About AFIA

Brad is a passionate young farmer from Mallala, South Australia. Brad manages the family farm focusing mainly on cropping and hay and lives on farm with his wife and three children. Brad’s passion is for the hay and fodder industry. He has worked for some big contractors in the Mallala area and is now focusing on building his family business, which caters for both the export and domestic market with oaten hay being the main commodity grown.  Brad has travelled to America and Israel to learn about baling hay in high moisture climates and to work as a consultant for a hay inoculant company. He joined AFIA as a Board Director in July 2018.

Brad is a passionate young farmer from Mallala, South Australia. Brad manages the family farm focusing mainly on cropping and hay and lives on farm with his wife and three children. Brad’s passion is for the hay and fodder industry. He has worked for some big contractors in the Mallala area and is now focusing on building his family business, which caters for both the export and domestic market with oaten hay being the main commodity grown.  Brad has travelled to America and Israel to learn about baling hay in high moisture climates and to work as a consultant for a hay inoculant company. He joined AFIA as a Board Director in July 2018.

Jason runs Palmer Agricon in partnership with his parents which mainly consists of an irrigated farming business that produces irrigated lucerne hay and cereal crops, a silage contracting business and most recently, a beef feedlot.

Jason has been working full time in the fodder industry since 2003. He is especially interested in current affairs within the agricultural industry as well as the future of farming.

Suzanne Woods has been involved in the agricultural industry for over 25 years. Suzanne has been running a mixed-farming business of livestock and cropping with her partner since the year 2000, in the Shire of Victoria Plains in Western Australia. Her cropping enterprise consists of 50% oaten hay and the remainder wheat, barley and canola. Small herds of cattle and sheep make up the livestock enterprise. Additionally, Suzanne operates a farm contracting business concentrating mostly on mowing, baling and carting hay and straw in nearby districts.

Suzanne extended her business interests in 2006 by purchasing a third share in an export hay processing facility. Hay Australia processes hay and straw from premises in the Victoria Plains Shire, WA and the Shire of Loddon, Victoria. The company sells hay into the domestic and international fodders markets and processes more than 80 000tonnes per year. Suzanne believes that her investment in Hay Australia has enabled her to develop a sound understanding of all aspects of fodder production, processing and marketing, which will assist in her role as AFIA board member. Other special interests include farm safety, gender equality and technological advance for productivity and efficiency and she perceives AFIA as being a key industry influencer in these areas.

Outside of her personal farming activities, Suzanne is an active leader in numerous local, regional, state and national groups associated with agriculture and rural communities. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. This has led to Suzanne developing a thorough understanding of the issues affecting rural business and how to manage corporate governance through leadership positions.

Frank has 40 years experience with dryland cropping, lamb and beef production. He has spent 29 years with NSW DPI as an Extension Agronomist and Technical Specialist Cereals. In August 2010 Frank joined Auswest Seeds as a Product Development Manager for pasture and forage crops.
Frank has a Bachelor of Rural Science (Hons) – University of New England and a Graduate Certificate in Marketing – Charles Sturt University. Frank is a Director of the Bathurst and Orange Harness Racing Clubs and is Treasurer of Grasslands Society of NSW.

Louis has farmed at Jerilderie for four decades.  He has been involved with AFIA since its inception, and is a past Fodder Care Committee member.

His farming endeavours include: growing summer and winter crops along with livestock production.

Specialises in hay growing and contracting.

Alex has been involved in the agricultural industry for over 35 years, having started his career share farming with his wife Sandra, and then moving into transport and hay contracting.

Alex and Sandra started their own transport company which is now Australia-wide, transporting hay, grain, agricultural machinery and defence equipment across the country. When it comes to contracting, Alex produces hay for both the domestic and export markets, as well as growing hay, grains and legumes on his own farm.

Phil along with his wife Lynda & son Tim have been farming near Tocumwal since 1990. They operate a mixed irrigated farm specialising in lucerne hay production. They invented Hay Caps in 2006 and manufacture them on farm.

Phil is a foundation member Australian Fodder Industry Association & a sponsor with his Hay Cap business. Phil is proud of the benefits Hay Caps have given to the industry. He is currently a director of Murray Irrigation and the National Irrigators Council. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Peter Cullen Trust Science to Policy Leadership Program.

Phil is passionate about farming in their region. With the next generation now involved in the farm business Phil wants to focus on having it viable and sustainable for future generations.