About us
The MSF Advantage
Our Vision
Dynamic, profitable and sustainable farming.
Our Mission
Provide excellence in research, development and extension initiatives for the dryland Mallee of South Eastern Australia.
Principal Purpose
To protect and enhance the natural environment by the encouragement of sustainable dryland farming practices.
ABOUT MSF
Our Service Area
Mallee Sustainable Farming (MSF) is the leading farmer-driven research and advisory organisation for dryland farmers across the low-rainfall Mallee in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
In partnership with industry collaborators including the CSIRO and GRDC, MSF leads the way in delivering ground-breaking research to Mallee farmers. It’s tested on local farms and demonstrates the benefits of the latest proven sustainable farming techniques.
Our Future
With over 2000 dryland farming businesses across the Mallee, MSF continues to assist cropping and livestock farmers to meet their research and knowledge needs.
As our membership grows, more farmers are receiving new, updated and timely information on the latest scientific research and best land management practices to improve their farm business’ efficiency, sustainability and profitability.
Our History
Meet the Board
MSF is governed by a Board of up to 11 farmer and specialist Directors. The Board plays an important part in setting the strategic direction of Mallee Sustainable Farming with a vision to promote dynamic, profitable and sustainable farming systems across the low rainfall Mallee region.
MSF Farmer Directors
Robert Pocock
MSF Chair & SA Farmer Director
Director since 2009.
Robert currently farms at Lameroo in the southern Mallee of South Australia. He manages the Lameroo properties with his wife Courtney and parents Bruce and Gaylia. The farm “Lampata” is 3000 ha in area.
Gavin Howley
MSF Vice Chair & NSW Farmer Director
Director since 2019.
Gavin farms with his wife, Rhiannon and his mother and father. “Woodmount” is approx 6k hectares about half being floodplain forests on the Wakool – Murray junction at Kyalite. The farm has been in his family for over 100yrs and is a grain and sheep farm.
Chris Hunt
MSF Treasurer & VIC Farmer Director
Director since 2018. Chris is based in the Millewa farming 5,000 ha, growing cereal grain and hay, grain legumes and running sheep.
Nicole Byrnes
NSW Farmer Director
Director since 2021.
Nicole is a familiar face to the MSF team. In the ten-plus years since her time as Extension Coordinator, she can appreciate the growth of MSF culture into a group of strong, passionate leaders who believe in their work, and Nicole is thrilled to be a part of it.
Andrew Biele
SA Farmer Director
Andrew started his farming career on the 2,000ha mixed family farm at New Residence, west of Loxton SA. Encouraged to get a trade Andrew qualified as a mechanic and gained valuable machinery knowledge, always assisting in harvest, sowing and shearing during these busy times.
Ron Hards
VIC Farmer Director
Ron Hards farms 3800ha with his son Nick at Yarrara in the Millewa area of North West Victoria.
Therese McBeath
Specialist Director
Director since 2021.
Therese joined the MSF Board in early 2021 as a Specialist Director. Her current role as a research Team Leader in the Systems program at the Adelaide CSIRO Agriculture and Food Waite Institute means Therese brings a wealth of knowledge to the team. Therese has experience and qualifications in a range of research roles and agronomy.
Kenton Porker
Specialist Director
Director since 2019.
Kenton brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to MSF. Kenton grew up in the Mallee and started his career at SARDI in 2010 as a durum and barley agronomist before returning to the University of Adelaide to embark on a PhD with GRDC investment in 2014. Kenton returned to SARDI in 2017 to lead the Waite cereal agronomy group.
MSF Team
Lachlan Sutton
Executive Officer
Lachlan Sutton joined MSF in December 2020 as Executive Officer and is based in NSW.
Lachlan has extensive experience across wide range of commodities including sheep and wool, cattle, both broadacre and irrigated cropping as well as horticultural production.
Tanja Morgan
Program Manager
Tanja is from Jabuk and is a wife to @AdamMorgan77 (Twitter), a mother to three daughters, and partner of Morgan Partners Farms. As Tanja says, “multitasking at its finest or worst – depends on the day!”
We asked Tanja what she loves about living in the Mallee and this is what she said:
“I love the peace and quiet, roaming the farm with my Labradors by my side. Working for MSF and travelling through the tri-state area (before COVID-19), interacting with Mallee farmers from SA, VIC & NSW.
Low rainfall farmers demonstrate the meaning of resilience and making the most of what the land has to offer. Can’t go past the spectacular Mallee sunsets.”
Michael Moodie
Research Contractor,
Frontier Farming Systems
Frontier Farming Systems comprises of a small team of experts led by Michael Moodie, a well-known professional who has 15 years’ experience of delivering research, development and extension to the Mallee and wider low rainfall farming region of Southern Australia.
Collectively, the Frontier Farming System’s team has more than 50 years combined experience in implementing activities such as small plot research trials, paddock-scale trials and demonstrations, resource monitoring programs, field days, workshops, seminars and the development of extension and communication products.
We value Michael and the Frontier Farming System’s team’s services and passion for dryland farming systems.
Tegan Buckley
Media & Communications,
Mallee Marketing
Passionate about agriculture and media, Tegan holds a Bachelors Degree of Business (Marketing) and takes a down to earth, practical and results driven Marketing and Communications approach.
Tegan enjoys getting out in the paddock with a camera in hand or recording podcasts with Ag industry pros and rural business champions.
Kylie Aikman
Admin Business Manager
Kylie is from Underbool, Victoria and is MSF’s Business Administration Manager.
She is skilled at many things and is an expert at juggling her work with MSF while also helping out with the many jobs on the Aikman’s farm. Kylie is a wife to Mallee Farmer, Garth Aikman, a mother to two daughters. She loves helping out at various community and sporting events.
“I love living in the Mallee for its rural lifestyle. Wide open spaces with fresh air and loads of room for the kids to play and explore.”
Kylie keeps the business wheels of MSF turning. She is super organised and helps to make sure we do everything on time. We would be lost without her!
Jenny Bennett
Board Support
Jenny Bennett was born in Mildura and was raised on a citrus and vine property. She married a Merbein “blockie” and having lived on the land all her life she is very interested in farming and agriculture.
