Skip to content

Eight growers from across Australia have been selected for the GrainGrowers OnBoard grower director program. OnBoard is a unique opportunity for growers to take their on-farm expertise to the boardroom. The program was launched in 2021 by GrainGrowers after recognising the depth of talented growers capable of making significant contributions to the sector, yet lack of grower applicants for industry boards and committees. The program comprises of hard and soft skills training by expert facilitators as well as funding participants to complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.

Successful applicants for the 2022 program are:

  • Carolyn Stewart, Buckrabanyule VIC
  • David Brownhill, Spring Ridge NSW
  • David Woods, Toobeah QLD
  • Denise McLellan, Horsham VIC
  • Fiona Mann, Eradu WA
  • James Heaslip, Laura SA
  • Mark Swift, Parkes NSW
  • Shannon Slade, Kendenup WA

“Congratulations to our next OnBoard cohort. We’re excited to have such a talented group of growers participate in 2022. OnBoard has been designed to help growers utilise the skills they have and undertake training that will serve them well for board roles. There’s no shortage of skilled and progressive growers here in Australia, so our goal is to ensure grower voices are represented where it matters most,” said GrainGrowers Chair Brett Hosking.

“Thank you to all growers who applied to be a part of OnBoard, the applications were a reminder of the experience and depth of talent growers possess.”

OnBoard is a pandemic-proof program, allowing participants to collaborate and learn online if travel restrictions prevent face-to-face sessions. The 2022 cohort will have their first session on 11 April 2022.

Link to download images: Dropbox

Participant bios:

Carolyn Stewart - Buckrabanyule VIC

In addition to running a fifth-generation mixed cropping and livestock farm in North Central Victoria with her husband, Carolyn is a current Councillor and former Mayor of the Buloke Shire who was selected to serve on the the Local Government Minister's Mayoral Advisory Panel in 2020.

David Brownhill - Spring Ridge NSW

David and his wife Liz, manage Merrilong Pastoral Company, with David’s brother, Gordon and his wife, Anne – covering 10600 hectares, which focus on dryland and irrigated grain production. David is also a founding director of AMPS Agribusiness Pty Ltd, which is committed to information dissemination, structured farming and returning profits to research.

David Woods - Toobeah QLD

David runs a broadcare cropping & grazing operation 80km NW of Goondiwindi together with his wife Alice. He was president of Goondiwindi’s Macintyre Ag Alliance in 2019/20 and won the 2021 NSW Landcare Farming award for his contributions to our community.

Denise McLellan - Horsham VIC

Denise has worked in farming and agriculture for over twenty years. She has worked in the grains industry in both government and private sectors in agronomy, growers extension services, and industry development. Working alongside scientists, researchers and most of the supply chain means Denise has a strong understanding of the grains industry, farming and agriculture.

Fiona Mann - Eradu WA

Fiona is a broad acre farmer at Eradu in Western Australia with her husband Liam and young boys. In addition to their cropping enterprise, they operate an agricultural contracting business, and have also launched BLOCK 275, a value-added extension that produces Cold Pressed Canola Oil. Fiona has a Bachelor of Science and is the Chair of the Mid West Food Industries Alliance, and the co-ordinator of the Mullewa Dryland Farmers Initiative.

James Heaslip - Laura SA

As a sixth-generation farmer, James is passionate about the agricultural industry and the opportunities it provides. Through his pathway into the agricultural industry, he has developed a broad range of professional and technical skills, which is highly relevant as he currently serves on the GPSA board.

Mark Swift - Parkes NSW

Mark Swift is grain grower from Parkes in Central West NSW. He has a keen interest in grower collaboration and risk management. He has attempted to establish a grower owned Mutual, is currently a director of Farmlink & is presently looking at cooperative options for dealing with grain freight bottle necks in central NSW.

Shannon Slade- Kendenup WA

Shannon runs a mixed crop and livestock enterprise with her husband and extended family near Kendenup, Western Australia. She has a varied farming background, having been a rural bank manager in New Zealand and a dairy farmer in Victoria. Shannon is currently on the board of our local grower group, Stirling's to Coast Farmers, and is a 2018 Nuffield Scholar

Topic

Tags

About OnBoard

Combining application and selection revision with the development of leadership capability and sound governance capacity a modern Director requires, OnBoard is a unique and exciting professional development opportunity specifically for growers.
Find out More