Events
Soil CRC webinar series
Understanding farmers, sharing knowledge and reporting innovation
Join us for a free three-part Soil CRC webinar series exploring what drives farmer decisions, how to share knowledge effectively, and how to communicate the risks and rewards of innovation.
These webinars are designed for grower groups, extension officers, researchers and rural communicators who want to strengthen farmer engagement and adoption of new management practices.
The webinars will highlight new knowledge, tools and guides developed by the Soil CRC to supercharge engagement, collaboration and knowledge sharing with farmers. These resources support the extension and adoption of new innovations and soil management practices.
Register for each webinar separately at the links below. There is no requirement to attend all three webinars. The webinars are free.
The webinar recordings will be available on this page and in the Soil CRC’s Knowledge Hub.
Upcoming webinars
Webinar 2: What drives farmer decisions? — Insights from the Soil CRC study
Ever wondered why some new ideas or practices gain traction on farms while others stall?
Join us to explore the findings of the Soil CRC’s ‘What Drives Farmer Decisions?’ research, which delved into the motivations, perceptions and decision-making of growers across multiple Australian regions.
What you will get:
- A walkthrough of the survey methodology and regions covered (Tasmania, Wimmera, North Central Victoria, Eyre Peninsula, Central West NSW, WA Wheatbelt).
- Key insights about farmer motivations, behaviour, and how they perceive risks, rewards and research initiatives.
- How these findings have guided more effective engagement, communication, innovation roll-out and strategic planning.
- Practical take-aways for extension officers, grower groups, researchers and communicators — translating this knowledge into action.
Join us to gain a deeper understanding of how farm decisions are made, so you can design better strategies, communicate more effectively, and support adoption of innovations that improve soil health and productivity.
Do not miss this opportunity to gain fresh insights into the drivers behind farm decisions and how they can support sustainable management.
Date:
12 November 2025
Time:
12.30pm AEDT (12pm SA, 11.30am Qld, 11am NT, 9.30am WA)
Location:
Online (a Zoom webinar link will be provided via email once registered)
Who should attend:
- Agricultural advisors, Landcare and agricultural facilitators, knowledge brokers and extension professionals.
- Policy makers, students and researchers in soil science, agriculture, natural resources and rural development.
- Anyone interested in the future of sustainable agriculture.
Registration:
Even if you are unable to attend, we recommend you register to receive the recording.
Registering also provides you with the opportunity to ask questions ahead of the event (there is a space on the registration form for questions).
Our presenters
Associate Professor Hanabeth Luke
Sustainable Agriculture Specialist at Murdoch University and Soil CRC Project Leader
Hanabeth is a nationally recognised leader in research and education that builds resilience in rural and regional Australia. Hanabeth leads the seven-year Soil CRC Social Benchmarking Study, working in partnership with over thirty industry groups across Australia to gather critical data that is now shaping local, state and federal strategies for agricultural resilience. She also led the Soil CRC’s Knowledge Sharing for Good Soil Stewardship project, which addressed challenges and opportunities associated with knowledge sharing efforts directed at improving the uptake of new innovations and best practice soil management.
David Brennan
Chief Executive Officer, Wimmera Catchment Management Authority
David works with a range of stakeholders and partners to deliver on-ground change, delivering projects aimed at improving farming practice, water management, biodiversity and building community. The Wimmera CMA has a long history of bringing together research institutions and farmers, focused on ensuring uptake of good research. David will share how the Wimmera CMA has used the findings from multiple years of the Social Benchmarking Survey to develop the Wimmera CMA strategies.
Naomi Scholz
Executive Officer, Ag Innovation and Research Eyre Peninsula
Naomi is an advocate for small rural communities, with more than 10 years’ agricultural RD&E project management with SARDI (based at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre), and 10 years with Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula as Landcare officer and project manager. Naomi will share how AIREP has used the results of the Soil CRC Social Benchmarking Survey to plan and deliver extension activities to young farmers.
Professor Catherine Allan (Moderator)
Charles Sturt University and Soil CRC Program 1 Leader
Catherine began her professional career helping farmers manage pasture and ground cover, and has continued working with, and learning from, the people who manage the land. She has a lifelong love of agriculture, sustainable use of resources and social approaches, which she combines with a current focus on institutional management and systems thinking.
Webinar 3: A new reporting tool for impact — Communicating risks & rewards
Have you been looking for ways to clearly show the risks and benefits of new research or farming practices?
Join us for a webinar to introduce the Soil CRC’s ‘Risk/Reward Reporting Guide’ — a new toolkit designed specifically for extension teams and grower groups.
This tool helps translate research outcomes into formats farmers can easily understand, making it easier to:
- Present trial results in a balanced, farmer-centred way.
- Include strong financial analysis and economic context.
- Use templates for reports, summaries, infographics and more.
- Facilitate better decision-making at farm scale.
You will hear from the tool’s developers, pilot users and extension specialists about how it has been tested and refined with input from growers, and how you can adopt it for your region.
Do not miss this chance to strengthen how you communicate innovation, support farmer decision-making, and improve adoption of new ideas in sustainable farm management.
Date:
19 November 2025
Time:
12.30pm AEDT (12pm SA, 11.30am Qld, 11am NT, 9.30am WA)
Location:
Online (a Zoom webinar link will be provided via email once registered)
Who should attend:
- Agricultural advisors, Landcare and agricultural facilitators, knowledge brokers and extension professionals.
- Policy makers, students and researchers in soil science, agriculture, natural resources and rural development.
- Anyone interested in the future of sustainable agriculture.
Registration:
Even if you are unable to attend, we recommend you register to receive the recording.
Registering also provides you with the opportunity to ask questions ahead of the event (there is a space on the registration form for questions).
Our presenters
Simon Kruger
Project Communications Officer, West Midlands Group and Soil CRC Project Leader
Simon works directly with growers and stakeholders to ensure research findings are translated into clear, practical outcomes and adopted at farm level. Simon is driven by a commitment to solving real-world problems, improving user experience in agricultural communication, and making research more useful and usable for those who need it most.
Joy Valle
Executive Officer, Corrigin Farm Improvement Group
The Corrigin Farm Improvement Group (CFIG) is a local, grower driven group covering the Western Australian shires of Corrigin, Bruce Rock, Narembeen, Kondinin and Kulin. The group are well experienced in hosting extension events and collaborating with the agricultural research community to advance social and economic well-being. Joy will provide examples of how the newly developed Soil CRC Risk/Reward tool has benefitted their reporting and extension processes.
Professor Catherine Allan (Moderator)
Charles Sturt University and Soil CRC Program 1 Leader
Catherine began her professional career helping farmers manage pasture and ground cover, and has continued working with, and learning from, the people who manage the land. She has a lifelong love of agriculture, sustainable use of resources and social approaches, which she combines with a current focus on institutional management and systems thinking.
Completed webinars and recordings
Webinar 1: Knowledge sharing for good soil stewardship — Creating real impact
Discover what works in sharing soil knowledge
Presenters Associate Professor Hanabeth Luke (Murdoch University Sustainable Agriculture Specialist and Soil CRC Project Leader) and Simon Kruger (West Midlands Group Project Communications Officer and Soil CRC Project Leader) shared lessons from national case studies testing different ways to connect farmers with research — from podcasts to field days to grower-led initiatives. They showcased practical tools and insights from the Soil CRC’s new Knowledge Sharing Guide for Grower Groups to help improve communication and extension strategies.
This webinar was delivered by the Soil CRC on 5 November 2025.
Previous webinars
You’ll find recordings of all our previous webinars on our Knowledge Hub at the link below.
Information about our ‘Soil carbon capacity building’ webinar series can be found on the project webpage.
Soil CRC Participants Conference 2025
26 – 28 August 2025
Duxton Hotel, Perth, Western Australia
The Soil CRC headed to Perth, Western Australia for our 2025 Participants Conference. It was a great opportunity for Soil CRC participants from the eastern states to learn more about Western Australia soils and agriculture and to interact with our WA colleagues on their home ground.
Researchers, farmers, industry representatives, and PhD students involved in the Soil CRC came together to share our research outcomes and celebrate our achievements.
Members of the public joined us on days 2 and 3 of the conference to find out more about our research. We gathered at the Duxton Hotel in Perth CBD for our conference plenary on day 2, before heading into the field to see soil research in action on day 3.
Read our September 2025 Soil CRC newsletter for conference highlights.
Our event sponsor
