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‘The opportunities—farming wise—you can go pretty much anywhere in the world.’ Victoria left home at seventeen and has worked in the food and fibre industry ever since. Growing up in Canada, she never saw herself working with koalas, but after many years of travelling and learning different skills, she ended up in Australia. ‘The industry […]

‘One thing the dairy industry does really well is on the job training or industry training. The only thing you really need to do is make a start because there are a lot of helping hands and assistance out there. People are very good at reaching out if they see somebody trying to make their […]

‘I see it as a very honourable job because you are doing something positive, you are creating something, and you are helping people.’ Ralph always thought agriculture was just about farming, but when he started out in the industry, he realised it was so much more than that. He found there were all these other […]

‘I am the type of person who likes exploring new things. I like things keeping interesting, and agriculture offers that and you can tailor it to your want. It allows me to travel, explore new places, to enrich people’s lives.’ Karensa grew up in rural Victoria, and from an early age, she developed a love […]

Bethany never thought she would find herself in food and fibre, but the energy and strength of nature pulled her in, and now she is slowing down and learning to become a part of the natural rhythm of the land. ‘’Someone recently said to me, ‘slow is the fastest way to get to where you […]

Food & Fibre – Great South Coast Inc. View the full report here.   CHAIR’S REPORT GEORGINA GUBBINS CHAIR The Great South Coast is going from strength to strength as we work to implement our growth strategies into 2021. It is with great pleasure that I provide an update on our strategic commitment to grow […]

This International Rurual Women’s Day, Friday 15 October, Food and Fibre Great South Coast is excited to Celebrate Rural Women! Over the next week, Food and Fibre Great South Coast will share the stories of five rural women who make the Great South Coast great: Oonagh Kilpatrick (Food and Fibre Great South Coast Board member […]

Claire Cheeseman is just beginning her career in agriculture. Finishing up her double degree in Commerce and Science, majoring in Agribusiness and Environmental Science at Deakin University she is interested to see where she will go. Claire says she didn’t plan on studying agribusiness when she left high school but she says she “felt excited […]

My Leadership Great South Coast Photo Story  The question I have asked myself often throughout my ten years of living in Australia and in this region is, how does one promote, honour and contribute to a region which offers so much opportunity, which provides such enormous economic benefits across the food and fibre sectors, and […]

Three quarters of passion Karen O’Keefe is the Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator with Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) and owns a small lifestyle property near Rokewood. She explains that she has been in her current role for 8 years working across the Corangamite region which “covers from Ballarat to Geelong, along the Bellarine Peninsula and […]

A big shift Cath Jenkins is an independent consultant, on the board of Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and owns a family farm in South Purrumbete that has undergone some major shifts in the last few years. “In the last two years we’ve changed the operation from dairy into a livestock grazing enterprise. And in the […]

Our time to turn it around Carlie Barry and her husband operate a dairy farm in Camperdown and she shares her journey from conventional farming to organic regenerative farming. “When I got pregnant with my eldest daughter, who is now 16, I started on this journey of finding out where your food comes from. Working […]