Shared Solutions concept

A Shared Solutions^® group is a community-based, non-profit agricultural organisation run by farmers for farmers.

The aim of the Shared Solutions concept is to improve the profitability and long-term viability of all farmers in a community in order to foster prosperous towns, pride in the region, and a commitment to further develop the community.

This is achieved through research, demonstration and exchange of ideas amongst farmers and industry groups - identifying major agronomic problems and arriving at productive shared solutions.

This information is then communicated to farmers, researchers and industry representatives through a variety of channels: - Field days, Ag EXPOs, seminars, bulletins and trial manuals, and through local and statewide media organisations.

The Shared Solutions Project has been commissioned by the GRDC to link established farmer groups in each agroecological zone of Australia's grain belt and assist these groups to: -

• act as hubs of R&D information and communicate information likely to improve cropping businesses throughout their own zones,
• communicate the results of their on-farm tests,
• establish local linkages and information delivery via site visits,
• establish research linkages - promote interaction and sharing of R&D information between groups and professional advisers in all regions,
• accelerate feedback to the research community, growers and their advisers, from on-farm trials.

Technical booklets

Key benefits to participating groups

• Establishment of strong links with like-minded groups and industry,
• Enhanced ability to attract research collaborators such as government agencies and universities,
• Attract resources from various sources including the GRDC,
• Advisory support from the National co-ordinator,
• Assistance with new activities such as trial design and manual production together with some group facilitation.

Potential Shared Solutions groups characteristics include:-

• Autonomy of the group and total local ownership,
• The group will have established its own structure and be independently secure,
• The group will be regionally based with aims to benefit the whole region.

The National Co-ordinator will have an advisory role only with no control on individual group activities.

Has your group got what it takes to be a Shared Solutions Group?

www.mingenew-irwin.asn.au "Sharing information, working in groups, learning from each other, asking questions, welcoming advice, accepting help and admitting success and failure are at the heart of the Shared Solutions® concept."