Reboot your farming family in 2023
Is it time to reboot your family farming operations? If your grazing or farming family business needs an injection of new information and skills to become more climate resilient, the Farming Family Reboot in Armidale this April could be just the ticket.
The SQNNSW Innovation Hub’s Armidale Node Manager, Lu Hogan, from the University of New England’s SMART Region Incubator, said the free three-day event was a chance for members of farming families and businesses to improve their critical decision making and teamwork skills.
“When you are part of a family-run livestock, cropping or mixed enterprise, being able to work together is critical to not just the success of the business but the family as well,” she said.
“The Farming Family Reboot workshop (Armidale, April 18-20), is a chance for people to take some time out from the daily work of the farm, to think, plan, review their goals and build some new skills that will help in managing future climate related business challenges.”
This free event features high quality guest speakers and hands on in-paddock sessions. Accommodation and meals are included, thanks to the support of Rural Aid, the University of New England (UNE) and the SQNNSW Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. Childcare may also be available at the UNE campus (bookings required).
“This is the second year we have offered the Farming Family Reboot, after overwhelmingly positive reactions in 2022. We heard excellent feedback about not just the quality of our speakers and hands on activities, but about how much benefit there was when the whole family could attend,” Ms Hogan said.
Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said 100% of the pilot cohort agreed that they were likely to use the provided material again, that the content was relevant to their needs, and it was easy to understand. More than 90% strongly agreed they were likely to either make practice changes or consider making changes because of attending.
“Rural Aid is well-known for the critical support it provides farmers affected by natural disaster, but we also have an important role to play in helping producers prepare for those challenges,” Mr Warlters said.
The three day program covers: the way decisions are made on the farm; understanding and using critical decision points and weather forecasts in the livestock and cropping cycle to better manage climate challenges; matching stocking rate to feed supply; supplementary feeding of livestock to meet production goals; considering investment in new infrastructure to better manage drought and other climate challenges; relationships within the family and making better decisions as a family; and research and development at UNE SMART Farms.
The Farming Family Reboot will be held at the University of New England, Armidale on April 18-20, and all accommodation and meals are included. To express your interest in attending (places are limited), register via bit.ly/FFR2023. For more information about the program contact Lu Hogan on lhogan22@une.edu.au or 0427 687 432.
The Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub receives funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. Find out more at unisq.edu.au/sqnnswhub.
For more information, contact SQNNSW Innovation Hub Communications Coordinator Lisa Yorkston: 0448 263 767 or Lisa.Yorkston@usq.edu.au.