We recently caught up with BCG Young Farmer Network member, Chloe Frank.
Chloe grew up on a mixed farm in Carron, just 25kms north-west of Donald, Victoria. She shares how this upbringing, along with an eye-opening and adventure filled-gap year ignited her passion for agriculture, and how being named a recipient of the prestigious AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship has accelerated her opportunities in the industry beyond the classroom.
What is your background?Â
I grew up near the small town of Watchem, in between Donald and Birchip. I did all of my schooling locally, in Donald, attending St Mary’s Primary School and Donald High School, but played sport for Birchip-Watchem. I graduated from DHS in 2020, and was very unsure about the path I’d take once graduating. At the end of the school year, I put in preferences for lots of different courses for universities in Melbourne and Geelong- dentistry, medical science, forensic science and public health, thinking I needed to use my ATAR straight away to avoid ‘falling behind’. It took me some time to come around to the idea of a gap year, and realise that I wouldn’t be falling behind at all by taking some time to gain a bit of life experience.
I left home in early February of 2021, with a job offer in Coffs Harbour on a raspberry farm. I worked on a number of fruit farms, in Coffs, Bundaberg and Cairns, picking and packing raspberries, sweet potatoes, avocados and bananas. In between farm stints and on my days off, I would travel, sometimes over a month or so, and sometimes day trips to islands off the coast. I travelled the coast and some inland areas, like Emerald and the Atherton Tablelands. My year away from home taught me to be resilient and independent, and I would absolutely recommend a gap year to anyone.
Over the course of my gap year, I was exposed to a lot of production systems that naturally don’t exist the Wimmera-Mallee. In school, I found there was a lot of stigma surrounding studying agriculture, especially if you had good marks. My gap year gave me confidence that agriculture is a really exciting field with a breadth of opportunity for young people, and I realised I wasn’t prepared to waste that opportunity.
My passion for agriculture did not form on my gap year- I had a very positive upbringing on the farm. I was always encouraged to be involved in all parts of the farm and had wonderful role models in my parents and grandparents, who encouraged me to be interested in, and proud to be involved in, agriculture. I really enjoyed time spent with livestock growing up, and my grandfather was especially proud to teach me about sheep and wool, which is where his passions were and where I see my career heading in the future.
You said that you followed a tertiary pathway into agriculture. What are your currently studying, and where did you choose to attend University?
At the moment, I am in my third year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Charles Sturt University, in Wagga Wagga. I love living in Wagga and have loved my experience as a student here.
I chose CSU because I liked that Wagga wasn’t so much of a city- I wasn’t really excited to live in the city when I was first applying for courses in Geelong and Melbourne, and Wagga was the size of town I was looking for as a student. I also really liked how the course looked on paper, with a lot of practicality and field trips offered by CSU. I was definitely influenced by the fact that Wagga is located in an impressive and productive agricultural region, and I knew there would be lots to learn from opportunities provided by the Riverina and the people and farms surrounding the town, which has proved true.
You were recently named a recipient of the 2024 AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship- what aspect of this opportunity excites you most?Â
The ability to tap into such a large network of people involved in the scholarship excites me the most, as well as the ability to advocate for yourself as a young person in the industry. So many other scholars in my cohort have been offered opportunities to speak at industry events, be interviewed like this, and be given opportunities that improve our knowledge of the industry and passion about the industry. It is really positive to see a company such as AgriFutures act on the industry’s claim that young people are needed in agriculture, and actually invest in us. It is so much more than just something good to put on your resume (although, that has been pretty good!), and actually puts you in contact with people that push you to consider the industry as a whole, from the technology to the policy makers, to the people on the ground, and pushes you work hard at a career and position in the industry that will enable you to make positive, lasting change where it is needed.
What really excites me is the way the scholarship is changing young people’s view of the industry, and the intellect and skills required to work in agriculture- especially for people not from an agricultural background, which is so important if we are to attract the best minds to our industry and make an impact on the way metropolitan regions value and see the absolute necessity of what we do in rural areas. It is really great to be in a room with people that are doing much needed work in this area.
Who is your sponsor for the scholarship?Â
My sponsor for the Horizon scholarship is Meat and Livestock Australia, which I was very excited about when I first learned I had been accepted. With my passion being in livestock, I was very happy to be sponsored by a company that has the resources and connections that will help me achieve my goals in the industry. The representatives at MLA have offered some great work placement ideas that I can’t wait to take on next year!
How do you hope to use your scholarship?
I have used the scholarship so far to invest in my skills within the sheep industry, including a course in sheep parasite management, and equipment for measuring the parasite burden of livestock, and identifying these parasites. Thanks to the scholarship, I have been able to pay for and complete courses alongside my degree that have improved my knowledge in various areas of agriculture.
I hope to be able to improve my agronomy skills through one of my placement blocks, but also hope that I will be able to complete a placement block with experienced livestock advisors, as that is a skill and knowledge set I’d like to be proficient in and bring back to the Wimmera region. The scholarship is very supportive of any avenue you’d like to take, and encourages you to see new areas of Australia, with some scholars being fortunate enough to go overseas.
What advice would you give to other young people looking at pursuing a career in agriculture?
If you want a career in agriculture, go beyond what the classroom offers you. Conferences, industry events, part time work and work placements are where you find confidence in your skills and knowledge and make connections that will lead to more opportunities.
I have definitely enjoyed the theory and practical classes provided by CSU, and would recommend the uni and course to anyone, but it’s the time you put into opportunities outside of your course that will definitely have its own benefits, that are hard to come by in the classroom. There are so many opportunities you have as a student, take advantage of them!
Follow your interests, as that is what you will put the most time into learning, and eventually, it will be what you are best at. If you are passionate and determined, the ag industry needs (and wants) you!
This project was supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.Â
