Kate Hage, an experienced professional with a background in finance, law, and business development, successfully transitioned to the tech industry, becoming the first Australian employee and Business Development Director at Syndex. Follow Us On: Facebook – coopfarming Instagram – coopfarming Episode Notes: In our latest episode of Meet the Co-op Farmers, rural journalist Michael Cavanagh speaks to Kate Hage, Australian country manager for Syndex. New Zealand-based Syndex helps agricultural co-ops enter the digital age with its cloud-based platform providing an investment management portal, a m ..read more

Executive coach Stephen Shepherd of AltusQ has extensive experience working with co-operatives and mutuals. Follow Us On: Facebook – coopfarming Instagram – coopfarming Episode Notes: In this conversation with rural journalist Michael Cavanagh, hear how how the co-operative difference informs and strengthens the business strategy of the co-ops and mutuals Stephen Shepherd of AltusQ works with. When co-ops fully embrace their history and purpose, a clear and workable strategy emerges; by harnessing the power of co-operation, co-ops and mutuals create a win-win situation for their organisation a ..read more

Michael Cavanagh sat down with The Lockyer Fruit and Veggie Cooperative’s Colin Dorber – the driving force behind the co-op and a man committed to the future prosperity of the Lockyer Valley region. Follow Us On: Facebook – coopfarming Instagram – coopfarming Episode Notes: This month, we hear the inspiring story of The Lockyer Fruit and Veggie Cooperative Ltd, a new co-op in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley which is helping to create a local and Australian-owned processing facility for produce grown in the region. This co-op is unique in its structure, having been designed to allow everyday Austra ..read more

In this month’s podcast, we again focus on one of the leading co-operatives in the flood-ravaged Northern Rivers region of NSW – The Casino Food Co-op. Rural journalist Michael Cavanagh sat down with Simon Stahl, CEO of The Casino Food Co-op, the largest farmer-owned meat processing co-op in Australia with over 500 farmer members. Farming is an inherently difficult vocation, but knowing the co-op has got their back has helped members navigate drought, fires, COVID-19 and more recently the devastating floods. Its people-first philosophy allowed them to support their community through this traum ..read more

The Northern Rivers region of NSW is no stranger to floods. But this resilient community has been stretched to breaking point this year, with record-breaking floods reaching heights beyond what anyone had ever imagined. Rural journalist Michael Cavanagh joined John Williams, CEO of Summerland Credit Union, to find out what drives this member-owned bank to keep going in even the toughest circumstances. Discover why member-owned banks are an important part of the Co-operative Farming family, how Summerland’s co-operative values have informed its flood response and why Summerland is optimist ..read more

When the town of Sea Lake was left with no local pub, the community took matters into their own hands, renovating a derelict building and opening The Royal as the Sea Lake Hotel Co-operative Limited. Rural journalist Michael Cavanagh caught up with the co-op’s chair, John Clohesy and secretary, Alison McClelland. In this podcast you will learn why The Royal hotel is such an important part of the Sea Lake community, how their previous experience in running a hardware co-operative helped the community embrace the co-operative model again, and how running the Sea Lake Hotel Co-operative has unite ..read more

Mining companies and farmers are frequently adversaries, with very different plans for the natural resources in a region. However, through the formation of a co-op, Eyre Peninsula Co-operative Bulk Handling (EPCBH), the relationship between local grain growers and mining company Iron Road is characterised by co-operation, open communication and a genuine desire to create mutually beneficial outcomes. Agricultural journalist Michael Cavanagh talks to Tim Scholz, who is a farmer in the region, as well as director and executive officer of EPCBH and principal of stakeholder engagement with mining ..read more

In this Meet the Farmers episode rural journalist Michael Cavanagh talks to Peter Fraser, President of Community Energy 4 Goulburn (CE4G) and board member of Goulburn Community Energy Co-op. The co-op is stepping up to provide their local community with the opportunity to invest in solar energy, and to become changemakers through community-owned renewable energy. In this podcast you’ll learn how the local community in Goulburn and its surrounds got behind the vision for solar energy, why the co-operative model was the ideal solution for the project, how the co-op is allowing everyday Australia ..read more

In this Meet the Farmers episode we discover the bank that’s well-known globally as the world’s biggest agricultural bank. Rabobank Australia is a subsidiary of Rabobank, the global co-operative bank based in the Netherlands, and is committed to operating with the same co-operative mindset and commitment to farmers, agriculture and global food security. Rural journalist Michael Cavanagh sat down with Marc Oostdijk, General Manager Knowledge and Networks, Sustainability and Community Engagement at Rabobank to find more about this bank with a big heart for farming and farmers. Links & Resour ..read more

Marissa Costello is the general manager of one of Australia’s longest-running co-operatives, the Killarney Co-op. Serving the residents of the Queensland town of Warwick and its surrounds, this co-op has been on an impressive journey over the last century. Melissa and Michael Cavanagh reflect on the first 100 years of the Killarney Co-op, from the early days as a butter factory, to its present setup with multiple retail outlets including a supermarket, an electrical appliances retailer, a hardware, a petrol station, a rural supplies store and a post office. They also talk about the generationa ..read more