The dry season is always an important time on the agricultural calendar, with a number of regional and national events bringing together producers, researchers, industry specialists, suppliers and government representatives.

A key role of the Northern Hub is building collaboration - supporting the exchange of knowledge and research, funding key industry conferences and getting relevant specialists and producers in the room!

Through our Travel Assistance Initiative, WA and NT growers and pastoralists have been able to attend key national conferences.

Just last week, Darwin hosted the Australian Rangelands Society Conference where the theme was Managing country for Cattle, Culture, Conservation and Carbon. We partnered with the Northern QLD Hub to sponsor this event. It was pleasing to see presentations on our Natural Capital and Arid Graze project in Central Australia.

Darwin was also host to the Agronomy Australia Conference, for the first time in its 46-year history. It attracted many international as well as interstate delegates; it was a valuable opportunity to showcase northern agricultural industries.

In Alice Springs, the 'Developing Northern Australia Conference' explored Early Insights into More Resilient Communities, a project funded by the Hub and University of Canberra.

Kimberley Brown from University of Canberra presented this project.  on behalf of Jacki Schirmer.

Closer to home, around 90 producers and industry representatives attended the NT Government’s biennial Field day at Kidman Springs Research Farm. 

We are pleased to welcome Isabella Murphy as new Katherine region Node Manager.

With the Hub now entering its final year, there is plenty going on, such as;

• strong producer participation in recent Natural Capital workshops in WA
• strong attendance and positive feedback from all participants at the Grant Writing Workshops throughout the NT
• new Case Studies on Water Monitoring-Irrigation and Arid Graze Project in Central Australia
• planning underway for the 'Regenerative Farming Field Day' at Lonesome Duck Estate in Katherine and the 'Grazing Fundamentals workshop' in the Pilbara.

For more information on our projects, visit www.northernhub.au or connect on our socials.

                           Director: David Gallacher                           david.gallacher@cdu.edu.au

In June this year, NT Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (NTDAF) Extension officers, Alison Kain and Caleb Schwartz, were invited to present the Central Australian Rangeland Management Course at Macumba Station in northern SA.

The Martin family at Mt Denison Station and Shane and Alethea at Mulga Park Station have been working with researchers and economists on the AridGRAZE Paddock Challenge for almost four years!

By collecting and analysing data on pasture productivity, cattle performance and economic outcomes, the project has helped the Martins, Shane and Alethea  better understand their country and make more informed decisions about future improvements to their business.

Refer to the Case Studies to find out their learnings. For the background of this valuable project, click on Future Beef.

Pasture legumes have been recognised for many years as a potential addition to improve pasture quality, resilience and livestock performance across the north.

Uncertainty around suitable species, establishment and production benefits under commercial grazing conditions on an extensive scale has meant adoption has been limited.  These questions, coupled with uncertainty around Government approvals has resulted in essentially no dryland pasture improvement over the last 25 years in northern Western Australia.

The Legume Establishment project was developed to address these knowledge gaps through producer-led demonstrations across the NT and WA.

This project originated from the University of New England-led Future Drought Fund project ‘Legumes in Tropical Pastures for Climate Resilience – Overcoming the Knowledge Gaps’.  It has since expanded through collaboration between the Northern Hub, NT Dept of Agriculture and Fisheries and the WA Dept of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Planning for drought and seasonal variability is easier when practical information is in one place.

GPRI has developed a Drought Resources page as part of the Planning for Resilience project, bringing together more than 100 tools, reports, case studies, training resources and practical guides to support pastoral businesses across the rangelands.

The library includes resources on business management, climate and weather, landscape function, livestock management and people wellbeing, with a focus on supporting practical decision making before, during and after dry periods.

NT Farmers office (donga) is on Nutrien’s lot, 33 Clarendon Street!  Welcome to drop in anytime.

Meet Isabella!   She is the newest recruit at NT Farmers, taking on the role of Extension Officer and Northern Hub Node Manager for the Katherine Region.

Issy grew up on a potato farm near Hillston in NSW, and has been in the NT for just under three years.

In her current role, Issy will be developing a replicable framework to establish a Katherine Tindall Growers Group that will provide feedback and direction to NT Farmers, informing advocacy and strategic planning.

With experience working in Natural Resource Management, delivering sustainable agriculture projects, and working with the NTG Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Issy is excited to be back in the agricultural extension space.