Holding a successful Field Day

After a number a years of Blueberry Grower engagement Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare has learnt what the 'ingredients' are for a successful a Field Day.

Holding a successful Field Day

After a number a years of Blueberry Grower engagement Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare has learnt what the 'ingredients' are for a successful a Field Day.

Making a Difference -

LLCI033-063

The issue

The challenge was how to get Blueberry growers to attend our best practice Field Day this year. Previous field days were poorly attended and only a small number of growers who were part of our project audience came along. The content of the field days were designed specifically to growers and were aimed at improving their practices.

The solution

From previous experiences we have learnt a number of strategies to help us engage with Blueberry Growers. We put these learnings into place when organising and promoting our most recent Field Day.

  1. Time of year - the event was scheduled for outside the picking season. With more blueberry varieties being grown this has narrowed down to only 3-4 months.
  2. A free lunch was provided
  3. A range of topics was discussed.
  4. Good relationships with growers made it easier to encourage them to come.
  5. Notification - we notified growers through SMS - they could RSVP with a yes/no
  6. Property selection - we selected the property of a well known grower.

The impact

Using all the above strategies the Field Day was a success. We had over 40 participants the majority of which were Blueberry growers. It was held at the beginning of June, just prior to the picking season so growers had time to attend. A number of different topics kept it interesting and allowed us to disseminate a range of information. The property was of a well known grower not a part of the local growers coop. Many of the growers used the Field Day as an opportunity to have a sticky beak at his farm which worked to our advantage and allowed us to educate a much larger number of growers.

Key facts

  • 1 Field Day held
  • 40 attendees
  • 30 + growers educated in best practice

Project Partners