Show Notes
Alex Conway grew up surrounded by agriculture, machinery and problem-solving, watching his family business evolve from a small operation run out of a garage into a nationally recognised grain storage technology company. What began as helping program aeration controllers and fit GPS guidance systems as a kid has turned into a career combining agricultural engineering, grain storage extension and a passion for helping growers better manage risk and protect grain quality. Today, Alex balances his role at Control Unlimited with his work on GRDC’s Grain Storage Extension team, supporting growers across Australia through workshops, industry events and practical on-farm advice.
In this episode of GRDC In Conversation, Alex reflects on the experiences that shaped his pathway into agriculture - from harvesting across Australia and Canada to discovering a fascination with grain storage systems, monitoring technology and the evolving challenges facing growers. He shares insights into the importance of saying yes to opportunities, documenting lessons along the way and building a career by following curiosity rather than a perfectly mapped-out plan.
This episode explores:
- How Alex’s upbringing around machinery, technology and farming shaped his passion for agriculture
- The evolution of the Conway family business, Control Unlimited, from a home garage startup to a national agtechnology company
- Why grain storage became an unexpected but rewarding career pathway
- Lessons learned from harvesting across Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and Canada
- How international farming experiences exposed Alex to new approaches in grain handling, drying and monitoring systems
- The growing importance of on-farm grain storage in Australian agriculture
- Why curiosity, adaptability and “having a crack” have been central to Alex’s career journey
- How documenting experiences and reflecting on lessons helped reveal long-term passions and career direction
- The role of technology and engineering in improving grain quality, efficiency and decision-making
- Why supporting growers with practical, relevant solutions remains at the heart of the work Alex does today
Watch this episode as a video on YouTube https://youtu.be/o9N5iKEtTuQ
More information
Alex Conway, Control Unlimited https://www.grainaeration.com.au/
GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.
GRDC Project Code
HAG2507-001SAX https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=HAG2507-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from GRDC Podcast
92,000 hectares of canola has been planted into canola stubble this year. Blackleg pathologist from the University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Angela Van de Wouw, Western Australian agronomist Geoff Fosbery, and plant breeder Raymond Cowley explain why the risks of canola-on-canola far outweigh any short-term benefits.
Ben White and Chris Warrick from GRDC’s grain storage extension team discuss practical grain storage best practice, including fumigation timing, safe application of chemicals, ventilation and withholding periods, as well as the effective use of diatomaceous earth (DE) for storage hygiene. They share recent research and practical tips to help growers manage insects, reduce resistance risks and improve workplace safety.
James Manson’s pathway into agriculture has been anything but conventional. Growing up in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he spent his early years immersed in a cross-cultural environment before discovering agriculture through an internship with an agricultural development NGO working alongside hill tribe communities near the Myanmar border. What began as an adventure quickly became a passion, leading him to study agriculture and international development before building a career in applied crop research.
Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2027 growing season.
Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2027 growing season.