High achiever Sarah Gatenby joins TFGA in policy role

Sarah Gatenby, only the second woman to be named Tasmanian Young Farmer of the Year, this week joined the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association in a new policy and commodities role.

Sarah, 24, takes over the responsibilities of policy manager Catherine Murdoch, who is taking maternity leave, and also assumes responsibility for the TFGA meat and agriculture councils.

At the same time, she will be working towards the completion of her master’s degree in agriculture science, studying the profitability drivers of beef production in Tasmania. She graduated with a bachelor of agricultural science honours degree in 2006.

She was named Tasmanian Young Farmer of the Year in 2008.

TFGA chief executive Chris Oldfield welcomed Ms Gatenby’s appointment, saying she was already a leader among the state’s young farmers and a woman dedicated to their welfare.

“Sarah is going to be a real asset to the association,” he said.

No relation of TFGA president David Gatenby, Sarah grew up on a small farm in the Huon Valley but is now his near neighbour. She lives on a farm in the northern midlands.

“I have always had a passion for agriculture and farming,” Sarah said, “even though the family farm in the Huon Valley was only 26 acres.

“This job with the TFGA offers the opportunity to work with producers and industry to further develop agriculture in Tasmania.

“The work I’ll be doing in this position will be varied and being involved in both the policy and the commodities aspect will allow me to cover a range of agricultural aspects.

“I am very much committed to ensuring that the agricultural industries both local and national are productive, profitable and sustainable into the distant future.”

Sarah’s To Do list reads:

* Save the world through ensuring adequate food and fibre is produced sustainably and in such a way that all our farmers are happy;
* Live as though you’ll die tomorrow, but farm as though you will live forever.