A cohort of global agrifood startups will pitch their ideas to a shark tank panel of farmers at a unique agricultural innovation event in northern Tasmania this week.

The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is partnering with Startupbootcamp Foodtech Tasmania for the Innovate Ag Tas Meetup on Wednesday, 1 November at the Longford RSL.

The TAS hub’s Innovation Knowledge Broker, Sophie Folder, said the event would interest farmers, technology enthusiasts or those just curious about ag innovation.

“This is great opportunity to bring farmers, service providers and industry together with leading global innovators to network, share ideas, knowledge and feedback on what it takes for technology and innovation to be successful,” Mrs Folder said.

“It will be interesting to see the five global agrifood startups pitching their ideas to a farmer shark tank and to hear the frank and honest feedback the farmers provide to this group of innovators.”

The agrifood startups are currently in Tasmania participating in the Foodtech Tasmania Accelerator program where they learn to refine their business models, pitches and strategies to accelerate their growth.

Tom Woolley from Startupbootcamp Foodtech Tasmania said the Longford event would cover some interesting topics.

“You'll hear pitches from up-and-coming founders about brand-new cutting-edge concepts that will innovate and are improving the agriculture and food space including below soil real time fertiliser measurements, green leaf waste conversion to food ingredients, animal microbiota gut health, agriwaste ethanol recovery and agrifood supply chain integrity,” Mr Woolley said.

“The startup businesses are focused on the customer problem meaning they are listening and learning from their customer base about their problems and pains. Engaging with the Longford community is an opportunity to learn about the innovation at the same time as discussing how the solutions may work within a Tasmanian environment.”

The event at the Longford RSL runs from 4pm – 7pm and includes food and light refreshments. Registrations are required at this link.

Attendees will also hear about evoke^AG, Australia’s premier agrifood tech event being held on 21-22 February 2024, and can get a copy of the Tasmanian Agricultural Technology Guide.  The guide showcases 100 technologies across four key industries in Tasmania and was recently developed by the TAS Farm Innovation Hub and Beanstalk Agtech with funding from AgriFutures Australia.

The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is one of eight hubs nationally funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The hub is based at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania and delivered through an extensive network of industry and community partners.

Media contact: Melissa Lewarn, melissa.lewarn@utas.edu.au or 0427 354 058.

Information released by:
Communications Office University of Tasmania
+61 3 6226 2124 | Communications.Office@utas.edu.au | Twitter.com/utas_

Key Tasmanian agriculture stakeholders will meet in Launceston this week to collaborate and showcase work underway to strengthen climate resilience in our communities.

Around 50 stakeholders are expected to attend the TAS Farm Innovation Hub Partner Forum at Peppers Silo in Launceston tomorrow.

Hub Director Sandra Knowles said the forum was an opportunity to showcase the achievements of hub partners to support drought resilience throughout Tasmania.

“The event is a great way for our partners to come together and hear about the diverse activities underway around Tasmania supported by the hub and connect with like-minded people in the agricultural sector,” Ms Knowles said.

“The hub prides itself on effective collaboration so this is a key event to enable those conversations to flow and for our partners to share valuable lessons and insights for the future.”

The forum will showcase projects which offer practical actions to support drought resilience on-farm including agricultural innovation, natural capital and on-farm tactics supporting healthy soils.

There will also be discussions on building industry resilience including presentations on agritourism, community engagement and learning and the successful ENABLE Leadership Program for the ag industry.

“A key aim of the TAS Farm Innovation Hub is to help farmers access critical information and drive innovation in their business to ensure financial, social and environmental resilience to drought and climate variability,” Ms Knowles said.

“We know there is a lot of useful information out there to assist our farmers plan for the future and our role is to allow easy access to this knowledge through strengthening relationships in Tasmania’s agriculture sector.”

The TAS hub has 22 projects around Tasmania in collaboration with more than 30 partner organisations. Projects include integrating trees into farm plans to improve resilience to drought; investigating soil health sensing technologies; and supporting drought and climate resilience in Aboriginal farm enterprises.

The hub has delivered a number of key activities recently including regional workshops looking at feed availability and budgeting to assess risk and inform stocking rates and presentations on localised weather forecasting to help farmers plan for climate variability.

The hub also recently released the Tasmanian Agriculture Technology Guide in partnership with Beanstalk AgTech. The guide showcases 100 technologies across four key agricultural industries in Tasmania and was developed with funding from AgriFutures Australia.

The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is one of eight hubs nationally funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The hub is based at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania.

Media contact: Melissa Lewarn, melissa.lewarn@utas.edu.au or 0427 354 058.

Information released by:
Communications Office University of Tasmania
+61 3 6226 2124 | Communications.Office@utas.edu.au | Twitter.com/utas_

A new report showcasing 100 technologies across four key agricultural industries in Tasmania is now available to producers.

The Tasmanian Agriculture Technology Guide has been developed by the TAS Farm Innovation Hub and Beanstalk AgTech with funding from AgriFutures Australia.

The project explored the existing and emerging tech solutions to key challenges facing Tasmanian farmers in the livestock, dairy, fruit and vegetable industries.

Linley Houwen from Beanstalk AgTech said the report was a culmination of extensive research and many conversations with producers across Tasmania.

“We wanted to gain a good understanding of some of the biggest challenges facing producers across Tasmania and the role technology could plan in addressing these,” Ms Houwen said.

“We had conversations with more than 30 producers and tech providers across four industries including livestock, dairy, vegetables and fruit, reviewed 11 challenges and assessed more than 200 ag tech companies for solutions to those challenges.

“We now have an accessible resource that empowers farmers to explore the world of agricultural technology, with an overview of some key features, benefits and considerations associated with each technology to help in the decision-making process. ​​

“While the report doesn’t cover all the available solutions on the market, it does provide a good starting point for producers keen to explore the role technology can play in their businesses.”

The report considers industry-wide challenges including data access issues, time spent managing irrigation and the need for more connectivity across farms.

In the vegetable industry, the key challenges identified were reducing input usage to improve margins and optimising drainage, while in the dairy industry, the focus was managing the cost of cow feed and increasing labour efficiency.

In livestock, producers identified challenges associated with using animal data to drive better decisions and supporting intensive grazing methods. In the fruit industry, improving harvest record keeping and manging risks in the growing environment were front and centre.

The report investigated technology solutions for those challenges, including a deep dive into the opportunities and case studies outlining grower experience in the adaption and adoption of ag tech solutions.

TAS Farm Innovation Hub Director Sandra Knowles said the report would be a useful resource for Tasmania’s agricultural sector.

“The Tasmanian Government has set an ambitious strategy to reach $10b in farm gate value by 2050. To reach this goal, Tasmanian production will need to grow at more than double the rate experienced over the past 20 years,” Ms Knowles said.

“Innovation and research are key levers in achieving this goal and providing the productivity gains needed for a sustainable and future-proofed Tasmanian agricultural industry.​

“Over the years, Tasmanian farmers have exhibited remarkable resilience and adaptability, overcoming challenges and consistently producing high-quality agricultural products that are valued both locally and internationally.

“The last few years in particular have seen challenges from rising input costs, labour shortages and changes in climate putting increasing pressure on farmers. ​​

“The great thing about this report is that it focuses on the real challenges facing our sector now and gives producers information they need to decide whether some of the ag tech solutions explored in the report would help their business.

“It’s also useful to hear directly from those Tasmanian producers who have already gone down the ag tech path and what has worked for them.”

Those wanting a copy of the report can access it here or contact the TAS Farm Innovation Hub on fdf.tas.hub@utas.edu.au.

The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is one of eight hubs nationally funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The hub is based at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania and delivered through an extensive network of industry and community partners.

Two events are being held in Tasmania’s north west next month to help local producers build their farm’s resilience in times of increasing climate uncertainty.

The “Across the Paddock” events are being delivered by Cradle Coast NRM with support from the TAS Farm Innovation Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Project Coordinator Ben Correy (pictured below, left, with Jake Pearce from Simplot) said the events would focus on cover crops as a measure to build healthy, productive and climate-resilient soils.

“One very cost effective and environmentally sustainable strategy for vegetable producers is to plant cover crops in rotation between cash crops,” Mr Correy said.

“As their name suggests, cover crops are planted to cover the soil and help to protect it from damaging impacts like heavy rainfall and strong winds that can lead to topsoil loss and erosion.

“Another obvious benefit is their ability to shade and protect the soil during periods of prolonged dryness. This increases the soil’s water holding capacity, helping to retain water within the soil profile longer.”

Cover crops are established before planting the next cash crop and their presence ensures that the soil is not subjected to periods of bare fallow (a diverse mix of species works well – see photo, below).

They are sometimes called “green manures” because they also increase organic matter, recycle nutrients back into the soil, reduce weeds and build soil structure. By including legumes (nitrogen fixers) in the mix, they also increase nitrogen availability for subsequent crops, helping to improve soil fertility and enhance productivity (a legume with nitrogen fixing nodules is shown in the main image, top).

TAS Farm Innovation Hub Director Sandra Knowles said cover crops were one tool in the resilience toolbox and were increasing in popularity across Tasmania.

“It is great to see the hub and Cradle Coast NRM partner with Simplot and support five in-field demonstrations with a group of potato growers across the north west coast,” Ms Knowles said.

“Each farm has used a slightly different way of establishing their cover crops so it will be interesting to hear more about the lessons learned at the upcoming “Across the Paddock” events.”

Attendees will also hear from farm managers about their practical experiences with a mix of cover crop species and a number of guest speakers who have studied the benefits of cover crops.

The first event will be held at Redbank Farm at Sisters Creek on Tuesday 15 August. The second will be held at Kindred on Thursday 17 August, both start at 11.00am. There is no charge to attend, and a light lunch will be included. Please register by contacting Ben Correy on bcorrey@cradlecoast.com or 0474 325 192.

The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is one of eight hubs nationally funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The hub is based at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania and delivered through an extensive network of industry and community partners.

Media contact: Melissa Lewarn, melissa.lewarn@utas.edu.au or 0427 354 058.

Information released by:
Communications Office University of Tasmania
+61 3 6226 2124 | Communications.Office@utas.edu.au | Twitter.com/utas_

Students from Summerdale Primary School in Launceston are heading into the country next week as part of a new pilot project to inspire the future generation of agricultural innovators.

The Enabling the Ag Innovators of the Future project is being delivered by the Tasmanian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (TAS Farm Innovation Hub) in partnership with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) and the Hagley Agricultural Learning Centre (ALC).

Education Officer with the TFGA Claire Robertson said the project offered an exciting new experience for students, aiming to spark their interest in innovation for agriculture.

“We are aiming to inspire the next generation of agricultural innovators through a hands-on day at ALC at Hagley covering sustainable agriculture, the need to manage land and water, biosecurity, technology in agriculture and more,” Ms Robertson said. 

“Once they have developed an understanding of the areas needing innovation, they will then explore their own ideas creating possible solutions to agricultural industry issues.

“This week’s excursion marks the sixth group of students to try the experience and we’ve been amazed by some of the fantastic innovative ideas generated so far.”

Director of the TAS Farm Innovation Hub Sandra Knowles said the hub was delighted to be working with the TFGA and ALC on a project that sparked interest in young people through a hands-on approach.

“It’s important we engage young people in agriculture and make them aware of the diverse career opportunities that are available,” Ms Knowles said.

“We need enthusiastic and innovative minds to ensure Australian agriculture is sustainable, resilient to a changing climate and continues to thrive. 

“This project is a great way to plant the seed in the minds of young people and grow their enthusiasm.”

The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is one of eight Hubs nationally funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The Hub is based at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania and delivered through an extensive network of industry and community partners.

Interview and film/photo opportunity: Students will attend an excursion at the ALC on Friday, 12 May. Please contact Melissa Lewarn on melissa.lewarn@utas.edu.au or 0427 354 058 to arrange necessary education department approvals.

Information released by:
Communications Office University of Tasmania
+61 3 6226 2124
Communications.Office@utas.edu.au
Twitter.com/utas