Molly Sage is a young gun firing on all cylinders in the feedlot game – and she is on a mighty mission.
Within the industry she has devoted herself to for the past seven years she is pushing for sweeping changes, particularly to the environmental, animal health and community pillars.
“That has always been a huge goal of mine,” she said.
Molly said protecting the environment and enhancing soil qualities was a priority, as was discovering a cure for bovine respiratory disease and fostering a strong sense of community.
“We cannot flog the land and just expect it to give us everything we want,” she said.
“You know, we’ve got to leave this land in better condition than how we found it. We can’t do that if we just want to treat it poorly.“
Meanwhile, Molly said bovine respiratory disease (BRD) was prolific and “by far” the biggest health concern in feedlot cattle.
“If I could help someone find a cure for BRD, which is more prominent in feedlot cattle due to their scale of numbers, that would be amazing.“
A strong sense of community is Molly’s third passion.
“I think it’s so important to give back to the community where you are based to ensure it thrives otherwise our business – and others – won’t survive,” she said.
“I think just having that really in-depth community involvement, you know, teaching kids how to grow food at your local school and explaining to them where fresh produce comes from.
“It means a lot and goes a long way.“
Interestingly, the environment, animal health and community pillars comprise Molly’s main responsibilities in her current role as a sustainability officer for Stockyard Beef on the Darling Downs.
The fourth is chasing the carbon neutral target by 2030.
“Sustainability is a huge job and it’s really only getting bigger every day, because it’s becoming more important for the industry to focus on,” Molly said.
“My role is to ensure that we’re running sustainably as an entire business.
“I just love the fact that it’s making such a huge difference to the industry and its focus on leaving the environment in a better place than how we found it.
“It feels really good when you know that you’re creating a better future for the next generation to come.”
In 2020, Molly Sage, who was then a mill forewoman at JBS Australia’s Beef City feedlot, was named Australia’s Young Lot Feeder of the Year.
The award recognises passion, leadership, development and initiative from young employees in lot feeding on a national level.
Entrants were asked to submit an essay on an issue facing the industry and discuss its implications.
Molly’s goal was for supermarkets to one day stock carbon neutral steaks and end the perception of the industry having a large carbon footprint.
She has since developed the idea, turning algae into a biofuel to power boilers inside mills and then using the by-product to feed livestock.
Molly was raised for “80 per cent“ of her childhood on the Gibson Partnership-owned Olinda Park, a 4047-hectare mixed farm and feedlot 45 minutes from Dalby, which her father managed.
“Mick Gibson (Olinda Park owner) was and still is my biggest fan and, actually, a shout out to him would probably make his world,” she said.
Molly was determined to achieve the ATAR required to pursue an agricultural engineering degree when she studied year 12 at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College in Dalby.
She achieved the score but took a gap year on a feedlot/ mixed farm near Collarenebri where she worked initially as a feeder and stockhand before being promoted to a leading hand.
“From there, I kind of just fell in love with working and learning on the job. I wanted to study but I didn’t want to give up full time employment because I just really enjoyed it.”
Molly decided to pursue an 18-month Diploma of Agribusiness Management through the University of Southern Queensland while working full time at the Beef City feedlot.
She started there as a truck driver but was soon promoted to a leading hand role and then, nine months later, a mill forewoman. She was employed there for five years.
As a young woman of 24 working her way through the feedlot ranks, Molly said she has had her share of challenging times.
She said working alongside her parents since she could walk taught her resilience “and how to stand up for myself”.
“They really instilled a lot of values in me that have helped in my journey so much,” Molly said.
“And, I can guarantee, that if they weren’t instilled in me, I’d probably be a completely different person. I would have let a lot of people crush me.
“There were many tough times, especially in my younger years when I stepped up into those big roles, but I just was so determined to prove that I could do the same job, or better, than a man.
“It (gender) hasn’t been an issue for me for quite a long time and I’m just so focused on the positives now.”
Molly said she hoped her story would inspire younger people choosing agriculture as a career.
“There are a lot of young people coming into the industry and a lot of people have asked me for tips on how to progress.
“It feels great to show them what it is achievable as a young person.“
