where...