5 Minutes with Danielle England

This month our member in focus is the wonderful Danielle England from AgInnovate.

This month our member in focus is the wonderful Danielle England from AgInnovate.
Aginnovate is a national team of extension specialists enabling change in agricultural industries. They link farmers, researchers, consultants and agribusiness to help make change happen. Danielle is a Limestone Coast based extension specialist and project manager working with AWI, GRDC & MLA in the mixed farming topics.

1/ Who is Danielle?

Hi. I am Danielle England. I married a Keilira farmer 21 years ago, and have been living on and off the Limestone Coast since then. I grew up on a grain and sheep property in Western Australia; and studied Agribusiness Marketing at Curtin University. Living and working professionally in regional Australia is a big part of who I am.

2/ What are the main professional areas you have worked in over the years ?

Over the past 20 years I have developed a national reputation for design, delivery and training in agricultural extension, training, leadership and change management. AgInnovate has consultants based across Australia delivering a range agricultural related projects. I have worked for all of the major rural research organisations, and have national networks across Australia’s major agricultural industries.

In early 2020 I started Black Island Produce; growing fresh, local, seasonal vegetables for Limestone Coast families. The vegetables sit alongside our grains and sheep enterprises at Keilira, and delivers boxes of vegetables to families across the Limestone Coast.

 3/ What is the biggest challenge you have faced professionally or personally?

The biggest challenge for me personally was the loss of my father to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2018. Dad’s illness highlighted to me the importance of family time. While he was ill we spent a lot of time together just watching footy, reading the paper or having a coffee. These moments in time will live in my heart forever, and have shown me that it is often these small snippets of life that are the most important. It is not the big flashy gifts, or the sacrifices of life, but time together, just enjoying each other’s company.

4/ What is your favourite place to visit in the Limestone Coast & Western Victoria area?

The Lions doughnut van at Beachport during summer. We love to team the fresh doughnuts with a local coffee and enjoy the view. A great community initiative.

5/ Do you have any recommendations for our members to  take away ?

Today’s workplaces mean that as a professional woman you can live and work anywhere; with home offices inexpensive to establish and maintain. This was not something that has always been available to me throughout my career; but all AgInnovate consultants work out of a home office, and have done so for about 8 years. This means that I get to live in, and contribute to, my rural community, whilst maintaining my professional career and upskilling when necessary. It also means that my family has enjoyed farm life and small country communities as they have grown up.

If you are a new professional you have a great opportunity to develop your career wherever ‘you are planted’. Create your networks, trust in your knowledge, experience and skills. Your professional world can be as big as you’d like it to be.