00:00 This is the beef capital of Australia.
00:15 Rockhampton is rocking out as bulls, their breeders and burgers take centre stage.
00:22 Beef week is big business.
00:24 Millions of dollars worth of deals will be done this week.
00:27 But also a big social event for those involved in producing Queensland's most valuable agricultural
00:33 export.
00:34 About 240,000 Australians are employed in agriculture.
00:41 A third of the workforce is women and that number is growing.
00:46 So let's go and meet some of them.
00:49 Jemima and Matilda Penfold, along with mum Karen, are one half of four daughters.
00:55 A family owned enterprise on the Western Downs.
00:58 I love living on the land.
00:59 I love working with my family and raising cattle together.
01:04 Is this what you always wanted to do?
01:07 Yeah, definitely.
01:08 I guess it's just always been in our blood and in our passions.
01:11 It's been a good season and even though COVID halted their exports to China, Karen Penfold
01:17 is positive about the future.
01:19 COVID was a huge snag for us.
01:21 Everything was going wonderfully until then.
01:23 But you know, that's swings and roundabouts in life and in business.
01:27 Over in Centre Ring, the competition is heating up.
01:30 Erica Halliday is judging red Angus heifers.
01:33 With females I'm looking for fertility.
01:35 How long have you been doing this for?
01:38 Oh, for a very long time, like all my life.
01:40 So probably, I've been doing this for about 35 years.
01:46 And I love it.
01:47 I love the people and I love the cattle.
01:49 A blue ribbon is highly sought after.
01:51 Are you happy with the win?
01:53 Absolutely ecstatic.
01:55 Many graziers like Shea Pratt have come here to check out the latest technology.
02:00 We've looked a lot into the drones for mustering, water monitoring systems.
02:06 That's been really a big eye opener, yeah.
02:08 Not drones, but knives are the tools of Alison Maher's trade.
02:13 She's putting the bling into butchery.
02:16 It's an art.
02:17 Like, yeah, it's definitely an art.
02:18 And I'm trying to modernise it.
02:20 By encouraging more women to take up the tools.
02:23 I'm very passionate now about being a mentor for women in the meat industry.
02:29 Beef Week.
02:30 Taking protein from the paddock to the hot plate.
02:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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