Our team

Catherine Chenoweth is the Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC) Project Coordinator.

She supports the team across all project administration and implementation. Holding a Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management, Catherine has a particular passion for sustainable agriculture and improving both farm productivity and sustainability.

This passion was drawn from multiple on-farm experience across many sectors including sheep, cattle, equine, winter cropping and viticulture.

In more recent times Catherine has been instrumental in supporting the adoption of digital agriculture, including projects like the Best Practice Demonstration Farm at Struan, South Australia and the Elders Rural Services Ag Tech review committee.

Where necessary Catherine draws upon her colleagues knowledge and experiences to supplement her own knowledge. She believes the future of agriculture is strong, but with dedicated support, on farm decision making, true practice change and the adoption of latest innovation and research, we can build a more sustainable and profitable agriculture sector.

Catherine also puts her practical knowledge and understanding, combined business management and digital agriculture skills to good use by working with producers and industry.

Bruce Creek is an Agricultural Business Management Consultant with Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC) and the Chairman of the South Australian Beef Industry Blueprint.

Bruce has over 20 years of experience in managing large scale cattle and sheep production properties in Australia and internationally, and was responsible for establishing one of the largest registered Angus herds in the world in Kazakhstan.

Through his roles with TEC and the SA Beef Industry Blueprint, Bruce has worked closely with leading universities in areas of measurement device development, assisting the livestock industry in key areas. He is passionate about ensuring these developments and outcomes come to market for the benefit of the livestock industry.

Read more about Bruce.

Pip is a Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC) Livestock Production Consultant. She provides clients with solutions that address each moving part of an enterprise, drawing upon the TEC’s team’s highly specialised skill set across all major agricultural sectors. She primarily specialises in animal health advice across animal husbandry, disease and parasite management and livestock management.

Pip joined the TEC after graduating from Murdoch University, where she studied Animal Science and Animal Health. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and has experience in running a small business.

Read more about Pip.

Chris is a Horticultural Agronomist with Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC). With 25 years’ experience in the field, Chris has worked with numerous crops, soils, climates and growers in various countries and growing environments.

He holds a Master’s degree in Crop Protection and Agronomy from Harper Adams University UK, where he focussed on beneficial soil bacteria.

Chris has also worked closely with innovative technologies and their incorporation into agriculture. These include: satellite and UAV generated mapping and incorporation, vertical farming, replacement ‘soil’ mediums, imagery and mapping in conjunction with GPS and spatial programs for use in variable rate application, artificial lighting to maximize crop growth plus closed systems.

Based in Queensland, Chris specialises in working with agricultural businesses to identify efficiencies to farm, supply and quality procedures and formulating agronomic strategy and plans for horticulture.

Regardless of your agribusiness size, Chris’ can assist you in developing agronomic strategy and plans, project management, establishing systems to monitor business, supply plans and tracking of budgets and utlising drones and other AgTech as a management tool.

When not in the field, Chris enjoys keeping fit through Ironman triathlon, cycling, golf, swimming.

Read more about Chris.

As the head of Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC), Graham brings over 24 years of experience in the agriculture and agronomist industry to the team.

He has held roles including capacity building, AgTech, policy development, project management, recruitment, product development and training working within small and large businesses. Graham’s passion for the land and agriculture was shaped by his experiences growing up on his family’s property near Swan Hill in Victoria, and he believes agricultural excellence is driven by practical change and adaptation of research through technical excellence and public-private collaboration.

Read more about Graham.

Roop is the Horticulture Specialist for Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC). He is passionate about utilising technological agricultural solutions to produce the best outcome for growers.

His services include agronomy consulting, farm performance analysis and benchmarking, conducting feasibility studies for horticulture and advising on climate risk assessment and adaptation plans for farms.

Roop is currently undertaking further study in Agribusiness and Law in addition to his degree in Agricultural Sciences. Before joining TEC, Roop successfully optimised high value horticultural crops along the east coast, through an array of agronomy consulting services roles.

Read more about Roop.

Peter Spies hails from the Darling Downs but has lived in North Queensland since 1995.

Peter specialises in soil science (soil classification, land suitability, soil carbon and biology), field crop and pasture agronomy, salinity, sodicity and erosion control; grazing land management; vegetation management and native pasture ecology; and beef cattle husbandry.

Previously employed by Queensland DPI and DNRM, Peter has been a land management consultant for seven years prior to joining TEC, and has conducted soils surveys on over 140,000 hectares.

Peter has a Bachelor Degree in Rural Technology (Hons) and an Assoc. Diploma of Applied Science in Agronomy (UQG); and is an Accredited Agricultural Adviser for Reef and Carbon Farming initiatives). He also has an interest in regenerative/biological approaches.

In his spare time, Peter breeds Senepol and Senepol Composite cattle on the Atherton Tablelands and describes himself as a “rugby tragic”.

Read more about Peter.