Dear First name / friend, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At our recent workshop, we explored the critical role of employee engagement in driving performance. A key takeaway from Sally’s presentation was the striking statistic that 70% of the variance in team engagement is influenced by the manager. This insight reinforced the importance of strong, effective leadership in fostering high-performing teams.

 

The Trust Activity gave us a hands-on opportunity to experience the dynamics of teamwork. Each group worked together to build LEGO models, with participants assigned specific roles. This exercise highlighted the profound impact that clear expectations, effective communication, and trust have on team success.

 

We also delved into the DISC Model, exploring how leadership styles vary along the spectrum of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Using celebrity chefs as examples brought the concepts to life, helping us recognise the value of diverse leadership approaches and how they contribute to a team’s strength and adaptability. (Gordan Ramsay is dominant, by the way!).

 

To deepen our understanding of generational differences, we watched last year’s MLA Australia Day ad as a case study. This sparked thoughtful discussions on how different age groups view and respond to challenges, emphasising the importance of generational inclusivity in fostering innovation and resilience.

Workshops like these are made possible thanks to funding from the Tas Farm Innovation Hub, which supports key priority themes such as:

The impact of these workshops has been overwhelmingly positive. In post-workshop surveys, 100% of respondents rated people and culture as highly important for building resilient businesses in the face of drought and other climate challenges. Additionally, participants valued the sessions for providing opportunities to strengthen their community networks.

On the same day as our people and culture workshop, we visited Sea Forest and were met by members of the team, including Jock, Rocky, and Sam. The tour provided an overview of their work in reducing methane emissions through seaweed cultivation.

 

Our first stop was the Swansea site, a newly established facility where seaweed, or macroalgae, is grown in land-based pools. The site, previously used for abalone farming, has been adapted for its new purpose. While some of the existing infrastructure was initially repurposed, the team is now using purpose-built pools tailored for seaweed production.

 

Rocky explained the lifecycle of Asparagopsis, the seaweed central to Sea Forest’s operations, using an analogy involving butterflies and caterpillars to describe the complex processes involved in its cultivation.

 

We then travelled to Triabunna, the original site of Sea Forest’s operations. During a tour of their laboratory, Sam provided insights into methane emissions and their contribution to climate change. He outlined Sea Forest’s approach to addressing this issue through their product, which aims to reduce methane emissions in livestock.

 

The visit highlighted the work being done to explore sustainable practices in agriculture and reduce environmental impacts. We appreciate the Sea Forest team for taking the time to share their knowledge and provide an in-depth look at their operations.

 

We even extended an invitation for Sea Forest to become members of the Primary Producers!

Join Marek from Ag Logic for a mid-summer update on Tasmanian soil moisture levels, including how it compares to this time last year and how to use the details when making decisions. This webinar is being delivered as part of the Tas Farm Innovation Hub’s Water Use Efficiency project, and you can register through the website.

 

Resilient Farming Tas has two free lunchtime (12:30pm - 1:15pm) webinars in January:

 

NRM South is rolling out a New Farm Solutions Property Management Program in autumn, based on the popular Small Farm Planning Program that ran from 2012-2018 in the Huon Valley. This new expanded series of workshops will run annually from 2025-2028 for people who own a property of up to 100ha in the Coal Valley, Channel or Huon Valley region and want to get the most out of it. Go to the NRM South website for more details and to register your interest.