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 Peter Taylor - Deputy Chairman  Peter took on the role of Deputy Chairman in May 2005. He farms in the Rupanyup District and is Chair of the Wimmera Farming Systems Group, which has formed a strategic alliance with BCG. BCG and WFS are now the same administrative organisation, with a WFS Committee directing local research and development. Peter is also Chair of the Victorian TopCrop Advisory Committee. He brings a number of different hats and a wealth of knowledge to the BCG.
	Mr John Ferrier - Treasurer John is a founding member of BCG and was Treasurer of the group until 2005, taking on the role again in 2006. John and his son, David, along with his brother, Peter, and their families own and manage a 5000ha property 'Wirrabilla' and 'Shelton Park' north of Birchip, growing wheat, barley, canola, lentils, field peas and livestock. John has a strong community focus. He has been involved over time in the Birchip P-12 School, Birchip Landcare, the local silo growers group and Birchip Community forum. John is passionate about agriculture and is a keen adopter of latest technologies. He has a strong environmental focus and has set aside part of their land for Trust of Nature.
	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 Farming 2500ha 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 Wimmera District Council Grains Councillor, and is current President of the Rupanyup Football and Netball Club. Andrew is an inaugural Committee member on the 1st Bendigo Bank Community Bank. He has held past positions of 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 and 2000 recipient of the Powercor Best Achievement in Primary Production.
	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.
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.
	MrJonah Jones Jonah is the principal of Jonah Jones and Associates Pty Ltd, a project management and consulting firm established in 1985. The company, which operates nationally and internationally, co-ordinates arts and cultural events, advises on the design and programming of arts venues, exhibition facilities, and arts and cultural festivals, and undertakes operational and program reviews of tourism, cultural and indigenous venues and organisations. Jonah was the Executive Producer for the Cultural Olympiad of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games from 1995-1996; the Founding Director of the Melbourne Art Fair from 1989-1995; and Director of the Moët and Chandon Australian Art Foundation from 1986-1995. Jonah received the Merito di Benemerenza from the Italian Government for services to the Italian community, and is a board member of Arts Project Australia, and the Sydney Art on Paper Fair.
	Ms Caroline Welsh Caroline joined us in April 2007 and farms grain with her husband John Renney and cousins Kim and Nyree in Berriwillock. Caroline has a degree in Agricultural Science and recently completed a Master of Business (Agribusiness). Currently working at the Department of Primary Industries in Swan Hill, Caroline has over18 years experience in agriculture, in particular industry development, export marketing, extension, irrigation and water supply systems. 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 and the Berriwillock Community Development Group.