Around 20 innovators, producers, and entrepreneurs gathered at Jetty Road Brewery on 5 May 2026 for a candid panel discussion on the future of agricultural technology, hosted by Farmers2Founders and supported by Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Three founders, Cam Hines (Southern Seagreens), Jacqui Webb (Muster), and Simon Mildren (Hivekeepers), shared hard-won insights from the frontlines of agrifood innovation, facilitated by Pete Walsh from Farmers2Founders.
A recurring theme: technology adoption in agriculture isn’t about replacing what works. Panellists agreed that the best opportunities lie in finding niches where systems are outdated or broken, and building solutions that genuinely add value for time-poor farmers.
The human element, they emphasised, isn’t going anywhere. Touch, feel, and lived experience remain irreplaceable, and good tech should enhance efficiency, not eliminate people.
Fragmented data and climate variability were raised as genuine challenges facing the sector, with much valuable farmer knowledge still sitting untapped.
For aspiring agrifood entrepreneurs, the panel’s key takeaways were simple but hard-earned: find your niche, talk to farmers early and often, validate your idea relentlessly, and surround yourself with good people. Most importantly, when things get tough, back yourself and keep going. Tenacity and resourcefulness are just as important as the idea itself.
Ultimately, progress in agrifood tech won’t come from great ideas alone. It will come from building stronger connections across the whole sector, from farm gate to funding.
Cam Hines
Co-Founder, Southern Seagreens
Jacqui Webb
Founder & CEO, Muster
Simon Mildren
CEO & Founder, Hivekeepers
