Unearthed: The people changing Australian agriculture

Agriculture comes in many forms and the next generation is open to grabbing the opportunities on offer, whether they are in the paddock, the laboratory or even under the sea. In this episode we meet two AgriFutures Horizons Scholars who have taken the agricultural path less travelled and grown in confidence along the way.

When a milking shed becomes a classroom, eyes light up, brains are activated and lifelong memories are made. Narelle Zanker's 'have a crack' attitude dramatically altered her career path from promising young teacher to the title of AgriFutures 2026 Rural Woman of the Year. Her business Dairy Adventures combines her love of education and agriculture in a farm tour experience that has attracted more than 2000 visitors since opening less than two years ago, and in doing so she is blazing a new trail for bridging the city-country divide.

Kelly Shotton is a pilot, an electrician and a marathon runner. She designed an app to monitor livestock watering points on remote stations and won the NT Rural Woman of the Year award. Now she's the AgriFutures National Rural Women's Award Runner Up. Her former boss Anna Cochrane says Kelly is one of the most determined people she’s ever met, and regardless of the challenges and struggles, she always achieves her goals.

Meet the Australian farmers boldly going where no farmer has gone before, applying technology that can manage a crop down to individual plant level, and using a staff of hyper-cybernetic robots to manage their operations.

In a crowded era of agtech innovation and hype, what sets the Rice Dashboard apart from the pack? The decision support platform has been adopted by 95% of Australia's rice growers - an incredible success considering that 90% of agtech start ups don't survive. So what did the developer's of the Rice Dashboard do right? It started with a whole of industry approach connecting everyone from growers to researchers.

Big capital meets big questions for Australian agriculture: Institutional investment in Australian farmland is increasingly becoming a defining force for agriculture. Capital unlocks innovation and scale, but what are the trade-offs? In this episode of Unearthed, we hear from Liam Lenaghan of GO.FARM and Jaclyn Hope from LAWD, both panel guests at evokeAG earlier this year, where they discussed the pros and cons of institutional investment in Australian agriculture.

AgriFutures new Managing Director, Brianna Casey, has lived a life of change, witnessing the transformation of the NSW Northern Rivers when growing up in Byron Bay, to being responsible for driving change when appointed CEO of the Queensland Farmers' Federation at the age of just 23. Brianna shares the life experiences that have shaped her 'walking alongside' leadership style, and the importance of combining inspiration with evidence when developing policies for the future of agriculture.

From listening to his mum's racing tips on Brisbane radio to selling Winx's foal for $10 million - one of Australia's most respected Thoroughbred auctioneers, Jonathan D'Arcy, shares how his experiences in the bloodstock industry will shape his new role guiding future research as part of the AgriFutures Thoroughred Horses Advisory Panel.

While some farmers may feel like agriculture has been under attack for many years, new research shows continuing high levels of trust in both farmers and agricultural industries by the general public. However, as Courtney Bailey of Voconiq reveals, there is a range of issues requiring proactive communication by levied and emerging industries in order to retain this high level of trust. The good news is that every individual can play their part.

With women holding only 19% of board roles in agriculture and just 2% of CEO positions, Cressida Cains is taking up the challenge to improve the diversity of views being represented in leadership positions. Australian Women in Agriculture has developed the Women on Agricultural Boards project and it's quickly gaining momentum.

AgriFutures new Chair, Mick Veitch, brings an eclectic background to the role, from time in the shearing sheds, working on the railways, and even serving in the NSW Parliament. Mick shares his insights into the process of unifying an organisation through valuing the unique experiences of those within it, and the importance of giving back to our communities.

It hasn't been an easy journey for agriculture's 'PlayStation generation', but after deconstructing and reconstructing everyday technologies - from cardboard boxes to mobile phones - they are now applying AI and machine learning to transform Australia's grains industry. Cropify's Anna Falkiner and Elders Alex Greetham, who both featured at AgriFutures' evokeAg Conference, share their insights into how new technology is bringing greater objectivity to decision making while retaining the value of human experience.

Facing tight margins and increasing competition for land, farmers around the world are looking to non-traditional revenue streams that reward their role as environmental stewards. But navigating the complexities of soil carbon, biodiversity and nature repair markets is incredibly challenging. AgriFutures-sponsored Nuffield Scholar Sally Higgins has been investigating how farmers around the world have responded, while UNE researcher, Associate Professor Rhiannon Smith, has developed the Environer website to assist farmers find the right opportunities for their business.

Making the right moves for disease-free crops: As ginger growers prepare to plant their new crop in July, we speak with researcher QDPI's Dylan Corner about trials showing promise in the control of microscopic worms; hear from fourth generation ginger grower, Abby Templeton, about her plans to study tissue culture processes around the world, as part of her Nuffield Farming Scholarship; and we reminisce about the good old days with her grandfather John, who balanced the hard work on the farm with the grace and skill of ballroom dancing.

Why honeybees are overlooked and misunderstood in bushfire planning - this episode investigates the impact of both prescribed burning and out of control bushfires on Australia's honeybee industry. The sector contributes $4.6 billion in value to the nation's cropping industry through pollination services, but does not have a formal seat at the table in fire planning.

evokeAg special: Just Meat protein in powder form and Halter, the collar for cows In the first of a series of special episodes unearthing the stars of the AgriFutures evokeAg conference, we meet the innovators behind two new livestock technologies which are attracting investors and customers around the world. Ellie Whelan has collaborated with CSIRO in developing the Just Meat protein powder, and Andrew Fraser is leading Halter’s global expansion, but both have had to overcome unexpected challenges in bringing their brilliant ideas to market.

Season 2 of Unearthed kicks off with the story of two inspirational entrepreneurs from opposite sides of the country, who have embraced value-adding to grow their families' farming businesses and build resilience in their regional economies. Meet WA Rural Women's Award finalist, Fiona Mann, of Block 275 Canola Oil, and Ros Vodusek, of Rich Glen Olive Oil.

Season 2 of Unearthed, the AgriFutures' podcast all about the people changing Australian agriculture, will hit the airwaves on April 20!

The Changemakers series has examined how leaders from across rural Australia and at different stages of their diverse career paths, navigate the pitfalls of making change happen. John Harvey has been at the pointy end of change having ledAgriFutures for the last 10 years, and served as CEO of the Grains Research and Development Corporation for five years before that. But for all of the technical knowledge and the complexity of the organisations he has led, the simplicity of the insights John shares speaks to an incredible wisdom. He discusses the importance of understanding farmer perspectives, emotional intelligence in leadership, and the value of feedback.

Lisa Anderson is anything but “just a farmer” – her career journey spans agriculture, the legal profession and serving as a board director. Lisa shares the importance of curiosity, building trust throughvulnerability, the balance of culture versus strategy, and the impact of peer-to-peer learning in driving change in agriculture.