03 Oct ICMJ names Australian meat judging team to tour USA
Five talented university students have been selected for the Australian ICMJ team to tour the United States of America.
Nicholas Greenwood, Ben Spackman and Angus Brennand from the University of Queensland, Sophie Marriott from the University of New England and Madison Luke from the University of Sydney, were chosen from a field of passionate students who took part in the ICMJ AUS-MEAT Intensive Education and Development Week in south-east Queensland earlier this week.
Australian ICMJ Coaches Ellie Hays, Aimee Bolton and Macky Lawrence will lead the group on a three-week industry tour of the US in January 2025 where they’ll also compete at several events on the USA meat judging circuit.
Ellie Hays said it was a tough selection process with such a high-calibre group of participants.
“They are a brilliant group of individuals so it was very hard to select the Australian team.
“But it’s exciting to know Australia’s already strong red meat industry is in very good hands, with the next generation of passionate individuals driving it forward,” she said.
Macky Lawrence is a former Australian team member and said the USA tour was an incredible opportunity for students to learn about the red meat industry in one of the largest red meat producing countries in the world.
“ICMJ’s mission is to inspire and develop the next generation of leaders in the red meat industry and this tour is a key component of our annual program,” he said.
“We want students to understand where Australia fits into the global supply of red meat and how the supply and demand of other important trading partners like the USA impact demand here at home.”
The ICMJ AUS-MEAT Intensive Education and Development Week exposed students to new technologies and capabilities within Australia’s thriving red meat industry as they visited numerous production facilities, met with industry leaders and participated in professional development opportunities.
Throughout the week they took a tour of the Australian Country Choice (ACC) processing facility in Brisbane, participated in a grading workshop with Meat & Livestock Australia and visited AACo headquarters, NH Foods Oakey plant, Mort & Co’s Grassdale Feedlot near Toowoomba, Sunpork Swickers plant at Kingaroy, DIT AgTech and the Teys Australia sites at Murgon and the Port of Brisbane.
Students also took part in media training with CQUniversity’s agriculture communications team equipping them with the appropriate skills to be advocates and leaders of the industry.
Aimee Bolton said the ICMJ program sets students up for success and has launched many careers in the red meat industry.
“Students are given an in-depth understanding of the red meat supply chain, the innovation efforts that support it, and the career pathways it offers.”
ICMJ’s Intensive Education and Development Week is sponsored by AUS-MEAT. ICMJ is supported by foundation partners, Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Meat Processor Corporation as well as a range of industry sponsors.
Caption: The ICMJ 2025 Australian team: Coach Macky Lawrence, Angus Brennand, Nicholas Greenwood, Ben Spackman, Sophie Marriott, Madison Luke, coach Aimee Bolton and coach Ellie Hays.