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Conservation Farmers Inc Strategic Plan 2001 - 2011
Overview
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The Conservation Farmers Board and staff have developed a vision, mission statement, objectives and goals to position CFI for the next 10 years.
This plan is the outcome of two workshops, held at the Gold Coast and Toowoomba in 2001.
Together with defining our core business and an astute financial plan, this will allow a focus for prioritising activities planning future growth and reviewing our performance.
The strategic plan provides clear directions for the future which will improve the credibility of the organisation, avoid missed opportunities and allow for a harmonious working relationship amongst Board and staff members. |
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Vision
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1. The vision for the Conservation Farmers Inc. is to be a highly regarded network, which develops, shares and extends information to farmers.
2. It has an important role to add value to information through integration of research results, practical farmer experience and economics.
3. Conservation Farmers seeks to be the alliance partner of choice in exchanging information at the leading edge of profitable and sustainable farming.
4. As an important provider of farming systems information, Conservation Farmers will deliver excellent value to a large and active membership.
5. Conservation Farmers has the flexibility to pursue information, research and business opportunities as they arise. |
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Mission
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1. Conservation Farmers Inc is an independent grower-based, non-profit organisation involved in the exchange of integrated information on profitable, sustainable farming systems.
2. A principal role is developing strong linkages between farmers, agribusiness and the public sector to improve sustainable economic management in agriculture.
3. The focus is on leading edge technologies, which build on farmer and industry knowledge and promote excellence in on-farm environmental management and production systems. |
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Mission Statement
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| CFI is a farmer based group, promoting excellence in agriculture by advocating profitable and environmentally sustainable farming systems. |
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Slogans
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Promoting excellence in agriculture.
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Profitability through sustainability.
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Objectives
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1. To promote excellence in agriculture by advocating profitable and sustainable farming systems.
2. To provide benefits to members by way of information of value and opportunities for networking.
3. To seek opportunities for projects and partnerships in the development and extension of information in the area of profitable and sustainable agriculture.
4. To develop partnerships with external contractors who can contribute expertise for projects and activities of CFI.
5. To provide a rewarding and satisfying work experience for employed staff.
6. To achieve these objectives through an effective Board with clearly defined roles and guidelines on the frequency and method of communication. |
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Core business
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1. CFI is in the information business to help farmers be more profitable and sustainable.
2. It aims to help farmers manage a dynamic and constantly changing farming scene (technology, economics and environmental issues) by encouraging innovation and providing leadership and information.
3. Conservation farming and related environmental issues remains a significant focus of the organisation.
4. Its particular strengths are to interpret research and technology and build better knowledge by incorporating practical experience and rigorous economic appraisals.
5. Its particular advantage is in having a network of farmers and advisers to interact with in order to incorporate practical experience and extend information.
6. CFI does not aim to build a large permanent staff, but rather have a co-ordination and communications group which works with partners and independent providers who can provide particular experience and skills for projects at hand.
7. CFI will remain non-aligned to any individual, private, commercial or government agenda and aims to provide independent and unbiased information. |
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Challenges and risk management
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1. An effective and committed board is needed to drive the Conservation Farmers Inc.
2. Communication within the Board and between members is a major challenge.
3. Constraints on board members and improved skills (training) need to be addressed.
4. The lack of a secure financial base and dependence on project funding means CFI should not engage in building a large number of permanent staff.
5. The integrity of information is vital. Economics and expediency need to be managed with the goal of providing the best information and operational programs possible.
6. Care is needed with merchandising products, endorsements and sponsorships so as to not jeopardise the independent position of CFI in the information business.
7. The importance of independent research and information should be stressed in negotiations with research groups, corporations and governments providing project funding.
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| CFI Staff |
Mike Burgis |
Lyn Schneider |
Executive Officer
Ph: 0428 385 356 or (07) 4638 5356
michael.burgis@cfi.org.au |
Finance & Administration Officer (Part-time)
Ph: (07) 4638 5032
lyn.schneider@cfi.org.au |
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Andrew Farquharson |
Extension Agronomist
Ph: 0428 525 880
cfimoree@cfi.org. |
Consultant (Part-time)
Ph: 0408 821 190
andrew@farmms.com |
| CFI Board |
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Mike Smith (Chairman)
Farmer - Northern NSW (Gurley)
Mike and his wife farm 3,100 acres south-east of Moree. Currently the family grow durum wheat, canola, chickpeas, barley, sorghum and have grown sunflowers, faba beans and dryland cotton. Mike started into no-till in 1987 with some cultivation required. In 1996, yield mapping was introduced and this has since progressed to VRT. Mike also uses controlled traffic but has yet to settle on a farm layout. |
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Peter Carberry
Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Toowoomba
Peter is the Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems. He leads the CSIRO team based with APSRU in Toowoomba and is on the APSRU Management Committee. His expertise is in crop physiology, and in the development and application of systems simulation models. In more recent times, he has led major RDE projects aimed at increasing the participation of farmers and advisers in research eg the GRDC Eastern Farming Systems and FARMSCAPE projects. |
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Nic Doyle
Operations Manager, Zero-Tech, North Star NSW
Nic is the Operations Manager for his family ag-contracting business "Zero-Tech". Nick is based in North Star and works as far west as Carinda. Nic specialises in zero and minimum till and focuses on dryland farming. Nic has grown up with an agricultural background on the family farm and has held his current position for the last 5 years. |
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Roger Henderson
Business Manager, Monsanto Australia Limited, Dalby
Roger has been involved with CFI since 1988. Roger believes that CFI is pro-active in the growth of the whole farming industry. Roger's involvement with farming has been ongoing for 20 years, beginning with research in zero tillage practices in Queensland, leading to more general research in Central Queensland agriculture, irrigation and dryland farming.
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Peter Mailler
Agronomist, Surat
Peter is an agronomist and grain industry consultant based near Surat. Peter has practical experience in precision agriculture and minimum till rotational farming systems. He is also experienced in industry communication and facilitation. |
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David Waters
Senior Project Officer (NAP Water Quality) - Natural Resources & Mines (Toowoomba)
David is a research scientist with the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. David is involved with conservation farming techniques in cotton and grains, catchment hydrology and land management. David's research and extension efforts have been focused in Central Queensland until transferring to Toowoomba. David's family have been involved in farming for several years. |
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Colin Bell
Farmer at Pilton on the Eastern Darling Downs. The Bell family crop 825 hectares annually and were among the first property owners in the area to take up the notion of minimum till farming. The two major areas of the Bell family operation are risk mitigation and informed innovation. Colin believes it is imperative for farmers to get together regularly to exchange ideas. |
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St John Kent
Farmer on the Jimbour Plain north of Dalby St John has been dry land farming at "Coondarra" for 26 years, although the property has been in the family since 1931. He is a member of the highly effective "Jimbour Plains Farmers' Group" which is made up of farmers who have been working together for 25 years. His conservation farming strategies are all about risk reduction. |
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Tom Emmery
Farmer from Dingo in Central Queensland. Tom annually crops 14,000 acres, 75% sorghum and 25% wheat. He comes from a farming background and has been a farmer himself for 10 years. He adopted zero tillage 9 years ago. |
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