Welcome to Humans of Agriculture.
In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, we sit down with Jack Ternouth, Head of Commercial Operations at Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino Company), for a conversation that captures what’s possible when curiosity, grit, and opportunity collide in agriculture.
Jack didn’t grow up on a farm, but through sheer determination and a willingness to learn, he’s built a career from the ground up in one of the most complex and globally connected parts of the ag industry. From classing wool and working alongside growers to now leading commercial conversations with global brands, his journey is a powerful example of what’s possible in ag today.
On this episode, we explore what it takes to build a career in agriculture without a traditional background, the critical role of mentorship, and why value creation - not scale - is the future for countries like Australia and New Zealand. Jack also shares how Zentera is helping create more certainty for growers in a volatile market through traceability, long-term contracts, and global brand partnerships.
This episode is about ambition, learning on the go, and the next generation shaping agriculture’s future.
Key insights from the conversation:
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Why This Conversation Matters
01:48 Jack’s Background: From Zimbabwe to New Zealand
04:10 Starting at NZ Merino & Learning the Wool Industry
06:30 Moving Into Commercial & Global Brand Relationships
08:05 Advice for Young People Entering Agriculture
09:40 Learning the Industry Without a Farming Background
11:30 Storytelling vs Data in Modern Agriculture
12:45 Zentera’s Growth & Global Strategy
14:40 Certifications, Traceability & Market Access
16:20 Supporting Growers & Moving Away from Mulesing
18:10 Volatility, Contracts & Creating Certainty
20:15 The Future of Wool & Global Demand
22:10 Long-Term Vision for the Industry
24:10 Opportunities for the Next Generation in Ag
25:45 Wrap Up
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
(Image: Supplied)
In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli and Mick Corcoran sit down with Angus Street, CEO of Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino), for a full-circle conversation on leadership, legacy, and the future of wool.
From growing up on a farm in northern NSW to navigating job loss during the GFC, launching startups in China, and leading major ag businesses, Angus shares an honest reflection on a career shaped by curiosity, risk, and relationships.
Now at the helm of Zentera, Angus unpacks the company’s evolution from a grower-led wool collective into a global, purpose-driven brand focused on traceability, sustainability, and premium markets. He explains why the wool industry must fight for relevance in a synthetic-dominated world, and how consumer trends in Europe, China, and the US are creating new opportunities.
The conversation dives deep into leadership, what it takes to step into an existing culture as CEO, why “discovery before diagnosis” matters, and the importance of putting people at the centre of transformation.
This episode is equal parts strategy, storytelling, and self-reflection - grounded in agriculture but globally relevant.
Key insights from the conversation
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Why This Conversation Matters
02:10 Meet Angus Street
03:50 Early Career, China & AuctionsPlus Journey
08:00 From NZ Merino to Zenterra: The Rebrand
11:30 What Zenterra Does & Global Brand Partnerships
14:40 Moving to NZ & Leading an Existing Team
18:05 First 90 Days as CEO: Curiosity Over Action
21:00 Culture, Change & Leadership Lessons
26:40 Global Wool Demand & Market Trends
30:45 Premiums, Growers & Industry Challenges
33:40 The Future of Wool: Niche or Opportunity?
35:20 Dream Job, Family & Life on the Land
38:40 Wrap Up
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
What happens when you put nature first in a cattle business?
In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli sits down with Carly Baker-Burnham from Bonnie Doone Beef in Queensland’s North Burnett. Together with her husband Grant, Carly has helped reshape their grazing operation by focusing on landscape health, intensive rotational grazing and long-term stewardship.
That shift eventually led them to take part in one of Australia’s early soil carbon projects, resulting in one of the country’s largest issuances of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). But beyond the headlines, Carly shares what actually matters: improving soil, increasing biodiversity and building a business that works with nature.
This conversation explores the realities behind soil carbon, the importance of measurement and scientific rigor, and why observation of the land remains one of a farmer’s most powerful tools.
Key insights from the conversation
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and life at Bonnie Doone
03:58 Family history and finding their path in agriculture
08:19 Succession, family business and hard decisions
13:22 Moving from reactive farming to strategic business thinking
16:13 Practical grazing changes and adopting a nature-first approach
21:26 Inside Bonnie Doone’s soil carbon project
29:02 Carbon claims, scepticism, and scientific rigour
33:08 Involving the next generation in environmental stewardship
35:05 Where farmers can start with soil carbon thinking
37:57 What Carly is most proud of today
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
As fuel pressure builds across parts of regional Australia, we wanted to step into the conversation in a way that is clear, factual and useful. Not to add to panic, but to help our audience understand what is actually happening, what it means for agriculture, and what bigger questions this moment is exposing around resilience, preparedness and national priorities.
And when it comes to conversations like this, Andrew Henderson is one of our go-to voices.
Andrew is the founder and principal of AgSecure and has built his career working across biosecurity, national resilience and the vulnerabilities that sit inside the systems agriculture depends on. He brings a rare combination of strategic insight, practical understanding and calm analysis, which is exactly what a topic like this needs.
In this episode, Andrew helps unpack the current fuel challenge facing Australian agriculture and Australia more broadly. He explains how the fuel system works, why regional areas are feeling the pressure first, what the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act means, and why this is about much more than a temporary supply scare.
This is a conversation about fuel, but it is also a conversation about resilience, leadership and the reality of operating in a world that is becoming less stable, less predictable and more exposed to disruption.
In this episode, we cover:
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
A short sharp and quick chat with the 2026 Zanda McDonald Award Winners.
2026 Winners:
Bryce Neyland, 35, from Gol Gol in New South Wales, is a civil engineer for Select Harvests, leading projects across their almond orchards and processing facility. Combining a farming background with strong engineering and project management expertise, he manages large scale, transformative rural developments.
Karn Dhaliwal, 32, from Te Hoe in Waikato, is the founder and owner of Ohinewai Harvest Ltd and Dhaliwal Ag Ltd. He has built a diverse horticultural and cropping business and is recognised for his entrepreneurial approach to growing, leadership within the vegetable industry and commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation in horticulture.
Zanda McDonald Award Chairman Shane McManaway said both winners demonstrated outstanding leadership and a strong vision for the future of the primary industries.
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
Johno Mackay grew up remote in the Northern Territory, shaped by hard work, risk-taking parents, and a deep love for the bush. In this conversation, Johno shares the path from School of the Air and station life to building a contract mustering and fencing business in Northern Australia, before an accident in his team pushed him into an entirely new chapter: ag tech.
What followed was the creation of JobSafe Pro, a practical safety and compliance platform designed to help agricultural businesses simplify paperwork, think more clearly about risk, and build stronger safety systems without adding more complexity.
This episode is about far more than an app. It is about backing yourself young, learning to lead, finding opportunity in tough moments, and recognising that agriculture today can open more doors than ever before. Johno also shares his belief in the value of the North, the importance of mentors, and why the people who get ahead are often the ones willing to work hard, show initiative, and keep having a crack.
It is a grounded and forward-looking conversation about agriculture, ambition, safety, and building something meaningful from the bush.
In this episode we cover
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
Australian agriculture runs on more than crops, livestock, and markets. It runs on people and communities.
In this episode, Skye Ward shares the story behind the Rabobank Community Fund, a program designed to invest directly into grassroots initiatives across rural and regional Australia.
Since launching in 2021, the fund has invested over $4 million into projects that strengthen leadership, improve wellbeing, and support the resilience of rural communities.
Skye also shares her personal story of growing up in the Monaro region, the experience of moving towns and building community as an adult, and why belonging remains one of the most powerful drivers of strong rural places.
From succession workshops and financial literacy programs to melanoma skin-check trucks and simple community events that bring people together, the fund supports practical initiatives that make a real difference on the ground
This conversation highlights why investing in people and community capability is just as important as investing in farms and businesses.
In this episode we explore
Find out more & apply now!!
Applications for the 2026 Rabobank Community Fund close on 15 March.
If you’re part of a local group, community initiative, or organisation looking to make an impact, this could be the opportunity to bring your idea to life.
Learn more and apply via rabobank.com.au.
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, we dive deep into the innovative world of AMPS Agribusiness. Join us as we sit down with Tony Lockrey, a seasoned agronomist and leader who has dedicated decades to the fields of Northern New South Wales. Tony takes us "under the hood" of AMPS's unique, grower-led model that fast-tracks agricultural research from institutions directly into the paddock.
We explore how AMPS has built a seamless ecosystem connecting research, agronomy, and commercial supply. Tony shares the fascinating story of Lancer wheat, a variety that became a regional powerhouse thanks to intensive, localised trials. Beyond the science, we discuss the evolving role of an agronomist, the importance of nurturing the next generation through a "job-first" education model, and the unparalleled value of a business owned and driven by the growers themselves.
Chapter Markings
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
Season 4 of Monthly Markets opens with a strong pulse check across livestock, wool, property and grain.
Tom and Mick begin with:
Then they’re joined by Tommy Taylor from Clear Grain Exchange for a deep dive into the grain landscape.
In this episode:
How Clear Grain Exchange works
2025–26 Harvest Review
Global Market Pressures
On-Farm Storage Trends
China & Canola
Feedlots & Domestic Demand
Tommy’s Advice
This episode is essential listening for growers, traders, feedlot operators, advisors and agribusiness professionals planning for the year ahead.
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
For decades, Australian agriculture has operated within a set of conditions that quietly shaped its success - stable geopolitics, expanding global trade, predictable markets, and steady productivity gains.
That era is ending.
In this conversation, Tim Hunt joins Oli Le Lievre to unpack the global forces reshaping food and agriculture right now, from geopolitics and trade fragmentation to climate volatility and rapid technological change. With a career spanning banking, economics, and international agriculture, Tim brings a clear-eyed, global perspective on why these shifts are structural, not cyclical - and what that means for producers, agribusiness leaders, and the wider food system.
Recorded just one week out from evokeAG 2026, where Tim and Oli will be part of the MC team alongside Liz Brennan, this episode is about making sense of a changing world - and asking how Australian agriculture adapts, evolves, and leads in what comes next.
In This Episode, We Explore
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing
Millie Moore didn’t leave her job because she was unhappy. She left because she was curious.
After four and a half years in a corporate ag role, Millie made a decision that many people talk about but few actually take. She quit, moved to Canada, and went ranching to properly immerse herself in the beef industry and test herself on the ground.
That choice led to something bigger. In this episode, Millie shares how ranch life in Alberta opened doors to meat judging, scholarships, and ultimately a fully funded Masters in meat science at the University of Illinois.
This conversation explores career risk, confidence, building networks without a farming background, and why agriculture offers far more pathways than most people realise. It also kicks off a year-long series with Millie, where she’ll continue to share what she’s learning across the US, Canada, and Australia.
⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Quitting a corporate job to go ranching
02:10 — University, early career, and choosing what not to do
03:20 — Why Millie stayed 4.5 years in her first role
04:40 — The fear and reality of moving overseas
06:30 — First impressions of ranch life in Canada
08:45 — Canada vs the US beef industry
09:05 — Not coming from a farming background
10:30 — “If you want to be in beef, go be in beef”
11:40 — How Millie built her network from scratch
13:40 — Why agriculture feels hard to break into (and why it isn’t)
15:20 — Dealing with rejection and imposter syndrome
19:55 — Meat judging and why it shapes so many careers
22:10 — The US meat judging circuit explained
24:40 — Sponsorship, alumni, and industry support
26:20 — Returning to study and why Illinois made sense
28:30 — What’s next and a year of conversations ahead
Atlas Grazing:
This episode is brought to you by Atlas Grazing.
If you run livestock, you know the results come from countless small decisions made
in the paddock. Season after season. Experience and instinct guide those calls, and
nothing replaces that.
There's a new tool called Atlas Grazing worth taking a look at. Developed from more
than a decade of working alongside graziers and supporting real farm businesses, it
brings your livestock records, paddocks and rainfall together in one place.
The right tools don't replace what you already know. They give you the clarity to act
sooner, with more confidence. See what's happening across your operation at a
glance, adapt as conditions change, and keep work moving wherever the day takes
you.
Atlas Grazing. Clear records. Confident livestock decisions.
Start your free 30-day trial at AtlasAg.com/grazing