The Barossa Improved Grazing Group has continued its growth, establishing itself as a trusted group within the farming community, by appointing a new Board at its first AGM as an incorporated body on Wednesday 18th September.
Stepping into the chair role is local producer Ian Koch who runs a ram stud and cropping enterprise at Moculta. Ian has played an instrumental role in getting BIGG to where it is today, serving as the chair of the Angaston Ag Bureau when BIGG started as a sub committee of the Bureau. In addition, Ian and his wife Fiona have been involved in many projects over the years and received an award which took them to visit farming properties in America.
In addition, the new BIGG Board consists of four other producer representatives, Vic Patrick, a beef producer and vigneron from Eden Valley, Peter Mitchell, a sheep producer from Angaston, Chris George a sheep producer from Mt Pleasant and Sarah Weaver who is a lecturer at Adelaide University.
In addition to the producer representatives, the Board welcomed two industry representatives in Craig John, agronomist at Coopers Farm Supplies and Lisa Nietschke, who is a nutritionist at JT Johnsons in Kapunda and local government representative Taryn Mangelsdorf from Natural Resources Adelaide Mt Lofty Ranges.
In addition to the appointment of the new Board, BIGG welcomed Georgie Keynes to the role of Executive Officer and Brett Nietschke as the Returning Officer.
“The Board has a great diversity of knowledge and experience which will help to continue BIGG’s mission to improve farm grazing systems in the Barossa and surrounding regions” commented new Executive Officer, Georgie Keynes.
The AGM also provided an opportunity to thank the previous advisory committee, made up of 20 producers and industry representatives and the Angaston Agricultural Bureau. Georgie Keynes commented, “the advisory committee and Ag Bureau have been integral in the development and growth of BIGG, their vision, support and leadership has brought BIGG to where it is today.”
Summing up the BIGG, local producer Bruce Hancock commented “as well as the projects and events BIGG has delivered over the past seven years, it has also provided human capacity building, the opportunity for the facilitators to improve their skills, the community to work together and for producers to share their stories, form networks and learn from each other”.