Growers and industry stakeholders from the Wide Bay-Burnett and Central Queensland regions hit the road in October for the ‘Pest, Dirt & Fert’ Study Tour that provided insights not only on farming practices, but across the supply chain.

When it comes to growing Queensland’s agricultural workforce, women are stepping up – and a new initiative is giving them the skills and confidence to thrive.

For many young families, buying a home in the suburbs comes with dreams of renovations or extensions. For young farming families like Dimbulah papaya growers Ben Bozzo and Jaime Smith, those dreams look a little different. Their reno project was re-laying 3.3 kilometres of ageing irrigation pipe.

When it comes to mother nature, Queenslanders tend to keep one eye on the sky and the other on the forecast. The state’s severe weather season – which extends from October through to April – can bring the full gamut of extreme weather events from heatwaves and bushfires to floods and cyclones.

Twin Bull Kauri pine trees, with their six-metre-round trunks, stretch nearly 50 metres into the air amongst the lush rainforest that surrounds Lake Barrine. They’ve stood there for a thousand years.

When talking to job seekers about farm work, picking and packing roles are often the first that come to mind. However, once all that fresh produce is harvested, it must be transported off-farm and those are important jobs too.

Since May last year, nearly 480 English-language students at TAFE Queensland’s Toowoomba Campus have been introduced to the world of agriculture through Growcom’s Agri-Connect program. This opportunity has given students a chance to sample a career in agriculture and see the diversity of employment opportunities available.

Growers in the Lockyer, Bremer and Pumicestone catchments are leading the way in land stewardship, with their efforts prompting the Queensland Government to extend funding for the South East Queensland Horticultural Best Management Practice (BMP) Incentive Program.

Protected cropping offers a controlled environment to nurture some of our most delicate and valuable horticulture crops, but it takes infrastructure, technical expertise, and can present challenges around pollination as well as input costs and intensity.

From fresh-picked strawberries to high-tech tractors, the journey from paddock to plate relies on an incredible mix of skills, smarts, and dedication. But ask most young people what it means to “work on a farm,” and chances are they’ll say, “picking and packing.”

Everything Ag is flipping that script.

Across Southeast Queensland, a quiet but powerful shift is underway. From Kalbar to Mount Sylvia, local farmers are making smart, sustainable changes that go beyond increasing yields - they’re actively protecting the waterways that run through their communities and into Moreton Bay.

As a grower, you are your business.

You know it all – from the soil, to the lay of your land, who to call when that tractor plays up, even everyone’s wages.

But what happens if you’re suddenly off-farm? Whether it’s due to illness, injury, a natural disaster, or simply on a long-overdue holiday. How would your business carry on without you?

Far North Queensland growers are no strangers to nature’s challenges. But when Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper swept through in late 2023, it left damage and disruption that would rattle even the most experienced farmer.

Growers recently came together in Goomboorian with a shared goal: building healthier soil for stronger, more resilient crops.

Queensland’s horticulture industry is taking a big step forward with data-driven insights that promise smarter, more resilient farming. A new report from Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers highlights how growers are improving productivity, sustainability, and profitability thanks to the Farm Business Resilience Program. 

Grower conversations with Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) Officers across the state have a common theme: training matters. Not just the box-ticking or compliance stuff — but practical, on-farm training that helps keep workers longer and lifts productivity.

“We had to beat the rain,” said grape grower Walter Campbell. He was helping a neighbour with their harvest the previous afternoon, after neighbours had helped him some weeks earlier.

Nestled at the foot of one of the Glasshouse Mountains’ most distinctive peaks—Mount Coonowrin— the Jackson family are following their dreams to be farmers in this picture-perfect part of Southeast Queensland.

Over the last year, Hort360 GBR Officers Paula Ibell and Michelle Haase have been collaborating with growers in Far North Queensland and the Wide Bay-Burnett regions, respectively, to deliver events that respond to grower-reported needs for further knowledge and assistance.

When you think about the origin of your morning coffee, countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, or Peru come to mind. But what about the beans grown in our own backyard?