The Weekly Grill

S2 Ep 28: Red meat industry’s R&D challenge, with MLA’s Mick Crowley

This week the Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with Mick Crowley, Meat & Livestock Australia's general manager for research, development and adoption.

In a wide ranging interview, the pair discuss the prioritisation and allocation of industry funds to R&D, and the industry service delivery company's focus on 'Fewer, bigger, bolder," R&D projects.

They also drill into some of the specific newer research targets, such as the examination of delivery systems for methane inhibiting compounds to cattle being run in extensive paddock applications.

 

S2 Ep 27: Beef chef and social media sensation, Andy Hearnden

This week the Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with Andy Hearnden, executive chef with beef processor Kilcoy Global Foods in Queensland.

Operating from Kilcoy's sparkling new commercial test kitchen located near Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Andy (pictured) has become something of a social media sensation, produced a suite of inspiring and motivating video clips encouraging young chefs and keen home cooks to push the boundaries in how they select, prepare and cook red meat cuts.

He currently has 2.7 million followers on Instagram, 2.4 million followers on TikTok, and 1.22 million followers on Youtube.

Andy worked at a number of Melbourne restaurant institutions, including Entrecôte in Melbourne’s CBD and Gill’s Diner. Earlier, the New Zealand native also completed a six-year stint in England working across some of London’s trendiest restaurants in Notting Hill and Shoreditch.

While Kilcoy’s own high quality beef brands are clearly evident in some of the videos, the content is far from brand-specific, and is designed simply to celebrate quality meat in general. Some of his videos have had more than two million views. How has he done it?

 

 

S2 Ep 26: Low Stress Stock Handling co-founder, Jim Lindsay

This week the Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan catches up with Jim Lindsay, one of the three co-founders of the Low Stress Stock Handling movement.

 

Over the past 30 years, Jim and his collaborators Graeme Rees and the late Rod Knight have delivered hundreds of LSS courses across Australia, imprinting thousands of beef producers with better understanding about work cattle. Some grazing families have now had three generations of members through an LSS course.

Few, if any programs have had as much direct impact on animal welfare, human welfare, productivity and stretching scarce labour resourcing than LSS.

S2 Ep 25: QLD Livestock Exporters Association president, Greg Pankhurst

While The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan was at the Brisbane Ekka he caught up with Greg Pankhurst.

In a wide ranging interview, Kerry spoke to the Qld Livestock Exporters Association president about the current markets, FMD, impacts on exports, plus what that means for Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Brazil... and more.

S2 Ep 24: NTCA President, David Connolly

This week, The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan ventured out to the Brisbane Ekka to turn up the heat on NTCA President and Tipperary Group GM, David Connolly.

 

 

 

 

S2 Ep 23: Chris Howie & Matt Dalgleish on the rapidly changing cattle market

This week, The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on our regular cattle market commentators, Chris Howie from Stockco, and Matt Dalgleish from Thomas Elder Markets.

There have been some dramatic movements in the Australian store and slaughter cattle markets since the trio last came together in June.

How much of it is driven by producer anxiety over the potential risk of BSE incursion? How much is due to normal mid-winter turnoff after frost, or financial management of cattle turnoff due to big tax bills leading up to June 30? Is the competitive pressure in international beef markets from the US, which is currently experiencing serious drought, have anything to do with it?

Matt and Chris answer these, and other questions around the current slide in cattle prices, and what lies ahead.

S2 Ep 22: Kimberley Meat Co chief, David Larkin

This week, The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on industry identity David Larkin, head of the Kimberley Meat Co processing business near Broome.

 

How has this year's decline in live export activity out of northern Australia impacted Australia's most remote beef processing establishment? Is the labour access issue any different than it is for processors in more heavily populated areas? David answers these, and many other questions.

 

S2 Ep 21: Beef Central’s ’Man on the ground’ in Indonesia, Ross Ainsworth

The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week turns up the heat on Beef Central's 'Man on the ground' in Indonesia, Dr Ross Ainsworth.

Dr Ross steps through the rapidly escalating crisis across the Indonesian archipelago, as it pushes closer to Australia in the tourism hot-spot of Bali.

What more can we do to mitigate risk to the Australian beef herd and sheep flock?

S2 Ep 20: Queensland beef processor, Trevor Lee

The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week turns up the heat on veteran Queensland red meat processor, Trevor Lee.

Trevor is the founder of Australian Country Choice, which operates a massive vertically-integrated beef supply chain stretching from breeding and backgrounding cattle to lotfeeding, processing and meat sales into a wide range of export and domestic markets.

Among other topics, the pair discuss the dramatic changes and challenges now facing the red meat processing industry, and how ACC has evolved over the years, including the development of a large Wagyu operation since 2020.

S2 Ep 19: Working dog legend, Frank Finger

The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan this week turns up the heat on Central Queensland working dog legend, Frank Finger.

Fresh from his appearances on ABC TV's Working Dogs series Frank

Besides running his property – west of Clermont in central Queensland – Finger has decades of experience raising and training working dogs. He started a dog training school in 1995, which his sons and daughters now run. Unlike noisy quad bikes and deafening helicopters, dogs can also keep cows and sheep calm; as Finger says: “Dogs take the rattle out of the cattle.”