Upskilling creates eye-opening experience

Grace Wickson didn’t grow up in the farming sector, but she’s wanted to work in agriculture since high school – and now she’s doing exactly that. In this Q&A, learn how MLA’s Livestock Advisor Essentials program helped boost Grace’s confidence and professional skillset.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My ‘getting into agriculture’ story isn’t the typical one. I wasn’t brought up on a property, nor did I have a very big connection to the land growing up.

In high school, I decided I wanted to study agriculture after watching the iconic Aussie drama series, McLeod’s Daughters. I applied to study a Bachelor of Agribusiness at The University of Queensland (UQ), commencing my studies in 2020.

I was so intrigued by the endless career possibilities the industry had to offer and always felt like it was simply my calling. 

During my studies I received a scholarship through the UQ Gatton Past Student Association and was fortunate to get to work at Davidson’s Equestrian showjumping stud and an agricultural public relations agency, Blue Hill.

I finished my degree at the end of 2023 and was eager to start utilising my learnings.  I set my eyes on a career opportunity in the beef capital, Rockhampton. Six months later, I was packing my bags and making the move from Brisbane to start my career as a Land Management Officer (LMO) at Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA).

Since beginning my journey at FBA 18 months ago, I’ve gained tons of experience working one-on-one with land managers, coordinating projects, travelling throughout the region and making fun climate reels here and there. I’ve found that I get the best of both worlds in my role. On one side, I get to support and be someone that land managers can call for advice, and then on the other side, I’m out influencing real change on the ground.

2. How did you hear about Livestock Advisor Essentials? 

FBA works closely with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) on a number of programs, including Producer Demonstration Sites. The Livestock Advisor Essentials (LAE) course came across my radar through MLA’s social media.

3. Why did you decide to sign up for LAE?

With FBA’s encouragement to pursue professional development, the LAE stood out as a great opportunity to sharpen my advisory skills and add greater value to land managers that I work with across the Fitzroy region.

4. What was one of the standout moments for you during the course? 

I really enjoyed our first session in Townsville. We learnt all things grazing land management (GLM) from Dionne Walsh. GLM is the bread and butter of my role as an LMO at FBA. It was really great to deep dive into that subject matter and gain some practical tips and tricks around feed budgeting for paddocks.  

It was also a fantastic opportunity to network and mingle with other like-minded participants, with whom I’ve now formed great connections outside of the program. I also got to connect with team members from MLA, who were fantastic to work with throughout the course.

5. What do you think was your biggest or most significant learnings from the course?

A significant learning for me was part of the final session in Brisbane with Jill Rigney. We covered the fundamentals of human engagement, and it was a big eye-opener for a young person like me to hear from Jill and take on the advice that she had to share.

One saying that Jill taught me and that I remind myself of daily was to ‘not be attached to your future’.  It’s great to have goals and a vision, but don’t cling to a single version of how things must turn out. Keep showing up with intention, skill, and curiosity and let the future unfold without gripping it so tightly that you can’t adapt. This is something that I’ve begun applying more in both my professional and private life and can already see it having a positive impact.

6. What was something you learnt which you intend to implement?

Completing the course has really opened my eyes to the incredible world of advisory services within the agricultural industry and how important they are. Every single session I attended had lessons I can apply in my line of work and I look forward to implementing the knowledge gained. A big part of my role with FBA is working with and building relationships with people, so I’m really keen to implement the techniques that were covered around this. 

Being surrounded by like-minded, passionate people and having some really great conversations has been a pivotal experience for me. I now realise that the world is my oyster and if I’m determined and eager, I’ll be able to achieve some great things in my future.