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The NEAG is comprised of seven members, bringing a wealth of experience and industry representation. This includes growers, agronomists, Strategic Industry Advisory Panel (SIAP) members, and an independent extension specialist with expertise in monitoring and evaluation.
The NEAG meets a minimum of twice a year, once in person at Hort Connections, and virtually for other meetings, focusing on the overarching mandate to ensure the VegNET program delivers tangible benefits to our vegetable and onion growers.
Comprised of subject matter experts, the NEAG works closely with AUSVEG and Hort Innovation to deliver an independent oversight. With representation from the vegetable Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP), the NEAG connects the program with Hort Innovation’s R&D priorities, ensuring funding expectations are met and that the program aligns with industry needs.
A key aspect for our NEAG members is overseeing the VegNET Innovation Fund, a $350,000 annual mechanism dedicated to addressing both regional and national extension priorities. Regional Development Officers (RDOs) can submit concept proposals that are reviewed and if successful endorsed by the NEAG.
Members have committed to active participation throughout the project, dedicating time to meetings and discussions. Hort Innovation provides support through its project manager, while the National Coordinator Cherry Emerick supports the RDOs in delivery where necessary.
Confidentiality and conflict of interest are key tenets of the NEAG’s governance framework. Members are required to disclose any potential conflicts that may impact their impartiality, ensuring transparency in their contributions to the program.
By combining strategic oversight with a focus on innovation and collaboration, the NEAG exemplifies governance excellence. Its work ensures VegNET remains a driver of progress, delivering real value to our vegetable industry while fostering continuous improvement.
Our NEAG team
Ruth Nettle
Victoria independent chair
Ruth is a social scientist with a background in dairy extension, rural development and rural financial counselling.
Ruth leads the Rural Innovation Research Group in the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (Faculty of Science) at the University of Melbourne.
Her research focuses on people and change, work and employment, agricultural extension, and innovation
Ruth is a life member of the Australasia Pacific Extension Network, and has developed and delivered university subjects and micro-credentials in agricultural extension and innovation. Ruth is currently Co-editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension.
In 2023-24, Ruth chaired an advisory committee for a vegetable sector farm safety initiative for WorkSafe Victoria’s safety learning network pilot program, conducted by Veg Education. In other roles, Ruth was the Deputy Chair of the National Agricultural Labour Advisory committee (NALAC) and a co-author of the National Agricultural Workforce Strategy (NAWS) for the Federal government (2019-2020) and is Deputy President of the International Association of Work in Agriculture. In 2021-2022 Ruth was and the co-director of the Victoria drought and innovation hub.
Callum Hutcheson
Northern Territory agronomist
Originally from a dairy farm in Gippsland in Victoria, Greg is now an agronomist working in the Northern Territory. He spends most of his time in the Darwin rural area and the Katherine region. He services a range of clients, from those growing Asian vegetables and cucurbits to mangoes and other tropical fruit crops.
A particular passion of Callum’s lies in developing sustainable solutions for and with growers. He sees assisting growers in areas such as IPM, accurate nutrition inputs and spray application efficiency as being paramount to ensuring the longevity of their operations. Helping growers source and utilise quality inputs to create resilient plants is a key part of his role.
Greg Teske
Queensland agronomist
Greg Teske, a Horticultural Agronomist and Farm Supplies Sales Representative at Elders Gatton, has been dedicated to supporting growers since he began his career with Primac in 1998.
Specialising in brassicas, leafy vegetables, potatoes, onions, shallots, and cucurbits, Greg primarily serves growers in the Lockyer Valley while also providing support to parts of the Darling Downs region. His role involves a wide range of agronomy services, including soil testing, developing nutrient programs, monitoring crops for insect pests and diseases, and offering tailored recommendations for spray programs.
What Greg enjoys most is engaging with his clients, building relationships, and working together to find solutions to the ever-evolving challenges of farming. His commitment to helping growers adapt and thrive underscores the vital role agronomy plays in horticulture.
Richard Cobbledick
South Australian grower
Richard is a sixth-generation grower and owner at Cobbledick Produce, situated in Uraidla in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.
Richard commercialises in small, niche crops. He is passionate about being a grower and everything that comes with it.
In a constantly changing environment that is becoming more innovative, Richard enjoys the need to adapt to various challenges.
Kim Ngov
New South Wales grower
As a Public Officer for the Cambodian Australian Growers’ Association and a graduate with a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences and Management from the University of Western Sydney, Kim is passionate about sustainable farming. He currently runs a farm cultivating a diverse range of produce, including cherry tomatoes, snake beans, long chilies, zucchini, and a variety of fresh herbs.
His family has been farming for more than 38 years, and he has run his own farm for 18.
Kim serves as the information hub for his community association, which consists of around 30 members with varying skill levels. Ensuring effective communication across such a diverse group has been a rewarding challenge for him, especially when it comes to keeping both new and long-standing members informed and engaged.
Ross Ingram
Victorian grower
Ross is based in the Lindenow Valley, northwest of Bairnsdale in Victoria. After growing up on a dairy farm, Ross and one of his brothers began growing vegetables for a local processing factory, before expanding to the fresh market.
Ross and his family now farm 2,500 acres, growing broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cos lettuce, lettuce mix and spinach all year round, with summer crops of beans and corn – all for fresh market/ processing. The business has also recently started growing potatoes for processing, and grows lucerne, beef cattle, and some grain for stock feed.
The brothers and wives work in the business, with each having a different role. Some of the next generation has now returned as well, sharing the load of managing. Ross’s role has been one in management, both with finance and planning, scheduling and logistics. He also has an interest in water issues in the area, and has been on the Southern Rural Water – Surface and Groundwater Consultive Committee for more than 20 years.
Rachel Lancaster
Western Australia agronomist
With 28 years of experience in the vegetable industry, including roles in both government and private sectors, Rachel currently operates as a Senior Agronomist at Environmental and Agricultural Testing Services (EATS) in Bunbury, WA. She is also the WA representative for the PotatoLink project and a member of the Soil Wealth ICP project advisory group.
Passionate about R&D, Rachel strives to advance the vegetable industry and inspire young people to pursue rewarding careers in agriculture.
Andrew Craigie
Tasmanian grower
Andrew Craigie is a grower from northern Tasmania. He works at Craigie Bros, his family’s 165-year-old farm near Devonport.
Specialising in seed crops like canola and cabbage, as well as potatoes and vegetables, Andrew has spent 25 years navigating the challenges of farming. For Andrew, like many growers, farming is more than a job, it’s a lifelong passion, deeply rooted in making a meaningful impact on the agricultural industry.
By combining strategic oversight with a focus on innovation and collaboration, the NEAG exemplifies governance excellence.