Case Studies / AG.Biz Ready

Getting NSW young farmers ready to thrive

KEY information
GOVERNMENT FUNDED PROJECT
completed 2024

stakeholders
YOUNG FARMERS ACROSS THE NORTHERN TABLELANDS, CENTRAL WEST, RIVERINA AND SOUTH EAST OF NSW

Young Farmer Business Program (YFBP), an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries

We upskilled NSW young farmers to do better agribusiness and prepare for future disasters and challenges

Opportunity

Following a successful pilot round in 2023, the Young Farmer Business Program engaged us again to deliver our flagship program, the Business Community Resilience Toolkit, with young farmers across NSW.

The ‘AG.Biz Ready’ program was offered to four regions of NSW so that more farmers (young and old) could participate in the online micro-learning program and attend local workshops.

Our approach

After discussions with YFBP, 10 modules were carefully selected to be most relevant for the current challenges and opportunities facing NSW farmers. Across 10 weeks, participants built their knowledge and capabilities in the following areas:

Linchpin
Getting the right insurance
Cyber security
Financial viability
Happy at work
Business networks
Financial hardship
Having the right team
Transform what you know
Disasters can bring opportunities

Each module contained local case study farmers sharing their experience, as well as industry and local links for further learning. They also included webinars with guest speakers such as local financial counsellors.

To launch and finish the 10-week program, workshops were held in key towns to bring farmers together to build connections and learn collectively across generations.

Building resilience in an agribusiness is not a solo journey - it’s important to foster peer-to-peer learning and connections along the way.

Bekah Baynard-Smith
Program Coordinator at Resilient Ready

Farmers upskilled to be future ready

Outcomes

More than 170 NSW farmers were supported to consider ways they can build resilience in their agribusiness – from documenting key skills, to getting the right insurance, to ideas for generating new revenue streams ahead of tough times.

The 24 workshops facilitated peer-to-peer learning as farmers shared with each other strategies to be viable and thrive on and off farm.

Data collected across the four programs has been shared to identify current capabilities and vulnerabilities across each local farming business community.

In-person and online workshops held across four regions

170+

Participants across the program and workshops

Local farmers shared their lived experience as module case studies