Guest Name: Dione Howard

Birth Location:  Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Current Location:  Lockhart, New South Wales

About Our Guest

I grew up on my family’s sheep & cropping farm – 6th generation on the farm. I realised how much I loved agriculture and rural communities while at high school and decided to study at university locally (Charles Sturt Uni in Wagga Wagga).

I work as a district veterinarian for Local Land Services (NSW State Government) – livestock veterinarian assisting farmers to maintain health and welfare of their animals, as well as maintain Australia’s high biosecurity standards and freedom from diseases.

In my spare time, I am a member of the Lockhart Show Society, on Sheep Vets Committees, and a Young Farming Champion (YFC). As a YFC I have travelled to schools across eastern Australia sharing my story and all about the wool industry. The wool fibre is pretty amazing, as well as the sheep that produce it, and I am passionate about promoting careers in agriculture to students in regional & metro schools. I think it is important to share where our food & fibre comes from, and the exciting space that agriculture is to work in.

I was named the Agricultural Shows Australia National Rural Ambassador 2022 – the background for this was being awarded the NSW title for my contribution to regional communities, and while in the National role, I represented young people from rural & regional NSW at shows and other events around Australia.

I’m very passionate about supporting young people to live, work and thrive in regional, rural and remote communities if they want to. We no longer have to move to the big city to study, have an exciting career or network – we have supportive local communities, endless opportunities to work and study remotely. I’ve been supported to do this by others in my journey and I hope to be able to do the same for those in my community.

In the future I hope to live & work as part of the family farming team.