James' hobbies includes campdrafting, travelling, Australian agriculture and wine! James joined the board of Future Farmers to become further involved in the next generation of people in Australian agricultural, and encourage others to become more involved and meet the many amazing young people in agriculture today.

Georgie is based in Sydney with FFN Gold Sponsor Grain Growers Association, as one of two Membership Liaison Officers. Her role is to manage all industry stakeholder and membership activity, including communications / sponsorships / PR / marketing tasks through to the internal committee's management and her favourite - Capacity Development. In this Georgie's role includes the management and arrangement of industry information sessions regionally for growers and industry players, GGA Young Growers Network (including Innovation Generation conference), women's hands in grain portfolio and the GGA Nuffield Scholarship.

Georgie joined the board of FFN to offer her industry networks and contacts to build the FFN profile and also create opportunities for FFN to be more involved. She believes FFN has a fantastic opportunity to continue to build the network of enthusiastic, driven individuals who want to offer their ideas, networks and industry opportunities.

She has a real passion for seeing youth in agriculture become more united and continue to build a new positive image of agriculture, which highlights not only the diversity of the sector but also the opportunities available and the intelligence of those in the industry.

Benita has her roots firmly set in the bush, having grown up, completed her education and established her career in rural Queensland and New South Wales (for the record she will always be a maroons supporter!). She is the Principal of Sunburnt Country Consulting specialists in marketing and management services for the livestock industry which she operates from her Gunnedah NSW base. Sunburnt Country Consulting's services include marketing, event management, project management and market research.

Benita is passionate about agriculture; helping her clients to achieve their vision; travel; sport; photography; and contributing to a prosperous future for rural Australians. She has a strong background in the livestock industry and a more recent involvement in the mixed farming sector. Her past roles include BREEDPLAN Consultant, Executive Officer of the Australian Wagyu Association, Southern and Tropical Beef Technology Services Technical Officer, and PR Consultant.

Benita has been a member of FFN since its inception in 2002 and highly values the opportunities and resources it provides for young people. She believes that the network plays an increasingly important role connecting and empowering those who choose a rural career path.

Stuart was born and raised in southern NSW in the Upper Murray and completed high school in Albury. He has travelled extensively throughout Australia, including 5 yrs in the Northern Territory, and the world, having spent the last 2.5 yrs in Canada, from where he travelled throughout the US and the UK.

Stuart's life has always revolved around agriculture and he has an immense passion for the industry and its people. He has engrossed himself in the Canadian ag industry through young farmers groups, industry bodies, conferences and his present full time position as the lead hand on a 4000ac pedigreed seed farm in east central Alberta. In the Fall of 2008 Stuart started his business Positive Perfection creating opportunities for young farmers in the ag industries of Canada and Australia. In February 2009, Stuart will return to Australia to expand and diversify the business into the Livestock Services, Consulting, Event Planning and Ag Tourism sectors of the industry.

Stuart joined the FFN to engage himself further in the young farmer sector in Australia and become proactive about issues and challenges facing the youth of our industry. He hopes that he can fulfill your requests and looks forward to hearing your thoughts, comments, ideas and suggestions for the FFN Board. Stuart loves to network and cant wait to hear your story!

Charlie Blomfield is AMC's Managing Director. Charlie has grass-roots operational experience with large scale beef operations, sheep enterprises and broadacre farming. He has held numerous station level positions throughout the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. He has also worked with Australian Meat Holdings (now JBS Swift) as a Stockman and Animal Health Supervisor at the 30,000 head Beef City Feedlot. Charlie also has formal training in Beef Cattle Assessment from Dalby Agricultural College.

After working on various properties throughout NT, QLD and NSW, Charlie moved to Brisbane and began working with RMP in the Operations Team in 2004, at the time managing a portfolio of properties running approximately 80,000 cattle.

In 2007, Charlie left RMP and established Carthona specialising in consultancy and agricultural investment services to the institutional investor market. In 2007 Charlie undertook a project for the Northern Territory government to assess the development potential of the NT pastoral industry. He has led a number of large projects including the development of large-scale irrigation projects using recycled water from Australian capital cities, development of large-scale beef funds, and property development projects of some of Australia's largest pastoral holdings.

Charlie is active with clients throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East frequently visiting these locations for Business Development and Client Relations. Charlie is a regular speaker at Beef Producers' and Agricultural Forums, and has presented to Marcus Oldham Agricultural College and the 2009 Agricultural Outlook Australia conference in Sydney.

Charlie maintains board level participation with the AgForce Queensland Cattle Board representing the Queensland cattle industry, and is a Director on the Board of the Agribusiness Association of Australia. Charlie has extensive on-ground experience across a number of production areas and commodities and maintains a strong network of industry professionals.

Sally was introduced to the FFN by Jo Rodney and while Farmer is not a title she idenitifies with (being involved in the pastoral industry and no farming occuring) she liked the idea of a bunch of driven young people, who are passionate about agriculture, bouncing some ideas off each other.

Sally lives in Alice Springs and works for the NT Government as an extension officer for the local pastoral industry. Her clients cover a region that goes from the SA border to Barrow creek and then to the WA & Qld borders, an area of 218,859 km2 or 21.9 million hectares. Sally's work covers areas of management including grazing land, cattle nutrition, breeder herd and some business issues. She has worked here for the last 5 years and is passionate about the pastoral industry and its future.

This passion stems from having grown up on a sheep, cattle & goat property 250kms west of Bourke. Sally was taught via School of the Air, went to boarding school in Sydney and finally did an Ag science degree through the University of Sydney. She is now at the pointy end of a Masters in Rangeland Management. Sally believes education is important for our young people (and old dogs) and that we never stop learning.

Sally believes the next generation of producers in agriculture are exciting and that for them the sky is the limit. She thinks that they can bring about a great deal of change to the industry and that we can continue to have a fantastic industry.

Prue grew up as one of four daughters on a 3400acre mixed cereal & livestock property just outside of Serpentine, in Northern Victoria, and she currently resides in the second house on the family property today, living near her parents and grandparents who currently operate the property.

Prue completed a double degree in Agricultural Science & Business from LaTrobe University in Bundoora in 2007 and then worked as a Graduate Agri-Business Consultant for RMCG in Bendigo for 8 months. From here she changed jobs to work with Goulburn Murray Water as a Reconfiguration Officer in May 2008 and her job was moved on secondment to where she is currently as a Modernisation Coordinator with the Northern Victorian Irrigation Renewal Project (NVIRP) based out of Pyramid Hill.

In May Prue is returning to the farm on a part time basis to work alongside her father running the property as the first of the 5th generation on the land, with her aim to finish work with NVIRP in the next 5 years to be permanetly working on the family farm.

Prue is also the current Chair of the Victorian Farmers Federation Young Agribusiness Professionals (YAPS - www.yaps.vff.org.au), holds the youth position on the State DPI/VFF Strategic Planning Committee, and is on the Rural Finance Scholarship Alumni Committee.

She has recently returned from six weeks travelling around Europe, and hopes to bring many skills into her role as the Victorian Director of FFN, and help take FFN into the future, strongly representing the future farmers in Australia.

This position is currently vacant. If you are interested in being a board member and representing Tasmania, please contact any of the other directors.  If you are from Tasmania and would like information relevant to your state, please contact admin@futurefarmers.com.au for more information.