SA Young Farmer – Facilitated Peer to Peer Learning

Rudall Key Activites 

14 March 2024 In paddock Soil Characterisation session with Mel Fraser

8 August 2024 In paddock season check-in at local NVT site

17 September 2024 Sit down Yield Potential & N Budgeting session with Mel Fraser

24 September 2024 Port Lincoln Viterra Terminal Tour

17 March 2025 Introduction to RiskWi$e, yields & deciles with Ed Hunt & Jake Giles

22-25 June 2025 Bus trip to Yorke Peninsula

Summary of activities & group progress

Over the past 18 months, the Rudall Young Farmer Group has been established as a vibrant, motivated and forward-thinking network of under-35s on the eastern Eyre Peninsula. Based at Rudall—a location better described as a railway siding with grain silos and a sports club than a traditional town—the group brings together 35 young farmers who are all in the early stages of their agricultural careers. Most have returned directly to the family farm after completing school, while others have gained trades before coming home to contribute to their family businesses.

This project was born from conversations through the local Ag Bureau, where younger members were seeking something of their own—an opportunity to learn, connect and build capability without the old blokes hanging around. With strong support from several of the parents involved, AIR EP partnered with the group to co-design a model that truly reflected the needs of the next generation. Funding from the FRRR Community Impact Program provided the means to deliver this concept.

Across the life of the project, we successfully delivered five peer-to-peer learning sessions and a dedicated prioritisation and planning workshop, all shaped around the group’s interests and industry needs. Funding enabled us to bring in expert speakers and take the group on a study tour to a different agricultural region, exposing participants to new farming systems, technologies and management practices they may now consider adopting at home.

One of the most rewarding outcomes of the project has been witnessing the personal development and emerging leadership capacity within the group. Five participants have stepped into formal leadership roles across sport, community organisations and volunteer groups—an achievement that reflects the confidence, networks and skills they have gained. Equally valuable has been creating a space where young farmers feel comfortable to ask the “left-of-field” questions, test ideas, and shape their own learning pathways in a genuinely supportive environment.

Overall, the project has strengthened local capacity, expanded networks, and supported the next generation of agricultural leaders to learn from each other, broaden their horizons and contribute meaningfully to their communities.