I-GRO Discussion Tool

The I-GRO Discussion Tool is part of the I-GRO Diversification Guide

It supports service providers to work with inland winegrape growers in the Murray Valley, Riverina and Riverland to identify, analyse and inform decisions about diversifying their farm businesses, including alternative farm revenue streams that will improve long-term business viability.

Service providers can use the I-GRO Discussion Tool to support individual winegrape growers to work through the accompanying Grower Workbook and the parts most relevant to their farm business.

The process of using the Discussion Tool can start at any section, but ideally growers will move back and forth between all the parts of the Discussion Tool and Workbook, as they develop clarity and check their assumptions and aspirations.

Where is the grower starting from?

Download the tool and template

The Discussion Tool is structured in the following sections which link to the Grower Workbook:

• Grower's Future: Clarifies goals and priorities
• Grower's Situation: Maps farm assets and constraints
• Grower's  Options: Identifies and tests options
• Grower's Plan: Selects preferred option(s) and builds a practical Farm Diversification Plan 
• Grower's Final Check: Refines plan and next steps.

Download the optional Building a Business Case template

Download the I-GRO Discussion Tool

How to use the I-GRO Discussion Tool

The I-GRO Discussion Tool was developed for service providers. Inland winegrape growers will get the best outcome by working with a trusted service provider to complete the accompanying Grower Workbook and develop a Farm Diversification Plan.

The I-GRO Discussion Tool does not offer a ‘silver bullet’, or ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. It is not about service providers identifying or recommending crop options to growers.

Instead, service providers can use the Discussion Tool to structure a series of conversations with growers that thoroughly test which diversification options are most feasible.

Decisions to diversify a farm business need to be made carefully and over time. It is likely that service providers and winegrape growers will have ongoing discussions over 4-6 months to identify and plan their diversification strategy.

The webinar explains how service providers and growers can use the suite of tools, templates, prompts and checklists to:

• Identify a grower’s personal future aspirations
• Analyse their current farm business
• Identify and analyse future revenue options for improved farm viability
• Choose a preferred option
• Develop a Farm Diversification Plan to test the preferred option, and potentially access finance
• Map how to transition the farm from its current state to its future state.