Alastair Rayner
Alastair holds multiple qualifications including Master of Philosophy, Bachelor’s in Applied Science (Hons), as well as his Certificate IV in Training & Assessment. He operates RaynerAg, in which he established in 2013 following an almost 18-year career with NSW DPI as a District Livestock Officer. He has worked closely with ClassiMate to develop an objective scoring system for structural cattle assessment for 7 years and has operated as a Licenced Stock and Station Agent since 2020. From January 2022, he has been working with CiboLabs as the National Extension & Adoption Manager for the National Grazing Monitoring Project. Alastair is well known for his skills in training and delivery and works closely with several organisations to deliver practical and tailored on farm training courses and workshops.
Angela Stewart
Angela is a highly experienced Agronomist with a mixed farming enterprise at Warialda. She is also an experienced Agriculture teacher who holds a Bachelor of Science (Plant and Soil), a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and has partially completed a Bachelor of Farm Management. Angela has recently stepped down from our Training Manager role to focus on other priorities and start new adventures.
Anthony Wright
Ant has a strong background in Agriculture, having managed various properties and operated his own rural contracting business on the Northern Tablelands. He has 12 years training experience in delivering rural skills units and courses in NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Based in Armidale NSW, Ant holds a Diploma of Agriculture and the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Carlotta Chiesa
In 2016, Carlotta relocated from Barcelona to a cattle farm in Northern Tablelands, NSW. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, a Diploma of Agriculture, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE). With her experience as a Management Trainer and Executive Coach, Carlotta has been instrumental in designing and delivering training programs to sales teams across various sectors. Additionally, she has enjoyed collaborating as a guest speaker for BBA and MBA programs at the European University (Barcelona).
David Worsley
David is a sheep and beef farmer from Inverell, NSW. He presents our Chemical Card Plus, Property Management Planning, Farm Safety, and other farm related workshops. David is well known across northern NSW as a gifted trainer who relates well to farming groups. David's qualifications include Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture), Diploma of Education and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Derek Smith
Derek is the trainer for the RuralBiz Training campus in Armidale since the beginning of 2022. For almost 40 years, he has run a farm and been involved in beef, wool, lamb, and vegetable production as well as lots of job experience as an employee on farms in the New England region in New South Wales. Derek filled in as a casual teacher at TAFE NSW Armidale from 1994 to 2014, teaching all things agriculture. He holds an Associate Diploma in Farm Management, a Professional Wool classers certificate, a Bachelor of Farm Management, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110).
Heidi McElnea
Heidi is motivated by the challenge of co-designing sustainable solutions to existing problems in regional Australia through collaboration with the full range of stakeholders in the space. Communications, facilitation, engagement and education are the key tools she has developed in her 20-year career spanning regional development projects in the community, non-profit, government and corporate sectors.Heidi is based in the NSW Northern Tablelands. A deep respect for the land, biodiversity and cultural heritage underpins her approach and she is committed to lifelong learning. Heidi has achieved a Bachelor of Arts, a Diploma of Sustainable Living, a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and extensive other study in community engagement and sustainable land management. She stays grounded by growing food, tending her animals, and spending time in wild places, and she is thankful for the opportunity to do all these things.
Ian Porch
Ian has a lifelong involvement in mixed production agribusiness (Central West, New South Wales), and currently manages an enterprise which includes livestock breeding, backgrounding and feed lotting, as well as dryland fodder and grain production. During the past 30+ years Ian has been employed in various positions within the Australian agribusiness sector. These positions have included the operational management of large pastoral enterprises in Northern Australia, the delivery of agronomic and consulting products and services to dryland and irrigated farming enterprises in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as the provision of leadership and general management at both middle and senior levels within the agricultural supply and retail industry. Ian also holds significant experience providing leadership and general management within the financial services sector. Ian holds a Master of Business Administration (Agribusiness), Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
John Beer
John grew up in a rural area in the South-West of the UK where he worked in retail and agribusiness banking for 12 years. He then spent another 12 years working in UK and international financial planning including 2 years working in South-East Asia. John emigrated to Australia with his family in 2007 and has worked as a Rural Financial Counsellor since. John has numerous UK banking and financial planning qualifications and various Australian agribusiness qualifications, including a Diploma of Agriculture, Advanced Diploma in Rural Business Management, Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management. John enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others, whether that is assisting farmers improve viability, and mentoring work colleagues and Agribusiness students.
Judi Unger
Judi has a strong interest, and is well known, in the organic/biodynamic/permaculture areas of agriculture and gardening. Judi is an experienced Teacher, with a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education. Judi also has Diploma of Organic Farming and trained in Intensive Permaculture Design, as well as being a partner in an ACO certified organic/biodynamic dryland mixed farming enterprise. She is a Life Member of The Rural Woman and has served as a Board Director of Biodynamic Agriculture of Australia.
Justin Fox
Justin is an experienced Agriculture educator, having taught in both schooling and adult learning environments. He specialised in Agricultural education at the Western Australian College of Agriculture for a number of years and also taught at the Muresk Institute delivering the Diploma of Agriculture for RuralBiz Training. He holds a Bachelor of Agribusiness majoring in Farm Management, a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education majoring in Agricultural Education (minor in Humanities and Social Sciences), and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessing. Justin also owns and manages his family farm on the outskirts of Northam in Western Australia, where he primarily focuses on Merino and Prime Lamb production.
Karen Harper
Karen is experienced in the on farm “people issues” related to communication, management and succession, and operates her own consultancy, high resolutions. Karen’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Business in the Field of Real Property Valuation and Administration and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
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Lucy Powell
Lucy is currently practising as an Agronomist based in the Tamworth region. She has a diverse background with experience in a large array of industries throughout Australia. She is highly passionate about growing farming enterprises as well as the education and attraction of young people to the Agricultural industry. She holds multiple qualifications including an Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management, Diploma of Agronomy, as well as her Certificate IV in Training & Assessment. Lucy has recently taken over our Training Manager role, looking over all processes during the maintenance and continuous improvement of our courses.