Our Team

Common ground, purpose and values.

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Our Team
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Our Team

Common ground, purpose and values.

In Crookwell we’re fortunate enough to be surrounded by incredibly smart and passionate people, who’ve put their heart and soul into building this place.

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We Believe In

Community

Community

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Competency

Competency

If you’re going to do a job, do it right. We carry that drive and try to embed it in others. This is at the core of our mission, and it literally keeps you alive on a farm.

Balance

Balance

Balance is how we look after the land, ourselves and the future. It’s a constant struggle to maintain, but a value to keep front of mind as we grow.

Optimism

Optimism

Believe you can make a real difference, and you can. With education and inspiration, we’re crafting the future we all need to see.

Who we are

Core Team

Jo Marshall

Jo Marshall

CEO | Master of Business Administration

Jo is a highly experienced project manager, farmer and ex-local councillor with decades of experience in ‘getting things done’.

She’s created an Economic Development Task Force, started a charity and raised over $2,450,000 for a variety of community projects over the years.

As the driving force of the Australian Agricultural Centre there’s not much she hasn’t rolled up her sleeves and gotten stuck into, however her main focus now is on strategy and growth, and finding a way to do that sustainably.

Dr. Robyn Alders

Dr. Robyn Alders

Director | BSc, PhD Veterinary Immunology
Robyn is one of the most respected Veterinary Scientists in Australia, and has spent over 30 years working with small holder farmers in Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Australian Veterinary Association recognised her distinguished contribution to international veterinary science by awarding her the Kesteven Medal, while the Governor General of Australia invested her as an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to veterinary science as a researcher and educator. She’s currently an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University, working on sustainable food systems in the development policy centre, as well as a Senior Consulting Fellow at the Centre for Universal Health in London, involved with livestock and aquaculture policy, global food and nutrition security research. We’re incredibly lucky to have her on our team, where she continues to focus on sustainable food systems, food and nutrition security, infectious disease prevention, gender equity and science communication.
Dr. John Troughton

Dr. John Troughton

Director | MagSc, PhD, Dsc Ecophysics
Dr John Troughton is a scientist and a business man who’s dedicated his entire career to facilitating a better understanding between nature, farming and commerce. To that end he’s worked with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) to improve Director and Board Performance, and with the NZ Department of Agriculture, building systems to connect farmers, product groups and numerous parties along the value chain. He’s also worked in research groups with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the private sector, specialising in a wide range of disciplines from electron microscopy, botany, plant physiology and physics. His involvement with the Australian Agriculture Centre aligns with his desire to bring experiential learning to children who don’t have the chance to experience agriculture first hand.

Extended Team

For our Agricultural Training Programs

We partner with a variety of wonderful people and organisations, to bring a wide range of agricultural training programs to our centre.

Anna Kemp

Anna Kemp

Program | Astronomical Agriculture
As a primary school teacher for 15 years, and now the STEM Project Officer at the Crookwell Academy of STEM Excellence, there’s no better person to work with the students who visit our centre. Anna has a natural talent for making the complex seem simple, bringing STEM within reach for students at all levels. She helps teachers connect with their class, and students connect with the world around them.
Raina Emerson

Raina Emerson

Program | Regenerative Agriculture
Raina is an agriculturalist, landscape architect and horticulturist who truly loves what she does, and believes nothing is better than planting a tree. Her focus on regeneration, adult education and community environmental projects makes her the perfect person to run our Regenerative Agriculture training programs.
Daryl Holder

Daryl Holder

Program | Cattle Handling
As the owner and director of The Cattle Shop in Goulburn for the last 20 years, there’s very little Daryl doesn’t know about handling and managing cattle. He’s also vastly experienced in cattle exhibitions, and can help exhibitors understand the full requirements, and prepare their cattle effectively for shows.
Dr Will Lucas

Dr Will Lucas

Program | AGVET Taster Day
As well as being the Senior Veterinarian and Director at Crookwell Vet Hospital, Will has a Bachelor of Rural Science from the University of New England in Armadale. Delivering our AGVET taster day programs, he also brings his extensive practical experience on large sheep and cattle properties to the table, having worked on Hunthawang Station in Hillston, and overseeing a number of Egelabra Merino Stud properties too. Will lives in Crookwell with his partner Claire, their dog Ernie and cat Albert.
Greg Meaker

Greg Meaker

Program | Animal Handling
As a former Livestock Officer at the Department of Primary Industries, Greg spent years as an educator in beef cattle husbandry and management. Now he puts all that knowledge into practice, as the owner manager of two working properties in the Gunning district. His extensive experience in these two connected worlds makes him the perfect deliver partner for our animal handling programs.
Josh Clayton

Josh Clayton

Program | Wool Harvesting & Shearing
Josh is one of the fastest sheep shearers in the country, and having developed his skills as a trainer, he’s now one of Australian Wool Innovation’s leading shearer trainers too. He’s also studied sports psychology, and enjoys helping anyone reach peak performance whether that’s in the shearing shed, or out on the track.
Gary Mitchell

Gary Mitchell

Program | Astronomical Agriculture
Gary was interested in the night sky from an early age, and over the years he’s gone from gazing at the moon with binoculars to glimpsing the birth of stars in distant nebulae. He’s been lucky enough to have seen five full solar eclipses, three of them from overseas trips, and he brings a wonderful perspective on the universe to our students, along with a variety of powerful telescopes too!

Team Partners

Organisations

We partner with a variety of wonderful people and organisations, to bring a wide range of agricultural training programs to our centre.

Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council

Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council

Program | Astronomical Agriculture
Based in Goulburn, the Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) helps to preserve culture through a range of awareness programs, cultural heritage talks, and activities to empower Aboriginal youth. Their support of our Astronomical Agriculture program is invaluable, as they introduce our students to Aboriginal traditions and perspectives, and deepen their connection to country.
Partner Link
Emergency Australia

Emergency Australia

Program | Adult Short Courses
Emergency Australia delivers the NSW government-funded program AgSkilled, that connects people with subsidised agricultural training to work in the industry. That includes anyone in the industry already, or job seekers and school leavers looking for a path to employment. Programs range from soils and nutrition to farm business management, emerging technologies to machinery operation and management.
FPV Australia

FPV Australia

Program | Drone Flying, Drone Taster Days
FPV is one of the longest running drone training organisations in the country, having established their first program back in 2014. They’re also one of the most respected in the industry, and will teach you to fly a drone up to commercial level, even obtaining certification from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, if that’s what you require.
Partner Link
TAFE

TAFE

Program | Programs
Whether it’s a TAFE course delivering on our learning farm or our bespoke courses delivered by TAFE teachers, our collaboration with TAFE programs and teachers has provided accredited training to many participants to date.

We’re always on the lookout for additional support, so if you feel you have some expertise or skills that simply have to be passed on, then please get in touch.”

Support Us

Upcoming Programs

Upcoming programs listed below, and a calendar of all upcoming programs here

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Sheep Showing

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Women in AG

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Cattle Handling

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Contact Us

Get Involved

If you’d like to find out more about the DYG, or be involved in some way please get in touch.

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