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Delivering on a dream By Fiona Gowers
Kerry and Dave Crowe are the Norco distributor for the Southern Downs area. The Crowes now supply the hospitality and retail industries including IGA, FoodWorks, butchers, delicatessens, cafes, restaurants, service stations, McDonald’s and Zarraffas. “If you bought a cafe or fast food outlet tomorrow we could deliver everything . . . all dairy, smallgoods, frozen goods and packaging, as well as cakes, savories and anything else you may need.“ Kerry and Dave are also distributors of BioPak and Castaway packaging. “Our business has grown so much over the past nearly four years,” Kerry said. “We are now a one stop shop.” Five days a week, Norco delivers bottled milk to its depot in Warwick from where the Crowes start delivering at 4.30am. “A lot of people lack comprehension about what happens after the cow is milked to when the bottle appears in the shop,” Kerry said. “It starts with the farmer who transports his milk to the factory. The manufacturer then does his work before it’s transported to the Norco depot where we pick and pack orders ready to dispatch the next day. “We then deliver to shops nice and early so people can stack the shelves ready for the customer to walk in. “When there is a shortage, we regularly joke and say, ‘Oh, we should just take the bottles out to the farm and start milking’!” While the Crowe’s “ultimate” goal is to carry a few beef breeders and horses on 245 hectares, Kerry still reminisces about milking cows. “I miss milking cows,“ she said. “Yeah, I do miss it. I miss the calming noise of the dairy and telling the cows all my problems . . . They always listened and never answered back!”
Dave and Kerry Crowe went from milking the cows to delivering the milk, giving them a unique appreciation for both ends of the supply chain.
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Kerry Crowe’s position as the Norco distributor for the Southern Downs area complements her personal passion for the dairy industry and its producers. You see, prior to delivering the milk, Kerry worked as a dairy hand, giving her a unique appreciation for both ends of the supply chain. And, the farmer will always, always have her support. “Our heart and soul is in backing those Australian farmers,” Kerry said. “We don’t just own the business and go, ‘oh well, it’s just a job delivering milk’. “We understand it from every aspect and are passionate about supporting our local producers. “With Norco, 100 per cent of the profits stay in Australia to support farmers and their communities.” Kerry said three milk price rises this year had been necessary to ensure the dairy industry’s survival. “If we can’t keep the farm gate price up, we can’t support those farmers and they have no option but to sell their cattle, you know. It’s not just a job for everyone, it’s a livelihood. “The dairy farmers I know would feed their cattle before they feed themselves if push came to shove and that’s pretty massive.” Kerry said the Lismore floods in February 2022 had been particularly devastating for dairy farmers, with years of breeding genetics lost. “They just don’t replace themselves overnight. Every cent counts for those farmers and those communities to rebuild after the floods. “And, you know, we all go outside with the sun shining, but there’s still an awful lot of damage and consequences from those floods and some people will never be the same again.” Kerry Crowe grew up on a vegetable farm at Amiens, 17 kilometres north west of Stanthorpe. After finishing school, she worked in the transport industry but transitioned into dairy about eight years ago due to the flexibility it offered around her four children and “loved everything about it”. Starting at the ground level with Phillip and Karen Christensen in Freestone Valley near Warwick, she also milked for Graham and Theresa Bourke at Gladfield. “I still love milking to this day,” Kerry said. “It’s a dirty job, but the money is clean. And, the early hours back then allowed me to hold other jobs in the middle of the day. It worked well.” Seeking to buy a business, Kerry and her husband Dave became the distributors for Norco - Australia’s oldest dairy cooperative - in Warwick in February 2019. Initially, they continued to milk cows every second weekend but, when COVID-19 struck in March 2020, they focused on expanding their range beyond dairy products.
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Agronomist By Fiona Gowers Queensland agronomist Tessa Dimond will gain a global perspective on how Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) affect Australian grain prices and access to international markets. Through a Nuffield scholarship, Tessa will travel from St George to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Indonesia and countries in Europe during the 12-month program. She hopes to share best-management practices, global trends and leading-edge technology with Australian growers. A broadacre and irrigation agronomist at AGn Vet Rural in St George, Ms Dimond has worked in the agriculture industry for 12 years. She says following label directions, spray quality and drift are cornerstones of protecting access to chemicals however the same atten-
tion is not paid to chemical residues, including MRLs. “There is an opportunity to better understand international MRL requirements, which are part of the final commodity and market requirements and how these have reformed chemical application and stewardship globally.” Ms Dimond said the $30,000 Nuffield Scholarship - the first supported by GrainCorp - will assist her professional goal of helping the agriculture industry strive for greater sustainability. “I believe opportunity lies in building awareness of how grower application of chemicals not only impacts commodity pricing and access to international markets, but also the international reputation of Australian grain and the future sustainability of our grains industry.
Dr Zahra Faraji Rad will lead a team from the University of Southern Queensland to develop microneedles that detect high-risk plant pests and pathogens at Australian borders.
Micro(needle) solution for major biosecurity issue By Fiona Gowers
Miriam Villen King from Bargara.
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An innovative project exploring a quick and cost-effective way to combat plant disease has received funding from the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Dr Zahra Faraji Rad will lead a team from the University of Southern Queensland to develop microneedles that detect high-risk plant pests and pathogens at Australian borders. The proposed device will act as a fieldportable “sample-in-result-out” tool, fast tracking biosecurity detection times. The project is one of 24 innovation program pilots funded this year through the DAFF’s Biosecurity Innovation program. Dr Faraji Rad said she would develop a customised, nano-fabricated microneedle to extract plant tissue samples. “The biosecurity innovation program joins my research in microneedles technology with a separate project looking into nano-biosensors at RMIT University to develop a diagnostic tool for plant disease detection,” she said.
“The end-product diagnostic device itself will use microneedles to extract cell contents from a suspect plant and then immediately scan the samples with biosensors. “It would allow multiple plant pathogens to be detected instantaneously in the field by generalist biosecurity officers, minimising the need for laboratory-based diagnostic process.” DAFF deputy secretary of biosecurity and compliance Dr Chris Locke said once the technology was proven, a handheld prototype would be developed for frontline biosecurity officers to use. “At the moment our biosecurity officers in the field have to send samples off-site for laboratory testing for high-risk plant pests,“ Dr Locke said. “This diagnostic tool could allow fast and accurate testing in the field, which will speed up biosecurity screening processes and contribute to a sustainable and effective national biosecurity system.“ Microneedles are currently used in the medical field for sample extraction and diagnostics.
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helping bridge the gap “I’m also passionate about continuing to bridge the gap between the agricultural industry and our metro consumers, or risk losing our social licence to operate.” The Leader of The Nationals and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud has congratulated Ms Dimond on being awarded the prestigious 2023 Nuffield Scholarship. Mr Littleproud said funding research by knowledgeable outback Queenslanders would significantly help aid industry in rural Australia. “Funding research for outback Queensland is essential for helping us gain a better understanding on how to shape the future of agriculture,” Mr Littleproud said. “I would like to sincerely congratulate Ms Dimond for her achievement and I look forward to hearing about the results of her research.”
Ms Dimond was one of 19 recipients named as 2023 Nuffield Scholars. The scholarships are awarded annually to allow the study of agricultural-related topics. Queensland’s 2023 Nuffield Scholars: Regan Lynch from Hughenden. Regan will explore ways to improve farm biosecurity attitudes and practices in the Northern Australian beef industry. Aimee Snowden currently works in Rockhampton and will study agriculture education models that drive immersive experiences and engage curious minds. Miriam Villen King from Bargara will study sustainable approaches to growing walnuts in Australia. Jarrod Cook of Stamford has been awarded the Northern Pastoral Scholarship and will study the best methods to prepare cattle for feedlot entry to optimise performance.
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Regan Lynch from Hughenden.
Aimee Snowden who currently works in Rockhampton.
Queensland agronomist Tessa Dimond has been awarded a Nuffield Australia Scholarship to further her studies on how agricultural chemicals can affect Australian grain prices and access to international markets.
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Lack of knowledge in ag By Fiona Gowers
CQUniversity’s Agri-tech Education and Extension research team, led by Dr Amy Cosby (pictured) surveyed more than 5000 primary and secondary students across Australia about their knowledge of agriculture. to make them grow (a practice that has been banned in Australia for some 60 years). “Today’s students are tomorrow’s consumers and their future purchasing decisions will be shaped by their understanding of things like animal welfare, environmental sustainability and healthy eating practices,” Dr Cosby said.
Dr Cosby said the study also highighted the need for a formal framework to assess students’ agricultural literacy, similar to what is in place in the United States under the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs). “The absence of an agricultural literacy framework in Australian schools is a significant deficit and limits the capacity for com-
prehensive assessment of the agricultural education that is taking place,” Dr Cosby said. The report findings will inform the Agritech Education and Extension team’s evidence-based programs such as EXCITED 4 Careers in Agriculture, GPS Cows and RACE Gippsland delivered in partnership with an extensive array of industry and education organisations.
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A new study by CQUniversity has identified a lack of agricultural knowledge among Australian school students, highlighting a need for more adequate agricultural education programs. In the largest ever survey of its kind, CQU’s Agri-tech Education and Extension research team, led by Dr Amy Cosby, surveyed more than 5000 primary and secondary students across Australia about their knowledge of agriculture. The study found many students regarded agriculture to be a low-tech industry, with four in five primary students and three in five secondary students believing commercial milking of dairy cows occurs by hand, rather than machine. “Agriculture is in a period of rapid technological advancement but modern farming practices are not being adequately portrayed to Australian students,” Dr Cosby said. The study showed student awareness of agricultural careers was also limited, with many only able to recognise traditional roles such as a ‘farmer’ and ‘beekeeper’ as jobs in agriculture. Dr Cosby said this was likely a contributing factor to the industry’s current skilled workforce shortage. “If students are not being shown an accurate vision of modern agriculture, they are unlikely to recognise that agricultural jobs can be highly skilled, well paid and possibly located outside rural areas,” Dr Cosby said. Importantly, the study showed one of the biggest factors impacting students’ agricultural knowledge was their level of exposure to farms. Students who lived on a farm - or who visited an agricultural property at least four times a year - scored significantly higher (as a group by median score) than those who had never been on-farm. Dr Cosby said it highlighted the importance of including regular exposure to farming activities in agricultural programs for Australian schools. “Virtual experiences and online resources are important, but nothing beats exposing students to agricultural workplaces in real life and to people who work in these careers,” she said. While agricultural knowledge is developed through both formal schooling and informal experiences, agriculture as a subject is not a mandatory inclusion in most Australian schools. The exception to this is in New South Wales, where agriculture is part of the compulsory curriculum in Years 7 and 8. Most students surveyed were able to recognise that some fruits and vegetables grow better in certain parts of the world, while more than half of the secondary students understood that hormones are not given to chickens
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