September 16, 2025 • 6 mins
Wairarapa farmer and high-profile leader in agribusiness who successfully lobbied the Government for a change of tune around agriculture in the school curriculum. He is also the founder of the Zanda McDonald Awards, which will be inducted into the Australian Stockman Hall of Fame next week.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's head to the wire wrapp up. He's one of
the people who were chewing the airs of those in
high places to get in about turn to get egg
back onto school curriculums. But before we do that, Shane mcmanaway,
what's your favorite Robert Redford movie? You're a bit of
a Robert Redford look alike. There you go.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, Jamie, I'm not too sure what movies are like,
to be quite honest, but I quite like the song
rain Drops are falling on your head. But somebody didn't
say to me once I looked a bit like him,
but I think that was really really late at night,
after somebody there probably had too many drinks.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I think, well, you need some rain drops to keep
falling on your head in the wire Rapper. In fact,
the east coast of both islands are now starting to
get dangerously dry, but a tad dry.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, we grasp. Growth is pretty slow here. We could
do with the rain, and looks like we might get
a bit off the hills tonight, but it's quite cold.
I think the ground temperature is about nine to ten
degrees so we're not quite there ready for our spring
flush at the stage, but I hope it turns up
pretty soon, Jamie, because we're out out buying cattle, and
(01:02):
that they'll need something to eat when they turn up.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Did you find a gold mine on your farm.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Shane, No, but I guess we've got heaps going out
going out the gates, so you've got to keep bringing
them back in. That's all relative, Jamie. But I've just
unloaded twenty good Angus steers this morning and they came
from up north. They look pretty good, so I think
you've got to keep in the game.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Absolutely. And the thing about beef is the prospects for
beef in particular, of all of our primary sector sectors,
I've got too many sectors in that sentence. I think
beef's looking the strongest of the whole lot for in
the medium term anyhow, short to medium term.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. It looks really, really promising,
and you know it takes It's really lifted the spirits
of our farmers around here, and I guess up and
down the country as well, Jamie, So long may it continue?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Now, who is my old mate, Grant mcnahal, who'll be
taking credit for changing the Prime Minister and the Minister
of Education's mind Erica Stanford. But who to theirs.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, I think there were a number of us, but
I guess I need to acknowledge Carry Allen, who's the
Agri Business in Schools director. She's done a fabulous job.
She grabbed hold of it and she's got a lot
of contacts and obviously very passionate about this particular area
in education. Jamie and I got stuck in on the
Friday afternoon and rattled a few cages and I actually
(02:22):
got a text from the head person of Ministry of
Education Alan MacGregor Reed, who contacted me over the weekend
and wanted a call, which was really really good that
they were reaching out to see if they could have
a chat, which they did, and I've spoken to her
probably three or four times since the announcement went back out.
But I guess what was a very bad decision in
the first instance, but it's turned around and it's probably
(02:45):
out of some bads come some good. But what it
did demonstrate, Jamie is I don't know that we've got
a good voice into those places like the Ministry of Education.
We've got a lot of people doing a lot of stuff,
but were fragmented and they were really keen to talk
to us. So I think we've now set up a
better communication platform. So let's hope that doesn't happen again.
In fact of anything, let's hope that we can leverage
(03:07):
and even get a better position out of it.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Now, remind me, carry Allen, she it's a she, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah? Okay? And isn't she in charge of EGG and
Saint Paul's. St. Peter's helped me out here. Yeah. St.
Paul's yep. Yeah, Well that's I mean, there's some schools
around the country. Saint Paul's is one, a Mount Albert
Graham is another, fielding yet another. The schools that are
really doing a great job on EGG and schools around
(03:34):
the country.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Up and down the country. Now, Jamie, there are I've
been speaking at a couple of the schools here in
the wire, but at their assemblies about I guess they
asked me to come and talk about my journey and
how agriculture is. Agriculture has served me throughout my career.
And you know, I get so many of the young
guys and girls coming up afterwards who are just so
keen to get into it, and they just need to
(03:57):
know more about it and even from our little toddle
at five. They need to know where their food comes from,
so that they know where milk comes from, where their
meat comes from. We need to be teaching it at
a very very early age because I think we're losing
a lot of that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
You are the founder, or you were the founder of
the Zander McDonald Awards. Next week they awards are going
to be inducted into the Australian Stockman Hall of Fame.
That must be a very proud moment for you.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, Jamie, that is eleven years old our award, and
you know and Xander it was a well known figure
in Australia, but certainly in Queensland and longreach being in
queens And it's a really special place. And they reached
out and asked if we could have the trophy, the
bronze trophy that I had made eleven years ago inducted
and inducted into there. So we're going up to an
(04:46):
event up there, Don and Chris, that's sound as Mum
and Dad and Julie so Ander's wife will be there.
It'll be a really really neat occasion. And I guess
it just shows you where that award is now where
it sits in terms of its prestigious position. It's certainly
in Australia, but also here in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Excuse my geographical ignorance. Where's long reach?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It's a bloody long way west at Brisbane, Jamie, but
it's about three hours in a polatas PC twelve or
two and a half hours, which we're going to be
flying up in because Piladas are one of our key
sponsors for the Xander McDonald Awards, so we won't be
roughing it getting up there.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm sure you won't be. If you're passionate about making
a difference in agriculture in Australia or New Zealand and
your age between twenty one and thirty five years of age,
you can apply for this year's Xander McDonald Awards, which
will be announced next year. I think your conference is
in christ Church, so entries open for that on October
(05:41):
the first, but you've only got a month. Yep.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Absolutely, Jamie. I would absolutely ask anybody that thinks who's
keen to have a look at it to go and
get on our website, have a look and apply because
it can be life changing. It has been life changing
for those that have been involved in it, not only
the winners but the finalists. You know, absolutely allows you
into a network of people right across Australasia, one hundred
(06:04):
and fifty of the movers and shakers in the primary
production sector and you get the key to the door
of their farms and they are very keen to help
and support. So it's an incredible award and one that
I'm incredibly proud of and.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So you should be. Shane mcmanaway, congratulations not only on
that but also chewing some me is along with a
lot of other key people and an egg to get
a bit of about turn on egg in our school curriculum.
Long mate, continue to thrive, eh.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
He here Jamie, thank very much and.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I hope you get some rain.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, thank you.
Let's head to the wire wrapp up. He's one of
the people who were chewing the airs of those in
high places to get in about turn to get egg
back onto school curriculums. But before we do that, Shane mcmanaway,
what's your favorite Robert Redford movie? You're a bit of
a Robert Redford look alike. There you go.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, Jamie, I'm not too sure what movies are like,
to be quite honest, but I quite like the song
rain Drops are falling on your head. But somebody didn't
say to me once I looked a bit like him,
but I think that was really really late at night,
after somebody there probably had too many drinks.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I think, well, you need some rain drops to keep
falling on your head in the wire Rapper. In fact,
the east coast of both islands are now starting to
get dangerously dry, but a tad dry.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, we grasp. Growth is pretty slow here. We could
do with the rain, and looks like we might get
a bit off the hills tonight, but it's quite cold.
I think the ground temperature is about nine to ten
degrees so we're not quite there ready for our spring
flush at the stage, but I hope it turns up
pretty soon, Jamie, because we're out out buying cattle, and
(01:02):
that they'll need something to eat when they turn up.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Did you find a gold mine on your farm.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Shane, No, but I guess we've got heaps going out
going out the gates, so you've got to keep bringing
them back in. That's all relative, Jamie. But I've just
unloaded twenty good Angus steers this morning and they came
from up north. They look pretty good, so I think
you've got to keep in the game.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Absolutely. And the thing about beef is the prospects for
beef in particular, of all of our primary sector sectors,
I've got too many sectors in that sentence. I think
beef's looking the strongest of the whole lot for in
the medium term anyhow, short to medium term.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. It looks really, really promising,
and you know it takes It's really lifted the spirits
of our farmers around here, and I guess up and
down the country as well, Jamie, So long may it continue?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Now, who is my old mate, Grant mcnahal, who'll be
taking credit for changing the Prime Minister and the Minister
of Education's mind Erica Stanford. But who to theirs.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, I think there were a number of us, but
I guess I need to acknowledge Carry Allen, who's the
Agri Business in Schools director. She's done a fabulous job.
She grabbed hold of it and she's got a lot
of contacts and obviously very passionate about this particular area
in education. Jamie and I got stuck in on the
Friday afternoon and rattled a few cages and I actually
(02:22):
got a text from the head person of Ministry of
Education Alan MacGregor Reed, who contacted me over the weekend
and wanted a call, which was really really good that
they were reaching out to see if they could have
a chat, which they did, and I've spoken to her
probably three or four times since the announcement went back out.
But I guess what was a very bad decision in
the first instance, but it's turned around and it's probably
(02:45):
out of some bads come some good. But what it
did demonstrate, Jamie is I don't know that we've got
a good voice into those places like the Ministry of Education.
We've got a lot of people doing a lot of stuff,
but were fragmented and they were really keen to talk
to us. So I think we've now set up a
better communication platform. So let's hope that doesn't happen again.
In fact of anything, let's hope that we can leverage
(03:07):
and even get a better position out of it.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Now, remind me, carry Allen, she it's a she, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah? Okay? And isn't she in charge of EGG and
Saint Paul's. St. Peter's helped me out here. Yeah. St.
Paul's yep. Yeah, Well that's I mean, there's some schools
around the country. Saint Paul's is one, a Mount Albert
Graham is another, fielding yet another. The schools that are
really doing a great job on EGG and schools around
(03:34):
the country.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Up and down the country. Now, Jamie, there are I've
been speaking at a couple of the schools here in
the wire, but at their assemblies about I guess they
asked me to come and talk about my journey and
how agriculture is. Agriculture has served me throughout my career.
And you know, I get so many of the young
guys and girls coming up afterwards who are just so
keen to get into it, and they just need to
(03:57):
know more about it and even from our little toddle
at five. They need to know where their food comes from,
so that they know where milk comes from, where their
meat comes from. We need to be teaching it at
a very very early age because I think we're losing
a lot of that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
You are the founder, or you were the founder of
the Zander McDonald Awards. Next week they awards are going
to be inducted into the Australian Stockman Hall of Fame.
That must be a very proud moment for you.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, Jamie, that is eleven years old our award, and
you know and Xander it was a well known figure
in Australia, but certainly in Queensland and longreach being in
queens And it's a really special place. And they reached
out and asked if we could have the trophy, the
bronze trophy that I had made eleven years ago inducted
and inducted into there. So we're going up to an
(04:46):
event up there, Don and Chris, that's sound as Mum
and Dad and Julie so Ander's wife will be there.
It'll be a really really neat occasion. And I guess
it just shows you where that award is now where
it sits in terms of its prestigious position. It's certainly
in Australia, but also here in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Excuse my geographical ignorance. Where's long reach?
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It's a bloody long way west at Brisbane, Jamie, but
it's about three hours in a polatas PC twelve or
two and a half hours, which we're going to be
flying up in because Piladas are one of our key
sponsors for the Xander McDonald Awards, so we won't be
roughing it getting up there.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm sure you won't be. If you're passionate about making
a difference in agriculture in Australia or New Zealand and
your age between twenty one and thirty five years of age,
you can apply for this year's Xander McDonald Awards, which
will be announced next year. I think your conference is
in christ Church, so entries open for that on October
(05:41):
the first, but you've only got a month. Yep.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Absolutely, Jamie. I would absolutely ask anybody that thinks who's
keen to have a look at it to go and
get on our website, have a look and apply because
it can be life changing. It has been life changing
for those that have been involved in it, not only
the winners but the finalists. You know, absolutely allows you
into a network of people right across Australasia, one hundred
(06:04):
and fifty of the movers and shakers in the primary
production sector and you get the key to the door
of their farms and they are very keen to help
and support. So it's an incredible award and one that
I'm incredibly proud of and.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
So you should be. Shane mcmanaway, congratulations not only on
that but also chewing some me is along with a
lot of other key people and an egg to get
a bit of about turn on egg in our school curriculum.
Long mate, continue to thrive, eh.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
He here Jamie, thank very much and.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I hope you get some rain.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, thank you.
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