Helping Hunter Valley farmers design their future

The program kicks off with the Smarter by Design Farm Planning workshop - a hands-on, two-day event that gives farmers expert support, custom maps, and practical planning tools tailored for Hunter Valley properties of all sizes.

Participants can join a local group in the Denman or Broke areas, working alongside farm planning coach, Kim Deans from Reinventing Agriculture and the Hunter Local Land Services (LLS) agriculture advisory team. Together, they will develop a personalised action plan and take home a full-colour A1 property map to guide their farm’s future.

The workshop will help farmers:  

• clarify their vision, values and goals,  
• understand their soils, pastures and vegetation to guide production systems,  
• design their ideal property layout, and  
• learn step-by-step how to monitor progress and stay on track.  

Each participant will receive a Smarter by Design Planning Resource Pack with a custom farm map, design overlays, guides and materials, plus catering across both days. The program, valued at $700, is subsidised to just $110 per farm (up to two attendees per booking).

There’s plenty of time for inspiration and planning with the Denman workshop to be held on Thursday 30 October and Thursday 27 November, and the Broke series scheduled for Friday 31 October and Friday 28 November.

Value-adding the farm planning sessions, the Farming by Design series will continue with Love Your Livestock on 14 November and Grazing Like a Pro on 12 December. These popular workshops will be repeated in February/March next year, providing practical advice from vets and livestock officers, on-farm demonstrations, and in-paddock learning to boost productivity and resilience.  For more information and to register, visit the Hunter LLS events page.

Media contact
For more information, please contact Michelle Gapes, Regional Communications Advisor, North Coast/Hunter via email michelle.gapes@lls.nsw.gov.au or 0467 291 890.