Humans of Agriculture

Gerard Hines and Chris Duff have spent nearly four decades working alongside each other, building one of Australia's most respected independent agribusinesses from a single rural store into a national business. 
What does it take to build an agribusiness from a handful of people into a national business, without losing the culture, relationships and local connection that made it successful in the first place?
Gerard Hines and Chris Duff are the co-founders of Delta Agribusiness. Their working relationship stretches back almost 40 years, from a small rural business near Young, NSW, through the creation of Delta Agribusiness in 2006 and more than 20 acquisitions, before Delta ultimately became part of Elders.
This is a conversation about much more than growth. Gerard and Chris unpack the decisions, people and principles underneath it, from backing themselves during drought, putting their own money on the line and using employee ownership to create alignment, to learning why balance sheet strength, local relationships and great people matter when building a business for the long term.

Key insights from the conversation:
How Gerard and Chris built a partnership spanning nearly 40 years through trust, respect and shared values
Why bringing independent agronomy into agricultural retail fundamentally changed their business model
The role mentors and early equity opportunities played in shaping Delta's inclusive ownership philosophy
What IAMA, Wesfarmers and AWB taught them about leadership, governance, systems and financial discipline
Why Delta was founded during the middle of a severe drought and how backing themselves changed everything
The importance of maintaining a strong balance sheet so opportunities can be seized during difficult seasons
How focusing on people, culture and local relationships drove more than 20 successful acquisitions across Australia
Why equity ownership became one of Delta's greatest tools for attracting, retaining and aligning great people
How staying connected to customers and the frontline has remained critical, even as the business has grown nationally
The lessons learned from succession planning, bringing in private equity, and ultimately partnering with Elders to secure Delta's next chapter
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Gerard Hines and Chris Duff's Journey
01:52 Early Days of Agriculture and Agronomy
04:00 Founding of Delta Agribusiness and Initial Challenges
08:05 The Impact of Industry Changes and Mergers
11:57 Lessons Learned from Industry Challenges
15:57 Growth Strategies and Private Equity Involvement
20:08 Building Company Culture and Leadership
25:02 Managing Growth, Succession, and Industry Dynamics
31:47 The Decision to Start Delta and Early Risks
36:04 Timing and Market Conditions During Launch
40:03 Resilience During Droughts and Market Cycles
45:07 The Role of Relationships and Trust in Business
49:48 Strategic Acquisitions and Private Equity Partnerships
54:58 Adapting to Industry and Market Changes
59:55 Leadership, Culture, and the Future of Delta

Podcast Keywords
Delta Agribusiness, Gerard Hines, Chris Duff, Australian agribusiness, agronomy Australia, agricultural leadership, agribusiness entrepreneurship, rural business, agriculture careers, agricultural retail, private agronomy, Australian farming, business growth, mergers and acquisitions, employee ownership, business culture, drought resilience, leadership development, succession planning, Elders, regional business, entrepreneurship in agriculture

Action Steel Sales Coordinator Role - Find here.
We sit down with Lennie Grace to learn more about Action Steel and the current opportunities available in his sales team. 
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Action Steel and family business
01:27 How Action Steel started
02:01 Growing up in the family business
03:33 Why Action Steel chose agriculture
04:53 The importance of focus
06:21 Building a network for growth
08:18 Team, culture and specialist skills
10:03 The Sales Coordinator opportunity
12:43 Understanding the role and customer experience
18:26 Transparency, incentives and the future of Action Steel

Building a premium beef brand isn't just about producing exceptional cattle. It's about understanding markets, embracing data, building the right team, and having the patience to make decisions years before the product reaches a customer's plate.

In this episode, Harry Kemp shares the story behind King River, the family-owned Wagyu business that has grown from a bold partnership between two Queensland families into a premium beef brand supplying customers across more than 35 countries.

Harry reflects on growing up in a family grazing business, leaving school early to return to the land, and how his approach to learning has evolved alongside the rapid transformation of Australian agriculture. What began as a traditional cattle operation has become a data-driven business where genetics, consumer demand, and long-term thinking shape every decision.

Together, Oli and Harry explore the realities of building a premium export brand, why consistency matters more than chasing perfection, and how strong relationships have underpinned King River's remarkable growth over the past five years.

From genetics and data to leadership, teamwork, and customer relationships, this conversation offers a fascinating insight into what it takes to build a modern beef business that delivers quality from paddock to plate.
Key insights from the conversation:
Harry's journey from the family cattle property to co-founding King River
Why two family businesses joined forces to build a premium Wagyu brand
The challenges of building a business with a four-year production cycle
How genetics, data, and consumer demand are transforming beef production
Why consistency matters more than producing the highest marbling scores
Building a business that now supplies premium Wagyu to more than 35 countries
Lessons on rapid business growth, leadership, and putting people in the right roles
The importance of relationships, accountability, and shared values in successful partnerships
Why producing great food is ultimately about bringing people together, regardless of language or culture
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Harry Kemp and King River Beef
02:20 The significance of the Ekka week and industry events
04:00 Harry's background and early life in farming
07:32 Changes in beef farming over 21 years
10:07 The formation of King River Beef in 2019
11:30 Utilising Wagyu to optimise feedlot infrastructure
14:05 Transition from selling cattle to branding and marketing
16:22 Meeting the Rich family and forming the partnership
19:45 Managing rapid growth and team restructuring
24:55 Impact of genetics and breeding on marbling
29:38 The importance of data and technology in decision-making
34:22 Building a global customer base and maintaining quality
44:01 The future vision for King River Beef
45:20 Harry's perspective on being a food producer
46:47 The universal language of good food and beef
47:22 Closing remarks and next steps for the business

In the second of a two-part panel series with the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, Oli Le Lievre sits down with St George producers Jake Moon of Moonrocks and cotton grower Craig Saunders to explore how innovation is being used to solve real problems within two very different farming businesses.

Jake shares how Moonrocks identified labour and weed management as a growing constraint before adopting an AI-powered green-on-green sprayer, while Craig reflects on how the pursuit of growing more cotton with less water led him to rethink irrigation and develop automation for bankless systems.

This conversation is not about promoting a particular product. It is about what happens before and after a technology is adopted: identifying a problem, researching potential solutions, working through the economics and building the people, systems and processes needed to make it work.

Jake and Craig discuss the importance of measuring performance, understanding return on investment and being willing to challenge the way things have always been done. They also share the limitations, frustrations and unanswered questions that remain, from integrating data across a business to deciding which investment should come next.

From robotics and irrigation automation to labour, software, profitability and long-term planning, this is a practical conversation about using innovation to build more productive, adaptable and drought-resilient farming businesses.

The Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is supported by funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund. Learn more at www.unisq.edu.au/sqnnswhub.
Key insights from the conversation:
Why Jake and Craig began looking for new ways to solve labour, water and productivity challenges.
How Craig’s pursuit of “more profit per drop” led to the automation of bankless irrigation.
How robotics is helping Moonrocks reduce manual weeding, lower herbicide use and improve crop performance.
Why measuring water use, labour, inputs and yield is essential when assessing new technology.
The importance of matching innovation with a clearly defined business problem.
Why successful adoption depends on people, processes and simple, reliable systems - not just the technology itself.
How farmers can assess return on investment without chasing every new product or efficiency.
The role of data, software and connected systems in improving decision-making.
The value of learning from other farmers, industries and international businesses.
The practical challenges of adopting technology, including cost, integration, support and uncertainty.
Why profitability is central to long-term sustainability and drought resilience.
How innovation can shift farm roles away from repetitive manual work and toward higher-skilled decision-making.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Craig Saunders' farm and innovation focus
01:50 Historical context of farming equipment and evolution
03:52 The rapid pace of agricultural change and innovation
06:53 Craig Saunders' farm history and diversification
10:06 Water management challenges and technological solutions
15:01 Adopting bankless irrigation and automation
20:06 Jake Moon's farm history and crop diversification
24:57 Use of AI-powered sprayers and weed management
30:11 The impact of technology on crop health and yields
34:48 Decision-making processes and data leverage in farming
40:00 The role of grants, strategic planning, and future opportunities
45:11 Lessons learned from travel and industry networks
50:10 The importance of continuous evolution and innovation in agriculture
55:04 Future prospects: local manufacturing, AI, and robotics
57:52 Final thoughts on the future of agriculture and technology

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli Le Lievre sits down with Josh Tepper, CEO, and Michael Webb, COO and co-founders of Ornata Technologies, to explore how they're transforming farm operations through autonomous machinery and why now is an exciting time to join their growing team.

Following their appearance at evokeAG, Josh and Michael share how Ornata has evolved from launching its first commercial customers to building strong momentum across Victoria. They discuss their unique approach to autonomy, where experienced remote operators work alongside autonomous machinery to deliver the benefits of automation without adding complexity for farmers or requiring them to replace the equipment they already own.

The conversation also provides an inside look at the newly created Area Sales Manager role across Victoria and Southern New South Wales. Josh and Michael explain why this is much more than a sales position. It is an opportunity to build trusted relationships with farmers, understand their operations, demonstrate the technology in the field, and help producers solve one of agriculture's biggest challenges, finding skilled labour.

Whether you're passionate about agriculture, technology or helping farmers adopt new innovations, this episode offers a genuine insight into life inside one of Australia's most exciting agtech startups. Josh and Michael explain what success looks like, why trust sits at the centre of every customer relationship, and how joining Ornata today offers the chance to grow alongside a business shaping the future of Australian agriculture.

To learn more about Ornata Technologies and the Area Sales Manager opportunity, visit the Humans of Agriculture careers page.

The role is live now, and we'd love to hear from people who are ready to help bring the next generation of autonomous farming technology to Australian agriculture.

Key insights from the conversation:
How Ornata has progressed from its first commercial deployments to a growing customer base.
Why Ornata's remote operations platform makes autonomous farming practical for today's producers.
How the business helps farmers address labour shortages while using the machinery they already own.
Why building trust with farmers is the foundation of every customer relationship.
What the Area Sales Manager role looks like day to day.
Why understanding farming systems matters more than having deep technical knowledge.
How customer referrals are driving growth across regional farming communities.
What it is like working in a fast-growing Australian agtech startup.
Why joining early creates opportunities to grow with the business.
What success looks like after the first 12 months in the role.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Ornata Technologies and the new role
02:34 Six months of progress and milestones
05:31 The importance of local customer relationships
12:00 Why Victoria and New South Wales are key markets
15:10 What success looks like in the territory manager role
22:45 Customer profiles and farm types
26:54 Onboarding and what to expect in the role
36:51 The future of autonomous farming technology