Biennial Forum
Ag Excellence Forum2024 - Future Farming | Turning Trends into Practice
The Ag Excellence Forum & Awards is South Australia’s premier grower group event. A valued collection point for grower groups, government and industry to share experiences, develop new ideas, enrich connections and contribute to evolving conversations.
AgExForum24 was held on 5 August 2024 at the Marion Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia. The full-day program supported the theme of ‘Future Farming | Turning Trends into Practice’, a response to the ever-increasing push to demonstrate sustainability credentials in agriculture and the role technology can play.
The program addressed drought resilience, emissions management, and the information and data generated for better decision-making. There was space for an interactive session involving the grower groups to learn how they navigate sustainability requirements, identify needs, and determine how to integrate this work with existing priorities.
“We brought highly respected and foremost expertise on current issues in agriculture to generate a learning environment through constant engagement with presenters and fellow attendees”, said Leet Wilksch, Ag Ex Chair.
The program featured keynote speakers SAGIT Chair, Andy Barr who opened the proceedings by delving into the global drivers of sustainability and emissions management.
Cathy McGowan AO, esteemed Chair of AgriFutures Australia narrowed down how we can mobilise communities on emissions management.
Additional presenters focussed on the innovations and opportunities that exist for grower groups and the industry in managing emissions.
The day culminated with the Gala Awards Dinner where industry colleagues gathered to network and celebrate grower group achievements with the winners of the PIRSA Grower Group and Ag Ex Perpetual Awards announced. For the first time, the Australian Institute of SA also proclaimed the ‘Jim McColl Young Consultant’ award winner.
One of Australia’s favourite storytellers Fiona McIntosh regaled the audience with her life experiences in writing speculative fiction, and historical fiction, and hosting one of the country’s most successful writing masterclasses.
Keynote Speakers
Prof Andy Barr
Chair, South Australian Grains Industry Trust
Andrew was raised on a mixed enterprise farm in the lower north of South Australia. He completed his bachelor of agricultural science in 1976 and a PhD at the University of Adelaide in 1994. He worked for 27 years as a plant breeder in the South Australian Department of Agriculture / SARDI, University of Adelaide and Australian Grain Technologies including leading the SA Barley Improvement program from 1994-2003. Since 2003, Andrew has returned to the family farm, growing bread and durum wheat, canola, malt and feed barley, oaten hay, lentils, peas, faba beans and chickpeas. Andrew continues his interest in agricultural R&D by hosting a range of research trials on farm, board roles with CIMMYT, GRDC (past) and AEXCO and SAGIT (present), and consulting to public and private sector plant breeding programs.
Cathy McGowan AO
Chair, AgriFutures Australia
Cathy came to national attention when she won the seat of Indi as an independent in 2013. The community backed her again in 2016. In 2019 Indi made Australian political history when Dr Helen Haines was elected as Indi's second, community independent. During her time as a politician Cathy actively worked in Parliament supporting agriculture and rural communities particularly the future drought fund and policy around regional development.
In 2019 she was awarded The Accountability Round Table award for political integrity and in 2022 The Australia Financial Review named her as one of the top 10 ‘covert’ power players and No 2 cultural leaders in Australia.
Before she was in politics Cathy had a long and productive history within agricultural industries, leading the Women in Dairy Project, Women in Horticulture, Women in wool, and supporting many grains projects, as well as study tours to Ireland and the US.
As chair of the board of AgriFutures she plays a leading role in the agriculture research and development. She is an Officer in the Order of Australia, a Churchill fellow and lives very happily on her farm in the Indigo Valley in NE Victoria
Thank you to our generous partners
PLATINUM PARTNER | Grains Research and Development Corporation
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is responsible for investing in research, development and extension (RD&E) to drive the discovery, development and delivery of world-class innovation for Australian grain growers.
We invest over $180 million a year in RD&E on behalf of growers to enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of their farm businesses. We partner with leading international experts on innovative RD&E across a diverse portfolio of over 700 projects.
The 2024 AgExcellence Alliance Forum is a great opportunity to support growers to build knowledge and understanding by talking to others from the grains industry and beyond.
Our purpose is to invest in RD&E to create enduring profitability for Australian grain growers. Our vision is a profitable and sustainable Australian grains industry, valued by the wider community.
For more information visit www.grdc.com.au
AWARD PARTNER | Primary Industries and Regions South Australia
The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) is a key economic development agency in the Government of South Australia. PIRSA aims to advance the prosperity and sustainability of South Australia's primary industries and the livability of regional communities.
Through policy, industry engagement and research, PIRSA plays a critical role in promoting the future of South Australia’s advanced $18.5 billion (2022-23) agricultural industry and seeking new opportunities for development while providing services to help protect our industries from biosecurity threats.
We coordinate state and federally funded programs across South Australia to:
- drive economic growth
- protect and maintain the productivity of our primary industries
- protect our environment
- build the resilience of and sustain the health and wellbeing of our communities.
PIRSA supports industry to achieve growth targets through 14 Primary Industries Funding Schemes enabling industries to collect industry contributions to fund marketing, research and industry development.
For more information visit www.pir.sa.gov.au
GOLD PARTNER | AgriFutures Australia
Investing in research, innovation, and leadership to strengthen our rural industries and regional communities.
For more information visit www.agrifutures.com.au
GOLD PARTNER | South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
The South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is one of eight Hubs established across the nation through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Led by the University of Adelaide and in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, the SA Hub comprises the headquarters at Roseworthy in the Mid North and five regional Nodes at Minnipa on Eyre Peninsula, Port Augusta in the Far North, Orroroo in the Upper North, Loxton in the Riverland, and Struan in the South-East.
The location of the Nodes ensures state-wide coverage of all pastoral, low, medium and high rainfall agricultural production zones.
The Hub consists of a collaborative network of 59 industry partners, including grower groups; the three SA-based universities; government agencies; indigenous partners; agribusinesses; research, development and extension partners; and industry organisations.
The Hub’s stakeholders will co-design and deliver demand-driven activities that focus on innovation and adoption to build farmers’ drought resilience and that of regional communities.
For more information visit www.sadroughthub.com.au
SILVER PARTNER | South Australian Grains Industry Trust
The South Australian Grain Industry Trust Fund (SAGIT) administers the voluntary research levy contributed by SA growers.
Research and development investment of more than $1.8 million a year is supported in a range of areas crucial to advancing the State’s grain industry.
No other state has a research fund supported by growers for state-based, grains industry research.
For more information visit www.sagit.com.au
SILVER PARTNER | HILLS AND FLEURIEU LANDSCAPE BOARD
Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu helps care for land, water, and nature by collaborating with First Nations, land managers, and the community.
We connect people to knowledge, expertise and funding to manage our region’s productive and biodiverse landscapes.
By motivating positive change, we build environmental, economic, social, and cultural values, benefiting our landscapes for generations to come.
For more information visit www.landscapesa.gov.au/hf/
SILVER PARTNER | NORTHERN AND YORKE LANDSCAPE BOARD
The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board works with community and land managers to sustainably care for the region’s land, water and nature. It supports farmers to build knowledge and capacity in carbon farming, improve biodiversity and soil health and reduce the impact of priority weeds and feral pests.
For more information visit www.landscapesa.gov.au/hf/
BRONZE PARTNERS
PRE-DINNER NETWORKING DRINKS
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The People in Agriculture Forum is happening tomorrow - still time to register https://buff.ly/3Yn7vp8 The @midnorthhrz Spring field day is on tomorrow, registration is essential! Have your say on the future of Drought Hubs - AG Excellence Have your say on the future of Drought Hubs - AG Excellence Farmers, agribusinesses, stakeholders and rural communities have the chance to weigh in on the role of the Future ... buff.ly Are you a recent graduate and passionate about research and the broadacre cropping industry? Don't miss this opportunity to join @HartFieldDay! Opportunity to join Hart as its grains research intern - AG Excellence If you're a recent graduate and passionate about research and the broadacre cropping industry, we have the perfect way to kick-start your career. buff.ly Panel session on the opportunities for grower groups to engage in industry emission initiatives with Tim Sides @DAFFgov Jo Sullivan @KILandscapeSA Dr Lynne Macdonald @csiro Prof Tim Sutton @SAGrainTrust Dr Stephen Lee @SADroughtHub #AgExForum2024 workshop style! A dynamic mix of grower groups, industry, RDC's and Landscape Boards discussing the gaps and opportunities for emissions management. Jordy Kitschke @flux_robotics illustrates the “greenies dream” - a solar-powered zero chem weed control system that appeals to farmers for lower costs, but no one has asked if it will reduce their emissions. Sometimes you can reach the same destination through different methods. Todd Price @AuNutrien says we are already efficient, let’s prove that through emissions accounts, which can also show us where we can improve productivity. Rachel May, Ag Ex Farming Systems Specialist Adoption Officer outlining the key findings of the latest SA Grower Group Snapshot. Group membership is more than 10,000 producers and climate change and emissions reduction being a high priority for groups.
https://buff.ly/3XVpOBN
@SADroughtHub
Prof Tim Sutton @SAGrainTrust
#AgExForum2024
#SAgrowergroups
