22 March 2021. By AgForce General President Georgie Somerset. Also published at Queensland Country Life.
While the machinery and technology used in agriculture has advanced over centuries, it’s the passion and persistence of individuals that has allowed it to prosper.
Taking chances, striving to innovate, making much from little – these are the foundations upon which small farming families have grown to become profitable enterprises, making agriculture a major contributor to the Queensland and Australian economies.
That spirit of endeavour was on show in abundance last week when more than 80 AgForce elected representatives and staff spent four days in Toowoomba planning the direction of our new strategic plan.
Through a series of sessions our cane, cattle, grain, and sheep and wool boards, our committees, and our Young Producers’ Council challenged the effectiveness and efficiency of everything we do.
External speakers too asked us the tough questions, all in the spirit of sharpening our focus and making sure we maintain relevance in the services we provide for members and industry.
Ultimately, we want to be better and bolder.
We want to continue to build on the quality and frequency of the opportunities we create for AgForce members and for all rural producers and communities throughout the State.
There is much we can already be proud of, but we need to ensure we keep moving forward with a strong, cohesive foundation at our centre and the formation of our next strategic plan can help us achieve even more.
The great thing is there’s still time for you to be a part of it.
Each week we host a strategic planning session you can join, and you can get in touch with us – by phone, by email, and on our website – and tell us what you’d like to see us do, the direction you’d like us to go in, the battles you’d like us to take on – we’re looking to embed your voice in everything we do.
After all, like agriculture, AgForce is only as good – as strong and resilient – as the individuals who contribute to it.
And that’s why I’m filled with such optimism this week: if last week was anything to go by, we’ve got an awful lot to look forward to.