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On farm production and systems advice

Advising on soils, water, production systems and emerging farming approaches, grounded in practical farm performance.

RMCG provides practical, evidence-based advice on farm production systems, supporting farmers to improve performance, manage risk and respond to changing conditions. Our work is grounded in a strong understanding of how production systems operate in practice, across different regions, enterprises and farming approaches.

Our technical capability spans soils and land management, water and irrigation, production systems, and the integration of environmental and business considerations. We work with farmers to assess current systems, identify opportunities for improvement and support informed decision-making at both operational and strategic levels.

We apply this across a range of production systems, including horticulture, dairy, cropping and livestock, as well as emerging approaches such as protected cropping. This includes supporting the adoption of new practices, responding to climate and market pressures, and improving the efficiency and resilience of farm systems.

A key strength of our approach is linking technical advice to business outcomes. Because we work closely with farm businesses, we ensure recommendations are practical, commercially relevant and able to be implemented.

Our work includes:

  • Soil health and sustainable land management
  • Water use, irrigation and water portfolio management
  • Production systems across horticulture, dairy, cropping and livestock
  • Climate, carbon and emissions in farm systems
  • Protected cropping and emerging production approaches
  • Integration of environmental and business performance.

Team

Dr Doris Blaesing

Dr Doris Blaesing

Associate

Dipl.Ing.Agr., Dr.rer.hort.

Doris has extensive experience in agricultural business development, resource management and R&D. She has a good understanding of agricultural production systems and supply chains. Her strengths are strategy and concept development, innovative thinking, problem solving, multi-disciplinary project management and communication on all levels with a broad range of people. Doris worked in public and private research, education, export and agribusinesses.

Dan Armstrong

Dan Armstrong

Senior Consultant

B.Ag.Sci. (Hons), M.Ag.Sci. (Economics)

Dan has 25 years’ experience working in agricultural industries and previously ran his own consulting business specialising in farm business management for 11 years.  His multi-disciplinary skills, strong advisory experience and broad contacts in the agricultural industries add strengths to RMCG’s work in the agriculture sector.

 

Daryl Poole

Daryl Poole

Principal

B.Ag.Sci. (Hons), CPAg., GAICD

Daryl has over 20 years of experience is in the areas of agribusiness and farm management, particularly the dairy industry.   He has a diploma in Human Resource Management (Dairy) and can assist farming businesses with their employment practices to ensure their workforce is both effective and compliant.  Daryl also has an in depth understanding of water policy and what it means at the farm level which allows him to assist irrigation businesses develop their water risk management strategies.   Daryl has both facilitator and strategic planning experience and can assist farming businesses and organisations to achieve their goals.

Matt Shanahan

Matt Shanahan

Managing Principal

B.Tech. (Env.)

Matt has been working in the water/irrigation industry for the past 15 years, having spent the last 12 years with RMCG consulting to a range of private and government clients.  Matt has worked extensively in the field of recycled water and organics management, having prepared master plans, land capability assessments, irrigation management plans and environmental management plans for a range of clients.  He is also experienced in the development of works approval applications and undertaking technical assessments involving the management of soils, nutrients and salinity/sodicity.

Carl Larsen

Carl Larsen

Principal

B.Env.Sci., B.Soc.Sci. (Env.), PG.Cert.CCPI.

Carl is a socio-environmental scientist with 15 years’ experience in planning, delivery and evaluation of agriculture and natural resource management programs, integrated water management, climate change and stakeholder engagement. He understands the practical implications of policy and science on communities and agriculture. Carl has worked with a range of government departments, resource management agencies, research and development corporations, private organisations and communities around Australia on catchment management, sustainable water use, resource management in agriculture/horticulture, land use, climate change, strategic planning, industry development, extension and practice change.

Clinton Muller

Clinton Muller

Senior Consultant

M.Sust.Ag., B.Bus. (Hons), B.A.

Clinton has extensive experience in sustainable agriculture, with a specialist focus on horticulture and intensive production systems. With a strong agricultural industry focus, Clinton has worked across a range of agricultural commodities and natural resource management issues in Australia and internationally.  Clinton’s diverse range of capacities including program design and management, stakeholder engagement, partnership management, monitoring evaluation and reporting, extension, facilitation, action research and science communication.

Dr Kristen Stirling

Dr Kristen Stirling

Associate

PhD., B.Ag.Sci.

Kristen is an experienced researcher and industry development specialist. She successfully combines project management skills and technical expertise to deliver projects in agriculture and water related industries. She enjoys working with landholders and large organizations to inform and clarify decision-making. Areas of expertise include strategic planning, stakeholder consultation and program evaluation.

Donna Lucas

Donna Lucas

Principal

B.App.Sci. (Hons)

Donna is an agricultural consultant with experience in business management, research and extension. She is adaptable with an ability to contribute to projects at a strategic level.
Donna has specialist knowledge in workforce development and planning, resource recovery, carbon farming, greenhouse gas/carbon accounting and project evaluation. Her strengths include driving execution, building connections and problem solving.

Dr Anne-Maree Boland

Dr Anne-Maree Boland

Associate

PhD., B.Ag.Sci.

Anne-Maree has 25 years’ experience in dealing with natural resource and water management in agricultural industries. This has included research and development and consulting in the areas of sustainable management practices, water use efficiency, recycled water and environmental management systems. Anne-Maree has been a Non-Executive Director for GWRDC and IAL, is a Churchill Fellow and recipient of the University of Melbourne Chancellors Prize. She has extensive experience as a knowledge broker and establishing partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups including government, water and agricultural industries.

Charles Thompson

Charles Thompson

Senior Fellow

B.Sci. (Ag.) (Hons), CPAg.

Charles has 20 years consulting experience and over 25 years’ experience in farm business and natural resource management. This includes water quality, salinity, irrigation, drainage, horticulture, community consultation and extension. His special fields of competence technical resource assessment; extension and advisory services to horticulture and agriculture; nutrients and water quality; and benchmarking horticultural enterprise management.

Sasha Brightman

Sasha Brightman

Consultant

BA., MPAGovtMgt., GradCertAgBus (current)

Sasha has a background in protected area governance and management with a focus on planning, leadership and change management, ecosystem conservation and reserve system design. She has supported the delivery of virtual and in-person Healthy Country Planning and Conservation Standards (adaptive management frameworks for natural resource and community led planning) workshops in Australia, Timor Leste and Canada, has experience in project reporting and information analysis, and the creation of strategic, monitoring and operational plans.

Lauren Jones

Lauren Jones

Consultant

B.Bus.

Lauren is a highly capable consultant with strong attention to detail and excellent communication and organisational skills. She has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) with a major in Agribusiness, and wants to utilise her skills and experience to help environmental and agricultural businesses grow.

 

Jedidiah Clark

Jedidiah Clark

Consultant

B.Comm/Ag.Sci (Financial Management)

Jed is skilled and experienced in high-impact interventions that cut across coordination and culture challenges. He has a broad range of experience across agriculture, community engagement and sales, with people-focused skills to excel in any planning and goal-driven environment.

Tayla Field

Tayla Field

Consultant

B.Ag.Sci. (Hons), Dip.Hort.Bus.

Tayla is an agricultural scientist with over 8 years’ experience across farming, manufacturing and FMCG account management. She has worked within a range of food supply chains in various management positions within the agriculture sector including across dairy, meat, fresh fruit and vegetable produce and had a strong relationship with growers and producers nationally. Through these experiences, she has developed a well rounded view of a range of agricultural industries and supply chains. Tayla is undertaking the VegNET Tasmania regional development officer role, delivering extension and technology transfer to the vegetable industry.

Prudence Rothwell

Prudence Rothwell

Consultant

B.Env.(Env.Sci). MFSG

Prue is driven by working collaboratively to design practical solutions to complex challenges across the intersections of agriculture, environment and community. With experience in project management, action-based research and workshop facilitation, Prue recognises the importance of strong farmer engagement, building trusted relationships and knowledge sharing pathways. Her positionality is influenced by her family dairy farm upbringing in Northern Victoria during the millennium drought, with a desire to see improved resilience and sustainability of both landscapes and farming businesses in the face of a changing climate. Prue is committed to supporting First Nations food sovereignty initiatives and self-determination.

Ossie Lang

Ossie Lang

Consultant

B.Ag.Sci., Cert IV Project Management

Ossie provides project delivery and technical capability. His key areas of expertise are in farming systems, data management, client and supplier relations, logistics and business support. He is the VegNET Tasmania regional development officer for the vegetable industry, delivering extension and technology transfer to the vegetable industry.

Jake Gaudion

Jake Gaudion

Consultant

B.Sc. (Ag.Sci), M.Ag.Sci. (Food Sustainability)

Jake is a driven Master of Agriculture Science graduate passionate about the interaction between agriculture, the environment and communities across the world. He is eager to utilise his agricultural, scientific, social and natural resource management knowledge to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Jake developed a strong passion for agriculture during his studies, particularly the environmental aspects of food production. He has a comprehensive understanding of the importance of improving efficiency of food production to improve overall sustainability

Jesse Clune

Jesse Clune

Consultant

B.Ag. (Hons)

Jesse is committed to improving the sustainability of the Australian agricultural sector and recognises agriculture can play a vital role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, without impacting farm bottom lines. They are passionate about using their knowledge of soils, pest management and data analysis to improve outcomes for farmers and the environment. This is reflected in their research, which has explored novel biofertilisers and sustainable solutions to pest slugs.

Jesse is an early career consultant with technical proficiencies in quantitative data analysis and visualisation, soil sampling and management, pest slug management and report writing. They have been involved in RD&E plan reviews and strategic planning to increase industry engagement.

Tushar Ramesh

Tushar Ramesh

Consultant

B.Ag. (Sci), Cert III in Agriculture

A graduate of Bachelor of Agriculture (Science), Tushar is passionate about supporting Australian agriculture and addressing the sector’s key challenges. Through his university and work experience, Tushar has actively engaged with industry initiatives including the Murray Goulburn Climate Leadership and Jobs Summit, GIAV Crop Tour and Riverine Plains RDC events. As part of the Wattle Fellowship, he developed a three-day farm tour connecting urban students with primary producers.

Tushar brings a strong collaborative approach, with over seven years’ experience volunteering with Victoria State Emergency Service, demonstrating the ability to work effectively in teams, respond to time-critical situations and engage professionally with a range of stakeholders.