They're the quirky creatures with super soft fleece, members of the camel family and often unfairly criticised for spitting. Alpacas occupy a unique corner of the agriculture industry and, one central west New South Wales farm boasts the state's largest herd. These animals have won the heart of the next generation, with young farmer Rubey Williams working on the family property and she is already turning heads as an industry leader. To learn more, Rubey Williams of Storybook Alpacas joins me now.

• Rubey's favourite place is the old shearing shed on their Mittagong property, which holds both personal memories and historical significance as one of the first alpaca sites in Australia.
• She also values a specialised area on their newer Central West property designed for reproductive technologies, representing future opportunities for the business.
• As a second-generation alpaca farmer, Rubey has grown up in the industry and purchased her first show-quality alpaca at just 13 years old.
• Although she initially began studying pre-med, COVID led her back to the farm where she rediscovered her passion for agriculture.
• Rubey made the decision to leave university and instead invest in the family alpaca business, while continuing her studies in agribusiness.
• Alpacas are part of the camelid family and are primarily bred for their fleece, which is soft, fine and suitable for those who are sensitive to wool.
• Rubey's main interest lies in the fibre market, working with other growers to market and sell alpaca fleece both domestically and internationally.
• Rubey's involvement with the Royal Agricultural Society has broadened her perspective and allowed her to connect with other sectors across agriculture globally. She is the youngest qualified alpaca judge in Australia.
• What Rubey loves most about life on the land is the resilience it builds and the strength of rural communities.
• A common misconception is that alpacas spit all the time, when in reality it is simply a defence mechanism used when they feel threatened or annoyed.
• One of the most unexpected outcomes in her journey was how COVID changed her career path and led her back to agriculture.
• Rubey's ultimate dream is to continue growing the family business, expand into new agricultural areas and build on the opportunities in the Central West.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.


Links:
Angie Asimus
Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram

Partnered with Australian Farmers
Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram

Storybook Alpacas


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Full cream, light, skim, homogenised, unhomogenised – milk takes many forms. But right now, a moment for the lactose free variety. Riverina Fresh's Lactose Free Milk has been crowned the best dairy product at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards. It is the dairy industry's highest honour. To learn more about what it takes to be the grand champion and some interesting observations about the impact of weight loss drugs on the future of the dairy industry, Executive Chairman of Riverina Fresh Craig Shapiro joins me now.

• Craig celebrates Riverina Fresh winning Grand Champion Dairy Product for its lactose-free milk, explaining that adding lactase is a simple and natural process that makes it easier to digest.
• Despite being lactose-free, the milk retains exceptional aroma, texture and body, and Craig notes it is one of the best milks for coffee.
• Riverina Fresh is proudly based in Wagga Wagga with deep country roots, and its farmer-supplied, domestically focused model allows for strong quality control.
• With over 100 years in business, Craig shares that lactose-free milk became important as part of bridging the gap between city consumers and understanding where their food comes from.
• The award highlights a true Australian success story, with the product being 100% Australian to qualify.
• Beyond taste, Craig emphasises that strong values like sustainability, ethics and animal welfare are central, with care extending from the farmers through to the final product.
• He also discusses the emerging impact of weight loss drugs on food systems and the interesting flow-on effects within the dairy industry.
• What Craig loves most about contributing to agriculture is that the more he learns, the more invested he becomes in sustainability and agrifood technology.
• One of the most unexpected experiences has been travelling to America and seeing how deeply social media connects to the sale of produce.
• Craig believes a common misconception isn't misunderstanding his role specifically, but rather a broader lack of awareness about where food comes from across agriculture.
• His ultimate dream for the future is a sustainable dairy industry where farmers are paid fairly and appropriately.
  

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.


Links:
Angie Asimus
Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram
Partnered with Australian Farmers
Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram

Riverina Fresh


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Food Glorious Food is a song made famous the first time in Oliver Twist. Now, not a boy called Oliver, but girl called Olivia has created her own version of the classic, Food Fabulous Food. The young farmer behind the music is Olivia Akers, who produced that song from her family's dairy farm in Northern Victoria. And she joins me now.

• Olivia's favourite place on her family farm is spending time with her pony.
• Olivia shares the inspiration behind her song Food Fabulous Food, which celebrates agriculture and life on the land.
• At just 12 years old, Olivia's creativity and initiative make her achievements even more impressive.
• She entered the song and video into several competitions, where it placed in the top four in the state for the Ag Day competition and was also included in a school film festival.
• The video was very well received, with teachers and peers eager to watch and share it.
• Olivia explains that many of the ideas for the song and video were inspired by the roles and experiences she has on the farm.
• Her passion for acting and music ultimately inspired her to create the video project.
• Many people who have watched the video say they learned a lot about life on the land through her project.
• What Olivia loves most about growing up on the land is being outdoors, being as loud as she likes and spending time with all the animals on the farm.
• Olivia shares a story about a spider that highlights the disconnect that can sometimes exist between city and country living.
• She also explains how she used AI tools to help produce the video and create the music, including backing tracks and beats.
• Olivia describes her experience working in a recording studio and how much she enjoyed the process.
• She is currently auditioning remotely and actively pursuing her dream of becoming a singer and actor.
• Olivia shares her bright hopes and ambitions for the future.

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.


Links:

Angie Asimus
Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram
Partnered with Australian Farmers
Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram


See the full Learning Arts Festival Clip Here:
Student Film Festival 2025: Junior Years (3–6) winners and finalists | Arts Learning Festival

Produced by Pretty Podcasts