The Angus Table

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Myles Immerker, CEO of the Canadian Angus Association, for a fascinating conversation about leading innovation in one of the world's most challenging cattle breeding environments.

Myles shares insights from managing 3,000 primary members across Canada's vast geography (70% black, 30% red), the remarkable spring bull market up over 50% from last year, pioneering AI camera technology being developed with Holstein Canada to objectively score structural traits, the evolution of their green tag commercial program, and adapting to extreme temperatures from -40°C to +30°C.

They discuss digital transformation and shifting to weekly genetic evaluations (replacing monthly runs), China market reopening after five years, and why phenotype and structural soundness remain paramount in Canadian breeding programs.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of Australia's closest international breeding partners.

In this episode of The Angus Table, we are sharing a recording of a special member webinar where we introduced Angus GenetiQ. Angus GenetiQ is the society’s new in-house genetic evaluation system. In this episode, President Sinclair Clark Monro begins by emphasising Angus Australia's commitment to member-focused genetic improvement tools, and CEO Scott Wright explains the strategic reasoning behind developing in-house capability.

Next, COO Carel Teseling delivers a comprehensive technical presentation comparing Angus GenetiQ with TACE, covering important differences in methodology, genetic trend comparisons across all traits, and EBV correlations. The webinar clarifies that Angus Australia has not decided to move away from Breedplan—both evaluations will be publicly displayed as the society takes members on this journey.

Pull up a chair at the Angus Table, this is essential listening for any Angus breeder wanting to understand the technical foundations and strategic direction of genetic evaluation at Angus Australia.

Key topics covered:

• Why Angus Australia developed Angus GenetiQ: risk mitigation, efficiency, innovation speed, and controlling destiny
• How in-house capability enables quicker response to member needs and industry priorities
• The strategic decision to display both TACE and Angus GenetiQ results during consultation period
• Important technical differences between TACE and Angus GenetiQ evaluations
• Why Angus GenetiQ uses only Australian registered animals (excludes New Zealand data from TACE)
• Genetic trend comparisons showing strong alignment between TACE and Angus GenetiQ for most traits
• EBV correlation analysis demonstrating 70-96% correlation across traits for top 1,500 bulls
• The decision to combine rib and rump fat into single carcass fat EBV (reducing trait complexity)
• Why IMF is being replaced by MSA Marble Score (easier to collect, more phenotypes available)
• The plan to develop yield EBV using primal cuts rather than retail beef yield
• How maternal value in Angus GenetiQ includes both milk and maternal care (not split like TACE)
• Future trait releases including calving ease EBVs and structural trait evaluation
• The exploration of desired gains indexes versus traditional economic value indexes
• How Angus GenetiQ will support commercial programs like HeiferSELECT and SteerSELECT
• The role of scanning data in informing correlated carcass traits through genetic correlations

Relevant links mentioned in the episode:

• Angus GenetiQ information and resources
• Direct technical questions to Carel Teseling (COO), Hanlie Jansen, Nancy Crawshaw, Brad Hein
• Direct strategic questions to Sinclair Monro (President), Scott Wright (CEO)

Contact details:

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

Summary of the episode:

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Tim Brittain from New Zealand for a wide-ranging conversation about global Angus leadership, brand building, and consumer focus.

Tim shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Auckland with no farming background to establishing Storth Oaks Angus, serving as Secretary General of the World Angus Secretariat for eight years, founding and chairing Angus Pure (New Zealand's first large-scale Angus beef brand), instigating Angus Pro and navigating the transition to Angus Australia registration, and becoming Reserve Grand Champion in BBQ competition.

They discuss why Angus is a brand that must be protected, the importance of never losing sight of the consumer, managing the World Angus Secretariat through COVID, and Sir Keith Holyoake's wisdom: "Live as though you'll die tomorrow, but farm as though you'll live forever."

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of the breed's most accomplished international leaders.

Key topics covered:

• How Tim's journey began from Auckland city to agricultural university
• The evolution of Storth Oaks Angus from 37 stud cows at a 1991 sale to the seed stock operation they run today
• Why Tim's breeding philosophy emphasises maternal attributes, performance recording, genomics, and carcass quality
• Tim’s agripolitical career progression from the deer industry to New Zealand Meat Board and ultimately Angus leadership
• About the World Angus Secretariat and Tim’s experience serving as Secretary General
• Tim’s role in building the Angus brand, including the origins of Angus Pure, New Zealand's first large-scale Angus beef brand
• How the McDonald's Angus program created a paradigm shift in consumer awareness
• The impact of Angus Pure, such as tangible premium for producers and catalyst for major meat companies
• How Angus Pro formed and why the group chose to register with Angus Australia
• The challenges facing the World Angus Secretariat with rapid European expansion
• Why measuring business outcomes at events like Beef Australia matters for the industry
• The importance of protecting Angus as a brand, not just a breed
• How Tim became Reserve Grand Champion BBQ competitor with Storth Oaks Smokers
• The power of customer focus in agriculture and why Tim believes more farmers need to remember this
• What Sir Keith Holyoake taught about sustainability: "Farm as though you'll live forever"

Relevant links mentioned in the episode:

• Storth Oaks Angus https://www.storthoaks.com/
• Angus Pro New Zealand https://anguspro.co.nz/
• Angus Pure brand https://anguspure.co.nz/
• World Angus Secretariat https://worldangussecretariat.com/

Contact details:

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Simon Irwin, CEO of Beef Australia, for a fascinating conversation about running the Southern Hemisphere's premier agricultural event.

Simon shares his remarkable journey from stock agent trainee through 30 years with News Corp managing regional publications across Australia, to becoming CEO of an event that attracts 120,000 people from 34 countries and delivers $110 million economic impact to Central Queensland.

They discuss the Beef 1988 bicentennial origins, the critical three-year interval that keeps content fresh, why Beef Australia measures economic impact but not business done (changing for Beef 2027), the human X-factor in an AI world, and why reading both The Guardian and News Corp keeps algorithms from pigeonholing perspectives.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for an inside look at what it takes to run Australia's most significant beef industry gathering.

Key topics covered:

• How Simon's diverse career path—from stock agent to News Corp executive—prepared him for leading Beef Australia
• Why the three-year event interval is critical to Beef Australia's ongoing success and relevance
• The evolution from grassroots committee to professional corporate governance structure
• How Beef Australia has achieved national and international reach with representation from 34 countries
• The accommodation challenge limiting international growth and creative solutions being explored
• Why Beef Australia positions itself "of the industry, not in the industry"
• The economic impact of $110 million to Central Queensland and why measuring business done matters for 2027
• The importance of preserving institutional knowledge by maintaining core staff between events
• How hard lessons learned (like the portable toilet disaster!) improve future event delivery
• Why managing pressure requires perspective and understanding what truly matters
• The human X-factor in an AI-dominated world, the ethics of AI development and concerns about stolen intellectual property in machine learning
• How reading across the political spectrum prevents algorithmic echo chambers and maintains balance
• The power of listening twice as much as you talk to understand diverse businesses and perspectives
• What's changing for Beef 2027: new tech precinct, nose-to-tail focus, and making meat the hero
• Why Angus as both a breed and a brand has been "really spectacular" in Simon's view
• The results of 30 years of work in breed plan, MSA, and industry standards on beef pricing and quality

Relevant links mentioned in the episode:

• Beef Australia: https://beefaustralia.com.au/
• Beef 2027: 2nd - 8th May 2027, Rockhampton, Queensland
• Agribition (Canadian Beef): https://agribition.com/

Contact details:

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Marg Will, founder of OSS Advisory, for a wide-ranging conversation about organic certification, sustainability, and fighting for fair farmer pricing.

Marg shares her remarkable journey from literally falling out of an avocado tree into organic certification 25 years ago, witnessing factory pollution destroy her family farm and Lake Cowan's ecosystem as a teenager, and building OSS Advisory into a business that has transitioned over 15 million hectares globally to organic production.

They discuss the consistent 35% premium organic beef producers achieve, how Central Australian producers added $7 million in the first three years of an MLA project, speaking at the UN meat standardisation committee, and the critical difference between organic as "price maker not price taker,".

Marg and Scott discuss truth in labeling and consumer rights, the backlash against ultra-processed foods, and why the beef sector needs to understand they're part of the food industry with responsibility beyond the saleyard gate.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for a thought-provoking conversation about values, markets, and the future of sustainable beef production.

Contact details:

OSS Advisory (formerly Organic Systems): https://oss-advisory.com/

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Paul Smith from Tieyon Station in Central Australia for a remarkable conversation about 100 years of Angus cattle breeding in one of the world's driest cattle regions.

Paul shares how his great-grandfather Frank ordered a van of Angus bulls from a newspaper ad in 1925, walked them 100 kilometers from the railhead, and slowly replaced all Shorthorns to create the only pure Angus herd remaining in Central Australia.

They discuss managing 6,500 square kilometers (650,000 hectares) with just 2-4 staff, breeding and finishing cattle with under 200mm average rainfall, designing cows specifically for the landscape through EBV selection, surviving the 2018-21 drought while managing his wife's breast cancer diagnosis, and why temperament, structure and attitude matter more than anything else.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for an inspiring story of resilience, innovation, and custodianship in Australia's red centre.

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Emily Pullen, CEO of Jim's Jerky, for an inspiring conversation about building a national beef brand, navigating industry challenges, and remarkable resilience.

Emily shares how her parents Jim and Kathy started with 12 kilos of jerky in 2004 after discovering South African biltong in a Charlton butcher shop, growing to a team of 28 across supermarkets, national petrol chains, and export markets.

They discuss why topside has become an increasingly valuable cut, a devastating April 2023 factory fire and 12-month recovery journey, managing extreme meat price volatility with inflexible retail pricing, the exciting partnership with SunPork building a new shared dehydration facility, and why "lukewarm is no good" in business.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for a masterclass in entrepreneurship, family business, and turning adversity into opportunity.

Connect with Emily via the Jim’s Jerky website https://www.jimsjerky.com.au/contact-us

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

Connect with Mick Crowley and MLA via www.mla.com.au

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Mick Crowley, Managing Director of Meat & Livestock Australia, for a wide-ranging conversation about global beef markets, industry leadership, and the future of Australian livestock production.

Mick shares his journey from growing up on a beef cattle operation at Barraba to coaching the UNE meat judging team, working at Blue Stripe Meats with Greg Chapel, and ultimately leading MLA with its 285 staff and $300 million annual budget.

They discuss the dynamic 2025 market environment with US tariffs unexpectedly benefiting Australia, the importance of building social capital rather than defending social license, MLA's multi-breed evaluation strategy, and why quality and sustainability will define competitive advantage globally.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of the industry's most experienced and thoughtful leaders.

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Dr. Malshani Samaraweera, Angus Australia's in-house geneticist, for an inside look at the science behind breeding values and genetic evaluation.

Malshani shares her remarkable journey from growing up on a tea estate in Sri Lanka to earning her PhD at the University of New England and ultimately joining Angus Australia to work with one of the country's largest phenotype and genotype datasets.

They discuss the nature of her role handling big data and maintaining accuracy, the exciting launch of Angus Genetic bringing evaluation in-house, the importance of balance across production, fertility, and efficiency traits, and why following your genuine interest is the best career advice.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for a fascinating conversation about the genetics work happening behind the scenes at Angus Australia.

Connect with Malshani via email [email protected]

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright reconnects with college mate Tim Ford, founder of Feed Central and the new Local Ag marketplace. Tim shares his remarkable 22-year journey from launching Feed Central in 2002 during the millennial drought with just a notebook and phone, to building a team of 40+ people moving fodder across Australia's east coast.

Tim and Scott discuss the launch of the Local Ag digital marketplace bringing transparency and security to fodder trading, why drought preparedness starts with mindset not just fodder reserves, how hay prices can triple during drought and freight costs match the commodity price.

Tim shares the importance of team wellbeing during high-stress drought periods, and his business philosophy of "team, family, friends." From lessons on people management to the critical role of personal networks, this conversation offers insights for anyone building a business in agriculture.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for a masterclass in entrepreneurship, resilience, and relationship-building.

Get in touch with Tim Ford via Feed Central and Local Ag https://www.feedcentral.com.au/contact/

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

+Follow Angus Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X + LinkedIn +

+Follow Angus Youth Australia on + Facebook + Instagram + X +

CREDITS:

Host: Scott Wright, CEO. Get in touch via email [email protected]

Producer: Mel Strasburg [email protected]

Audio editing and post-production: Ellen Ronalds Keene at https://perkdigital.com.au