Mike Weise

Mike was born in the UK and chose a career in agriculture for several reasons, one of which was to be able to live away from the city where he was born. A degree in agriculture led to an eight-year career on farms, which finished on an agricultural college farm. Mike moved from the college farm to the lecture theatre after gaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and spent another eight years in this career including a 12-month exchange with a lecturer in agriculture at Melbourne University. The eight years included several curriculum and community development consultancies overseas to universities in Romania, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Cameroons.

The year in Australia turned out to be a major turning point in life’s journey. After three years back in the UK with the college and the National Farmers Union, Mike and his family returned to Australia to live in Warrnambool and deliver extension to the dairy industry for the Department of Primary Industries (DPI). Eight years at DPI resulted in several conference papers delivered, the authoring of a strategic industry plan, the development of a program to improve dairy business analysis skills in service providers to farms and hundreds of dairy businesses grow through a ground breaking strategic planning program his team delivered.

Mike left the DPI in January 2006 to join the dairy industry development agency, WestVic Dairy, where Mike manages the industry development business of the farmer-led board and the region's dairy natural resource management portfolio