There's an Elephant in my Paddock!

When Queensland University of Technology researchers Dr Carol Richards and Dr Rudi Messner first embarked on a social research project into sustainable grazing they found an unexpected gem. Everyone wanted to talk about it, but not many understood it. Some had dismissed it from their businesses, some couldn't wait to incoporate it. Carbon. It's well understood it's going to be pa

Wellness and self care- they aren’t concepts talked about too often when you’re running a busy farming business. But should they be? This is the second episode in a series with Dr Carol Richards and Dr Rudi Messner- researchers from the Queensland University of Technology. We’ll hear what producers are doing to look after themselves and by default their businesses and how g

Are you worried about food security in Australia? Maybe you should be. For the most part, we have it pretty good- but to maintain market access and get food to where it needs to be, more work needs to be done. This is the first of a three part series on sustainable food production. In this episode we’re looking at food security and food system shocks with producers and research

How important is wellness to rural communities? It’s time to take the broad brushstrokes out of referring to rural and regional Australia. Between the Regional Wellbeing Survey and initiatives like the Rural Community Wellbeing Initiative, there’s enough tangible evidence to ensure rural and regional communities have access to the resources they need. So why don’t they? In th

For generations, rural Australians have grappled home schooling their children between running businesses, households and being parents. Where there's an increasing emphasis on the quality of education, should these home tutors be paid for teaching their children? In this episode we hear from long term rural and remote education lobbyists, the Isolated Children's Parents Associatio

Buying more land is an impossible choice for many Australian beef businesses. So how can they be more profitable with what land they have?  With rising costs of living, land, seed, livestock, fuel and power, the agricultural sector is becoming increasingly savvy at finding solutions that mean that businesses can expand and increase profits without having to buy more land. Join

In Part 2 of our feature on building resilience in the Australian horticulture industry, we hear how improving the mental health of farmers is key to the industry’s longevity. Rural Aid is an organisation dedicated to improving the mental health outcomes of rural Australia. They often have multi-tiered roles in natural disasters… https://www.ruralaid.org.au/ Lauren Stracey is t

In this episode we discuss a question posed by Richard Shannon- how do we ensure that horticulture is more resilient in the face of extreme weather events? To set the scene, what conditions are Australian horticulture growers operating under and how are they ensuring they remain financially viable when dealing with natural disasters? Central Queensland’s Sandi Groves has ensured

Imagine getting an insurance payout if you didn’t get your annual expected rainfall? It seems an idyllic, yet perhaps expensive solution to modern farming. Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Applied Climate Sciences are revolutionising the way farmers engage with the insurance industry. Leading the charge is Prof Shahbaz Mushtaq who is applying hi

The humble workboot; it’s a staple of every Australian bush setting. They can be leather boots, or old sneakers, some people prefer none and sacrifice their feet to the harsh environs of the cattle yard. But one brand synonymous with rural Australia is RM Williams. In this episode we’re going to take a look at what made the humble leather workboot world famous and what it means