Young gun: small moments in agriculture built up to a career for Grace

Ms Reynolds grew up in Quinninup and went to school in Pemberton, but isn't from a farming family.

Instead, in year nine, she completed work experience with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Manjimup, where she found a real interest in agriculture, but following that, a teacher encouraged her to take up some school holiday work on Glen and Jo Ryan's Warren Valley farm at Quinninup.

Ms Reynolds worked on and off at the farm, on the back of a spud harvester for about five years, two of those full-time after finishing school - in that time moving up the ranks into cattle work.

"I'd always been interested in science, and things like field days, agronomy talks or sitting down and looking at soil reports really got my interest going," Ms Reynolds said.

"I became interested in how soil health affected plant and animal health.

"I also thoroughly enjoyed working with cattle and was so lucky to be shown by Glen such a gentle and beautiful way to work with them.

"I was lucky to have a good farmer support system in Glen who wanted to help foster my learning.

"And then I really started to love working on the land too, it's really beautiful up here.

"No matter what kind of day you've had, the sunsets just put you at ease, you can go to the pub or to your sport and talk to someone, and just that community spirit keeps my love of the whole lifestyle going."

Since then her life has shifted away from the horticultural industry of the State's South West towards broadacre cropping, currently working as a farmhand on a cropping and cattle farm at Buntine.

At the same time, Ms Reynolds studies a Bachelor of Ag Science and Bachelor of Business (Ag Business) online at the University of New England, transferring from The University of Western Australia when an offer to work onfarm became available.

Studying and working in agriculture, while admittedly creating a full-on schedule, has fostered a love for the industry which has seen her through tough times and helped to contextualise her learning.

"The online course really jumped at me and to move and to still work in the industry," she said.

"I think it's quite important to work in the industry that you're studying in and continue having that real hands-on learning.

"You get that massive awareness of everything that goes on on a farm, while studying farming."

Online study allowed young people to stay and work within the regions, in any industry or field, but Ms Reynolds said finding balance between the two was challenging.

"I'm not the best at it to be honest, it's something I really need to work on," Ms Reynolds said.

"I'm not the best at having down time for myself and I think that's where you can get a bit burnt out with uni.

"But I think that's why I find that working in the industry helps me continue on with my degree.

"While living in Perth, I was finding by not having anything ag-based, and being used to working on a farm, that it was quite hard to see the point in why you're doing it.

"If you're someone like me who struggles to sit down and do the book work, and you're stuck in a city which may not be your passion as well, then you're not applying anything you're learning."

Since living onfarm at Buntine, Ms Reynolds has become a volunteer firefighter and plays netball.

Connecting with the community has made everything feel more grounded.

"It's a real missed opportunity to not push that community perspective too," she said.

"It's so good for rural communities."

Ms Reynolds is also a committee member with AgVocateWA, a young farming social advocacy group that organises social events around WA.

"The social side of it is just brilliant, because there are way more young people now wanting to get into ag," she said.

"If you're already rural, and you feel like you're struggling, it can be hard.

"I wish I had someone who could sit down with me back in my uni journey and say 'you can do this, you can do that, never limit yourself', because I think you can get in your own head a lot, and you don't know all the opportunities out there, who to ask, or who to talk to."

After Ms Reynolds finishes her degree, she hopes to find a graduate opportunity in agronomy and eventually wants to own her own consulting business, but at the same time, is open to everything agriculture has to offer.

"There are so many opportunities, you just have to put yourself out there," she said.

"I think if you're not moving and growing with it, you do kind of get left behind."