From the Ground Up
Inspiring Excellence in the people who change agriculture. My flagship program in this space.
Industry and government invest millions in agricultural research and extension programs every year. Then we put technically brilliant people in front of farmers and expect them to drive change, without properly teaching them how.
The Problem
Here's something the agricultural sector doesn't talk about enough.
The extension officers, farm advisers, agronomists, consultants and program managers who work directly with farmers are often exceptional at the technical side. They know the science. They know the systems. What is missing is the 'how' to work with the people. How to design a program that really changes practice rather than just filling seats. How to facilitate a room so that real conversations happen. How to understand why people adopt some things and resist others. How to measure whether any of it is making a difference.
Extension training largely dried up in the 1990s and we have never really caught up. The behavioural and implementation sciences have moved a long way since then, and most of our people have had little access to them. That's not a failure of intelligence or commitment. It's a failure of investment in the people who do the work.
That's where I come in.
What 'From the Ground Up' is
From the Ground Up is professional development, mentoring and coaching for agricultural professionals who want to grow in every dimension of their work, not just the technical.
It's for the people who want to be better in the paddock, in the room, and on the page. Who want to design programs that work, engage the right people, facilitate groups that go somewhere, build relationships that drive change, and measure impact in a way that improves what they do rather than just satisfying a funder.
I've spent over 30 years learning this work, much of it the hard way. From the Ground Up is how I pass it on.
Ways to Work With Me
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1-on-1 Mentoring & Coaching
Regular sessions tailored to where you are and where you want to go. For individuals who want a thinking partner and a guide as they grow.
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Cohort program
A structured development journey for a small group of agricultural professionals, run over several months. Facilitation, program design, behaviour change, evaluation and professional growth, learned together.
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Workshops & Team Development
Tailored in-person workshops for teams and organisations. From facilitation skills to practical evaluation design, built around your people and your real projects.
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Embedded in Your Program
For organisations running funded extension and adoption programs. I work alongside your program to develop the people delivering it, lifting the quality of delivery and the impact of the whole investment. A practical way to build capability while the work is happening.
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Evaluation Advisory
Helping you design and use monitoring and evaluation that really improves your program, not just reports on it.
Why Choose Me?
Dr Kristy Howard
I'm not a trainer who read about extension in a book. I spent 14 years with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries and since 2008, running my own practice, designing programs, engaging farmers, facilitating farmer groups, evaluating impact and developing people across the country. I've made the mistakes, learned the lessons, and worked out what truly makes the difference between a program that ticks boxes and one that changes what happens on farm.
I want to shift where this sector puts its investment, toward the people, not just the programs. Toward developing the practitioners, the advisers, the people who work directly with farmers and reaching farmers who will really benefit.