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Welcome to the December update for the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub).
It has been great to see the new Future Drought Fund (FDF) grant rounds announced recently.
Our Hub team has been proactively assisting Hub consortium Partners, GGA Network participants and others who are applying for the Future Drought Fund (FDF) grant round 'Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices'.
We have received more than 100 enquiries to date and are connecting people across the nation, and suggesting improvements to better meet guidelines and strengthen local applications.
Another FDF grant round will be announced early in the New Year that will support long-term trials. Scroll down for preliminary information.
Please feel free to forward this monthly newsletter to colleagues, friends or clients, and have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year!
Embracing stories to measure change
Achieving impact is a crucial goal for the SW WA Hub. One way this will be monitored is through the ‘Most Significant Change’ (MSC) story technique.
Hub Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager and Adoption Officer Theo Nabben, an MSC specialist, has provided introductory training to the Hub's Regional Node Leads.
"MSC is a useful tool to provide qualitative information, in a story format, about the difference the Hub makes to farmers and other end users," Mr Nabben said.
"Farmers relate to stories from others and, when used in combination with facts and data, these stories can be a powerful tool."
Hub project in focus
Implementing improved vineyard floor management for premium grape production in a warm and dry Mediterranean climate
- Funding: Australian Government's Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program, with support from The University of WA (UWA). Initiated through the SW WA Hub
- Lead organisation: UWA
- Project participants: Wines of WA, the Agricultural Produce Commission, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, AxisTech, Plantagenet Wines, Cape Mentelle and Swan Valley growers Graeme Roscic and Peter & Jenny Nuich
- Location: Swan Valley, Margaret River and Great Southern wine growing regions.
Caption: Growers viewing technology installed recently as part of a project which aims to improve vineyard floor management for premium grape production. Photo: Caitlin Moore, UWA.
Growers inspect vineyard cover crop trials
Swan Valley table grape growers have inspected work underway as part of a SW WA Hub-initiated project.
'Implementing improved vineyard floor management for premium grape production in a warm and dry Mediterranean climate' is demonstrating whether cover crops can play a positive role in vineyard floor management, even when limited water is available.
As part of a field day supported by the Agricultural Produce Commission (Table Grape) and the Australian Table Grape Association, producers viewed weather stations and soil moisture monitoring technology installed beneath cover crops.
They also looked at thermal images of vines and discussed the impact of cover crops on water budgets for vineyard enterprises.
The short-term project is one of 10 diverse innovation projects that have commenced in WA after grants were awarded in 2022 by the SW WA Hub.
The grants were made possible by $2.5 million provided by the Australian Government to the SW WA, enabling it to expand its remit to include agricultural innovation.
Hub team member in focus
Meet Hub Adoption Manager Julianne Hill
SW WA Hub Adoption Manager Julianne Hill's ultimate goal in her new role is ensuring that farmers are armed with risk management strategies to navigate a variable climate.
Ms Hill took up her position in November and works closely with Hub Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager and Adoption Officer Theo Nabben and Hub Adoption Officer Maddison McNeil.
Their appointments were made possible through Australian Government FDF funding awarded to Australia’s eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs for the employment of adoption officers.
Ms Hill and her team are currently assisting many Hub Partners, stakeholders and GGA Network participants applying for the FDF Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices grant round. They are connecting people across the nation, and suggesting improvements to better meet guidelines and strengthen local applications.
"We are also contacting Hub consortium Partners and grower groups so that they know about the team's skills and the services we can provide to them, particularly around monitoring and evaluation, and extension practice," Ms Hill said.
Ms Hill said that, going forward, she and her team aim to compile a repository of drought resilience practices and research that can be extended to growers in the region.
More information about Ms Hill and her team is on the GGA staff biography page.
Next grant round opens in New Year
The Future Drought Fund (FDF) is set to release a new grant program in early 2023 that will support long-term trials to build the drought resilience and profitability of cropping and grazing farmers.
The $40 million program will invest in trials until 2027-28 that test drought resilience practices and produce robust data on their effectiveness, so farmers can be confident to try it themselves.
Head to the Australian Government Community Grants Hub for more information.
Caption: The Grower Group Alliance-led WaterSmart Dams project is one of the case studies contained in the FDF Annual Report 2021-22. Photo: Nik Callow, The University of WA.
Annual report outlines FDF achievements
Measures to build preparedness and resilience to future droughts and a changing climate are outlined in the Future Drought Fund (FDF) Annual Report 2021-22.
The recently released report details achievements including the use of monitoring, evaluation and learning metrics to make sure work is on track to achieving goals.
It includes a snapshot of new FDF programs worth $94.5 million including the current Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices grant round; the coming Long Term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices grant round; a coming Drought resilience commercialisation initiative; and drought resilience scholarships.
DR.SAT updated to help more farmers
The Future Drought Fund’s Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT) has been updated with new functionality after consultation across Australia’s agricultural regions.
Improvements to the free tool include easier farm boundary mapping, access to practical examples of tried and tested drought resilience strategies (to help tailor your own farm business solutions) without needing to log into the tool, and environmental resilience content that covers more commodities and regions.
Access commodity and region coverage maps here.
DR.SAT users can access:
- Farm-specific satellite imagery and remote sensing data covering past and current landscape conditions. The latest updates include ‘vegetation cover’ (fractional cover) data and 3D terrain view modelling.
- Climate projections for their farm for 2030 and 2050.
- Self-assessments for whole-of-farm strategic planning, including environmental, financial, and personal and social signals.
- Links to more resources to help prepare for and adapt to a more volatile climate.
Assess your farm’s resilience at: drsat.com.au
Want to help shape the future of the tool? Register now to take part in focus groups in early 2023: help@drsat.com.au
Find out about Future Drought Fund
The Future Drought Fund (FDF) provides secure, continuous funding for drought resilience initiatives and will help Australian farmers and communities prepare for the impacts of drought.
To receive regular email updates directly from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, subscribe via the ‘Have your say’ webpage.
