Jessica Fedorow

Having worked with hundreds of livestock producers, New South Wales-based contractor Jess Fedorow has seen a clear – but largely anecdotal – correlation between strategic farm infrastructure investments and labour efficiencies, livestock performance and more. 

Yet she says there’s little research on the quantifiable benefits of well-designed infrastructure and how such projects help farm business success and sustainability.

Jess, from Lewis Ponds, near Orange, New South Wales, receives a Nuffield scholarship to study the topic “From paddocks to profit: Exploring ROI and outcomes of farm infrastructure investment”. 

As co-owner of Copper Creek Contracting, Jess leads a rural contracting business that designs and delivers tailored infrastructure solutions such as fencing, stockyards, water systems, and access roads. She also runs a small-scale cattle trading enterprise.

Jess’s background spans education, agriculture and business management. She holds a Bachelor of Teaching and Educational Studies, alongside multiple TAFE qualifications in agriculture, holistic land management, and training and assessment. Her career has been shaped by a passion for learning, strategic thinking, and helping producers build resilient, efficient operations.

Through her studies, Jess will draw on this experience to develop a practical methodology for calculating return on investment (ROI) in farm infrastructure. 

She plans to investigate infrastructure systems in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the US and South America – regions with diverse livestock systems and varying approaches to infrastructure funding and design. 

Her study aligns with industry priorities around resilience, sustainability, and data-informed planning.