Clover Hill Diaries – Join Me and Be the Change
#Strongwomen. "I write about the power of trying, because I want to be okay with failing. I write about generosity because I battle selfishness. I write about joy because I know sorrow. I write about faith because I almost lost mine, and I know what it is to be broken and in need of redemption. I write about gratitude because I am thankful – for all of it." Kristin Armstrong
I had the best weekend in a long time and the week that followed was a nightmare
To all of those people out there who saw me at my worst – this one is for you
As we now have an Eggs and Poultry Young Farming Champion this image resonated for far too many reasons. Welcome to the hen house Georgia
Bring on the weekend. Look out next week here I come and I will be smiling
Special thanks to Kirsty, Ro, Marian, Penny and VL for keeping me on track . What would I do without you
It is very easy to be negative about what we arent doing but its so much more exciting to showcase a job well done
Let’s use 2013 Cotton Young Farming Champion Ben Egan as a great example of this.
Ben recently gave this introductory speech to the first 2014 Young Farming Champions workshop on the weekend. The brief was ‘share your story and your passions’. Now Ben has been through the program already and did know what we were looking for and there is no denying Ben is entertaining (and on reflection that black eye from rugby game the night before should have prompted me to film him from the other side)
Click the photo or access this link to hear Ben’s speech
Ben wasn’t the only one in the room proud of what he does and excited to be able to share it. We had 20 young people in the room from 5 different industries with the same fire in their bellies. Sadly there were no dairy farmers in the room to be inspired by their peers.
Ben has also spent the last 12 months with the support of his family and friends and the amazing technology that is the GoPro camera collecting photographs and footage to create a video to share with the schools he will visit as part of the Archibull Prize (and the world) that espouses his love for farming, for cotton and a career in agriculture
I loaded Ben’s Young Farming Champion’s video yesterday and its already had 400 hits on YouTube – its a masterpiece. Click the photo or this link to see this video that is sure to go viral
But then its not surprising Ben is such a superstar at such a young age. Ben comes from an industry where my generation set the example that needs to be set if we are to change the way the world perceives agriculture
What a great example is cotton industry leader Barb Grey who is supporting and mentoring another 2013 Cotton Young Farming Champion Liz Lobsey who is running the Next Gen in Cotton Forum at the Cotton Conference in August
Here is the blurb from the website –
Next Gen In Cotton Forum to Make Its Mark at the Australian Cotton Conference
14-May-2014
The Australian Cotton Conference will cater for its younger demographic through a new Next Gen in Cotton program aimed to ensure the voices of up and coming leaders and industry participants are heard.
According to Conference Chairman Barb Grey, the Australian cotton industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to taking up new technologies and developing more sustainable and economical ways of operating.
“The business environment for growers and those who supply and service our industry is moving fast and changing rapidly,” she said.
“It’s essential the next generation of industry players are involved in the future development of our industry and even more essential that the next generation take some ownership of the future direction of the industry.
“We wanted to provide a forum to allow this to happen as part of our Conference program and I’m delighted that a young agronomist on our committee, Liz Lobsey, has taken the running on this,” Barb said.
The Next Gen in Cotton Forum is FREE to attend, aimed at people aged 35 and under and will:
• Recap the industry’s Vision 2029: “Carefully Grown, Naturally World’s Best’, and determine how Next Gen can have a positive impact on our vision,
• Provide tools for Next Gen to better communicate effectively on personal and professional levels
• Provide an opportunity for Next Gen to create networks and build on established connections
Darling Downs agronomist Liz Lobsey is leading the charge, and pulling together an interesting program that will deliver on the objectives above.
“We’re still in the planning phase and what we do know is that the forum will be held on Wednesday 6 August and include a breakfast and facilitated workshop session,” Liz said.
“The Next Gen breakfast forum will deliver a unique experience and provide an environment where younger people are able to speak freely with like-minded peers. We want those who have chosen to attend the Next Gen in Cotton Forum to walk away with a spring in their steps, and with a fire in their bellies about the exciting future of the cotton industry,” she said.
I know if I was government or an overseas investor this is one industry I would want to talk to.
Just to prove my point the cotton industry has just released their CottonWolf video to promote their conference. Check it out here It’s outrageous and Barb does a wolf diva cameo at the end
Wolf Diva – Barb Grey
Oh my goodness is that CEO I spot on the left.
Adam Kay wrapped in cotton. Could it get any better. Too delicious for words
For budding Ben’s out there keen to tell the great stories of their industry some pointers from Justine MacKay can be found here
When you stand out on a limb to fight for what you believe in, its not the detractors with the chain saws trying to cut you down that are your biggest threat. Its self doubt. One can never overestimate the emotional benefit of having a clever team around you that can put the detail in your big idea and then help you action it and above all be there listening and supporting when the self doubt creeps in.
I first had the idea for the Young Farming Champions program when I became involved with the Cows Create Careers program. Believe me it is a great joy visiting schools and presenting to students who are interested in your career and your industry. Its another thing all together to present to a group of boys who couldn’t care less and are determined to make your experience as uncomfortable as possible. Talking to other farmers over 40 participating in the program I found I wasn’t alone
So it was obvious to me if the dairy industry was going to attract young people into careers in dairy we needed to show school students we had young exciting people in our industry. Pivotally young exciting people who were confident they could reach any audience including schools students, build rapport, deal with difficult questions and inspire.
If we are honest very few people are born with all those skill sets. So I came up with the idea of the Young Farming Champions program and put it to some people at Dairy Australia who all went shock horror DA wont fund that, don’t even think twice about taking it any further .
The self doubt crept in and the branch got a bit shaky ( as it has many times over the years) but there were just enough people in the support network nourishing the ground my tree stood on to keep me going.
The Young Farming Champions program has now been running very successfully since 2011 with great support from GRDC, MLA, AWI, Cotton Australia, Pauls and NSW Farmers. Each year when the applications flood in we get reminded how many young exciting people are choosing diverse careers in the agriculture sector
Each year we work harder and harder to get the funding necessary to give young people from all industries the same opportunity. When we are asked what sets the Young Farming Champions program apart from other industry leadership programs, our team now believe that the program is at that exciting stage where the participants and the outcomes speak for themselves
This was reinforced when two weeks ago when I got a call from The Land to give me a heads up that they had just had a call from the Governor General’s Office and to expect a call. My goodness did I need the chill pills and the beta blockers when that call came in
To think of all the programs for young people in agriculture they could have selected from to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Government House last night they wanted a 2014 Young Farming Champion.
The one thing I was very confident about no matter which Young Farming Champion frocked up/ suited up for this honour each and everyone of them would do agriculture proud.
I take this opportunity to thank the Art4Agriculture Young Farming Champions’ supporters for their confidence in the program and for opening every door at their disposal to give these young exciting people the skills and knowledge to help drive the connected, cohesive and profitable Australian agrifood sector we all want to see.
From The Australian this morning
A LEADING Australian trade expert has warned farmers that an environmental sustainability initiative for the beef industry, being promoted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and backed by the Cattle Council of Australia, risks tying farmers up in green tape and is a move designed by environmentalists to “control farming’’.
I just don’t get why people like Ron Boswell et al seem determined to undermine partnership initiatives like this between beef farmers and NGO’s like WWF. Senator Boswell et al please don’t try to tell me Australians farmers aren’t dedicated to striving to achieve the best outcomes they possibly can for people, animals, places and a fair return for their efforts doesn’t underpin everything they do
Doing the right thing is not an impost its an honour and a legacy ( see footnote for explanation of the graphic )
Surely Senator Boswell et al you will agree all committed Australian farmers who are in it for the long haul are aspiring for excellence . Setting voluntary goals that the Cattle Council and WWF are working towards allows us to take it to the next step and have some measurables to back up our claims. Measurables are not an impost they are claims Australian farmers can make with integrity.
I judge organisations like WWF on their ethos and people they employ to help deliver it. Backing up my point please take the time and listen to this fantastic TED talk by WWF’s Jason Clay
I have worked with the WWF in this country and I am comfortable with what they are trying to achieve. In fact I will be showcasing former Cattle Council Rising Beef Champion, beef farmer and now WWF team member Ian McConnel and WWF’s Change the Way You Live campaign to students as part of the Archibull Prize this year
Well done Cattle Council and well done to Dairy Australia who are holding similar talks and throwing this brilliant piece of work on the table for comment by all parties.
Footnote – Some food for thought – source*
Create Value
At the top of the equilateral triangle, representing economic growth, is the effective pursuit of “profit”. In order for sustainable agriculture to achieve its goals, it must fully embrace the profit motive. This motive requires that developments deliver maximum present and future value to stakeholders by being driven by market demand, and that they do so in the most efficient means possible within the holistic triple-bottom-line perspective.
Accept Responsibility
The “people” leg of the equilateral triangle represents the social responsibility of industry professionals to recognize that project design affects a broad level of human well-being. Society requires and benefits greatly from gaining a greater sense of connectedness; having greater access to quality food, shelter, health care needs, as well as work, creative, recreational and educational opportunities; preserving its cultural and biological heritages; being safe; accessing cultural enrichment opportunities; respecting the diversity of its people; and participating in its own governance. Within the context of natural laws, it is every individual’s right to maximize these social opportunities, and it is part of agriculture’s responsibility to foster the culture to enable these opportunities to more readily occur.
Model Nature
The pure “planet” leg of the triangle recognizes the ultimate value and supreme intelligence of our natural world. Our environment offers an infinite number of time tested and successful patterns, designs and structures from the most minuscule particles, to expressions of life discernible by human eyes, to the greater cosmos. We must not only respect our natural world for its power to sustain us, but as we change and modify it, understanding its workings will lead us to the ultimate solutions we require to sustain ourselves. Make no mistake, the earth will survive. It is our societies which may be in peril. Using an ecological standard to judge our innovations will help us determine which solutions will work, and which solutions will withstand the difficult and ultimate test of time.
Eliminate Waste
Emanating from the creation of economic value is the concept of eliminating waste. Waste reduces profit, and as a result must be eliminated, but it won’t be easy. Eliminating waste requires strong visionary leadership that can transform a liability into an asset. It requires team-building, the development of greater trust, and getting a previously fragmented group of people working more effectively together. That is indeed a challenging task, but its relentless pursuit is absolutely necessary if we hope to achieve sustainability.
Quality of Life
Building from our social responsibilities is the understanding that the values our society espouses, and in fact, the spiritual “lift” we gain are more important than the material items we can own and consume. We must value and focus on the “soul” of our lives, for it is the root of true happiness and quality of life.
Energy Flows
Emanating from nature’s model is our understanding of the natural long-term energy flows which emanate from the sun, and are captured by plants, some of which are eaten by animals, which then (along with plants) cycle the energy into the earth, which stores it and ultimately feeds our plants again. Our short-term oriented consumption of these energy stores is seriously disrupting the cycle, and we must learn how to respect, protect and utilize these natural energy flows.
Share Knowledge
Between the “profit” and “people” ideals is the recognition that, as we progress deeper and deeper into sustainable land development, we must be willing and able to share the knowledge we gain with the other stakeholders throughout the world. Our industry has many areas of specialization, and in order for anyone to effectively develop the requisite holistic perspective, we must seek to better understand and address the needs of all the stakeholders throughout the process.
Humans and Nature Co-exist
Rather than man dominating nature, or man being required to avoid nature, there must be a recognition that man and nature can and do co-exist. With this recognition comes an understanding that man must benefit from nature, but that nature must also benefit from man.
Recognize Interdependence
Between the “profit” and “planet” ideals, and stretching to the very epicenter of the triangle is the understanding that we must recognize – in fact maximize the effectiveness of – our interdependent relationships. This interdependence exists not only among industry professionals, but with society as a whole – as well as cause and effect in the natural world. This principle of interconnectedness, inseparability and union provides us with a continuous reminder of our relationship to the whole, a blueprint for the sustainability of our work.
The solutions we seek reside within this fractal model. As we dig deeper and deeper, the model replicates itself, becoming infinitely complex, yet always maintaining the necessary holistic, triple-bottom-line perspective.
Government is a Partner, But Private Industry Must Lead
As we move forward, we must do so in partnership with government, but ultimately, solutions must emanate from the bottom up, not the top down. History has proven that top-down solutions rarely solve the problems they purport to address, and they often create new ones in their wake. It is the private, profit-driven members of the industry itself that can and must take advantage of the opportunity to not only reverse the negative image the industry has been given, but to become the absolute heroes of our time. It’s a momentous opportunity, and the time is right to seize it.
Today’s reality is that the “people” are driving demand for practices that steward the “planet.” To date, the single-minded pursuit of “profit” has been an impediment to truly sustainable development, but as adopters continue to pave the way by incorporating more holistic new – yet proven – practices, the time is rapidly approaching that supply will begin to meet demand.
Are you ready to participate in the bold new world in which we live – where socially responsible and eco-friendly practices not only boost your bottom line, but are required for survival? That world is closer than you may think, and our goal is to help you achieve it. There are a host of emerging technologies, products, perspectives, knowledge assets, and other resources necessary to enable professionals throughout the industry to make it happen. Stay tuned, as they say. There’s much more to come.
Republished from the May, 2007 issue of Sustainable Land Development Today magazine
* Note have replaced the word ‘development’ with ‘agriculture’ to put into context
This morning I had an email from some-one with a request for me send out some information to dairy farmers from their organisation via twitter
I was wondering if you could utilise your amazing twitter network.
It was important stuff but I was realistic in directing that person elsewhere because I knew no matter how “amazing’ my twitter network may or may not be we just don’t have too many dairy farmers active on twitter.
Is it important that dairy farmers be on Twitter? I will let them decide that for themselves. What I know is thanks to Twitter I am now aware Barry O’Farrell has resigned and he wont be celebrating his new career with a bottle of Grange
I am on Twitter thanks to wise advice from Flourish Communications’ Victoria Taylor who recently attended Ragan Communication’s Social Media for Corporate Communications and Public Relations Conference, in Florida earlier this month. See Victoria’s posts on her trip here
What I do know is it is very important for me and the organisations like Art4Agriculture I work with to reach out to the people we want to reach by being on Twitter and Facebook and YouTube and LinkedIn and now Victoria tells me Pinterest (why do I seem to find that one a bit above my IQ level at the moment – Help Pinterest guru needed)
Apparently I ( and my associated Twitter, Facebook et al accounts) have a Klout factor of over 50 ( eyes glaze over – whatever ) and this is good because I (et al) am reaching our target audience
This has been well and truly reinforced this year as our entry surveys results for both schools participating in Archibull Prize and applicants for the Young Farming Champions program show they all heard good things about us predominately via social media/ word of mouth.
What’s extra awesome about this is we are attracting people who are excited about the things we are excited about and like us want to use multimedia and new media to share the stories we want to share.
Should dairy farmers be on Twitter to engage with other farmers? All I can say is there are some awesome farmers on Twitter and you can pick and choose who you engage with and how much you get out of it.
Big bonus is you can engage with the people who buy what you produce. If it works for Coca Cola surely it can work for farmers and agriculture. Like it or not no matter what we think we have to be where our audience is in the 21st century. Give it a try and once you have mastered Twitter please help me master Pinterest
If you need further convincing check out this infographic found here
This year’s speaker of the year under pressure must go to the inspirational Joanna Baker co-founder of Youth Food Movement Australia.
Joanna was the guest speaker at the NSW Farm Writers Association Agribuzz Event at the Sky Deck at the Main Arena at the Sydney Royal Easter last night
The venue was spectacular
The cocktails and canapés were divine, networking opportunities to mingle with the leading and emerging minds of agriculture abounded
But things just ran a little too smoothly in the main arena at the show and instead of Joanna having 15 mins to share her story with the Agribuzz crowd between main arena events she had to do over top of all these events
First of it was the rodeo, then the campdraft, then barrel races, the arena commentary throughout all these events and all that climaxed with the bikes and lots of loud clapping.
As you can see from this series of photos I took Joanna speaks from the heart.
Excitingly she is not a lone voice. She leads a team of young people (7,000 plus who aspire to be a collective voice for young Australians so that together they can have their say in the decisions that impact our food future.
Joanna and her team are 100% committed to helping build a new generation of young people who are aware of their power as conscious consumers by building understanding and value for the food we eat.
Joanna has a great story to tell, a great message to disseminate, she reached all of us in the audience last night (despite the challenges).
Lets all work together to promote public understanding of farming, and the interconnectedness of health and nutrition and the agricultural sector. After all our country’s health, wealth and happiness depends on it
Check out the website See how you can get involved
How amazing is this movie
I cried and cried
I touched the first cow that was being stunned. In a few seconds it was going to be just another piece of beef, but in that moment it was still an individual. It was calm… and then it was gone.
Of course they’re gonna get slaughtered. You think we’d have cattle if people didn’t eat ’em everyday? They’d just be funny-lookin’ animals in zoos. But we raise them for us. That means we owe them some respect. Nature is cruel, but we don’t have to be. I would’nt want to have my guts ripped out by a lion, I’d much rather die in a slaughterhouse if it was done right. Temple Grandin
Wow. Now to find the tissues
and a special salute to our very own trail blazer Catherine Marriott on Channel 10
I became aware of how precious life was. I thought about death and I felt close to God. I don’t want my thoughts to die with me. I want to have done something. Temple Grandin
Finally one for everyone who has ever sat in the passenger side of the farm vehicle and wished Temple Grandin worked on their farm ( those who have seen the movie will know what I mean)
Every great story has a hero and a villain
This story is all about the hero
Meet Cassandra MacDonald. A young lady who loves everything about the Australian dairy industry
A young lady who is determined to achieve her dream of being a large animal vet no matter how long it takes
A young lady with considerable artistic talent that she is using for the greater good
A young lady who took on one of the most powerful forces in the Australian supermarket sector and won
Today we salute Cassandra MacDonald
A young lady who stood up to Coles and won
Cassie said
I wanted to show people everyone can make a difference by sharing their story
I wanted the message to reach as many people as it can.
I wanted to show that if you have an important story to tell people will listen
I hope consumers will stop and think about what exactly is happening.
I hope they think about the choices they make
Today the ACCC said via this story from Milk Wars; Coles admits to errors in Campaign
That Coles spruiked a rosy picture of the dairy industry at the height of the $1 milk wars last year using data it could not substantiate
The supermarket giant has conceded it relied on figures that could not be proven when it claimed that shaving the price of a two-litre milk container from $2.41 to $2 early last year would increase farm-gate prices for producers and lift national dairy production.
Coles has agreed to correct the claims, admitting to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that its social media advertising blitz “would be likely to have” breached consumer law that prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct.
Here is Coles mea culpa response
Corrective Notice on our Milk Story – Coles
This story is about people standing up and being counted about what’s important to them and using the skills sets and the knowledge they have to get the best outcomes for everyone.
We should all salute those people who put the greater good first because sometimes “fair is equal” and today the ACCC proved like Cassie we can all stand up and be counted and make a difference.
Its an absolute honour to know you Cassie and on behalf of farmers everywhere I salute you
As per my previous post What is Fair Food? the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance has launched its new initiative to create a strong and independent voice for Australian farmers. Fair Food Farmers United will be a platform to connect, support and provide a united voice for farmers feeding Australia fairly.
According to their press release their aims are too
Read more on the AFSA website
The majority of people attracted to this initiative in the first instance are farmers who are cutting out the middle man and dealing directly with the public. This gives them a unique insight into consumer images and expectations of farmers and how important it is to meet or exceed those consumer expectations if you want to sell your product at a premium and get a FAIR return for your efforts. As I mentioned in my previous post FAIR means different things to different people. Now is the right time to get into the FAIR FOOD space. As a segment on the Checkout ( See Value for Money – Tuna) last night showed there is a clear rise in the number of people choosing ethics over value and voting with their wallets at the supermarket checkout and farmers markets and the like.
Fair Food Farmer United know that if they want to get real traction now and achieve their aims they must get into the hearts and minds and wallets of consumers aka voters.
I have been a long term advocate of farmers having direct connection with consumers with a strong focus on finding ways to innovatively do this in a way farmers are comfortable with. One of the most successful initiatives is the highly innovative Art4Agriculture programs which include the Archibull Prize and the Young Farming Champions program
I will be the first to admit its pretty scary and a huge responsibility to advocate on behalf of industry and I was reminded the other day that even after 10 years of doing it I am still uncomfortable in this space.
I had a message on my phone from Radio National indicating Bush Telegraph wanted to do a story. So I rang back with butterflies in my stomach as per usual wondering what it was and how long it would take me to prepare to ensure I got the key messages spot on
I was overwhelmed with relief when they didn’t want me. Excitingly in the first instance the ABC reads the Art4AgricultureChat blog and secondly wanted to interview one of our young team of farming champions Danila Marini about her research.
Sheep are smart and so is Danila
Thirdly I was absolutely thrilled how excited she was and didn’t hesitate to say yes. This is a great example of engaging and nurturing the young to build their capacity to sell agriculture’s story with confidence and most importantly build their capacity to do it with charisma and resonate with our key audience.
There is no denying its a given a key issue for agriculture is the continual need to strive for sustainability – but what is sustainable? Having farm systems that ensure the environment and productive capacities can co-exist in the long-term is the standard take on the definition. Like it or not sustainable agriculture is also about creating value for our products in our consumer base, that ensures consistent and long-term demand.
Consumer choice is as big a threat to our industry as climate change/variability, international competitiveness or government policy.
We need to create partnerships right along our supply chain to develop relationships that enable farmers and consumers to make informed decisions about the trade-offs inherent in their choices and our production systems. Consumers have accepted $1 milk and cheap/imported food more generally, so it is up to agriculture to articulate and share why we don’t believe that is a choice that will deliver a sustainable future.
If consumers do not value farm output, then no amount of innovation, productivity gain or government support is going to deliver a sustainable industry into the future.
We need to reconnect with our consumers. Modern supply chains mean farmers have never been so isolated from their end-consumer.
Therefore we need to develop the capacity of our people, so they are knowledgeable and are comfortable in addressing all issues and stakeholders along the entire supply/value chain in order to re-build these relationships.
This will mean farmers and others working in agriculture taking a higher profile role in the lives of our consumers, current and future.
This will mean farmers proactively engaging with processors and supermarkets to develop mutually beneficial relationships ensuring value is delivered at all points along the supply/value chain – including farmers, processors, retailers and consumers.
The last thing we need is another advocacy group cluttering an already overcrowded space but I believe if Fair Food Farmers United get it right they are off to a great start with the key audience then they may just build the partnerships necessary to deliver an advocacy success story for agriculture
Today is International Women’s Day. It is a day that holds quite a bit of significance for me. 10 years ago I was selected my local MP as the regional Woman of the Year which saw me then inducted into the NSW state Government Honour Role for my contribution to agriculture and rural and regional communities.
I remember at the time being totally flabbergasted that I had been nominated let alone selected
Being upfront as I tend to be I asked my MP why he chose me. He said he had chosen me not so much for what I had achieved at that point in time but what he believed I could do with this level of recognition.
How right he was. Up until this time no matter who I approached for funding, for support for agriculture, for policy changes etc. etc. I spent the first half of my meetings and funding proposals explaining who I was and convincing people I had the capacity to achieve what I wanted to achieve.
Before I won this award the key questions I was asked who I was and who was supporting my proposal? So I spent hours and hours requesting letters of support and building partnerships. All time well spent for future endeavours but it was very draining at the time and I kept questioning myself and why I was doing it. I got a lots of no’s and very few yes’ and more doors where shut than were opened.
So part of the last ten years with this very wise advice from my MP and my support networks has been spent building a CV that lets people know what you have done and opens the door and allows you to focus on core business and your compelling value proposition.
There will always be detractors who don’t see the big picture and declare this as self-promotion. This used to worry me, not anymore. I know longer spend hours beating myself up over what the minority think and say because I have witnessed personally how far young people in agriculture can go and what they can achieve for the greater good when they are recognised and celebrated for their efforts
Equally when I see women in Australian agriculture nominated and celebrated (including seven Art4Agriculture Young Farming Champions) via the Emerald Grains Women in Australian Agribusiness list, I am very proud all these exciting and dynamic women understand the importance of and relish the opportunity to inspire others to join them in their quest to see Australian agriculture admired and valued right across the globe
Today I salute all women across the world that will be recognised and celebrated for ‘their achievements, regardless of divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political’.
“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
“Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” John Woden
If you are looking for a fun read try Recline. Don’t Lean in Why
