The future of agriculture depends on attracting skilled, passionate people into the industry, and GrowHer Cairns 2026 is helping inspire the next generation to see what’s possible. Held in Cairns, the event brought together around 80 female students from Years 7 to 12 across Ingham, the Cassowary Coast and the
Key Takeaways Home Hill State High School students are gaining practical skills in protected cropping, irrigation, plant health and harvesting through hands-on training, helping develop the next generation of skilled horticultural workers. Students at Home Hill State High School are continuing to gain valuable hands-on experience in modern horticulture, with
What can tropical north Queensland teach the rest of Australia about soils, farming systems and climate resilience? That was the question explored when Regional Soil Coordinators (RSCs), Soil Science Australia representatives and soil science graduates from across the country gathered in Cairns for their annual Community of Practice (CoP), hosted
More than 100 researchers, producers, industry representatives and government stakeholders came together across Cairns and Mareeba last week for Australia’s first Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) Research in Australia and New Zealand Symposium and Field Day. Hosted by James Cook University, the two-day event showcased the latest developments in ERW, an
Building strong relationships, sharing practical knowledge and putting producers at the centre of decision making were key themes at the 2026 Reef Extension Think Tank, attended by TNQ Drought Hub Knowledge Broker Karen George. The two-day event brought together 60 extension practitioners from across the Great Barrier Reef catchment to
James Cook University will host Australia’s first Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) Symposium on 25 June 2026, bringing together leading researchers and practitioners to accelerate the emerging technology. JCU’s Professor Paul Nelson leads ERW trials around the country with Adelaide University’s Dr Binoy Sarkar. Professor Nelson said Australia’s soils are generally
Sugarcane growers across Far North Queensland (FNQ) are gaining practical tools and localised data to help prepare for future floods and extreme weather events through a series of disaster resilience workshops. Delivered by the Department of Primary Industries as part of the Industry Recovery and Resilience Officer (IRRO) Program, and
Strong industry connections, practical innovation and evidence-based decision making were key themes at Hort Connections 2026, with the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (TNQ Drought Hub) bringing valuable insights back to the region. Held in Adelaide from 1 to 4 June, Australia’s largest horticulture conference and
Virtual fencing technology was the focus of a well-attended field day at “Lake Learmonth” near Yamala, where producers and industry representatives gathered to see how the technology is being used in a commercial beef operation. Hosted by producers Neil and Claire Farmer, the event attracted a diverse group of attendees,