30 years of expertise helping BulkUp start with a bang

Kristy Howard has spent three decades helping producers across Australia transform their businesses. Now she’s channelling her expertise to drive real change on-farm as the National Coordinator for MLA’s BulkUp program.  

Growing up on a small farm and studying agricultural science at university and completing a PhD, Kristy realised she wanted to deliver support to producers navigating the ups and downs of farming.

She spent 14 years in the Department of Agriculture in Victoria before founding her own consultancy firm, Inspiring Excellence. There, Kristy worked with a multitude of beef and lamb extension programs around Australia.

"BulkUp is an opportunity to run a program using the best tools I've developed over the years, combined with MLA's research, so producers know where to change and how to do it," she said.

“I can see it having a national scale and impact, but also longevity into the future.”

The BulkUp program is looking to work with producers who want to see their business reach the top 20% of industry, but don’t know how to get there yet.

Equipping producers with tried and tested tools

Running over six years with a two-year minimum commitment, the program brings together MLA’s leading adoption packages into a single, structured pathway to drive whole-farm profitability.

Kristy’s top priority heading into the first 12 months of her role is finding strong and capable coaches, as well as producers committed to building their business.

“I want to see BulkUp start with a bang,” she said.

"I love seeing the diversity of farming production systems across Australia and I love meeting the people that run them."

“This is potentially going to grow your business, grow your profits and increase your enjoyment of farming,” she said.

MLA’s investment in BulkUp responds to a gap in productivity and profitability between the highest and middle earners in the red meat industry.

MLA’s Project Manager for Adoption Southern & Western Production Systems Mitch Plumbe said part of MLA’s role as an RDC is to help producers increase their profits, produce more red meat and do it sustainably.

As part of the program, producer groups will be established at a regional level and engage group coaches to work with them in a local context.

“We can take a national idea and bring it right down to a regional level so it actually works for each area,” Mitch said.

For more information about the program and how you can become involved, register your interest via BulkUp | Meat & Livestock Australia.