Humans of Agriculture

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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 believe. From regenerative frameworks and biodiversity metrics to digital traceability and global legislation, this conversation explores how wool is being repositioned in a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.

Sarah unpacks the te...

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 the role of grass budgets and forward pricing to lessons from drought, inflation and on-farm technology, Nigel shares a grounded look at what it takes to build a resilient livestock business.

In...

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 him, how he’s built GreatHAY, and why he’s chosen to step so publicly into conversations around ag, media and advocacy.

From growing up in a tough era for agricult...

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:

This episode captures the energy of the room — where farmers, advisors, innovators, and financiers are all working toward a stronger, more resilient industry.

👥 Featured Guests

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't focused on just one school, he is also completing a PhD focused on engaging metropolitan students in agriculture, and what he’s learned challenges how the entire i...

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 in one of the most complex and globally connected parts of the ag industry. From classing wool and working alongside growers to now leading commercial conversations with global brands, his journe...

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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 honest reflection on a career shaped by curiosity, risk, and relationships.

Now at the helm of Zentera, Angus unpacks the company’s evolution from a grower-led wool co...

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 to take part in one of Australia’s early soil carbon projects, resulting in one of the country’s largest issuances of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). But beyond the headlines, Carly shares what actual...

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 conversations like this, Andrew Henderson is one of our go-to voices.

Andrew is the founder and principal of AgSecure and has built his career working across biosecurity, national resilience and the...

A short sharp and quick chat with the 2026 Zanda McDonald Award Winners.
2026 Winners:

Bryce Neyland, 35, from Gol Gol in New South Wales, is a civil engineer for Select Harvests, leading projects across their almond orchards and processing facility. Combining a farming background with strong engineering and project management expertise, he...

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 of JobSafe Pro, a practical safety and compliance platform designed to help agricultural businesses simplify paperwork, think more clearly about risk, and build stronger safety systems without adding more...

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, improve wellbeing, and support the resilience of rural communities.

Skye also shares her personal story of growing up in the Monaro region, the experience of moving towns and building community as an adult, and why belonging...

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.

We explore how AMPS has built a seamless ecosystem connecting research, agronomy, and commercial supply. Tony shares the fascinating story of Lancer wheat, a variety that became a regional powerhouse thanks to intensive...

Season 4 of Monthly Markets opens with a strong pulse check across livestock, wool, property and grain.

Tom and Mick begin with:

Then they’re joined by Tommy Taylor from Clear Grain Exchange for a deep dive into the grain landscape.

In this episode:

How Clear Grain Exchange works

For decades, Australian agriculture has operated within a set of conditions that quietly shaped its success - stable geopolitics, expanding global trade, predictable markets, and steady productivity gains.

That era is ending.

In this conversation, Tim Hunt joins Oli Le Lievre to unpack the global forces reshaping food and agriculture right now, from geopolitics and trade fragmentation to climate volatility and rapid technological change. With a career spanning banking, economics, and international agriculture, Tim brings a clear-eyed, global perspective on why these shifts are structural, not cyclical - and what that means for producers, agribusiness...

Millie Moore didn’t leave her job because she was unhappy. She left because she was curious.

After four and a half years in a corporate ag role, Millie made a decision that many people talk about but few actually take. She quit, moved to Canada, and went ranching to properly immerse herself in the beef industry and test herself on the ground.

That choice led to something bigger. In this episode, Millie shares how ranch life in Alberta opened doors to meat judging, scholarships, and ultimately a fully funded Masters in meat science at th...

At just 19 years old, Sam Rogers is building one of Australia’s most exciting agtech startups. Founder of GrazeMate, Sam is using autonomous drones, robotics, and AI to help farmers and ranchers move cattle, measure pasture, and gain real-time insights straight to their phone. In this episode, Sam shares his journey from growing up on a cattle station in North Queensland to raising capital, relocating to the US, and taking GrazeMate global. This conversation explores innovation in agriculture, resilience, robotics, and what the future of farming could look like when technology meets deep agricultural knowledge.

Keywords: agtech, ag...

Clancy Mackay’s story is one of the most extraordinary ever shared on Humans of Agriculture and there’s a reason it remains our most downloaded episode of all time.

This is a full re release of our most listened to episode ever.

In this conversation, Oli Le Lievre sits down with Clancy Mackay to share one of the most extraordinary stories ever told on Humans of Agriculture.

From growing up off grid in the Northern Territory with no power or running water, to breaking horses, mustering cattle, riding saddle broncs in the US...

I loved the day we had with the team at Rohde's and the way we crafted this into an amazing video and our last #ThisIsAussieAg video in audio format did pretty well -  you can check it out on our YouTube in full!

Watch it on YouTube here - link to our video

In today’s episode, I wanted to do something a little different and share an update on where Humans of Agriculture is heading. Over the last six years we’ve told hundreds of stories and met thousands of people, and it’s clear that the beating heart of our work isn’t just the stories themselves, but the people behind them.

We’re stepping into a new chapter. One that builds on our storytelling roots, but focuses more deliberately on careers, connection, and helping people see what’s possible for them in agriculture.

After that, I sit down w...

Bridgitte Brooks is rewriting the story of Australian wool - and of rural women. 

The fifth-generation sheep farmer has launched a wool athleisure brand from her farm in Yuna, Western Australia in a bid to connect modern consumers with a natural fibre that she feels is undercelebrated. 

From baby blankets to wool athleisure wear, Bridgitte is stitching together sustainability, style, and heritage—with a deep belief that rural communities can thrive when families are supported and fibre stories are told well.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Bridgitte and Her Journey
02:58 Life in Rura...

In this episode, Oli sits down with Australia’s Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry — Julie Collins — live from the National Farmers’ Federation Conference on the Gold Coast.

From her Tasmanian roots to leading one of the nation’s most important portfolios, Julie shares how her background shaped her approach to agriculture, sustainability, and community. She reflects on the government’s new Ag and Land Sector Plan, the role of programs like free TAFE and Ag Connections in building the workforce, and how storytelling can strengthen both our domestic pride and global reputation.

Julie also talks c...

Passionfruit farmer Mitchell East is flipping the script on food waste, giving unsellable fruit a second chance. 

Mitchell returned to his family farm in Manjimup WA on a mission to find a tasty use for surplus, speedily perishable fruit like passionfruit and cherries.

The horticulture industry is always looking for new ways of squeezing value from seconds produce, with many tonnes of fruit and vegetables that can't be sold or stored going to waste every day.

And there's no shortage of produce in the Southern Forests food hub around Manjimup, w...

This month Tom and Mick catch up with New England livestock agent Mat Larkings about what he’s seeing on the ground—from post-drought price shifts to clients swapping breeding for trading. 

They dive into the growing interest in coastal markets, the cautious optimism among producers, and why quality stock still rules.

It’s a great listen for anyone keen to understand the real dynamics behind the numbers.

Takeaways

A decade ago, if Ben 'Wundy' Wundersitz spotted a mate's ute parked on the main drag in town he'd assume they were at the pub sinking a pint.

These days, there's more chance of Wundy finding his mates working out at the gym across the road from the pub in his local town of Maitland in South Australia, which has fully embraced the Fat Farmers movement.

Fat Farmers began 13 years ago when Wundy and a couple of his middle-aged farming mates looked in the mirror to see years of self-neglect - too much time sitting...

Adventure pulses through the veins of Pilbara cattle woman Blythe Calnan.

From navigating live cattle export supply chains in Jordan in the Middle East, to raising pasture-raised poultry in southern WA - Blythe's habit of saying 'yes' to opportunities in agriculture has taken her to all sorts of climates and farming systems.

She's now back in her home state of Western Australia, teaching the basics of low stress stock handling and soil health to show the role working dogs can play in healing landscapes.

Liv caught up with Blythe at the Grounded Festival...

A knowledge tour around Brazil cotton farms has blown the minds of a group of Aussie growers.

Imagine having a cotton gin on every single farm?... or a family-led business with a breezy 220,000 hectares in crop?

Rabobank Area Manager Felicity Taylor says the sheer sophistication and scale of Brazilian cotton production has to be seen to be believed.

Freshly home from a Rabo Agri Knowledge Tour of Brazil, Felicity shares the contrasts between Brazilian and Australian cotton production, particularly in terms of supply chain logistics, technology, and sustainability practices.

She also...

WA sheep farmers do things "bloody well" if you ask Fraser Stewart, which is why he wrestled the 2025 Rabo WA Sheep & Wool tour to the west side of the country.
 
Fraser was proud to see curiosity and ideas bounce between the 21 big industry players visiting from the Eastern States and New Zealand to WA's Great Southern region last month.
 
WA is a key restocking market nationally, but Fraser wanted to show the impressive adaptations farmers are making to the phase out of the live export trade, and some of the on-farm strategies to maximise production sy...

We're keen to know what's going on with sheep - there seems to be records hit week after week at sale yards across the country. Are farmers getting FOMO? 

Tom & Mick chat with stock and station royalty Todd Clements and Nick Fogarty about the underlying drivers of current sheep and lamb prices and what's likely to come.

Todd and Nick are from Bowyer & Livermore in the Central West of NSW -  a real estate, stock and station agency.  

Takeaways

There’s more to meat than what Aussies might think.

After graduating from uni, Sophie Marriott couldn't wait to leave the bright lights of Brisbane to explore the seemingly endless opportunities in red meat processing.

She never expected she'd end up in Tasmania, working for family-owned beef processing company Greenham, on the north-western coast.

She's become totally smitten by the local community of Smithton and has grown a deep appreciation for the diversity of jobs and experiences inside the red meat world for young people.

In this final interview for our Mo...

When buying eggs, what matters to you?

In this chat with Martin Rohde, of Rohde Egg Co, Oli learns what free range actually means, as well as some other intricacies of running a rapidly expanding higher-welfare egg business in South Australia's Clare Valley region.

Even when navigating challenges around COVID-19 and avian influenza, the Rohde family has always kept animal welfare at the core of their business decisions, rather than chasing 'numbers on the board'.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Agribusiness and Video Series
03:14 Meet Martin Roady: A Third Generation Egg Farmer<...

A new voice joins Humans of Agriculture!

Liv Thorn pokes her face from behind the curtain to share a bit about her background in media and what she brings to her (relatively) new role as Content Specialist in our ever-evolving team.

Liv is a passionate storyteller and determined to propel more authentic, human-led stories from the bush into the mainstream.

A seasoned journalist with over 15 years working in rural media, including presenting ABC's WA Country Hour, Liv brings sharp editorial instincts and a deep understanding of regional life to everything she creates.

At the heart of Australia’s meat processing industry are the people. From graduates to CEOs, and those who work on the floor, we're letting their stories shine through this special More To Meat series. 

In part two, we meet the unforgettable Stephen Duncan, aka Chainy, from Casino Food Company in NSW. 

Chainy has been in the red meat processing game since 1985 and has worked just about every role on the factory floor. 

Hear his incredible career journey through the ranks and how his passion for the industry is rubbing off on the n...

In the first episode of our three-part More To Meat series, we're revealing a side of meat production you don't often get to see. 

Oli visits Australian Country Choice (ACC) in Brisbane where they've recently processed 6000 head of cattle in just one week. That's enough beef for 49 million spaghetti bolognese meals... enough to feed every Australian twice!

CEO Anthony Lee welcomes us into the ACC factory and explains there's more to red meat processing than just food. 

Products are used in pharmaceuticals, makeup, biodiesel, and even artificial heart valves, which are helping to sa...

An 'overnight success' is often many years in the making and that's certainly the case for the Our Cow empire.

Husband and wife duo Dave McGiveron and Bianca Tarrant scraped together a deposit to buy a small cattle property in 2019 and fulfill their dream of being 'mad weaner producers'.

With just one steer to their name, they launched a direct-to-consumer meat business which soon exploded into a meat subscription powerhouse turning over more than $40 million a year. 

But it hasn't been without sacrifice, failure and some hair-raising stories of tackling challenges head-on. 

...

Beware, the burn!

Tom & Mick got more than they bargained for in this chat with Wagyu breeder Charlie Perry.

Apart from minor ego bruising, the fellas discovered that breeding some of the country's best Wagyu cattle is about more than just marbling.

Charlie explains how sophisticated genetic tools are helping him grow a more balanced and functional animal, so he and his clients can endure the boom and bust cycles of the wagyu market. 

As we creep closer to the Trent Bridge Wagyu bull sale, this episode is not to be m...

There are many fascinating pockets of Aussie agriculture and Grace Griffiths is keen to explore them all.

A few years ago, Grace created 101 Ag Pathways to showcase the plethora of roles and career pathways into agriculture. 

Grace is an agronomist, cotton grower, GIS specialist and part of her family business Data Ag, based in Goodiwindi QLD. 

She chats about the chaos of juggling multiple roles, how her side passion project is opening doors to a new generation of ag professionals, and why Bayer's crop innovation is shaping a more sustainable and attractive cotton in...

The biotech at the fingertips of farmers is super exciting. But is regulation keeping pace with scientific leaps?

Biotech like gene editing has the potential to revolutionise the industry - by not only enhancing crop yields, but supporting sustainable farming practices, and helping address global climate change and food security. 

Michael Leader's job with Bayer is an interesting one - he's the bridge connecting the science labs and the regulators; translating complex new biotech innovation to policy makers. 

 
In this chat Michael discusses the legislative hurdles for biotech, use of AI in new...

When Tim Felan was exploring career options fresh out of uni a decade ago, marrying his love for agriculture and finance together just made sense.

But he says 'falling into' a trial internship at Rabobank is what really fast-tracked his career to becoming National Manager of Major Agribusiness Clients.

He was pleased to see the Rabo Graduate Program formalised in 2023, exposing more uni graduates to the incredible possibilities open to young people in the food and agribusiness sector. 

Hear how the 18 month bespoke grad program is tapping into the talent pool early, which T...

Choosing to get along seems to be the mindset critical to the success of the Coggan family mixed farming business over five generations.

Juggling a massive beef, lamb and grain operation in Queensland's Western Downs, siblings Emily, Tom and Sarah are fast becoming a leading force in the early adoption of ag technology.

They're the first beef farmers in Australia to use halter collars, allowing them to double the number of breeder cattle grazing otherwise unproductive land, with virtually zero labour or fencing costs.  

You can't miss this fascinating chat with three dynamic y...