Aimee Snowden – a wonderful example of what we get when we invest in our youth

I just got off the phone  from the dynamo that is Aimee Snowden. Aimee created  Little Brick Pastoral to celebrate Australian agriculture through unique photos of a Lego® farmer and show off the diversity of jobs in the agriculture industry.  The Lego® farmer is a labour of love and she is just one of many great young people in agriculture volunteering their time to promote the industry they love for the benefit of us all

I just love young people in agriculture. Young people not only understand the importance of collaboration they actively seek it out

We all know that collaboration is the key to building a better food and fibre future. We know that means learning how to collaborate with different stakeholders.

• Be that with government
• Non-government organisations
• Our urban counterparts
• Our fellow farming industries or
• with our supply chain partners.

Because if we pick and choose who we collaborate with we limit our possibilities

We know that collaboration

• saves effort and $
• creates opportunity
• increases connectivity
• builds community
• can solve common priorities

Yet how often do we see our sector genuinely reach out and work with others for the common good. Not as often as we would like and not as often as needed to drive real change

This is the reason Picture You in Agriculture works with young people –  they  have seen agriculture make the same silo orientation mistakes over and over and they know change means disrupting this mindset.

What they lack are the skills sets to harness others who need a little push

Our young people want to learn how to influence, and how engage

Our young people want to be confident, independent thinkers and they are grabbing every opportunity to learn and grow

And if you have a big idea what better way to do it than the Heywire Trailblazers program  that Aimee is wax lyrical about.

Trailblazers is an opportunity for people, aged 18 – 28, who are implementing positive change in their region, to have their work celebrated nationally. Successful applicants receive an incredible package of support that includes having their story told on the ABC and a trip to the Trailblazer Lab in Canberra next February.

Applications for Trailblazers are open until July 13.

Everything you need to know to apply can be found here 

And you may just get a ‘deadest’ mentor like Young Farming Champion Laura Phelps 

I was paired with deadset legend, Phelposs (or Laura Phelps as she is more commonly known), who has been so generous with her time and advice and recently secured a place for me to speak at a Young Farmers Business Forum. Read about Trailblazer Alana Black and her Fledgling Farmers concept here.                              See the video here

Please help spread the word – Trailblazers another great opportunity for young people in rural and regional Australia to learn and grow