The fifth Irish NEWBIE Steering Group meeting was held on Zoom in light of continued Covid 19 restrictions. The meeting included an update on progress in the project and to discuss planned activities for the coming year. The progression of the Irish contribution to NEWBIE toolkits was discussed in detail. This steering group is comprised of farm advisors, researchers, farming organisation representatives, financial personnel and recent new entrants to farming.
The main objectives of the meeting were to;
- Review the activities carried out since the previous meeting
- Discuss plans for activities in 2020
- Discuss the key information to cover in the NEWBIE toolkits to be developed in early 2021
Updates were given on the main activities in 2020 including; the new entrant competition, practice abstracts and video development. This was a good opportunity to get feedback from the steering group to ensure activities best address the needs of Irish new entrants.
Opportunities to promote the project through the competition and other activities were explored in order to maximize the audience reached. As many activities will continue to be curtailed due to Covid 19 in early 2021 virtual alternatives were also discussed.
The second part of the meeting involved a discussion on the Irish contribution the Newbie toolkits and the information that is of most relevance to new entrants. Feedback was gathered on each of the two toolkit proposals, to inform the development that will be carried in the coming months. The critical stages in the development of a new business were identified, as were the main organisations that can provide assistance and advice to new entrants.
