Sales Manager, Paul Nenke, and Milne Feeds Marketing Specialist, Celine Dale, recently had the pleasure of attending Beef 2024 in Rockhampton, Queensland. It could best be described as an agricultural event on steroids, unlike anything they had ever seen before.
‘I have never been to an event that was so well-organised and kept me entertained the entire week. One unique aspect of this show was that it had no rides or sideshow alleys—it was all about agriculture’, Paul says.
There was something to do every day, and there was so much to learn. People from all walks of life attended—small farmers, city dwellers, managers overseeing over 1,000,000 hectares, and visitors from around the world, including Tonga and America. Even the Prime Minister showed up.
On the first day at the show, Paul was fortunate enough to be taken around to see all the exhibitors by a local business owner named John. John has been involved in the industry for at least 40 years and his knowledge was exceptional.
This was followed by a local farm visit to Greenfields Charbrays, owned by Les and Anne Marshall. Upon arrival, attendees were welcomed with morning tea and lunch, provided by the local P&C. Les and Anne educated the group on the history of the farm and its groundbreaking initiatives. Les drove guests out to his paddocks to view his pastures and cattle. He went into great detail on what he has been doing on his farm over the last 20 years, describing what has, and hasn’t, worked. The visitors all raved about what they had learned and how accommodating the Marshalls were. The local farm visits were a highlight of the event and filled up very quicky. Some of the farms were 1.5-3 hours away, but it was well worth every minute and the tours were very well-attended. It was five days of intense farm visits that provided attendees with lots of take-home messages and ideas to implement.
Among the many activities at the event were workshops and dinners each night. The excitement never stopped. The Milne team managed to attend at least one event each day during our stay. One of the favourites was the "New Generation" forum, where successful farmers shared their stories and achievements. This talk ran from 9 o'clock in the morning to 1:30 in the afternoon. It was a truly engaging and inspiring event.
After spending the week at Beef, we can appreciate why this huge event only happens every three years – it is a mammoth organisational effort. We look forward to the next one!
