BRIDGING the divide between research and practice was the theme of the day during the launch of a new Growing Vegetable Businesses project.
Growing Vegetable Businesses is one of 10 projects nationally commissioned by Horticulture Innovation Australia and delivered as part of the National Vegetable Extension Network, using the vegetable industry levy and matched funds from the Australian Government.
The program involves industry specialists working with vegetable growers to improve access and adoption of industry research and development to benefit profitability.
Anne-Maree Boland from RM Consulting Group is leading the delivery of the project in the Northern, Western and South-Eastern regions of Victoria.
She said the extension project was tailored to a regional approach for growers.
“The project is about addressing the issues that are important to growers in the region,” Ms Boland said.
“A big part of the project is two way, hearing from the growers what the issues are and for us to work out how to get the best answers to address those issues.”
The launch was hosted by Clyde celery grower Adam Schreurs.
“I was happy to put my hand up to host a demonstration site here on the farm. For me as a grower, it’s best to be at the forefront of the latest research and having it right here on my doorstep has helped with that.”
When asked about the shared lessons he had picked up from other growers, Adam noted the practicality of the webinar series and other resources through previous RMCG delivered projects.
“I got on board with the webinars late in the piece, but the ones I’ve listened to have been great. I put my headphones in and listen to them on the drive to the other farm.”
The launch of the project brought together more than 40 growers and industry associates to learn about the new Growing Vegetable Businesses project as well as other recent developments in the industry.
Mathew Elliot from the Melbourne Market Authority updated the audience on the relocation of the facility from West Melbourne to Epping. Future plans include a food and beverage hub and opportunities for business incubation on site to foster improved grower participation in the supply chain through services such as sterilisation for export.
Additionally, the buzz around drones and other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)was addressed by Andrew Nolan from Digital Falcon sharing the latest developments in remote sensing of crops. Mr Nolan highlighted the advancement in imagery analysis to assess patterns and trends in crops, such as water stresses and disease pressure.
He said the viticulture industry was championing developments in this area, and there were a lot of shared lessons for vegetables.
