Real stories, real photos, real connections…
Dianna Malcolm and Sheila Sundborg are a global powerhouse media combination for agriculture.
Our Services
Photography
Journalism
Marketing
Videography
We’re not here to muck around. We’re here to muck in.
For most of their careers, Dianna and Sheila have been quietly supporting the dairy industry from opposite hemispheres — Sheila in Canada and Dianna in Australasia without fanfare. Their paths first crossed through their shared work in dairy marketing and media, forming a professional connection that grew over time. Now, they’ve made their collaboration official, offering the industry access to their dual talent in one convenient space: Mud Media.
With informed commentary, photography and videography, and strategic marketing solutions, they deliver content straight from the trenches — at a time when tone and messaging have never been more critical.
Meet our team
It all begins with a story — that’s where Mud Media comes in. With Sheila’s sharp eye for visuals and Dianna’s talent for words, they transform ideas into stories that inspire, connect, and drive results. Bringing grit, creativity, and a deep understanding of the agricultural industry to every project, they craft compelling narratives that resonate.
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Dianna is a rare mix — giving her an important and perceptive voice within the industry.
She was raised on a high-production registered Holstein dairy in New Zealand that mirrored North American genetics and management. Where it got interesting for global agriculture is that she was formally trained as a sports journalist for a leading metropolitan newspaper in New Zealand — learning how to find strong angles within demanding news deadlines from the get-go.
By the time she acknowledged her calling to farming journalism, she was carrying writing skills few in the agricultural industry could match. She came to the attention of the broader global dairy industry after spending 20 years living in Australia as the former co-owner of profile show herd, Bluechip Genetics, and all-breeds dairy magazine CrazyCow In Print (which circulated into 13 countries for 15 years before being sold).
Bluechip became a force within the decade from a standing start — despite farming through arguably some of the toughest times in northern Victoria. Bluechip notably sold a three-month-old calf for AUD $101,000 in 2012 and won Premier Holstein Breeder an unprecedented nine out of ten years at the biggest dairy show in the southern hemisphere, International Dairy Week (including three times after its then record-breaking 2016 herd dispersal).
Bluechip was the first in Australasia to develop, prepare, care for, and market animals on behalf of others — opening the door for others who have since followed — and Dianna was known equally for her ability in rearing and managing young stock as she was for her writing within CrazyCow. Bluechip welcomed many young Australians and internationals into its teams, sharing its knowledge in cattle care and marketing.
During this time, Dianna met Sheila Sundborg — immediately appreciating her marketing talent. Sheila would go on to form a baseline for much of Bluechip’s marketing photographs and videos during its latter campaigns, and the two have continued to work together on projects since. Mud Media became the natural extension of that alliance in 2024.
Understanding farming at the highest levels, coupled with her love of the English language, continues to bring valuable depth, sharp angles, and rhythm to Dianna’s commentary and marketing advice.
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You better move fast, or you’ll miss this Canadian workaholic.
She’s quick to shoulder more work and even quicker to pull her camera out of nowhere at any given time. It’s how she creates magical and irreplaceable images/videos that maximise marketing opportunities for breeders globally.
This bilingual graduate of MacDonald College of McGill University – originally from Ormstown, Quebec – has carved out a broad, self-made career within agriculture from the ground up. She has clients in 14 countries across four continents.
Sheila’s instinctive marketing ability is one of the reasons she is on speed-dial for several of the world’s highest profile names. She is also a connector – helping match personnel in teams that is often unsung, yet priceless. And, it doesn’t hurt that Sheila can turn her hand to any job within any given team. In short, she knows cows, and she knows people.
In 2023, Sheila won the Andrea Crowe Achievement Award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in Toronto. This annual award honours the legacy of the late Andrea Crowe (Hi-Caliber Holsteins). It remembers and acknowledges her passion for life – by recognising the same qualities in individuals who also inspire others through their positive attitude, industry involvement, dairy knowledge, interest in youth, sportsmanship, integrity, and everyday love of the industry.
While Sheila’s work in the registered industry is well documented, she has always moved seamlessly between registered, commercial and corporate operations without skipping a beat, while continuing to encourage and open the door for many young people within industry.
Where Sheila really steps into the light professionally is her ability to see the photo opportunities many miss, and to understand the angles many don’t.
And, if you want to talk about picturing horses, cats, or dogs, she’s there…yesterday.
Everyone has a story, and Sheila is the ultimate storyteller through her camera and videos.
Through Sheila’s lens
Explore a stunning collection of photographs that celebrate the heart and soul of agriculture, available for purchase.
What our clients say
Dianna/Mud Media is my go-to person for my writing. She is very obliging and gets a great storyline, that makes sense from my often-jumbled writing and brief – sometimes with little notice. Shelia had limited time to stop at Ferdon on her way home (from New Zealand to Canada in January 2025) but she made it work and photographed a group of cows that we had prepared to go with Dianna’s article that was going to print that week. These two women excel in their field, expertise, and they both have a great knowledge and understanding of the cow industry we are all involved in, thus giving Ferdon greater exposure on the world stage!”
– Michelle Ferguson, Ferdon Genetics (Otorohanga, NZL)
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Dream it.
If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Turning dreams into reality is grounded in tapping into the right team. Call us.
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Build it.
To build something, sometimes you “just need to start”. That’s what Elevate Marketing told us when we floated Mud Media’s online presence, and here we are. We started. You can too.
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Grow it.
Can you add value to your business? Always. Mud Media helps stretch your presence with smart words, photos, and videos across all platforms. There is power in tone and content.
