Southern Region National Policy Group Candidates 2022

Campbell is a grain grower in the High Rainfall Zone of Victoria, growing cereals, canola and faba beans, and is also engaged in sheep trading. Campbell has previous experience in corporate and consulting roles in grains and other agribusiness sectors, particularly in trading, marketing, and business strategy. He also has international experience including several years based in China where he gained direct exposure in grain trading, trade access and policy issues. He has had significant involvement with a wide network of industry advocacy groups and key stakeholders/groups within industry (from farm gate to end users) and Government. Campbell has previous experience within a Board role in the stock feed sector and a long-haul involvement in agribusiness education and training. He has a strong interest in research, trade access, social licence and developing the industry’s profile. He has a B. Ec. and an MBA – supporting an evidence-based approach.

Mark is a family farmer from Kikoira NSW, farming with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. Together they run a mixed farm of cereal crops and a self-replacing flock of Merino sheep. Mark has been actively involved in agricultural representation through GrainGrowers and NSW Farmers for a long time. He is currently coming to the end of his second term on the National Policy Group. During those two terms, Mark has had considerable input into Policy Development and knows there is still a lot more to do, and so is offering himself to continue in representing growers across the Southern Region.

Martin, his wife Megan and three children, run a mixed farming enterprise comprising cropping - canola, wheat, barley, field peas, Dohne Merino self-replacing commercial Flock and Follies Poll Dorset Stud. Martin is very passionate about continuing to farm and the ability of the young to continue to farm, family farming and to see the red tape lessened. All sorts of freight, road and rail plus the logistics of storages and inputs and the costs to farmers are just some of the things Martin sees input into. Farmers need a strong presence to avoid being treated unfairly.

Denise is a first-generation farmer from the Wimmera region of Victoria. Denise has a background in agronomy, industry development, and agricultural communication and extension and has worked extensively in south-eastern Australia in various roles within the grains industry.These days she consults to agribusiness on marketing and communications and works with farm businesses on managing people and safety. Denise holds a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Denise is passionate about family farms and rural communities.

Fiona farms with her family at Mulwala in the southern Riverina of NSW. She has a background in applied science and education and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the NFF Diversity in Ag Leadership Program and the Grains Social Leadership Program. Fiona is the Chair of the Riverine Plains Farming Systems Group and has served on the GRDC Southern Panel. She is passionate about building capacity within the grains industry through education, training, and leadership from the laboratory to the farm, to the end user and all in between. Fiona strives to improve the profile and profitability.

Dr Amity Dunstan has twenty plus years of working with agriculture-dependent communities in VIC and NSW, in government, not-for-profit, and private sector roles. In the southern Wimmera with her husband and children, they own and operate a stock-free, continuous cropping enterprise using zero-tillage and 12m CTF. Amity also works for the National Centre for Farmer Health as a farm safety researcher. Her expertise and interest is safety technologies for farm machinery. During her full-time doctoral study, she studied growers’ power in the supply chain through technology, which complements her role at the Centre. Amity has presented at three international conferences, has six years of experience of Ministerial board appointments, and has published in peer-reviewed journals.

Daniel and his partner run a mixed farm business, comprising of oilseeds, cereals, legumes, and fat lamb production at Wallup VIC. Daniel previously served as President of the VFF Wimmera branch and is a GrainGrowers’ AGLP Alumnus. Sustainability is a big issue. Farming practices, financial viability, environmental impacts, and market access must be tackled together for Australian grain growers to thrive. The emergence of carbon farming and the potential effects on the day-to-day practices of grain growers is an area Daniel is keen to explore further.

Gabrielle Coupland owns and operates a southern Riverina irrigated mixed farming business. Gabrielle is an active community member in organisations advocating for community, irrigation, and agriculture. She seeks constructive conversations with parliamentarians, government officials, industry bodies and environmental groups to build relationships and attempt to find solutions based on science and mutual benefit. Gabrielle has lived and worked across Australia with a career in agribusiness in areas such as financial education, advocacy, marketing, grain storage and succession facilitation. She has an MBA (USQ) and an Associated Diploma of Applied Science.

Jasmine is located in Central West NSW where she farms a variety of grains with her husband and is currently exploring value adding and diversification within their business. Having studied a Bachelor of Accounting Jasmine is passionate about business resilience and empowering producers to understand their numbers and focus their valuable time on crucial decision making within their business. An as Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and Farmers2Founders Alumni Jasmine is excited to have the opportunity to contribute more specifically to the grains industry where carbon education, cost of production and risk mitigation are her main policy areas of interest.