BUSINESS VegNET

I’m Lisa Hasson, I recently joined vegetablesWA as the Regional Support Officer (RSO) based in the Wheatbelt. Coming from a background in community engagement, with a degree in Health Promotion and Nutrition and experience at DPIRD, these past few months have been a steep but rewarding learning curve.

Words Lisa Hasson, Regional Support Officer, vegetablesWA

WHAT stands out most to me is the shared passion across the industry, from growers to researchers, and technical experts, all who are working toward the same goal of producing the best quality vegetables in the most efficient, sustainable way possible.

My attendance at the Gatton AgTech Showcase and Lockyer Valley Study Tour were my first real look at how VegNET supports and connects growers through innovation, knowledge exchange, and hands-on learning (a program I’m deeply involved in through my role as Regional Support Officer).

What is VegNET?

VegNET is the national vegetable and onion industry extension program run by growers, for growers. VegNET is led and coordinated by AUSVEG. It is funded by Hort Innovation through vegetable and onion research and development levies, with additional contributions from the Australian Government. The program delivers on-the-ground support via trained Regional Development Officers (RDOs).

These officers are based within organisations that have strong grower networks in key vegetable-producing regions. Their role is to increase industry awareness and adoption of best practices that improve productivity, profitability, and competitiveness. In Western Australia, VegNET is delivered by vegetablesWA; in Tasmania by RM Consulting Group; and in South Australia by AUSVEG SA.

My role as Regional Support Officer was developed to strengthen VegNET’s delivery in regions with large and diverse production areas. Similar positions have also been introduced in Tasmania, and South Australia to provide additional support.

As an RSO, I work alongside our VegNET Regional Development Officer, Katrina Hill. Together we help coordinate projects, communicate outcomes, and connect growers with the resources and innovation available through VegNET and Hort Innovation. Our focus is on expanding reach across regional WA — ensuring growers, regardless of location, can access the same opportunities and information as their counterparts in the eastern states.

The Gatton AgTech Showcase

The Gatton AgTech Showcase, held 15–16 October 2025, was a collaboration between Queensland DPI and Hort Innovation. The two-day event brought together growers, researchers, and industry representatives from across Australia, to explore cutting-edge technology and innovation within the vegetable industry.

The tour was designed to build knowledge of emerging ag-tech and research at the QDPI Gatton Smart Farm. It also aimed to facilitate networking with ag-tech leaders, researchers, and fellow growers, and promote opportunities to trial or adopt new technologies and practices on-farm.

Although I joined the project after much of the planning of the event had been completed, it was inspiring to see the collaboration that made it possible.

A special thank you to Prue and Kirsty, the RSOs from Tasmania and South Australia, for their monumental effort in organising logistics and grower engagement. I also want to thank Katrina Hill from vegetablesWA for representing WA in the early stages of the project and providing guidance and support as I came on board.

The WA Delegation

One of the key challenges we face in WA is our size and distance. Reaching and engaging with growers across such a vast region takes creativity and persistence. While the other states saw a strong grower turnout and even waitlists, we successfully brought together an engaged group of WA growers who were eager to represent the region and share their insights.

Our WA delegation included Mia Rose (Rose Farms), Ben Ellement (Ellement Produce), Jamie Nguyen (Nguyen & Hundh), Jocelyn Bathgate (Bathgate Farming) and Sibuiswe Mthomb (Glavovich Produce). Each grower offered unique perspectives, from technology integration to soil improvement and pest management, and all were keen to see how new innovations could be adapted to Western Australian conditions.

The highlights

Farm visits were a major highlight. Over two days, we visited three farms. First was Barden Farm, a large-scale, multi-region producer operating across Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania, showcasing integrated farm management systems.

Next was the Mulgowie Farming Company, managing over 10,000 acres of production along the east coast, where we observed minimum tillage and precision planting in action. Finally, we toured Withcott Seedlings, one of Australia’s largest propagation nurseries, producing millions of vegetable and forestry seedlings annually.

At the Gatton AgTech Showcase, growers explored mechanical weeding systems, drone applications, farm communication technologies, and composting innovations. These innovations sparked discussions about potential applications in WA’s unique growing conditions. Feedback from WA participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the networking opportunities, exposure to practical tools, and the chance to connect with researchers and fellow growers as valuable outcomes.

My final thoughts

What struck me most was how well the program fostered connection — between regions, between growers, and between industry and research.

Every conversation sparked new ideas about collaboration and innovation. The experience demonstrated that VegNET’s strength lies in its people: those delivering it, those supporting it, and especially those living it on the ground every day, our growers.

My first experience with VegNET was a reminder of why this program matters, it connects people, ideas, and regions in ways that directly benefit growers and the wider community. It’s about sharing knowledge, building capacity, and supporting an industry that feeds us all.

Helping growers helps people be healthy and that’s a mission I’m proud to be part of.