When the agricultural industry discusses education, Marcus Oldham College, Waurn Ponds, is front of mind.
The college has a reputation of developing and growing the next generation of agricultural and agribusiness leaders throughout the country.
So when Stock & Land began discussing the issues concerning the future of agriculture we, as a news organisation, decided to go straight to the source.
We didn’t want to hear from agricultural groups or politicians on what ‘they’ believe is important to the future of agriculture, we decided to give the next generation of leaders an opportunity to have their voices heard.
I was impressed with all 13 Marcus Oldham students who were involved in the project, and their level of understanding of agriculture as a whole.
Not only did they clearly recognise issues and situations that present themselves to the industry in a working capacity, but as you will soon read, many of them recognised the potential social impacts of what they were choosing as a career path.
Part of the project was not only to hear directly from this impressive group, but also to help with the bigger picture, on an issue facing agriculture.
We aimed to assist in giving the group the confidence in working and dealing with the media.
A constant theme, largely since the live cattle export ban to Indonesia five years ago, has been promoting the agriculture and all the good it does.
But one of the things I have experienced in my time in the media, albeit from a sheep and cropping background in WA, has been the clear lack of confidence from industry people to speak with journalists or members of the media.
The project allowed myself, Fairfax’s National sheep & wool writer Annabelle Cleeland, National machinery writer Tom McKenny and Stock & Land journalist Joely Mitchell, an opportunity to talk and engage with the students about how we as the media will go about a story.
As a major news organisation in Fairfax Media, with our big brothers throughout the country in The Land, Queensland Country Life, North Queensland Register, Stock Journal and Farm Weekly, I think I speak on behalf of all the publications in saying we see ourselves as a major part, and important part, of the agricultural industry
But I hope the project has given these students some insight into how a media organisation works, as well as some confidence in dealing with the media, as these 13 individuals lead the industry we are so passionate about into a new world.