Earthblog

West Midlands Group is a developing grower group currently servicing Badgingarra, Dandaragan, West Moora, Regans Ford, Warradarge, Eneabba and the West Midlands coast.

The West Midlands Group is your local grower group. It's here to provide a local focus on crop and pasture research, natural resource management and the role of women in agriculture. Our local focus ensures you get up-to-date information that's relevant to your business. You'll save hours of your valuable time normally wasted trying to actually find the information you really need.

West Midlands Group has three program areas, each represented by a sub-committee:

·      Research and Development (R&D)

·      Natural Resource Management (NRM)

·      Women’s committee

These programs operate to provide the following services to our members:

Local research: coordinated local agricultural research and development.

Investment in research by partnering with industry, government and research entities to grow research investment in our region.

Funding support: assisting members to obtain funding to address local production and NRM issues.

Advocacy: making sure the needs and priorities of the West Midlands region are being heard and addressed at all levels of Government.

'Bottom line' events: locally focussed events for our members, including:

·      In-season field walks and information sessions.

·      Crop Updates (8 March 2012).

·      Women, Wellbeing & Wine (WWW) forum (29 March 2012).

·      Spring Field Day (11 September 2012).

·      Coastal rehabilitation and monitoring workshops.

·      Schools and community environmental extension days.

Full Membership

Available to farming entities operating within the West Midlands region.

·      Priority access to local research and results targeted to the West Midlands. Trials conducted at WMG main trial site (Badgingarra Research Station) and ‘supplementary’ sites.

·      Opportunity to host ‘supplementary’ trial sites on your farm. This gives you first access to new and cutting edge ways to improve productivity and profitability on your farm.

·      Opportunity to identify R&D priorities most relevant to your farm business.

·      ‘Over the fence’ benefits- opportunity to interact and network with a group of progressive and dynamic people who share your aims of: increasing profitability; improving farm production and quality; and ensuring the financial and environmental sustainability of the West Midlands region.

·      Networking and access opportunities with WMG industry and research partners.

·      Free or substantially discounted entry to West Midlands Group events (for up to three people from your farming business) including: Crop Updates; Post Seeding Field Walk; Spring Field Day; Women’s Wellbeing and Wine Forum; and NRM events.

·      Access to high quality training and extension workshops targeted to your needs.

·      Free copy of West Midlands Group trial results publication, ‘WMG Research Annual’.

·      Free copy of field day booklets.

·      Improved opportunity to obtain R&D and NRM funding.

·      Assistance in developing funding applications for your farm business.

·      Quarterly e-newsletter and e-updates.

·      Copy of WMG annual report.

·      Opportunity to contribute and drive the future of farming in the your region.