Embrace the chance to upskill

Far west NSW goatmeat producer, Felicity McLeod, is urging other young people in the industry to embrace opportunities to upskill and broaden their knowledge base.

Supported by the Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Felicity participated in the TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program in March, which included a four-day outdoor leadership experience in the mountains outside Canberra.

Delivered through the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, the TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program provides emerging rural leaders aged 25–39 years with an opportunity to expand their leadership skills.

Felicity said the Program was a fantastic experience that has enhanced her skills and knowledge base and would ultimately benefit the industry and broader community.

“I applied for the program for my own growth so I can be the best leader I can be within the goat industry,” Felicity said.

“The program is about more than the individual. It was great to connect with leaders from other commodities and have a safe environment where we could talk about things and be able to give and receive feedback.

“The best thing about the program is it helps enhance your skills to deal with difficult situations and the way you approach things.

“It was certainly mentally and physically challenging at times, but it was definitely worth it. I smile just thinking about it.”

Goat industry involvement

Felicity lives and works on one of her family’s properties, the 40,000ha ‘Tor Downs Station’, located between Broken Hill and Wentworth where they harvest rangeland goats to supply direct to processors.

“My family has been involved in the harvest of rangeland goats since before I was born,” Felicity said.

“We did have cattle and Merinos as well, but we completely de-stocked during the previous drought and so since the drought broke it’s just been goats that we have focused on.

“It’s an important industry – there is a huge number of goats that come out of the Far West of NSW.”

Beyond her on-farm commitments, Felicity has been involved with NSW Farmers Association for 10 years and for the past four years, has been Chair of NSW Farmers’ Goat Committee. Felicity was also appointed to the Western Local Land Services Board in 2019.

Felicity has recently participated in MLA’s Ambassadors for the Red Meat Industry Program, an intensive development opportunity which offers participants professional training in community engagement, communication through media and social media, and building trust with consumers.

Felicity said it’s important for individuals and their employers and workplaces to recognise the value of upskilling and expanding the knowledge base of industry stakeholders.

“For individuals, don’t let where you live be a barrier to applying for programs and opportunities like the TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program,” Felicity said.

“And for employers, if people need to take time off work, or be supported to attend workshops or programs, it’s a really valuable experience that everyone will benefit from.

“They are such amazing opportunities for people to build their knowledge base and capacity to work effectively within their industry and for their industry and communities.”

Apply for Goat Industry Capacity Building grants

To build capabilities in the goat industry, individuals can apply for grants to undertake opportunities to upskill and expand their knowledge base.

This includes goat producers and other industry participants, including but not limited to students, consultants, extension specialists, veterinarians and other service industry personnel.

Individuals that are able to put forward concepts that support the development of capability and capacity within the goat industry will be assessed for a grant of up to $3,000.

Potential focus areas include, but are not limited to:

• advocacy, media, pitch or leadership training
• attendance at key industry events and/or conferences (where clear individual benefit can be articulated)
• specific training activities with relevance to managing or supporting goat enterprises.