The Knowledge Sharing Project

Super charging the knowledge sharing and extension efforts of grower groups to improve new innovation uptake and best-practice soil management.

Soil CRC research with farmers and key stakeholders shows that farmer groups and agronomists are playing an increasingly important role as knowledge brokers in farming systems. Effective processes of knowledge-sharing among farmers, scientists and key knowledge brokers are essential for improving soil-stewardship.

This project builds on the findings of previous Soil CRC projects and aims to address challenges and opportunities associated with knowledge-sharing efforts directed at improving the uptake of new innovations and best-practice soil management.

Embedded in this project is an understanding that knowledge-sharing processes need to be locally relevant and related to key challenges identified by farmers.

Supporting extension efforts for grower groups across four case-study regions, this project will co-develop and test a range of knowledge-sharing modes and processes across farming systems groups. These range from digital strategies to field days, drawing on the skills of a cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary research team to test and assess the effectiveness of these modes over time.

This project will guide engagement, collaboration and knowledge-sharing efforts by the Soil CRC and its participants, towards maximum effectiveness and impact on soil health, fertility and performance.

Commencement: 2021 | Completion: 2023

Funding body(s): The CRC for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC)
Project Lead: Dr Hanabeth Luke, Southern Cross University Project Collaborators: West Midlands Group, Murdoch University, Federation University Australia, University of Newcastle, Charles Sturt University, AIR EP, Central West Farming Systems, Birchip Cropping Group

Latest Updates

Increasing engagement: Learning how farmers learn
WMG has been investing over 20% of its resources to understand how best to engage farmers in delivering much needed innovation to ensure they have the tools required to be profitable and sustainable in the future.
Grower Group Conversations: Reflecting on knowledge sharing
The Soil CRC Knowledge Sharing Project extension series of videos and companion podcast episodes is out now.
Evolving extension & communication through the Knowledge Sharing Project
This recently completed project focused on improving knowledge-sharing efforts, facilitated internal capacity building for WMG and fostered connections with other grower groups and extension practitioners.

Media

The Soil CRC Knowledge Sharing Project extension series is produced and presented by Simon Kruger, project grower group participant and Project Communications Officer at West Midlands Group in Western Australia. In this four-part series, Simon sits down with other participating grower group representatives to reflect on some of the key learnings from the Soil CRC’s Knowledge Sharing Project.

The knowledge sharing panel asked the question ‘How can we do it better?’ Soil CRC’s Program 1 Leader Professor Catherine Allan guided the discussion with Hanabeth Luke from Southern Cross University, Simon Kruger from West Midlands Group, Eyre Peninsula consultant David Davenport and Soil CRC’s Felicity Harrop.

Want more information?

Get in touch with our Project Communications Officer, Simon Kruger.

Mobile: 0420 729 055

Email: extension@wmgroup.org.au