A unique
collaboration

Guy is an agronomist with a deep understanding of soil carbon and health, microbiology and sustainable land management. He has worked to develop microbial inoculums and bio-fertilisers throughout his career with the focus on improving soil health and soil carbon levels in broad-acre cropping. Guy has over a decade of experience designing functional and practical microbial packages within dryland broadacre systems for semi-arid environments. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Resource and Environmental Management and has been involved in horticultural agronomy predominantly in grapes and citrus. As SoilCQuest Chair, Guy has been the driving force behind the organisation since its inception in 2012 and has brought together a cohesive and committed team to work towards SoilCQuest’s vision. In his current employment, he is the global agronomic lead for Loam Bio.

Mick is an experienced grazier and grains and cotton farmer on the Macquarie River near Trangie. He is a skilled farming practitioner and an early adopter of innovative farming techniques. He is a passionate believer that agriculture has a major role to play not only in food security but also in sustainable environmental management and climate change mitigation. Michael brings invaluable practical on-the-ground experience and a common sense perspective to SoilCQuest.

Brondwen is a director of Pivotal Management Consulting Pty Ltd. For the last 25 years Brondwen has been involved in research, innovation and leadership with the aim of strengthening agricultural industries and regional communities. Since retiring from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) as General Manager, Research Programs, Brondwen has been widely engaged across a broad range of agricultural industries, including horticulture, extensive and intensive livestock, fisheries and forestry.

For the last two years Brondwen has been engaged by Directors Australia as a consultant to assist in the undertaking of board and board committee performance evaluations as well as remuneration advice.

Brondwen is an independent non-executive director (NED) for Riverine Plains Incorporated and is a member of the Research Funding Panel for Sugar Research Australia.

Brondwen has an Arts degree, majoring in philosophy and is a Graduate and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), the Australian Leadership Program and the Senior Executive Program of the Mt Eliza Business School (University of Melbourne).

Adam is a soil scientist and communicator passionate about improving soil quality and finding practical solutions for farmers. He obtained his PhD in Soil Science and Agronomy from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 2021, where he researched the effects of biochar on agriculture and the environment. He has 13 years of experience in agricultural research and communication with farmers and advisory services whilst working at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy. In 2023, Adam returned to Australia to help restore and enhance Australian landscapes. He is the Chair of Standards and Certification of Working Group for the Australian and New Zealand Biochar Industry Group and has extensive experience in the production and use of biochar in agriculture. Adam also holds a Masters in International Environment Studies and a Bachelor of Business (Communication).

Erika has 20+ years of experience in sustainability education and engagement in communities and workplaces for state & local government and the not-for-profit sector. A city kid who loved school holidays on her grandparents’ cattle and grain farms, she believes regenerative agriculture holds the key to the resilience of farming communities, and is passionate about agriculture as a climate solution. She is a trained Climate Reality Leader and has been on the Executive Committee of Environmental Education NSW, a chapter of the Australian Association for Environmental Education, since 2019. Erika holds a Bachelor of Arts in Resource and Environmental Management, a Certificate II in Bushland Regeneration, a Postgraduate Certificate in Regenerative Agriculture and a Micro-Credential in Applying Behavioural Science to Create Change.

Jade is an independent advisor and researcher, conducting paddock scale research projects on multispecies pastures/cover crops on Victorian livestock farms. Jade has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours-First Class), where she researched multispecies cover cropping in the Victorian high rainfall zone. Jade loves being out and about on-farm, identifying the effects of multispecies forage adoption on grazing systems, and supporting farmers with practical advice.

Joel Williams is an independent plant and soil health educator and consultant based in Canada. Joel has worked throughout Australia, UK and Canada, and he consults with farmers worldwide, implementing strategies to optimise fertiliser inputs, improve soil health and increase biodiversity within agroecosystems. Joel has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Queensland and a Masters of Science in Food Policy from City, University of London.

Justin Borevitz obtained his PhD in 2002 from the University of California at San Diego with Joanne Chory dissecting the genetic basis of adaptive traits and environmental response in model plants. He performed postdoctoral research with Joseph Ecker (2002-2004) at the Salk Institute, mapping plant functional genomic diversity. From 2004 until 2011, he was an Assistant and Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. In 2012, Justin moved to the Australian National University and became Professor in 2014. His current work within the Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology uses Landscape Genomics to select the gene variants underlying adaptation to shifting climates and soils to restore global crops and woodlands.

Richard is a product of Northern NSW, growing up Tamworth, studying at the University of New England before spending some time as an Agronomist in Narrabri. He completed his studies focusing on plant nutrition and root:soil interactions and has 16 years research experience across a diverse range of fields relating to soil physical and chemical fertility as well as plant function and productivity in both crop and pasture systems. He has worked on improving non-wetting soils in WA, on root system architecture and nutrient acquisition of crop and pasture species, in ameliorating constrained soils and more recently in mitigating green house gas emissions from agriculture through the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre. He is committed to a practical and systems approach to solving problems in agriculture using strategies that are implementable and realisable by farmers and improve the sustainability and productivity of farming systems.