Inaugural Fields of Future Dinner for Young Agricultural Professionals

The Vic Hub’s South-West Node, Southern Farming Systems (SFS), was proud to host their inaugural Fields of Future Dinner for the Young Agricultural Professionals (YAPs) network at GMHBA Stadium last night.

The fantastic evening was attended by many in the agricultural industry from across Victoria’s Western Districts, as well as a representative from Tasmania. The event, supported by SFS with funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, brought together like-minded young (or young-at-heart!) ag professionals, providing a space to develop connections, network and socialise, with delicious food and a lively atmosphere.

Oli Le Lievre, MC for the evening and founder of Humans of Agriculture, kicked off the event with a warm welcome, setting the tone for the night.

Insights from industry leaders

Guest speaker, Rhys Stanley, footballer for the Geelong Cats, delivered an insightful speech about his career as an AFL player and his experiences in farming, highlighting the interactions between the two. After dinner, Dr Elle Moyle joined Oli for a chat, sharing her journey of buying her own farm at just 27, learning to run it, and how her background as a veterinarian has shaped both her farming lifestyle and her role as District Veterinary Officer for Agriculture Victoria.

Each guest speaker – Rhys, Elle and SFS Board Chairman Scott Chirnside (who is also the Vic Hub Investor Oversight Committee representative for the SW Node) – joined Oli on stage for a Q&A session. The discussion provided valuable insights on how farming has influenced Rhys’s life, enabled Elle to offer more practical advice in her veterinary work, and the importance of engaging young people in agriculture while keeping them passionate and connected. The key takeaway? Enjoy what you do!

Supporting farmers through challenging times

In the evening’s final segment, Malcolm Rowe from the Rural Financial Counselling Service delivered an important talk on managing tough times, offering resources for those who might need them, especially given the dry season.

Greta Duff, who co-ordinated the YAP evening for SFS, said: “The night was a resounding success, made possible by the hard work of the SFS team that truly made the event shine!”

We’re looking forward to our next YAP event. If you’re interested in joining, or would like to know more about future YAP activities, visit the YAP Project on the Vic Hub Project page or contact Greta Duff, SFS Senior Research & Extension Officer and YAP Project Leader (all contact details at the bottom of the YAP Project page).

Looking for help?

You can find more information about the Australian Government’s free Rural Financial Counselling Service on the DAFF website’s Agriculture & Land section, under Drought, Disaster & Rural Support. Malcolm Rowe is from RFCS Victoria West.