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.
Timothy Brennan
Livestock Team Coordinator at NH Foods Whyalla Beef
"Improving industry retention through ground level Leadership Development"
Why did you apply for the Young Lot Feeder of the Year Award?
The Young Lot feeder of the Year Award showcases the importance of leadership and professional development in producing future leaders of the industry. Recognising the achievements of the long list of award winners and finalists, it is clear that the award has a knack for unearthing future leaders. I am very passionate about leadership and development. I can see huge opportunities for my generation and for the future of the industry. I’m applying for this award to showcase to my cohort the opportunities the feedlot industry has to offer. If you're willing to put in the hard yards and learn, the sky is the limit.
I also apply for this award to celebrate and represent my colleagues and peers at Whyalla Beef. I am big believer that you become a product of the people you surround yourself with, so I must credit the people back at Whyalla for their guidance and support. I would be very humbled to showcase the great company and even better people over at Whyalla Beef. The thought of representing my colleagues and peers makes me very proud.
How do you hope to contribute to the industry?
I am very passionate about the lot feeding industry and indebted for my professional experience. I see many opportunities for the future of the industry with vibrant and exciting times ahead. I plan to be part of the future leadership of the industry. As a young individual I hope to use my current position to advocate to emerging leaders and highlight what the industry has so to offer.
I see a leadership gap between the workforce and middle management and see opportunities to provide more support and resources to emerging leaders. In an analogy to our Wagyu reaching full marbling potential through support in their early stages, setting up growth and leadership development of our emerging leaders to reach their potential needs support in early stages. I aspire to be involved in establishing industry leadership programs for ground level management.
There are many challenges the industry is facing currently, but for me the struggles of labour shortages tops the list. I see an industry already delivering extensive training and education, however is struggling with staff retention. I am passionate about advocating for careers in lot feeding. I can see opportunities to develop formalised training and recognise lot feeding as a reputable career pathway in agriculture. Lot feeding provides meaningful and supportive employment and is modern, rewarding and developing rapidly.