Dear FAN Members and Supporters,
A highlight this month was FAN being invited to participate in a Powered by Design Challenge hosted by Matthew Flinders Anglican College. Big thanks to Gourmet Garden and Montville Coffee for getting involved, and inspiring our young people about careers in food and ag.
Thanks to all who participated in the final sessions of our Regional Action Group workshops and meetings – your input and contribution was greatly valued. We look forward to rolling out new activities in collaboration with our members and partners.
We’ve got lots of events coming up in the next month, from agtech solutions to social media and helping Gourmet Garden to solve a herb waste challenge. We hope to see you there.
Yours in collaboration,
Emma
Table of Contents
AgTech Uptake Program
Attention local producers, farmers and growers –
join us Wednesday 7 September
The aim of the day is to connect our local producers and agribusiness community with new-to-market or innovative agritech solutions. The Demo Day will feature:
- Displays and demos from 8-10 innovative solution providers including AgPick Technology, Yabby Sensors, Envirolyte, Ceres Tag and more
- Panel and Q&A sessions with special guest speakers including Tracey Martin CEO Australian AgTech Association, Heneritta Child CEO AgPickTechnology, Steve Dudgeon Yabby Sensors and more.
- Beers and Banter Networking session hosted by Innovate Moreton Bay
Developing a Farm Tech Plan
Online Session
In this special Farm Tech Planning Workshop – supported by AgriFutures Australia Brooke Sauer, from IntellectAg in partnership with Rural Edge presented “Creating a Farm Tech Plan: making your data work for you” online workshop.
RECORDING HERE
AgTech the State of Play
Online Session
Kara Glen Worth from Australian Agritech Association provided an update about the agritech sector and ecosystem, what opportunities lie ahead for producers and what the climate looks like for this important sector – post the recent Federal Election.
RECORDING HERE
FAN Events
Member Opportunities
Thursday 8 September
Information Session ASPIRE Platform
Sunshine Coast Council presents an info session on the ASPIRE platform – an online marketplace for material resource exchange. It matches waste resources from a business with potential manufacturers, purchasers or recyclers to reduce waste going to landfill.
REGISTER HERE
Thursday 15 September
FIAL / AIFST Food Safety Governance Training
FIAL, in partnership with AIFST, invites all Directors, board members, and business owners of Australian food and beverage manufacturing businesses to attend a Food Safety Governance Training course.
REGISTER HERE
Thursday 15 September
New Zealand Trade Briefing
Presented by Sunshine Coast Council and Trade and Investment Queensland, this breakfast will provide valuable market insights for Sunshine Coast businesses who are looking to explore new business opportunities in New Zealand.
Register here
Thursday 22 September
Food Trend Workshop (online)
Join News Corp Australia’s editors and thought leaders for an exclusive preview of the Food Corp Trend Forecast – 2023 Special Edition. Discover how Covid-19 and the rising cost of living will impact consumers in 2023 and learn key trends that will influence Christmas and beyond.
REGISTER HERE
Thursday 22 September
Workforce Planning Connect – Tools for agricultural business (online)
Queensland Farmers’ Federation and Jobs Queensland invite businesses to a two-hour webinar where you will learn how to develop your own workforce plan and learn about the benefits of undertaking workforce planning.
REGISTER HERE
Friday 23 September
Farm Safety Workshop (online)
Presented by Rural Edge this program will be targeted at farm business owners and will result in the development of farm safety plans that cover all types of workers on that farm. Participants set goals related to their farm safety plan at the workshop.
REGISTER HERE
Tuesday 27 September
Noosa Green Economy info session
Have you heard about the green economy and wonder what it’s all about? The green economy is part of Noosa Council’s approach to local economic growth, and economic ‘greenness’ refers to business activity that is environmentally conscious, friendly or focused.
LEARN MORE HERE
Wednesday 28 September
Forward Festival – Food and Agribusiness Track
Presented by Silicon Coast – the day will include workshops, Q&A sessions and discussions on the future of F&B manufacturing, growing supply pressures, advancements in technology and valuable consumer insights. Use the code “teamfan” when BOOKING HERE
Moreton Bay Eco Fest – Stallholder EOIs
Moreton Bay Regional Council is seeking EOIs from local businesses, community organisations, food vendors, and stallholders focused on sustainability and eco-friendly lifestyle products to participate in Moreton Bay Eco Fest on Saturday, 8 October 2022 at Caboolture.
DETAILS HERE
Low Carbon Accelerator launched
The Low Carbon Accelerator (LCA) will work with innovators who are solving decarbonisation challenges in QLD. This program is for startups and SMEs looking to accelerate the development and market access of their sustainability-focused and innovative products.
DETAILS HERE
Grants & Support
Are you interested in applying for the Rural Women’s Award or Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant but have some questions you’d like answered?
AgriFutures Australia invites you to register for an upcoming AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award & Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant Q&A session. These sessions are intended to provide clarity around the differences between the two programs and the respective eligibility criteria, as well as answer any questions you may have in relation to the Rural Women’s Award or Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant.
Applications for both of these opportunities open on Wednesday, 7 September 2022.
Register here to attend one of the six Q&A sessions and for more information please see the below flyers;
AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant
Financial support to Go Global
Trade and Investment Queensland’s Go Global Export Program provides Queensland’s export-ready small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with funding to finalise and successfully deliver export outcomes in new international markets.
The funding is designed to provide critical support to Queensland businesses right across the state to overcome common barriers that can arise when entering new international markets through matched funding of up to $25,000 (excluding GST).
FIND OUT MORE HERE.
Member News
Montville Coffee in the news
Montville Coffee featured in Australian Geographic’s article: “The Aussie companies kicking Fairtrade goals“.
In this article Karen & Richard talk about why they started Montville Coffee; working with coffee growers using practices that protected the environment. They wanted their daughter to be connected to a global social and environmental movement, and for her future to be fair. Now, 20 years later she has moved home to join the business and continue the work that they started. READ MORE HERE
The Fermentier – National Awards
A big congratulations to The Fermentier who received three Gold Medals at the 2022 Royal Sydney Fine Food Show. These medals join their three silver and three bronze received for their other products! Building on from their awards in 2021, all 9 of their products received a medal. Their Water Kefir won a Gold as well as the top score of all natural based beverages. READ MORE HERE
Member Spotlight
Gourmet Garden
Did you know that Gourmet Garden was a driving force behind the foundation of FAN – and our ethos of innovation through collaboration.
In this spirit – the team invite fellow FAN Members to participate in an Ideation Session on Wednesday 20 September.
The challenge presented in this Ideation Session…. identifying new potential value streams for 730 tonnes of herb stem waste!
As Megan Brabant, McCormick Marketing Director and FAN Board Director explains…..“Two of McCormick’s key guiding principles are ‘Purpose Led Performance’ and ‘Driven to Innovate’.
‘Purpose Led Performance’ is aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and shows the company’s commitment to supporting people, communities and the planet, including reducing food waste.
To tackle our stem waste challenge, we welcome our fellow FAN member’s fresh ideas and, in return, we’d love to share tools that can help you innovate in your own business.”
Join us for this innovative collaboration session on Wednesday 20 September – open only to FAN Members – BOOK HERE.
Our Supporters
Special thanks to FAN’s Partners and Sponsors who provide significant resources towards the ongoing sustainability of FAN and the growth and resilience of our regions’ food and agribusiness industry.
