2022 PIRSA Grower Group Award Winner

Upper North Farming Systems (UNFS) has taken out the coveted PIRSA Grower Group Award for 2022. Presented at Monday night’s Gala Awards Dinner at the Marion Hotel in front of an enthusiastic audience, the group was a popular winner.

From left: Leet Wilksch, Michael Zwar, Ruth Sommerville and Prof Mehdi Doroudi
From left: Leet Wilksch, Michael Zwar, Ruth Sommerville and Prof Mehdi Doroudi

Upper North Farming Systems (UNFS) has taken out the coveted PIRSA Grower Group Award for 2022. Presented at Monday night’s Gala Awards Dinner at the Marion Hotel in front of an enthusiastic audience, the group was a popular winner.

In keeping with the forum theme ‘Building Collaborative Capacity’, Executive Officer Ruth Sommerville said, “the recently launched Young Farmers Hub aims to bring together those new to the industry to support each other, learn with each other and ultimately grow the future of our industry”.

UNFS intends to deliver a series of workshops which will bring the next generation of farmers together to build their skills and confidence.

Context will be developed in consultation with the UNFS Young Farmers Hub representatives and include crop establishment and development; the basics of planning, managing and monitoring a farm business; and understanding farm chemistry.

Mehdi Doroudi, Chief Executive Officer for Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) lauded the group for embracing a new generation of farmers, stepping in to the role of mentor and collaborating to ensure our young farmers have the peer support necessary to learn and prosper.

UNFS is celebrating 21 years of leading farmers to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the agricultural industry in low rainfall areas.

Past Grower Group Award Winners

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.

Award Partner

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