Jess Adamson - LambEx MC

Jessica Adamson is a presenter, facilitator and one of South Australia’s most sought after MC’s. Jess forged a reputation as one of the state’s finest journalists after 24 years in television news with Channel 7 and was the crime reporter for more than a decade. Jess’s upbringing on the family farm at Hallett, in the Mid North of South Australia, gave her a solid background in rural affairs. Jess’s media career began at the Stock Journal after she completed a Journalism Degree at the University of South Australia.  Jess is a board member of the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation and the Adelaide Crows Foundation. She’s also a passionate ambassador for CanTeen – the Australian organisation for young people living with cancer, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  

Dr Anneline Padayachee - The Food Scientist

Dr. Anneline Padayachee is deeply committed to enhancing the nutritional quality of food and promoting widespread understanding of nutrition. Beyond weight loss and disease treatment, she views nutrition as fundamental to cellular health, growth, aging, disease prevention, and overall functioning. With a PhD in nutritional food science and extensive experience in industry, research, and academia, Anneline currently provides independent scientific advice to a range of different clients and industry bodies. She is recognized nationally for her expertise and contributions to the field, holds positions in various professional organizations and has received awards for her work including being named Australia’s number one science communicator and one of the nations’ Top-50 cutting edge female scientists for her ability to translate science for industry and community. However, it is Anneline’s own personal journey dealing with health challenges that has strengthened her belief in the power of nutrition, and the invaluable role farmers play in providing good food that is rich in nutrients. As a prominent speaker, writer, and consultant in the food sector, Anneline is a strong advocate for the role of food production in improving public health. Contact her through her website, www.dranneline.com. 

Brett Stuart - President Global AgriTrends 

Global AgriTrends was organized in 2006 and provides global market research, analysis and forecasting to a variety of clients around the world. He was formerly the lead economist for the U.S. Meat Export Federation. His work regularly takes him to overseas markets, providing analysis and intel throughout the global agriculture sector. Mr. Stuart has conducted on-the-ground agriculture industry research on six continents for a variety of clients. Brett was raised on a cattle and sheep ranch operating in Utah and Wyoming. He received an undergraduate degree in accounting at Utah State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska. He and his wife Amanda live with their kids on a farm near Preston, Idaho. 

Clare Taylor - Agriculture commentator

Claire is an Agriculture Commentator, Nuffield Farming Scholar and International Speaker. She comes from a beef farm in the south-west of Scotland and began working life at the BBC, before going on to lead the political coverage at Scotland’s national farming paper.  After clocking up a decade of experience working across TV, radio and print, Claire is now a sought-after conference host and columnist.  As part of her Nuffield Farming Scholarship, she has travelled to 15 countries around the world, exploring how farming narratives are changing and researching ways to build more collaborative and positive global dialogues around food production.  She is now taking her findings on the road and through international speaking opportunities and working one-on-one with farming businesses, hopes to reinvigorate how farmers and industry organisations are communicating their story. 

Angus Street - ZQ Merino

As the CEO of ZQMerino, the world’s most sustainable and ethical wool, Angus believes wool should lead the movement away from plastics and towards natural products. Before commencing this role, he had served as CEO of AuctionsPlus since 2018, one of Australia’s oldest and most successful Agtech businesses. While in this role Angus led significant business growth and secured the platform’s position as the largest agriculture marketplace in the country. Prior to joining AuctionsPlus Angus founded Hop the Wall, a platform that empowered Australian enterprises to showcase, exchange and market their offerings with unprecedented efficacy and reach. Angus has also held senior roles at Hort Innovation, Meat and Livestock Australia, and Bastion Collective. 

Dr Steve Wiedemann - Integrity Ag

Coming from a mixed farming background and with almost 20 years in agri-environmental research and consulting, Steve’s key areas of expertise include decarbonisation of agri-food and fibre supply chains, Carbon and Environmental Footprinting, carbon neutrality, carbon markets and environmental management. His experience extends across the full suite of agricultural industries including wool and cotton, as well as beef, cropping and intensive livestock. Steve has worked on projects covering a broad spectrum of target audiences, from the peer reviewed scientific literature to farm presentations and extension materials. For several years, Stephen has held technical advisory roles with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and regularly presents at scientific forums in Australia and overseas. Stephen’s work at Integrity Ag is at the cutting edge of defining and quantifying sustainability in Australia and around the world. 

Erin Smith - Univeristy of New England

Erin Smith is in her second year as a PhD candidate at the University of New England (UNE), having completed her Bachelor of Rural Science there in 2021. Raised on a sheep and wool property in the New England region of New South Wales, her research interests are concerned with defining resilience traits in sheep and improving lamb survival by selecting for improved udder conformation.   

Mark Ferguson - neXtgen Agri

Mark is the founder and CEO of neXtgen Agri International, a livestock innovation and consulting company with clients across Australia and New Zealand. Mark is also a co-founder and managing director of Genesmith, bringing the power of AI to the livestock industry. He hosts the Head Shepherd podcast, sharing conversations with leaders from the worlds of livestock, genetics, innovation and technology. Mark has a PhD in genetics and a passion for enabling farmers to implement effective genetic strategies to get the most out of their livestock.

Prof Jennie Pryce - Agriculture Victoria Research

Professor Jennie Pryce is Research Director at Agriculture Victoria Research and La Trobe University professor, and a leading authority in dairy genetics. Named Australia's top researcher in animal husbandry by The Australian (2019-2022), her academic journey began at the University of Edinburgh, earning her BSc (Hons 1st class) and PhD. Hailing from a UK dairy farming background, her roots deeply influence her work. She has an innate understanding of what is important to livestock producers and an enormous capacity to translate learnings from dairy to apply to other ruminants. Whilst she is first and foremost a geneticist, she is in equal parts a communicator. 

Dr Will van Wettere - University of Adelaide

Associate Professor Will van Wettere completed his post-graduate training in reproductive physiology, and has spent the last 15 years conducted research focussed on developing novel and adoptable strategies to improve reproductive performance of livestock species. Will heads up a group of researchers who are working towards understanding the interaction between climate and ovine reproduction, how sheep thermoregulate and developing strategies to alleviate heat stress in sheep and other livestock species, as well as improve fertility and neonatal survival in sheep. 

Phil Hynd - University of Adelaide

Phil is the Emeritus Professor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide in South Australia.  He has served in many senior levels of research leadership, including Program Leader for wool Genomics; Program Leader for wool education in the Wool CRC; Head of the Department of Animal Science, Interim Head of the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Director of Roseworthy Campus; Chair of The Expert Panel for beef and sheep meat research (Meat and Livestock Australia); and Deputy Head of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.   Phil’s research has focussed on issues relating to the wool and sheep industries for over 35 years. He pioneered the use of ‘barebreech’ genetics to provide a permanent solution to mulesing to protect sheep from blowfly strike.  He also investigated the potential for intradermal injections to remove breech wrinkle again to protect sheep from blowflies.  For many years Phil has advocated and sought alternatives to traditional shearing of sheep.  This long road of research has culminated in a recent breakthrough which makes the approach feasible and this technology is now being rapidly developed towards a commercial on-farm process.  

Will Barton - Gundagai Meat Processors (GMP)

GMP was founded in 1974 by the Barton family and forms part of the Barton Group brand, which has a longstanding association with the town of Gundagai dating back to 1874. During his time at GMP since 2014 as CEO, Will has led a multi-million dollar facility expansion project and secured Tier 2 Export Certification. He is passionate about shaping the future of the industry and has been an active member of various committees including the Sheep Sustainability Steering Group, National Agricultural Labour Advisory Committee and the Objective Measurement Adoption & Commercialisation Committee. He was also part of the Red Meat Memorandum of Understanding Taskforce in 2019. In 2021, the Barton family established Gundagai Lamb, which is a new and exciting lamb brand, backed by the family’s 100+ years of meat industry experience. Gundagai Lamb will revolutionise the lamb supply chain into the future with innovative approaches to the producer / processor relationship.  Prior to joining GMP as CEO, Will was Director of Agribusiness within CBRE Asia-Pacific, the world’s largest commercial real estate firm. In 2009, Will completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Valuation) with Honours First Class, at RMIT. His early career was spent in property valuation roles, specialising in agribusiness assets and studying an Associate Degree in Food Science.  Will lives in Gundagai with his wife, Carla, and three children. 

Dr Peter McGilchrist - University of New England

Peter is an Associate Professor of meat science at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. His research revolves around ensuring global consumer satisfaction of Australian red meat. This research covers all aspects of sheep and beef supply-chains focusing on critical control points which affect the eating quality of meat from on-farm to the consumer with a heavy focus on the relationship between genetics, meat quality and technology to measure meat traits. Peter is a member of the Meat Standards Australia beef and sheepmeat scientific pathways committee and president of the Australian ICMJ Association. Peter passionately imparts his knowledge of rural science, agriculture, and agribusiness to eager undergraduate students at UNE, embracing everything from the richness of soil to the succulence of lamb rumps!  

Mark Inglis - Thomas Foods International (TFI)

Mark has vast commercial experience in animal husbandry and animal production working on and managing a broad range of livestock orientated properties including cattle properties in Western Australia’s Kimberley, sheep properties both wool and meat in Victoria and establishing a 900 sow outdoor free range pig breeding operation.  Prior to roles in the processing sector Mark spent 7 years working for MLA/MSA with producers, stock agents, saleyards, feedlots and livestock buyers to gain a greater understanding of the pathways into both the cattle and sheep MSA programs. Roles for the past 14 years in the processor sector have seen Mark create & manage lamb and beef farm assurance programs with links to customers, consumers and supplying producers, overseeing the MSA component of the businesses, lamb, beef, coordinating and implementing R + D programs specific to lamb, beef and running producer educational programs across both the beef and lamb supply chains. Of recent years sustainability has been a focus with developing and implementing frameworks within programs as well as benchmarking scope 3 emissions. Mark is based out of Victoria but covers all states and areas where TFI operate. 

David Packer - Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)

David has been with MLA for almost seven years, previously managing the Producer Adoption program, and now the Meat Standards Australia Program Manager. Prior to MLA, David spent 11 years in the livestock animal health sector in both R&D and commercial roles. David holds a Bachelor of Rural Science and a PhD in meat science.  David has worked hands-on, across the livestock and cropping sectors, and is the managing partner of a livestock operation in the New England region of NSW. David's experience allows him to have scope and understanding from research through to on-farm and supply chain implementation.   

Chris Taylor - Australian Meat Processing Corporation (AMPC)

As CEO of AMPC since 2019, Chris Taylor has led the industry-owned research and development corporation through a strategic and operational reset in the face of significant threats and opportunities to the red meat processing sector. Chris has led the development of a customer-focused strategy, built a fit-for-purpose team and grown the business from a $20m to $40m annual investment. Chris has a finance and corporate services background in agrifood and natural resources sectors and was AMPC’s chief financial officer 2016 to 2019. Chris is a graduate of the Australian Industry of Company Directors (AICD) course, and holds a Bachelor of Business (Management), a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting, Finance), and is a qualified chartered accountant.  

Rupert McCall - Australian Poet 

Rupert McCall is an Australian poet of international renown. His tributes to special events and occasions have become highly sought-after and treasured for the indelible mark they’ve left on audiences everywhere. He is the author of six anthologies of verse that have collectively sold over 120,000 copies.In 2005 he was awarded the honour of opening the Prelude to the Dawn Service in Gallipoli with his acclaimed and moving tribute NINETY YEARS AGO and in 2011, he recited his poem A FIREFIGHTER’S DREAM at Ground Zero for the New York Fire Dept on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. Rupert has also paid tribute to heroes and legends such as Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Shane Warne, Dawn Fraser, Greg Norman, John Eales, Jonathon Thurston, Black Caviar and Winx! In 2013 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Rupert received a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for services to the community, particularly as a poet.  

Dan Barratt - University of Adelaide

Dr Dan Barratt is a post-doctoral research scientist in the Neuroimmunopharmacology Laboratory of Professor Mark Hutchinson at the University of Adelaide. He has a Bachelor of Science with Honours, and a PhD, from the University of Adelaide, and 20 years’ research experience in the field of precision medicine, combining genomics and drug disposition data to identify mechanisms and biomarkers of variable drug response in humans. His current research focuses on the discovery and validation of blood-based biomarkers of pain and analgesia in livestock, to support the development and approval of novel pain mitigation strategies, and for larger-scale monitoring in production systems.  

Alex Ball - Director Rural Analytics

Bachelor Rural Science, Honours Class 1, University of New England. PhD Animal Science, University of New England. Fellow Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. GAICD. Alex has been a key contributor to the agricultural industries, especially in red meat, over the last 25 years. He was one of the key people that drove the development of Sheep Genetics and the CRC information nucleus. He has specialist skills in livestock production, eating quality evaluation, value chain analysis, livestock genetics, program evaluation, MER framework development, survey design and analysis, and agricultural governance. Alex is a board member and an ALRP Drought Resilience Mentor. Alex and his wife Melissa own and operate a beef enterprise in Armidale NSW.  

Angus Gidley-Baird - Rabobank

Angus is a senior analyst based in Sydney, responsible for research and analysis of the local and global animal protein sectors. In his role, Angus provides regular market updates on sheepmeat, beef, pork, poultry and seafood markets. Angus is a regular public speaker at farmer and industry events and also produces podcasts for the Rabo Research team.   

Dr Peter Barnard - Economist

A respected agricultural economist, Peter has devoted the past 30 years of his working life to the Australian and international agricultural industries. Currently Peter is Managing Director of Oliver & Doam, an independent consultancy firm that provides economic and policy advice to the agricultural sector. Previous to this role Peter was a General Manager for 25 years at Meat & Livestock Australia. In this capacity he headed up MLA’s overall planning, international marketing, market access, live export and market information programs. Peter has a PhD in Economics from Adelaide University.     

Sandy McEachern - Aggregate Consulting

Aggregate provides farm management advice to producers throughout southern and eastern Australia. The service includes budgeting, business planning, capital expenditure programs, technical advice on production systems, and farm business benchmarking. Sandy has been providing these consultancy services since 2002. Sandy has a Bachelor of Applied Science – Wool and Pastoral Science from UNSW and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment – Securities Institute of Australia. 

Nathan Scott - MSD Animal Health

Nathan has a background in prime lamb, merino wool and beef production, and a passion for improving the productivity and profitability of livestock enterprises. He works with producers to increase conception rates, improve lamb survival, lift growth rates, and hone overall management. Nathan provides advice to individual clients, works with a number of producer groups, is a keynote speaker, guest lecturer and is involved within various industry projects. He is based in Inverleigh, Victoria.   

Duncan Welgemoed - Africola

Duncan Welgemoed is a force to be reckoned with. Considered one of Australia’s best (adopted) cooking talents. Over the years, he's become Adelaide's official spirit animal – mythical beast, troublemaker, conversation starter. His restaurant, Africola opened in 2014  tells a story close to his heart. Africola has since been awarded 4.5/5 Australians, restaurant and chef awards from The Advertiser, Gourmet Traveller, Australian Financial Review, Good food Guide, Australian Good food Guide, featured in countless magazines, newspapers and TV shows around the world and always frequented by rockstars and celebrities alike. Duncan’s book “Africola, Slow food, fast words, cult chef” became an instant best seller and his second book “Cooking with Fire” out for release mid 2024 will certainly do the same.

Michael Crowley - Managing Director, MLA

Michael was raised on a beef cattle property at Barraba in northern New South Wales, where his family run a stud and commercial beef cattle operation. He holds a Bachelor of Rural Science degree from UNE and also has a Post Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from QUT. He has had a long association with ICMJ going to back to 1997 where he competed as a student before becoming the Australian coach for 6 years and president of the association until 2012. Michael has held a range of commercial positions in the meat & livestock industry including livestock procurement, processing, plant quality assurance, supply chain management, sales and marketing. Michael ran his own business marketing livestock, running beef processing for branded beef exporters and he held his own meat export license. Michael worked for MLA for 14 years. He joined MLA in 2009 where he managed the Meat Standards Australia program. In 2012 he moved with his family to Brussels taking on the role of International Business Manager for EU and Russia with MLA. He returned from Brussels in 2015 as the Program Manager – Meat Standards Australia and joined MLA’s Executive Team in 2016 where he was the General Manager Research, Development and Adoption. This business unit was responsible for investments in RD&A across the supply chain including livestock genetics, on farm productivity, eating quality, sustainability innovation, automation, objective measurement, market access science and product innovation. More recently, Michael was the CEO of Herefords Australia where he worked with the seedstock sector to drive commercial outcomes for all customers along the beef supply chain.

Stan Grant - Jounralist, author & moral philosopher

Prof Stan Grant is a renowned journalist, author, moral philosopher, thinker, film maker and communicator. He has had a ground breaking four-decade career as one of Australia’s most awarded journalists. A Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi and Dharrawal man, Stan has blazed a trail for First Nations journalists. In a career of firsts, he was the first Indigenous Political Correspondent, the first Indigenous Foreign Correspondent, he was the first Indigenous person to present a prime time commercial television news and current affairs program. For a decade he was a senior correspondent for American news giant CNN based in Asia and the Middle East. He has reported from more than seventy countries and has covered some of the greatest stories of our age, has interviewed world leaders and every Australian Prime Minister of the forty years. He is one of the few journalists to have gained entry to the secretive repressive dictatorship of North Korea. His list of awards include three time winner of Australia’s highest journalism honour the Walkley Award, four time winner of the prestigious Asia TV awards, an Australian TV Logie Award, twice winner of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts award (Australia’s academy awards), twice winner of the US Peabody Award, a recipient of the Columbia University DuPont award (the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize), a GQ Magazine Man of the Year award, Hawaii International Film Festival Indigenous Trailblazer award. He is a best-selling author of seven critically hailed and award-winning books covering world affairs, philosophy, theology, political science, Indigenous history and is currently working on his first non-fiction novel looking at adapting the theories of quantum physics to international affairs and political identity. Stan is fascinated by global affairs, politics, philosophy, theology and science particularly the baffling engrossing world of quantum physics. He is committed to questions of justice. Stan demands we do better. Rather than seek to divide he seeks to bring peace and unite. He believes we should love and embrace even those who may hate us yet never lose sight of our moral duty to always stand with those afflicted. He believes the language of politics fails us and increases hostility and Stan is dedicated to finding new words and new ways for us to meet each other beyond our differences. 

Steve Chapman - JBS

Starting in the industry in 1988 as a Trainee Livestock Buyer for RJ Gilbertson & Sons in Altona, Victoria, Steve has been an active Livestock Buyer for 36 years. The last 20 years has seen Steve hold the position of Livestock Manager for the Tasman Group before transition to JBS in 2008 and continuing on as Livestock Manager - Southern. Steve has purchased sheep & cattle throughout NSW, Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania and has developed long standing relationships with many clients & agents over the years. One of Steve’s highlights during his career is the reconstruction & development of Yambinya Feedlot in Burraboi, NSW. Yambinya has a capacity of 12500 cattle & 45000 lambs and is currently one of very few Antibiotic Free feedlots in Australia.  Along with Yambinya Steve is responsible for the procurement of Livestock for the five beef & lamb plants in the JBS Southern business that includes Scone, Cobram, Bordertown, Brooklyn & Longford in Tasmania. 

Paul Leonard - Thomas Foods International (TFI)

Paul Leonard has built a 30-year career in livestock and is one of the industry’s most experienced professionals. Paul is the National Livestock Manager (Small Stock) at Thomas Foods International, the largest 100% Australian privately owned meat processing company. Thomas Foods International operates meat processing and distribution facilities interstate and overseas, for national markets and 85 overseas destinations.

Patrick Hutchinson - Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC)

Patrick has been working within the Australian meat and livestock industry for most of his life. Patrick started as a project officer with the Australian Meat Council (precursor to AMIC) on the same day a restructured Australian red meat industry commenced, on 1 July 1998. Patrick was then asked to head up the first iteration of integrity systems at Meat & Livestock Australia, in 2003, including livestock production insurance (LPA), national vendor declaration‘s (NVD), and assisting in the implementation of the national livestock identification system (NLIS). In 2011 he launched an Agricultural advisory business, including working on varied programs from implementing new welfare and livestock management systems in Australian live export destinations. In 2014 he went back into commercial agribusiness, heading up the ITS global group, including businesses in USA and Canada, with the Canadian software business handling data for over 1 million cattle in Canadian feedlots. In 2016 he came back to where it all begun with AMIC, firstly as GM Processing, and then on 1 July 2017 as CEO. 

Bonnie Skinner - Sheep Producers Australia

Bonnie is one of the youngest and most influential female leaders in Australia’s agricultural industry. After working in roles in animal health and biosecurity in the private and not-for-profit sectors, Bonnie joined the Sheep Producers Australia team in 2018 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2022.  Bonnie has extensive networks across regional Australia  and has proven  experience establishing productive relationships with stakeholders, industry partners and government officials. Her collaborative approach, combined with her comprehensive understanding of the industry, positions Bonnie as a key figure in shaping the future of the sheepmeat sector and the broader agricultural landscape in Australia. Bonnie is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has a Bachelor of Equine Science, a Bachelor of Applied Science, and a Graduate Certificate in Agriculture. 

Jenny Bradley - NSW sheep producer

Jenny runs a mixed farming business in the central west of NSW alongside her Husband and Son. She is the manager of the commercial and stud sheep enterprises within the business. The stud enterprise is focused on performance recording and is a long-term member of Sheep Genetics.  The business aims to be at the forefront of best practice management as well as be involved in industry research and development. As a result, Jenny along with the business, is often involved in industry research projects using both the stud and commercial animals.  Jenny has and continues to contribute at many levels across numerous committees, boards, and advisory roles all within the sheep industry and sheep meat supply chain. Alongside these roles she has a passion for youth engagement across all sectors of Agriculture.  Jenny is a past recipient of the AgriFutures Rural Womens Award, this award provided the opportunity to explore lamb marketing options and supply chain management pathways. 

Marty Wilson - Motivator 

Marty Wilson has spent his entire professional life studying resilience, partly because he was a full-time Stand-Up Comic for 8 years in the UK (and nobody knows how to bounce back from adversity like an Aussie Comic performing to the Brits!), but also because he is a relentless entrepreneur who has leapt from one successful career to another – he's a Pharmacist turned Award-Winning Advertising Copywriter turned Stand Up Comic turned Bestselling Author and Speaker.

Mark Wootton AO - Jigsaw Farms

Mark Wootton AO is a geographer by training and a farmer by practice. He is Deputy Chair of the Victorian Agriculture Climate Change Council. He was past Chair and founder of the Climate institute from 2005 to 2017.  With his wife, Eve Kantor, he strives to produce carbon neutral beef, lamb, wool and timber at Jigsaw Farms near Hamilton in south west Victoria, Australia. Jigsaw Farms is a 3,500-hectare high input, high output livestock operation spanning six properties. The operation runs 18,000 Merino ewes and 820 head of cattle.  The family has also planted 18 % of the land to trees (half for high value saw log timber and the other half for biodiversity plantings and waterway restoration).  

Tom Bull - Lambpro

Tom Bull is General Manager and founder of Lambpro based at Holbrook NSW. Tom is the inspiration behind what is now a genetics business supplying rams to 400 producers on the Eastern seaboard of Australia. The business has been at the forefront of objective measurement, composite breeding, progeny testing, and development of high marbling genetics for global premium markets. Tom’s philosophy of identify and multiply has been central the business model for three decades.  Lambpro clients now supply highly marbled lambs to specialist markets in several countries under various joint ventures.  

Mike Rolls - Legless & Blind

In September 2001, at the age of 18, Mike’s life changed forever. Whilst on an end of season footy trip to Tasmania, he contracted one of the deadliest diseases on the planet, leaving him with horrific internal and external injuries, including the amputations of both of his legs below his knees, as well as numerous other lifesaving surgeries. Mike has faced an incredibly long journey back to health that was aided by a positive outlook, an adaptive mindset and a conscious decision to embrace uncertainty. Mike has a background in the health industry. He is a qualified Counsellor, a highly skilled communicator and a passionate supporter of amputee charity, Limbs 4 Life. He is an official ambassador of Interplast Australia and New Zealand, Ossur, and currently represents Australia in All Abilities Golf. His passion for golf, isn’t just about the sport and competing, it’s not just for the physical benefits, but for the positive impact he knows it has on his mental health as well.  

Ben Pettingill - Legless & Blind

Imagine waking up blind! This was reality for Ben losing 98% of his eyesight overnight at age 16 caused was a rare genetic syndrome, Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, that had been laying unknowingly dormant in his family for generations. He learned the hard way the importance of focusing his time and energy on what he could control rather than what he couldn’t, prioritising his mental health and the vital role of a support network.  Ben ensures he doesn’t just deliver valuable messages and practical strategies to his audience, he lives them! Everyday he is driven by his commitment to simply, ‘Make the Most’. This commitment has seen Ben become the first legally blind person in the world to compete in Spartan Obstacle Course Races, compete in the Southern 80 water skiing race against able bodied competitors and trek the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, not once, but twice.  He isn’t stopping there either, Ben is now taking on arguably his biggest challenge yet, 3249 BLIND where he will run 3249km’s in 2024 for mental health and suicide prevention. 

Dr Jason Trompf - Lambs Alive

Dr Jason Trompf from Lambs Alive has been working as Agricultural Consultant for over 20 years.   Jason has a strong background in understanding the drivers and motivators of producers and designing programs that support and enable practice change.  Jason undertook his PhD research into farmer behavioral change and adoptive context, identifying ways to increase engagement and impact.  Programs that Jason has had significant input into the design, delivery and evaluation of include the Lifetime Ewe Management (LTEM) and Bred Well Fed Well (BWFW).  Each of these programs have engaged over 5,000 producers and are widely recognized for the industry leading impact they have had on changing knowledge, attitude, skills and aspiration (KASA) and practice, as well as lifting productivity, profitability and resilience.  Jason also founded the innovative Lambs Alive program that coaches over 100 sheep business online. Jason also manages his family’s 3000 composite ewe and 250 Angus and Shorthorn cow enterprise.  These self-replacing high productivity enterprises provide Jason with a strong practical background and a constant reality check of the challenges that producers face on a day-to-day basis.