Innovation Ag

So far, we’ve learnt from the stories of others on why and how they navigated the innovation process. Now it’s time to talk about types of innovation. 

Australia is known for its high-quality produce, but when you factor in the costs of water and inputs – are farmers really getting enough value for what they grow?  Using milk as an example, research shows that value-add products such as cheese and yoghurt generate more profit per litre than just milk itself. 

So, if you have been considering moving up in the value-chain, this episode looks at how: from feasibility studies, accessing skills and resources and defining your target market. We also look at how industry players can work together to increase the value of their product. 


GUESTS

David Downie - Strategic Advisor Regional Development at the Centre for Rural and Regional Development, Deakin University 

David has over 30 years experience directing and implementing policy reform and delivering significant infrastructure projects for the State of Victoria, Australia. He was the former Head of the Office of Water, Victoria and also Secretary Department of Energy and Minerals, and Deputy Director General of Conservation and Environment. David is an expert in government relationships and strategy, and engagement with community, academia and business sectors. He was responsible for introducing and implementing major reform across the energy and water sectors. This included privatisation of energy in Victoria, creation of energy and water trading markets and development of inter-state (Murray Darling) water management arrangements. David has led structural reform in energy, water and the environment across the State of Victoria and nationally, including institutional, market and regulatory changes. 
 

Cressida Cains – Founder of Dairy Cocoon, a not-for-profit platform connecting and supporting dairy producers to move up the value chain. 

Cressida is a pioneer in the Australian dairy industry. As an entrepreneur, she believes in challenging the status quo of Australian farming and thinking differently.  

Cressida is the co-founder and director of the Pecora Group which includes Pecora Dairy, Pecora Cheese and Wine and Dairy Cocoon.  In 2018 Pecora Dairy became the first cheesery in Australia licensed to produce a raw milk cheese.
Cressida is the 2020 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women's Award winner and National Runner Up. Throughout her years in the dairy industry, she has been a strong advocate for small Australian dairy farmers.

In 2021 she founded Dairy Cocoon and online platform which assists dairy farmers to take back control of their businesses by transforming up the value chain. Cressida's dream is to see a thriving and vibrant dairy sector dominated by independent brands, much like what has been achieved in the craft brewery industry.


RESOURCES

Dairy Cocoon - a not-for-profit digital platform and support hub which provides a pathway for willing dairy farmers to begin their journey up the value chain.

Is value-adding a pipe dream for Australian agriculture? - John Ralph Essay Competition 2022, Australian Farm Institute

Riley and Robertson: The Virtual Good Farmer - 09 June 2022

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Does big change have to cost big money? It doesn’t have to.  

In this episode we look at funding on-farm innovation and building a network which will lead you to new opportunities.  We look at all types of financing from debt-financing (ie. asking the bank manager!), to vendor financing, government grants, crowd sourcing, investors and even venture capital.

How do you know which option is best for you? And how do you explore potential opportunities with  government or University-based projects which are looking for farmers or technologists to trial their research? 
 

Guests: 

Adam Coffey, Coffey Cattle Co.
Adam Coffey owns and operates a 2500ha beef breeding and trading operation on the central coast of Queensland with his wife Jacynta and two boys, Will and Sam.  

They are very focused on production efficiency, whilst ensuring they continuously improve the condition of land under their stewardship. 

Christine Pitt, Farmers 2 Founders
Christine is a globally recognised thought leader, investor and entrepreneur in the ag+food tech ecosystem. She has a particular interest in building globally networked agrifood ecosystems and creating new business models for raising funds to invest in disruptive innovation across the agrifood value chain. Her passion is to make a positive impact in the areas of sustainability, human health & wellbeing, food waste, food security, and creating transparent and ethical agrifood businesses and value chains. 
Christine holds a Bachelor of Science, a Masters of Health Administration, and a Doctor of Business Administration in Innovation & Entrepreneurship.   

Fiona Best,  Birchip Cropping Group
In her position as CEO, Fiona works to bring relevant agricultural research and extension opportunities to farming communities by attracting investments to improve the prosperity of broadacre farming locally, regionally and nationally.

After growing up on her mixed enterprise family farm, cropping and producing sheep, Fiona studied a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne.  Fiona is the regional director of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.

Emma Ayliffe, Yacker App
Emma is a farmer, researcher and consultant based at Tullibigeal, NSW. After moving from South Australia to New South Wales working as a cotton agronomist, Emma moved to Tullibigeal with her partner where they bought her first 1700 acre farm with the support of Craig’s family.  

In 2020-2021, Emma was Australian Young Farmer of the Year. Emma prides herself on being an innovator pushing the boundaries and coming up solutions with farmers problems. 

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

JACOB BIRCH  is an academic, entrepreneur and Churchill Fellow passionate about re-awakening, and bringing into a modern context, the native grain foodways that sustained his Gamilaraay ancestors for thousands of generations.  

In this episode, Jacob speaks about understanding the agronomy and nutrition of native grasses as well as the potential for cultural and community benefit.  

Jacob’s received First Class Honours for a multidisciplinary research project that investigated the nutritional qualities of Australian native grains for human consumption, and Indigenist research methodologies which give agency to First Nations voices and experience. 

Jacob led a national consultation to inform the AgriFutures commissioned Australian Native Grains Strategic RD&E Plan. 

www.yaamarraandyarral.com.au

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Making the right decision at the right time is critical to good business and innovation, especially when you add drought or other volatile factors into the mix. So when a new opportunity arises, how do you know you’ll make the ‘right’ choice?  

This episode looks at the latest research about on-farm decision-making, as well as stories from farmers, farm consultants and agricultural entrepreneurs about how they made the decision to adopt a new technology or practice.  

Farm consultant with Southern Farming Systems, Cam Nicholson shares his decision-making framework of using the ‘head, heart and gut’. Emma Ayliffe, agronomist and founder of Yacker, an app that connects farmers, talks about the value of peer-to-peer research (ie. Calling other farmers!). And Jacob Birch, Gamilaraay man, academic and entrepreneur speaks about how to be culturally appropriate in the decision-making process, especially as the native grains and other indigenous industries grow. 

GUESTS 

CAM NICHOLSON is a director of Nicon Rural Services, a consulting business near Geelong working with the grazing and cropping industries. 

Cam has worked in pasture agronomy and soils for 35 years and has been involved in many farmer programs for the GRDC, MLA, Landcare and the current Future Drought Fund.  He provides consultancy advice to farmers and lectures on animal and pasture systems at Marcus Oldham College. 

His most recent work has focused on understanding and discussing risk in farming businesses, carbon accounting and decision making. Cam recently helped revamp information and tools for MLA on pastures and soils. 

EMMA AYLIFFE is a farmer, researcher and consultant based at Tullibigeal, NSW. After moving from South Australia to New South Wales working as a cotton agronomist, Emma moved to Tullibigeal with her partner where they bought her first 1700 acre farm with the support of Craig’s family.  

In 2020-2021, Emma was Australian Young Farmer of the Year. Emma prides herself on being an innovator pushing the boundaries and coming up solutions with farmers problems.   


JACOB BIRCH  is an academic, entrepreneur and Churchill Fellow passionate about re-awakening, and bringing into a modern context, the native grain foodways that sustained his Gamilaraay ancestors for thousands of generations.  

Jacob’s received First Class Honours for a multidisciplinary research project that investigated the nutritional qualities of Australian native grains for human consumption, and Indigenist research methodologies which give agency to First Nations voices and experience.  

Jacob led a national consultation to inform the AgriFutures commissioned Australian Native Grains Strategic RD&E Plan.  

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Sometimes we can confuse ‘innovation’ for high tech machines, sensors and drones. But there’s a lot more to innovation and adoption than fancy technology. So, what actually IS innovation? Bringing about change on farms or within agricultural industries and communities is complex. Firstly, understanding your motivation for change is critical to success.

So, in this episode, we look at three key motivators for innovation: 1) for growth and profit, 2) climate or consumer future-proofing and 3) community building. And sometimes is a combination of all of the above!

We look at whether an ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ is needed to innovate. Traditionally, farmers haven’t considered themselves as entrepreneurs because they are continuing the custodianship of land rather than creating something ‘new’. But is this changing?

 Featured guests: 

• Dr Dorin Gupta, Associate Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at The University of Melbourne’s Dookie Campus 
• Andrea Cross, Director of 150km Feast in Horsham
• Nigel Kerin of Kerin Poll Merino sheep stud, an agricultural entrepreneur
• Ivan Shaw, inventor of the Shaw Arm Trellis and now-retired Merbein dried fruit grower
• Ross Kingwell, Professor at the University of WA’s School of Agriculture and Environment

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Join host, Kirsten Diprose for a journey into innovation and beyond.  In this free, fortnightly podcast, we discover the secrets to: unlocking your innovation potential; avoiding the pitfalls of change and; staying ahead of climate in the context of agriculture. 

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.