The senior research manager:
Dr Yolanda Plowman is the senior research manager at the Birchip Cropping Group and holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, where she focused on the soil microbiome associated with wheat and other key Australian grain crops.
Dr Plowman oversees the day-to-day research program, as well as the strategic planning and execution of innovative projects focused on the agricultural challenges of tomorrow and beyond.
Dr Plowman works closely with the BCG team to ensure the work carried out aligns with BCG’s mission of improving the prosperity of Australian broadacre farmers through applied science-based research and extension.
The senior extension and communications manager:
Grace Hosking joined BCG in January 2023 as project manager of the North West node of the Victorian Drought Hub.
She holds a Bachelor of Agriculture, majoring in economics, from The University of Melbourne.
Growing up on a broadacre cropping and livestock farm in Quambatook sparked her passion for agriculture and her commitment to supporting rural communities.
Now senior manager of extension and communications at BCG, Ms Hosking is dedicated to driving initiatives which enhance the productivity and profitability of the agricultural industry.
Her work involves fostering connections and sharing knowledge to support Wimmera/Mallee farmers and their communities.
The operations manager:
Brooke Bennett joined BCG in June 2018 as a research and extension officer and is currently the operations manager.
Her role is to coordinate the trial operations across sites in the Wimmera, Mallee and North Central regions.
Ms Bennett grew up on a sheep farm in central Victoria, which is where her passion for all things farming began, and she now lives on a broadacre cropping farm in the Mallee.
Ms Bennett holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences from La Trobe University and has been a significant contributor in her six years with BCG.
