What's Your Beef

Innovator Don Menzies has observed the beef industry go from bronco rails to biometric tags over the last 30 years. Beginning his career in the Rockhampton CSIRO offices, Don has been part of tremendous change in the use of technology to aide management practices and marketing. Join Jayne Cuddihy as Don reminisces about his various industry roles, challenges and triumphs, including the mandatory uptake of NLIS tags and electronic identification- which wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

It's every industry's dream to have young and passionate people coming up through the ranks, the beef industry being no exception. Charlie Perry is one of those gems the cattle industry is lucky to have. Charlie left a corporate career in Sydney to manage the family's Wagyu Stud at Aberfoyle in New South Wales. In the last five years he's ridden the highs and lows of farming to cement their business in the global marketplace for genetics and seedstock.

The future of the beef industry is in good hands with the youth, passion and professionalism of people like Allana Ross. Recruited by Brisbane based company OBE Organic, Allana spends her time spruiking the company's brand across the globe and helping to oversee quality control in the processing plants. Join Jayne Cuddihy as she discovers why Allana abandoned a career in journalism to follow her heart into beef.

If there was an Olympic event for multi-tasking, Julie McDonald would be in the running. As Chief Financial Officer for McDonald Holdings- one of Australia's largest integrated family owned and operated beef cattle enterprises, Julie is also a director of several of her own businesses. In this episode, Julie gives host Jayne Cuddihy an incredibly candid insight into how she took up the reins after the tragic loss of her husband Zanda in 2013 and flourished in her own right- both in the boardroom and parenting their four daughters.

Lorraine Gordon is a carbon farmer and holistic beef cattle trader at Ebor in the New England Tablelands of New South Wales. She's also Southern Cross University's director of Strategic Projects and Associate Director for Organics research. She lets host Jayne Cuddihy in on some secrets to time-controlled management plans, holistic grazing and the perfect way to finish steers. Also- her favourite cut of beef will have your mouth watering in seconds!

Elisha Parker's association with Beef Australia is long and colourful. As Beef's Young Ambassador in 2009, she's worked on and led a number of Next Gen committees and is now recruiting high calibre speakers for the 2021 symposium. But it's her incredible contribution to the Australian beef industry through her online beef marketing platform, several industry group representations, and advocacy that is worth talking about. Join Jayne Cuddihy as she asks Elisha how the Australian beef industry needs to hone their message, running an online business from a telecommunications black spot and what's her 'silver bullet' solution to recruiting and maintaining youth in rural industries.

For over 30 years Angus Lane has been the voice of Queensland's agricultural shows, the Ekka and of course Beef Australia. His voice is as synonymous with the Interbreed grand parade as that of the drama of the show jumping and the mouth-watering delights in the CWA tent. Join host Jayne Cuddihy as she explores Angus' passion for rural Australia, the exciting contributions of future generations and the secret to his success behind the microphone (spoiler alert- it's his wife Vicki!). He also reminisces about his favourite and hilarious highlights of Beef events, including the time he unexpectedly starred in the Grand Parade.

Peter Chiesa bought his first cow at age 14. From a long family lineage of butchers, Peter saw the opportunity to be an important part of the production chain and started his own Brahman stud in the lush, green paddocks of Ingham in North Queensland. Join Jayne Cuddihy as she asks his tips on breaking into the seedstock industry and the opportunities of technology. And, do you know what a $45,000 cow looks like? Peter talks us through what that means on the inside and out!

Charlie Arnott is an eighth generation beef producer, educator, podcaster and regenerative agriculture specialist! Charlie has transformed the pasture of his property near Boorwara in the south-east slopes of New South Wales, delighting his herd of Shorthorn cattle and revolutionising the marketing opportunities of his beef, cropping and sheep enterprises. Join host Jayne Cuddihy as they talk through Charlie's transformation of not just 'the paddock between his ears', but his beef, pasture and business. Fun fact: Charlie is one of the few family members who haven't graced the floors of the family's famous biscuit factory- but admits it's hard to go past an orange cream!

Central Queensland Seedstock producer, Jason Childs - a member of the Beef Australia stud cattle committee is widely recognised for his family's ongoing advancement of the Droughtmaster breed, and their success in the show and sales rings. Beef Australia Vice chair Russell Hughes sat down with Jason at the family's Glenlands Stud just outside of Rockhampton, to uncover some of the history of his family's 120 years of custodianship of the property, and to learn who was ... the Prince that became a King!