Charlie Smith expected his 1,000-kilometre move from Mendooran in New South Wales to Rockhampton in central Queensland would be like moving to the big smoke.
But the beef capital lacked a social and networking group for young agriculture workers.
"I assumed Rocky, being quite a large agricultural town, that it would be established already and was surprised when it wasn't," he said.
Central Queenslanders and fellow agriculture workers Annie Ramm and Hannah Goodwin have been trying to solve the issue for some time.
After meeting Mr Smith, the three formed Young Ag Network CQ and held their first networking event at a Rockhampton pub in April.
"Everyone was pretty excited about having something that they could come to," Mr Smith said.
"There were people coming from Bilo[ela] or they were coming a fair way, or people that have just moved into the town."
The founders believe they have the only formal local youth network for central Queensland's agriculture industry.
Most of its members are in their 20s, in the early stages of their career. They are not all farmers.
Among the group of 15, bankers and lawyers share beers, conversation and insight with beef and cotton producers.
"Whether you like it or not, in Rocky, you're going to have some connect to ag[riculture]," Ms Ramm said.
"So I think it's great to show people like lawyers … [that] you're also in the industry."
Erin Goodwin, Hannah's sister and another member of Young Ag Network CQ, said the events had helped her broaden her connections within the industry.
Finding community away from home
Aside from work, the group has also helped young people find friendship and connection.
Young Ag Network CQ member and agricultural property valuer, Makayla Bellwood, moved to central Queensland last year, but found it difficult to make friends in Rockhampton.
"I didn't want to be here, I wanted to move away, I wanted to go back to where I knew people and had friendships," she said.
"But now if I think if I wanted to move away, I think straight away of these people that I've met and think, 'Oh well, I'd be sad to leave them and those friendships behind.'"
Building camaraderie within the industry is important for retaining young people in the sector, according to Catherine Waite, a University of Melbourne researcher looking into the reasons why young people left agriculture, and why they stayed.
"People who are perhaps entering work for the first time or entering full-time work, entering the type of jobs that enable you to be independent, that's when those kinds of collegial relationships are nominated as particularly important," she said.
"Where people are able to kind of subvert [or] circumvent that sense of isolation [and] find relationships with it, whether it's in their own workplace or outside of it, that plays a crucial role in keeping people in the sector."
Farmer and horticulture representative Lilly Rehbein drove four hours from Bundaberg to attend Young Ag Network CQ's first event in Rockhampton.
She knew no-one, but like Ms Bellwood, left the night with plenty of new friends.
"People were just interested in you and interested in what story you had to tell," she said.
It was not always difficult for young people to find connection in the industry.
Ms Rehbein said her parents' generation made friends in the agricultural industry through school, university or community events.
"[Dad said] 'When I was at uni, you'd just rock up and you'd have a few drinks with people or meet people through sport," she said.
"And I said, 'It's not the same anymore, people are more interested in their own small group or sticking to themselves.'"
Ms Goodwin said social media contributed to the disconnection.
Ironically though, it was social media that brought them together to form offline relationships.
"Just having these conversations face to face, knowing, getting to know people, having a laugh, like it's way better than sitting at home on your phone messaging someone," Ms Goodwin said.
Founders looking to grow community
It's still early days for Young Ag Network CQ. Within the next few months, they hope to grow their numbers through smaller networking events, the next of which is in November.
But Mr Smith, Ms Ramm and Ms Goodwin have big plans.
"Maybe in the future … it could be a long lunch with guest speakers or maybe an annual ball," Ms Goodwin said.
They encouraged other young people around the country to start their own groups.
"Chances are there's a lot of people that have thought the same thing and they've just been too scared to start it as well," Ms Goodwin said.
"So do it and then just make a goal of it, don't give up after the first one."
