Panel | Practical Innovations for on-the-ground Drought Resilience

This session focuses on the practical initiatives developed through Vic Hub's collaborative approach. It showcases technologies, practices, and strategies that farmers can implement to improve drought resilience, enhance productivity, and optimise resource use.
Presenters: Rhiannan McPhee (Adoption Coordinator, Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub), Rebecca Wells (CEO, Mallee Regional Innovation Centre), Kate Coffey (Senior Project Manager, Riverine Plains Inc) and Rod Hayes (Acting CEO and Project Manager, Food & Fibre Gippsland)

3 Key Learnings

1. Hands-on examples of farming innovations developed by the Vic Hub in collaboration with local farming communities.
2. Case studies from Vic Hub nodes that demonstrate how tailored solutions for different regions can lead to better drought preparedness and more efficient farming practices.
3. How farmers can be involved in ongoing research and development through Vic Hub's regional consultations and co-design processes to continuously refine farming techniques and improve efficiency.

About Kate:

Kate has been working with local farm businesses for over 20-years, with extensive experience in agricultural economics, in-field research and project management. An expert in extension and adoption, Kate leads the Farmer and Community Engagement activities across the organisation and has a focus on ensuring local farm business have access to critical and timely information, knowledge, and technologies. Currently, Kate is working to lead significant multi-stakeholder projects, including the Robust Weather Station & Soil Moisture Network, which was completely upgraded to ensure continuity and increased access to reliable local weather data.