The things farmers find sexy

As the founder of Art4Agriculture’s Young Farming Champions program one of the highlights of my year is watching the nomination process and identification and selection of agriculture’s rising stars who are excited about building agriculture’s social capacity and being provided with the tools and knowledge to help them do it.

Our workshops are facilitated by technical experts with extensive skills in presentation, media, marketing and consumer engagement

As Workshop 1 preparation first time attendees are asked to:

Develop a Two Minute Presentation with the following brief
- You have two minutes to introduce yourself to us in an engaging, professional manner (without notes)
  - Who are you?
  - What do you do?
  - Why you do it

Research your industry body’s website:

Identify what you think are your industry’s 3 key messages
Find a webpage or document with statistics or information on your industry’s achievements in the last 30 years, similar to this:

The two minute presentation allows participants to share their story and what drives them with our team and fellow workshop attendees. Verbal and written feedback is provided after the session. Participants are able to fine tune their presentation based on the feedback and inspiration from their peers and redo their presentation the following day

As industry ambassadors and the face of youth in agriculture in the community it is important they familiarise themselves with their audience and interestingly enough the questions look very similar

Who is your customer
What do they buy
Why do they buy it

So what are our industry bodies telling our customers on our behalf?

Let’s take a look at the Australian dairy industry which has a dedicated consumer education site. Visit here

I would imagine a dairy Young Farming Champion would think the dairy industry’s three key messages are

Dairy is a $13 billion industry
Dairy employs people
Dairy feeds lots of people

and there are great graphics to explore it further

Extensive research shows consumers want ‘safe, affordable, nutritious food produced by people they trust to do the right thing by animals and the environment’

So the obvious question is: Do those three messages provide consumers of dairy with the confidence that Australian dairy farmers provide ‘safe, affordable, nutritious food produced by people they trust to do the right thing by animals and the environment’

Answer: I will leave that up to you to decide

Some food for thought before you answer

If our lives depend on food for survival lets put ourselves for example in the shoes of some-one who has a life threatening disease or their child has a life threatening disease. Do you think that person is interested in how much the medical profession contributes to the economy, how many people it employs or how many people it treats?

So let’s pose a few more questions I am confident I know the answer too

Question: Who is interested in agriculture’s contribution to the economy?

Answer: Government

Question: Who is proud the dairy industry contributes to the economy?

Answer: Dairy farmers

Question: Who do these 3 key messages impress?

Answer: Government and dairy farmers

As some-one who has been involved in agriculture for close to sixty years I know people don’t choose a career as a food and fibre producer with the sole purpose of making money.

As a farmer and a pharmacist I know which career paid the bills reliably, educated the child, and funded the holidays and the superannuation ad infinitum

People in the main DO go into food and fibre production because they want to supply ‘safe, affordable, nutritious food and quality fibre in a way that does the right thing by animals and the environment’

and it IS backed up by research

Australia farmers’ decisions to adopt conservation practices are more influenced by attachment to the land, wanting to make their farms appear well managed, and aesthetic appreciation than by financial incentives.

The big question I would love to know the answer to is. Why farmers in the main don’t think it’s sexy to say so?

Let’s give our industry bodies a mandate to share that our values match our customers and fine tune our keys messages to enable us to do this is a way that resonates with our most important audience.

Beef tales of the pioneers

This week I was honoured by the Australian Beef Industry via the Merial Howard Yelland Award . I must admit I was a little bit surprised to receive an award from the beef industry and pretty damned chuffed at the same time.

As I said in my acceptance speech

This award is a momentous acknowledgement by industry that what we – as farmers – do beyond the farmgate in 21st century is just as important as what we do behind it

This award is the Australian beef industry saying we are proud of what we do and we want to share our stories with the world

Most importantly this award is a salute to all the brave young people – the Young Farming Champions – I so admire and work with every day

Young people who broke new ground and started a movement to help agriculture have the courageous conversations we all need to have

Conversations that will ensure we build lifelong and powerful partnerships of trust between farmers and the community

Conversations that will cement agriculture as the strong, prosperous and vibrant building block underpinning the health and happiness of Australia’s landscape and its communities.

The press around my award has given the impression I am the first woman to win this award. Standalone yes but today’s post is a tribute to the woman who paved the way – Mary Gubbins who in partnership with her husband Andrew won the Howard W Yelland Award in 2008

You can read all about Mary and Andrew in this wonderful story Stud Science by Genevieve Barlow –

The Australian Beef Industry has some wonderful stories to tell – lets ensure those opportunities are found and taken up far and wide

Stories like this one. Treating the stud as a business has resulted in Paringa Livestock’s success, about the family of previous winner Don Lawson who I met on the night

I also had the pleasure of meeting another former winner CAAB trailblazer Michael Pointer

Guest speaker on the night was the big personality John Hughes. There would be many people in Australia who would say we just don’t have enough people like John with sheer guts and determination any more.

It was a great night and special thanks to 1995 winner Richard Makim for putting my name forward

Being part of a democracy means you have a voice. Lets find our voices and be heard.

Farmers know they are part of the planet and we do what we believe is right.

Acknowledging climate change is real is doing the right thing.

Minimising its impact is doing the right thing

Australians know they are part of a democracy and we have a voice.

For too long we have remained silent.

Join me and find your voice and have it heard

Sign our farmers letter here and show the world and our politicians we all care

Read why Milk Maid Marian has joined the movement to start an outbreak of common-sense here

Are you the centre of the universe and blame everyone else for your problems?

After spending two days at the WOW Festival I realised what a sheltered life I have led with my Methodist mindset upbringing – Still can’t believe I chose the ‘Lets Talk about Sex’ session

Krissy Kneen writer of Erotic Fiction or as she prefers to call her genre Feminist Porn reads from her latest book

I had the opportunity to listen to a very diverse and inspiring range of women speakers doing amazing things – the ‘What Women Fight For’ session was a great example. Women who devote their lives to work in what is often no-win situations

‘I feel like I spend my life mopping floors and the tap is still running’

I also had the opportunity to be a mentor in two speed mentoring sessions. I am a pretty confident I got more out of those sessions than the mentees did. Firstly I think I actually learnt how to actively listen, secondly I found out I am not alone and many people struggle with the same issues I do and thirdly I can only actively listen for so long. After the Speed Mentoring session I was meeting the wonderful woman (and she is wonderful) who is facilitating my session today. It’s just as well she is a good listener because she got my life story before we had even sat down.

The take home message for me yesterday was you can choose to have two different mindsets

You can say

I am the centre of the universe and I blame everyone else for my problems

I am part of the universe and I do what I believe is right

Good advice for agriculture methinks

Channelling my inner feminism with agriculture’s most important audience

Over the next few days I will be channelling my inner feminism and meeting and sitting on the stage with some of the truly amazing women who have driven change in this country and as I found out today for a great deal the journey has been very rugged indeed

I have been invited to be the positive voice of agriculture and did I jump at the chance when I was asked

WOW what an opportunity to have two way conversations with the most pivotal audience for agriculture and that is highly educated women.

Why you ask?. Well all the social research tells us that highly educated women are the demographic who most distrust farmers. When highly educated women don’t trust farmers they vote with their feet and wallets. The social researchers call this CRITICAL ACTIVISM. They are also the demographic most likely to support farmers when they trust them. This is called SOCIAL ACTIVISM

Today I got to share a session with Kathy Lette – the highly charismatic, fun and cheeky queen of one liners.

“Women are like wonder bras – they are supportive and uplifting and make us look bigger and better”

“Women are the future but they still get concussion on the glass ceiling and are expected to clean it whilst they are up there”

“Never turn down an opportunity. Never turn down an adventure”

Kathy and I were mentors in a speed mentoring event. As part of this I got to have conversations with five young women under 35 all doing very diverse and exciting things. The take home message for me was in 4 out of 5 of those 15 minute sessions concern about chemicals in food came up.

I learnt young highly educated women are very worried about chemicals in food. 2 out of 5 said they loved farmers and support them at every chance they get.

Interestingly enough my experience today completely mirrored the social licence research on the community’s thoughts and perceptions about farmers in this country. Highly educated concerned women are twice as likely to vote with their feet and wallets when they distrust farmers but half as like to actively support farmers when they trust them.

But putting this into context whilst men in general are not Critical Activists they are not Supportive Activists either

And of course lets not forget why women are even more important to farmers they are the demographic who in the main make the purchasing decisions

So for the next three days agriculture gets a voice with its most important audience – no wonder this little black duck said YES PLEASE BRING IT ON

What do you know about Australian food production and consumption?

Well it would appear that I know bugger all if my answers or lack of to this quizz are anything to go by

It always fascinates me when we throw a heap of statistics around like this. The statistics certainly show agriculture’s value to the economy. But the economy doesn’t feed us and clothe us and put a roof over our heads – people do. Surely community knowledge about food production and consumption shouldn’t be defined by numbers that one should store in a corner of the brain and bring out at dinner parties. Knowledge about food production and consumption should be about what the people who buy it care about .

Surely the types of questions we should be asking are things like Is our food safe? Is it affordable? Is it nutritious? Do our farmers care about the environment and their animals

In light of the recent BSE scare in Ireland what i know is its time to change the dialogue around food and fibre production and consumption.

I for one am damned proud to know the things our customers want to know and that is our food is safe. Its is affordable. It is nutritious and any farmer who doesn’t care about the environment and their animals should find another occupation.

These girls don’t care about numbers. They just want to be loved and respected and protected from the heat and the cold and be fed delicious, nutritious and safe food.

It we want people to start thinking about food and fibre and how they truly value it in a different way then we need to change the conversation.

Just like the cows, our customers want the same things we do and that’s what the Australian food production and consumption knowledge discussion should be all about.

Dairy farmers making hay while the sun shines

I am watching the forecasts for 2016 Australian farmgate milk price with great interest. Dairy Step Up forecast as processors compete for milk.

Photo by Linda Faiers

It is well known that Australian dairy farmers see costs of production – labor, energy and quality feed for their cows as their biggest inputs cost challenge. High milk prices and low costs of production certainly mean happy days and provides the genuine quality of life for their families and their cows and necessary incentive to remain in business for the long haul.

Beyond the fairy tale it is also generally recognized Australia has one of the highest labour costs in the world and competing on costs of production alone in the world dairy stage is becoming almost impossible

At the moment Australian milk price forecasts are being predicted based on competition for milk supply between Australian milk processors rather than the traditional focus on international milk prices. Common sense says you can only pay what you can get out of the market place but then of course you cant sell what you don’t have!

Whilst I love to hear stories that sell hope rather than despair I would be very interested to hear from an industry financial whiz on the current maintain the farmgate milk price strategy irrespective of international markets .

Are these milk prices sustainable for Australian processors selling product into the international market place. Is this strategy likely to drag us into the black hole of Calcutta or will it truly fast-track us all on the road to the promised land?

Wow How impressive does this new tool for dairy farmers look

Take control of your milk price

A FREE web-based tool that lets dairy farmers COMPARE milk prices across participating processors

Celebrating Wool – from the sheep’s back to yours

Its Wool Week and I was in Sydney yesterday and just couldn’t walk past this window without feeling proud to be part of the team that helps bring this product from the sheep’s back to you And of course I had to do more than just admire the window so I popped in and made a little purchase for myself. Believe me I could have made quite a few more

a couple of gorgeous merino wool scarves have now joined my winter wardrobe

Today 99% of the Australian wool clip is sold at retail overseas and indeed..

Australian wool has come a long way since it first touched our shores. In 200 years it has been transformed from a short fibre into one as smooth as silk and as soft as cashmere. Its true strength lies in its versatility. Merino wool is as superb on the catwalk as it is on the sports field. It has warped, worsted and woven itself into the halls of high fashion and is used by designers right across the world.

This year Craig and Wendy Taylor of Redblue architecture and design had the chance to work on this innovative and noble fibre as part of AWI’s Wool Week display at the Macquarie Centre

Macquarie Centre has been chosen to celebrate ideas, new creations and the infinite possibilities of Wool througout the Centre in May. In collaboration with The Campaign for Wool they will showcase Woolmark’s 2015 Campaign – “I wool if you wool”.

Check out some of Craig and Wendy’s clever designs

Wendy and Craig had six weeks to bring this wonderful showcase of Australian wool together, using the many different textures and different techniques that are available to use with wool. You will see Macrame, weaving, plaiting, knitting, stringart to name just a few. Wendy said it was totally exhilarating to be able to work with the diversity of wool fabrics and yarns that are available today.

We used wool yarn from 1 ply to 120 ply. The 1 ply was so fine it was like a spider web. We used a range of wool fabrics including Wool top, felt and prefelt

Wool is breathable, renewable and wearable and so beautiful to work with

As part of their brief Wendy and Craig were asked to also showcase the work of designer Felicity Gleeson who has an AWI Fashion Scholarship. Wendy was very moved by Felicity’s beautiful designs that Wendy described as part fabric and part sculpture

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and the piece de resistance Wendy and Craig we able to create their own flock of 36 sheep to be the ‘flock to frock’ stars of the fashion floor

Also kicking goals for the wool industry is the Fibre of Football campaign

I just love the videos that showcase the farmer faces of the product as well as our footballing heroes from rich agricultural roots

and how good is this? To me the quote of the year

behind every successful man is an astonished woman

and how mind blowing is this

Join us on a trans-formative journey as together we follow a single piece of fleece in pursuit of its family. From the shearing sheds of the Australian outback, to the ancient weaving mills of Yorkshire, discover how modern technologies and age-old techniques combine to transform fleece into fashion. Read more at http://www.merino.com/wool/lost-and-f…

and remember when you get the chance Choose Natural

Agriculture to sell hope not despair

When given the choice between hope and despair, it is a fact that hope is the attitude most likely to support, encourage, and even create a positive outcome. Despair energizes only the things we fear.

When I was looking for a graphic to help tell this story I came across this very compelling image and I am still in two minds as to whether it’s too confronting (will ruminate on this)

Garden of Hope and Despair by Virgard

From an early age growing up on the farm I learnt that too often agriculture sells despair in preference to hope and as I grew older and more committed to giving back to the landscape that feeds and clothes us I found myself gravitating towards people in the natural resource management sector who always sell hope.

Agriculture is changing the way it portrays itself and that change is being driven by our many bright minds coming up through the ranks in Gen X&Y agrifood and fibre

Rural and social entrepreneur Josh Gilbert who is also Chair of NSW Young Farmers is a great example of a young person in our sector who is selling hope and raking in the rewards for both himself and the sector at large

Josh is now looking for agriculture’s rockstars to join him in spreading the great stories of agriculture that inspire while fostering innovation and breaking down the existing silo’s within agriculture via his newest venture Tractor Talks.

Tractor Talks is a really great opportunity to showcase people who have new and exciting ideas and are leading the way and can inspire others. We need a huge shift away from the negative culture stereotypical stories that hinder progression, new thinking and self-pride.

It’s a great platform to listen to on the go and I really hope it serves as an incubator for agricultural innovation. I want a beef farmer to hear what an oyster grower is doing and think- we could apply something similar in our industry. I want a young farmer to hear that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that people have succeeded from similar backgrounds. And what I really want most is for the podcast to help draw people together, as one united industry right around the world…… says Josh

To kick-start his journey and give him added confidence that others believe in his ideas Josh has been announced as a 2015 Young Social Pioneers (YSP) scholarship awardee for Tractor Talks. You can listen to the first episode HERE

Via this article in The Land

Passionate youth agriculture advocate Josh says “Tractor Talks is designed to tell agriculture’s exciting stories and encourage other farmers with innovative ideas and great stories to get involved and be stars of their own success stories,” Josh said.

Now on iTunes the Tractor Talks podcast will feature interviews with successful and inspiring agricultural professionals, exploring their motivations, industry visions and practical tips for farmers across a broad range of business and farming topics.

Josh’s YSP scholarship, sponsored by Optus, will see him take part in three residential touchpoints in Sydney. Alongside 49 other Pioneers he’ll connect with experts who provide support to amplify Tractor Talks, build networks of support and develop business skills and capabilities to drive a successful, purpose-driven venture.

The program is an initiative of The Foundation for Young Australians and supports Australia’s best and brightest emerging young change-makers: social innovators, thought leaders and entrepreneurs.

Josh said the networking, mentoring and the chance to take home $10,000 in seed funding make the scholarship a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“There is also the opportunity to get nationwide publicity, which is essential in sharing great agricultural stories with our consumers and the world,” he said.

Josh is looking forward to being inspired at the touchpoint sessions.

“I think it’s going to be a great way to ensure that Tractor Talks remains relatable to the general public, while also keeping the agricultural messages and tips at the podcast’s core,” he said.

“Connecting with 49 great minds from across the country is more than I could have ever wished for. This makes the whole course a great experience, along with the opportunity to change aspects of Australian life and be a part of the exciting Australian start-up scene.”

The first Tractor Talks podcast will showcase Liverpool Plains farmers and founders of ‘The Conscious Farmer’ beef brand Derek and Kirrily Blomfield.

Josh is a role model to all generations in agriculture, his passion, commitment and motivation is something we can all aspire to. He recognises the importance of and grabs every opportunity to cultivate influential community partnerships for the best outcomes for youth in agriculture.

Josh is selling hope and the world is buying .

CALL TO ACTION: If you know one of agriculture’s rockstars whose story will inspire others by featuring on Tractor Talks Josh wants to talk to you

Contact Josh Gilbert

Email: contact@gilbertjoshuam.com

Mobile: 0432 260 024.

Twitter: @GilbertJoshuaM #agrockstars

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TractorTalks/

When will we learn – its time to foster a ‘do the right thing culture’ in agriculture

Last night 4 Corners featured an expose on the treatment of some migrant workers. Lets hope the 4 Corners story was sensationalised because it is not pretty. According to this article even Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Costco and IGA are all implicated in the allegations, as are fast food chains KFC and Red Rooster.

Image source

The 4 Corners expose can be watched here Below is a text extract from the footage Slaving away: The dirty secrets behind Australia’s fresh food.

It’s in your fridge and on your table: the fresh food that we take for granted.

But there’s a dirty secret behind it.

Much of it is picked and packed by a hidden army of migrant workers who are ruthlessly exploited.

“There is slave labour in this country.” – Queensland grower

A Four Corners investigation has uncovered gangs of black market workers run by unscrupulous labour hire contractors operating on farms and in factories around the country.

The produce they supply ends up in our major supermarkets and fast food chains.

“Almost every fresh product that you pick up… will have passed through the hands of workers who have been fundamentally exploited.” – Union official

What’s really sad is agricultural journalist and opinion piece blogger Sam Trewethey highlighted this disgusting issue 12 months ago. Why didn’t agriculture address it then. Why does it take airing our dirty linen on national TV before we act? I am reprinting Sam piece found here

WHAT would you suggest we do if you knew Australian agriculture might be on the verge of another welfare crisis? Except this time it’s our workers in trouble, backpackers in particular.

And like the recent live export crises, it’s a couple of ‘rogue players’ who hold the potential to bring our whole industry into disrepute.

In the past few months I’ve been travelling around Queensland, working on various farms and getting to learn more about our agricultural industry. While I’ve had nothing but fantastic experiences with my temporary bosses, I’ve also heard some first-hand accounts that call to mind colonial America before the abolition of slavery.

I’m scratching my head here, as we’re wondering how to address this dire skills shortage when the government threw us a bone and opened up the Working Holiday visa extension. This means young travellers who are here on a 12-month working visa can work 88 days in regional Australia to get an additional 12 months “down under”. We need to be taking advantage of their youth, energy and forced commitment and invite them to stay with good conditions and pay. Not just taking advantage of them, literally, as you’ll read here.

Most visitors just want to do the minimum three months and move on, so continually training them would be a frustration, and I’m sure there are a few job-seeking visa hunters that don’t quite cut the mustard on farm. But to not pay them, leave them out in a paddock to walk home, or hit them? These are completely unacceptable scenarios.

When I was 20 I romanticised about working cattle up north. I landed a job as a jackeroo in western Queensland and drove directly to the station from our farm in Victoria, where I was greeted by a nice enough young manager – but living conditions I wouldn’t have put a dog in. Dust a centimetre thick on the floor, smashed light fittings, broken glass windows and the door off its hinges. This and not even minimum wage… I lasted just one night and shot through the next morning. My ‘protection’ was a ute full of fuel, a healthy disrespect for people who don’t look after their workers – and somewhere to return to.

This was far more protection than a young German lad named Fabian Klinger could claim. He would probably have envied my Queensland quarters after what he experienced working for a southern grape grower.

Fabian and a friend paid a Melbourne backpacker job agency $99 each to “choose” a job and selected picking grapes, advertised at a return of $80-$120 per day and $150 per week for a share house.

They were shocked when dropped off at their accommodation. There was filth everywhere, Fabian said – broken doors, urine on bathroom floors, dirty mattresses, no sheets, pillows or blanket. The kitchen was half destroyed.

“My friend was in tears, she needed the money and the work hours for her visa extension,” Fabian said. “The next day we worked hard, picking as many buckets as some of the experienced Australian workers, 60 buckets in seven hours, at 70 cents per bucket for us.” They earned $42 for seven hours work – $6 per hour. Australia’s national minimum wage is $16 an hour.

Fabian left the next day after confronting the farmer. He paid $99 for the job, $50 for the accommodation, $90 for train tickets back to the city – and earned $42.

Meanwhile, Englishman Michael Jinks meanwhile spent less than a fortnight with his mates on a cattle station in Queensland.

When they arrived on farm they were greeted with a stream of insults and profanities that would make a sailor blush, and left in no doubt that “there is a class system here in Australia you pommie ******s, and backpackers are the lowest of the low”, according to the farm boss.

Michael told me he and his mates were hit with a cattle stick when they did something wrong, sworn at continually and when they made a wrong move out mustering, were rammed off their motorbikes – twice.

After the bike incident, the group quit but were forced to wait three days – while being charged $80 each per night for accommodation – until the farmer took them to town. When he did, he “changed his mind” and dropped them on the highway, more than 100km out, while he kept on driving to town. They were never paid for their work.

Now I’m no investigator, and you might think these were one-offs, or extreme cases, but backpackers I’ve spoken to just in the past three weeks have all had horror stories to tell about working on Aussie farms. None of these were “I knew a guy” or “a friend of a friend” stories, but personal accounts. Go ask some yourself, you’ll be gobsmacked.

What kind of message does this send to the potential workers we’re crying out for? It’s always the bad news that gets the attention, and we need to confront this behaviour when we hear about it, not just shrug and accept it. We need to speak up and make sure the positive experiences – the overwhelming majority – are what the backpackers talk about when they get home.

As you’re aware, there is no union in Australian agriculture – and I’m not suggesting there should be one – but these backpackers have nobody to report to, no system to rely on. They have no protection. They need our help – we can spread the word about the good bosses, the great farms to work on, and we can insist on a set of standards.

This is yet another case of a rotten few spoiling it for the lot as I’ve also met backpackers and farmers that are very happy with each other. They may not be paid much, but are respected and the experience is mutually beneficial.

One guy I’m working with now up in Queensland came for his 88 days eight months ago. Liam loves the farm, the life, the job and the country. He’s been looked after well and he’ll apply for permanent residency soon. I bet there’s a few more of them sitting in that growing figure of more than 33,000 backpackers who worked on Aussie farms last year.

But stories like Michael’s and Fabian’s can’t be swept under the carpet – this potential injection of labour could be fantastic for an industry crying out for more hands, but horror stories don’t just damage our reputation, they could potentially undermine our agricultural productivity if willing workers are scared off by such dire treatment.

We need to address this ‘rogue’ behaviour – and meanwhile promote the overwhelmingly positive experiences most iterant workers have.

So as I asked at the start, what would you do? Telling positive stories doesn’t fix or choke out the negative experiences. Should we create a register of the good employers, where they can be rated by workers? Do we need an online guide or database for job hunters? Or do we need to shoot higher and initiate some government or legislative changes to put us back on the map as a positive, friendly and fair country in the minds of those who come here to experience the “Lucky Country”?

Sam certainly had no shortage of first hand evidence. When will we learn – its time to foster a ‘do the right thing culture’ in agriculture

These thoughts from Ellen McNamara Why one bad apple is a problem for the whole barrel