Speakers
Talkin’ Soil Health is one of Australia’s largest and most reputable soil health conferences and is jam-packed with national and local speakers.
Professor Su McCluskey. Special Representative for Australian Agriculture: Australian Government’s Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative
"Capturing your investment in soil health for both business and global outcomes"
Su is a highly experienced senior executive and non-executive director and is the first Special Representative for Australian Agriculture. She is a director of Australian Unity Limited, LiveCorp, the Australasian Pork Research Institute and AWN Rural and a Commissioner for International Agricultural Research. Su's experience and expertise includes strong leadership, strategic thinking, financial management, governance, policy, advocacy and analytical skills. She has been a highly effective change manager in both the government and private sectors and has excellent networks across all levels of government and industry.
Josh Byrne - Master of Ceremonies
Josh Byrne is an environmental scientist and design professional whose career intersects professional practice, academia, policy and media.
He is Director of Fremantle based landscape architecture practice Josh Byrne & Associates, where his approach is leadership through demonstration by engaging in projects that provide opportunities to test innovation, build capacity and share learnings with stakeholders and the wider community.
As Dean of Sustainable Futures in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University, Josh leads research, teaching and engagement activities. His academic expertise spans environmental horticulture, water sensitive design and sustainable urbanism and he is widely published in these fields.
Josh is well known for his work with ABC TV’s Gardening Australia program where over the past 22 years he has demonstrated the benefits of gardening. He contributes regularly to radio and print media and has authored three best-selling books on sustainable gardening and low carbon living.
Josh is a board member of the Waste Authority of WA, Deputy Chair of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and sits on the WA State Government Design Review Panel. In 2018 he received the Planning Institute of Australia WA Planning Champion Award, and in 2024 he was a recipient of the inaugural Australian Water Association WA Legend of Water Award
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Dr Melanie Strawbridge – Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation at Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
"Capture Your Investment: Covering Your Risk"
Dr Strawbridge has provided specialist advice to Government on natural resource management issues for more than 20 years, most recently as Agriculture Resource Management and Assessment Director with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). The Commissioner is responsible for administering the Soil and Land Conservation Act (1945), which includes preventing land degradation, promoting soil conservation, and educating landholders and the general public about best practice land management. This includes strategic, scientific and policy leadership on soil, water and land conservation, soil health and related farming systems.
Associate Professor Hanabeth Luke. Senior Lecturer: Murdoch University
"What is driving decisions in the WA Wheatbelt, and how does this compare with farming across Australia?"
A. Prof. Hanabeth Luke developed the Soil CRC Social Benchmarking Study over a six year period, generating a powerful national data set for informing resilience-building and industry strategies. Leading projects supported by the Soil CRC and GRDC, she enhances knowledge-sharing among rural communities and drives transdisciplinary collaboration for research, development and extension. She has a strong track record of leading impactful long-term and multi-stakeholder projects that lead to quality peer-reviewed journal articles, successful PhD completions and most importantly, real world outcomes for Australian farmers. The Soil CRC Social Benchmarking Study has guided industry strategic planning at local, state and national scales, informing government priorities and leading to further innovation investment that is informed by the needs and aspirations of farmers.
Dr Michael Crawford
"The Soil CRC – capturing the research for the benefit of farmers"
Chief Executive Officer at the Soil CRC, Dr Michael Crawford has over 25 years’ experience in extension, research and science management in areas related to soil science, farming systems and natural resource management. He has operated at senior levels of government and research management, he has worked with grower groups and farming communities, and he has strong relationships with relevant industry stakeholders, universities and government departments. He commenced as the inaugural CEO of the CRC for High Performance Soils in 2017.
Richard Marver. Landscape Ecologist: Contour Consulting
"Redefining dryland salinity for a new generation of land managers"
Richard Marver is an Agroecologist, Landscape Ecologist and Director of Contour Environmental and Agricultural Consulting. After sixteen years working with land managers across Australia, he has extensive experience in aspects of landscape management such as grazing management and pasture renovation, soil health and carbon management, infrastructure design, erosion control and landscape rehabilitation, among others.
After sixteen years working with land managers across Australia, he has extensive experience in aspects of landscape management such as grazing management and pasture renovation, soil health and carbon management, infrastructure design, erosion control and landscape rehabilitation, among others.
Dr Kattie Weigh. Post Doctoral Fellow: NSW DPI
"Quantifying soil biology. What, why, how?"
Dr Kattie Weigh is a postdoctoral research fellow in the DPIRD soils research team based in Wollongbar, Northern NSW. With a background in molecular microbial ecology, bioinformatics and biostatistics, she currently works on projects 1) investigating the power and potential of soil microbial indicators (Soil CRC), and conducting controlled-environment and isotopic enrichment experiments to 2) develop next-generation soil technologies to address multi-faceted soil constraints (GRDC USP) and 3) design novel amendments to capture carbon for long-term stabilisation in soil (Soil Science Challenge). Her goal is to advance understanding of the mechanisms through which soil microbial communities drive ecosystem processes, support sustainable agriculture and enhance climate resilience.
Associate Professor Fran Hoyle, Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems; Director SoilsWest.
"Understanding soil sustainability"
Fran has research interests in soil, environment and management factors driving changes in soil carbon and function in agriculture. She regularly contributes to research on soil constraints and management. Focus on interdisciplinary and cross-institutional programs of research and engagement.
Tom Scrope. UK Nuffield Scholar: Soil Benchmark
"Soil Health Initiatives: Examples from the UK, EU & Nuffield Travels"
Tom Scrope is the co-founder of Soil Benchmark, a UK agronomy software startup. They launched in November 2023, and their platform now helps more than 8% of England’s farmland to create soil, manure and nutrient management plans. A current Nuffield Farming Scholar, he is researching structures that help farmers share knowledge and adopt better soil practices at scale. For the last five weeks he has been visiting farmers, grower groups, agronomists, and RDCs across Australia to explore what the UK can learn.
Joy Valle. Proprietor: Valle Agribusiness and Environmental Services
"A glimpse of wheatbelt soils and designing "Soil Sampling and Monitoring Programs" that factor in ESG and align with state and national frameworks."
Joy Valle is the Founding Director of Valle Agribusiness and Environmental Services (VAES) and the Chief Executive Officer of the Corrigin Farm Improvement Group (CFIG). Joy was a 2023 Rural Women's Award Finalist for her work with farmers in Soil Health. Her work in the past has been focused on working with and assisting farmers to decipher their own on farm data; to enable them to make fully informed management decisions. Increase understanding of individual property/paddock soil nutrient balance and associated factors and how this impacts on the uptake of nutrients by crops or pasture; and natural capital such as microbes, organic matter or carbon. Joy assists farmers in identifying the limiting factors of the business and how they relate to production, financial and environmental risk management in this changing climate.
James Diack. Soils for Life
"Soil Health Made Simple: Practical tools for Monitoring"
James Diack is the Farmer Engagement Manager at Soils for Life. He has been leading the organisation's soil health monitoring work, supporting farmers to build their soil health literacy and monitoring skills. He lives in Braidwood, NSW and loves working with people, composting and soil science.
Cec McConnell – Deputy Director General, Primary Industries Development, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)
"Rooting for the Future: Soils and ESG"
Cec McConnell leads agricultural research and DPIRD. She was previously Western Australia’s Commissioner for Soil and Land Conservation. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Cec ran her own consulting company providing business development, planning and natural resource management (NRM) advice and held board director roles, including with Wheatbelt NRM. She has also held senior leadership roles with the Department of Agriculture and Food, including as a regional director based at Northam.
Kallista Bolton
"Entry pathways: Development of GGA’s regenerative agriculture program"
Kallista Bolton joined Grower Group Alliance in March 2020 and is experienced in stakeholder management, marketing, and commercial enterprise. Kallista is actively involved in the advancement of regenerative agriculture, currently serving as a Director for the Australian Institute of Ecological Agriculture and on the 4 returns advisory Board for WA's regenerative food brand Dirty Clean Food. Kallista moved into agriculture in 2016 working with Elders Narrogin for three years alongside running her own artisan olive oil enterprise from her Crossman property for 11 years.
Sebastion Lang, Director of Sustainable Agriculture Policy with the Commonwealth’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
"The Australian Government supporting healthy soil for Farmers."
Sebastian Lang is currently director of Sustainable Agriculture Policythe in the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. He has previously worked in bushfire management planning, delivered multiple programs and strategies for natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, water infrastructure, and protected area management, and led policy reforms on threatened species and environmental reporting.
Jennifer West—Carbon West
"Giving farmers the CREDIT for soil health."
As the founder of Carbon West, Jennifer hopes to incentivise the improvement of Australian agricultural soils. As the daughter of farmers and having farmed herself near Boyup Brook, Jennifer understands the challenges faced in managing a viable, sustainable farming enterprise. Her passion for the incredible power of natural soil systems has led her into the new and often confusing carbon industry to find a way to incentivise the quest for better soil outcomes. Using Australia’s ACCU Scheme soil carbon methodology as the vehicle for generating verified credits from high-integrity measurement, Jennifer is offering farmers a fee-for-service model for carbon project development. Though the methodology is complex, Jennifer’s deep understanding and experience in managing 15 ACCU Scheme soil carbon projects for farmers across Australia brings the benefits of a well-structured, independently verified measurement protocol to those who rise to the challenge of improving soil health and be doubly rewarded for their achievements.
Jenni Clausen. Research Scientist: DPIRD.
"Evaluate long-term strategies to manage soil acidity with iLime app"
Jenni has over a decade of experience in Western Australian agricultural research and development, with seven years dedicated to soil research and extension. She is passionate about working with growers and advisers to find practical solutions for improved soil management and productivity.
Based in Northam with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Jenni works across the Central Wheatbelt as part of the DPIRD-GRDC Soil Water and Nutrition (SWAN) Strategic Collaboration. This initiative aims to improve water and nutrient use efficiency in WA grain production through targeted soil and nutrition management.
Dr Kirsten Ball. Soil Geochemist: Carbon Sync.
"The elephant in the room: soil carbon in WA agriculture"
Kirsten is a soil biogeochemist specializing in dryland agriculture and carbon farming. As Director of Research, Development, and Education at Carbon Sync, she drives industry-focused innovation through collaboration with diverse stakeholders. A Western Australian native, she holds a PhD in Plant and Soil Science from Western Sydney University and has held postdoctoral fellowships across the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. With expertise in experimental design, statistical modeling, and soil spectroscopy, she excels in translating complex science into actionable insights. A certified trainer with 20 years of experience, Kirsten is a leading educator, adept at engaging farmers, policymakers, and industry in sustainable land management.