Grower Group Award

2024 PIRSA Grower Group Award - Expressions of Interest OPEN NOW

Shine the light on your Grower Group in 2024! Share your groups significant achievement and celebrate your efforts amongst fellow industry peers at the South Australian Grower Group event of the year! Win $5,000 towards in recognition of your project / initiative to help support the future of your organisational goals. We are interested in hearing about all activities and encourage you to highlight how your group is fostering this years Forum theme of 'Future Farming - Turning Trends into Practice'. Groups will need to demonstrate how these activities have contributed to successfully create positive outcomes for your member base. Complete the following form to register your expression of interest in being considered for this award. You will then have the opportunity to participate in a telephone interview to further discuss your application with the judging panel. APPLICATIONS CLOSE THURSDAY 25 JULY 2024

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Please provide a brief overview of your groups activity and how it supports the AgExForum24 theme of 'Future Farming | Turning Trends into Practice'(Required)

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Past Grower Group Award Winners

2022 Award Winner - Upper North Farming Systems

2021 Award Winner - Mid North High Rainfall Zone Group

The Mid North High Rainfall Zone (MNHRZ) group has taken out the highly regarded PIRSA Grower Group Award for 2021. Awarded during the recent Ag Excellence Virtual Forum and Awards, Ag Ex was thrilled to have the opportunity to host both worthy winners in person.

In keeping with the forum theme ‘A Climate of Opportunity in Ag’, Chair Jarred Tilley says, “the group’s key objective is to demonstrate a robust baseline sampling strategy for determining the Soil Organic Carbon Stocks (SOCS) on a property using direct sampling and measurement”.

Building on an existing project, MNHRZ will put the funding toward applying this methodology across a number of paddocks, utilising data collected from established Carbon Estimation Areas (CEAs), ensuring accurate sampling and measurement.

Daniel Casement, Executive Director Rural Solutions “commended the group for contributing to the sector’s efforts in lowering emissions and seeking ways to achieve carbon neutrality and greater climate resilience across its regions”.

“The efforts of MNHRZ will go toward meeting a growing demand for education and awareness of the soil organic carbon methodologies and its relevance to farming systems and business profitability”, said Mr Casement.

A progressive group of farmers, advisors and researchers, the MNHRZ aims to bring research and extension into the Mid North with its trial sites at Giles Corner and Farrell Flat. The MNHRZ represent cropping and mixed farmers who farm in a reliable but cold environment and face challenges with variable soil constraints, frost damage, crop nutrition, weed competition and crop diseases.

2020 Award Winner - Event Cancelled

2019 Winner - Women Together Learning

The highly valued 2019 Grower Group Award, sponsored by Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), went to Women Together Learning (WoTL) for putting forward an educational proposal to benefit their members, the local and broader agricultural communities. WoTL will put the $5,000 towards two initiatives to build linkages between women that participate in WoTL regional activities and the Stepping into Leadership Alumni. Firstly, members will be invited to take part in a ‘Video Tips and Tools’ workshop to enhance their presence on social media platforms. Secondly, a field trip is to be organised within the Barossa and Adelaide Hills regions to gain further insight in to how Alumni participants have put their learnings into practice within their own businesses.

Chair Sharon Honner and Executive Officer, Kim Blenkiron accepted the award from PIRSA Deputy Chief Executive, Tim Goodes on behalf of WoTL. Sharon acknowledged Kim as the driver behind the project as well as being a significant contributor to WoTL. “Kim has led the Group during its time as the South Australian branch of Partners in Grain right through the transition process to what is now known as WoTL”, said Sharon. Tim Goodes congratulated the group on finding their niche and playing such an important role in further developing and strengthening the Ag space for all women in agriculture.

Download the Activity Report here.

2018 Award Winner - Barossa Improved Grazing Group

Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG) put forward an educational proposal to benefit their members, the local and broader agricultural communities. BIGG will put the $5,000 towards two ‘soil health’ webinars and attendance of 25 members at a ‘soil health’ field day to be held by Fleurieu Forward Farming.

Chair Graeme Keynes accepted the award from PIRSA Chief Executive, Scott Ashby on behalf of BIGG. Graeme acknowledged Brett Nietschke as the driver behind the project as well as being a significant contributor to BIGG.

“Healthy soils are fundamental to the sustainability of farming systems. They store and cycle water and nutrients effectively and provide optimal conditions for plant growth and health”, said Graeme.

Scott Ashby congratulated the BIGG group on their quest to up-skill local producers in soil health practice and praised their collaborative approach to supporting and working with fellow grower groups.

2017 Award Winner - Upper North Farming Systems

The Upper North Farming Systems was awarded the 2017 PIRSA Grower Group Award for their proposal to investigate appropriate 1 - 2 year pasture options for improving the profitability of break-crops for grazing in the Upper north of South Australia.

The aim is to demonstrate on 2 sites the value of implementing an improved pasture into the rotations rather than utilising a self-sown pasture for the break crop. They intend to sow a number of different pasture types, both annual and perennial at the two sites to explore their suitability for growing in the region and the role different varieties play in filling nutritional feed gaps in the livestock enterprise. This research will be further supported by incorporating a workshop and technical support for farmers to explore these options for their enterprise.

2016 Award Winner - Hart Field Site Group

Hart Field Site Group focussed their winning submission on two of the five strategic issues identified by groups for their long-term sustainability.

Hart's sustainable financial modelling included partnering with Central West Farming Systems Group to adopt their proven costing model template when quoting on project applications and event requests to ensure they deliver the best value to both funding providers and members.

Another critical issue facing grower groups is their governance and organisation development. Hart is in the enviable position of attracting surplus applications to join their board. Staff numbers are also increasing resulting in the need to further define these roles and the structure around them.

2011 - 2015 Award Winners

Grower Group Award

2024 PIRSA Grower Group Award - Expressions of Interest OPEN NOW

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Past Grower Group Award Winners

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