At this stage of the year in North West Victoria, farmers and those involved in the industry have one of three feelings; it is all buggered, geez everything has to go right and something has to go wrong to stuff us.
With things looking so good, many would be thinking ‘something has to go wrong as things are looking pretty good’. Most of us have experienced times when this has occurred, so there is no sitting back on the porch and admiring the serenity.
The challenge whenever serenity seems to emerge is the realisation that this is probably the best time to pause, reflect, plan and act. Because trying to do this when things are bouncing along and conditions are tougher, generally means making decisions will be suboptimal.
After a great 2016 for many and 2017 having the potential to also deliver, the question each of us should be asking is what are we doing to set ourselves up for the future?
For BCG, we have being doing a number of things both big and small to maximise the opportunity. The Board and BCG management team have refreshed the strategic plan and articulated what we are striving to do over the next three years.
GRDC also have faith in our organising, having chosen to invest in a partnership with us to build new laboratory space in Birchip.
Also working with GRDC, and collaborating with a combination of growers groups, consultants and the South Australian and Victorian Governments, we are leading the southern Australia pulse extension project. There are 17 partners involved and its primary focus is about increasing the area of pulses, particularly chickpeas and lentils, by working with new growers.
We have also struck up partnerships with a number of philanthropic organisations to deliver outcomes in the region. This is allowing us to work with Tyrrell College and Birchip P-12 School in developing capability in precision agriculture.
The Hugh DT. Williamson foundation has allowed us to develop leadership skills in staff at the start of their career. Over the coming years we will be working with William Buckland Foundation to try and tackle some of the wicked problems we face in rural communities.
The other area we are building capability in, and equally trying to develop an understanding, is what the impact and opportunity is going to be in digital agriculture. This includes our weather station network, the feasibility of a data co-operative where we worked with The FOOD Source program through the State Government, and now the opportunity to develop a data co-op with some support from the Federal Government Farming Together program.
I am exhausted thinking about it. The staff at BCG are taking all this on whilst still delivering outstanding value to our members and wider farming community.
We have been advocating far and wide about the success of the GAPP program where we have been working with young farmers and women farmers in small groups to increase their agronomy, risk management and financial management skills. The evidence suggests it is having a great positive impact and we are seeking further support far and wide.
We have 38 outstanding trial sites and over 10,000 plots across the Wimmera and Mallee. We have research trials with a number of University’s and State departments, often with GRDC supporting the lead institution, and a number of research and development trials with key major companies involved in agriculture.
And then there are exciting events such as the Main Field Day on September 13, make sure you’re there or Aunty Jack will be after you.
So after all the rambling above, there are two things to remember; firstly find some time to set aside a plan for what you want to do and how you are going to do it; and secondly get along to our Main Field Day or Aunty jack will be after you.
