A unique
collaboration

Guy is an agronomist with over 25 years experience in soil health sciences, including building soil carbon in broadacre cropping and pasture systems. 

As SoilCQuest Founder & Executive Director, 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. Guy also holds a position at Loam Bio as Chief Agronomy Officer. 

Guy has a Bachelor of Science in Resource and Environmental Management. He is also Deputy Chair of Central West Farming Systems and has been an active member of Yaragong Rural Fire Service for over a decade.

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.

Mick 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.

He brings invaluable practical on-the-ground experience and a common sense perspective to SoilCQuest.

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. In 2023, he returned to Australia to help restore and enhance Australian landscapes.

Adam has over 15 years of experience in agricultural research and communication with farmers and advisory services, including with the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy.

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 holds a Masters in International Environment Studies and a Bachelor of Business (Communication).

Erika brings 25 years of experience in sustainability learning and extension across rural, regional, and urban communities, with a career spanning state and local government, and the not-for-profit sector. 

A city kid who loved school holidays on her grandparents’ grazing and cropping farms, she believes regenerative agriculture holds the key to the resilience of farming communities. As a trained Climate Reality Leader, Erika is passionate about farm soil carbon as a significant nature-based climate solution. 

Erika was recognised by the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) as the NSW Community Environmental Educator of the Year in 2017, and served on the Executive Committee of AAEE NSW from 2019–2025. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Resource and Environmental Management, a Certificate II in Bushland Regeneration, a Graduate Certificate in Regenerative Agriculture and a Micro-Credential in Applying Behavioural Science to Create Change.

Natalie is a senior executive and strategic advisor with over 20 years’ experience across agriculture, energy, climate and government. She brings a strong track record of building purpose-driven organisations, securing funding, and aligning policy, industry and investment to deliver practical outcomes.

As former CEO of Farmers for Climate Action, Natalie led a national network of over 8,500 farmers and significantly grew the organisation’s impact, income and influence. Her work has focused on supporting farmers to be part of climate and energy solutions, including the role of soil health, carbon and natural capital in building resilient and productive farming systems.

Natalie has worked across peak bodies including the National Farmers’ Federation, Australian Dairy Farmers and the Clean Energy Council, and has held advisory and board roles spanning agriculture, energy and investment. She is currently an Independent Advisory Committee member for AxleTree Capital’s New Industries Fund and sits on energy network customer advisory panels.

At SoilCQuest, Natalie supports strategic partnerships, funding pathways and policy engagement to help scale the organisation’s impact and connect its work to broader agricultural, climate and investment opportunities.

Jade is an independent advisor and researcher, conducting paddock-scale research projects on multispecies pastures/cover crops on Victorian livestock farms.

She loves being out and about on-farm, identifying the effects of multispecies forage adoption on grazing systems, and supporting farmers with practical advice.

Jade has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours-First Class), where she researched multispecies cover cropping in the Victorian high rainfall zone.

Joel is an independent plant and soil health educator and consultant based in Canada.

He has worked throughout Australia, UK and Canada, and 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 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, Justin 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 completed his studies at the University of New England with a focus on plant nutrition and root: soil interactions, and has over 15 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.

Richard is committed to a practical and systems approach to solving problems in agriculture, using strategies that are implementable and realisable by farmers, to improve the sustainability and productivity of farming systems.