How do we better get new research to farmers, to start-ups for commercialisation,  or to Ag industry bodies to build on, distribute and use?  Should we be incorporating a diversity of skills and building teams from the beginning of research?  How can universities and industry better share knowledge and skills?  How do we focus on the trial and error of innovation in science or tech, without IP getting in the way? Hosted by: Kirsten Diprose, Innovation Ag podcast host and Vic Hub Knowledge Broker. Panellists: Natalie Collard – Chief Executive, Food and Fibre Great South ..read more

So, you’ve implemented change, well done! How do you know it was all worth it?  This episode is the final from our current series on 'how to innovate' - and it's time to take stock. But really, that all comes down how you measure your success. In the first episode, "What is innovation?", we looked at three key motivators:  1) for growth and profit  2) for climate resilience or consumer future-proofing  3) for community building.  And it turns out these key motivators are also quite useful as metrics of success. So, in this episode hear how social and cultural innovat ..read more

Can you heat a hospital with wheat stubble? Or use chipped almond trees to improve your soil? These are some examples of circular economic trials that are underway in Australia at the moment.    Arguably, never before has there been such an incentive to develop circular economies, with the costs of fertiliser, fuel and electricity all rising significantly over the past few years.    But one of the big challenges in agriculture, is that we operate in linear economies, rather than in circular ones (i.e. most farmers buy inputs to produce outputs).    Even still, new ..read more

 Wayne Schild's journey from paramedic to commercial farmer has taken guts, vision and plenty of curiosity.  In this bonus episode, we're playing the extended interview with Wayne, who we spoke to in Episode 6 - 'Staying Operational While Innovating'.   Wayne grows garlic in Victoria's Western districts where farmers mainly produce sheep and wool. It's been a huge journey for his business called Grange Garlic, from the lows of suffering major crop losses, to the highs of finding a way to mechanize his operations - allowing the business to move from artisan to commercial.  ..read more

Rainfall levels for many parts of Australia haven’t recovered since the devastating millennium drought.  Many rural communities are having to face a reality of landscapes and climate that have already changed, and are likely to continue to do so. So, what makes an effective climate adaptation initiative?  Following on from the previous episode about creating innovation systems on a national or regional scale, this episode looks at how innovation systems can function on a much smaller, local scale. We examine local innovation systems, through the lens of addressing the challenges of c ..read more

What kind of “innovation systems” do we currently have for Australian agriculture?   Well, according to a recent report commissioned by the Federal Government, it could be a lot better.   The report found that while Australia’s agriculture research is internationally renowned and individual farmers are good at adopting new practices, knowledge is often siloed.   Essentially, agricultural innovation in Australia was not designed to operate as a cohesive system, rather it’s made up of multiple institutions and organizations which have developed over time for various locations an ..read more

Dr Robert Faggian doesn't want research gathering dust, or government talk fests with no action. So, in his keynote address at a recent event we hosted in Bendigo, Victoria, Rob looks at local government responses to climate adaptation. He also outlines some of his own research - which uses  climate modelling -  to empower action in agriculture. This is a short bonus episode from the Vic Drought and Innovation Hub's 2023  Think Tank event, 'Are we drought ready?'. GUESTS Dr. Robert Faggian, an Associate Professor of Climate Change Adaptation at Deakin University, is a recog ..read more

So far we’ve heard a lot about innovation in ag – about what it is, about considerations to factor into the decision-making process and we’ve also heard stories about how others have gone about funding a new tool, practice, trial or project.   So, now we're ready to innovate, right?   Well hang on a minute, because first we need to talk about one of the biggest barriers to changing systems or practices.  And that is... you generally have to keep your operations going while you do it.   This episode we’ll hear stories of people who have already navigated this process, such a ..read more

There are so many digital platforms out there, promising to count your cows, measure your soil carbon and do your finances. So how do know which data collecting applications are going to be most useful? From GPS-driven tractors, online auctions, weather and climate tracking apps to soil sensors, there is an increasing amount of data available to farmers and agribusiness. But are we actually using this data to the best effect? Data can unlock new opportunities, from greater market access to better knowledge about crops and pasture that can lead to higher productivity and better environmental ou ..read more

In this bonus episode, we bring you the extended interview from Christine Pitt, the Founder and Managing Director of Farmers to Founders.  Christine was in Episode 03: Finding Funding & Building Networks. 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 i ..read more