Awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in 2006 sponsored by the Australian Barley Board, John travelled to Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, UK and Europe to gain an international perspective on collaborative ventures around the world.

John says "There is no doubt that collaboration in any form of business makes a great deal of sense, and especially in agriculture. At a time when our terms of trade are diminishing it is widely documented that farmers globally are overcapitalised beyond what a successful business can reasonably sustain into the future."

What is collaborative farming? Collaborative farming brings together a small group of farmers, usually two to five, thereby creating "efficiency units". The large parcel of land and equipment is farmed and utilised as a collaborative entity providing significant efficiencies and lowering the cost of production.

After studying collaborative models around the world John has concluded there is a place for collaborative farming in Australia and says "The advantages of full utilisation of capital and resources, purchasing of inputs, sharing of labour resources and the full business and financial accountability such a venture brings create great opportunities for Australian family farming operations".

John added "The key to collaborative farming is having a comprehensive business plan with well documented entry and exit clauses for all parties. The two greatest threats to the success of any collaborative venture are emotions and personalities of the parties involved."

"The fodder industry lends itself well to a collaborative model as the business often has large volumes of capital tied up in machinery that can easily be underutilised" John noted.

John will be presenting his findings at the 2010 National Fodder Conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre on 10-11 August.

Registration forms are available on the Australian Fodder Industry Association website www.afia.org.au or by phone on 03 9530 2199