S4 Ep 6 - Banking on Farming

03/15/25 • 31 min

As a fifth-generation grain grower from north-east Victoria, James Russell has a lot of hands-on experience. Despite that, furthering his formal education has helped him take his farm and career to the next level. He’s recently finished a dual degree in agribusiness and farm management and also ventured into the corporate banking sector. As the worlds of farming and banking collide, James has plenty of insights. He uses his skills to advocate for other growers and to expand his own operation to include fascinating elements of seed production like seed cleaning . To learn more about his unconventional career path, James Russell from Lilliput Ag, joins us to discuss:

James’ favourite place on the farm is the only hilltop on the property.
His family has been in the business for a long time and he shares a little about his childhood growing up on the land.
James’ dedication to the sector was recently recognised when he graduated from the Australian Grain Leaders Program.
He completed dual degrees in Agribusiness and Farm Production, with the support of his family.
How his education has helped him today, and the backing he needed to question the way things are done on the farm.
James’ advocacy work for GrainGrowers, as well as being a member of the National Farmers Federation.
The concept of seed cleaning, and how things have changed in the business over generations.
How seed cleaning became an expansion of the original operation.
Succession planning and the role James’ grandfather played in this area.
James’ family farm is truly a mixed farming business.
Their family shearing shed is close to town, meaning they have dealt with activists, and James’ response to these challenges.
What James loves most about the land and this way of life.
The biggest misconception about where our food and fibre come from.
James’ ultimate dream for the future.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.

Links:

Angie Asimus

Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram

Partnered with Australian Farmers

Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram

Connect with James on LinkedIn

Connect with James on Instagram

GrainGrowers

National Farmers Federation

Produced by Pretty Podcasts

James’ favourite place on the farm is the only hilltop on the property.
His family has been in the business for a long time and he shares a little about his childhood growing up on the land.
James’ dedication to the sector was recently recognised when he graduated from the Australian Grain Leaders Program.
He completed dual degrees in Agribusiness and Farm Production, with the support of his family.
How his education has helped him today, and the backing he needed to question the way things are done on the farm.
James’ advocacy work for GrainGrowers, as well as being a member of the National Farmers Federation.
The concept of seed cleaning, and how things have changed in the business over generations.
How seed cleaning became an expansion of the original operation.
Succession planning and the role James’ grandfather played in this area.
James’ family farm is truly a mixed farming business.
Their family shearing shed is close to town, meaning they have dealt with activists, and James’ response to these challenges.
What James loves most about the land and this way of life.
The biggest misconception about where our food and fibre come from.
James’ ultimate dream for the future.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.

Links:

Angie Asimus

Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram

Partnered with Australian Farmers

Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram

Connect with James on LinkedIn

Connect with James on Instagram

GrainGrowers

National Farmers Federation

Produced by Pretty Podcasts

Previous Episode

S4 Ep 5 - Dancing into Dairy

Pivoting from a career as a dancer to a dairy farmer, isn’t the most linear path. But for my guest today, it’s landed her in place where she feels right at home. Celina Pellett suffered a debilitating injury – a broken back and it caused a rethink. She’s now happy working among her cows in the NSW Gloucester region. To learn more about the unlikely road Celina Pellett has travelled, she joins me now to discuss:

Celina shares her favourite spot on the dairy farm in the New South Wales Mid-Coast region.
Originally from New Zealand, Celina reveals her family’s history in the dairy industry, a connection she only discovered after starting her own career in agriculture.
Celina started dancing at a young age and had a promising career trajectory in the field.
After breaking her back, Celina’s career in dance ended, with the decision to leave the performing arts essentially being made for her.
She shares how she made the transition from dancer to dairy.
Despite having no previous experience with cows, Celina now feels right at home in the dairy industry.
Being named Hunter and Central Coast Trainee of the Year and NSW Women in Trades Recipient for 2023.
Celina is passionate about inspiring others to consider a career in agriculture.
Celina’s work with Dairy Australia has deepened her passion for the industry, particularly the people she works with.
The most common misconception about dairy farmers is that they only milk cows.
Celina shares the most unexpected thing that has happened to her in the industry.
Her ultimate dream for the future.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.

Links:

Angie Asimus

Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram

Partnered with Australian Farmers

Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram

Connect with Celina on Instagram

Produced by Pretty Podcasts

Next Episode

S4 Ep 7 - In a Pickle

Pickles and McDonalds are a long-standing partnership. But many of us may not have thought about how those perfect circles are grown, fermented, sliced and finally, served up on your burger. Incredibly, there is just one family responsible for all those Maccas pickles Australia-wide. The Parle Family has been producing pickles for the fast-food chain, on their farm in Griffith, NSW for more than 3 decades. Operations Manager, Ben Parle joins me now to tell the story of the famous Parle Pickle.

Ben’s favourite place on the farm.
Although the farm has been around for a long time now,
Ben shares that his father and grandfather were originally wheat and rice farmers before branching out into growing gherkins.
In the late 1980s, Ben’s father started growing gherkins, and Parle’s Pickles was born.
Ben explains that a gherkin is an immature cucumber which, once fermented, becomes the famous pickle.
Ben is the next generation of the business. He’s been involved since finishing high school and once doubted that he wanted to continue with the family legacy.
A McDonald's contract has been a life-changing deal for the farm, where they eventually secured 100% of the production rights.
Ben shares some stories about how they have maintained the McDonald’s contract.
What it takes to create the perfect pickle slice and what happens to the pickles that fail the cut.
Ben shares his perspective on people who remove pickles from their burgers and how this trend has shifted over time.
What Ben loves most about working on the land.
The most unexpected thing to happen running the pickle business.
The misconception about being the sole supplier of pickles for McDonalds.
The ultimate dream for the future of the Parle’s Pickle.