Introducing the 2023 GenAngus Future Leaders
Angus Australia and specialist agricultural insurer Achmea Australia today announced the successful applicants for the 2023 GenAngus Future Leaders Program (GenAngus).
Now in its fifth year, GenAngus is the flagship program of the industry alliance between Angus Australia and Achmea Australia. The program brings together the next generation of agricultural leaders to gain business skills and knowledge to help them start their own beef cattle business or further advance their existing business.
The successful 2023 GenAngus Future Leaders Program participants are:
- Hannah Powe, Cargo, NSW
- Zeke Bennet, Warragul, VIC
- Victoria Bennet, Manypeaks, WA
- Peter McNamara, Orange NSW
- Lori Fogarty, Cooranga, QLD
- Philip Bayly, Paihia, Northland, NZ
- Tom Taheny, Naracoorte, SA
- Ed Bradley, Cooma, NSW
- Natalia Harris, Lucindale, SA
- James Blyth, Warragul South, VIC
- Corey McKinnon, Timor, NSW
- Adam Allingham, Armidale NSW
The 2023 GenAngus Future Leaders Program will be held from 30 May to 2 June 2023 in Adelaide, South Australia. During the three-day intensive workshop, participants will connect with a wide range of industry professionals on current and emerging themes impacting the future of beef production and the agricultural industry.
Angus Australia’s Extension Manager, Jake Phillips said the GenAngus Program is highly regarded by previous cohorts.
“The alliance with Achmea Australia and the support the Achmea Australia team has provided for more than five years now, has been life changing for GenAngus participants,” he said.
“The 2023 participants represent a great cross-section of the growing Angus community, with several states represented and individuals in various stages of life and business. I look forward to seeing how this year’s participants embrace the opportunities generated through the program,” Jake said.
Achmea Australia Chief Executive Officer Emma Thomas congratulates the young beef industry leaders on their successful nomination for the 2023 GenAngus Future Leaders Program.
“Achmea Australia is immensely proud to see this program going from strength to strength, attracting bright young beef leaders and leading industry experts from across the country,” Emma said.
“Having grown up on my family’s farm, I know first-hand the importance of rural leadership opportunities, such as the GenAngus program, to supports our agricultural leaders of tomorrow and strengthen the resilience of our agricultural communities,” she said.
Insurance issued by Achmea Schadeverzekeringen N.V. (Achmea) ABN 86 158 237 702 AFSL 433984.
www.achmea.com.au
info@achmea.com.au
1800 724 214
Recipient Bios:
Hannah Powe
Hannah and her family own and operate Goondoola Livestock at Cargo in the Central West of NSW. Hannah has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, has worked as the Livestock Editor of The Land newspaper and most recently she has taken up the NSW Genomics Territory Manager role with Neogen Australasia. Hannah has been part of the Angus Youth program since 2009, she has been a previous Angus Youth scholarship recipient and has served on the Angus Youth Consultative Committee. Hannah was the recipient of the Stewart Award, for services to Angus Youth in 2020. Hannah looks forward to increasing her self-awareness, connecting with like-minded individuals to build her networks, up-skilling and gaining further insight into how to grow her family business and personal endeavours efficiently, and overall boosting her motivation.
Zeke Bennet
Zeke Bennet is newly involved in Angus Australia and is in the first year of ownership of his own farm, a dream of his since he was a child. Zeke owns a landscaping business in Sydney which is currently his main income source, however Zeke would like to be a full-time farmer in the next 1-3 years and acquire more land and grow his business. He currently travels between states to manage the business however resides in Victoria where the farm is. Zeke got into the Angus breed as he believes in the breed and wanted to be one of the producers pushing the breed forward. His goal for the next 3-5 years is to learn as much as he can and be known for producing high quality cattle which are in demand.
Corey Mckinnon
Corey is fortunate to be the manager of Timor Creek, a commercial Angus breeding program that was developed with his wife in the Upper Hunter region of NSW in 2021. They are at a pivotal point in the business where they are now working towards developing a stud Angus breeding herd to incorporate into the business operations and expand their market. Corey has grown up around livestock and particularly Angus cattle his entire life, so being able to be a part of this industry as a career is something he is proud of. Corey is looking forward to being a part of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program this year and is grateful for the opportunity to expand his knowledge and network with others in the industry.
James Blyth
James Blyth, alongside his family, runs Fernleigh Angus in Ellinbank, Victoria. Upon completion of university in 2020, James returned home to the farm, and has since taken on a significant role in the operation of the business. Fernleigh Angus runs approximately 150 stud females and delivers bulls to the Gippsland market. In addition to the cattle enterprise, they grow Daffodils for sale in the wholesale market. James is very passionate about the continued development of their cattle program and is very excited about the knowledge the GenAngus program can offer to him.
Peter McNamara
Peter McNamara is the Gilmandyke Angus stud manager, located at Orange in NSW. The stud operates on over 3,000 acres of central tablelands grazing country, with a further 15,000 acres of mixed grazing and farming country to run a 2500hd commercial Angus herd and 3500hd flock of Merino ewes. Peter is a St Stanislaus College high school graduate, and has studied, although not yet completed, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at CSU Wagga Wagga. He has experience in many agricultural environments including northern pastoral properties, intensive irrigated farmland and intensive animal production systems. Peter has travelled overseas and is continually looking for opportunities to expand his knowledge of agriculture in different parts of the world.
Victoria Bennet
Victoria Bennet is a beef (commercial and seedstock), sheep and broadacre farmer with her family in southern Western Australia. Victoria grew up on a cattle breeding and feedlotting business and from a young age cattle have always been her passion and motivation. Victoria followed this through with a Bachelor of Animal Science with honours and extra units studying feedlot management in order to gain as much knowledge within the cattle industry. She enjoys the challenges with breeding a style/type of cattle and concentrating on genetics and EBV’s to move forward the breed and cattle industry.
Victoria feels very humbled and honoured to enjoy so many opportunities to learn from so many people and businesses within the industry. Her other passion is to encourage and teach the youth of the industry so they can enjoy cattle and have a career/opportunity, giving back from what others have given to her over the years.
Philip Bayly
Phil Bayly lives on his family sheep and beef farm on the coast in Waitangi, New Zealand. He works alongside his parents on their Angus stud, Waitangi Angus, managing the day to day running of the staff on the farm.
He has been working on the farm for the last 12 years and has recently started taking on more of a role involving the direction of the genetics of the stud and the financial decisions of the farm. In his spare time, he enjoys being out on the water, fishing or cruising the Bay of Islands.
Natalia Harris
Natalia Harris grew up in Lucindale, SA on her family’s beef and sheep property. Her love of animals led her to a career in Veterinary Science where she worked in mixed practice in Victoria, before following an opportunity as an accredited veterinarian in the live export industry. Two years ago, Natalia moved back to the family property where she has become more involved in the business, with a particularly keen interest in the Angus stud and commercial herd. She is really looking forward to participating in the GenAngus Program, meeting mentors and other like-minded applicants, and learning as much as she can about business management, marketing and genetics.
Edward Bradley
Ed Bradley is from Hazeldean Angus at Cooma. With his wife Bea Litchfield, Ed is taking on her parents Angus and Merino stud, along with a commercial sheep and Angus herd. He has diploma from Marcus Oldham in Horse Business Management and has a BA in Business and Commerce.
Ed has previously worked for Twynam Pastoral at Jemalong Station – Forbes, Rivalea in Sydney as a meat trader and with Gai Waterhouse Racing preparing 2-year-old colts. His passion is all things animal livestock and measuring genetic gain. He is currently the sales, marketing and client relations manager at Hazeldean.
Lori Fogarty
Lori Fogarty is from a cattle station in the Northern Territory and has had a passion for all things agriculture, specifically livestock, from a young age. Once she completed high school, Lori attended the University of Adelaide to complete her Bachelor of Agricultural Science, which has opened so many doors into different industries.
After completing her Ag degree, she enrolled at the University of New England to complete her Master of Secondary Teaching, which she hopes to use to educate rural and remote students on the importance of all aspects of agriculture. She was recently selected one of the recipients of the Angus Australia LIVEXchange Conference Scholarship to Darwin, which she highlights was a great opportunity.
Tom Taheny
Tom Taheny grew up in Point Turton, South Australia on his family’s cropping and Merino farm, where he enjoyed learning the day-to-day practical farming skills. He worked on the family farm until deciding to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at the University of Adelaide in 2016. This experience allowed him to connect and learn with likeminded individuals whilst exposing him to the opportunities in agriculture.
Whist at university Tom attended a wool growing tour to China and a beef live export tour following the supply chain, from the cattle stations in the Northern Territory, right through to the wet markets in Indonesia. After graduating he briefly worked as a grain merchant before moving to the Southeast to manage a prime lamb farm at Coonawarra. He is now managing a stud Santa Gertrudis and Angus cattle property near Lucindale, SA. The company he works for also operates a cattle and lamb feedlot at Warnertown, SA, which he is enjoying being involved with in the purchasing of cattle at markets.
