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Features include:

> No sponsors, so no commitments. Just relevant Farming topics with people in the know.

> Five separate opportunities to network and talk to people during the day.

> No Farm Tender talks, however, all of our staff will be there.

> Individuals with a business associated with Farming are welcome to attend (at extra cost), but they can bring flyers, cards, they can wear their uniform, and they will have opportunities to network with Farmers.

And what about our door prize:

Buy a ticket and attend, and you'll go into the draw to win a 4-day, all-expenses-paid Farm tour for 3 people. That's right, bring 2 of your family or friends along. I'll (Dwain Duxson) be your driver, host and chief organiser. We reckon it's valued at over $5,000, maybe more. We'll work in with the winner as to where and when you want to go. I have some ideas. I guarantee you it will be worth your while.

This is what some people thought of our last event:

One of the best conferences I have attended! Full of so much knowledge and discussion that is very beneficial to someone young developing their way through the Agricultural industry. - Matilda, Darling Downs, Qld

Brilliant, informative eye-opening event. Well worth the investment for the information shared. - Toby, North Central, Vic

Thanks to Farm Tender for this opportunity, an exceptionally well ran and organised day. The calibre of the speakers was 10/10. My wife and I left feeling very inspired. - Simon, Wimmera, Vic

A very worthwhile event on a platform that was interactive and positive and was relevant to farmers. - Wayne, Central West, NSW

Real stories and information from straight-talking industry people that were easy to understand and relate to. - Andrew, North Central, Vic

A very helpful and thought-provoking event, especially advice on succession, keeping farms in families and overcoming friction. United families are the backbone of our communities. - Ross, Central, Vic

The calibre of speakers was phenomenal. The concept of information sharing and engaging with involvement from 'boots on the ground' industry participants as opposed to sponsor-led 'information' is refreshing. Everyone in agribusiness would find this event beneficial. - Matt, South West, Vic

Agenda:

8:45 am arrival for a 9:15 kickoff.

9:15 - 9:20 - Welcome by Dwain Duxson - CEO of Farm Tender

9:20 - 9:30 - Welcome to Glendemar by Ben Duxson - Host from Glendemar Multi Purpose Merinos

9:30 - 10:00 - Where to for Farm-Inputs and how to get a better deal. Speaker Rob Dawes - Founder, Rob Dawes Consulting. Questions & Profile.

10:00 - 10:30 - Financing the Farm in a higher interest rate environment. Speaker Jeff McDonald - CEO, Riverland Lending Services. Questions & Profile.

10:30 - 11:00 - My takeaway from the Bulla Burra Collaborative Farming model - John Gladigau, Chair of Grain Producers SA, Farmer, Loxton, SA. Questions & Profile.

11:00 -11:30 - Morning tea

11:30 - 12:00 - Renewable Energy and Mining threaten the way we currently Farm - Andrew Weidemann - Weidemann Pastoral Company & Farmer, Rupanyup, Vic. Questions & Profile.

12:00 - 12:30 - By not doing succession, what's it costing you? Claire Booth - Founder, C.O.Booth Law & Advisory & Farmer at Geurie, NSW. Questions & Profile.

12:30 - 1:00 - How I'm building a Livestock business from scratch. Sam Van Assche - Farmer at Sava Pastoral, Victoria Valley, Vic. Questions & Profile.

1:00 - 2:00 - Lunch

2:00 - 2:30 - Attracting new people into Ag and getting more first-generation US Farmers and Ranchers. Cassidy Johnston - JRC Ranch Management and Consulting. Questions & Profile.

2:30 - 3:00 - Towards 10-tonne Crop Yields and how to get there. Broden Holland - Farmer at Koolpari Enterprises, Young, NSW. Questions & Profile.

3:00 - 3:30 - What's selling and what's not in Rural Property? Where are the opportunities for Farmers? Danny Thomas - Director at LAWD. Questions & Profile.

3:30 - 4:00 - Afternoon Tea

4:00 - 4:30 - Fighting the Anti-Farming Brigade. David Jochinke - NFF President & Farmer near Horsham, Vic. Questions & Profile.

4:30 - 5:00 - What happens when you stop worrying about money? Hayley Grosser - Coach at Hayley Grosser & Farmer at Kaniva, Vic. Questions & Profile.

5:00 - Can-Am & Door prize draw followed by cut-out Drinks & BBQ (supplied by Farm Tender)

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Speakers:

Rob Dawes

Rob Dawes, Rob Dawes Consulting - Rob will give us a rundown on the Farm Crop Input market and the tactics Farmers can use to get a better deal.

Rob's Bio: Rob Dawes has 35 years of procurement experience in agricultural inputs and has a passion for helping primary producers answer the question “am I paying a fair price for my farm inputs and services”. Rob provides benchmarking and ongoing hands-on assistance to ensure his clients have transparent pricing, low cost and reliable supply of key agricultural inputs.

After growing up on a 50,000ha pastoral property, Rob was Dux of his year and gained honors recognition at agricultural college before completing an MBA (Agribusiness) at Monash University.

Rob’s procurement career included managing Elders entire procurement and input supply chain for what was in excess of a $1bn business unit with over 250 retail stores in 2008 before setting up his agribusiness consultancy in 2009.

In addition to holding a senior position in what is now Nutrien and having reported to the MD of Elders, Rob has worked in Australia’s largest farm animal focused veterinary business and held senior positions with two of the leading global manufacturers of farm inputs.

Rob has a clear focus on assisting all segments of the input supply chain to better service large private and corporate primary producers, along with undertaking other consultancy engagements within agribusiness, often with a strategy, due diligence or acquisition focus.

Claire Booth

Claire Booth, CO Booth Law & Advisory, Farmer at Geurie, NSW - Claire is dynamic. She is a Farmer, runs her own Law firm and is passionate about Succession and Estate Planning.

Claire's Bio: As a specialised lawyer in the estate and succession planning area, I enjoy working with clients to transfer their wealth to the next generation. Often, this involves related commercial transactions, and working with accountants regarding tax and structures.

Advising on the law of superannuation and ensuring there are sufficient resources for retirement and aged care is also critical, and this aspect of my work involves working with financial planners.

In recent years, I have been engaged by agricultural and agribusiness clients to advise on renewable energy projects and Inland Rail projects. These major projects will inform, change and alter succession plans on many levels.

I’m grateful to work collaboratively with specialised lawyers based in Brisbane, Sydney and Wagga to deliver excellence in outcomes for my clients.

When I'm not in the law office, I enjoy working with others at a strategic and policy level, in transforming Australian agriculture and rural Australia - for the benefit of generations to come.

John Gladigau

John Gladigau, Chair of Grain Producers SA, Farmer at Loxton, SA - John will talk about how they joined forces with another Farming family to set up their Collaborative Farming enterprise Bulla Burra. It's a fascinating story, and there will be a heap of takeaways from this chat.

John's Bio: John is a third-generation farmer in the Northern Mallee region of SA and was a partner in Bulla Burra, a collaborative farm which crops 8,500ha annually to cereals and legumes until 2023. He is also the Creative Director at ifarmwell and works with a number of mental health initiatives across South Australia, including Vocal Locals. John is also a 2007 Nuffield Scholar and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jeff McDonald

Jeff McDonald, CEO of Riverland Lending Services - The Finance game has changed and is causing some pain. Jeff will have some tips on how to navigate through this period of uncertainty, and we'll take a little peek into the future.

Jeff's Bio: Jeff was born and bred on an irrigation property at Loxton in the Riverland region of South Australia. Instead of becoming the third-generation male on the property, he took on a career in finance instead. After 20 years with a major bank, Jeff established a finance brokerage business in 2002 – Riverland Lending Services (RLS).

RLS has grown over the last 20 years to 15 staff, spread across the country. The RLS Agribusiness Brand was developed five years ago to assist with facilitation work with Primary Producers. This ranges from acting as Independent Chairman on Farm Boards, to Succession Planning – and much more!

Jeff’s experience in all areas of Agribusiness makes him well qualified to facilitate and advise on business decisions in agriculture. He has created a number of collaborative farming models over the last 15 years and still Chairs most of these boards. Assisting farmers to manage and grow their businesses in an ever-increasing compliant world – is Jeff’s passion.

Sam Van Assche

Sam Van Assche, Sava Pastoral, Farmer at Victoria Valley, Vic - Sam is a young go-getter. He and his wife recently bought their first Farm, and they are away and running. You won't want to miss Sam's story. You will be inspired.

Sam's Bio: First generational farmer in the Western District, with wife Samantha. Schooling and growing up was in Melbourne with family ties on both sides to the Western District. After Jackarooinng in South Gippsland, spent 7 years in the Mansfield region, 2 of which contract managing 5000 acres mixed Farming.

Completed several farm management/business courses over the years as well as a business degree. Purchased land in the Victoria Valley (Vic) with wife in 2021 to begin the Farm business journey. Currently running 3 enterprises and intensifying production on the current parcel of Land before timing external expansion.

Danny Thomas

Danny Thomas, Co Founder and Director of LAWD - Danny will talk about Current and future Land prices and all the dynamics surrounding this subject.

Danny's Bio: Danny Thomas is a Senior Director with LAWD and brings more than 25 years’ experience to the role, having held senior agribusiness leadership positions in commercial real estate companies in Australia.

Widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading agribusiness transaction advisors, Danny has stewarded many of the largest transactions in Australia’s farm sector in the past decade, and notably oversaw the sale of Lawson Grains (as a going concern) and the Corinella Portfolio (in 27 separate contracts) in his inaugural year at LAWD for a total of $950 million.

Danny brings practical, on-farm experience and genuine passion for agriculture to his work, having grown up on dairy farms in Victoria’s Western Districts, Kiewa Valley, Northern Victoria and East Gippsland region, and today is a specialist sale advisor to the owners of large-scale holdings and agribusinesses. Additionally, he is a Certified Practising Valuer with key expertise in valuing complex agribusiness assets as well as for litigation support and assessing compensation for compulsory acquisition.

Danny resides in Yea, in the Upper Goulburn region of Victoria. He is a strategic thinker who seeks to maximise every sale outcome for his clients by tailoring a sale process that drives maximum market engagement. Danny has unparalleled connections to large-scale farmers and farmland investors globally, and his insights are regularly sought by the full array of market participants.

Danny is also a director and shareholder in Murray River Land (PropCo) and Ulupna Pastoral Company (OpCo), which owns and operates more than 10,000 hectares of irrigated cropping land in northern Victoria. Danny also holds additional private investments in a significant number of dairy and beef cattle.

David Jochinke

David Jochinke, NFF President, Farmer near Horsham, Vic - Victorian Grain and Livestock producer David Jochinke has been elected President of the National Farmers’ Federation.

Hailing from Murra Warra in western Victoria, Mr Jochinke has served as Vice President of the NFF since 2017, and previously served as President of the Victorian Farmers’ Federation from 2016 – 2020.

Andrew Weidemann

Andrew Weidemann, Weidemann Pastoral Co, Farmer at Rupanyup, Vic - Andrew is a committed Farmer's representative and advocate who speaks out on a number of industry issues. He's a Grain Grower and Sheep Farmer at Rupanyup, in the Wimmera area of Victoria. Andrew also executed his first Shipload of Grain recently and is a spokesman for Farmers who are fighting Renewable Energy and Mining issues. We have alot to chat about.

Andrew's Bio: Andrew is one of Grain Producers Australia's (GPA) founding directors and is highly regarded across the Australian grains industry for his forthright leadership and long-term commitment to grower representation and advocacy.

Andrew was an integral part of the process which saw GPA take up responsibility, on behalf of growers, to replace the former peak national grains industry representative body – the Grains Council of Australia. In 2020, he received a Queen's Birthday Honour, with an AM - Member of the Order of Australia – recognising his significant service to the Australian Grain producing sector. In accepting the honour, Andrew recognised the sacrifice and contribution of his wife Julie, sons Matthew and Jordan and daughter Sarah, and his brother Rodney and his family, for supporting him while away from the family farm during his many years of service, on behalf of growers and the grains industry.

Broden Holland

Broden Holland, Koolpari Enterprises, Farmer at Young, NSW - A young Farmer who is pushing the boundaries with his Cropping enterprises. Broden is super smart and is using technology and data to strive for 10 t/ha in Wheat. Broden will fill your notebook with ideas to take home.

Broden's Bio - Broden is a 3rd generation farmer located 30km north-west of Young, NSW, who manages a mixed enterprise that spans across 4,800. Hectares.

Cassidy Johnston

Cassidy Johnston, JRC Ranch Management and Consulting. Colorado, USA. Cassidy is a vibrant young Cattle Rancher who has just started her own Ranch Management and Consulting business. She tells it how it is and what it takes to be a success in Cattle Ranching in the US.

Cassidy's Bio: I'm a first-generation rancher, advocate, speaker, and consultant who serves in the gap between the farm and the table. The agriculture industry can be difficult to navigate, so think of me as your proverbial agriculture tour guide and translator.

By offering an insider’s view into the beef industry and agriculture in general, I make it easy to understand the nuances, challenges, and opportunities facing the industry today.

To the agtech company or company wanting to work with farmers and ranchers, I add value by clarifying and communicating difficult, nuanced topics; providing an insider perspective to the industry to fast-track product development, communication, and network-building; and by honing your messaging and marketing approach so that it resonates with farmers and ranchers.

To those outside of agriculture, I tell stories and provide data to simplify complex topics and forge a real connection to where food comes from--with the nuance and without the drama.

To those within agriculture, I help you tell your stories better and amplify and connect your voices to people who need to hear them.

At the end of the day, I'm focused on connecting farmers and ranchers to the people who want or need to be connected to them, whatever form that might take.

Outside of my work, I'm a wife, a mother of three little boys, an avid reader, a lover of long walks and weird socks, and a French pastry fiend (which is difficult in rural America, alas.)

Hayley Grosser

Hayley Grosser - Coach at Hayley Grosser & Farmer at Kaniva, Vic.

Hayley's Bio: Hayley Grosser, along with her husband Martin, owns and operates MHG Farming Enterprises, a mixed Sheep and dryland Cropping operation at Kaniva in Victoria’s Western Wimmera. From a standing start to over 5,000 acres under management, their success in Farming over the past 10 years, to say the least, is deeply impressive.

Hayley also runs a side hustle where she coaches Farmers to understand that wealth is created in the mind first.

Dwain Duxson

Dwain Duxson - CEO at Farm Tender, co-founder at DelayPay and has a side hustle called The Farmers Club. Glenlyon, Vic.

Dwain will do all of the interviewing for the day.

Accommodation:

Depending on which direction you are coming from, there are motels in Donald (53km), St Arnaud (45km), Stawell (43km) and Horsham (86km).

What else is on:

The Wimmera Field days at Longerenong near Horsham run from the 5th to the 7th of March.

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