“We can talk about it all we want in the classroom but actually looking at the results and seeing how it can impact the growth and the market specs and everything after the beast is processed, is really good for us. It provides such a good understanding of how the process works, and in terms of the market Wagyu represent, it’s huge. Australia are such big producers of beef throughout the world, so it’s pretty important.” In the future, Anna would like to explore animal nutrition and says the visit to Grassdale Feedlot has exposed the breadth of opportunities available to her.

The 18 strong cohort will be investigating the company’s Wagyu Pellet Feeding Trial, where the students will monitor the performance of a newly designed stockfeed pellet specifically targeting Wagyu cattle, over 30 days. Anna Hume is a student participating in the initiative, whose interest in agriculture has been inspired by a strong involvement in her family’s cattle grazing enterprise, dating back 6 generations. “I’ve always loved being involved in agriculture, growing up producing cattle, and I’ve got a horse or 2 at home. It’s always been an interest of mine.” Anna believes taking her research out of the classroom and into a feedlot is essential to her learning experience.

“We can talk about it all we want in the classroom but actually looking at the results and seeing how it can impact the growth and the market specs and everything after the beast is processed, is really good for us. It provides such a good understanding of how the process works, and in terms of the market Wagyu represent, it’s huge. Australia are such big producers of beef throughout the world, so it’s pretty important.” In the future, Anna would like to explore animal nutrition and says the visit to Grassdale Feedlot has exposed the breadth of opportunities available to her.