This episode of the FFN Mentor of the Month series sees FFN Director Lauren Roellgen speak with Jaime Painter.

Jaime works in strategy at Loam Bio, a fast-growing Australian biotech company enabling farmers to capture and store stable carbon in the soil by utilising the power of microbes.

Jaime is a little different to our usual guests – she didn’t grow up on a farm, and she didn’t study agriculture, nor is she now in what most would consider a traditional agricultural role. She’s an engineer by training and spent two years at a top-tier management consulting firm before venturing into the world of agriculture, first in Africa and then back on Aussie soil.

As one of ag’s newest recruits and having taken a path less trodden, Jaime shares a little about how she got to where she is and why she chose agriculture to be where she makes her next mark.

Tune in for an exciting story.

Episode 20 of the FFNs mentor of the month see's director Amelia Shaw interview Aly Bunton. Aly Bunton is the public affairs manager for Bayer’s Australian crop science business, looking after government and stakeholder relations in Australia and New Zealand.

Born and raised in Sydney and Newcastle, Aly had little exposure to the agriculture sector before her first full-time job at the Federal Department of Agriculture.

There, she worked on issues including biosecurity, coal seam gas, water, and grains policy before moving to industry body NSW Farmers’ Association.

At NSW Farmers, Aly led a national campaign to increase Q fever awareness and improve access to the Q fever vaccine; she also covered grains, horticulture, biosecurity and ag vet chemical policy, and managed the NSW Young Farmer Council.

Tune in for an amazing chat

Episode 19 see's FFN director Amelia Shaw interviewing Tristan Baldock. Tristan operates a 6,000ha cropping enterprise at Buckleboo in South Australia.  In 2020, the Baldock's were named Cropping Farmer of the Year by the Weekly Times .Tristan is passionate about agriculture and the challenge that has been given to farmers to feed the world in a way that is sustainable given the earth’s finite resources, and in a way that is safe and enjoyable for employees. He considers the search for and adoption of new practices to always be a driver, and has an ongoing role within the Buckleboo Farm Improvement Group committee. Tristan is also a member of the GrainGrowers' National Policy Group.

Episode 18 of the FFN's 'Mentor of the Month' see's director Tim Flynn catch-up with Nigel Kerin. Nigel is Founder and Director of Kerin Ag. Kerin Ag is based on approximately 4000ha near Yeoval in Central West NSW. Encompassing the industry leading @kerinpollmerino Stud, a livestock trading business and around 1000ha of pasture cropping. Nigel is a prominent figure in the Australian agriculture industry and has developed amazing set of communication and leadership skills to compliment his extensive agricultural knowledge. Listen in to this informative chat about Australian Ag!

Episode 17 of the FFN 'Mentor of the Month' see's Dan Coulthurst catch up with good friend AJ Riley. AJ is the principle and part owner of Ray White Rural Roma specialising in rural property and livestock sales. The Roma heartthrob is a part time cowboy, plays nearly every sport available to him, is the vice president of the Roma Echidnas Rugby Club and president of the local cricket side. AJ will try his hand at most things regardless of the consequences. After growing up in Tamworth, AJ went north in search of wide open spaces, working as a jackaroo outside of Julia Creek, North West Queensland. Following that, AJ started as a livestock salesperson for Ray White in Roma. AJ has been in the industry since 2015 and after just 3 years, went in to partnership with Jack Clanchy in 2018 by purchasing half share of Ray White Rural Roma.

In Episode 16 of the FFN ‘Mentor of the Month’ podcast, FFN Director Samantha Noon speaks with Katie Turner - an incredibly accomplished and capable 30-year-old who grew up on a 230,000-acre cattle and sheep station near Quilpie, in Southwest Queensland, which she later managed on her own. It was there she first learnt to fly her father’s light aircraft – and later got her pilot’s license. Flying has become one of her great loves, along with the feeling of freedom that it brings when you’re  8,500 feet in the sky.  

In Episode 15 of the FFN ‘Mentor of the Month’ podcast, FFN Director & Secretary Caitlin McConnel sits down with fifth-generation beef producer, Tess Camm. Tess grew up in Central & North Queensland on cattle stations and feedlots, and is now at the helm of Signature Beef as General Manager, which is a vertically integrated branded beef company currently constructing the bespoke processing abattoir in Central Queensland. Tess is also a 2020 Nuffield Scholar, which through the support of The Yulgilbar Foundation, she is investigating ways to increase the value of beef co-products, particularly their potential use in biodegradable packaging, opportunities in emerging markets for nutritional and pharmaceutical products, and alternatives to the rendering process. Tess has been a proud advocate and passionate contributor of the Australian beef industry from a young age, tailoring her business acumen and further research to ensure that the overarching benefits are for the industry, and the next generation of producers as a whole.

Episode 14 of FFNs ‘Mentor of the Month’ see’s FFN director Tom Rookyard sit down with Wundar CEO Rupert Ballinger. Rupert grew up on a sheep and cattle farm in outback Queensland near a small town called Muttaburra. Here he completed primary school via correspondence over the VHF radio and then attended high school in Brisbane. He has since undertaken many roles across a variety of industries within Australia. Rupert’s father suffered from depression and severe mental health problems when he was younger and died from a heart attack when Rupert was 12 in the year 2000. Losing his mentor and role model at an early age spurred Rupert onto create Wundar an online mentoring platform that connects and empowers your community. Whose mission is to unite, strengthen and empower communities. Rupert wanted to give everyone access to good mentors and role models when they may not have had that opportunity. His passion for building communities and meaningful relationships is also a driving force behind creating Wundar.

Episode 13 of the FFN ‘Mentor of the Month’ see’s Vice-Chair Oli Le Lievre sit down with Robyn Alders. Robyn was born and raised on a grazing property on the Southern Tablelands of NSW and for over 30 years, has worked closely with smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia as a veterinarian, researcher and colleague. She’s Honorary Professor with the Development Policy Centre within the Australian National University, a Senior Scientific Advisor with the Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security and is our mentor in Timor Leste with a program focused on improving nutrition. Listen to how want to become a drover and then a sick horse led to a life of travel and some amazing stories