Partners in Farming

Meet the Board of Directors

Yenda Producers’ Board of Directors comprises seven non–executive directors and an executive director who serves as the Managing Director. All directors are members of the Co–op and are involved in primary production. The Board’s experience within primary production covers a broad range of industries including horticulture (grapes, prunes, and citrus), broad acre farming (summer and winter cereals, and row cropping) and seed production.

MICHELE GROAT

Chair

Shareholder since: 1997
Director since: 2017

Michele has a Degree in Natural Resource Management (Hons) and a wealth of experience in the environmental and agricultural sector. Michele and her husband Mark returned to Griffith in 1993 to take on a dryland and irrigation family farm where they grew rice, other summer and winter crops and prime lamb. During this time Michele had various positions including Executive Officer of the MIA Horticultural Council, Operations Officer with the EPA, the Coordinator of the Murrumbidgee Valley Stakeholders Group – the peak community group in the Riverina trying to negotiate a better deal from the Murray Darling Basin Plan for our community. Michele then went to manage several rounds of On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program for the Ricegrowers Association of Australia.

Michele now works as a Local Engagement Officer for the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. Michele’s role is to connect the community with how environmental water is managed, and why.

Michele has also held several board positions including the Winegrapes Marketing Board and Deputy Chair of Agrifutures Rice Advisory Panel.

Michele and Mark sold their irrigation in 2019 but still own and live on a dryland block at Myall Park.

Craig Kefford

Deputy Chair

Shareholder since: 1989
Director since: 2021

Craig was raised in Whitton and after completing school, he obtained certificates in wool classing and welding through Leeton TAFE. At this time, he formed a farming partnership with his parents and also started share farming with his grandparents, which continued for a number of years.

In 2000 Craig, along with his parents and brother, formed a farming company that continues to operate successfully today. Over the years, the Kefford family have grown most types of broadacre irrigated crops. In summer their main focus is on corn, rice, cotton and seed sunflowers and in winter cereal crops along with raising store lambs.

Craig and his family are always on the lookout for ways to improve their farming practices, striving to increase yields and water efficiency through crop diversity and good management practices.

Craig is a long-time member of the Whitton Rural Fire Service and for several years has held the position of Captain. He is also on the Leeton Whitton Football and Netball Club committee (still making time to umpire games of football in winter).   Additionally, Craig is a member of the Whitton Town Improvement Committee that works with Leeton Shire Council.

GAVIN DAL BROI

Director

Shareholder since: 2013
Director since: 2015

The Dal Brois have been involved with the Yenda Producers since 1983, Gavin is involved in broadacre irrigation farming, mainly cotton and wheat, and growing rice and corn when possible. He also runs a contracting business involved in earth moving, spraying, and general farming operations.

Gavin has always enjoyed life on the farm and is dedicated to continuing his family’s tradition of agriculture, which started when his great grandparents arrived from Italy to start an orchard decades ago.

Gavin has a Diploma in Agriculture Certificate IV.  Gavin was the Cotton Growers’ Association President for two years and is the founding director of RivCott Ginning, a grower-owned cotton gin based at Carrathool.

David Heath

Director

JENNA BELL

Director

Shareholder since: 2018
Director since: 2022

Jenna is from a third generation farming family, living locally and growing cotton and winter cereals with her husband and three kids. Jenna has completed a Bachelor of Nursing and is currently working as Grower Services Manager at Southern Cotton Pty Ltd. Jenna is also co-owner of Bidgee Automation Pty Ltd. With strengths in agricultural data and technology, farm budgets and document/policy writing, Jenna has a strong interest in sustainable agriculture and economic profitability.

STEVEN CREMASCO

Director

Shareholder since: 2017
Director since: 2022

Having started his career in his family’s horticulture and dryland farming businesses, Steven made the move into mixed irrigation in 2006 and since then, has been focused on expanding Cremasco Ag at Widgelli.

Alongside his wife Jackie and their two daughters, Steven operates a cropping and sheep growing enterprise which aims to increase efficiency and profitability each year, and is centred on improved land and crop management, rice production, pasture variation, sheep feed lotting and wool growing.

As a member of the Board, Steven has strengthened the Cremasco family’s ties to Yenda Producers which date back to 1975; joining the ranks of family members who have taken a keen interest in the growth of the Co-operative for more than four decades.

FRAN RAYMOND

Director

Shareholder since: 2023
Director since: 2023

Fran Raymond is a cattle farmer in Victoria. She is a seasoned Non Executive Director, Committee member and senior executive spanning diverse organisations and sectors. Fran also has almost 20 years experience as a Director in the mutual and Co-operative finance and health sectors including as Chair of Defence Bank. Fran is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand and a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors.

Fran has significant audit, risk, compliance and governance experience and is currently Chair of ANZ Samoa, Deputy Chair or Annecto (a disability and aged care provider) and a Director at the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation. She is also Chair/member of numerous public sector Audit and Risk Committees.