Innovation Ag

Hosted by Kirsten Diprose
Innovation Ag

Is there such a thing as an innovation roadmap in farming and agriculture? Probably not. But consider this podcast the next best thing. Deciding whether to invest in new agtech? Trying to fund or future-proof your next project? Want to value-add to your business, or maybe just keep up with industry changes? We pick the brightest minds, examine the latest research and map out a step-by-step process to help you implement change. Hear from farmers, scientists, technologists and ag industry leaders - all working towards innovation, improved sustainability and new opportunities in agriculture. We’ll draw out the practical lessons, so you can apply them on farm, in industry or research. We also share the 'fails' too - because no innovation happens without the odd misstep along the way! Hosted by Kirsten Diprose, a Victorian farmer, journalist and agriculture researcher. This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

  1. 23/05/2023

    Episode 9: Tapping into Circular Economies

    Can you heat a hospital with wheat stubble? Or use chipped almond trees to improve your soil? These are some examples of circular economic trials that are underway in Australia at the moment.    Arguably, never before has there been such an incentive to develop circular economies, with the costs of fertiliser, fuel and electricity all rising significantly over the past few years.    But one of the big challenges in agriculture, is that we operate in linear economies, rather than in circular ones (i.e. most farmers buy inputs to produce outputs).    Even still, new circular economies are emerging across multiple sectors, in part to address the problem of the high cost of inputs and also to address environmental and sustainability concerns.     So, in this episode, we look at three very different circular economic solutions - where waste products are being re-used, recycled, or reprocessed for fertiliser, bio energy... and even water retention in soil. We look at circular economies from a local farm scale to regional initiatives (including heating a small Central Victorian hospital, with plant material waste).    GUESTS:  Neale Bennett – Almond grower in Merbein, Victoria (and participant in an Australian ‘Whole of Orchard Recycling’ study)  Daryl Scherger – Victorian Bioenergy Network  Dr Sara Hely – Director of Research at Riverine Plains (the Vic Hub’s NE Node)    For more information visit our website.  This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

    39 min
  2. 09/05/2023

    Episode 8: Empowering climate adaptation at a local level

    Rainfall levels for many parts of Australia haven’t recovered since the devastating millennium drought.  Many rural communities are having to face a reality of landscapes and climate that have already changed, and are likely to continue to do so. So, what makes an effective climate adaptation initiative?  Following on from the previous episode about creating innovation systems on a national or regional scale, this episode looks at how innovation systems can function on a much smaller, local scale. We examine local innovation systems, through the lens of addressing the challenges of climate change in agriculture and in rural communities.  How are local water corporations, local government, scientists and community groups working together to offer effective solutions to drought? How so we make sure all the voices are heard, so that climate adaptation is not ‘top down’ but more grassroots in its design?  This episode draws from the speakers held at a recent Vic Drought and Innovation Hub Think Tank Event, held in Bendigo: “Are We Drought Ready?” Exploring local adaptation   Hear from:  • Prof. Lauren Rickards, Chair of Climate Change Adaptation, La Trobe University  • Caroline Welsh Deputy Chair, GWMWater, member of the Victorian Agriculture Climate Change Council and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee.  • Damian Wells, Managing Director at Coliban Water  • Prof Rebecca Lester, Freshwater Ecologist and Director of the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University  • Professor Richard Eckard, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Primary Industries Climate Change Centre  • Dona Cayetana, Community and Partnerships Program Manager, DEECA (Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action)  • Cr Jennifer Alden, Deputy Mayor at the City of Greater Bendigo  View the Vic Hub’s latest research and resources on climate adaptation here.  Listen to Dr Rob Faggian, Associate Professor of Climate Change Adaptation at Deakin University speak about  climate modelling for agriculture. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 Synthesis Report (SYR) Tati Tati Kaiejin - Resources This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

    40 min
  3. 25/04/2023

    Episode 7: Innovation Systems - The Bigger Picture

    What kind of “innovation systems” do we currently have for Australian agriculture?   Well, according to a recent report commissioned by the Federal Government, it could be a lot better.   The report found that while Australia’s agriculture research is internationally renowned and individual farmers are good at adopting new practices, knowledge is often siloed.   Essentially, agricultural innovation in Australia was not designed to operate as a cohesive system, rather it’s made up of multiple institutions and organizations which have developed over time for various locations and commodities.   So how do we change this?   In this episode, we explore how we can work strategically to build an effective “innovation system”. From smart specialization, greater private sector participation to rethinking our water use, there is an opportunity to grow the total funding pool for Australian agriculture and be a global leader.  GUESTS Nicola Pero - CEO, Food and Fibre Gippsland   David Downie – Strategic Advisor in Regional Development, Deakin University     RESEARCH Agricultural Innovation — A National Approach to Grow Australia’s Future Summary report March 2019 What is Smart Specialisation - European Commission Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative - Australian Government, The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

    42 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Is there such a thing as an innovation roadmap in farming and agriculture? Probably not. But consider this podcast the next best thing. Deciding whether to invest in new agtech? Trying to fund or future-proof your next project? Want to value-add to your business, or maybe just keep up with industry changes? We pick the brightest minds, examine the latest research and map out a step-by-step process to help you implement change. Hear from farmers, scientists, technologists and ag industry leaders - all working towards innovation, improved sustainability and new opportunities in agriculture. We’ll draw out the practical lessons, so you can apply them on farm, in industry or research. We also share the 'fails' too - because no innovation happens without the odd misstep along the way! Hosted by Kirsten Diprose, a Victorian farmer, journalist and agriculture researcher. This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

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