Webinar 3

Thursday 19th November 2020

Galvanising Hidden Strengths: building community knowledge and support networks

How to build and strengthen networks

Champions from three different farmer-driven networks share their experiences in building and strengthening farmer capacity. Through collaboration, they have been supported to achieve their goals and expand their reach.

Speakers stories followed by Q&A

Guest speakers

DIANA FEAR, CENTRAL WEST FARMING SYSTEMS INC.

Diana Fear is CEO of Central West Farming Systems (CWFS) which is an independent, not-for-profit, farmer driven organisation based at Condobolin, NSW. CWFS operates in an area covering 14 million hectares in the lower rainfall, mixed farming regions of Central West NSW (350-500mm rainfall). Formed in 1998, the group has over 300 members made up primarily of farmers but also private and public sector advisers, researchers and stakeholders.

Diana is a Board Member of Regional Development Australia Central West (RDA CW) and is passionate about increasing the economic, environmental and social opportunities in rural and regional Australia.

On top of this, Diana has been chosen as one of 12 outstanding women with skills and a vision for agriculture that have been selected for the National Farmers’ Federation’s 2020 Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program.

KEN DRUMMOND, STIRLING’S TO COAST

Ken Drummond was on the original steering committee to form Stirlings to Coast farmers in 2009. Since then, membership has grown to over 200 members, representing 83 farming businesses, and the group continues to enjoy strong support from an increasing number of sponsors and corporate members. In 2018, SCF initiated it’s Student Connect Future Farmers project, with 19 new student members from the WA College of Agriculture - Denmark. The project expanded in 2019 to other local schools with an Agriculture focus, Mt Barker Community College and Great Southern Grammar, and continues in to 2020 with over 60 students now involved in lectures, demonstrations and work experience.

SCF works with a number of research partners to conduct paddock scale trials each year, as well as coordinating canola disease surveys and herbicide resistance testing. In recent years there has been an increased focus on trials and projects looking at the value chain and post-farm gate value-adding.

NIKI CURTIS, GGA-WA

Niki (Nicole) Curtis has been working in the Agricultural industry for most of her career. Born and bred in Esperance on a cattle farm, she began her career as a journalist at the Countryman and then moved to general news reporting at WA Newspapers.

She has been Executive Officer for Farmsafe WA; Communications officer for the Department of Agriculture (8 years) based in Esperance and then Executive Officer for South East Premium Wheat Growers’ Association (SEPWA) for nine years prior to joining the GGA in September 2020.

Niki has lived overseas in Chile, South America and Capetown, South Africa and has four children. Niki graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) program in 2019 and the Leadership Western Australia Signature program in 2018.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR SERIES

Learning Together

Collaborative Business Solutions for Farmers

A new webinar series for farmers

Farming Together is excited to offer you the opportunity to learn more about Collaborative Business Solutions in Farming, Fishing and Forestry via its new webinar series.

Find out how collaborative business solutions can help address some of today’s biggest challenges. Working collaboratively, farmers can experience greater control of the supply chain, create economies of scale, build resilience to climate impacts, and access new markets.

Drawing from a wealth of experiences from farmers, fishers and foresters across the country, Farming Together invites you to find out how collaboration has turned challenges into opportunities. Topics include Food Hubs, Data Sharing, Neighbour Farming, and Succession Planning.

Listen, interact and have your questions answered by our guest speakers and expert panel each week. Our series of webinars will look at the variety of different collaborative business solutions, the various forms and structures they can take, provide tips for success when starting or growing a collaborative business, and the pitfalls to avoid.

Who is this webinar series for: Anyone interested in starting or growing a collaborative business.