Balancing the scales: The women powering progress
In the lead‑up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, we’re spotlighting a wave of women whose stories we’ve had the privilege to share over the past year.
Across paddocks, boardrooms and everything in between, these women are balancing the scales and carving out impact in the red meat industry – showing what progress looks like in action.
Helen Woods
Sheep producer – Central West NSW
Often working solo, Helen has designed her prime lamb operation with a focus on ease and safety. She uses breeding objectives to help her get there.
Julie Brown
Cattle and sheep producer – Ilfracombe, Queensland
Julie and Adrian Brown learnt that running livestock during drought requires tough decisions. After eight years of drought they have learnt the importance of navigating nutrition decisions to do better for the land, their livestock and their family.
Deb Gray
Producer and Red Meat Ambassador – Araluen, NSW
Deb Gray is an active participant in the Australian Good Meat Education program. She regularly attends agriculture shows, career days, visits school and participates in virtual classrooms to help educate the next generation about the Australian red meat industry.
Alison Henderson
Sheep producer – Mid-North SA
Fifth generation South Australian sheep producer Alison Henderson believes attention to detail is the key to running a profitable enterprise. Participating in a Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) equipped her with the details and data to make informed decisions and maintain lambing results despite seasonal variability.
Kylie Stretton
Cattle producer – ‘Red Hill Station’, Charters Towers, Queensland
Read about how, in just six years since they bought their Charters Towers cattle station, Kylie and Shane Stretton have transformed the productivity of their dry tropics land through rotational grazing and increased land contouring.
Read about how, in just six years since they bought their Charters Towers cattle station, Kylie and Shane Stretton have transformed the productivity of their dry tropics land through rotational grazing and increased land contouring.
Anna Toland
Sheep producer – Voilet Town, Victoria
Recording and improving traits of genetic merit have played a key role in ensuring Victorian sheep producers, the Toland family, can make informed decisions to achieve their breeding and production goals.
Ailish King
Veterinarian/Goat Fibre Horizon Scholar
Ever since Ailish was young, she wanted to be a veterinarian, and her passion area over time has become livestock veterinarian practices. Last June and July she completed a placement at Currajong Common as part of her time as an AgriFutures Goat Fibre Horizon Scholar. Find out what she learnt.
Nicci Teitge
Red Meat Ambassador – Victoria
After spending eight years working throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory, Nicci Teitge has returned to Victoria and now works in livestock sales at Invest Inya Farmer and is helping spread the Australian red meat story through the Red Meat Ambassador program.
Amanda Burchmann
Small cattle producer – south-east Queensland
South-east Queensland small producer, Amanda Burchmann, is working towards bridging the knowledge gaps between smaller producers, hobby farmers and the industry. Her goal is to help ensure that compliance regulations are being adhered to Australia-wide, no matter the size of the operation, to protect the reputation of the entire red meat industry.
Jess Armstrong
Extension officer and sheep and cattle producer – NSW
Spending weekdays driving across NSW as an extension officer and weekends at home on the family farm, Jess Armstrong’s feet are firmly planted in the agriculture world. Whether working within the family business or assisting other producers across the countryside, knowledge is power, and Jess can’t get enough.
