Tag: Target 100

Why cant Agriculture fight the good fight together

I have found there are two main types of people in agriculture and this of course is generalisation

There are people who are focussed on doing the right thing and people who predominately want to do their own thing and of course there are some people who manage to get a nice balance between the two (most impressive).

I find this in our business. My husband and my son love farming, they like the solitude, they love their cows and they hate the politics. They just want to do their own thing and they worry about me and cant understand and hate the fact I put myself out there and ride the ridges and sometimes get shot out.

So I get this mindset and you wont change people like my husband and son but I cant forgive industry bodies who cant see why the big picture is so important. Who cant see why silo thinking is destroying agriculture

Recently I have become actively involved in the AgChatOZ LinkedIn discussion group and must admit I am fascinated by the two way conversations and other people opinions and most importantly the thought they have put into the solutions and what they think the solutions are. The current active discussions are

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Julia Hausler posted this question this morning

So we do have a rural urban divide and it does matter. (refer earlier discussions). What are YOU going to do about it?

John Keily can back with

What am I going to do? Well, I’m going to ask you what you think of this ad

and I replied (BTW my previous comment on the ad here )

It generated this

Whilst the first video reached over 15 million people (compared to 35,000 for the spoof version ) and over $1Million was donated by RAMs to feed the poor together they highlight the polarising views in America

To me its imperative Agriculture doesn’t preach at people.  Charlie Arnot and his team are doing an awesome job of doing it the right way by providing farmers with the skills sets to tell their own story.

Australian farmers have a great story to tell and its time to say YES to the Australian Centre for Food Integrity so we know how to tell our story well. Not just for 90 seconds at the Superbowl. We want our story remembered everytime our consumers reach for a product on the supermarket shelf and take that little bit of extra time to make sure it was produced by an Aussie Farmer

What really makes me cranky is.  Why doesn’t  Australian agriculture do this together?

MLA through Target 100 is telling the story and very impressively on behalf of all cattle and sheep farmers.

AWI and Cotton Australia are working together to debunk the myth that cotton grows on sheep. See here for this great example

Dairy Australia on the other hand is spending $21 million plus on the Legendairy campaign  to tell dairy’s story

Yes your are right Dairy Australia

The Australian dairy industry has a magnificent and Legendairy™ tale to tell. This is an industry underpinned by some of the best people and practices in the world producing a truly amazing product. It defines the social fabric of many Australian agricultural regions and affects the lives of almost every Australian in some way.
The nation’s dairy industry is literally brimming with inspirational people and their stories — Legendairy™.

Yes and so do all  Australian farmers. Our dairy farmers rely on the grains industry, the vegetable industry, the cotton industry, the sugar industry, the list is endless. They rely on agriculture being dynamic, exciting, innovative and profitable.  Its not a competition about  which industry has the most impressive farmers.

Just imagine what we could achieve if Dairy Australia joined forces with MLA for example. I am an MLA levy payer as are all dairy farmers. MLA invited me to tell my story. I haven’t yet. I haven’t needed to – the beef farmers are doing on awesome job on my behalf. I salute them all.

Call to arms farmers. We can do our own thing but we cant afford to let industry do it in isolation. We must all ask the right questions and lobby hard for the greater good.  Its not just our future that depends on it. Australia’s health, wealth and happiness depends on it

Martin Place like you have never seen it before Our sheep and cattle farmers bring the farm to the city

As a follow up to my post yesterday on Brand Australia and how Australian farmers must find innovative ways to tell our story. I have some exciting news for you today, Meat and Livestock Australia are doing just that  

As you know the Art4Agriculture team pour their heart and soul everyday into promoting our farmers and are  successfully rolling out in school programs using art and multimedia  to tell agricultures story to the 3.5 million school children in Australian schools ( well with more money we could reach that many)

Today Meat and Livestock Australia (one of Art4Agriculture’s partners) have taken their sheep and cattle farmers stories to the Sydney CBD via their Target 100 initiative to turn Martin Place in Sydney into a virtual farm and how impressive it is

Sydneysiders beamed onto Aussie farms via the giant screen 2 (1) 

This has been done before overseas but I believe it is a first for Australia. In May 2010 the Young Farmers Union of France transformed the famous avenue in Paris the Champs Elysées, or Elysian Fields into a massive celebration of French farmers .

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By bringing in 8,000 plots of earth and 150,000 plants to the city and installing them, amid sheep and cattle, along three-quarters of a mile of the thoroughfare, farmers were attempting to highlight an aspect of French life which they believe is too often overlooked by Paris.

Organisers of the event, which cost private investors €4.2m to stage and ran for 2 days said they hoped to attract up to two million people to the newly bucolic avenue running from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde.

From wheat and mustard to grapevines and Limousin pigs, the avenue’s pavements have been carpeted with lorry-loads of produce from all over France, among it 650 fully grown trees and a vast array of flora intended to symbolise the country’s biodiversity.

Gad Weil, an outdoor events planner coordinating the Nature Capital event with the young farmers’ union, said the spectacle had brought people together in order to showcase Gallic agriculture.

“Lorry drivers, truck drivers, farmers, woodsmen, events planners: these men don’t usually work together, but here everyone is doing so with a smile,” he said during the night-long operation that transformed the Champs Elysées into a long strip of greenery. Visitors were able to buy plants and produce for themselves, as well as tasting regional specialities and took part in a mass barbecue organised by Paris butchers. ( borrowed from  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/23/french-farmers-champs-elysees)

Australian cattle and sheep farmers last night transformed Sydney’s Martin Place into a cattle and sheep farm complete with live animals, native bushland and farmers beamed in via a giant screen to talk directly to the people of Sydney.

Farmer, Stuart Austin from Katherine Northern Territory (1)

Farmer Stuart Austin in Martin Place

For today and tomorrow only, members of the public will have the unique opportunity to speak directly to cattle and sheep farmers without leaving the city. The giant screen will project them into Aussie farms using virtual technology and by doing so will help bridge the gap between urban and country Australia. Sydneysiders can also enjoy a free lunchtime barbeque and have the chance to win meat trays worth $50.

Sydneysiders visit the Target 100 Virtual Farm in Martin Place

As shown in a recent research survey*, more than half (58%) of urban dwellers are interested to know about the process undertaken to produce the beef and lamb they consume. The Target 100 Virtual Farm presents an opportunity for open discussion with Australian farmers leading the charge in sustainable farming practices.

“This is a great opportunity for Sydneysiders to meet and talk to real Aussie farmers and gain a better understanding of how beef and lamb get from the paddock to the plate,” said Queensland beef cattle farmer, and Target 100 spokesperson, Kara Knudsen.

Farmers, Kara Knudsen and Stuart Austin in Sydney's Martin Place (1)

Farmers Kara Knudsen and Stuart Austin in Martin Place

“I anticipate people will be surprised to find out what actually goes into managing a farm. It’s not just about mustering cattle or shearing sheep; it’s a full-time job that requires knowledge of botany, hydrology, geology, entomology, zoology and meteorology. We’re excited to give our city friends a sneak peek into what we do,” Knudsen added.

Popular journalist, blogger, qualified health coach and Target 100 ambassador, Sarah Wilson will also be on hand at the Target 100 Virtual Farm, sharing tips on why beef and lamb are an important part of a healthy and sustainable diet.

“I’m keen to encourage people to gain a better understanding of where their beef and lamb comes from. My eating philosophy is one that encourages a diet that’s high in protein, so beef and lamb are often on the menu. The Target 100 Virtual Farm will give us the chance to ask the farmers all we want to know about the practices that go into farming the beef and lamb we love to eat”, said Sarah.

Art4Agriculture event director Kirsty John will be joining the buzz and connecting up with the Target 100 team in Martin Place tomorrow and I am looking forward to hearing all about it