Lifestyle farmers punching above their weight!

Are hobby farmers more important to the local community than industry farmers?

This is the question that will be answered by Agribusiness Gippsland and University of Melbourne master’s students over the next fortnight as part of a Mornington Peninsula business study.

The students from the Graduate School of Business and Economics will examine the income generated and compare it with the economic benefit to the community contributed by both industry and hobby farmers in the Mornington Peninsular Shire, who volunteered to be a part of the project.

A report on the net gain provided to the community by both industries will then be presented to the Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Susan Webster, Executive Officer for Agribusiness Gippsland, said while there may be a train of thought suggesting commercial farming brought the highest economic benefit to the community, the contribution hobby farmers make in areas such as schools, roads, and local business was underestimated.

"There have already been numerous requests from other regional councils for copies of the study after it is complete. This is a hot button topic. We want to know the facts about what benefits the community, the trickle-down effects of lifestyle farming are vast and need to be examined," she said.

The student project is part of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Business & Economics Volunteer Business Practicum, a program that allows students to provide a genuine contribution to a business or community while gaining valuable work experience.

Program manager Sue Elston from the Faculty of Business and Economics Career Centre said it was a fantastic way for students to meet potential employers and gain confidence by being treated as a professional.

"One of the challenges for students we find is in dealing with an imperfect world, away from lectures and text books. By getting an opportunity to get hands on experience they realise that time passes very quickly in the business world, and that it’s not just about how much time they spend on a project, but as consultants, how effectively they work," she said.

Ms Elston said the program was particularly valuable for international students, who make up a large part of the Practicum program.

"Because they are doing a project of real need, we find their confidence lifts so much as they see they can apply the skills they learned in the classroom into the real world," she said.

The students will work with Agribusiness Gippsland until mid-February, when they will present their findings to the council and their peers.

See http://www.gsbe.unimelb.edu.au/careers/employers/businesspracticum.html for moreinformation