The Dirt — Tasmanian Farming News March 2026
Welcome to the March 2026 edition of our monthly newsletter, The Dirt. Get the latest Tasmanian farming news from our community and beyond!
As the seasons begin to shift and autumn settles across Tasmania, it’s a moment that often invites reflection — both on the land and in the organisations that support it.
At Sprout, this month marks an important transition as we say thank you to our outgoing Chair, Kate Plaschke, whose leadership has helped guide the organisation through a period of growth and strengthening. We’re deeply grateful for the time, care and insight Kate has brought to the role.
Moments like this also invite us to look forward. As Sprout continues to grow and evolve, we’ll soon begin welcoming new leadership to help guide the organisation into its next chapter supporting Tasmania’s small-scale producers. If you feel you might have the experience and passion to help guide Sprout’s future, keep an eye out for the position description in the coming weeks.
As always in The Dirt, we’re sharing updates from our paddock — the work Sprout is directly involved in — alongside opportunities and initiatives happening across our wider community.
Warmly,
The Sprout Tasmania team
IN Our Paddock
Thank You to Our Outgoing Chair, Kate Plaschke
As Sprout Tasmania steps into its next chapter, we want to take a moment to recognise and sincerely thank our outgoing Chair, Kate Plaschke, for the enormous contribution she has made to the organisation over the past several years.
Kate has played a key role in helping Sprout grow into a stronger, more mature organisation. Her leadership has helped solidify our governance and internal processes, and set a clearer direction for where we’re heading and how we support Tasmania’s small-scale producers into the future. The foundations she has helped put in place will continue to shape Sprout for years to come.
Just as importantly, Kate has consistently shown up for the work itself — at events, in conversations with producers, and in the many hours behind the scenes supporting major projects and advocacy efforts. This includes contributing to significant pieces of work such as the Tasmanian Livestock Service Kill Processing Report and horticultural standards advisory work to the State Government.
Kate has balanced all of this alongside life on the farm in Mountain River, raising a young family, and a long career in social work supporting communities across Tasmania. That lived experience has shaped her leadership and kept Sprout grounded in what really matters — resilient communities, strong local food systems, and the wellbeing of the people behind them.
We are deeply grateful for the time, care, and energy Kate has given to Sprout, and for the legacy she leaves behind. Because of her leadership, the organisation is stepping into the future stronger, clearer, and ready for what comes next.
While we look for a new chair, board member Lisa Jane O’Neil will be assuming those responsibilities as Acting Chair. Thank you LJ!
From everyone here at Sprout, thank you, Kate, for your leadership, your care, and the lasting impact you’ve had on this organisation and community.
🌱 Growing Good 2026 – Save the Date
Our annual Growing Good fundraiser will return on Saturday, 30th May 2026.
Growing Good is Sprout’s yearly fundraising event supporting the work we do alongside Tasmania’s small-scale producers. This year’s event will take place in Hobart, with the venue, format and full program to be announced soon.
For now, mark the date in your calendar — we look forward to sharing more details shortly.
Expanding opportunities through the AgriGrowth Loan Scheme
Sprout has been working with the Department of State Growth to provide feedback on the AgriGrowth Loan Scheme, exploring opportunities to broaden the types of agricultural businesses that may be eligible for support.
One area of focus has been the potential for the scheme to support emerging models such as micro-abattoirs and small-scale processing businesses — an issue that continues to surface through Sprout’s work with producers across the state.
This discussion builds on the findings of Sprout’s Tasmanian Livestock Service Kill Processing Report, which highlighted the need for more diverse and accessible livestock processing pathways for small producers.
This work is ongoing, and we’ll continue to advocate for funding mechanisms that better reflect the realities and needs of Tasmania’s small-scale farming sector.
Sharing Sprout’s work with Blundstone Australia
Jen recently joined the team at Blundstone Australia in Hobart as part of their Lunch and Learn series, speaking with staff about Sprout’s work supporting Tasmania’s small-scale producers.
The session explored how small-scale farming fits within the broader food system, why programs like the Small Producer Program (SPP) matter for Tasmania’s local food security, and the practical ways organisations can support the long-term resilience of our farming communities.
Partnerships like Blundstone’s help make this work possible, enabling Sprout to continue delivering programs that create real outcomes for farmers and the communities they feed.
We’re grateful for their ongoing support and the opportunity to share more about the impact of this work.
🥬 Update on horticulture food safety regulations
Sprout has received confirmation from NRE Tasmania / Biosecurity Tasmania that a second round of draft regulation for the updated FSANZ horticultural food safety standards will be released for public consultation, review and feedback.
The updated draft is expected to be released around late March or early April, following earlier consultation and feedback from growers and industry stakeholders.
Sprout will continue to review the proposed changes and work with producers to ensure the voices of small and diversified growers are represented as the legislation develops.
🧄 Sprout at the Koonya Garlic Festival
Sprout was recently part of the Koonya Garlic Festival, with Jen joining Sprout founder Tony Scherer on stage for a conversation about Tony’s farming journey and decades of experience growing garlic in Tasmania.
The discussion explored Tony’s early work importing 14 garlic trial varieties, practical insights on growing and harvesting garlic, disease prevention, and the importance of crop rotation. The session also touched on broader issues affecting small producers including seed sourcing, certification, and access to land through share farming arrangements.
The panel wrapped up with a Q&A with festival goers, followed by plenty of conversations in the sunshine with producers and community members enjoying the day.
It was a great opportunity to connect with growers and be part of a festival celebrating one of Tasmania’s favourite crops.
🌾 GROUNDED: a festival for better farming
GROUNDED is a roaming Australian festival that brings together farmers, growers, chefs and thinkers exploring the future of food and farming.
Held on working farms in different locations each year, the event focuses on regenerative agriculture, ecological land management and building resilient food systems. The 2026 festival will take place at Yan Yan Gurt West Farm in Victoria, with talks, farm tours and conversations connecting people working across agriculture, food and environmental stewardship.
Sprout Tasmania will be attending, and helping out as a Tent Host for one of the main marquees at the event, so if you are coming along, please come and say hi to Jen between talks.
Tickets are still available for those interested in attending.
🌱 Why your Sprout membership matters — and why now is the moment to join
For 14 years, Sprout has stood beside small producers — listening, learning, advocating and showing up where it counts. What began as an idea has grown into a statewide voice that is now recognised across industry and government as the home of small-scale producers in Tasmania. When legislation changes, when policy is drafted, when decisions affecting growers are being made — Sprout is in the room, representing you.
We’ve reached this point because producers have trusted us, shared their experiences, and backed the work we do. And now we’re taking the next step — a truly member-led model where producers and supporters help shape Sprout’s direction and impact.
To do that sustainably, we’ve introduced a new pay-what-you-can monthly membership.
No more set annual fee — just a contribution that reflects what you can manage, month by month, while still strengthening Sprout’s ability to:
- advocate for scale-appropriate regulation and fair market access,
- deliver training, workshops and practical resources,
- build community and connection across farms and regions, and
- elevate the visibility and value of small producers across Tasmania.
Because when small producers thrive, so do communities, local food systems and our shared environment.
Whether you’re a grower, an ally of growers, someone who eats local food, a hospitality powerhouse, or simply someone who wants to see Tasmanian producers flourish — your membership makes a tangible difference.
👉 Active annual memberships will expire at the end of their term — but you don’t need to wait. You can switch to the new monthly system today and help secure Sprout’s future now.
We’d love to have you with us for the next chapter.
Your Community
🌱 Permaculture workshops with Hannah Moloney
Good Life Permaculture, led by Hannah Moloney (ABC’s Gardening Australia), will be running two upcoming workshops focused on practical skills for growing food and regenerative land care.
The Real Skills for Growing Food workshop will take place on 18 April, followed by a Permaculture Design Course running 4–16 October. Both programs focus on building practical knowledge for people interested in producing food, designing resilient landscapes and deepening their understanding of permaculture systems.
These workshops offer an opportunity for growers, gardeners and aspiring producers to develop hands-on skills and connect with others interested in regenerative approaches to food production.
Sustainable Living Tasmania – Harvesting Connections
Harvesting Connections is a free, one-day circular living event exploring waste-free food and gardening.
Taking place on Saturday 14 March 2026 at Kickstart Arts, St John’s Precinct, New Town, the event will feature practical demonstrations, hands-on workshops, discussions and activities focused on home and community food production, regenerative gardening and plastic-free practices.
Harvesting Connections invites community members, growers, practitioners and organisations to share knowledge, explore local food systems, and build stronger, more resilient communities.
Free entry.
📩 To get involved as an exhibitor, facilitator or contributor, contact Alison – alison@slt.org.au
Proudly supported by the City of Hobart.
Tag rebate boost for sheep and goat producers
The Tasmanian Government has expanded its sheep and goat eID tag rebate scheme, making rebates available across all NLIS-accredited tag colours from 1 February 2026.
The scheme helps producers prepare for the transition to mandatory electronic identification for sheep and goats from 1 January 2027 by reducing the cost of purchasing tags.
Eligible producers can receive $1 per eID ear tag and $4 per goat leg band, with the rebate applied at the point of sale. The program opened in June 2024 and will run until 30 June 2026, or until funding is exhausted.
The expansion is designed to give producers greater flexibility to purchase tags ahead of the upcoming national traceability requirements.
Sheep eID information workshops across Tasmania
A series of Sheep eID Information Workshops will be held across Tasmania in March to help producers understand the new electronic identification requirements.
The sessions will cover how the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) works, what the new eID requirements mean for sheep producers, and practical guidance on tags, readers and equipment options.
Workshops are being delivered statewide with sessions in locations including Swansea, Richmond, Bothwell, Oatlands, Campbell Town, Deloraine, Ulverstone and Longford, making it easy for producers to attend locally.
Whether you run a large flock or just a few sheep, these sessions are designed to help producers understand the changes and get set up with confidence.
Do you have waste on your farm?
TasWaste South project and NRM South are exploring the key waste challenges faced by primary producers (agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry) across southern Tasmania.
Through conversations with farmers, industry, councils and waste operators, the project aims to better understand problematic waste streams and identify practical opportunities for recycling, reuse, and other solutions to support producers.
If you are interested in sharing your experiences, Margaux from NRM South would love to hear from you. 0402 015 226, mtaton@nrmsouth.org.au
🌱 Regenerative Food and Farming Alliance launched
A new national collaboration supporting regenerative agriculture has been launched with the Regenerative Food and Farming Alliance (RFFA), announced alongside Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins MP.
The Alliance brings together organisations including the Holistic Management Co-op, Soils for Life, Open Food Network, Sustainable Table and Food Connect Foundation. Collectively, these groups work with more than 10,000 farmers and farming enterprises across Australia and a broad network of supporters.
The initiative aims to strengthen the voice of farmers working with regenerative approaches — improving soil health, restoring landscape function and producing food and fibre in ways that support long-term farm viability.
To learn more about this organisation head to their website via the link below
🧭 New tools available for Tasmanian businesses
The Business Tasmania website has recently been refreshed with a range of new tools designed to help Tasmanian businesses access support, funding and practical resources.
The updated platform includes a Tools and Support Finder, Grants and Funding Finder, and a library of guides to help businesses start, grow and navigate common challenges.
For producers running farm businesses — or exploring diversification opportunities — it may be a useful place to explore available support and programs.
That’s it for our Tasmanian Farming News this month. As ever, do get in touch if you have any questions or issues. We’re always here to help.
Thanks as always,
The Sprout Team.