Working Group

Asha McFarlane of Doodlakine, Western Australia is a third generation wheat and sheep farmer, currently studying an associate degree in Agribusiness at Muresk. When she isn’t working, she spends most of her spare time with her family, planning/taking vacations and excitingly adding to her enormous list of future career opportunities. Asha can come across as a bit of a wild character, however she is a very hardworking, loyal and respectful person who isn’t afraid of a challenge. She deeply looks forward to the innovations of the agricultural industry and is so excited to be part of the generation that is working toward adaptations and improvements.

David, residing in Bungunya, QLD, is a grower with extensive experience in agriculture. Following his secondary education, he dedicated 14 years to working on his family's farm. He then chose to pursue higher education, earning a Dual Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness and Agricultural Science, with a focus on Agricultural Business and Management. David currently serves as an Irrigation Technician at Gonna Ag and is proud to have graduated from the GrainGrowers AGLP program in 2023.

Hannah is currently living and working on her partner's family grain farm in Mallala, SA. With a passion for Agriculture, particularly in grain marketing and exporting, she never grew up with farming or Agriculture. Originally from Adelaide, Hannah grew up near the city and has a background in hairdressing. When she moved to the country, she quickly fell in love with grain farming and grain trading, which led her to pursue her interest further by enrolling in a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness at the University of New England. While she's excited about incorporating her education into her future career, she's also an advocate for getting young people from the city excited about agriculture and opportunities in farming.

Jacob’s passion for agriculture comes from growing up on a grain farm in the Mid North of South Australia. After completing a bachelor’s degree in commerce at the University of Adelaide, Jacob spent several years in working in professional services. Before deciding to a purse his passion for agriculture, whereby he has since worked in strategy and technology related positions. In mid-2023, Jacob joined AGT as Product Owner. Besides Jacob’s passion for agriculture, he has a strong sense of curiosity for entrepreneurship and innovation and is keen to pursue a career supporting Australia’s farmers and helping advance the entirety of the Australian agriculture industry.

Katherine is an ag professional with 6 years of experience in agronomy and agribusiness. She is currently working as a Market Development Manager for grains and fibre in the growing drip irrigation industry, which aligns with her passion for sustainability and social licence to farm. Having previously had the fortune to be involved in Grain Growers’ Grain Leadership Program, Katherine knows the value that Innovation Generation brings to young growers and ag professionals, and is excited to be involved in the 2024 Innovation Generation working group.

Parker Dean is a second year student at the University of Queensland studying a dual degree of Agricultural Science and Agribusiness. Having not grown up in a strong agricultural background, Parker is passionate about gaining an understanding to contribute to the industry and advocating for those not lucky enough to be brought up on the land.

Binyin (Patrick) Di is a highly versatile agricultural professional specialising in farming systems with a passion for emerging technologies. Academically, he attained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) from the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2020, where he extensively conducted several research projects on plant physiology and phenology in broadacre cropping systems by utilising remote sensing applications and data analytics in multiple programming languages, including R and Python. In his role in the Northern Territory, he connects farmers, industry stakeholders and governments to enhance communications, partnerships and collaborations in agriculture. Moreover, he serves as an active member in various professional networks and societies.

Rosie Archer is a Trade Execution Co-ordinator at CHS Broadbent in Ballarat. Rosie grew up in the Southern Riverina and is still heavily involved in family farming operation. Rosie is a lifelong volunteer, experienced leader and has played an active part in supporting and participating in many community organisations. Rosie is excited to continue her personal and professional involvement in agriculture, in particular championing rural and regional women.