GIPPSLAND farmers will focus on youth, innovation and managing risk in two upcoming agribusiness conferences.
Conference attendees will spend the day visiting a number of farms around the Bairnsdale district on August 17 as part of the East Gippsland Beef Conference.
They will hear from Australian Farm Institute chief executive Mick Keogh and ABC reporter Tim Lee in the evening.
Local young farmers Toby Caithness and Brody Kennedy are part of the line-up of speakers who will host on-farm tours and talk about their passion for agriculture.
Mr Caithness bought his own farm last year and runs a contract fertiliser spreading company, while working with his parents in their grain cropping business.
Mr Kennedy and wife Alissa operate two dryland dairy farms, both built upon traditional sheep farms in Bengworden.
Both men will talk about their experiences investing in and managing farms as young people.
"I'll be talking about my experience growing an agricultural contracting business," Mr Caithness said.
"And how agriculture benefits from involving young people in farming."
Nuffield scholar 2012 and Dumbalk North dairy farmer, Damian Murphy, will talk about innovative ways to finance new farmers.
Mr Murphy investigated investment schemes around the world that benefit young and older farmers.
"Growing agriculture in Australia needs to benefit the whole agricultural industry," Mr Murphy said.
"There needs to be people progressing through agriculture by working on farms, share farming, leasing farms, buying farms and livestock, purchasing crop inputs, living and bringing up their family in rural areas while contributing to the economic growth of Australia.
"A scheme of progression will enable us to grow the combination of skills, knowledge and assets we need to feed the world and provide food security for Australia."
Toby Caithness' father Trevor Caithness, is a broadacre grain grower and backgrounds cattle at Bairnsdale. He will talk about his experience of managing risk while building a sustainable business from the ground up.
The theme of innovation and risk continues with input from Anthony Snow, Lilydale Instant Lawn, who will talk about expanding an existing enterprise into East Gippsland, tapping into new markets and diversifying.
The East Gippsland Beef Conference starts at the East Gippsland Livestock on Monday, August 17 at 10.30am.
