The Australian Lot Feeders' Association (ALFA) has named three talented young professionals as Grand Finalists in its prestigious Young Lot Feeder of the Year award, proudly sponsored by Performance Feeds.
This accolade recognises and rewards those who exemplify passion, leadership, and a visionary outlook towards the future of lot feeding. From a talented pool of entrants, six progressed to the second judging round where they undertook a formal interview with the independent judging panel followed by a presentation and meet & greet with the ALFA Council on August 23 in Sydney, NSW.
The winner will be announced at the ALFA SmartBeef Industry Awards Dinner to be held in Tamworth NSW on October 11, 2023.
Maddison fryer
Feedlot Data and Operations at Rangers Valley Feedlot
"The Importance of Shade Structures During Winter for Animal Welfare and Overall Feedlot Production – Trial at Rangers Valley Cattle Station"
Why did you apply for the Young Lot Feeder of the Year Award?
I have worked in the feedlot industry for just over two years and have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the job. By applying for this award, I hope to continue working in and improving the Australian Feedlot industry. Still being relatively new to the industry I am still learning all the time and I believe this gives me the potential to view current practices with fresh eyes and perceive potential improvements to the industry.
As consumer ideals are ever changing, I believe that the industry must be adaptive and react to these changes to maintain its standing in the agricultural industry. I hope that this award can further my professional development in the industry and gain connections with other industry experts to be able to work together and improve industry standards.
How do you hope to contribute to the industry?
In my position at Rangers Valley as the Feedlot Data and Operations Officer I have had the opportunity to manage two projects. These projects have allowed me to trial future opportunities within the feedlot industry, one focusing on sustainability and the other on animal welfare. Both areas are extremely important for the future of the feedlot industry, and I hope to continue to promote both and other areas of improvement within the industry.
I also I wish to continue working on data analysis and transparency within the feedlot industry. Collecting and analysing data is essential to identify strengths, and weaknesses, within individual feedlots and the whole industry. With this data new ideas to counteract issues can be made. I also believe transparency between feedlots, and between a feedlot and the cattle producers is important to continue benefitting the whole industry. This is of particular importance to correlate with ever-changing consumer focus.