When Clinton finished year 12 he already knew that the only job he really wanted to do was to run the family farm. He works with his father on the family owned dairy farm and is steadily increasing his responsibilities.

Clinton particularly enjoys breeding cows, and for many years has competed in the Brisbane, Toowoomba and Gatton shows. He hates to see an ugly cow in his herd, and enjoys the challenge of getting the breeding right.

Clinton has completed a Certificate in Agriculture, and is a member of the Young Dairy Network. He supports local field days and workshops, and believes in the benefit of hands on learning from experts.

Clinton sees the DFMC Development Program as an opportunity to gain an understanding into the work that industry does for the farmers, and an opportunity to further increase his management skills.

Emma Chesworth lives in the Dubbo region, on her parents' dairy farm. They are currently milking 650 cows, half the herd is milked three times a day. Emma is involved in all aspects of the family dairy farm, and has ambition to become a partner in the family farm.

Emma is keen to increase her understanding of how the dairy industry makes decisions about milk policies & pricing, and sees her future in the dairy industry being enhanced by having a good knowledge of how prices and policies are set. She sees herself increasing her own opportunities by becoming actively involved in the "industry side" of dairy.

Emma is currently studying for a Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management at Charles Sturt University in Orange, and has completed Certificate IV Dairy Traineeship. She divides her time between her studies, work on the farm, playing netball and attending local social events and the footy.

Emma has been involved in showing dairy cattle, and has competed in events at the Sydney Royal Show, International Dairy Week, NSW State Show as well as local shows. Emma also competed in the Junior Judging competition at the Sydney Royal Show 2007 – 2009.

Emma sees the DFMC Development Program as an opportunity to learn about how the industry works, how decisions around milk pricing and policy are made. She sees the program as a tool, to enable her to connect with the leaders of the industry who are involved in this type of decision making.

Tom has spent several years travelling around the world, working in various industries gathering experience and ideas to take back to the family farm. He has learnt a great deal from being an employee, and applies this to his management role on the family dairy farm. Tom has a degree in Ag Science, a career that hasn't yet been pursued, however Tom utilises this knowledge on a daily basis to increase productivity and profitability on farm.

Tom works alongside his parents and was appointed to the manager's role of the farm in Rochester in 2009. He is currently milking 730 cows (at the peak of the season), on a twice yearly calving program. There are four employees and approx. 180 hectares of the farm are used for irrigation with a further 700 hectares used for broad acre cropping.

On his days off, Tom enjoys water skiing and wakeboarding, and makes the odd escape to Melbourne to catch a game of footy and spend time with friends. Tom believes that the DFMC Development Program will assist him with his overall management strategies, and will enable him to make decisions on farm, with a longer term view of the ever changing dairy industry. The program gives him the opportunity to look at different aspects of the dairy industry, and develop greater understanding of the process behind the decision making.

Annaliisa lives in Far North Queensland, on the Atherton Tablelands. She loves dairy farming and is a strong supporter of the dairy industry. She is a steering committee member of the FNQ Young Dairy Network and participates in the regional QDO meetings.

Annaliisa finished year 12 in 2009 and since then has been gathering experience on farms that have given her different farming experiences. Her strategy is to expose herself to a broad range of farming experiences which will assist with deciding what course to pursue at University, and will assist with her work on the family farm.

Annaliisa is very keen to take over the management of the family farm when her parents retire, and believes that experience, education and involvement are the key components to success and longevity in the industry.

Annaliisa has competed in athletics since she was in grade 4, and has received many state and national awards for her efforts; she has also competed in regional competitions in America. Annaliisa recently accepted a position on the Talent Identification Squad for Queensland Athletics. The program offers her the opportunity to fine tune her athletic ability and participate in self improvement sessions.

Annaliisa views the DFMC Development Program as an opportunity to understand the dairy industry from a global perspective, and an opportunity to further investigate different farming systems.

Nick Brokenshire is a third generation farmer in the Mt Compass District and manages the family farm with his father; they milk 300 Jersey cows. According to Nick, the Mt Compass district is the best place in the world to farm dairy cattle. He is doing what he loves and couldn't imagine farming anywhere else.

Nick aims to continue the tradition of being a dairy farming family, and this ambition has driven him to become more actively involved in the industry. Nick aspires to becoming a leader in the industry and believes that the DFMC Development Program will broaden his understanding of the industry and offer insight into the roles he can pursue in the future.

Nick is involved in local discussion groups and has completed a Diploma of Agriculture. He participates in many regional activities, and is a strong supporter of the SA Dairy Association. Nick is a strong believer in hands on education, and has gained a wealth of knowledge and working tools to apply to the farm business from attending workshops and field days.

Nick enjoys working with animals, and welcomes the complexity of working in an ever changing environment. When he's not on the farm, he enjoys playing footy, going to the beach, skiing and socialising with friends.