Drought Resilience Showcase – 2024

The Vic Hub Drought Resilience Showcase booklet covers where the Hub began, highlights several key projects and looks at where the Hub is headed.

The Vic Hub Building Drought Resilience Brochure outlines strategies for adapting agriculture and infrastructure to combat the increasing threat of severe droughts due to climate change.

Strong foundations and ambitious targets were part of the ethos on day one of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, a grassroots-led powerhouse of collective thought and action aiming to increase drought resilience in Victoria and achieve vital outcomes for our landscape, our communities and our farmers.

The Hub brings together researchers, policymakers, and regional organisations to develop innovative solutions and support communities in preparing for drought. It represents a comprehensive approach to enhancing economic, environmental and social resilience to drought in order to create innovative and profitable farm businesses, sustainable and functioning landscapes, and resourceful and adaptable communities.

CEO of Birchip Cropping Group and Regional Director for the Vic Hub, Fiona Best, said that when your goals are this big, solid footing is essential. She believes it was the strong, collaborative and purpose-driven start that has contributed so much to the Hub’s impact and success.

“I feel that, right from the beginning, there was a recognition that more could be achieved by working with a collective, with a whole range of people, rather than limiting the stakeholdersthat were involved,” she said. “We wanted a strong consortium that was very grassroots and regionally-driven, and what better way to do this than to work with already established farming system groups and industry organisations such as Birchip Cropping Group, Riverine PlainsInc., Food & Fibre Gippsland, Southern Farming Systems, and Mallee Regional Innovation Centre? It sent a signal early on that the regions would be a fundamental part of what would make the Vic Hub successful.”

This solid connection to farmers has proved invaluable in achieving increased drought resilience not only across farms but also within communities and across landscapes. This, Fiona said, is also thanks to the autonomy the regions have had to respond to thechallenges of building drought preparedness as they have seen fit in their community.

“The other really unique and important aspect of the Vic Hub is that there has been multiple universities involved from thebeginning,” Fiona said. “It was a brave and bold move, but we recognised that we could achieve more together, for the common good to achieve the goal of drought resilience.”
The different skill sets and academic experience brought to the table by each university

— the University of Melbourne, Deakin University, La Trobe University and Federation University — have all contributed something significant to the Vic Hub.

“This approach was appreciated by the regions because right from the start we could saythat, depending on what we find in the initial Vic Drought Hub consultations, we can respond by including the most appropriate people,” Fiona said. “This was a recipe for success that we identified early.”

State government involvement was also a crucial piece of the puzzle. “To have government involvement through Agriculture Victoria as a partner in this process was so positive,” Fionasaid.

“From the beginning we knew we had a powerhouse collective, and we could achieve meaningful outcomes for farmers and communities.”

Trust, high investment in the process and a sense of empowerment were key elements from the beginning, Fiona said. “Because of this, there was buy-in and ownership from day one. Theteam felt enabled to go out there and hit the ground running to get things done.”

Positive leadership has also been important.

“We’ve had wonderful leadership through the University of Melbourne that allowed the Vic Hub to come together and mobilise quickly, start making decisions and get thingshappening,” Fiona said. “We had the knowledge, and we had the experience — everything was in place for us to start having an impact.”

The great impact achieved so far by the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs, and the success of this unique and collaborative model in building farm and community resilience to drought, has led to continued funding from the Australian

Government that will see positive results amplified for years to come.

Te’o Lau Dr Viliamu Iese, Associate Director – Drought Resilience with the Vic Hub, said the further eight years of funding for this innovative model is a recognition of the value of the Hubs’ activities and projects, and offers the opportunity to make long-term plans with the view to building drought resilience and enhance farming systems during non-drought times, minimising the negative effects when drought occurs.

“The Vic Hub’s unique and highly collaborative model has been an extremely successful, ” Dr Iese said. “With more than 100 projects reaching across over 1,000 farms, we have been able to have a great impact on drought preparedness across the state. We have been visionary, and seen the wider picture, and we are very proud of that.

“This further funding to the hubs, provided by the Commonwealth Government through the Future Drought Fund will allow us to plan well in advance and enable us to continue our impact on the ground, improve our operations, and build resilience in regional communities.”

The focus for Vic Hub 2.0, Dr Iese explained, is on the extension and wider adoption of projects delivered by the hub that have demonstrated effective and transformational change throughout the Hub’s first iteration.

“We will undertake more consultations, research and development of exciting new projects to resolve knowledge gaps and drive change in practices that further support drought resilience.”

“We now have the opportunity to take everything we have learned from the past three years, assess it, and use this evidence to ensure that our impact is even wider,” he said.

“We want to scale up our successes, reach, and operations to ensure we improve the functionality of the hub. We know we have already done really well, and now

we have the chance to do even better. Now is the time to celebrate, and then step up.”

The Vic Hub’s strong principles will continue to inform future work. These include collaboration, innovation and co-design. There is also a commitment to ongoing regional consultation to identify the needs, priorities and issues that are most important to farmers and communities. Leading

farmers, advisors, businesspeople and community members will continue to inform the hub’s projects, providing wisdom and insight into all activities.

A focus will remain on creating enduring relationships, Dr Iese said, which are the foundation to achieving a permanent shift in drought preparedness in Victoria, and a recognition that this type of change is a ‘marathon not a sprint’.

“We know that drought resilience is a mentality, and is also behavioural, and that change takes time. This underscores the value of long-term funding, allowing us the time to continue to build the networks and relationships that will help effect real change.”

Learnings from the ongoing consultation processes will continue to be implemented where possible, through either direct investment or by facilitating, partnering with, or supporting others to undertake the work, with the most appropriate people and organisations becoming involved.

“In Hub 2.0 we will continue to include the right people for the job, who can deliver the best knowledge systems, technologies and tools to improve drought resilience,” Dr Iese said. “The ongoing union of all partners and stakeholders, and the trust between all nodes, will allow this to happen.”

A series of workshops has been planned to present learnings, data and analysis to all Vic Hub partners and stakeholders, before putting new ideas and improvements into practice.

“Then we can begin putting in place the operational pathways for Hub 2.0, ready to take our work to the next step and the next level,” Dr Iese said. “I am very excited. This is a great opportunity.”

Experts in soil science across the country are combining their knowledge to create innovative new approaches to drought resilience that will support farmers before, during and after periods of below average rainfall.

Regional Soil Coordinators have been appointed in each Drought Hub around Australia to aid the adoption of improved soil management, increase sustainable productivity and improve environmental outcomes.

“We know that climate extremes increase the impact of declining soil function across farms,” Victorian Regional Soil Coordinator, Dr Peter Fisher, said. “But we also know that soils in a healthy condition cope better and recover faster from drought. So, there is something we can do about it.”

Peter was appointed to his role in 2022. With specific and nuanced understanding of farming systems, a breadth of experience leading research projects to improve soil management, and a passion for developing next generation technologies for measuring soil properties, he has been eagerly facing its opportunities and challenges.

“In the Regional Soil Coordinator roles, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has provided a fantastic opportunity to best meet the emerging soil challenges in each state, Peter said.”

“It is very exciting to fill the role for Victoria.

It is particularly rewarding to be part of a national team, which is enabling us to provide consistent information and advice, and to draw upon expertise across the country.”

An important job of the Victoria Soil Coordinator role is to undertake a ground-up assessment of the gaps in soil knowledge and extension. This includes working with farming groups, advisors, researchers, and growers to understand the priority soil issues.

As part of his role, Peter is helping to undertake a national survey. The survey is collecting information about the soil issues and topics that farmers know well, and those issues where greater support is needed, as well as which farming systems and technologies require further research and development before they can be practically applied on-farm.

Another key responsibility for Soil Coordinators is to provide bespoke support for soil projects funded through the Smart Farms Small Grants program, and other DAFF

-funded projects, and to assist with coordination and collaboration between projects.

“Additionally, I’m supporting grower organisations with technical advice and developing collaborations for new soil-related funding proposals, or inclusion of soil components in other projects,” Peter said. “An example of this is assisting with project development and coordination for the current DAFF Extension and Adoption of Drought ResilienceFarming Practices grant call.”

Collaboration is key to the role’s success, both within the Vic Hub and across the country.

“The soil coordinators from each Hub meet together fortnightly to improve the impact of their work,” Peter explained. “It is also exciting to be working with the other parts of the Hub, including staff and partner farming groups who are involved in building economic, environmental andsocial resilience to drought and promoting agricultural innovation.”

While the role is the first of its kind, Peter says it is already having an impact.

“Some of the highlights that have been achieved are assisting with the development of funding proposals that support soil-related activities, and working with young people to generate more interest in aspects of soil science,” Peter said. “A major output to be delivered shortly is a report for DAFF on the soil knowledge and extension gaps in Victoria.”

The Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is tapping into the collective expertise of landholders, government leaders, academics, farmer groups and other experts in collaborative Think Tanks, designed to co-design practical solutions that tackle key issues in drought preparedness head-on.

The Hub has hosted two Think Tanks, focusing on the critical issues of farm finance and local climate adaptation; topics identified as top priorities through extensive consultations across the state. These Think Tanks, coordinated by Deakin University’s knowledge broker team, brought together experts to co-design responses to challenges and opportunities around drought resilience.

“During our early consultations at the Vic Hub, certain key topics emerged as major concerns for landholders and other stakeholders,” explained Knowledge Broker and PostdoctoralResearch Fellow at Deakin University, Dr George Cunningham. “The Think Tanks enabled us to review current research, identify knowledge gaps, produce resources, and develop new projects to support drought resilience. It’s a great way to embrace the spirit of co-design, which is essential to the Hub.”

The first Think Tank, held online in July 2022, focused on farm finance. Vic Hub consultations highlighted the importance of providing information about farm finance to strengthen farm businesses and enhance drought resilience. The role of farm advisors, such as bankmanagers, accountants, agronomists, and rural suppliers, was underscored as vital. The Think Tank provided a platform to develop tangible outcomes to improve knowledge sharing and, ultimately, boost resilience.

The second Think Tank held in March 2023 at La Trobe University’s regional campus in Bendigo, focused on local climate adaptation and maladaptation at the local government level.

Climate adaptation and changing agricultural landscapes emerged as high-priority issues for farming, rural, and regional communities during consultations. As a result of this Think Tank, the Hub is developing a range of activities and projects to support farmers and agriculture-dependent communities in proactively preparing for drought. These activities aim to enhance local leadership, strengthen communities, support well-being, and provide focused extension programs.

“The idea behind the Think Tanks is to bring together key stakeholders and experts, identify knowledge gaps, and develop projects that directly address stakeholders’ concerns,” Dr Cunningham said.

From their experience in developing and running the Think Tanks, the Vic Hub has also created a ‘how-to’ guide, offering advice on using the Think Tank concept to co-design effective programs and activities that address real concerns.

“By fostering collaboration and innovation, we hope these Think Tanks will empower Victorian farmers to build resilience against drought and help pave the way for a sustainable future."

The Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub project, in partnership with Australian Pork Limited, investigated the use of pig effluent to improve soil quality and boost drought resilience on farms.

“Global research suggests that pig effluent can be a viable alternative or add-on to existing fertilisers, helping to improve soil health and retain soil moisture. But we wanted to see the evidence for that in Australian conditions,” said Professor Helen Thompson, project researcher and Director of the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation at Federation University. “We know that better soil health helps farms become more drought resilient.”

The Soil Health Implications project reviewed the current understanding of the impacts of pig effluent on soil health, talked to producers about current practices, and undertook detailed testing of soils. Researchers from Federation University and the University of Melbourne consulted with producers in Victoria and New South Wales to identify current practices in effluent use on Australian farms.

They also conducted detailed analyses of soils from five Victorian sites, comparing paddocks where effluent had been used as fertiliser with those where it had not. “We collected soil samples and analysed whether soil health was improved when effluent was incorporated,” Helen said.

The results of the project indicated that, while thereare clear benefits in using pig effluent as a fertiliser, there were also some questions raised about the impact of long-term use and complexities associated with practicality of use and economic value.

“There are definitely benefits to be gained from looking at how we can incorporate animal effluent into our agricultural practices, and there are positive linkages between that and greater drought resilience and agriculturalproduction, Helen said.”

“If managed well and appropriately applied to the soil, piggery effluent can become a valuable resource for agricultural soils within Australia.”

The Soil Health Implications project is a collaboration between the Vic Drought Hub, Federation University, the University of Melbourne and Australian Pork Limited.

“This project is a great example of industry working with researchers tosolve a problem,” Helen said. “Vic Hub”, working with an industry partner and researchers across different institutions, has provided an opportunityfor collaborations that can deliver new insights and provide new opportunities for drought resilience going forward.”

An economic assessment tool developed by the Vic Drought Hub will equip farmers, agricultural organisations and regional communitieswith better information about the economic impacts of new technologies, practices and innovations; enabling them to make informed decisions for managing drought.

The innovative tool is not limited to drought management projects however, and canalso be used to assess the economic outcomes of broader agricultural and climate projects.

The Economic Impact Assessment Tool, developed by Deakin University Research Fellow Dr Don Gunasekera, differs from a financial analysis used for business cases, in that it assesses both the immediate and broader economic impacts of new technologies or practices.

Dr George Cunningham, a Vic Hub Knowledge Broker and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Hub partner Deakin University, said, “The tool essentially assesses the overall return on investment. We can look at how much has been invested in a particular project and then what the expected benefits are from an economic standpoint; not just for an individual landholder or organisation, but also for stakeholders at broader scales including the community, the whole state or the whole country."

George said that without approaches such as the economic impact assessment tool, it can be difficult to analyse the full economic impact of a technology or a practice. But this information is essential in ensuring a particular project is genuinely effective.

“The tool will provide a strong indication of the potential economic impacts of drought innovation projects and helps us to inform and leverage future investment.

“It is important that new technologies or changes in practice are realistically assessed as to the totality of the economic benefits that might arise from their adoption, so that the return on investment can be quantified in a meaningful way.

“This information helps inform future projects and is essential in terms of reporting the benefits to investors, both direct and indirect, for individuals, the sector, the region and the overall economy.”

The tool works by estimating the impact of the drought innovation (for example, anadaptation or mitigation process, change in yield or output, or change in input use), and gives a broad indication of the results.

“It uses the best available information to generate realistic expectations of the actual return on investment of a particular project. It is also context-dependent and can be adapted to therelevant circumstances for each project,” George said.

“The tool will provide a strong indication of the potential economic impacts of drought innovation projects and helps us to inform and leverage future investment,” George said.

“We’re really looking forward to the results.”

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s an adage that proved true in more ways than one during drought consultations, led by Mallee Regional Innovation Centre.

The project was initiated to capture stakeholder and farmer perspectives on drought to guide co-designed projects with different communities. It also aimed to provide a legacy of ongoing collaboration between key stakeholders to enhance resilience on farms, and in socio-economic and environmental systems.

The consultations, which began in September 2021, have proved an invaluable source of collective knowledge, have increased trust and engagement within communities andbetween stakeholders, and are now resulting in projects that contribute to drought resilienceacross the state and country.

“We began with questions for farmers, built around the four stages of drought,” explainedAlina Saeed, Agriculture Manager at the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre. “We wanted to know what worked well for them during drought, what didn’t, what happened in the lead up, and what helped them recover.”

Individuals from government, statutory authorities and banks, as well as peak bodiesand service organisations related to the agricultural and horticulture sectors and health in the region were also invited to participate in the consultations.

“The discussions allowed us to identify key concerns and themes relating to enhancing drought resilience and develop targeted projects like our blue-green algae project and our water allocation forecasting project that specifically address those priority areas.” Alina said.

While the consultations have been a critical process in recording drought information, which is now being shared as a useful resource, and informing innovative project design and solutions to support communities affected by drought,they have also provided the platform for more stakeholders to be involved in this important and ongoing conversation.

“People have been more willing to engage, follow up on what’s next, and have even taken the time to send written responses — something we haven’t seen previously,” Alina said.

“Treating this as a whole community process means we start to see the commonalities between needs in a whole range of sectors, from finance to mental health, resulting in projects thatbenefit from a more holistic approach to drought resilience.”

Many of the co-designed projects being implemented as a result of the consultations arealready providing useful information and data, with more success on the horizon.

“The networks and knowledge sharing that have been built are now providing a platformfor researchers that will go a long way,” Alina said. “It is very exciting.”

Victorian farms are home to almost half a million dams. To date, however, little research has been undertaken with regardto their drought resilience, leaving landowners lackingknowledge on the best ways to manage dams and tackle tough times.

The Sustainable Green Dams project, led by Food & Fibre Gippsland as part of The Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub activities, is rapidly addressing this problem.

The project focuses on how the management of vegetation in and around dams intemperate environments can be enhanced for drought preparedness; helping existing small farm dams to prepare for, cope with, and recover from prolonged dry weather. It measures biodiversity, water quality and the economic value of creating green dams.

For the purposes of the study, dams at a Tarwin Lower beef farm have been fenced andrevegetated.

“The site has three dams,” explained Vic Drought Hub South East Node Project Manager, Dr Julian Hill. “One is a normal control dam, with no access restriction for cattle and no revegetation; one has modified access for cattle (the dam is fenced, and a ramp is built for the animals to access the water) and is vegetated along the dam wall, the dam fringe and around the dam; and the third is vegetated with no access for cattle — a solar pump isused to reticulate the water through troughs.”

By introducing vegetation both in and around the dams, the benefits include improved water quality, provision of shelter for stock, prevention of erosion, and increased biodiversity.

Revegetation has also introduced water-savingefficiencies by reducing evaporation, important in windy locations. .

“Essentially there is better quality water and reduced water loss, through both vegetation and less animal contamination whenaccess is restricted,” Julian said.

“And if you reticulate through water troughs you also waste less water.”

The Sustainable Green Dams project has already resulted in successful field days, revealing a high level of interest in the economic and environmental impacts of revegetating farm dams.

“One of the key outcomes is the large network of people interested in using this technology on their farms,” Julian said. “It is very encouraging.”

The project is a partnership with the South Gippsland Landcare Network, Bass Coast LGA and Agriculture Victoria.

Young farmers navigating the challenges of drought are forming strong bonds, thanks to a project built on collaboration and knowledge sharing in Victoria’s North West.

Birchip Cropping Group’s Young Farmer Network, which launched in 2022, brings early career farmers and agribusiness professionals together to share their first-hand experiences andideas about business practices in a positive, supportive, local environment.

Five groups have been established across the Wimmera, Southern Mallee and NorthCentral Regions as part of Vic Drought Hub activities, and are enjoying enthusiastic engagement, furthering knowledge in the industry and addressing the challenges posed by drought, while providing a sense of community and a social outlet.

“The network involves educational, social and professional networking components,” said Birchip Cropping Group’s Grace Hosking, who manages the program. “Throughconsultations we identified that a lot of young farmers in the region lacked basic level agronomic training and professional support mechanisms that are so beneficial in sharing knowledge around drought resilience.

“We also know that times of environmental stress can lead to personal stress, which canhinder our ability to navigate those times, so putting a social network in place prior to a toughperiod of drought means they are there to fall back on when needed.”

The network is designed to be responsive to young farmers’ needs and to allow the groups tolead their own activities, with Birchip Cropping Group providing guidance, structure andexpertise.

The program promotes off-farm networking and activities and delivers agronomic, business, innovation and adoption strategies and information leading into, during and after drought.

“We aim for three rounds of meetings per year, focused on whatever topics are timely for growers,” Grace said. “We also host one major event a year for everyone, the Young Farmer Network Ball, which has had a lot of support.”

Every meeting has seen more engagement from growers, with more than 300 young farmers now involved. All activities have a social element, including the meetings which areoften held at a café or pub. Other events include dinners with live music and guest speakers, such as climate scientist Anika Molesworth.

“We are building those networks, which is going to prove so beneficial in tough times,” Grace said.

When attempting to increase drought resilience on farms and support producers to overcome difficult times, the impact of building financial reserves is often overlooked.

“I think we can be quite traditional in how we look at drought resilience,” said Chief Operating Officer of Riverine Plains Inc and a project lead for Vic Drought Hub’s North East node, Dr Sara Hely.

“But if we come at it from different angles, we can see there are so many opportunities to support farmers.

“The problem is that drought exposes farmers to financial risk, so they might not have enough in the bank for when they have a poor yield — which can happen for successive years. The more financial reserves a farm has, and the more efficiently they are running their business by reducing input costs and diversifying their income using their existing assets, the more resilient they are when drought arrives.”

With this in mind, Riverine Plains Inc has commissioned a feasibility study to look at using alternative forms of energy as an opportunity for farmers to save money and build resilience for periods of below average rainfall.

The Renewable Energy on Farms project seeks to understand energy usage and opportunities on farms through a series of interviews and surveys, gaining knowledge about the ways producers can build drought resilience through alternative energy options.

“The study will give us interesting views on how we build resilience, as well as reducing carbon footprint,” Sara explained. “And if the conditions are right for us to use alternative energies, we can then ask: what are the alternative energy opportunities that could work with the current or improved energy distribution infrastructure?”

The project is not only focused on electricity, but also other potential energy options such as hydrogen. “Given farmers’ reliance on diesel, we are looking at the ability for renewables to produce hydrogen locally as a replacement to diesel, as well as other high-carbon-footprint inputs such as urea. There really is so much potential.”

Whatever the study finds, Sara said it is driving an inevitable transition to a moresustainable, alternative-fuel future. “We look forward to finding out how we can support this transition for farmers and help them become more drought resilient.”

Communicating with farmers about the future impacts of drought on their businesses can present a challenge. “The information often doesn’t resonate,” explained Farm Consultant for Southern Farming Systems, Cam Nicholson.

“Farmers are used to large variability year-on-year, so if you tell them that they’ll have 15 millimetres less rain per year in 20 years on average, it doesn’t mean much to them.”

Realising that communicating in averages wasn’t helpful, Cam, as a project leader for Vic Drought Hub’s South-West node, developed a more valuable way of presenting the risks so that farmers have the opportunity and time to understand and adapt to changing conditions.

The Building Drought Resilience – Calculating the Impact of Climate Change on Farm Profit project used predicted climate data to model the future impact of changing climate on farm production variability and, therefore, profits.

The project analysed 32 farm businesses in South-West Victoria to understand the financial implications of future climate scenarios.

“We created a model of each farm business based on historic climate information from1990 to 2009,” Cam said. These historic climate scenarios were then compared to a futureperiod from 2020 to 2039 so the impact could be quantified.

The results show the current range in profit and the probability of these profit resultsoccurring. Crop-only, livestock-only, and mixed enterprise businesses were analysed.

“We conducted the analysis now, so farmers have more time to consider and implementchanges that will help them adapt in the future,” Cam explained.

“When they have a model, then they can think about what practices they might consider,such as changing lambing time, choosing different varieties or crop rotations. They alsorealise that some climatic changes may be positive, such as slightly drier and warmerwinters in very wet, cold areas, so they see opportunities rather than being unsettled about what’s to come.”

The project is now complete, and group discussions that focused on possible solutions have been extremely positive.

“This concept — this idea of doing comparative modelling — it is such a useful analysis to get people thinking about adaption and resilience to drought,” Cam said.

“It’s what farmers need to make the best decisions."

Drought-resilient farming doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when farmers make informed, strategic decisions — early and often— then use their skills, knowledge, confidence and resources to put them into practice; making them more robust when it counts.

From this understanding, Vic Drought Hub’s DRInKS (Drought Resilience Information and Knowledge Sharing) project was born.

The project captures existing drought knowledge from expert farmers from different farming systems, in different seasons, and uses that knowledge to add more value to Vic Hub projects. The aim is to build the capacity of all farmers and stakeholder to make the best decisions for them so they can prepare for, operate during, and recover from periods of below average rainfall.

“We wanted to find out what the key things that good, resilient farmers do at a particular point in the season, going into particular types of climate conditions, and capture that knowledge so that we can anticipate in the same way they anticipate,” explained Farm Consultant for Southern Farming Systems and a project leader for the Vic Hub’s South-West node Cam Nicholson.

The project developed eight enterprise-specific ‘base maps’ across all the Vic Hub nodes, that identified and described the critical considerations farmers should focus on to build drought resilience. These considerations were based on the season and the stage in the Vic Hub climate cycle (good times, uncertain period, drought, and recovery).

“The idea is you can use the ‘map’ and just add in your location, the season you’re going through, and your enterprise, and the information becomes relevant to you,” Cam said. “It can work anywhere.”

Completed ‘base maps’ can be used to guide future farming actions, providing an opportunity to be ahead of the game when it comes to drought resilience decision-making.

“It is all about being prepared and proactive in the good times, so that when the hard times come you are ready to face them,” Cam explained. "We need to ensure that the knowledge we are sharing is relevant to different enterprises in different locations at the time those decisions need to be made, not after.”

This knowledge can empower farmers and stakeholders to make more efficient, strategic and effective choices with more confidence than they had prior to accessing theinformation gathered and synthesised through the DRInKS project. It also offers opportunities to create joint projects where there are commonalities across enterprises; enhancing knowledge, creating new tools, and building more drought resilience capacity.

“We have already used this project to inform feed budgeting in South West Victoria, and it is clear it could be very effective as a pillar for what we do in the future,” Cam said.

“There is also the real opportunity to use it in the right circumstances with more farmers to improve their resilience to drought. It has a lot of merit.”

Livestock containment feeding presents a powerful strategy for building drought resilience on farms. It can improve soil, pasture, and maintain or improve the health waterways before, during and after drought. Containment feeding boosts livestock productivity and welfare, and can even increase annual stocking rates.

A lack of farmer knowledge and confidence around planning and implementation, mean that this potentially transformative practice has a low adoption rate across the country.

“A lot of farmers have been lacking the confidence to make decisions around putting their animals in containment, especially when they aren’t experiencing hard times,” Senior Project Manager at Riverine Plains Inc., Jane McInnes explained. “But we know we need to get them thinking about containment feeding design and set-up when times are good, so that when they do need it, they are ready.”

The Containment Feeding to Boost Business Performance and Resilience project isbuilding farmer confidence and knowledge by upskilling advisors from 10 farming groups across Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania to offer workshops and one-on-one follow-up planning advice to farmers to help implement containment facilities. The cross-hub project supports farmers to capitalise on the benefits stock containment offers for increasing social, economic, and environmental drought resilience.

The Vic Drought Hub component of the project, delivered by Riverine Plains Inc, Southern Farming Systems and Birchip Cropping Group, focuses on farmers with mixed experience of containment feeding across two producer groups — beef cattle and sheep. In the workshops, farmers learnt how to design stock-containment systems to suittheir needs and context and guided them in implementing individually- tailored stock containment solutions.

“We give them an overview of all the important topics, then provide one-on-one advice in the areas that they need most support,” Jane said. “This tailored approach, as well as the program’s focus on proactive planning and ongoing assistance, is really what makes this projectinnovative. Often these programs are delivered without any follow up, but we knew the real benefit would come from this additional support.”

To assist the advisors, a training manual has been created as well as an upgradedsheep ration calculator, which simplifies and improves calculating exact feed requirements for different categories of the mob. The Vic Drought Hub innovation grant has also enabled expansion of this project to include satellite monitoring of ground cover and dry feed to help inform decision making for farmers.

“Everyone has been really supportive of the project and found it beneficial in supporting farmers to adopt containment feeding and boost drought resilience.” Jane said. “It has also allowed producers to set up their own networks within the region, so that they can share knowledge about what is working and what isn’t. It’s been a great success.”

The Containment Feeding to Boost Business Performance and Resilience project is delivered in partnership with SA Drought Hub and Tas Farm Innovation Hub.

“Using stock containment effectively is the future right across Australia,” Jane said. “that is why our focus is on training,creating networks and empowering farmers to make decisions that are right for them, based on knowledge and skills, not just on a whim.”

On-farm technologies can play an important role in supporting decision making in relation to drought. A variety of innovative technologies that enhance preparedness

and resilience are available but must be fit for purpose for individualfarm set ups. Engagement with growers indicates that AgTech adoption and decision making needs to be supported by access to information, champions — who in some cases are first adopters — and demonstrations both in real and virtual environments.

“Growers wanted a one stop shop of information,”explained Alina Saeed, Agriculture Manager at the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, and a project manager for Victoria Drought Hub’s north-west node.

“To promote the adoption of these new technologies, particularly around irrigation, we wanted to know what the decision-making processes for farmers were, and what could be done to increase awareness around technology to foster engagement and adoption.”

Irrigation decision management interviews highlighted some of the barriers to regional AgTech adoption, including the need for a demonstration of technology at a physical location, where growers would have the opportunity to interact with it, ask questions, consult and find out more information. There was also the need for growers to access information in a virtual environment as well.

The Modern Drought Management for the Health and Longevity of Perennial Horticulture Plants project, led by the South Australia Drought Hub, has addressed those needs. The project established 21 grape, citrus and almond sites across South Australia, NewSouth Wales, Victoria and Tasmania to demonstrate technologies in commercial production settings.

Working with the SuniTAFE SMART Farm and technology providers in Mildura, the Victoria Drought Hub team set up six mini-projects showcasing AgTech. Over six months,they held 21 tours attended by nearly 300 growers, along with industry representatives, agronomists, policymakers, researchers and students.

“Now these growers can make informed decisions based on a demonstration that is the best match for their situation,” Alina explained. “The SMART farm allowed producers to see first-hand how they could use this technology to optimise irrigation in drought-prone environments.”

Stakeholders can also now access an online platform that complements irrigation-related decision-making that is specific to each context.

“This project has enabled a fantastic opportunity of continued engagement,” Alina said. The project has led to the University of Melbourne and SuniTAFE signing a memorandum of understanding for a three-year extension of the activities to support further engagement and the development of technologies.

A holistic approach to testing the efficacy of species-diverse pastures will help farmers become more drought resilient,with the Pasture 365 long term trial now underway.

In many regions, livestock producers rely on grazing their animals on pasture consisting of either monocultures or a small number of species in simple mixtures. This reliance on a few species often results in southern temperate grazing enterprises facing a significant summer feed gap, due to low pasture growth that becomes a particular challenge during drought.

Pasture 365, funded by the Federal Drought Fund’s Long Term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices program, scientifically evaluates the effectiveness of species-diverse pastures in increasing resilience and providing year-round pasture by testing a range of pasture mixes in farms across Australia’s southern temperate regions. The trial will provide powerful evidence to allow farmers to decide whether to invest in species-diverse pastures for drought resilience.

“Diverse pastures have been around for a long time,” Director of the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures at Deakin University, Professor Rebecca Lester said, “And there have been local trials in specific locations, but we don’t have a good understanding of what works under different circumstances. This makes it hard to recommend an approach suited to other locations and it is then difficult for farmers to decide if they want to adopt species-diverse pastures as a way of reducing the summer feed gap and increasing drought resilience. If we can provide scientific evidence, it helps farmers assess what will work on their property. That’s empowering.”

The project compares the effects of pasture monocultures or simple mixtures to species-diversepastures, including a

large number of species within complex mixes. Thesesimple and complex pasture mixes will be evaluated forpersistence, productivity and environmental benefits across seasons.

“We are trying to tackle this holistically,” Rebecca said. “We’re looking at lots of places and lots of interventions,using both perennials and annuals. We’re even looking at planting trees and utilising native pasture species to provide biodiversity and livestock health benefits.”

The project is collecting data from nine focal sites across the country, in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, as well as including individual producers who can help build a scientific case by contributing to the study.

“This connection with the community also lets us measure any wellbeing changes associated with improved pastures,” Rebecca explained. “Drought-resilient pastures retain feed for longer, reducing stress on livestock as well as on the farming family and the local community. This is where the mental health aspect comes in. We’ll be measuring all these things.”

Eventually, the data collected will be entered into a predictive model that will inform a decision tool for farmers; something that can be applied in any location.

“We are tackling this end-to-end,” Rebecca said. “We want togo from an intervention on the ground, to the implications of that, to understanding where and when you get that benefit, and then taking that to the individual context to enable people to see those benefits on their property, making them more resilient to drought.” While it is still early days for the project, the future looks exciting.

“The partners involved are all so knowledgeable and we have really hit the ground running to get this massive project going,” Rebecca said. “It is off to such a great start, and I’mreally confident we’re headed in the right direction.”

Pasture 365 is another great example of the collaborative efforts right across all Australian Drought Hubs resulting in added benefits for drought resilience.

“These relationships are all new and, through the hubs, we’re creating linkages that allow us to look at things in different and innovative ways,” Rebecca said. “It’s fantastic.”