AGRIBUSINESS Advisory Board member Brendon Smart opened his farm gates last month, taking several of his fellow board members and international students from the university's Global Food Studies program on a tour of his farm south of Keith.
For most, if not all, of the students - hailing from China, Ghana, India, Kenya and Mozambique - the visit was their first to an Australian farm. The sheer size of the Smarts' operation - covering 5900 hectares - was an eye-opener, with many properties in the students' home countries covering 1ha or less.
The concept of growing lucerne seed was also new, with the African visitors working with the cocoa, coffee and cashew nut industries back home. In addition to marvelling at the solar-powered irrigation infrastructure, flourishing lucerne crops and grain silos, the students were also fascinated by the Smarts' self-propelled boomspray and other farm machinery.
Joining them on the tour were AAB members Jerry Adams, Darren Arney, Peter Michell and Ed Peter, with everyone keen to learn more about the corporate approach the Smart family has applied to their SmartGroup farming enterprise for the past two decades.
The students were completing a two-year Masters of Global Food and Agricultural Business course offered at the university as part of its Global Food Studies program. About 60 students are enrolled in the course, with 25 countries represented.