2012 marks the 16 year anniversary of AgKI (formally PIKI)! In that time we as an organisation have grown tremendously and we are now well recognised as the peak primary producers organisation on KI by all Island and off Island organisations.

We remain unique in SA (and possible Australia) in the role we play – part advocate, part research, part policy, part education and wholly in support of agriculture and the role it plays on KI.

Our current Board membership is as follows:

• Andrew Heinrich (Chair)
• Peter Lovering
• Rick Morris
• Ros Willson
• Carly Buttrose
• Alan Childs
• Peter Cooper
• Colin Bolto
• Lyn Dohle (PIRSA rep)
• Jayne Bates [KIFA rep]
• Kate Buck (non voting, KI NRM rep)
• Faye Stephenson (Executive Officer)

Highlights from 2012

Membership – we have grown our membership base from 43 in 2007 to 145 in 2012, over one third of KI primary producers. If you're not a member then this is what you are missing out on:

• Monthly E-news which provides a quick update on what's happening and relevant ag. info
• Printed quarterly newsletter personally posted to you
• KI Ag Trials booklet personally posted to you
• Subsidy on soil test kits
• Subsidy on kikuyu seed
• Discount rate at AgKI hosted events and workshops

Projects – AgKI receives funding from both State and Federal Govt to conduct a range of projects on KI. Full details of most of these projects are written up in the trials page of this website.

• Farm Ready – this a major three year project and key activities this year involved the establishment of the pasture cropping/kikuyu trial, the development of a 'controlling dam evaporation' pamphlet, deep incorporation of organic mater trial, development and printing of this Ag Trial booklet, provision of technical support to landholders
• Soil acidity- a once off subsidy to landholders applying lime sand (this project was delivered by KI NRM as part of their on ground works program)
• Grain and Graze – a three year project evaluating the grazing value (quality and quantity) of kikuyu pastures
• Soil testing – after PIRSA withdrew its soil testing service, AgKI was fortunate to be able to source funding to enable the service to continue for landholders on KI
• Waterlogging and cropping trials – a range of trials were conducted from wheat variety trial to pea inoculums' to waterlogging management
• Perennial pastures – ongoing management of the long term trial sites on Tremaine's, Paxton's and Murton's to identify which perennials are best suited to KI
• Men in Communities program – a 'blokes only' workshop conducted over three sessions giving men in the community the knowledge and skills to better support other men.
• Support to Basic Bushfire safety skills for women – a two day workshop giving Island women the chance to learn basic bushfire safety skills to assist them to become bushfire ready.
• Purchase of small plot seeding and harvesting gear – for the first time almost since the research centre was closed we now have located permanently on KI our own small plot seeder and harvester to enable us to undertake cropping trial work more effectively.
• Continued support to the KI Young Farmers Group with speaker James Peck talking on farming in England, diversifying and finding solutions to management issues
• Ag Science Students of the year School Awards  – in conjunction with generous sponsorship from Elders and Landmark. We presented two awards to the top agriculture students on KI. The 2011 winners were Ashley Kelly and Nathan Bell.
• Meetings with Ministers and senior executive's of PIRSA – this enables us to raise issues directly with the key decision makers.
• A range of field days, farm walks and information sessions from cropping field days and kikuyu farm walks to a Sheep – less hassle, more profit breakfast seminar.

Join now

If you're not a member of AgKI and would like to be able to take advantage of all the benefits listed above, then join now. To join simply send an email to admin@agki.com.au for an application form.