Managing Director and Senior Consultant

With over 25 years experience in the agriculture and agribusiness sector Peter has developed a rare combination of skills capable of encompassing wide ranging issues from the physical, financial and marketing to personal concerns facing today’s rural sector. This, together with an effective communication style has seen him work successfully with a wide range of clients and develop an extensive network of associates and contacts across the nation.

Peter’s ability to draw together information from the global level (markets and financial trends) to in-paddock specifics about crops, pastures and soil as well as the appropriate technology provides clients with a genuine holistic perspective. Applying this accumulated knowledge and whole farm thinking to realise potential in farm businesses and the ability to support clients at every stage from plan to implementation is Peter’s strength. These fundamental principles underpin 3D-Ag’s vision of promoting positive and sustainable change in agricultural landscapes and profitability.

Background

Peter’s agricultural training began on the family wheat / sheep farm outside Forbes NSW and after a time led him to the first degree course in Agriculture at Charles Sturt University. This degree incorporated a strong ‘systems’ (holistic theory) approach to agriculture and including subjects from agronomy to extension communication. Since graduating Peter’s expertise has been honed by exposure to both public and private enterprise including NSW Agriculture, the national accounting firm, Bird Cameron and most recently his own consulting businesses – M.O.R.E. and now 3D-Ag.

Peter’s flair for original thinking and practical approach to delivery of farmer information made him an effective and respected District Agronomist during his time with NSW Department of Agriculture. Based initially at Griffith and then Jerilderie his districts covered both dryland and irrigated cropping. Beyond the day to day agronomic extension work a significant contribution during this period was the design and development of the highly successful Grain $ense, grain marketing workshop program. Grain $ense was the first of its kind in Australia to integrate production with market risk – educating farmers in how to minimise the volatility of production and price through sound risk management.

The topic of price risk management continues to evolve with workshops adapted to suit the audience including those in other states. Peter continues to design and deliver practical farmer training as areas of need are identified – more recently combining with wife, Hazel to devise Managing Herbicide Resistance and initiating the ‘Learning from the Land’ soils series of workshops with 3D-Ag partner and soil scientist, Phil Mulvey.

As Bird Cameron’s first appointed Rural Management consultant in the Eastern States Peter’s responsibilities extended beyond the local Wagga area where he was based, to consulting with Bird Cameron practices in Victoria, SA, WA as well as NSW. This demonstrates that the fundamentals of the whole farm philosophy Peter has developed can usefully be employed in different environments.

The combination of Peter’s financial and agronomic skills and understanding has seen him called on as an expert witness as well as utilised by corporate agriculture to conduct feasibility studies on large scale property purchases including associated capital investment strategies and performance assessments on existing multi-million dollar property investments.

In 1998, in association with wife, Hazel, Peter founded M.O.R.E. Together, they were determined to deliver genuine whole farm advice believing that integrating all elements of the farm business into planning and decision making made for better, more sustainable outcomes.

M.O.R.E. developed a good track record with its select farm family clients working with all members of the family to help them achieve their goals.

Peter and Hazel also undertook assignments for groups, corporate bodies and government agencies conducting needs analysis focus groups as well as a comparative analysis and feasibility study of an environmental project.

Peter’s ‘tell it like it is’ way of speaking and ability to tie together diverse topics has made him a much called upon seminar presenter and facilitator.

As principals of M.O.R.E., Peter and Hazel formed a dynamic team with a comprehensive and diverse range of skills and an understanding from the big picture to individual farm and environmental issues.

Now with an expanded team in 3D-Ag Peter and Hazel hope to extend their sphere of influence – working to build more productive and profitable businesses tailored to the individual needs of their clients in environmentally sound and sustainable ways.

Qualifications and Associations

Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture), Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga;
Member of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (AIAST) &
Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants (AAAC)
Certificate IV in workplace training & assessment.

Contact Peter McInerney