AgriFutures On Air

AgriFutures and Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) are unveiling a suite of Varroa focused resources. It’s the first Varroa communication activity that looks at how beekeepers can manage Varroa and remain productive and profitable, and it's all thanks to the AgriFutures Resilient Beekeeping in the Face of Varroa project! In this podcast episode we discuss honeybee health and the impacts of varroa with Associate Professor for Honey Bee health, Cameron Jack from the University of Florida. Each week, we will be releasing another interview featuring global experts along with its accompanying podcast, factsheets and articles each addressing a different topic regarding varroa management practices from around the world. Hosted on the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) website, they will contribute to the sustainability of honey bee businesses and maintain our industry's reputation for clean, green Australian honey and advance our industry's resilience in the face of Varroa. Featuring: Bianca Giggins, Varroa Coordinator, Australian Honey Bee Industry Council Cameron Jack, Associate Professor for Honey Bee health, University of Florida.

AgriFutures and Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) are unveiling a suite of Varroa focused resources. It’s the first Varroa communication activity that looks at how beekeepers can manage Varroa and remain productive and profitable, and it's all thanks to the AgriFutures Resilient Beekeeping in the Face of Varroa project! In this podcast episode we speak with Dr Michelle Taylor , New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research on practical ways in which we can slow the spread of varroa. Each week for the next six weeks we will be releasing another interview featuring global experts along with its accompanying podcast, factsheets and articles each addressing a different topic regarding varroa management practices from around the world. Hosted on the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) website, they will contribute to the sustainability of honey bee businesses and maintain our industry's reputation for clean, green Australian honey and advance our industry's resilience in the face of Varroa. Featuring:

Latest research shows that Australian consumers overwhelmingly trust primary producers. But producers are not feeling the love in return. Why is this? In this episode we speak with the lead researcher of a four-year long project called 'Community Trust in Rural Industries: Year 4 national survey 2023'. Author Dr Kieren Moffat explores the robust data that sets out the ways in which rural industries can meet industry challenges and create a deeper relationship with the Australian community based on trust. Featuring: AgriFutures AustraliaVoconiQ

The agricultural industry is crying out for more skilled workers. And for those who live in regional Australia, a career in agriculture takes little convincing. But for our urban cousins, what can we be doing at a school level to attract more students to consider an agricultural career? To visit the new suite of agricultural career educational resources mentioned in this podcast, please check out the Cultivating futures: Engaging secondary school students in the world of agricultural careers report. Featuring: CQ UniversitySydney Secondary College Balmain Campus

If you find yourself searching for the most luxurious crocodile skin fashion products in the world, the chances are, it has originated from Australia's northern regions. While Australia is a small global supplier of crocodile skins, most of what we do supply is considered premium. The Australian crocodile industry has great potential to expand our crocodile market in a highly sustainable and ethical way. In this podcast episode we speak with Associate Professor Sally Isberg , Manager of the Center of Crocodile Research and Author of the recently published AgriFutures Australia Australian Crocodile Industry RD&E Plan 2024-2029. Sally outlines the focusses of the crocodile industry over the next five years and how specific and strategic research will help crocodile producers in Australia reach their goals. Featuring: Center of Crocodile ResearchAustralian Crocodile Industry RD&E Plan 2024-2029

This is a very special podcast episode from the producers behind the 'Boots Off Log On' podcast. The episode features our very own John Harvey, Managing Director AgriFutures Australia and first aired in January 2024. Join show host David Egerton-Warburton as John Harvey navigates the intricate landscape of Australian agriculture, from fostering innovation to addressing the pressing challenges faced by farmers. Learn about the transformative initiatives spearheaded by AgriFutures Australia and the vision for a sustainable and innovative agrifood future. For more Boots Off Log On podcast episodes, please visit: Boots Off Log On! Podcast | Agrimaster.

Since being named the 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Winner, Nikki Davey has grown both personally and professionally. The self-confessed introvert has thrown herself into all the opportunities the Award has brought her since September 2023. With the generous Westpac grant, Nikki has expanded her sustainable flower business 'Grown Not Flown' to include other produce. She is also offering masterclasses and expanding her international customer and grower base. In this episode, discover what Nikki has been working on behind the scenes and what her plans for the next 12 months entail. Featuring: AgriFutures Rural Women's AwardGrown Not Flown

Jay is a role model for mature-aged students looking to branch into agriculture as a new career opportunity. She is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Science, Animal Science/Animal Health at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. With initial interest in becoming a vet, Jay realised there were so many other options in agriculture that she hadn't explored. While her passion still lies in livestock, she has broadened her experience during her studies by participating in a six-week scholarship in Indonesia. This is Jay's story. Featuring: 2023 Agricultural Student of the YearMurdoch University

It's estimated that Australian agriculture produces 9.8 million tonnes of pre-farm gate waste annually. AgriFutures Australia have been working with industry to help address this. In this episode we introduce the newly published report called 'Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry National Waste and Resource Recovery Roadmap'. We have the author of the report join us to explain just how waste is generated on farm, and how we need to deal with it. Featuring: RMCG

In this episode, we'll hear how two AgriFutures Horizon Scholars literally expanded their horizons. Mitchell Salan and Stephanie Hennings have just been on a tour in Ireland in partnership with their Scholarship sponsor Dairy Australia. We hear about their learnings and experience of the European dairy industry and the new technologies the country has embraced. Applications for the AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship close on 12 January 2024. For more information, visit the AgriFutures Australia agricultural scholarship opportunities webpage. Featuring:

Wading through pre-sale radiographs (or x-rays) of yearlings has long been considered murky territory. But now, thanks to groundbreaking research undertaken by a team at The University of Queensland and supported by the AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program, the industry can now be more confident in understanding the impact of a range of lesions on a yearling’s potential racing performance. In this episode, Dr Argue unpacks the most important takeaways from his research. He explains how it will better inform buyers making purchasing decisions and the agents and sellers involved in a yearling sale. The research will also help vets review pre-sale x-rays and provide advice that could lead to early intervention and improved management for a range of skeletal conditions now understood to impact a thoroughbred’s racing performance and career. Featuring: University of Queensland Equine Specialist HospitalFind out more: Project snapshot: Investigation of what radiographic lesions in thoroughbred yearlings are significant in limiting future racing performance | AgriFutures Australia

Indiana Rhind didn't come from a farming background and so she was surprised to be awarded an AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship. She has since described the Australian agricultural scholarship Program as an 'encouraging, exciting and empowering experience'. In this episode, Indiana talks about the value in connecting with the AgriFutures Horizon Scholar cohort and how, through the Scholarship, she landed her first job in the agricultural industry. Since working with Farmwall, she has realised that agriculture is intricately linked to our urban society. Applications for the 2024 AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship are open now and close on Friday, 12 January 2024. Featuring: FarmwallFind out more: AgriFutures Horizon ScholarshipSeries of fortunate events leads Horizon Scholar to Farmwall

An unconventional program run by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and supported by AgriFutures Australia, Fast Track helps young people with limited experience take their first steps into the world of thoroughbred breeding. Participants emerge with relevant agriculture skill development, respected credentials, invaluable experiences and industry connections. Fast Track's impact extends beyond the equine realm - it stands as a model for creating efficient, accelerated learning pathways nationwide. The program is bridging industry gaps while fostering leadership skills in the next generation of thoroughbred breeding professionals, drawing interest from various industries eager to replicate its success. Featuring: Thoroughbred Breeders Australia

One of the greatest parts of being involved in science is surprise discoveries. For a team working on measuring the carbon footprint of Australian irrigation dams, the results were truly astonishing. Not only are irrigation dams producing a lot less carbon emissions than what has previously been thought, they are actually performing a critical nitrogen cycling role. In this podcast episode we speak with Jackie Webb, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University on her recent carbon farming project for AgriFutures Australia. Featuring: Deakin University

AgHealth Australia has been leading research into deaths and injuries on farm since 2004, providing the most comprehensive evidence on which to build prevention approaches to enhance the safety and wellbeing of people in Australian agriculture. The data for January-June 2023 is in, and numbers of non-intentional on-farm deaths remain stubbornly high. In this podcast episode, AgriFutures On Air podcast host and producer Jayne Cuddihy speaks with Pauline Brightling from the Rural Safety Health Alliance on how we can buck the trend. We also hear a first-hand account of how a Queensland farmer lost his leg in a farming accident, and how a generational change in relation to farm safety and shifting attitude towards WH&S in agriculture is changing for the better. Featuring: Rural Safety Health Alliance

Since June 2022, the Australian honey bee industry has been grappling with outbreaks of varroa mite. As of September 2023, the national management group shifted its response from eradication to management. Bianca Giggins, the Varroa Coordinator at the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) recently toured New Zealand where she learnt how they control and manage the varroa pests. This podcast features some of these learnings and insights. Featuring: Australian Honey Bee Industry Council

Oli Madgett is on a mission to make baselining soil carbon measurements cheaper for farmers. When considering entering into carbon farming in Australia, cost is one of the biggest barriers primary producers face. Using the latest agricultural innovations and technologies, Oli is working to address the prohibitively high costs of soil sampling. His findings form one of 15 projects from the AgriFutures Carbon Initiative Program. Featuring: Perennial

To meet the objective of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming by 2 °C, it is clear that at-scale carbon removal will need to emerge in the decades ahead. Scaled offshore marine permaculture to grow seaweeds is widely recognised as an emerging sector with large potential to meet a range of agricultural sustainability objectives. In this podcast, AgriFutures On Air podcast host Jayne Cuddihy speaks with Dr Brian von Herzen, Founder and Executive Director of the Climate Foundation about his unique deep water approach to carbon faming in Australia. As part of the AgriFutures Carbon Initiative Program, this project investigated construction of a marine permaculture platform, seaweed growing, carbon sequestration rate measurements and optimal conditions for carbon sinking. With increasing ocean temperatures and a reduction in available nutrients, there were plenty of hurdles to overcome to develop this sustainable farming practice and successfully grow seaweeds from the tip of Tasmania through to the tropics. Featuring: Climate Foundation

There are more than one million widows across Australia. After two extremely personal losses, Michelle Moriarty decided that there were benefits to connecting the shared experiences of grief with others. The Western-Australian based social worker went about creating a platform called 'Grief Connect' to ensure no one across Australia grieves alone. Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor Westpac for helping to further develop Michelle's initiative. Featuring: Founder of Grief Connect

Ali Paulett wanted to create a place that would educate school children and the wider community about how First Nations people were nourished by the environment. This led her to establish the 'Bush DeVine' Indigenous native bush food garden which now features 40 different types of native plants. In addition to being a popular attraction, the garden also supplies their winery restaurant, which opened in 2015. Ali plans to use the generous Westpac grant to add educational components to the Bush DeVine garden including interactive signage, videography to enhance the sensory experience and a cooking vicinity for the community to utilise. Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor Westpac for helping to further develop Ali's initiative. Featuring: Paulett Wines