Reinvigorating the Young Farmer Network

The realisation that an entire generation of the Mallee had not experienced a severe drought was enough for the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) to spring into action. BCG Senior Manager, Grace Hosking, had heard the concerns of her community and knew it was time to act.

“We found a lot of younger farmers, particularly those in their twenties and thirties, they didn’t have the financial or management skills to make the big calls in severe drought, and they actually hadn’t experienced one yet,” Grace said.

“They don’t have that lived experience to fall back on or to have in the back of their mind when making business decisions. They can feel quite vulnerable when drought starts to creep in or when things don’t quite go to plan. We realised we needed to give them the knowledge and the networks before the next drought.”

After consulting with locals, the Young Farmer Network was reinvigorated. Six events aimed at supporting drought resilience were designed, including grain storage and marketing workshops in Quambatook and Buloke and a machinery and investment principles gathering in Sea Lake. It all culminated with the sold-out Young Farmer Network Ball at Swan Hill attracting 250 young farmers, some from hundreds of kilometres away.

“For me, it was a chance to create a space that could combine some of that technical learning with also the social support that you don’t necessarily get easily in rural communities.

“I think it worked really well because it removed some of those barriers,” she said. “People who might never go to a workshop came along for the ball, then once they were there, they were able to hear really honest, raw stories about resilience. I think it was quite relatable for people. It was fun, which gets people there, but it was also a really powerful night in terms of networking and storytelling.”

Grace can already see the medium- and long-term effects of the injection of confidence in the community, with a noticeable shift in awareness about the importance of drought preparedness.

“It’s the fact that those stronger networks were formed, so the people that met at the Ball or in the workshops are still in touch offering each other support. And we’ve had some of those newer leaders step forward. Then I think probably also just that cultural shift – the fact that resilience is now seen as something a bit more holistic. It’s not necessarily just about the agronomy or the finances, but about all those networks, the wellbeing, the community strength. That mindset shift is really important for both young farmers and I guess older farmers in terms of building a foundation for weathering future droughts.”

The largest impact she’s seen is the sense of belonging.

“Being a young farmer myself, I knew how isolating farming can be, especially for younger people starting out.

“I think by involving agribusinesses and partners and the broader community, we really were able to recognise on a large scale that drought affects everyone in rural communities, and that preparedness and resilience actually really need to be built across the whole community. So, I think that inclusivity was a real strength of this project.”

“It was part of recognising that drought affects more than just the farmers. It actually has quite a ripple effect through the community. So, this $32,960 grant allowed us to expand that original network in a way that strengthened the broader community fabric,” she said.