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A new project is exploring the way peer-to-peer learning can inform and influence on-farm practices in the Tasmanian community.
The Farmer Group Mapping Project is being delivered by the TAS Farm Innovation Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
As part of the project, farmers and those involved in the farming community are being interviewed to identify and map groups operating in Tasmania.
Project Manager, Tahnee McShane, said the process would help the hub support and create projects that are relevant and specific to farmers in different areas of Tasmania.
“We want to understand the history of different groups, how they’re structured and what they need in the way of support,” she said.
“It’s also really important to hear what farmers think is working well and where there may be room for change or targeted projects that are relevant to the issues faced by farmers in different regions across Tasmania.”
The Director of the TAS Farm Innovation Hub, Sandra Knowles, said the project aimed to fill some current knowledge gaps.
“While the hub is working with several farming groups around Tasmania, many of these are the larger and more established groups,” she said.
“We know there are others, and we would love to be able to reach out and offer support to strengthen climate resilience in their communities.”
Ms McShane has first-hand awareness of the potential benefits, in part thanks to her ongoing relationship with the East Coast Primary Producers Association.
“I’ve been involved with the East Coast Primary Producers Association for a while and it has made me realise how many advantages there are to being connected to people in your area,” she said.
“A lot of the time, you’ll learn and be able to share approaches to growing and farming from people in the same field. It gives you access to ideas and resources.”
Ms McShane and the hub team are currently seeking input from the farming community through a simple interview process.
“We’ve got a clear set of questions for the project and it’s just a quick chat over the phone or a cuppa so we can get input and perspectives from the different farming communities,” she said.
“What they will get back ideally, is a better chain of communications, access to more resources and more specific projects.”
People interested in adding their perspective or learning more about the project can contact the hub on fdf.tas.hub@utas.edu.au by the end of August.
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.
