Smart Farms Smart Soils – July Update

Introducing your Regional Soil Coordinators

Have you heard that Australia now has a National Soil Strategy? This is exciting news for all those who manage and care for our land.

The National Soil Package has been developed to accomplish the National Soil Strategy and its aim of ensuring our soils are valued, managed sustainably, and improved so that they continue to contribute to agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.

Strengthening soil knowledge and capability is one of the main goals of the National Soil Strategy.

Soil Extension Community of Practice

In support of the Strategy, the Australian Government has funded the National Soil Extension Activities Community of Practice (CoP), led by Soil Science Australia as part of its Smart Farms Smart Soils program.

CoP members come from the national network of Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs, which each have a Regional Soil Coordinator that will represent the Hubs on the CoP.

The CoP will support grantees in the latest round of the Smart Farms Small Grants (SFSG) program. The SFSG program is funding $13.8 million for over 200 extension activities nationwide to support farmers and land managers to participate in soil testing and results interpretation.

The SFSG program has been supporting sustainable farming for some years.

The CoP will play a major role in improving understanding of soils and soil management through sharing of knowledge. It will empower advisors and extension officers to better assist landholders in the management of their soil by providing better access to the latest information and management practices.

Support for your Smart Farms Small Grants: Soil Extension Activities program

For support with your Soil Extension Activities program grant, and to tap into the latest soil management information and networks who can help you; contact your Regional Soil Extension Coordinator.

The regional soil coordinators are:

• TNQ Drought Hub – Dhiraj Gajera, email: dhiraj.gajera@jcu.edu.au
• Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales (SQNNSW) Hub – Cameron Leckie, email: cameron.leckie@usq.edu.au
• Southern NSW drought hub – Luke Beange, email: luke.beange@dpi.nsw.gov.au
• Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub – Peter Fisher
• TASAg Innovation Hub – to be confirmed.
• South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption And Innovation Hub – Lucy Porter, email: lucy.porter@adelaide.edu.au
• South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub – Jenni Clausen, email: jenni.clausen@murdoch.edu.au
• North Western Australia and Northern Territory Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub – Jack Farthing

The Soil Science Australia, National Soil Extension Coordinator and convener of the CoP is Abigail Jenkins. Learn more about Soil Science Australia.

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This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Smart Farms Program.

Soil Science Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future.