From her home office about two hours outside of Sydney, Kiri Broad is overseeing a project that is changing the way red meat supply chains operate.
She works for one of Australia's largest retailers, optimising data systems to improve traceability in proteins.
Working alongside data experts and IT analysts, Ms Broad gives her team a valuable perspective and first-hand knowledge about the practical realities of the supply chain.
In support of National Agriculture Day, the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association, or ICMJ, is challenging Australians to consider a career in agriculture by sharing stories of their 'Agventures'.
Ms Broad is the national treasurer of ICMJ, a not-for-profit organisation set up to attract graduates to careers in the red meat industry.
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Her 'agventure' began in a small dairy town in regional NSW where she was offered a casual job milking cows on the weekend after a local dairy farmer heard she was studying agriculture at high school.
"It was way better than serving in a café - that was the other main option in my hometown," she said.
She went on to study animal science at university and later lived on a research station in far north Queensland, took up various livestock advisor roles in outback Queensland and worked for Australia's second largest meat processor before landing her current role in project management with Woolworths.
Ms Broad said her early experiences in agriculture opened her eyes to the huge variety of careers available.
She now works with ICMJ to encourage other young professionals and students to pursue a career in the red meat industry.
"A lot of people think working in agriculture means being on a farm or a farming consultant or that you have to live in a rural area, but that's not the case," she said.
"There are so many different jobs in agriculture and they can be in the city or wherever you want to be."
Ms Broad said the most important piece of advice for young people embarking on a career in agriculture was to say 'yes' to opportunities.
"Don't be afraid to jump straight out of uni and go and work somewhere like the Northern Territory," she said.
"Those early-career experiences are invaluable and will take you places you might not expect."
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