Humans of Agriculture

What happens when you step outside your own patch and spend time learning from some of the best operators in agriculture?2026 Australian Zanda McDonald Award winner Bryce Neyland joins Oli after completing his mentoring trips across New Zealand and Australia. Bryce shares what he learned about risk, resilience, investment and leadership, and why seeing how other businesses operate has challenged the way he thinks about his own career and family farming business.Importantly, Bryce didn’t win the first time he applied. He reflects on what changed between applications, the value of getting clear on where you want to go, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is put your hand up and have another crack.In this episode:What Bryce learned travelling through Australian and New Zealand agricultureWhy New Zealand challenged his thinking about productivity and getting more from what you haveWhat resilient Australian farming businesses do differentlyHow leading businesses think about investment, risk and long-term decision-makingWhy Bryce is now thinking differently about planning for tough seasons on the family farmLearning to expect pressure rather than being surprised by itWhy getting outside your own "sandbox" matters for personal and professional growthWhat changed between Bryce's first unsuccessful Zanda application and ultimately winning the AwardWhy the alumni network may be one of the Award's greatest opportunitiesBryce's advice for anyone considering putting their hand upApplications for the Zanda McDonald Award are open from 1 October to 31 October 2026.If you’re involved in agriculture, want to keep learning and are curious about where you could take your career, Bryce’s advice is pretty simple: get your application in and have a crack.Chapters00:00 Catching up with Bryce02:15 Life as the 2026 Zanda McDonald Award winner03:11 The Australian and New Zealand mentoring trips05:20 What New Zealand agriculture taught Bryce06:32 Productivity versus resilience08:04 How great businesses think about investment and risk10:34 Bringing the lessons back to the family farm11:30 Leadership, negotiation and personal development13:27 Learning to expect pressure14:39 What successful dryland farming businesses taught Bryce17:00 Why apply for the Zanda McDonald Award?19:01 Bryce didn't get through the first time20:18 "I only know what I know"22:04 What changed between Bryce's two applications23:31 Bryce's advice to future applicants

Fourth-generation beef producer Stafford Ives-Heres is building Shanford Park on Tasmania's north-west coast with one eye firmly on the generations still to come.From starting with 10 cattle and working cray boats to fund his growth, to succession, leasing land and questioning whether owning more country always makes commercial sense, Stafford shares how he's thinking about building a family business that's valuable enough to be taken on, not simply sold.We chat about:Growing up at Shanford Park and being the last of four kids to become interested in farmingStarting with 10 cattle as a teenagerWorking cray boats along Tasmania's remote west coastUsing off-farm income to build livestock ownershipWhy the family moved from dairy into beefThe beginnings of Tasmanian Seaweed FertilisersSeparating family businesses to make succession workGrowing livestock numbers through ownership, leasing and share farmingWhy Stafford questions the need to own every hectareBuilding equity and optionality for the next generationCreating pathways into agriculture without owning landWhy professional development and strong networks matterChapters00:00 The realities of regional connectivity05:09 Meet Stafford Ives-Heres06:17 Farming on Tasmania's north-west coast10:21 Starting with 10 cattle12:15 Leaving farming for the cray industry16:24 Lessons from working at sea18:01 From dairy farming to seaweed fertiliser23:40 Separating businesses and navigating succession25:36 Growing the beef business28:29 Having children and thinking generations ahead31:04 Playing the long game with land and scale32:22 Professional development, equity and what's next36:18 Leasing land and creating pathways into agriculture39:05 Rabobank's Executive Development Program

Jack and Lisa Beattie didn’t set out to build a strawberry propagation business. After leaving Jack’s family dairy operation and trying several different ventures, an unexpected opportunity at Ouse in Tasmania changed their direction.Today, JCLM Farming produces around 10% of Australia’s strawberry nursery plants. Jack and Lisa share the decisions, setbacks and lessons behind that growth, and their ambition to become the provider of choice for Australian strawberry growers.In this episode:Leaving the family farm and starting againWhy their early businesses were important stepping stonesThe unexpected move from dairy into strawberry propagationThe moment they decided to back one business rather than keep diversifyingWhy Ouse is uniquely suited to growing strawberry nursery plantsGrowing JCLM to around 10% of the Australian marketFinding and bringing new strawberry genetics into AustraliaHow six plants can become millions through propagationDigitising the customer journey from ordering through to deliveryBuilding a team around Jack and Lisa’s different strengthsTheir goal to double JCLM’s share of the Australian marketChapters00:00 Introduction and JCLM Farming today02:20 Jack’s farming roots and moving from the UK to Tasmania05:09 Leaving the family dairy business07:25 The difficult first decade on their own09:06 Their first businesses and lessons from things that didn’t work12:12 Lisa’s perspective on money, growth and building the business16:11 How strawberries unexpectedly entered the picture18:55 The two phone calls that changed their direction22:43 Building JCLM into 10% of Australia’s strawberry plant market24:44 Creating value for customers and aligning the team26:29 Jack and Lisa’s different strengths as leaders28:45 Global genetics and the story of six Eclipse plants32:34 Building a digital-first strawberry nursery37:47 The ambition to double JCLM’s Australian market share39:14 What are the chances your strawberries started at JCLM?40:41 The strawberry needle scare, COVID and labour challenges

Michael Spencer has spent more than 30 years across livestock agency, corporate agriculture, cattle processing and pastoral operations, including roles with Elders, AACo and Bindaree Beef before helping build Adcock Partners.In this episode of The Tom & Mick Show, Michael joins Tom and Mick to unpack what good livestock agency actually looks like, why Adcock Partners deliberately operates under the radar, and what he is seeing across cattle markets from northern Australia through to the eastern states.They discuss: Michael’s unconventional path through Elders, AACo, Bindaree Beef and into Adcock Partners  Why relationships and people remain the foundation of a strong agency business  Building a business around agility rather than corporate complexity  Why Adcock Partners has deliberately stayed relatively quiet and selective  How livestock agency has changed over the past 30 years  What good service looks like when clients span enormous distances  Seasonal conditions across Queensland and the Northern Territory  Why producer confidence can move cattle prices quickly  The relationship between live export and domestic cattle markets  Why live export remains critical to northern Australia and Indonesia  What Michael expects from cattle markets heading through spring and into 2027Chapters00:00 Introduction to Michael Spencer and Adcock Partners05:24 Michael’s path from Melbourne to livestock agency12:41 From Elders and AACo to Bindaree18:05 Building Adcock Partners and the business philosophy23:34 What good livestock agency service looks like29:48 Seasonal conditions across northern Australia35:12 The cattle market and influence of the farmer40:36 Live export, Indonesia and changing cattle markets46:18 What happens next for the cattle market50:20 The Charbray question and wrapping up

Gerard Hines and Chris Duff have spent nearly four decades working alongside each other, building one of Australia's most respected independent agribusinesses from a single rural store into a national business. What does it take to build an agribusiness from a handful of people into a national business, without losing the culture, relationships and local connection that made it successful in the first place?Gerard Hines and Chris Duff are the co-founders of Delta Agribusiness. Their working relationship stretches back almost 40 years, from a small rural business near Young, NSW, through the creation of Delta Agribusiness in 2006 and more than 20 acquisitions, before Delta ultimately became part of Elders.This is a conversation about much more than growth. Gerard and Chris unpack the decisions, people and principles underneath it, from backing themselves during drought, putting their own money on the line and using employee ownership to create alignment, to learning why balance sheet strength, local relationships and great people matter when building a business for the long term.Key insights from the conversation:How Gerard and Chris built a partnership spanning nearly 40 years through trust, respect and shared valuesWhy bringing independent agronomy into agricultural retail fundamentally changed their business modelThe role mentors and early equity opportunities played in shaping Delta's inclusive ownership philosophyWhat IAMA, Wesfarmers and AWB taught them about leadership, governance, systems and financial disciplineWhy Delta was founded during the middle of a severe drought and how backing themselves changed everythingThe importance of maintaining a strong balance sheet so opportunities can be seized during difficult seasonsHow focusing on people, culture and local relationships drove more than 20 successful acquisitions across AustraliaWhy equity ownership became one of Delta's greatest tools for attracting, retaining and aligning great peopleHow staying connected to customers and the frontline has remained critical, even as the business has grown nationallyThe lessons learned from succession planning, bringing in private equity, and ultimately partnering with Elders to secure Delta's next chapterChapters:00:00 Introduction to Gerard Hines and Chris Duff's Journey01:52 Early Days of Agriculture and Agronomy04:00 Founding of Delta Agribusiness and Initial Challenges08:05 The Impact of Industry Changes and Mergers11:57 Lessons Learned from Industry Challenges15:57 Growth Strategies and Private Equity Involvement20:08 Building Company Culture and Leadership25:02 Managing Growth, Succession, and Industry Dynamics31:47 The Decision to Start Delta and Early Risks36:04 Timing and Market Conditions During Launch40:03 Resilience During Droughts and Market Cycles45:07 The Role of Relationships and Trust in Business49:48 Strategic Acquisitions and Private Equity Partnerships54:58 Adapting to Industry and Market Changes59:55 Leadership, Culture, and the Future of DeltaPodcast KeywordsDelta Agribusiness, Gerard Hines, Chris Duff, Australian agribusiness, agronomy Australia, agricultural leadership, agribusiness entrepreneurship, rural business, agriculture careers, agricultural retail, private agronomy, Australian farming, business growth, mergers and acquisitions, employee ownership, business culture, drought resilience, leadership development, succession planning, Elders, regional business, entrepreneurship in agriculture