She was elected to the board at the NSW Farmers Annual Conference in Sydney. 

Mrs Minogue and her husband John of “Wilga”, grow crops and run livestock. Moree grain producer Rebecca Reardon and Coffs Harbour banana and cucumber grower Paul Shoker were also elected to the board. 

The three new board members join Helen Dalton of Griffith, Guyra sheep producer, James Jackson and Mudgee farmer, Mitchell Clapham. 

Trangie sheep and grain producer Peter Wilson was elected as treasurer and Mark Horan of Braidwood was re-elected as vice president.

Association president Derek Schoen of Corowa heads up the board as president after being elected unopposed.

“NSW Farmers represents farmers of all commodities and the board reflects the diversity of food and fibre production in NSW,” he said.

“I am really looking forward to working with the new board over the next two years in addressing issues affecting our members and rural communities and to promote our wonderful industry.”

Mrs Minogue – who runs a consulting business with her husband – as well as the farming operation, said it was important to become involved.

“We are farmers and our clients are farmers,” she said.

Like most producers in NSW Mrs Minogue said things at Barmedman were looking a bit “waterlogged” at the moment.

However, after experiencing the grips of drought she wasn’t about to knock back rain. The Barmedman property grows wheat, barley, oats, canola and pasture crops, runs Merino sheep and Angus cattle. 

Mrs Minogue welcomed the diversity of the NSW Farmers board. 

Meanwhile, the NSW Farmers Annual Conference in Sydney was a platform to talk about the controversial backpacker tax, funding for rural police and transport movements for tractors and farm machinery. 

Delegates at the conference passed policy to clearly reiterate that the proposed 32.5 per cent backpacker tax from January, 1, 2017 must be abolished in its current form.

“The backpacker tax will deter a significant number of backpackers from coming to Australia,” he said.