What are some of your goals as a nutritionist do you have for 2025? 

I am very lucky to work with a great team of Nutritionists and fellow employees at Riverina, and we are always striving to provide an even better service to our customers.  This year, we are looking to do more rigorous testing of our raw materials and subsequently improve the accuracy of our data base.  We are also hoping to review some of our core product lines to make it simpler for customers to purchase the appropriate product to suit their animals requirements.

What are some of your principles with animal nutrition? 

I am naturally a very practical and results-orientated person, and this also reflects on my principles with animal nutrition.  I like to keep things reasonably simple, but still ensure that production targets are achieved in the most economical way.  While I see the benefits of using various additives and supplements, I need to be sure that they are practical and economical before I consider using them. 

What has been a rewarding aspect of being a Nutritionists?

As a farm business owner myself, I really enjoy working with like-minded people and assisting customers to improve their productivity. 

What do you find challenging as a Nutritionist? 

Often when a production issue occurs on farm, nutrition is one of the first things that is looked at.  In my experience, I have found that much of the time these problems stem from multi-factorial sources relating to environment, health status, stocking densities and so on, some of which is out of anyone’s control.  Being a Nutritionist sometimes involves also being a detective, asking the right questions to help the producer come up with the root causes for production related problems.

Do you have any memorable moments working with Riverina Stockfeeds? 

I very much enjoy visiting our customers on-farm and getting to know them and their businesses better.  Interacting with farmers and receiving positive feedback about how we have helped them improve productivity is wonderful, as is seeing photos that our customers share with us of their lovely horses and pets on social media.  Being employed at Riverina gives me the opportunity to work with great people and also visit some wonderful parts of Australia that I wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to see. 

Are there any common nutrition principles that get overlooked when feeding livestock?

Water is the number one most important nutrient, but is sometimes the most forgotten about.  Animals need consistent access to clean, fresh water and it surprises me how often this is overlooked. 

Looking ahead, how do you see the field of animal nutrition evolving over the next 5-10 years?

I believe that there will be more work done in the areas of gut health and optimising gut microbiota through diet, as its effects on animal performance and well-being are starting to become more recognised.  The gut microbiota is not only important for growth and immunity, but also for brain development and behaviour (in animals and humans), so this is an evolving area of research. The application of digital technology, AI and Big Data will also play a pivotal role in livestock nutrition going forward, allowing us to better optimise feed management, improve our decision-making processes and enhance feed quality.