Humans of Agriculture

This is a special Humans of Agriculture “radio-style” episode recorded at CommBank’s Cultivate event in the Hunter Valley — bringing together voices from across the agricultural supply chain.

Across four mini-conversations, we unpack the key forces shaping modern agriculture:
  •  Innovation and ag tech adoption 
  •  Succession and family business transition 
  •  Financial strategy and risk 
  •  Market dynamics and global demand 
This episode captures the energy of the room — where farmers, advisors, innovators, and financiers are all working toward a stronger, more resilient industry.

👥 Featured Guests
  • Roddy Brown (CommBank) — Why Cultivate exists and the importance of next-generation farmers 
  • Bill Mitchell (Optiweigh) — Turning a farm frustration into a global ag tech business 
  • Glenn Calder (Viridian Financial Group) — Practical realities of succession, structure, and long-term planning 
  • Tash Greenwood (CommBank) — Supply chain insights and why there’s still strong optimism in agriculture 
🔑 Key Themes
  •  Why bringing the right people together matters more than ever 
  •  The shift from intuition to data-driven decision-making 
  •  The reality of ag tech adoption — and why effort still matters 
  •  Succession as the most important (and often avoided) conversation in farming 
  •  Structuring farm businesses for long-term success and risk management 
  •  The role of global markets and why demand for Australian agriculture remains strong 
  •  The growing importance of communication, leadership, and people
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and context from CommBank Cultivate
02:10 Roddy Brown on why Cultivate exists and next generation focus
07:20 Innovation in agriculture and the role of technology
08:10 Bill Mitchell on building Optiweigh from a farm problem
12:30 Lessons in ag tech adoption and customer-driven insights
16:30 Why succession remains agriculture’s biggest challenge
17:40 Glenn Calder on structuring farm businesses and managing risk
20:40 Practical steps to start succession and investment conversations
23:00 Empowering teams and building scalable businesses
25:50 Tash Greenwood on supply chains and market confidence
28:00 Global demand, volatility, and optimism in agriculture
30:40 Reflections on community, collaboration, and the future of ag
32:30 Final takeaways from CommBank Cultivate

Creators and Guests

OL
Host
Oli Le Lievre

What is Humans of Agriculture?

We're going behind the scenes to see and understand modern agriculture, because no matter whether you're in it or not, you probably don't know all the pieces to just how incredible, diverse and multi-layered agriculture is. We do this by uncovering the real stories, experiences and voices of modern agriculture.