Payton Jennings pursuing her passion through Nolan Meats
The More to Meat campaign is proud to celebrate the incredible employees who work within the red meat processing industry across Australia.
There are so many inspiring people who work in the industry, and one of those is Payton Jennings, a livestock buyer for Nolan Meats Pty Ltd.
The 27-year-old has been purchasing cattle for Nolan Meats for about four years and absolutely loves her job.
Payton said there were some challenges at the start but said she had great support from leaders in the industry, like Nolan Meats Director, Terry Nolan.
“Terry Nolan’s support has been invaluable. Confidence in us, including the youth and females in the industry, has been incredibly encouraging.”
"It's exciting to see more women making their mark. We are finding our place in this industry, and I'm thrilled to be part of this evolving landscape," Payton said.
While a job at Nolan Meats has helped to advance her career, Payton first became interested in agriculture in high school in New Zealand, showing cattle at competitions.
Now with the encouragement of Nolan Meats, Payton is judging prime cattle competitions, reconnecting with where her passion for the industry all started.
Her judging experience includes competitions in Gayndah and Rockhampton, as well as weaner sales and young judges’ competitions.
But Payton’s biggest success came a couple of weeks ago at the Royal Queensland Show, where she officiated both the RNA and state prime beef junior judges’ competitions.
Earlier this month girls took out all the top placings at the RNA junior prime beef judging competition, which Payton said gives her optimism about the future of women in the beef industry.
"This competition highlighted the bright future of our industry, with young women leading in excellence and passion," Payton said.
Nolan Meats encouraged Payton to pursue her personal passions that extended beyond her day-to-day job, but it’s helped her continue to grow while giving back to the community.
The wider red meat processing industry strives to be more than just a part of the food supply chain but a part of regional Australia.
Processors are creating opportunities just like Payton’s for all employees, setting them up with solid foundations for a prosperous career.
To read more about Payton’s experience in the red meat processing industry, click here.