Four WA wool leaders selected for Australian Wool Innovation’s prestigious Breeding Leadership course

A quartet of WA’s up and coming wool industry leaders have been selected to take part in a week-long wool industry course in South Australia early next year. Luke Button, of Tammin, Ellie Bigwood, of Frankland River, Bridgitte Brooks, of Yuna, and Bridget Pullella, of Northampton, were this morning announced as four of 25 national participants in the Australian Wool Innovation Breeding Leadership course. The annual course, facilitated by Pinion Advisory, aims to empower young people involved in the wool industry to step into leadership roles within their community. The WA participants will travel to Clare, in South Australia, to take part in the course from February 20 to 25. Mr Button works on his family’s mixed farm of sheep and cropping farm and said he would trade in any day on the tractor for a day in the sheep yards. After graduating from Guildford Grammar School in 2014, he has notched up seven years on the family farm which is ran by his parents Wayne and Pippa Button. Ms Brooks, 32, said she was looking forward to connecting with young people who were passionate about the wool industry. She with her husband Jeremy on their sheep, cattle and cropping farm in Yuna and maintains the books on her parents’ farm in Geraldton, where she grew up. Ms Brooks is also a qualified occupational therapist and enjoys working with young people. “The leadership course was a nice surprise and a great honour,” she said. “It is a great opportunity and I hope to develop more skills and confidence to work in the industry.” Ms Bigwood works as AWI’s industry relations officer, providing a face for woolgrowers and industry groups to liaise with and go to for information. She is the organisation’s only WA-based staff member and plays a vital role engaging on-ground with growers from Northampton to Esperance. Ms Bigwood told Countryman earlier this year she believed her role was crucial. “It’s amazing seeing people grow wool in a variety of different environments across WA,” she said. “Our farmers are producing on the poorest soils in the world, but 85 per cent of WA’s clip is below 20.5 microns. “They’re very efficient growers.” Ms Pullella is the farm manager at her mum’s (Mary Ash) Allaneena Northampton property that runs the Allaneena Poll Merino stud and a cropping operation. She had also been the secretary for the Northern Districts Stud Merino Breeders’ Association. After graduating in 2010 from Muresk University with a degree in agriculture business, she worked for Nutrien Livestock for a few years before moving back to the family farm in 2014 with her husband Albert Pullella. They have three young children. AWI acting chief executive John Roberts said the course was all about fostering the next generation of wool industry leaders. “The Australian wool industry has a bright future and we need to continue to attract smart and enthusiastic young people to it,” he said. “I am impressed by the high quality of participants representing all facets of the wool industry.” The course will cover a range of topics, including business and industry, working in teams around accountability, communicating, expectations and decision making. It also has a focus on the future of entrepreneurship, innovation and the management of change. The in-person course also includes a full day bus tour to allow participants the opportunity to visit local leaders in a range of industries. To find out more, vist wool.com/breedingleadership.