COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES TO ACHIEVE ON-FARM PRACTICE
CHANGE TO DELIVER GRAIN PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES
Jen Lillecrapp and Michael Richards (for Ag Excellence Alliance Inc.)
Jen Lillecrapp – hrznetwork@bigpond.com 0427 647 461
Michael Richards – michael.nynrm@internode.on.net 0427 547 052
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has contracted Ag Excellence Alliance (Ag Ex)
to develop partnerships with regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations, growers, grains
research, development and extension providers to increase the adoption of improved farm practices that
will deliver production and environmental outcomes. Ag Ex is working with project partners across the
GRDC Southern Region to identify, develop and deliver extension activities and communication products to
address key issues faced by growers over the next three years. This will also provide opportunities for regions
to access and benefit from relevant specialist knowledge and practical experience from across Australia.
The network of Australian Government, Department of Agriculture funded Regional Landcare Facilitators
(RLF's), NRM Boards/Catchment Management Authorities (CMA’s)/Local Land Services (LLS’s) staff will assist
with identifying issues and engaging NRM, growers, and Landcare groups. .
A partnership approach targeting production and environmental outcomes will ensure there is shared
knowledge between the grains industry and NRM organisations that can deliver complimentary and
consistent key messages to growers and advisers. Improving the skills and building the capacity of within
the industry and NRM organisations will provide the foundations for co-operative delivery of key and
complimentary messages for mutual benefits. These partnerships will also provide a more efficient model for
delivery of extension activities and communication products through additional networks and pathways.
The focus for communication and extension activities will be within the four Pilot Project regions of the
Southern Mallee of SA and Victoria, NSW Mallee and the Northern Mallee of Victoria, Eyre Peninsula of SA
and Yorke Peninsula and Northern Agricultural Districts.
Facilitated workshops with key stakeholder groups have been convened in each of the Pilot Project regions
to prioritise issues and desired production and environment outcomes. These facilitated workshops also
identified the on-farm practice changes required to achieve these outcomes. Articulating the agreed key
messages for communication has informed the plans to deliver communication products and extension
activities.
An example of a Pilot Project is around the development and adoption of management practices to
control Brome Grass while maintaining groundcover to avert the risk of erosion. This is important given that
there has been a shift in the biology and the development of herbicide resistance in Brome Grass
populations and hence the need for alternative strategies including cultural control practices.
A range of extension activities and communication tools have been identified for the required practices
changes and key messages for each of the four Pilot Project regions. These include local demonstrations,
facilitated grower groups, workshops, field days, farmer case studies, video clips, fact sheets, newsletters
and research updates. The rationale for the extension activities is based upon the developed program
logics that identify the motivators and barriers to growers adopting the required practice changes. A
Communication and Extension Plan also identifies the range of networks and pathways that will be utilised
to disseminate products and promote activities.
A number of workshops will also be held in CMA and LLS regions across Victoria and NSW respectively.
These workshops will bring together the key individuals from each of the important stakeholders from both
the grains industry and NRM organisations. The issues that provide both grain production and NRM
outcomes in each of these regions will be identified and prioritised. Participants of these workshops will also
identify opportunities and develop action plans to leverage funding and research, development and
extension delivery to grain growers and farms that will deliver production and environmental outcomes in
the GRDC Southern Region.