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Travel the world to pursue your passion
Can your passion for Australian agriculture and food production take you around the world?
The Winston Churchill Trust invite you to apply for a Churchill Fellowship. Churchill Fellowships fund Australians from all walks of life so they can travel overseas and investigate an issue or topic they are passionate about, and share the knowledge gained when they return.
Design your own itinerary and travel at time of your choosing, for four to eight weeks. No formal qualifications are required to apply – in fact you don’t even need to have finished school. The options are virtually limitless, providing your project will benefit Australia and you are willing to share your findings when you return.
Aside from general fellowships, there are also specific sponsored opportunities available this year relating to agriculture, horticulture and food, including the Ron Badman Family Churchill Fellowship for projects relating to an aspect of agriculture, focussing on seed production, pasture development and irrigation; the Hort Innovation Churchill Fellowship to cultivate new ideas in horticulture; the Jack Green Churchill Fellowship for projects relating to the dairy industry; the Saskia Beer Churchill Fellowship to support innovation in food production or farming; the Caroline Welsh Churchill Fellowship to support the agriculture industry’s response to climate change; and the Samuel and Eileen Gluyas Churchill Fellowship for Queensland applicants planning to investigate topics relating to the tropical pasture industry.
Like to know more? A series of information sessions have been recorded and are available for viewing here, including a dedicated session for the agriculture and horticulture sectors hosted by former ABC Rural national editor Leigh Radford.
2024 application round - open 1 March to 1 May. To find out more visit www.churchillfellowships.com.au
Agritourism Accelerator
The Agritourism Accelerator Program aims to build on the number and quality of compelling agritourism experiences across Tasmania by helping existing operators enhance, elevate, and grow what is already in place.
Using the combined experience of Delivery Partners Optimum Standard (Aus) Pty Ltd and Regionality Pty Ltd, the Accelerator Program will feature a series of workshops, site visits, and mentoring based on Regionality’s Agritourism Masterclass format.
Designed to explore the feasibility, desirability, and viability of ideas and their market potential, there will be two rounds of the Program occurring over a 14-month period. With a desire to have 20 businesses participating per round, recruitment events across the state are planned for two programs between September 2023 and April 2024.
For more information and to enrol visit Agritourism Accelerator — Agritourism Tasmania
A snapshot from Agrifutures Australia.
Tasmanian farmers have the opportunity to take a close-up look at the results of a three-year industrial hemp variety trial at a field day to be held in the Northern Midlands on Friday February 16.
The research trial aims to provide growers with information about the performance of grain-only and dual-purpose (grain and fibre) varieties suited to specific geographic locations within Australia.
Tasmanian Hemp Association president, hemp fibre processor and field day organiser, Andi Lucas, said the results were relevant for those interested in becoming involved in the industry.
The full results of the trial are expected to be published in late 2024.
AgriFutures Australia Tasmanian IHVT Field Day will be held on Friday 16 February at Fairfield, Epping Forest, Northern Midlands, TAS. Registration is required for all attendees. The event includes a light lunch followed by an optional extra agronomy session with John Muir (RSVP required).
Register for the Epping Forest IHVT Field Day here
Head over to AgriFutures Australia to learn more about the AgriFutures Australia and to sign up for the Agenda newsletter.
Tas Farm Innovation Hub
Tas Farm Innovation Hub brings together researchers, farmers, industry, natural resource managers and traditional owners to co-design and implement relevant and innovative solutions.
There have been some interesting projects underway funded by the Hub, as well as information gathering of research available for farmers.
Tas Farm Innovation Hub project examples:
https://landdrainagetasfarming.com.au/
Seedlab Tasmania - Growing Tasmania
Of the 44 newest recruits to the seedlab bootcamps 77% of the businesses were founded by women.
Did you catch Seedlab at the Salamanca Market? It is one of the ways that Seedlab have supported small businesses in Tasmania in 2023.
Did you also know that Seedlab ran a Bootcamp for small businesses? The program ran for 6 weeks and was designed to equip start-ups, small, and early-stage businesses with the knowledge, tools, and mentorship needed to navigate the initial stages of business growth.
For more news and initiatives from Seedlab head to seedlabtasmania.com.au
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Little Lissa Loo (L) and Milie Organics (R), already seasoned hands at Salamanca Market,
joined Seedlab's Bootcamps in 2023.
Motherland National Conference
Motherland, a national charity which supports rural mums across Australia, has announced its inaugural National Conference will be held in Launceston on March 1st and March 2nd next year.
Dubbed, ‘Australia’s biggest rural mother’s group’, the event will bring hundreds of rural women to Tasmania for two incredible days, aimed at celebrating rural motherhood, building meaningful connections, and inspiring women on the land nation-wide.
An incredible lineup of speakers has been announced including best-selling author and one of Australia’s leading parenting educators Maggie Dent, 2 x World Para Surfing Champion Sam Bloom, who is the the inspiration behind the #1 global box-office hit Penguin Bloom, and journalist, author, and proud ‘Crap Housewife’ Jessica Rowe.
Olympic Gold Medalist and TV presenter Giaan Rooney, who is married to a fifth-generation cattle farmer and lives on their macadamia farm in Northern New South Wales, will MC the Conference.
Announcement of the event follows the growing success of the Motherland movement. The Motherland podcast has been downloaded more than 750,000 times and Motherland Village, Australia’s first online rural mothers group program has connected over 200 women to their own personalised support group in less than two years.
Founder and CEO Stephanie Trethewey, who is a Tasmanian farmer based near Deloraine, said a national event was the natural next step for Motherland, enabling it to bring its community together physically, as well as virtually.
“This will be an event like no other. It’s been designed by rural mums, for rural mums, and I’d encourage women with children of all ages to join us. Women from as far as Western Australia have already booked their tickets. This is the perfect excuse to book that girls trip, or family holiday.”
Motherland’s National Conference will be held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor and is supported by Platinum Partner Elders and Gold Partner R.M.Williams. Businesses interested in sponsoring the event should email hello@motherlandaustralia.com.au
Tickets are $350 and include full access to all speaker sessions and daily meals, including a three-course dinner and cocktail party on the Friday night.
Visit: motherlandaustralia.com.au/events for more information
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