2019 Rising Champions Initiative

Elisha Parker named 2020 Rising Champion

Queensland’s Elisha Parker has been named the 2020 NAB Agribusiness Rising Champion at a Cattle Council gala dinner in Canberra tonight.

From Clermont, Elisha (pictured above with Paul Barnes from NAB Agribusiness and Cattle Council president Tony Hegarty) co-founded a national online cattle sales platform that provides marketing tools and technology to livestock agents, and has a keen interest in the role that young industry members will play in shaping the future of the beef sector.

Read more…

NAB Agribusiness Rising Champions Initiative

Cattle Council aims to inspire, empower and support young people, who are passionate about the Australian beef industry and to provide them with an opportunity to be directly involved. It is vital that the cattle producers and stakeholders of tomorrow are involved in the planning that occurs today. That’s why Cattle Council is offering young people passionate about the Australian beef industry the opportunity to have a say and be heard by the decision makers.

The NAB Agribusiness Rising Champion Initiative provides participants with the opportunity to network with some of Australia’s key beef industry leaders and provide contacts that will contribute to participant’s career progression within the beef industry.

Through the professional development workshop and attendance at the National Gala Dinner participant’s are given an insight into the Australian beef industry, Cattle Council of Australia operations, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) operations and network with industry representatives, sponsors, state farming organisations and parliamentary figures. The opportunity to broaden their interpersonal skills throughout the workshop allows participants to market themselves and learn how to represent themselves in a professional and clear manner.

Cattle Council would like to thank the following for their support in the NAB Agribusiness Rising Champions Initiative:

  • Gold Sponsor: NAB Agribusiness;
  • Silver Sponsor: McDonalds Australia;
  • Media Sponsor: Australian Community Media; and
  • State Farming Organisation members of Cattle Council (AgForce Queensland, NSW Farmers’ Association, Tasmanian Farmers’ and Graziers Association, WA Farmers, Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA, Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, Victorian Farmers’ Federation, Livestock SA).

2020 Rising Champion Finalists

2020 Rising Champions finalists revealed

The Cattle Council of Australia and National Australia Bank (NAB) have today announced the seven state finalists for the 2020 NAB Agribusiness Rising Champion Initiative, a program designed to develop and support young, passionate members of the Australian beef industry.

The 2020 finalists from left to right: Emily Buddle (Eudunda, South Australia), Bianca Tarrant (Casino, New South Wales), Elisha Parker (Clermont, Queensland), Elle Moyle (Hamilton, Victoria), Chelsea Rayner (Sheffield, Tasmania), Grayson Webster (Darwin, Northern Territory), John Cunnington (Perth, Western Australia)

Finalist biographies:

Emily Buddle, South Australia

Emily holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences (Honours) and recently completed a PhD researching consumer understanding of farm animal welfare in Australia.

Passionate about developing the capability of young people in the agriculture industry, Emily has been involved in several committees including the South Australian Beef Industry Blueprint Working Group and as a coach on the University of Adelaide’s Intercollegiate Meat Judging team.

Emily is currently working for the Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA), and helps manage a beef, sheep and cropping enterprise with her husband.

John Cunnington, Western Australia

John is the Director and Business Development Manager of Halleen Australasian Livestock Traders, a Perth based cattle exporter supplying livestock to South East Asia. He is also Chair of the WA Livestock Exporters Association and a Director on the Australian Livestock Exporters Council.

John is passionate about transparency in the livestock sector, and the importance of future proofing the Australian beef industry.

Elle Moyle, Victoria

Elle grew up on her family’s sheep and beef properties in South Australia and Victoria, before purchasing a small grazing property near Hamilton, Victoria, where she runs a 900 head composite ewe flock and 30 head of stud Angus females.

Currently working as a District Veterinarian for Agriculture Victoria, Elle has a passion for Angus seedstock production and improving the productivity of animals by optimising animal health and welfare.

Elisha Parker, Queensland

From Clermont, Queensland, Elisha is a co-founder and director of Cattlesales Pty Ltd, a national online cattle sales platform that also provides marketing tools and technology to livestock agents.

She is also a founder and director of the agricultural advocacy group, QLD Food Future Inc., which works to educate consumers and change common misconceptions about the agriculture industry. Elisha has a keen interest in the role that young industry participants will play in shaping the future of the beef sector.

Chelsea Rayner, Tasmania

Chelsea is a 21-year-old Simmental breeder based in Sheffield, Tasmania. Having been around beef cattle all her life, she has always been interested in commercial beef production, and was actively involved in cattle handling programs in secondary school.

Chelsea is planning to become a livestock agent, specialising in stud stock.

Bianca Tarrant, New South Wales

At the age of 23, Bianca and her partner purchased their first cattle property in the NSW Northern Rivers. Originally from a non-farming background, Bianca had to deal with drought and bushfires in her first two years as a producer and is now passionate about the importance of resilience and mental well-being for young farmers.

Today, she is to co-founder and general manager of Our Cow, a paddock to plate business which supplies quality, affordable beef direct to the consumer.

Grayson Webster, Northern Territory

Growing up as part of a pastoral family in the Northern Territory, Grayson’s interest in the beef industry started at an early age and led her to be involved in agribusiness including station operations, export depots, beef cattle backgrounding operations and meat processing.

She has a keen interest in cattle genetics, nutrition and the sustainability of Australian agriculture, and currently works as a Livestock Administration Officer for South East Asian Livestock Services Pty Ltd (SEALS), a live export business based in Darwin.