Nine individuals from around Australia have been selected to take part in GrainGrowers’ national leadership program the Australian Grain Leaders Program (AGLP) in 2023. The bespoke year-long program is run by peak grains representative body GrainGrowers and offers professional development training to emerging industry leaders.
The 2023 Australian Grain Leaders Program (AGLP) participants are:
• David Robb - Bungunya, QLD
• Elly Stevens - Whiteheads Creek, VIC
• Jorden Mills - Northam, WA
• Josiah O’Hare - Cunderdin, WA
• Laura Bruce - Stoneleigh, VIC
• Lewis Goodman - Trangie, NSW
• Matthew Howell - Meningie, SA
• Sam Gall - Goorambat, VIC
• Tom Longmire - Esperance, WA
“These nine emerging leaders have a keen passion for the future of Australian grains and it’s a fantastic representation of how bright the future of grains is looking. This program aims to develop the capacity of young growers and ag professionals to shape the future of Australian grains, and I can’t wait to see how this new cohort progresses.” says GrainGrowers COO, Shona Gawel.
The AGLP has been running for over fifteen years. A key component of the program sees participants complete a project focussing on a challenge that grain farmers face under GrainGrowers’ five priority themes: trade and market access; grain freight and supply chains; workforce; carbon and climate; and farm inputs.
GrainGrowers covers the cost of participants taking part in the year-long program as well as travel and accommodation expenses, which is often a barrier for those in regional locations wanting to participate in more traditional professional development programs
About the 2023 Participants
David Robb - Bungunya, QLD
David is a grower in Bungunya, QLD with a degree in Agribusiness and Ag Science from The University of Queensland. He is passionate about sustainability on his family farm and has a keen interest in innovation in grains. As part of his AGLP project, David hopes to explore technologies that help farmers make informed decisions on sustainability, such as decreasing wastage and inefficiencies.
Elly Stevens - Whiteheads Creek, VIC
Elly Stevens is the Marketing & Sustainability Manager and an active seasonal worker at Croker Grain. Along with this, Elly is involved with her family’s mixed farms across Forbes NSW and Seymour VIC. As part of her AGLP project, Elly will look at ways to champion grower voices relating to exploring the future of the grains industry when it comes to climate change and sustainability.
Jorden Mills - Northam, WA
Hailing from a grain farm in the WA Wheatbelt, Jorden has always had a strong passion for agriculture. Jorden has worked across various agribusinesses, Jorden’s AGLP project will investigate best practice models of workforce planning in grain businesses and how to attract and develop staff to strengthen the future of the grains industry workforce.
Josiah O’Hare - Cunderdin, WA
Josiah is a grower in Cunderdin WA and an active member of his community. Having completed the CBH Grassroots Leadership Program in 2019, Josiah is excited to develop his skills as a leader in both his family business, and in the grain industry overall. As part of his AGLP project, Josiah will look at models for managing price and availability of inputs, and the tools available to help growers minimise risk.
Laura Bruce - Stoneleigh, VIC
Laura currently works as the precision agriculture specialist for Warakirri Cropping and assists her family’s mixed enterprise and harvest contracting business in Victoria in her spare time. With a consulting career that has spanned the East Coast, Laura is passionate about the diversity in agriculture and the evolution of ag technology for growers. As part of her AGLP project, Laura will explore how the industry can attract and retain female employees at all entry points whilst considering employment barriers.
Lewis Goodman – Trangie,NSW
Lewis Goodman has been farming in Trangie NSW for 10 years. To Lewis, overcoming barriers to farming for those outside the grains industry is key in ensuring that the future of the ag workforce remains strong. As part of his AGLP project, Lewis would like to look at new pathways into farming for aspiring growers.
Matthew Howell - Meningie, SA
Matthew has represented growers in GRDC activities and has been involved in grassroots advocacy in South Australia. Passionate about representing growers in his area, Matthew hopes to explore the power of grower research and advocacy at a local level. He hopes to establish a grower group in his area to drive the direction of RD&E in the unique conditions in the Coorong region.
Sam Gall - Goorambat, VIC
Sam is a grower at Goorambat VIC and an active member of his town’s community group. Like many growers, managing farm inputs is essential to Sam’s operation. As part of his AGLP project, he hopes to explore how to minimise inefficiencies to increase profits and decrease emissions on farm.
Tom Longmire - Esperance, WA
Tom is a grower in Esperance WA and a member of the SEPWA Youth in Ag committee. He has a keen interest in how technology is shaping the future of grains and attracting technical expertise to the industry to develop new capability. As part of his AGLP project, Tom will look at how autonomous machines on farm improve efficiency of operations and fill labour gaps.