Meet elected members of the BCG Board

Mr Ian McClelland - Chairman 

Ian McClelland is the inaugural chairman of BCG (Birchip Cropping Group and Wimmera Farming Systems) which was established in 1992. Ian runs an 8000ha farm in partnership with his brother, Warrick, growing wheat, barley, canola, lentils, sheep and cattle. His interests are in education, research and practical applications on the farm. He is an honorary Senior Fellow of the Institute of Land and Food Resources – Crop production, Melbourne University, a Board Member of Marcus Oldham College, recipient of the 1998 Hugh McKay Innovators Award, a member of the selection panel for Churchill Scholarships, and recipient of the 2004 GRDC Seed of Light Award for Excellence in Research and Extension. In 2008, Ian was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (Read more...).

 Mr John Ferrier - Treasurer

John is a founding member of BCG and Treasurer of the group. John and his wife, Robyn, and son, David, own and manage a 5000ha property 'Wirrabilla' 25 km north of Birchip growing wheat, barley, canola, lentils, field peas and run livestock. John has a h4 community focus. He was President of the Birchip P-12 School Council and involved in Birchip Landcare, the local silo growers group and Birchip Community forum. John has been co-presenter of the ABC National Radio program ‘Bush Telegraph’ giving city and rural communities across Australia a better understanding of farm business and lifestyle. John is passionate about agriculture and is a keen adopter of latest technologies. He has a h4 environmental focus and has set aside part of their land for Trust of Nature.

Mr Brian Barry

Brian joined the Board in 2008 after being a member of the General Advisory Committee for a number of years. Brian farms with wife Donna, two kids, and his parents a property of 3,200ha south of Manangatang. He is currently the Treasurer of the local Landcare Group and has been involved with the Board of the Mallee Agricultural Research Foundation and the Low Rainfall Collaboration Group.

Mr Rodney Mitchell

Rodney has been a member of BCG since it was formed. He and son, Travis, farm in the Woomelang District of the Southern Mallee. Rodney was a participant in the BCG Study tour of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh looking at production potential and markets for pulse crops. Rodney is a past Chair of the Sea Lake Hospital board and has served the Victorian State Emergency Service. His current interest is converting his farm to a no-till situation.

Mr Andrew Weidemann - Vice Chairman

Farming with his family in the Victorian Wimmera, producing a range of pulses, cereals, oilseeds and fat lambs, Andrew is a dedicated community member. He holds a range of positions with the VFF, currently the Deputy President VFF Grains Group, Policy Council GCA, sits on the Longernong Advisory committee, GCA National Bio-security Taskforce, Our rural landscapes Precision Ag Advisory steering committee, Central Wimmera Bio-Diesel Deputy chair. He is an inaugural Committee member on the 1st Bendigo Bank Community Bank and has held past positions of RFNC President, VFF Rupanyup Branch President and Wimmera Farming Systems Deputy Chairman. Andrew has an Advanced Diploma of Agriculture, was the 2000 recipient of the Wimmera Conservation Farming James Muller Award, 2000 recipient of the Powercor Best Achievement in Primary Production and in 2006 received the NAB Wimmera 2020 Young agri-business Achiever Award.

Mr Leo Delahunty

Leo farms with his brother, Andy, near Murtoa in the Wimmera. The farm has a focus on grain production (cereal, canola and pulses) under no-till, which was introduced in the mid 1990s. Leo has previously served on the boards of Grain Growers Association, Pivot, Incitec Pivot, DIRT Management and Harvest Grain Australia, a Horsham-based company that processes, markets and exports grain. He was a member of VFF's Grains Council for six years and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 Meet co-opted members of the BCG Board

Dr Michael Dalling

Mike has wide-ranging experience of technology development, intellectual property management and commercialisation. Mike was formerly Group General Manager – R&D of Nufarm Ltd. Prior to joining Nufarm in 1999, Mike was Managing Director of the Strategic Industry Research Foundation Limited, a joint initiative of the Victorian Government and CSIRO, and the founding Managing Director of Florigene Limited, one of Australia’s first biotechnology companies. Mike was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2006 for service to the biotechnology industry through contributions to research and development organisations and commercialisation efforts to benefit Australian companies, producers and consumers.

Mr Noel Meney

Noel has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting), is a Certified Practising Accountant, and a Registered Company Auditor with 18 years experience in the public accounting sector. This experience is in the fields of taxation and business advisory in the farming sector and auditing and consultancy work within the commercial sector. He is a Managing Partner of the large regional accounting firm, Poole & Associates Pty Ltd, which has offices in Swan Hill, Kerang, Balranald and Sea Lake. The firm has five partners and 35 staff and has a large dryland farming exposure within its client base.

Ms Caroline Welsh

Caroline farms with her husband, John Renney, and cousins, Kim and Nyree, in Berriwillock. Caroline has a degree in Agricultural Science and a Master of Business (Agribusiness). Currently working at the Department of Primary Industries in Swan Hill with over 18 years experience in agriculture in particular industry development, export marketing, extension, irrigation and most recently the regional implications of climate change. Caroline received a Churchill Fellowship in 1998 travelling to Asia, South Africa and Chile to investigate markets and competitors of Swan Hill's fresh stone fruit exports. Her interests include group extension techniques, sustainability of our local farming systems in a changing climate and the Berriwillock Community Development Group.

Mr Nigel McGuckian

Nigel is a consultant based in Bendigo with RMCG. He has 22 years experience in consulting to farming businesses, and other rural organisations. He has been managing partner of RMCG, run national extension projects, carried out important studies for DPI, DAFF, MLA, and GRDC and carried out training and strategic planning for many community groups. In the last five years, his focus has been on farmer decision making and how to assist decision making. He is a board member of St Luke's Anglicare in Bendigo; a committee member of the Loddon Mallee Regional Australia Committee; a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; and a Fellow of Williamson community Leadership Program.