The Rabobank Young Ambassador Awards program is a big part of the triennial Beef Australia event and provides a way for young people from around Australia to network with others who are passionate about the beef industry.

Elisha grew up on a cattle property near Clermont and now, after completing a law degree, lives and works on a cattle station east of Aramac while still working part-time as a solicitor.

Elisha says she is thrilled to be given an opportunity to represent the industry.

"The Rabobank Young Ambassador Awards are a great opportunity for young people who are passionate about the beef industry to meet and it’s been really inspiring to see that there are so many young people in Australia who are so committed," says Elisha.

"The competition was really tough, there were five finalists and each had achieved great things in their own right."

As part of her role as the Rabobank Young Ambassador, Elisha will be representing the Australian beef industry at a number of events over the next couple of years, including the International Livestock Congress in Texas.

"The International Livestock Congress looks like a fabulous event. I am looking forward to meeting people from other countries and seeing what they do in their beef operations and maybe I can pick up some tips," says Elisa.

The competition was not an easy one and, along with developing a marketing plan to promote Beef Australia, the finalists also had to develop a speech on a topic that is close to many producers’ hearts.

"The topic for the speech was about the fact that agricultural land in Australia is under increasing pressure from competing interests and we had to identify the implications for land owners and society as a whole and suggest ways forward," Elisha says.

"As it is such a broad topic I focused on tree clearing legislation, carbon trading and the mining industry. These are all issues that beef producers are currently grappling with and it can be extremely frustrating when you no longer have any say over the land you have been caring for over the past 40 or 50 years."

Elisha says she hopes that in her time as the Beef Australia Rabobank Young Ambassador she can further promote the beef industry and Beef Australia to those in the city.