Gulf Savannah specialists recently took to the stage to showcase their expertise at the Rotary FNQ Field Days’ Ag & Innovation lineup.
Technical Adoption Officer Keerah Steele and Agriculture Project Officer Jessica Miranda embraced the opportunity to connect with the community and disseminate key updates on their respective specialisations.
“The amount of technology available to growers and agricultural businesses is astonishing,” Keerah said.
“Remote monitoring, connectivity and drones can save a lot of time and money, and give the producer options to work on other areas of their business.”
Jessica was equally enthusiastic about what the future holds for sustainable agriculture, as she strives to empower local producers to “give back” and “treat soil as closely as possible to how nature would.”
“We don’t have to put soil through a blender to produce food,” she said.
“I am bringing [farmers and graziers] knowledge, helping them understand that if they adopt certain practices, they will actually have better soil: more fertile, with increased use and less pests – it’s all benefits.”
The Field Days, spanning from 28 to 30 May, also acted as a gathering place for local NRMs, as Gulf Savannah coordinated an on-site exhibitor marquee in collaboration with TNQ Drought Hub, Terrain and Cape York.
Rangelands Project Officer Mandy Pickering facilitated the site and was pleased with the event’s networking outcomes.
“Field Days are a really great opportunity for our NRMs to connect with local producers and community, giving project updates and spreading awareness about what we do,” Mandy said.
On average, the biennial Field Days attract 15,000 attendees, and in recent years have hosted as many as 650 exhibitor sites.
TEKFARM® is delivered by Farmers2Founders with support from the TNQ Drought Hub and Gulf Savannah NRM.
Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Northern Gulf is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.