Renewables in Agriculture Conference

The National Renewables in Agriculture Conference & Expo—set for Wednesday, 23 July 2025 at The Capital Theatre in Bendigo, Victoria—is not just another sustainability event. It’s highlighting the transformation in Australian agriculture: demonstrating how innovation in renewables is making farms more efficient, resilient, and financially robust.

Why This Conference Matters

Australia’s agricultural sector is under constant pressure from rising energy costs, climate variability, and the imperative to lower emissions. Farms are searching for practical, robust solutions that go beyond “eco-friendly” headlines. The National Renewables in Agriculture Conference takes this mandate seriously by focusing on concrete case studies, real farm economics, and future-focused technology.

On-farm renewables are now a key business opportunity, not just an environmental gesture. This event brings together a powerful cross-section of farmers, industry experts, consultants, and government representatives—all sharing stories and business cases for renewables adoption.

Among the experts, researchers and industry leaders speaking at the conference there will also be farmers who are revolutionising their operations to slash costs, diversify incomes and generate additional revenue streams.

Gippsland dairy farmer Sandra Jefford, is working on a sophisticated microgrid to power irrigation and save a fortune on electricity, with plans to rapidly expand as it just “makes business sense.”

“We save significantly on power costs depending on the season. We’ve added more irrigation over the years which has increased our power needs, so we will be adding more solar to one of those sites in the coming months, and potentially more in the future. It just makes business sense to do so.”

Tom Warren, a grazier in the Central West NSW hosts a 20 MW solar farm, which his merino sheep graze under, and has also diversified his farm income through two smaller 100 kW solar installations he owns on his property.

“I sell the power produced from the two 100 kW solar installations on the domestic market as well as on the spot market. At times, we make a few hundred a month from the spot market, and that’s passive income.

“When you have an independent off-farm income stream, you take away the issues we face as farmers, from unpredictable weather and fluctuations in commodity prices.”

Caleb Smith, a piggery farmer near Bendigo Victoria, has literally turned pig poop into a goldmine through embracing a circular economy. He’s using biogas from pig manure to reduce electricity bills.

“We were spending anywhere between $200,000 – $400,000 annually on electricity across three sites at our farm, so wanted to use the captured biogas from the effluent ponds, to produce power and heat, which we then use to warm the piglets. This saves almost $200,000 in power and hot water bills a year.”

Farmer Mike Casey in New Zealand, has been electrifying his farm over the last few years with batteries and an electric ute and has the first electric Monarch Tractor in the southern hemisphere.

“We have a six hectare cherry orchard in Central Otago with 21 electric machines that saves about $40,000 a year in energy bills which is a huge amount of inputs.

“My batteries will actually earn an income for the farm over the year. I can use my large batteries for protection against exposure to the open power market, and that means I can turn what has always been considered a risk, into an opportunity for farming.”

These aren’t just isolated success stories, they’re blueprints for the future of agriculture, demonstrating financial benefits alongside environmental gains.

The Farmers Driving the Sustainable Revolution

What sets this conference apart is its celebration of farmers who’ve led the transition:

• Sandra Jefford (Gippsland dairy farmer): Sandra’s installation of a sophisticated microgrid for powering irrigation has saved substantially on electricity. As power needs increased with new irrigation, so did her investment in solar—because, as she puts it, “it just makes business sense”.
• Tom Warren (Central West NSW grazier): Tom co-locates grazing with energy generation, running a 20 MW solar farm for his merino sheep and operating smaller solar arrays whose energy he sells on the open market. This not only brings passive, off-farm income, but also shields his family business from weather and market volatility.
• Caleb Smith (Bendigo piggery): Harnessing biogas from pig manure, Caleb’s circular approach slashed annual energy costs by nearly $200,000 while providing renewable heat to warm piglets—a clear win for the farm’s bottom line.
• Mike Casey (NZ cherry orchard): Electrification with batteries, an electric ute, and the region’s first electric tractor has brought $40,000/year in energy savings, and—critically—turned energy storage into a recurring income stream for the orchard.

What to Expect at the Conference

• Keynote: Tim Buckley from Clean Energy Finance will outline “The new opportunity – medium-scale solar on farms.”
• Expo: The doors open at 8am, with hands-on exhibits—including the latest BYD Shark 6 electric ute—and networking with tech suppliers and peers.
• Sessions: From 9am to 5pm, hear panels and Q&As featuring leading-edge farmers, consultants, researchers, and policy-makers—all ready to field questions and share hard-won lessons.
• Networking: The conference closes with a solar wine tasting and canape event, the best setting for informal conversations, partnerships, and inspiration.
• Bioenergy Site Tour (24 July): Conference-goers can book for an exclusive look at Kia Ora Piggery’s bioenergy system.

Why Attend? What’s in It for You?

1. Proven, Practical Solutions:
You’ll hear stories from the paddock —case studies you can benchmark against your own operation, with open discussion about costs, savings, pitfalls, and next steps.

2. Learn from the Early Adopters:
From microgrids and biogas to agrivoltaics and battery storage, the pioneering farmers at this conference have navigated the barriers and will share actionable insights.

3. Strategic Networking:
Meet power users—and power thinkers—at the forefront of agriculture’s energy transformation. Build relationships with suppliers, consultants, and potential project partners.

4. Policy and Technology Update:
Stay ahead of the curve: understand the influence of coming regulation, industry trends, and the newest technological advances.

5. Regional & Rural Prosperity:
Large-scale renewables, if planned and negotiated well, offer host communities a new stream of income, jobs, and local investment. You’ll learn how to advocate for meaningful benefit sharing when projects set up in your region.

6. A Conference for Good:
Organisers, speakers and key partners including NSW Farmers, Clean Energy Council, and Farmers for Climate Action, ensure that every part of this event is about positive, constructive change.

Tickets & Details

• Date: Wednesday, 23 July 2025
• Location: The Capital Theatre, 50 View Street, Bendigo
• Tickets: Start at ~$195 (includes networking & canapes). Farmer subsidies and general admission rates available
• Bioenergy Tour (24 July): Limited numbers, bus provided.

For the full program, visit the website: https://renewablesinagconference.com.au/

Whether you’re a farmer looking to control input costs, a consultant working in the ag-energy space, or simply want to be inspired by genuine stories of regional resilience, the National Renewables in Agriculture Conference in Bendigo is the event to attend in 2025. Be part of the revolution—this is the future of Agriculture, and it’s already happening