Extension Model of Practice workshop

Cape York NRM and Terrain NRM have been working together to help farmers learn from each other and bring greater coordination to personal farming support services, also known as extension services.

Known as the Enhanced Extension Coordination project, the three-year initiative which commenced in December 2018 works to enhance extension services to better meet producer needs.

In March this year, nine extension practitioners from Cape York NRM and Terrain regions got together in Atherton to learn about the advancements in the Extension Model of Practice.

The Extension Model of Practice is a framework that was initially introduced by Canegrowers ISIS Manager, Angela Williams, in March 2020 and which is now in its first revision, ready for publishing.

This framework puts farmers at the centre of decision-making, providing extension officers with a proven method of engaging with farmers by taking into consideration their individual circumstances and goals for practice change on their farms.

It identifies that how extension is delivered is what leads to positive relationships and improved practice change—acknowledging how relationships, technical know-how and processes work together.

This project is funded through the Queensland Government Reef Water Quality program