Ararat Rural City Council is encouraging local agribusinesses to take part in an upcoming professional development event, with Council offering to reimburse registration costs for eligible participants.
Farmer's Day Out, hosted by the Central Highlands Growers and Producers Hub, will be held at the Ballarat Showgrounds on Wednesday 25 March, from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
The Farmer's Day Out program features a dedicated Farmers Doing It Differently: Innovation in Ag panel, showcasing local producers who are trialling new approaches, technologies, and business models on the ground.
The day also includes a suite of workshops designed to give attendees practical, take-home skills they can apply straight away in their own enterprises. Highly respected keynote speakers Barry Clark and Simon Quilty will share their insights on market trends and farm business resilience, with MC duties led by journalist and producer Kirsten Diprose, who will guide conversations and keep the program flowing.
The event will bring together growers, producers, and industry specialists to share practical insights, market knowledge, and farm business know-how. With a strong line-up of speakers and networking opportunities, it is designed to support farm businesses to plan ahead, strengthen connections, and explore new opportunities across the region.
Ararat Rural City Council Mayor, Bob Sanders, said the event was a timely opportunity for local producers to focus on the long-term health of their businesses.
"Our farming community carries a lot on its shoulders and days like this give people a chance to step off the farm, compare notes, and hear directly from people who are working on the same challenges," Mr Sanders said. "We know agribusiness underpins jobs, investment and confidence across our municipality, so Council is very pleased to remove the barrier of the ticket cost and encourage as many local producers as possible to get along."
"If you can take a day to be there, I am confident you will come home with at least one idea, one contact, or one insight that will make a real difference to your operation."
To access the reimbursement, Ararat Rural City agribusinesses are asked to book through the Farmer's Day Out website, then email their ticket receipt to for a refund of the registration fee. The event is hosted by The Central Highlands Growers & Producers Hub.
