Description - As 2020 draws to a close, hosts James Freemantle and Andrea Crothers come back together one last time to catch up on their favourite topics from the year and what they’ve learnt about Great Southern.

Across the world, COVID is still impacting the red meat market, but another looming decision could be positive for Great Southern’s market access – Brexit. Host Andrea Crothers catches up with Nick Sherwood, the Managing Director of JBS Global UK to talk about the impacts of Brexit and COVID on the red meat industry in the UK and European markets, and the changing consumer trends.

In this episode, host James Freemantle sits down with Great Southern Lamb Producer John Gardiner, to talk all things sustainability from a Great Southern Producer’s perspective. James and John also touch on the Sheep and Wool Sustainability Framework and the benefits this will have for the industry.

From Chef to Foodservice General Manager and everything in between. Host Andrea Crothers catches up with Andrews Meat Industries’ Foodservice General Manager Jacinta Geddes to talk about foodservice in Australia. From how the pandemic has affected business, to the passion and pivot ability that has been shown by Australia’s restaurateurs, to the grass fed sector, and to what the future might look like in this space. Jacinta also gives us an insight into her career as a chef working for some of Australia’s most iconic restaurants.

You’ve heard from the Buy and Sell sides of Great Southern, now it’s time to hear from the Make. Host James Freemantle is joined by Sean Naden, Operations Manager of the Great Southern facilities across Southern Australia as they discuss the missing link – how the Great Southern premium product is processed and produced. Sean touches on the role the Operations team plays and the impact of COVID-19 on Great Southern production.

In 1964, a Trainee Cattle Buyer got his start in the industry. 56 years on, he has bought millions of head of cattle, working for just one employer. In this episode, legendary cattle buyer David Ronalds chats with host Andrea Crothers about his illustrious career, navigating market crashes, price highs, and devastating disasters that almost saw the end of his own farms.

You’ve heard from some of our special guests and now it’s time we heard from you! Our hosts James and Andrea come back together to answer a few listener questions about Great Southern. From sales and market conditions to livestock and sustainability, hear from some of the Great Southern team as they answer your questions on the program. Still have more questions about Great Southern? Head over to our website www.greatsouthernfarms.com.au/grass-matters-podcast or follow @greatsouthernfamily and submit your questions.

This week catch up with host Andrea Crothers as she talks to Great Southern producer and Landcare advocate Danielle Mathysen-Carr. Danielle, through her career has worked closely with native wildlife as a Zoologist, and her passion for conservation has followed her through to now where she works diligently for the betterment of sustainability on farm.

What makes Great Southern beef and lamb taste so good? Host James Freemantle takes a deep dive into eating quality with Professor Dave Pethick. Dave talks all things technical from paddock to plate balancing numbers with anecdotes that he is well-known for, narrowing in on what really affects eating quality and how the producer can have an influence on this. Dave has been valued by the team at Great Southern since the beginning and continues to offer invaluable knowledge to the program.

Married to the provenance of Tasmania, Philip Kennedy’s Melbourne South Bank restaurant Pure South Dining has in his own words not taken the path of least resistance. Passionate about showcasing the treasured produce of Tasmania, Phil speaks to host Andrea Crothers on the spark of excitement that planted the seed of his business, the last few years of trade, how this year has looked for the Melbourne hospitality scene and how King Island Beef has featured heavily since the beginning. He also touches on how traceability and the King Island traceability project has become more important than ever.