The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has announced the locations of its 2025 Farm Business Updates in Western Australia, scheduled to take place from February 10 – 14.

The GRDC Farm Business Updates support growers to adopt innovative practices for high performance. This year updates will be held in:

• Mullewa, Monday, 10 February, Mullewa Sports Club
• Bruce Rock, Wednesday, 12 February, Bruce Rock Town Hall
• Condingup, Friday, 14 February, Condingup Community Centre

The program features a strong lineup of topics identified as priorities by grain growers and advisers across Australia, delivered by exceptional local and interstate presenters.

Sessions will cover critical aspects of farm business management including effective communication, strategic business planning, financial planning, risk management, leadership and machinery investment decisions.

Keynote speaker at the sessions will be Dr Jane Foster of Emotional Resilience Training, who will present on the topic ‘communication is key’.

For many farming families, the separation between farming business and the family, plus the added pressure of employee relations, can cause communications to break down. Understanding how to communicate effectively is a critical element to farming success.

Dr Jane Foster will look at how farming enterprises can communicate better, learn how to leave the office without leaving the farm, and deal with disruption effectively.

Other sessions on the full-day agenda include:

Strategic thinking leads to positive planning. Peter Cooke, Agknowledge 

Successful farms have strategic business plans – plans that are used and not gathering dust! Strategic business planning helps farmers be proactive decision makers instead of reactive decision makers, and ensure plans are well thought out and appropriate to the business.

Financial planning: making the numbers work. Ashley Herbert, Agrarian

Financial planning is more than just paying the bills – it’s ensuring that your farming business has clear financial goals and is prepared for the future. It’s about making sure that your hard work does not go to waste, and your finances keep working for you even once the season has closed.

Managing farm business risk and building resilience. Tristan Wardley, RMCG

Farming, inherently, is a business rife with uncertainties and risks. The volatility of weather patterns, market fluctuations, and the unpredictable nature of biological systems make decision-making a complex process for farm businesses no matter the size. Risk isn’t always about downsides, however, the risks to a farming business also carry opportunities from which to profit. So, managing a farm business becomes an individualised balancing act of trading an acceptable level of risk for an acceptable level of return.

Finding your voice: becoming an effective farm and community leader. Gemma Walker

In times of upheaval and debate, our industry looks to influential leaders for engagement and guidance. This session will outline how recognising your leadership role and developing strong skills can benefit not only your farm business but build stronger local communities and support a dynamic WA agricultural industry.

Machinery: repair or replace? Ben White, Kondinin Group

There are various attitudes to machinery purchases across regional and rural WA. Some will argue that farm machinery investment levels are too high; others that the potential risk to production caused by a breakdown can be expensive. There is a compromise position which can vary in the context of the variables and the requirements of each individual farm operation.

GRDC Grower Relations Manager – West, Berin Gibbons, said the Farm Business Updates facilitate the adoption of innovative and leading-edge farm business practices. Photo: Lumens Photography/GRDC

GRDC Grower Relations Manager – West Berin Gibbons said the GRDC Farm Business Updates aim to support the farm business management skills of Australian grain growers.

“The Farm Business Updates facilitate the adoption of innovative and leading-edge farm business practices that drive high performing farms,” Mr Gibbons said.

“They provide access to high quality speakers on a range of topics, determined in consultation with grower networks, farm business advisers and industry to ensure relevancy and appropriateness for WA growers.”

For more information or to register for the events, visit the GRDC website.