Future Farmers Network is a non-for-profit organisation that focuses on youth in agriculture.
Our membership base consists of young persons in agriculture aged between 18 to 35 years, with members being from diversified agricultural backgrounds across the nation.
FFN’s board is reflective of the organisation’s mission and membership base, being a directorship group all under 35 years. Each board member is actively engaged and working in the agricultural sector, ranging in areas from corporate agribusiness to broad acre farming. This means that the organisation’s direction, through its Board, remains aligned and engaged with the real and fluid issues and needs faced by FFN’s membership base.
FFN has fantastic partnerships, and it continuously works with its partners to deliver services and benefits to its members. FFN understands that, in this day and age, its members are time poor and face certain restrictions in accessing events and opportunities due to the sheer size of the country. As such, FFN is mindful to provide its members with a large range of online services, which allows our members to overcome these obstacles.
Our members have access to online educational tools, a weekly online newsletter tailored to its membership base, access to online mentoring from esteemed professionals across a varying range of agricultural sectors, as well as bursary and scholarship opportunities to financially assist its members in empowering and furthering their careers.
FFN also delivers monthly networking events in varying regional locations with a host of key industry speakers. More information with regards to FFN’s Events, past and upcoming, are available here.
Most predominantly, FFN holds its annual flagship event, the Young Beef Producers Forum, in Roma each November. The program runs for two days, and is an interactive program which includes an impressive line-up of key speakers. We would encourage our members to visit the Young Beef Producers Website to keep up to date with information about this year’s event, and to register your place to attend. The event is not only a fantastic intensive educational opportunity available to FFN’s members to learn from a variety of speakers, but also invaluable chance to meet and network with peers and colleagues in the beef industry.”
Our promise is simple
We are a not-for-profit organisation, and an incorporated company limited by guarantee. We are focused on building the engagement and network of those aged 18 to 35 years in agriculture.
Future Farmers Network Board of Directors currently consists of ten young people in rural industries aged under 35 years of age.
Our values are unique
We aim to empower, support and retain young people in Australian agriculture.
FFN is the only national independent organisation providing opportunities and services to support the future of Australian agriculture.
Our history is important
In November 2001, founder of FFN, Deb McLucas, decided to do something about the widespread concern she had seen expressed for the future of young people in the rural industries. As a result FFN was established in 2002, with the belief that it is not a shortage of young people in the rural industries, but a shortage of identified and communicated opportunities that is the major problem.
Our success stories
- Successfully completed the ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’ project to improve young people’s connection with peak rural groups and provide a forum for increased discussion between young people in rural industries.
- The ‘Building Our Rural Futures’ project – a trial of a career mapping service to provide members with information about career and training options in rural industries.
- Initiated and delivered the ‘Think Big’ interactive workshop for young South Australian farmers on the topics of agricultural value chains and marketing in agriculture.
- Facilitated the ‘Youth Forum’ to brainstorm methods of attracting young people to rangeland industries, including research, extension and rural sectors, at the Australian Rangeland Society 2008 Conference.
- Hosted the inaugural Future Farmers Week, with participation of over 400 young people in rural industries, increasing the leadership skills and experience of approx 20 young event hosts.
- Awarded six scholarships to members (valued in excess of $15,000) to enable them to attend a range training and educational opportunities.
- Hosted ‘Youth Agricultural Central’ Australia’s first rural, regional and state based youth groups forum developing collaborative approaches to meet the needs for the industries next gen.