#83: From New Entrant to Advocate: Educating the Next Generation of Producers with Amanda Burchmann From JAB Agri Solutions

G’day and welcome to the A Place to Call Home Podcast, a podcast sharing the stories of people building a life in agriculture across rural Australia.

In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Buchmann from JAB Agri Solutions, based in Southeast Queensland.

Amanda is a passionate advocate for the red meat and broader agricultural industry, focused on bridging the gap between industry knowledge and new entrants coming into agriculture. From growing up around livestock with her grandparents to building a career outside the industry in pharmacy and law, Amanda has taken a unique path back into ag — now combining her life experience with a mission to educate and support producers.

This conversation dives deep into the realities of entering agriculture today, the importance of education and compliance, and the role every producer plays in strengthening the future of the industry.

In this episode, we chat about:

🏡 Growing up in Warwick and early exposure to livestock through family
 🚛 Lessons learned from time spent in livestock transport with her dad
 📚 Building skills outside agriculture in pharmacy, law, and conveyancing
 🐄 Returning to ag and starting a small cattle operation with her family
 ⚠️ The challenges new entrants face when buying land and livestock
 📉 Common mistakes producers make when starting out
 📊 Why record keeping, traceability, and compliance are critical
 🛑 The risks of poor biosecurity and lack of education in the industry
 🧠 Breaking down barriers between industry knowledge and new producers
 🤝 Building JAB Agri Solutions to educate and support small-scale producers
 🌱 Understanding ESG, natural capital, and telling your story as a producer
 📈 How good management and record keeping can improve profitability
 🌏 The importance of advocacy and strengthening the agricultural supply chain

Resources mentioned

📊 Integrity Systems (NLIS & LPA)
🌱 Australian Rural Leadership Program
📖 Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

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