The latest technology, and the ability to use it and demonstrate it, is the cornerstone of new $2.5 million project and development at Longerenong College, Dooen, near Horsham.
The AgTIDE Demonstration of Agricultural Technology Applications (DATA) Farm Project to provide agricultural students access to the latest in agriculture technology is being backed by the Victorian Government from its Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund.
New machinery and other equipment including a new airseeder, self-propelled boomspray, variable rate fertiliser spreader and remote sensing equipment has arrived in time for planting this year's cereal, pulse and oilseed crops.
The investment is part of the project that will see the establishment of a 1000-hectare demonstration farm at the college.
"The DATA Farm is a fantastic development for, not only Longerenong College, but the entire Australian grains industry. The project is really gathering momentum and it's extremely exciting watching the transformation of the college farm and the overall college," College general manager, John Goldsmith, said.
He said the latest projects had their beginning about three years ago when it was identified that one of the "blockers" to the progress of agriculture was the lack uptake of technology.
He said one reason was poor network coverage, but also the myriad of technology and the difficulties trying to navigate through that bulk of information.
One of the ways to assist farmers and students was to develop a demonstration data farm to enable them to "touch, feel, smell this stuff", he said.
"Farmers are kinetic learners where they can touch things and climb all over things," he said.
With an existing student cohort and a farm run on a commercial basis, Longerenong was a perfect fit, he said.
The AgTIDE DATA Farm Project would use a network of sensors and software platforms to help collect information, allowing students and farmers to see first-hand how the technology could be used to make evidence-based decisions for a season ahead.
Mr Goldsmith said about $1 million of the funding was used to update the college machinery and equipment with the latest technology and standards.
The college now had all its equipment designed to fit together and enable controlled traffic farming techniques to be used in all paddocks.
Mr Goldsmith said the funding was also used to develop an "Innovations centre, or "hub", in a fully revamped college library.
He said students and farmers could see all the data collected and live-streamed from the demo farm.
The centre was expected to be opened by August this year.
Mr Goldsmith said the collage had also entered a partnership with the LX Group that would be supplying a range of sensing equipment from weather stations and soil probes and network coverage throughout the farm.
He said farmers could come and see this equipment in action and decide whether it would fit their farm businesses.
"It's a try before you buy opportunity," he said.
"Students will be trained in the use of all the technology and interpret the data so that when they graduate, get out into the industry, they will hit the ground running - from a tech point of view," he said.
A government spokesperson said the support for the DATA Farm was just one way the Victorian Government was helping farmers harness the benefits of digital technology to improve farm productivity and profitability.
Victoria's On-Farm Internet of Things Trial was also supporting farmers to adopt digital technologies across horticulture, sheep, grains and dairy industries.
The Government was also helping provide farmers with the skills they need to make the most out of new on-farm technology through the Smarter, Safer Farms initiative.
"Digital agriculture has been identified as an area of significant growth and value - we're making sure Victoria is at the forefront of the latest in agtech," Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes said.
"By investing in the next generation of agriculture, we're backing our agriculture industry's future and helping make farming more safe, productive and profitable," Ms Symes said.
Features of the DATA Farm also included grain bin sensors, drones and a communications network that provided coverage to the entire farm.
The Longerenong DATA Farm also provided opportunities for industry research and development in a commercial farm environment as new products and new technologies emerged in digital agriculture.
