Candy MacLaughlin - Celebrating International Women’s Day
Skybury is a FNQ institution and Candy plays a significant role in her family’s operations of the papaya and coffee farm and their value-add ventures.
As General Manager, she oversees many aspects of the business including production, QA, sales, HR and marketing. She works alongside her brother Mark who manages plant breeding and health.
Candy credits her parents giving her freedom to come and go from the farm. She travelled, explored other interests—namely graphic design—and learned about life away from the farm.
As well as taking that Aussie rite of passage with a two-and-a-half-year stint in London, Candy has also worked away from the farm as a custodial officer at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.
What made her keen to return to the farm was the fact that farming is “the most diverse industry you could possibly get into”, Candy said.
“Yes, it’s grow, harvest, repeat, but every single day seems to be just that little bit different.
“There’s no ceiling with agriculture. You can take it as far as you can stretch your imagination whether it be through technology, plant breeding, or new markets that could open up.”
For Candy, developing Skybury’s value-add range is her “creative outlet.”
Recognising the reach of the Skybury brand, Candy relishes working with other companies to make the most of every crop and minimising waste.
Namely, Candy has partnered with cosmetics producer MellieB in bringing papaya facial oil and coffee facial oil to market.
Also, Skybury has worked with FNQ Spirits in the creation of Croc Vodka, which is distilled from papaya.
Recognising the opportunities she was able to pursue at Skybury thanks to the freedom she had to come and go from the farm earlier in life, it’s an approach she will take with her own kids.
“If they don’t learn how others work and operate, they can’t bring new skills to the business. They’ll only ever know our way and I think it’s so important to find yourself outside the family and then come back.”
