MPM Program Scholarship recipient Lachy Brown has lived and breathed the lot feeding industry his entire life, with his father Graem along with his grandparents Ralph and Patricia, having owned and operated Pakaderinga Feedlot situated 25 kilometres north east of Kingaroy for close to 30 years.
Lachy - who is the joint owner/ manager of the feedlot which he runs with his father and his sister Emma - said he became aware of the Margin and People Management (MPM) Program through ALFA media and considered applying in 2016.
“I knew I probably wasn’t quite ready to take it on at that point, given the amount of responsibility I was taking on at Pakaderinga,” he said.
“I heard about the Lot Feeding Leaders Scholarship opportunity ALFA made available for this year with the support of Tony Hoey and thought I’d give it a shot.”
He said the application process required applicants to demonstrate their commitment to the lot feeding industry, and to give an in depth explanation on how they’d benefit from participating in the program.
“As a part of our second session in Sydney, I was able to meet and talk with Jason Hoey (Tony’s son), and he told me his family were impressed with my application, and how they’d hoped that the scholarship would benefit someone within a family operation.”
When Lachy received the call from ALFA’s Jessica Skilbeck to say he’d been successful in his Scholarship application, he was participating in an industry focussed Work Health and Safety course in Toowoomba.
“To be honest, I was caught by surprise that I had won the scholarship, but I was very grateful to hear that I had been successful, and for the opportunity to participate.”
In July, Lachy attended the third session of the MPM Program in Sydney, based in the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) office.
“So far, each session has involved two days in Sydney, working with the other participants and a variety of industry leaders and facilitators.
“During the first session, we focused mainly on personal skills, getting to know ourselves and the way we operate.
“Personality profiling provided us with some great information regarding people management and how we do/can deal with the different personalities of those we come into contact with daily.
“Session two involved looking at the accounting side of business, including profit and loss, business statements and cash flow budgets.
“We were also given the opportunity to focus on leadership, particularly the skill of public speaking. Personally, I was looking forward to this session as my own public speaking skills have a lot of room for improvement.”
He said the session provided him with a new found confidence in approaching public speaking, as he was taught skills regarding how to prepare for public speaking and how to properly structure presentations.
“Some key learnings I have walked away with are the skills I have learnt in public speaking, and the knowledge I have gained about interpersonal skills, getting to know those around me, and most importantly, myself.
“I feel that I’ve been able to get a much greater understanding of how I work and interact, which I feel is really important, because if you don’t know yourself, you probably won’t be overly successful in getting to know others and get the best out of them.”
Lachy said he has also enjoyed getting to know the other participants, and making connections with like-minded people within the industry.
“I think we will have made some lifelong friendships and partnerships by the end of the program, and to me, these are invaluable.”
“I couldn’t recommend the MPM program enough for anyone in the feedlot industry, particularly those working toward any type of leadership role.
“The majority of this year’s participants are under 30, and I’m certain that being involved in the program is going to benefit them in making their own mark within the industry.”
On completion of the first session, Lachy said he immediately stressed to Emma the importance of participating in the MPM Program as a part of her own professional development, which is now a goal they’re working towards for 2018.
Lachy said the family is currently exploring several new directions at Pakaderinga.
“Currently, we are looking at upgrading some systems we already have in place, with the aim to make the operation run as efficiently and as cost effectively as possible.
“I think even the best, and most successful businesses, always have areas where they can improve and grow, and we are no exception to that.
“I plan to continue on at Pakaderinga, I’ve now started my own family here, with my wife, Emma and two young children Louis and Frankie.
“I have so many memories of our life here, and I plan on creating many more, both personally and from a business perspective.”
