Eight young members to head on the Neogen Angus Foundation Production Tour
Angus Australia is pleased to announce that Alkira Riley, Charlie Wrigley, Georgia Graham, Tom Pumpa, Tyla Sparks, Sarah Nesbitt, Cooper Walsh and John Barnett have been selected to take part in the inaugural Neogen Angus Foundation Production Tour.
For the first time, the Neogen Angus Foundation Production tour will take to Southeast Queensland, exploring all facets of the supply chain, from breeding and genetics with a tour of Neogen’s brand new DNA lab, visiting a leading seedstock entity and a commercial beef production enterprise in the region, through to large scale lot feeding and processing.
The itinerary will take in the southeastern region of the sunshine state, making its way from Neogen Australasia Head Office and Lab to Ascot Angus, Warwick, Dunmore Pastoral, Cecil Plains, Stockyard Kerwee Feedlot, Jondaryan, NH Food Oakey Beef Exports Abattoir, Oakey and finally the Super Butcher, Eagle Farm, Brisbane.
The tour looks to provide the participants that may not have yet had the chance to see firsthand the beef supply chain in this region an opportunity to gain a greater insight and appreciation of Angus cattle in the South-East Queensland environment.
Angus Australia Acting Genetics Specialist Jen Peart says Angus Australia looks forward to welcoming the eight participants to the Production Tour.
“We congratulate Alkira, Charlie, Georgia, Tom, Tyla, Sarah, Cooper and John for their selection on the inaugural Neogen Angus Foundation Production Tour,” said Jen.
“Along with our tour partner Neogen, we hope that each of the tour participants can utilise the opportunity to learn and gain a greater understanding of the production systems producers work in in southeast Queensland through our farm visits, as well the various points that make up the beef supply chain as we make our way across the region visiting the beef businesses representing a real paddock to plate experience.”
“Furthermore, we hope the time on the tour allows them to build networks with other young people in the Angus community that they can take forward for their personal and professional development.”
Alkira Riley
Alkira is a passionate Angus breeder wanting to further herself in the industry. Alkira love learning about and seeing different approaches to farming.
She has built her Angus herd from scratch, starting with a few embryos, then purchasing a few stud cows, to now having about 30 stud females and a further 60 commercial Angus breeders all spring calving.
Alkira works as a livestock agent in South Gippsland, and she enjoys the work which involves going to clients’ farms and helping them manage their animals to sell, buy or retain. Alkira also enjoys training working dogs and riding horses in her free time.
Charlie Wrigley
Charlie Wrigley, 25, works in his family’s farming business at Condobolin, NSW. Trading as Wrigley Cattle Co, they run a cropping program, commercial Angus herd and a growing Angus seedstock herd. Upon leaving school in 2015, Charlie worked for 2 years in the East Kimberley on a large Brahman breeding and backgrounding operation before returning home for the 2018 drought. He was then very fortunate to attended Marcus Oldham from 2019 through to 2021 completing a Bachelor of Business (Agriculture).
Throughout his 3 years at Marcus he had some great experiences including Meat Judging, touring New Zealand and southern parts of Australia as well as working for the Morgan Family (The Grove Shorthorns) at Condamine in Southern Qld for his year out in 2020. Since finishing university, he returned home again where he is keenly involved in the growth of their Angus seedstock herd as well as the cropping and commercial cattle aspect of the business. Having successfully run the inaugural Wrigley Cattle Co auction this year, the family are all very excited to see what the future holds.
Georgia Graham
Georgia is from Kingaroy, QLD where she runs a small herd of stud Angus females alongside the family’s Braford stud under the ‘Kioma’ prefix. She initially became involved with Angus through showing ‘Bowenfels Angus’ with Glen Perret, and went on to purchase her first females. The first calves with the ‘Kioma’ prefix have been very successful in the show ring, including many broad ribbons and aims to sell her stud bulls through paddock sales. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing through UniSQ. She is very eager to become a participant of the Neogen Angus Foundation Production Tour 2023 and make new connections with other members and learn more about the Angus breed and the technology involved.
Tom Pumpa
Tom Pumpa grew up on sheep and cattle stations in Barcaldine, Western QLD running Shorthorn breeders and crossbreed Merinos. He completed all his schooling at the pre-12 state school in town. Tom graduated 2016, and his family sold their last station the same year. Tom completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, double major Biochemistry/Biotechnology (2017-2020). He spent Uni summers at Opal Creek Feedlot and contracting out west during winter breaks.
After graduation Tom returned home and continued contracting on western breeding properties. In 2021 he started as trainee manager at Brindley Park Feedlot, finishing in 2023, transitioning to Livestock and Systems Analyst for the new Angus stud and commercial program at ACC.
Tyla Sparks
Tyla Sparks is passionate about the future of agriculture in Australia and would like to make a contribution to its continual growth and adaption. The bridging of the divide between country and city is of great importance to her.
Tyla has been employed with the GrainCorp Quality Assurance team for 7 years now and started with them whilst completing her dual degree at UQ Gatton. She didn’t expect to end up in the grains industry but have enjoyed the new challenges every harvest brings. Tyla is married with two kids (5 and 3), residing in Haden (just north of Toowoomba). Her husband runs his own fabrication business and this has provided them many challenges in the last five years. Together with her mum she breeds, shows, trains and competes in dog sports with miniature dachshunds.
Sarah Nesbitt
Sarah Nesbitt is a fifth generational farmer on the Monaro, NSW with a passion for the beef cattle industry. With her sisters, Sarah established Curragindi Angus on their family property in 2015. She has been fortunate to attend numerous Angus Youth Camps as a senior competitor, meeting numerous industry leaders and creating lifelong connections with a shared passion for the beef industry and Angus cattle.
At Curragindi Angus, Sarah and her sisters are focusing on high growth animals with great mobility and structure for longevity of their herd. They are proud to have their Angus stud bulls sold to well established commercial productions, receiving honourable feedback. Their aim is to continue to establish the Curragindi Angus brand, develop and grow their genetic diversity and continue to provide sound Angus bulls into the industry.
Cooper Walsh
Cooper’s family originally started in the dairy industry before moving to Holbrook NSW to run sheep. Cooper worked two years on a neighbouring property after finishing school, then took a year off travelling, before returning to work at Woodlands Hill Agricultural Company.
Cooper completed three years working underneath the pervious manager at Woodlands Hill Agricultural Company before he was promoted to manager. Cooper is an exceptional cricketer and football player winning the local premiership in 2022.
John Barnett
John Barnett is married to a paramedic with a 6-month-old daughter, Olivia. John spent his 20’s travelling, living two years in the United Kingdom before moving back to Australia where he found himself living in Alice Springs, before moving to Tasmania where his father had started an Angus herd.
John joined him on the farm and hasn’t looked back since. He has found a passion and lifestyle that he loves and believes he has been smiling ever since.
John loves diversifying throughout their farm, from pastures and income to livestock. Having a passion in climate change and carbon farming, John is always aiming to learn new ways to farm that’s best for the next generation.
