Life on the Land

Australia is on the cusp of the largest transfer of intergenerational wealth the country has ever seen with nearly $5 trillion to be transferred from Baby Boomers over the next 30 years, with around 65 per cent of that wealth to be controlled by women. Ivy McGufficke is the youngest of three daughters and the fifth generation to live on Greendale Merinos – nearly 5,000 hectares running 15,000 head...

There can be some impressive distances covered in boardingschool drop offs across Australia, but surely Julia Creek to Switzerland takes the cake? Belinda and Wayne Murphy are preparing to send their incredibly talented daughter Maddie overseas to dance on the world stage. Hailing from the small outback town of Julia Creek in northwest Queensland, Belinda has long been an integral part of the Juli...

Jenny Jenner's inspired consideration of sunflowers as a drought alternative for her Scenic Rim farm has cumulated in not just a commercial success, but a driving force behind cancer care support in Queensland's south-east. Jenny is the founder of the Kalbar Sunflower Festival, which welcomes 13,000 visitors over three days to Jenny’s farm every May in Queensland’s Scenic Rim.  Here, guest...

This story started with a chance encounter between students in Western Australia and has ended with one of the greatest success stories in Australian farming. Julie and Sandy Cameron have pivoted from their early years as a nurse and a vet respectively, to wool growers to now one of the most recognisable boutique cheese brands in the country, Meredith dairy. In this episode our host Sammie O'B...

Six months ago, Millie Hardie had just started her small telehealth psychology practise. Looking for more clients, and to share her knowledge, she started an Instagram page, called @the.pocket.psychologist  One hundred and eighty two days later, the teacher and psychologist has nearly 700,000 followers. This engaged and tight knit community adore her viral videos that have been described as a cros...

Summer time means a dive into the archives for the Life on the Land podcast to highlight our favourite episodes. Cass is part of Graziher's partnerships and advertising team at Graziher and has enjoyed digging through some of the older episodes. It was Sammie's conversation with iconic Australian author Alison Lester that particularly tickled her fancy. Alison’s books have become iconic st...

It's summer time and we're celebrating by sharing some of our favourite podcast episodes. As the producer of the Life on the Land podcast, Jayne Cuddihy has the pleasure of listening to all of the conversations Sammie and Em have. While it's difficult to pick a favourite, the all encompassing adventure April Cavanagh took Emily Herbert was one for the ages. Covering everything from perimenapause,...

Graziher's summer season is always festive and to celebrate, our team picks their favourite podcast episode to share again. Life on the Land's co-host Em Herbert can't go past her conversation with Queensland Senator Susan McDonald. Quite often it’s hard to ask for help, especially when there’s a family legacy stretching back seven generations, but today’s guest, Susan McDonald, says it’s one of t...

It's the time of year when the Graziher team can pick their favourite episode to share again with our listeners. Digital editor Amie can't go past this gorgeous interview Sammie O'Brien did with Kelly Shann- Amie's mum. Amie not only discovered a few stories she didn't know about Kelly's amazing adventures, but she got to hear about her grandmother as well. After an idyllic childhood spent riding...

Graziher's Life on the Land podcast is celebrating summer with a few favourite episodes from previous seasons. Graziher’s editor, Victoria Carey has dug right into the archives and is excited to share the story of Leila McDougall. There's not a lot Leila hasn't done! In her own words, she’s had ‘a very elaborate career path’. Fashion designer, school teacher, showgirl, and now film mak...

Graziher's Life on the Land podcast is celebrating summer with a few favourite episodes from the previous year. Co-host Sammie O'Brien can't go past her chat with the delightful Penny Button. In this special edition, Sammie reflects on a special trip to interview Penny at home and how much that visit meant to her. Penny Button has spent a lifetime in western Queensland as a grazier on...

Amanda Ferrari is loud, proud and fiercely passionate aboutrural and regional Australia. With a personal mantra of ‘Lead with love, not ambition,’ Amanda takes on her many projects with enthusiasm and grit. At the helm of the Boarding School Collective, Amanda helps families across the country make one of the hardest decisions of parenting- where to send their children for high school. Her journey...

Dame Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and former Australian Ministerfor Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop have one thing in common — they have all been spotted wearing Margot McKinney’s extraordinary jewellery. Flashing aquamarines, the exquisite lightning strike of opals, tumbling tourmalines, the creamy lustre of South Sea pearls – Margot’s collections are a celebration of Australia’s natural and luxurious abu...

Women like April Cavanagh are redefining what it means to work at a national board level with heart and vulnerability. Hers is a story of grief and resilience, as well as tenacity and big-picture thinking. Highly regarded for her leadership and outcomes focus, April is a strategic thought leader with a varied business background.   A former Head of Agribusiness at Suncorp Bank, April was across a...

Carol Mudford is the 2025 Agrifutures Australia Rural Womanof the Year. The AgriFutures award celebrates women who are making animpact on rural industries, businesses and communities, and aims to inspire the next generation of female leaders.  The award shines a spotlight on some of the most inspirational, courageous, innovative and hardworking women out there, and celebrates all that rural Austra...

In the 20th season of the Life on the Land podcast, we'recelebrating women in business. Quite often it’s hard to ask for help, especially when there’s a family legacy stretching back seven generations, but today’s guest, Susan McDonald, says it’s one of the keys to success. Susan grew up on Devoncourt, a cattle station 80 kilometres south of Queensland’s Cloncurry — one of 14 properties owned and...

In the 20th season of the Life on the Land podcast, we'recelebrating women in business. As a mum and personal development coach with a background in fitness and teaching, Laura Hockey has spent the last six years searching for her own identity. As she told our Emily Herbert, it's been made more complex amid the joys and challenges of raising three little children on a nearly 3000 hectare f...

In the 20th season of the Life on the Land podcast, we're celebrating women in business. Kelly Shann is right where she needs to be. After an idyllic childhood spent riding ponies through the creek next to her house, she has traversed the world, had a stint in the city and now spends her time bonding with her horses, running a cattle business with her husband Berry and loving her family. When...

In the 20th season of the Life on the Land podcast, we're celebrating women in business. Penny Button has spent a lifetime in western Queensland as a grazier on expansive properties around the Longreach area. She took over the management of her family's property Crossmoor following the sudden loss of her husband, which was only a few short years after the death of one of her sons. In this...

If a worker is only as good as their gear, what does that mean for a stockwoman and her jeans? When Isabella Thrupp couldn’t find the perfect pair of work jeans, she started her own denim label, Prinking in Pindan — a brand born from the ancient landscape of Western Australia’s Kimberley. Isabella is the Western Australia winner of the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award. In this episode, she tak...

Kristy Hollis is a naturopath, herbalist, entrepreneur, industry advocate and mentor with more than 23 years of experience. Having worked with with more than 8000 women across the Northern Territory, Kristys' passion about reshaping health outcomes in the bush has earned her the accolade of the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year for the NT . Kristy takes a holistic, preventative approach...

In Australia, around 43 per cent of people have experienced a mental illness, 33 per cent experience loneliness and about nine die by suicide every day. These are not just numbers — they are people who are distressed, isolated and struggling.   These are statistics Sarah De Jonge wants to change. Based in Kingston, Tasmania, Sarah is the founder of 1000 Hearts, a project the mother-of-two started...

Nicole McNaughton is the first to admit she has the best stocked pantry in Queensland. As the CEO of the Food and Agribusiness Network, she has spent her career connecting small but mighty players in the agricultural supply chain, giving her exposure to some of the most delicious parts of the State. From prawns to pineapples, Nicole wants local food on local plates — because if no-one is backing t...

Kelly Johnson's connection to agriculture was formed at a young age, as the daughter of dairy farmers from Victoria’s Gippsland region. Now based in the rural town of Mypolonga in South Australia, Kelly has combined her love of the land with her experience as a scout leader to create SPhiker — a range of wholesome, easy-to-make meals crafted from surplus fruit and vegetables that are sourced f...

With a career spanning several decades, Dr Mary Cole is an absolute powerhouse. In this interview with Sammie O'Brien, her passion for sustainable agriculture is as fierce as when she first started in the industry over 45 years ago.   As the VIC AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award State Winner & National Finalist, Mary has a profound depth of knowledge and an unwavering commitment to agricultural...