Regional Horizons Summit Part 2

WHEN

July 31, 2020 at 12pm (AEST) 10am (AWST)

WHERE

CONTACT

After hearing in Part 1 from Lesley Hughes and Russell Mehmet on the changing climate and future of insuring for climate risk, in Part 2 we turn to the opportunities currently available on farm.

What renewable energy options are there for farmers currently? How can farmers benefit from the latest technological advances? What financial rewards are there for farmers doing good environmental work?

Karin Stark, Farm Renewables Consulting, will speak on her experiences with renewables in agriculture and the barriers to the uptake of new technologies on farm. Doug McNicholl, Meat & Livestock Australia, will speak to the market rewards currently available for farmers who engage in climate smart practices.

Regional Horizons is Farmers for Climate Action’s economic recovery program which places regional Australia at the forefront.

The Regional Horizons Summit is a three-part series which takes a deep dive into the big issues that underpin the program, and the risks and rewards it presents for Australian farmers.

Part 1: Knowing and Managing Risks

Part 2: On-Farm Opportunities

Part 3: Resilience Strategies

Registration for Part 3 will be available via our Events page in coming days.

Speakers

Karin Stark

Karin Stark’s international and professional history combines 17 years of engagement with communities around contemporary environmental issues. She was a NSW-ACT Agrifuture’s Rural Womens Award Finalist last year for her work convening the National Renewables in Agriculture Conference. She is Director of Farm Renewables Consulting, is also a mum and works part time for ReAqua, with previous roles within the NSW State Government and in Landcare. Karin lives on a cotton farm that installed a 500kW solar diesel hybrid pumping system in 2018, the biggest in the country.

Doug McNicholl

Doug is a research and development Program Manager experienced in livestock production, technology development, and business administration. He holds the role of Supply Chain Sustainability Innovation Manager at Meat and Livestock Australia, investing $12M p.a. into innovation management services for the Australian red meat industry. His focus is investing in initiatives that maintain consumer and community support for the red meat industry and increase profitability in a sustainable manner. Investment areas include developing technologies and practices with value propositions for improved management of natural resources, energy, greenhouse gas emissions and waste streams. Former positions include R&D Program Manager at the Australian Meat Processor Corporation and various renewable energy project development roles in the UK.

Watch the recording

Overview of Karin’s presentation:

The business case for renewable energy is strong, so why has adoption in farming been slower than expected? Karin Stark will outline the known barriers to the uptake of on-farm renewables in her presentation, and talk through her own experience and ways to support the agricultural sector to take advantage of the renewables revolution.

Further resources

https://www.farmrenewables.com.au/resources

https://www.farmrenewables.com.au/farmer-showcase

An interesting article about combining agriculture and energy production below https://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/agrivoltaics-solar-power-crops-bees

Overview of Doug’s presentation:

Doug will provide an overview of the Red Meat Industry’s Carbon Neutral 2030 Initiative, including what it means, why it has come about, how it can be achieved, and the benefits for industry, consumers and the community.