Humans of Agriculture

Agriculture is built on more than land, livestock, and capital. It’s built on people, capability, and the strength of the communities that support them. In this episode, Danny Shepherd shares the thinking behind RaboElevate, Rabobank’s capability-building platform designed to support farmers and agribusiness leaders through every stage of their career. Drawing on a background in education and lead...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli Le Lievre is joined by SproutAg Senior Agribusiness Manager, Oscar McLean , alongside Humans of Agriculture Talent Specialist, Zoe Burgess , to explore the opportunities available as SproutAg continues its rapid growth across regional Australia. After starting his career in agtech before moving into agricultural banking, Oscar shares the journey that l...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli sits down with Hamish Irvine, Head of Southern States at Halter Australia , to explore the technology, leadership and mindset driving one of agriculture’s fastest-growing companies . Growing up on a mixed farming operation in western New South Wales, Hamish always imagined a future on the land. But after drought forced a change in direction, his career...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli heads to the windswept coastline of Seaspray in Gippsland to sit down with first-generation farmer Danna Boulton . Growing up just down the road on her family’s dairy farm, Danna always dreamed of farming - but like many young Australians, the pathway to ownership wasn’t straightforward. After building a career as a teacher, making sacrifices, studyin...

This business spotlight episode is a practical deep dive into the Regional Investment Corporation , how it works, why it exists, and how it’s helping farmers manage risk and build stronger businesses. CEO John Howard shares his journey across agriculture, food, and finance and breaks down how concessional loans can provide breathing room during tough seasons and create opportunities for long-term...

This week, Oli sits down with farmers Chris and Nick Blunt at their family farm near Orange, NSW .  The Blunts know the importance of water, and Chris can use his water divining skills to find it, but he needed the capital in order to support the business survive and ultimately rebound from the drought.  In this episode, Chris Blunt shares how a lifetime on the land has helped him build deep insti...

The Tom & Mick Show is back!! With a timely livestock market update as rain finally arrives across much of eastern Australia and confidence begins returning to the paddock. Tom and Mick are joined once again by Riverina livestock agent James Tierney from Riverina Livestock Agents to unpack what's happening in the cattle and sheep markets, how producers are approaching restocking, and whether t...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli sits down in the paddock with Brodie Game , who shares how she and her husband Kevin went from milking two cows on a travelling stock reserve to building a high-performing dairy business in the Bega Valley. Along the way, they’ve navigated drought, fire, financial constraints - and the reality of being first-generation farmers without a clear roadmap....

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli Le Lievre sits down with Nathan Potter, CEO of Pavilion Farms , to unpack the future of precision agriculture and why Pavilion Farms is now searching for an AgTech Lead to help shape the next chapter of the business. From growing up on chicken farms in Victoria to building a career in management consulting with PwC across Australia and London, Nathan...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli Le Lievre sits down with Julie Schofield, Executive Business Unit Leader of Private Business Services at Boyce , to unpack one of the biggest changes coming for employers in more than 30 years: Payday Super. From 1 July 2026, businesses will be required to pay superannuation at the same time employees are paid , rather than monthly or quarterly. While...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli Le Lievre shares a very different kind of conversation, part late-night reflection, part Instagram live announcement, as he opens up about a major shift happening at Humans of Agriculture. Parlty recorded at 2am and continued via an Instagram Live, this episode captures a raw and honest moment behind the scenes at Humans of Agriculture. Oli takes list...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli Le Lievre sits down with Blair Davies, Assistant Commercial Manager at Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino Company), for a conversation that spans five decades in the wool industry. Blair’s story is one of deep industry knowledge, long-term commitment, and an enduring passion for natural fibre . From working in wool stores as a student to spending 23...

(Image: Supplied) In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli sits down with Sarah McDonald, Head of Sustainable Impact at Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino) to unpack the reality behind sustainable wool . Sarah sits at the intersection of growers and global brands, her role is to translate what’s happening on farm into credible, measurable data that brands can trust and consumers can believ...

The Tom & Mick show continues with a practical conversation on livestock trading, grazing systems, business resilience and long-term decision making. Tom and Mick are joined by Nigel Kerin , CEO of Kerin Ag , to unpack how his business approaches livestock trading, forward contracts, pasture management, Wagyu, and the systems that drive profitability through both dry and strong seasons. From t...

Charlie Blomfield isn’t just building a farm business, he’s building a voice that agriculture can’t afford to ignore. In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli sits down with Charlie Blomfield at Boridgeree, just outside Canowindra in Central West NSW . Farmer, business owner, marketer and one of the most talked-about voices in Australian agriculture right now, Charlie shares what’s driving h...

This is a special Humans of Agriculture “radio-style” episode recorded at CommBank’s Cultivate event in the Hunter Valley - bringing together voices from across the agricultural supply chain. Across four mini-conversations, we unpack the key forces shaping modern agriculture:  Innovation and ag tech adoption   Succession and family business transition   Financial strategy and risk   Market dynamic...

What if agriculture’s biggest opportunity isn’t on farm, but in the classroom? In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli sits down with Scott Graham, Head of Agriculture at Barker College in Sydney . From a a student base that’s almost entirely from the city, Scott has built the largest Year 12 agriculture cohort in Australia , completely reshaping how young people see the industry. Scott isn...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , we sit down with Jack Ternouth, Head of Commercial Operations at Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino Company) , for a conversation that captures what’s possible when curiosity , grit , and opportunity collide in agriculture. Jack didn’t grow up on a farm, but through sheer determination and a willingness to learn, he’s built a career from the ground up i...

(Image: Supplied) In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli and Mick Corcoran sit down with Angus Street , CEO of Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino) , for a full-circle conversation on leadership, legacy, and the future of wool. From growing up on a farm in northern NSW to navigating job loss during the GFC, launching startups in China, and leading major ag businesses, Angus shares an hone...

What happens when you put nature first in a cattle business ? In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , Oli sits down with Carly Baker-Burnham from Bonnie Doone Beef in Queensland’s North Burnett. Together with her husband Grant, Carly has helped reshape their grazing operation by focusing on landscape health, intensive rotational grazing and long-term stewardship. That shift eventually led them...

As fuel pressure builds across parts of regional Australia, we wanted to step into the conversation in a way that is clear, factual and useful. Not to add to panic, but to help our audience understand what is actually happening, what it means for agriculture, and what bigger questions this moment is exposing around resilience, preparedness and national priorities. And when it comes to conversation...

A short sharp and quick chat with the 2026 Zanda McDonald Award Winners. 2026 Winners: Karn Dhaliwal (NZ): Founder and owner of Ohinewai Harvest Ltd and Dhaliwal Ag Ltd in Waikato, recognised for his entrepreneurial approach to horticulture. Bryce Neyland (AU): A civil engineer for Select Harvests in New South Wales, focused on large-scale, transformative rural developments and almond orchard infr...

Johno Mackay grew up remote in the Northern Territory, shaped by hard work, risk-taking parents, and a deep love for the bush. In this conversation, Johno shares the path from School of the Air and station life to building a contract mustering and fencing business in Northern Australia, before an accident in his team pushed him into an entirely new chapter: ag tech. What followed was the creation...

Australian agriculture runs on more than crops, livestock, and markets. It runs on people and communities . In this episode, Skye Ward shares the story behind the Rabobank Community Fund , a program designed to invest directly into grassroots initiatives across rural and regional Australia. Since launching in 2021, the fund has invested over $4 million into projects that strengthen leadership, imp...

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture , we dive deep into the innovative world of AMPS Agribusiness . Join us as we sit down with Tony Lockrey , a seasoned agronomist and leader who has dedicated decades to the fields of Northern New South Wales. Tony takes us "under the hood" of AMPS's unique, grower-led model that fast-tracks agricultural research from institutions directly into the paddock....