Meet the Co-op Farmers

By: Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals
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  • Summary

  • Presented by www.coopfarming.coop.

    A candid new podcast series will tell the stories of Australian farmers transforming their businesses and fighting back from the brink by working together.

    Featuring leading primary producers, the eight-episode podcast MEET THE CO-OP FARMERS will address some of the biggest issues in farming, put forward solutions aimed at future-proofing Australian family farms and talk to farmers and fishers fighting back with the co-operative model.

    Pete Lewis speaks frankly with farmers from all around Australia who are successfully using co-operative farming business models. Through their stories and real-life experiences (warts and all), you will learn how relevant and positive it can be to the farming model and farming in general, and how it literally changes lives.

    Interviews with Stuart Crosthwaite (Mountain Milk), Doriana Mangili (Sweeter Banana), Natalie Browning (CBH), Rodger Long (Limestone Coast Fishermen’s Co-operative), Stephen Thandi (Oz Group), Emma Robinson (Beef Collaboration Project), Kerry Murphy (TAFCO) and Larry McHugh (Marquis Macadamias).
    Copyright 2021 Meet the Co-op Farmers
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Episodes
  • Episode 8: Secrets of the world’s biggest macadamia processing plant

    Episode 8: Secrets of the world’s biggest macadamia processing plant
    Jun 23 2021
    Marquis Macadamias CEO Larry McHugh takes us on a fascinating farming journey on the far north coast of Australia. This is the story of a group of growers who were not able to sell their crop for a reasonable price, so a few of them got together and decided to create a co-op and the rest was history. The company now processes and markets to sell all the macadamias from the growers here around the world. Follow Us On: Facebook – coopfarming Instagram – coopfarming Episode Notes: From small beginnings, Marquis Macadamias has grown into a huge co-operative enterprise, and long-time CEO Larry McHugh tells renowned agriculture journalist Pete Lewis all about that journey, as well as their recent major rebranding and restructure to become the biggest macadamia processing plant in the world. The farmer-owned co-operative grows, processes, and sells almost half of Australia’s macadamia production, as well as 22% of the world’s kernel sales and 16% of the international nut in shell sales, what they describe as the world’s finest nut. This is a story of innovation and success, and how a small number of individuals, with a vision for something greater, created world-leading scale together. In this fascinating podcast series, you will hear from real farmers who are successfully using co-operative farming business models. Through their stories and real-life experiences, you will learn how this positive farming model changes lives. Links & Resources: * Listen to all podcasts – https://coopfarming.coop/podcasts/ * Watch Peter Lewis interview Larry McHugh – https://coopfarming.coop/coop-conversations/episode-3-part-1-interview/ * Watch Pete Lewis discuss how co-operatives add value with the Hon. Karen Andrews MP, Larry McHugh, Matt Rutter (Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative), Simon Stahl (Casino Food Co-operative), Michael Hampson (Norco) and Melina Morrison (BCCM). https://coopfarming.coop/coop-conversations/episode-3-part-2-roundtable/ * Want to find out more about Marquis Macadamias – https://marquis.com/ * Find out more about co-op farming – https://coopfarming.coop/ * Contact the Meet the Farmers Podcast team – https://coopfarming.coop/contact/
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    28 mins
  • Episode 7: What’s at the heart of a community co-operative? Kerry Murphy knows, after 33 years in the job

    Episode 7: What’s at the heart of a community co-operative? Kerry Murphy knows, after 33 years in the job
    Jun 16 2021
    From the end of tobacco farming to innovative reinvention, the Tobacco & Associated Farmers Co-operative Organisation (TAFCO) has seen huge change over the years. When TAFCO started off 32 years ago they never thought they face the reality of an end of tobacco growing. But as always when facing adversity, they pivoted and reinvented themselves. Today this successful co-op has more than 620 members and is the very heart of their community. Follow Us On: Facebook – coopfarming Instagram – coopfarming Episode Notes: Victoria’s influential, award-winning and profitable rural supplies co-operative TAFCO, managed to reinvent itself to continue to benefit members after the decline of the tobacco industry. Today, they supply retail goods and farming services to a range of retail customers including primary producers, hobby farmers, tradespeople and townsfolk, and have a gross annual revenue of $7 million, providing a dividend to its 620 members who are primarily farmers. Kerry Murphy was fundamental in launching and growing the Myrtleford Farmers Markets and has helped source funds for other local economic development initiatives, such as the free delivery service to farms. Hear about how she makes it all work when she talks to Pete Lewis. How do they work to attract and engage farmers? How do they attract loyal customers and retain community support? How do they work together? In this fascinating podcast series, you will hear from real farmers who are successfully using co-operative farming business models. Through their stories and real-life experiences, you will learn how this positive farming model changes lives. Links & Resources: * Listen to all podcasts – https://coopfarming.coop/podcasts/ * Watch Peter Lewis interview Kerry Murphy https://coopfarming.coop/coop-conversations/episode-9-part-1-interview/ * Watch Pete Lewis discuss how buying together works to benefit members and communities. Featuring Kerry Murphy (TAFCO), Dr George Ujvary (Master Butchers Co-operative), Donna Avery (Yolla Producers Co-operative Society) and Anthony Nehme (Yenda Producers Co-operative) https://coopfarming.coop/coop-conversations/episode-9-part-2-roundtable/ * Want to find out more about TAFCO https://www.tafco.com.au/ * Find out more about co-op farming – https://coopfarming.coop/ * Contact the Meet the Farmers Podcast team: https://coopfarming.coop/contact/
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    35 mins
  • Episode 6: How travelling the world’s farms helped Emma discover the best way to run her huge cattle business

    Episode 6: How travelling the world’s farms helped Emma discover the best way to run her huge cattle business
    Jun 9 2021
    Emma’s massive 55,000-hectare farm is based in the remote area of Charters Towers but she is a big believer that farmers who share insights, knowledge and work together can thrive, even in such isolated environments.  Upon being awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study abroad, Emma went in search of answering fundamental questions in search of the best model for beef farming and agriculture. After looking at lots of different models, Emma returned to the co-operative model as the ideal structure. Follow Us On: Facebook – coopfarming Instagram – coopfarming Episode Notes: North Queensland-based Emma Robinson is passionate about family farming, beef and business models and believes the co-operative business model can help future proof the family farm. So much so, she founded the Beef Collaboration Project and has stories to tell about building producer membership and providing scalable opportunities in the bush. Listen to her fascinating journey spreading the word about collaboration in farming and how much it can benefit agriculture and the economy. In spite of her being in such a remote area, she travelled the world as part of a Churchill Fellowship, exploring and connecting with other farming enterprises – and she kept coming back to the co-operative model as the structure that seemed to stand out. In this podcast episode she talks about why that was. In this fascinating podcast series, you can hear from real farmers who are successfully using co-operative farming business models. Through their stories and experiences (warts and all), you will learn how this positive farming model can change lives. Links & Resources: * Listen to all podcasts – https://coopfarming.coop/podcasts/ * Watch Peter Lewis interview Emma Robinson talk about her unique journey into farming https://coopfarming.coop/coop-conversations/episode-8-part-1-interview/ * Watch Pete Lewis discuss how co-ops attract, keep and engage members in a co-op. Featuring Emma Robinson (Beef Collaboration Project), Kate Davies (Tooraweenah Prime Lamb Marketing Co-operative), John Seccombe (Casino Food Co-op), and Melina Morrison (BCCM). * Want to find out more about the Beef Collaboration Project https://beefcollaborationprojectinc.com.au/ * Find out more about co-op farming – https://coopfarming.coop/ * Contact the Meet the Farmers Podcast team: https://coopfarming.coop/contact/  
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    33 mins

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