03 Mar Nothing off the table at ICMJ Northern Conference
There’s not much Sam Fryer shies away from when it comes to sharing his personal story and his keynote presentation at the ICMJ Northern Conference in Rockhampton in April is sure to be no exception.
The North Queensland beef producer, podcaster and mental health advocate has faced his fair share of adversity in his 34 years but remains committed to forging his own path in the agricultural industry and achieving his goal of land ownership.
He’ll share some of the tough lessons he’s learned along the way and the best advice he’s gleaned from an array of guests over three seasons of his podcast, A Place to Call Home, in what will be a highlight of the 2024 ICMJ Northern Conference program.
After failed succession planning saw Sam walk away from his stake in the family farm several years ago, he was forced to refocus his future in the industry.
“I really hit a dark spot and I went through a lot of grief,” he said.
“I felt like a failure for not being able to do the one thing I was born to do.”
Sam’s podcast was born out of his search for guidance from industry experts and has become hugely successful since its inception only a year ago, with more than 33,000 episode downloads.
“It’s important to always keep learning and building your connections with other people in the industry and I know that’s a huge part of the ICMJ ethos, so I’m excited to be part of it,” Sam said.
Open to early career industry professionals and university students, the ICMJ Northern Conference is held annually in Rockhampton, the Beef Capital of Australia, hosted by CQUniversity and Teys Australia.
ICMJ Northern Conference Chair Chloe Gould said the program was designed to inspire the future leaders of the red meat industry and provide them with skills and knowledge to give them a head start for a great career.
“We’re very excited about the fantastic calibre of speakers in this year’s program,” she said.
“It includes agricultural advocates, including AgForce President Georgie Somerset, as well as technical experts like DIT AgTech CEO Mark Peart and AMIC Industry Affairs Manager Tim Ryan.”
The ICMJ Northern Conference exposes participants to the fundamentals of meat quality, carcase specifications required in today’s market, the requirements of the modern consumer and the role of new technologies in meeting those needs.
As well as the training workshops, presentations, the ever-popular carcase breakdown and the meat judging competition, the conference program also includes an Industry and Careers Expo, highlighting the career opportunities available at some of Australia’s major meat processing companies, several large vertically integrated beef supply chains, and other industry service providers.
Conference registration is just $330 and includes mouth-watering dinners featuring beef supplied by some of northern Australia’s best beef brands and set against the backdrop of the bull riding arena inside the iconic Great Western Hotel. Morning tea and lunches are also included.
Registrations are open until 15 March or until sold out. Limited places are available, so register today.
The 2024 ICMJ Northern Conference is possible thanks to the generous support of foundation partners Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) and industry partners including Teys Australia, CQUniversity, JBS Australia, NH Foods, Beef Australia, Rockhampton Regional Council, Hewitt, Australian Agricultural Company, AAM Investment Group, Signature Beef, Australian Brahman Breeders Association, Greenleaf, and Australian Association of Animal Sciences.