Farmers win

Find out why farmers are among the most trusted people in our community at the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association’s annual forum in Launceston next month. The theme of the forum this year is ‘building trust’.

The forum is where the state’s farmers come together to show that, while others may see a glass half empty, they look to the future with enormous optimism.
Speakers include:

• Charlie Arnot, chief executive of the US Center for Food Integrity, a non-profit organisation dedicated to building consumer trust and confidence in today’s food systems
• Jeanine Sciacca, associate director responsible for business development in the retail industry sector of Pacific Nielsen
• Matt Levey, head of head of campaigns for the consumer association, Choice
• Tim Longhurst, a trendspotter and futurist
• Matt Linnegar, chief executive of the National Farmers’ Federation.

Premier Lara Giddings will open the forum.

“We have gathered together some of the brightest minds available in the field of marketing and communications to help us develop and build trust with our community, with our potential supporters and with our markets,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said today.

There will be a dinner featuring the Wolfe Brothers at night and a field trip to the north west coast the following day.

The field trip will kick off at pyrethrum producer Botanical Resources Australia at Ulverstone, which is responsible for 60 per cent of the world’s production of the botanical insecticide. Then it’s on to the Hellyers Road Distillery at Burnie, Australia’s largest distiller of single malt whisky, and then Ian and Gloria Benson’s Forest Hill Farm at Latrobe. The Bensons grow and pack organic vegetables for retailers throughout Australia, Asia and Europe. The field trip finishes at Gavin Clark’s property at Deloraine, where he is undertaking various trials on potatoes and different crop varieties.

The forum will be held at Country Club Tasmania on July 11.

Registrations close this Friday (28th June).

TFGA chief executive Jan Davis