AROUND 100 MacKillop Farm Management Group (MFMG) members, sponsors, collaborators and friends joined the organisation’s board and operations committee to celebrate the group’s 20 year anniversary in Naracoorte on Friday night.
With a focus on keeping the agriculture sector moving for the next generation of farmers, the event also featured elements of nostalgia as people outlined the history of the group.
The event took place at the Naracoorte Town Hall, with a dinner, musical entertainment by Ben Hood and chair Lou Stock welcoming guests before handing over to emcee for the night Craig Hole.
Mr Hole was involved with MFMG from its beginning and recounted its history dating back to the early connection with Southern Farming Systems in 1997.
A committee funded by Grains Research and Development Corporation and South Australian Research and Development Institute was formed and directed early trials, but the main focus was encouraging farmers to discuss cropping options in what was then the somewhat overlooked high rainfall zone.
With inaugural chair Ian McNeil in charge, trials in Victoria were visited and the first raised bed trial in the South East was instigated.
Jen Lillecrapp recounted the experience later in the evening, saying there was limited money, but somehow they talked people into undertaking new approaches as the group was determined to show what was possible.
In 2004, inaugural chief executive officer Ken Solly was appointed and his knowledge and understanding of the issues facing South East farmers was critical to MFMG’s development.
Mr Solly spoke of the need to put a lot of structures in place in the agricultural industry going forward, emphasising that young people need to keep passing the banner onto their kids.
By 2006, MFMG had 115 farming members and became fully independent from SFS to concentrate on remaining relevant to the high rainfall regions of South Australia and in 2008 Krysteen McElroy took over the reins as chief executive officer.
More recently farmers in the Upper South East medium rainfall zone have become involved, while the group has also broadened its focus to livestock.
Mr Hole thanked those with the original vision and said he firmly believed groups such as MacKillop, in conjunction with other industry sectors, were ideally positioned to maintain and grow their involvement in agricultural development, education and extension.
