Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter!

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Northern Hub website. It’s now easier than ever to access resources, stay informed about regional events, explore media releases, and learn more about the team, activities and projects. We invite you to take a look and stay connected with everything happening across the Hub - www.northernhub.au 

April was a significant month for the Northern Hub, with one of the key highlights being our successful joint Pillar Steering Committee meeting. A sincere thank you to all our members and partners who generously contributed their time, ideas, and energy to help shape the next phase of our work, not only at the meeting but over the last 12 months. Your insights are instrumental in driving tangible outcomes for resilience and innovation across our region. It was an inspiring and productive day, filled with meaningful conversations, fresh perspectives, and a strong shared commitment to delivering real impact within our vast region.

Earlier in the month, we attended the Northern Australia Food Futures Conference, where we connected with nearly 400 delegates discussing the future of sustainable agriculture. We also proudly presented the Climate Resilience Award to Roshan Subedi at the CDU RINA Postgraduate Research Conference, recognising important research that will benefit northern farming systems.

Our Defining Drought series continues this month, featuring Moira Lanzarin from Mataranka, Moira shares valuable insights from her lived experience on the land.

As we move into May, we’re excited to continue building on this momentum — attending regional events, progressing our projects, and strengthening partnerships across the north. Watch this space for some exciting annoucnements about our growing team.

If you are interested in featuring an event, story, or project in a future edition of our newsletter, we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to submit your article idea via the form attached at the bottom of this newsletter — we are keen to hear your voices on the issues that are important to our region.

Best regards,

Leia Grimsey |  Northern Hub Director

The Northern Australia Food Futures Conference (NAFF), held earlier this month, was a remarkable event, and we congratulate NT Farmers for organising such a successful conference.

With nearly 400 delegates and 70 speakers, NAFF provided a platform for innovative ideas and discussions on the future of sustainable agriculture in Northern Australia. The conference's impact will be felt long after the sessions concluded.

We thank everyone who visited our stall, attended our sessions, and connected with our team. It was also a pleasure to see colleagues from the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub attending the conference.

As we reflect on NAFF, we are energised and more committed than ever to supporting a resilient agricultural future for Northern Australia. We look forward to future opportunities to continue this important work.

Left Photo:  Northern Hub’s Director Leia Grimsey and Research Student Roshan Subedi, with CDU RINA Professor, Maxine Piggott

The Northern Hub is proud to present the Climate Resilience Award to Roshan Subedi at the CDU RINA Postgraduate Research Conference. Roshan’s presentation, “Short episodes of high nighttime temperatures during critical growth stages after carbon assimilation and penalize grain sorghum yield in Central Queensland, Australia,” highlights the significant impact of temperature fluctuations on sorghum, a key tropical crop. His research provides valuable insights into improving crop resilience and adaptability for landholders across northern Australia.

In recognition of his achievements, Roshan received a weather station and an engraved Yeti bottle to support his ongoing research.

The conference, with the theme “Developing future researchers for northern Australian primary production,” showcased vital research on sustainable and resilient futures for the region. We also contributed to the program through two key sessions:

• Leia Grimsey, Northern Hub Director, facilitated the Career Pathways in R&D panel.

• Ben Madgwick, Northern Hub Project Manager, joined the Participatory Research: Working Effectively with Stakeholders panel alongside CDU’s Lindsey Perry.

Congratulations to Roshan and all the presenters, and we look forward to the continued research that will shape the future of primary production in northern Australia.

I, Ayesha Woibo, Northern Hub communications officer, had the privilege of attending the "First Nations Women in Agriculture" event hosted by CSIRO, where I participated in a cultural day at Pudakul Aboriginal Cultural Tours.

The day focused on the importance of caring for Country and the ways Indigenous knowledge can complement modern agricultural practices. It was inspiring to witness how traditional land management practices, developed over generations, can support sustainable farming and environmental stewardship.

Through cultural sharing, art, and storytelling, the emphasis was on the deep connection between people and land. It highlighted the potential for integrating these practices into contemporary agriculture, fostering not only sustainable land management but also economic growth.

A highlight of the day was listening to Professor Ruth Wallace, who validated the experiences of First Nations women in agriculture. She spoke passionately about the importance of knowledge exchange and sharing, emphasising how crucial it is to integrate sustainable agricultural practices that respect and uphold Indigenous wisdom. 

This experience reinforced the importance of working together, combining Indigenous knowledge with modern agricultural techniques, to build a sustainable and productive future for all.

I am grateful to Aunty Norma and Tarizma for welcoming us to their Country and sharing their wisdom, and I look forward to continuing the conversation about how we can all contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive agricultural sector.