Vegalogue

Hosted by AUSVEG

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Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-AU

About the show

A dialogue on research, advocacy and people in the Australian vegetable industry from AUSVEG, Australia's peak industry body for the vegetable, potato and onion sectors.

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57 recent

November 12, 2026Episode 5711 min

Advocacy: Quantium Woolworths Data Scan project

Woolworths shopper data is now available to growers through an online dashboard delivered by Hort Innovation and Quantium. The data and reports available through the dashboard provide valuable information for business decisions that would otherwise be unavailable to growers. “The purpose of it really is to be able to put the information that the retailers have had for years in the hands of growers as well” – Wendy Hubbard, Consumer Insights Manager at Hort Innovation and project lead. “Information is power, and it's great to understand the role we play in their world” – Emma Hines, Commercial Director at PJ and J Cochrane and dashboard user. Wendy and Emma spoke about the project to Sarah Jaboor on this episode of the Vegalogue Podcast. The Quantium Woolworths Data Scan project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable, onion and mushroom research and development levies, and contributions from the Australian Government. You can register for the dashboard here , and if you would like to attend the Hort Business Summit where Wendy will be discussing this project further you can do so here . Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

October 29, 2026Episode 5616 min

R&D: Growing Leaders Program

Earlier this year a group of vegetable industry stakeholders from across the country, from a range of backgrounds and a variety of experiences, took part in the 2026 Growing Leaders program. Growing Leaders, Project Code 23009, funded by Hort Innovation using industry levies and contributions from the Australian Government, is run by training and leadership coaching business Affectus, and supported by AUSVEG. An earlier version of the program had been run prior to 2020, but in 2024 it was relaunched, with the first cohort of the revamped program taking part in 2025. Its aim is to equip emerging professionals in the vegetable industry to step forward with confidence, capability, and purpose, helping them to build self-awareness, communication and leadership capability. Katia Howell from Flavorite in Victoria and Demi Mills from Barden Farms in NSW were members of the 2025 cohort, and they spoke to the Vegalogue podcast about what they learnt. You can find more information about the Growing Leaders Program and apply to be part of the 2027 cohort here . Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

October 15, 2026Episode 5529 min

R&D 2026 USA Onion Study Tour Wrap

In August eight Australian onion onion growers and industry stakeholders visited the United States as part of the 2026 USA Onion Study Tour (Project Code VG23002), funded by Hort Innovation using the onion R&D levy and contributions from the Australian Government, and run by AUSVEG. In this extended Vegalogue episode we will hear about the trip from the people on it, with interviews recorded on the trip, and also from some of the many people we met along the way, talking about how they grow onions in the USA. In the weeks ahead we will hear longer interviews with many of those people. A big thanks to everyone who shared their time and hospitality. Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

September 29, 2026Episode 545 min

R&D Tomato Potato Psyllid - The New Zealand Experience

In August the Research, Development and Extension Manager with VegNZ Daniel Sutton led a series of workshops for growers and other industry stakeholders in Australia looking at the control of the Tomato Potato Psyllid, mostly referred to as TPP. The workshops were part of the Vegwatch Program, project code VG22004, the Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy which is run by AUSVEG and funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable levy. Vegalogue went along to the presentation at Bungaree in Victoria and spoke with Daniel afterwards. More resources on TPP and Vegwatch can be found in the Knowledge Hub on the AUSVEG website . You can view the video of Daniel's presentation here . Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

September 14, 2026Episode 538 min

R&D: New compliance navigation guides

For vegetable growers, compliance is an essential part of running a successful business, but navigating the requirements can be complex and time-consuming. In this episode, we explore the new Compliance Navigation Guides developed by VegNET Victoria and AUSVEG VIC to help vegetable growers make sense of the major farm compliance schemes. The guides are designed to support growers at various stages of their businesses, whether they’re working towards a new certification, training staff in compliance requirements or navigating compliance for the first time. The project was led by Daniel Bosveld, the VegNET Victoria Research Development Officer, who worked closely with Abigail Woods from Farm It Out Consulting to develop the guides. Daniel and Abigail presented the guides at VicVID in May 2026, held at Taranto Farms in Tyabb, Victoria. In this episode, we hear from them about the guides, why they were developed and how they can help growers navigate compliance with greater confidence. VegNET 3.0 is funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable and onion research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

August 16, 2026Episode 5219 min

R&D: Part 2 Farming automation and technology - A discussion with the USA's Western Growers Association

This is part 2 of a two part Vegalogue Episode, where we talk to the US Western Growers Association about their research and development of on farm innovation to address issues like labour costs, harvesting automation and weed control, just to name some. In Part one we focussed on autonomous harvesting aimed at cutting labour costs. In part two we’ll look at their work with weeding technology and also their partnership with Hort Innovation and the VegMech project (Project Code VG 23003) funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.’ which is working to boost the adoption of advanced mechanisation technology in the Australian vegetable industry, and is being run by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. Now, in part two they talk about their work in developing weed control solutions and the US Australia partnership. Guests: Ben Palone, WGA’s Senior Commercialization Director. Walt Duflock, WGA’s Senior Vice President of Innovation. You can find out more about the Western Growers Association here: https://www.wga.com/ To learn more about Reservoir Farms please follow this link: https://reservoir.co/ You can watch the VegMech presentation at AVIS here: https://ausveg.com.au/knowledge-hub/avis-2026-harvest-automation-where-its-at-and-where-its-going/ Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

August 2, 2026Episode 5119 min

R&D: Part 1 Farming automation and technology - A discussion with the USA's Western Growers Association

At this year’s Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar, (Project Code VG24003), funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government, growers got an update on the VegMech project (Project Code VG 23003), which is working to boost the adoption of advanced mechanisation technology in the Australian vegetable industry, and is being run by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. This year’s update was looking at the research into the automation of harvesting of crops which currently rely on manual labour, like lettuce and broccoli and the work being done in the USA, and the projects which are being led by the Western Growers Association’s Innovations Team. The WGA is also heavily involved in the research and trialling of a range of automated and autonomous machinery, including spot sprayers and laser weeders which are utilising AI, and which are also being introduced in Australia and being used on some farms. They have also formed a partnership with Hort Innovation. In this two part Vegalogue episode we’ll hear from Ben Palone who’s the WGA’s Senior Commercialization Director, and Walt Duflock, who’s the WGA’s Senior Vice President of Innovation. In Part one we’ll hear about their research into autonomous harvesting technology and Reservoir Farms, where much of their research is now being done. In part Two we’ll talk about their work in targeted weed control and also how they are working with Hort Innovation. You can find out more about the Western Growers Association here: https://www.wga.com/ To learn more about Reservoir Farms please follow this link: https://reservoir.co/ You can watch the VegMech presentation at AVIS here: https://ausveg.com.au/knowledge-hub/avis-2026-harvest-automation-where-its-at-and-where-its-going/ Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

June 15, 2026Episode 5019 min

R&D: India Study Tour

Earlier this year, an Australian vegetable grower-led delegation travelled to India to investigate opportunities to connect Australian growers with skilled and semi-skilled horticulture industry workers from the nation, as part of a pilot program supported by Hort Innovation. During the week-long visit, the delegation met with key partners to get an in-depth understanding of Indian training pathways, and skill levels, and how they may translate into Australian conditions to help address skills and workforce shortages. In this R&D edition of Vegalogue, we speak to two of the participating growers – Harvest Supervisor at Fragapane Farms in Victoria, Sammy Singh and Human Resources Manager for Zerella Fresh in South Australia Jessica Paterson about what they learned. The Pilot program for recruiting and integrating skilled and semi-skilled workers into Australian horticultural enterprises (VG25003), is funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

May 20, 2026Episode 4921 min

Advocacy: Farm Safety with Felicity Richards

Every year lives are lost and families are changed forever by incidents on farm. Felicity Richards, Chair of Farmsafe Australia and a beef farmer from Northern Tasmania, brings both lived experience and a national perspective to farm safety. In this episode we dig into some key considerations around farm safety, major contributors to safety incidents, and look at some practical steps that can be taken to keep people safe. Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .

April 29, 2026Episode 4813 min

R&D: New AUSVEG Biosecurity Handbook

Earlier this year AUSVEG released it’s updated Biosecurity Handbook, which provides a guide to how vegetable growers can ensure they’re up to date with the latest industry standards. The Farm Biosecurity Manual has been produced as part of the vegetable industry biosecurity and business continuity strategy, known as VegWatch. (Project code: VG22004) which is managed by AUSVEG. Support for it was also provided by Hort Innovation’s Vegetable Fund and Plant Health Australia. You can download a digital copy of it at ausveg.com.au. Guests: Rose Daniel: Rose has had oversight of AUSVEG’s Biosecurity programs including the vegetable industry biosecurity and business continuity strategy, which is known as VegWatch. Zara Burney: Zara is AUSVEG’s Farm Biosecurity Officer. Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au . Subscribe to our newsletter , or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , Instagram , or Tik Tok .