Free forums for collaborative farming know-how

The national Farmer Exchange online platform will be blitzing rural and regional Australia from late March.

Organiser Airlie Trescowthick (pictured) and her team will be travelling the country, meeting farmers, introducing them to the Farmer Exchange online platform, helping them to set up their own profile and seeking their feedback.

Young and older farmers from any commodity group are invited to the no-cost breakfast, lunch and evening events held in regional centres.

The roadshow has received $168,700 from Farming Together to establish the web-based application and introduce it to farmers nationally through the roadshow which includes 15 visits in WA, SA, Queensland, Tasmania, NSW and Victoria.

Airlie said: “Farmer Exchange is about building a place where farmers can help other farmers … no matter where they live across Australia.

“Current social networks do not have the farmer front and centre of their design and functionality. On other platforms, there is often only one vertical stream of conversation. In a matter of hours (sometimes minutes), a thread can disappear out of sight, making it difficult to continue to engage, or find it weeks or months later. Farmer Exchange, built by farmers, for farmers, will connect us in order to transfer knowledge in a way we have not seen before.”

The project is focusing on:

• New entrants looking to build their knowledge and networks.
• Established farmers looking for in-depth technical knowledge to build their businesses.
• Farmers of any age looking to feel part of a community committed to excellence and mateship.
• Farmers looking to give back and contribute their knowledge – “we don’t want to lose the wisdom and experience in older generations,” Airlie said.

Farming Together program director Lorraine Gordon said: “Farmer Exchange boosts real-time connectivity among farmers. It enables them to share knowledge, resources and strategic insights. It harvests the best of farmer knowledge and uses the most-adaptable form of online delivery.”

Provisional national timetable (Venues and times might change. Please double-check at http://ag.farmtable.com.au/exchange-information)