STORIES
Our Community, Their Stories
Discover the people and stories behind agriculture.
From everyday experiences to extraordinary journeys, these are the voices that bring our industry to life and show the many pathways shaping its future.
Find a story…
I think Erica Halliday could be the Chief of Optimism
Erica Halliday embodies optimism. Her upbeat nature is genuinely infectious, even when she is talking about some really difficult periods for her, her family and the business.
Erica and her husband Stu run Ben Nevis Angus Stud, a 5th generation family business situated in Walcha, New South Wales.
Cattle, Consumers, and Carbon Neutral goals with Jason Strong
How does a person become the Managing Director (MD) of one of the biggest Agricultural Research & Development Corporations in the country? Well, Jason Strong accredits alot of his success and career progression to judging livestock. For him, that’s just about where it all began!
The little moments in white fields that shaped a future love with Mollie Parkes
“I wasn't surrounded by, technology and hundreds of other kids in the class, or even neighbours. It was that for sure that shaped my future and I think, laid a foundation for my appreciation for it as well. And knowing and seeing how committed Dad was to the land as well... Inspiring for sure.”
Rural Life, Farming and Community Involvement with Sandra Ireson
“I noticed the population loss when my eldest child was born in 1998. I turned around one day and realised that 12 of the families that had moved to the community had left the district. In 2011, Hay had the fastest falling population in the country.” - Sandra Ireson
Not wanting to be one to sit on the sidelines, Sandra knew that there was so much to share about Hay, about the region and about agriculture. So 10 years ago, alongside several other volunteers in the community she established Hay Inc, an opportunity to grow the exposure of city boys to country life in Hay, NSW.
Family, Business, and Perspectives with AgriMaster co-CEO's David and Natalie Egerton-Warburton
In agriculture we often have husband and wife duos on the farm, but not so often in Agribusiness! So we're stoked to have had the opportunity to chat to co-CEO's - David and Natalie Egerton-Warbuton from Agrimaster. Together, they established the software development company in 2001 and have since began raising their family in Western Australia.
I’ll always be a bush kid with Nick Turnbull
As we were saying our goodbye's Nick said, "It's actually been bloody good to tell my story"... It's little moments like this that make it so worth it, and we feel so lucky to be able to bring people like Nick to the front through HOA... So let's get into it.
The Chef Taking Red Meat from the BBQ to the Royals with Sam Burke
Sam Burke has invited Oli and all podcast listeners to his place for a BBQ and we're holding him to it!
Career Paths From Texas to the Territory with Liv Thompson
In this episode, Oli chats with Olivia (Liv) Thompson, a Director at LAWD. Liv's early years were spent on Northern Territory cattle stations, and she recently came full circle by selling one of those stations as a real estate agent.
Although Liv's career began in real estate, she took a detour to Texas, USA, working as a cutting horse trainer. Throughout this episode, Liv openly discusses her rookie mistakes, her love for the Northern Territory community, the cultural insights she gained from her time overseas and the evolution of her career.
The job that even his Dad is jealous of with Josh Ledingham
“It was a three to five-year plan but we’ve turned around and bloody love it! We’re not ready to go back [to Eastern Australia]. We have our friends, a really good support network and we haven’t looked back.”
“We’re actually looking to buy a place and set up stumps!”
The Global Business That Started on a Fence Post with Ned and Lachie
"My grandfather would say to me, ‘Business is people, people is the thing that is harder to control. You build a machine and that machine will do what you programmed it to do, and it'll do that same job day in day out. People aren't just machines’.
Crafting Culture and a Lifetime of Learnings with Anthony Lee
In a past life, Anthony Lee has scrubbed dishes, flipped burgers, varnished boats, worked on ski fields and spent time as a postman... Now, Anthony is the CEO and Director at family business, Australian Country Choice (ACC), a beef, cattle and food processing company.
The Intersection of Robotics and Agriculture with Jordy Kitschke
Beck's journey to growing self-confidence and getting out of her own way
In my career, I've been my biggest roadblock, that lack of self confidence.
Varied Perspectives Shape Jess’s Career
"My Mum is my Hero" - Malkah Lara-Muckenschnabl
If Malkah wasn’t a Relationship Credit Analyst, she would use her love of problem solving be an entrepreneur. The AgriFutures 2023 Future Young Leader is currently looking to solve a problem that she sees in recruitment in agriculture… Introducing Lymbo, an app that’s putting a creative twist on connecting employers and employees.
We went LIVE @ Sheepvention with Elders
For this weeks podcast, Oli travelled out to the Hamilton Sheepvention to discuss 'The Importance of Evolving within Agriculture' with Mark Gubbins, 'Coolana' Managing Director and Brendan Rinaldi, Elders Vic/Riverina GM.
Building a Global Business from the Uni dorm with Jack Laurie
With a profound love and passion for cattle, breeding, data and genetics, Jack's whole life has been dedicated to the sector. At the ripe age of 20, Jack established Breeder Genetics after spending time in America and Canada where he saw an opportunity he wanted to address... The outcome was a breeder-to-breeder genetic platform.
Within 8hrs of the top of the world
It’s been a month since Trent Thorne’s return from an attempt to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Oli sits down with him to reflect on his incredible journey.
Chief Hope Officer AKA Julia Jones
“And that's what keeps me passionate about agriculture…
Because we never ever lose our ability to actually get up the next day and care about each other and care about animals.
🎧 Under the Hood: Building HOA on Purpose ep 1
We thought we’d open the doors a little and share a little bit more behind the scenes. So you can get to know more about us, so we can share our dreams (and fears) with the world and who knows - maybe you can help us overcome the fears and achieve our dreams.