People and team

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).

​​Andrew has more than 25 years leadership experience as a SME business owner, Managing Director and General Manager, including as a third-generation agribusiness owner operator in Central West NSW. He brings in-depth knowledge of governance, finance, strategy development, marketing and entrepreneurship from the agribusiness, not-for-profit and service sectors. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Science and has a passion to invoke climate solutions driven by agriculture, harnessing the impetus of resilient farm businesses as positive land custodians.

andrew@soilcquest.org.au

0427 534 117

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.

After 20+ years of providing education in schools and the not-for-profit sector, Jen moved to a property to grow and produce chemical and contaminant-free food and fibre for her family and community. This led to a keen desire to know more about improving productivity whilst enhancing ecosystem function and biodiversity with minimal intervention and input. Recently completing a Bachelor of Science in Regenerative Agriculture, Jen also holds a Diploma of Managing Holistically, B. Arts (Musicology/ Philosophy), and Dip. Ed. (Music). Jen applies her analytical skills to find the theories, methods and practices in emerging climate solutions for agriculture.

Sophie’s involvement in agriculture began during her studies in Nutrition, where she became interested in agricultural production and food security challenges. This interest led her to pursue a Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security and a Master’s degree in Applied Economics, during which she contributed to an agricultural development project with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). She began working with SoilCQuest during this time and now balances her work alongside her PhD research, where she explores women’s empowerment in agriculture. Sophie is an Executive Committee Member of the Australasian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society (SA) and the Crawford Fund (SA), as well as the SA Representative for the Researchers in Agriculture for International Development (RAID) Network.

Adrianna is an industry-recognised interdependent leader and consultant with 20 years of experience in change management, bridging scientific, technical, and social components in advocacy for natural and food-producing systems and communities as agents of democratised change. Her work has contributed to landscapes of agricultural research, climate programs, methodology development, monitoring, and education. With a commitment to perennial learning, she holds academic awards for her Bachelor of Ecological Agriculture and has a Diploma of Conservation and Land Management and a Micro credential of Climate Neutral Agriculture. Her role as Chair connects her to a fundamental perspective that scientific research is key to supporting wide-scale change that is borne of a farmer’s creative and observational mind and practice. Each benefits the other to build strong foundations for the world we create.

David is an Agroecologist with over 20 years of experience in rural landscapes, farming and food systems. He worked in community development and horticulture before completing a dairy traineeship on an organic dairy in NSW. Since then, he has had a wide-ranging career in management and technical roles, including Landcare extension, agronomy, soils, agribusiness, bio fertiliser R&D and manufacturing, organics, training, and consulting positions. David has a Bachelor of Ecological Agriculture, a Diploma in Agribusiness, a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and Certificates of Grazing Land Management and Natural Sequence Farming. He teaches soils, regenerative agriculture, farm planning and agroecology at TAFE NSW. David’s passion is agroecology and empowering farmers with knowledge and skills that make a difference.

Edward is a Soil Scientist who applies his technical understanding of soils’ critical role in production. He specialises in interpreting and assessing soil, plant and water information and developing management strategies around key soil-to-plant relationships. Edward applies up-to-date scientific research with integrated ag-tech solutions for ongoing soil monitoring. Edward has a Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Science) in Land Management and Soil Conservation, and his passion for improving soil productivity drives Ed to develop land management strategies.

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.