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Collaborative farming in focus

Can we work together?

That’s the biggest question growers need to consider when going into business with someone else, according to collaborative farming innovator and advocate John Gladigau.

John delivered this advice, discussing the benefits and challenges of farmer collaboration, as part of Dried Fruits Australia’s new event series, We’re Growing Live.

Online events were held across the month of October, taking the place of DFA’s traditional grower forum.

Growers also heard from GrowCare’s Peter Magarey on DFA’s new downy and powdery mildew alert system; processors Sunbeam Foods, Australian Premium Dried Fruits and Murray River Organics on the 2020 harvest; and Rachael McClintock from Sheehan Genetics on new dried grape varieties.

The presentations are now available to watch on the DFA YouTube channel.

Farming’s “sexiest” topic

John likely holds the record for the most speaking engagements of any Nuffield scholar in at least the last decade. Thirteen years after he travelled the world on a scholarship from Nuffield Australia, looking at some of the best collaborative businesses, people still want to know about it.

“Collaboration is still a really sexy topic, but it’s one thing to talk about it and another to take the big step do it,” he said.

“We believe it’s been well worth it, and others who’ve done it would say the same, but it’s the perception of what you’re giving up – the perception that you’re giving up your freedom, your independence and your flexibility.

“But the things people believe constrain us or see as negatives, we’d actually say are the biggest positives – we have created more flexibility and freedom for ourselves.”

It’s been 12 years since John and his wife Bronwyn, in partnership with Robin and Rebecca Schaefer, formed Bulla Burra – a collaborative family farm in Loxton and Alawoona, South Australia. They are now cropping about 8500 hectares annually, with a legume and cereal focus. John said the key drivers for creating Bulla Burra were economics and efficiency. However, looking back now, he said it’s the people and relationships that stand out as the biggest benefits.

“Setting up the right collaborative model gives you great potential to increase efficiency and profitability,” John said.

“It also allows you to work in areas of the business that you’re passionate about. Within a collaborative business, you can be involved in the area where you add the most value. For me, that’s the marketing, the finance, the people side. Whereas for Robin, it’s the practical side – he likes to be out in the soil every day.

“Robin and I also have our weekends back, we take four weeks of annual leave, and don’t tend to work public holidays. It’s up to the business to ensure everything gets done.”

John said the business also shared its decision making, so the burden of creating strategies and dealing with day-to-day decisions and emotional issues doesn’t rest on one person or one family.

However, to be successful, John advises growers not to rush into setting up a collaborative business.

“You actually need to spend 18 months doing it properly because part of the process is figuring out how you’re going to work together,” he said.

“Despite all the benefits, there’s a reason why not every business in the world has done it – it’s because of the emotional hurdles. Just about every collaborative business that has failed has done so because of emotions and personalities. Emotions are the biggest threat to any collaborative business.

“There’s lots of things you can put in place to ensure you can work together, but unless you have shared values and can form an effective working relationship, it’s just not going to be successful.” v

AGM Dried Fruits Australia’s AGM is also going online this year. The COVID-friendly event will be held at 1pm on 27 November. More information will be sent out to DFA members. RECORD ATTENDANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE A record number of people attended the first online International Seedless Dried Grape Producing Countries Conference.

About 70 participants, including delegations from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Greece, Iran, South Africa, Turkey and the United States, met on October 15 to exchange information on world production and the marketing of dried grapes.

The conference considered the world supply and demand position, noting dried grape production from the sultana/natural seedless raisin decreased by 1.1 per cent, while overall supply increased by 1 per cent due to carryovers.

Carryover stocks are still relatively low, compared to the early 2000s, but it will be possible to supply normal market demands.

The 60th annual conference was meant to be held in Greece, but the face-to-face meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19. The 2021 conference is planned for Turkey or Greece.