Neil Guise - Small Landholder Information Service “An experiential learning journey”

1. Neil Guise - Small Landholder Information Service “An experiential learning journey”

2. What is a small landholder? • Typically…… • 1-100 ha • Strong lifestyle values • Main income derived off-farm • Range of varied agricultural activities • Lack rural understanding and networks

3. Small Landholders – large numbers

4. MAP

5. Are they a problem? Potentially, yes. • Pests, weeds and diseases • Natural resource management • Agric. production capacity/competition

6. Are they an asset? Potentially, yes. • Add resilience to rural communities • Offer agricultural and marketing diversity • Possess strong land stewardship values

7. Small Landholder Information Service Team

8. Our key principles • Understand the client • Make information appropriate • Tailor learning events • Openly evaluate everything • Use marketing tools • Seek innovations & opportunities • Build partnerships • Department’s conduit

9. What are they buying?

10. Buying a headache? • Nuisance livestock & ID • Fire hazards • Neglected orchards • Land degradation • Land use conflict • Biosecurity • Contacts for everything? • Enterprise options? • A decent return???

11. Current landscape

12. What do they want? • Access to clear information and ideas from a trusted source • Someone to talk to that doesn’t treat them as an idiot • Local contacts to build networks • Practical field days and demonstrations • Some POSITIVITY !!!

13. How is the service designed? • Awareness • Knowledge • Skills • Adoption

14. What we do…. • Enquiry service • Information products • Small Landholder learning events • Partner networks

15. Evaluation • Every event has a structured evaluation • Comprehensive analysis of feedback • Sample phone survey • Other verification systems used

16. Achievements • Respond to 600 enquiries annually • 150 small landholder events held • 5,000 participants • Annually 60-80% new participants

17. Achievements • Noteworthy & Ripe articles monthly • Kondinin Group & Landmark partnerships • Leveraged funding • National network

18. SLIS Impact • Over 80% behavioural change • Diversity of new land management practices • 50% indicate using new networks • SLIS as preferred partner – 3 plus 1 • PISC endorsed national network approach

19. Small Landholder Information Service

20. Small Landholder Information Service

21. Small Landholder Information Service

22. Small Landholder Information Service Register now to join!

23. In short, we have…… • Identified the need • Tailored effective solutions • Created innovative partnerships • Learnt by our experiences • Made a difference

24. Key experiential learnings? • Truly understand the client • Adapt and tailor an extension model • Explore innovations & partnerships • Openly evaluate and use it • Back your judgement • …and have a bit of fun!