Strong attendance from Lockyer Valley farm owners, operators and Human Resources representatives at the recent Getting Farm Safety Right training event in Gatton shows that growers understand their responsibility to lead from the front on safety.

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.

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.

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.

When you’re the largest privately owned and operated commercial grower and supplier of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries throughout Australia, that means you’re responsible for more than five million plants and 500 staff who grow, pick, and pack these delicious morsels.

Liz Ford and Amy Nash, our QFVG-hosted Queensland Agricultural Workforce Network Officers (QAWN) for Southern and Southeast Queensland, have been busy fostering connections between agribusinesses looking to connect with new employees, as well as inspiring the next generation of our all-important agricultural workforce.

Agricultural producers in Toowoomba and surrounds are set to benefit from the new Agri-Connect Pilot Initiative that bridges the gap between employers and the skilled workforce they need, creating opportunities for the region’s producers and talent pool of skilled migrants living locally.

A new industry-led training program is supporting Queensland farmers to access high-quality, modern and flexible training across the state.

At QFVG we know horticulture is an essential sector, and attracting young minds is just one piece of the puzzle to ensuring its vibrant future.

Janne Dipple describes herself as a woman who wears two hats. With 20 years’ experience working in adult education and training Janne has designed and run training across all kinds of subjects.

A love for people in the agricultural sector is what drew Amy Nash to her new post as the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) Officer for South East Queensland.

More than 800 primary school students in the Toowoomba area got hands-on with fruit and vegetables as part of the Moo Baa Munch event held at Downlands College.

Liz Ford has never been far from agriculture. Having grown up in Mt Isa before settling in Laidley, Liz has spent the last 15 years working in agribusiness workforce management across the Lockyer Valley Region.

Attraction and retention of labour across horticulture is a major challenge and to guide today’s youth to take up jobs in the industry, the career-based workshop – the AgTech Elite School Holiday Program – was created.

Putting boots on farms in the Darling Downs region is in full swing, through the Diverse Queensland Workforce (DQW) program being delivered by Growcom in collaboration with The Mulberry Project.