Farm Day Board Members

 FarmDay Ltd could not operate without the support, dedication and expertise of our Board of Directors. It is with gratitude that I acknowledge their work in enabling and assisting me to manage the business end of this wonderful not for profit event, that would otherwise be just an idea in waiting.

With many thanks,

Deb Bain

CEO FarmDay Ltd

Deb Bain with her husband David and family of three, are wool and lamb producers in Western Victoria. As the founder of Farm Day, Deb’s desire to reconnect urban and rural Australians instigated the idea of Farm Day. A pharmacist by trade, this Canadian born city woman has embraced her rural life and enjoys her various community commitments. As a result of Deb's vision and dedication to Farm Day, she was awarded the prestigious RIRDC Australian Rural Women's award in 2007. She sits on the Board of Australian Year of the Farmer 2012, Women in Primary Industry Advisory Panel to the Minister for Agriculture in Victoria, and is a member of the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Council Advisory Panel. She also works for Country Education Project managing the Teaching Farms program.

Shane Bicknell founded Bicknells Accountants, and has over twenty years experience in public accounting and the banking sector. He is also an accredited Mindshop facilitator working closely with his clients to assist with their understanding of their business and future direction. Shane offers his service as an advisor to not for profit and semi government organisations to ensure the growth and governance of these bodies. He is a director of the Ballarat Health Services Foundation, and a member of the Ballarat Audit Advisory committee. 

Joe Dicks is a chartered accountant and partner at PPB. He has rural and agribusiness experience gained in Australia and overseas working for leading international firms. He is currently the National Chairman of the Australian African Business Council, a member of the Uniting Aged Care board and an executor to the St Andrew's Endowment Fund.

Andrew Gabb has an extensive agricultural and business background. He is currently managing the family agricultural and investment interests after retiring from his role as  Production Director of a private packaging company. He and his wife Patricia with their four adult children, own a wool and cereal farm in Western Victoria and are very active within their community. Andrew is presently Director of the Ballarat Grammar Foundation, Ballarat Grammar Education Services Board and Life Member to Association of Apex Clubs. 

Sally Philip is the Executive Officer with West Vic Division of General Practice, an organisation that supports the recruitment and retention of doctors to rural towns in the Grampians and Wimmera regions.  Sally has completed a Masters of Business Administration through the University of New England in 2006 and majored in human resource management.  She is married to Tim who comes from a long line of western Victorian farmers and they have three teenage children.  Sally became involved in the FarmDay Board because of her interest in highlighting the importance of farmers to our national economy.  Having grown up in Melbourne she is acutely aware of the limited exposure metropolitan dwellers have to farming enterprises and the urban myth that primary production is a “lifestyle choice” as opposed to a profession.

Andrew Sullivan has been involved in agriculture all his working life and has broad practical experiences in a range of farming enterprises, agricultural education and more recently farm safety. Andrew provides farm safety consultancy services to farmers, service industries and agencies across Australia. Andrew maintains strong relationships with Farmsafe Australia, farmer organisations and grower groups and he brings to the board a practical and realistic approach to health and safety on stations and farms.