The people side of farming.
What does it take to be a good employer?
What do we need to do to attract and retain good people?
How can we build a great team where our people love their work and feel valued?
These questions have been Denise’s focus for the last decade both within her own farm business and her off-farm work.
After initially commencing her career focusing on the production side of farming and agriculture, Denise has transitioned over the last decade to focusing on the people side of farming.
Passionate about family farms and rural communities.
Denise has worked in farming and agriculture for over twenty-five years. She has worked in the grains industry in both government and private sectors in agronomy, growers extension services, and industry development. Working alongside scientists, researchers and much of the supply chain means Denise has a strong understanding of the grains industry, farming and agriculture.
Denise and her husband are first-generation farmers, having established a farm business in the Wimmera region of Victoria with the lease of a local farm. These days, they farm grains and sheep across multiple regions in Victoria.
Denise is passionate about sharing stories of farm life and the joys of living in the country, with the aim of helping people understand where their food and fibre comes from. She is a strong supporter of encouraging the next generation in choosing farming and agriculture as a rewarding career and fantastic lifestyle option.
In her spare time, Denise enjoys poking around in the garden, loves hanging with her dogs and horses, and keeps fit with the odd running event.
Denise holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, a Master of Business Administration, and is a graduate of both the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Denise is a member of the GrainGrowers National Policy Group, the National Farmers Federation Workforce Committee, and the Victorian Farmers Federation Workforce and Social Infrastructure Committee.