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22/11/2022
Growing up amongst the bustling urban sprawl of western Sydney is a far cry from a rural childhood, but it didn’t diminish Dylan Fox’s life-long passion for ag, and this keen young academic has now ventured beyond the Great Dividing Range for career opportunities.
Currently completing a Masters of Animal Science majoring in Production Animal Science at the University of Queensland, 23 year-old Dylan is now even closer to his career goals thanks to a $15,000 Rabo Tertiary Pathways Scholarship.
Admitting to a ‘typical’ urban upbringing in Penrith, he said both his parents grew up in the city, with little connection to agriculture.
However it was his grandparent’s 2.5 hectare permaculture property, where they often held weddings and events, that ignited his interest in plants and soil.
“I’d often help my grandmother prepare the garden, and we lived there briefly while our house was being built – there was just so much more space, and to me it always felt like home.”
Attending Xavier College, Llandilo, the school’s agricultural program nurtured his passion, and he specifically credits his two ag teachers, Danielle Alexander and Justine Phillips for encouraging him into pursuing ag as a career option.
“The school raised cattle which we would show at the Royal Easter Show, and we were fortunate to participate in the UniSteer Competition run by Western Sydney University which gave us an animal and 100 days of feed, so we could prepare them for the show.”
From chickens to sheep and cows, Dylan said he much preferred to spend his lunch breaks feeding the animals than on the school playground.
“Mrs Alexander and Ms Phillips were my true agricultural champions, and I attribute them for my passion for agriculture. I loved high school because of their dedication to agriculture, teaching and their students, school didn’t feel like work, it felt like fun and I knew that’s what I wanted for my future studies and career ahead.”
During Year 11, Dylan participated in the Exceptional Merit Pathway offered by Western Sydney University, through which he was offered guaranteed entry into the Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture and Food security degree, which he commenced in 2017.
After school Dylan embarked on a degree in animal production from what was formerly the Hawkesbury Ag College, and his penchant veered towards the research side of agriculture.
“My final project focussed on cortisol assessment in merino fleece, and not long after finishing my project, my supervisor and mentor – Dr Edward Narayan – left for a role as Senior Lecturer of Animal Science at the University of Queensland.
Such was Dylan’s admiration for, and friendship with, Dr Narayan, it wasn’t long before he followed him to Queensland to embark upon his Masters at UQ’s Gatton Campus.
Now, as part of the Rabo Graduate Program, Dylan has the opportunity to present a research project, with support from Rabobank resources such as staff expertise and research, and has chosen to explore non-invasive assessment of hormones from fleece, and the influence of climate, particularly temperature, on wool quality.
“My short-term focus is in research, and trying to provide farmers with the breakthroughs they require to maximise the efficiency of their enterprises – so this opportunity signifies a genuine and meaningful stepping stone into this field.”
The scholarship also enables Dylan to spend a day a fortnight in the Toowoomba branch, where he has the opportunity to gain unique insight into the operations, culture and career opportunities within the bank.
“Before being awarded the scholarship I was actively searching for employment, however, I am now able to focus on maximising the research opportunity I’ve been provided,” Dylan said. “I’ve also acquired a sense of responsibility to ensure my project is run fairly and to ensure we assess our research question accurately.”
In the longer term, Dylan is considering a PhD, but in light of agriculture’s broad scope, the challenge remains pinpointing a specific field of study.
“So much of the sector interests me – from digital technology on-farm, to animal nutrition to education – it’s hard to choose one dedicated topic!”
His opportunity at Rabobank, he believed, enabled him to gain further exposure to different elements of agriculture, and he was particularly interested in Rabobank’s sustainability team.
“I’ve always enjoyed creating and testing new methodologies, so regenerative agriculture and the calculation of carbon credits is a really exciting space.”
“The technological advancements being gained through the tracking of livestock are also increasing on-farm efficiency enormously, and I have a real interest in the economics of a rural enterprise and how this technology contributes to increased profitability.”
Ultimately, he felt teaching would be part of his career course, whether it be at a high school or university level, enabling him to ‘pay it forward’ after his own ag teachers were so pivotal in his personal and career development.
And despite diving head first into a rural career, he admits there are times when he still feels very much the city boy.
“We travelled out to Dirranbandi recently and I was warned we’d have no internet, but I couldn’t quite believe it until it cut out – these are the things my city friends really wouldn’t be able to comprehend – and in the scheme of things Dirranbandi isn’t even that remote!”