FARMtalk Magazine - November 2021

NOVEMBER 2021

Magazine

Pac-ed with

flavour

PAGES 12-13

MOWERS FROM

$5450 + GST

Finley, 03 5883 4560.

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Not just a rice crop When is a rice crop not just a rice crop? When it’s a wetland.

December/January Edition: November 26, 2021 February Edition: January 28, 2022 March Edition: February 25, 2022 April Edition: March 25, 2022 May Edition: April 29, 2022 June Edition: May 27, 2022

T

hat might sound like some sort of riddle, but the reality is that every farm has important environmental value. And at the Holdens’ farm near Deniliquin, their annual rice crops provide a home for a range of birdlife for the growing season.

Among them is a pair of brolgas, which have been returning to their property off the Riverina Highway for 15 years.

“There’s two this year, but sometimes there’s three,” Jarrod said.

“You’ll see people pull off the highway occasionally and take photos, but we do our best not to bother them.

“Normally they’ll hang around for a while until the rice is well established.”

Rice farms are homes for many types of plants and animals, and rice farmers protect the biodiversity of the region and maintain the ecosystems for the benefit of

nature and to their farms. The area comprises of about 100 species of birds, such as honey eaters, flycatchers, hornbills, pigeons, and parrots.

In fact, the Riverina rice region has become part of the East Asian Australian Flyway Zone, an international corridor for migratory journeys of many bird species, including water birds that would not otherwise be seen in this part of the world.

Farmers are consistently implementing measures on and around their farms that will ensure native plants and creatures can live in harmony with the rice-growing environment.

While the brolgas have found their way to the Holdens’ farm organically – simply because the flooded rice paddies are so inviting – the rice industry as a whole takes a proactive approach to environmental management.

August Edition: July 29, 2022 September Edition: August 26, 2022 October Edition: September 23, 2022 November Edition: October 28, 2022

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Information contained in this magazine is presented only after being carefully researched. However, there are differences in state and regional regulations and conditions. Farmers are asked to check with their own advisors. FARMtalk can assume no responsibility for the contents.

DENILIQUIN, NSW

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 3

‘‘You’ll see people pull off the highway occasionally and take photos, but we do our best not to bother them.”

JARROD HOLDEN

The Ricegrowers Association of Australia’s ‘Environmental Champions Program’ has been given funding assistance to collaborate with our local partners on a number of projects that improve the industry’s environmental performance.

The program has been a very successful sustainability reporting program for the rice industry. And currently being developed is a rice industry sustainability framework, called the Rice Growers Promise.

The framework highlights how our rice growers operate ethical, environmentally, and socially responsible businesses, while showcasing how highquality, Australian rice is produced.

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Baiting is

‘vital’

As farms continue to get bigger and the number of farmers gets smaller, Ebba Holschier and her husband Stephen believe it’s vital to continue fox baiting on their land.

T

hat’s why they took part in the fox baiting program through Murray Local Land Services again this year.

As a reward for their commitment, the pair were entered in to the annual Fox Dog Lotto competition. And they won the grand prize, claiming a $2,000 voucher from Elders.

Fox Dog Lotto is an annual competition that offers a weekly prize of a bag of dog food and entry to the grand prize of a $2,000 voucher from a rural supplier of the winner’s choice, drawn in spring.

The Holschiers, who run a fifth-generation sheep and cropping enterprise at Womboota, have already invested wisely, putting the money towards a new wool press.

Ebba said they bait for foxes to protect their livestock, but also to help preserve native wildlife, like the ground-nesting quails and other birds they see on their property, as well as turtles and small native mammals.

“We’re quite close to the Koondrook-Perricoota forest and we know that baiting takes place in there,” she said.

“We like to think we’re helping the forest and are part of a community effort.”

“As farms are getting larger, there are fewer farmers to bait.

“So, we like to think our efforts are really important in keeping foxes in check.”

The Holschiers have a plantation of saltbush on their 2500ha property, put in to manage a salinity problem, but have found that it has become a haven for foxes.

“It’s impossible to go in and try to shoot them, so baiting is the best strategy for us,” Ebba said, adding that neighbours on surrounding farms are also actively managing fox populations.

“We have really good neighbours. I would say that they all fox bait around 80 per cent of the time,” she said.

“The more people that do it, the fewer foxes we’ll have, so we need to keep going.”

That is a central principle of Murray LLS’s biannual Feral Fighters fox baiting program: group baiting across numerous properties is the most effective strategy to curb fox populations.

WOMBOOTA, NSW

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 5

NOVEMBER 2021

6 • FARMtalk

Lucerne Lucerne – Worth planting •

in irrigated and dryland pastures

•

on loam and clay soils

L

ucerne is a versatile and productive fodder plant that is suited to dryland, supplementary irrigated and fully irrigated pastures. It can also be successfully grown on a range of soil types from light loams to heavy clays, provided there is adequate surface to ensure water does not pond on the surface.

Lucerne has been included in four irrigated pasture legume trials that Murray Local Land Services (MLLS) has been conducting with funding provided by the Australian Government National Landcare Program. The trials are located at Berrigan, Deniliquin, Caldwell and Noorong. They have confirmed the value of lucerne and the management requirements to ensure its persistence.

The lucerne production, from March to October, was similar to the best subclover variety and substantially more than most other annual legume species. It also provided the highest amount of autumn production, which is usually the main feed-gap period on mixed farms. Production that occurred after mid-October was not measured.

A disadvantage of lucerne however is its slow growth in the establishment year.

Production of lucerne in year one was substantially lower than that of most annual species, as indicated in the following table.

Variety

Autumn kg/ha

Spring kg/ha

Total kg/ha

Seelu Arrowleaf

1,088

6,565

7,653

Lucerne Productivity

Antas sub

1,550

4,351

5,901

The following graph shows the annual production from lucerne, three subclover varieties, Arrowleaf clover and Balansa clover in the second year of an irrigated pasture legume variety trial at Noorong (near Swan Hill) in the western Murray Valley. The trial is on a heavy grey clay soil laid out to border check irrigation and watered twice in the autumn and once in the spring.

Laser Persian

1,167

2,229

3,395

Longhaul Balansa

0

3,335

3,335

Trikkala sub

905

2,329

3,234

Sava Snail medic

2,283

883

3,166

Titan 7 Lucerne

0

1,984

1,984

Annual Production (kg/ha) Noorong 2020 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

Table 1: Biomass (growth) in the Establishment Year.

Dryland Lucerne One of the trial sites at Caldwell was watered in the establishment year, but not in the autumn or early spring in the second year. At this site, only two pasture legumes, lucerne and Antas subclover, produced enough biomass to measure. The following table shows the production data from this site.

Titan 7 Lucerne 23 Apr 20

Antas Sub

Trikkala Sub

15 May 20

Yanco Sub

25 Aug 20

Seelu Arrowleaf 15 Oct 20

Longhaul Balansa Total

Date sampled

Lucerne kg/ha

Antas

15 May 2020

902

0

25 Aug 2020

2,137

2,723

15 Oct 2020

2,628

0

Total 5,667 Table 2: Biomass in the second year without irrigations

2,723

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 7 The following photo, taken in May 2020, shows a plot of Antas subclover in the foreground and a plot of lucerne behind it. It was taken at the trial site that was not watered in the second year. The remainder of the area was sown to a range of annual pasture legumes the previous year, but most did not regenerate in the second year.

Correct grazing management is also essential for lucerne persistence. Lucerne can withstand heavy grazing provided it can fully recover between grazing events. Once it has been grazed, it needs to regrow to either early flowering or to when new shoots start to emerge from the crown. During the resting period between grazings (or cuttings) the plant replaces root reserves in preparation for the next grazing.

Paddock Preparation Lucerne is best sown into a paddock that is free of broadleaf weeds, especially vigorous weeds such as Capeweed and Paterson’s Curse. It usually takes two or more seasons to get these weeds under control, so careful preparation is required to improve the chance of a successful establishment.

Paddocks that are relatively free of broadleaf weeds are best fallowed from spring through to sowing time in autumn. Fallowing is beneficial for irrigated stands and essential for dryland stands.

More Information The NSW Department of Primary Industries has a number of useful information sheets that can be downloaded from their web page.

Visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pastures-and-rangelands

Photo: Lucerne growth compared to annual clovers when not irrigated.

Lucerne Inoculation and Establishment Most of the key principles for establishing lucerne are well known. Most landholders know to select a paddock free of broadleaf weeds, sow the seed very shallow, protect the seedlings from insects (particularly red-legged earth mites) and avoid moisture stress and waterlogging. What is not always understood is the specific seed inoculation techniques for irrigated pasture legumes, including lucerne.

Most seed is sold as pre-inoculated rather than bare. Pre-inoculation of seed is effective, but only if it is sown within six weeks of coating and the seed has been stored in a relatively cool environment. A local study of effective inoculation of annual pasture legumes indicated that it was only successful in about 20 per cent of paddocks as the majority had not been sown within the allowed window. There has not been a similar evaluation of local lucerne crops, but the principles of inoculation remain the same as for the annual legumes.

If seed is to be sown that was commercially pre-inoculated more than six weeks prior, then it is worth inoculating it with Group AL inoculum at sowing. The use of peat inoculums is very effective, but only if the seed is sown into moist soil. If the seed is sown into dry soil prior to watering, the rhizobium bacteria in the peat inoculum will desiccate and die before inoculating the lucerne roots.

When sowing seed into dry soil, the use of a dry inoculum is the most effective.

Lucerne Persistence Lucerne in the Berrigan trial (on a red loam soil) was killed out in the third year.

Prolonged rainfall following an autumn irrigation led to severe waterlogging which killed the lucerne but not the annual clovers.

John Fowler is senior lands services officer – extension agronomist with Murray Local Land Services.

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2021

HARVEST

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18962 Riverina Highway Blighty NSW 2713

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 9

Don’t let your hay go up in smoke!

Hay making season has come ‘round quickly again – with many producers and contractors busily cutting crops and pastures for either hay or silage.

W

ith many producers thinking about boosting their fodder reserves, it is timely to consider some of the issues around making hay.

There is (hopefully) the prospect of plenty of forage conservation opportunities with the abundance of feed in places this year.

But producing hay can be a risky proposition at the best of times! And this year may prove particularly challenging, given the forecast of above average rainfall into late spring, the abundance of feed, and pressure on contractors – curing hay properly may become a real challenge.

There are two causes of hay shed fires – straight out accidents or spontaneous combustion – where moist hay produces enough heat to burn.

Spontaneous combustion

Can occur where there are high moisture levels in hay. Natural processes such as the production of moulds and other chemical reactions lead to the production of heat. If enough oxygen is present in conjunction with enough heat, the hay can get hot enough to ignite.

As a general rule, hay with more than 16-18% moisture content is at risk of going mouldy and producing heat. Over 20% moisture and the risk increases, and at moisture contents above 25%, there is a significant chance of spontaneous combustion.

Hay shed fires can be costly, both in terms of lost conserved fodder and the infrastructure that protects it. Photo Courtesy NSW Rural Fires Service.

•

Inoculants are for silage, as there is no fermentation in baled hay.

•

If you think you may have a problem, check your hay stacks regularly by looking for signs of heating. Heating can occur anytime from the time of baling up to 2-3 months after. However, any moisture, such as from a leaking shed, which infiltrates the stack can lead to heating and fire at any time.

•

If you suspect your hay is heating up, be very careful. Walking on a stack can cause it to collapse, especially if the centre is hot and has burnt out a cavity.

•

If moving ‘hot’ bales from the stack, be very careful, as exposure to oxygen can quickly cause ignition.

•

Adequate ventilation is essential – around stacked bales and through the entire stockpile.

What other things should I consider?

•

Adequate insurance – both of your hay sheds and the fodder itself. Do not assume because your hay shed is insured, that the contents are as well. Check with your insurer.

•

If hay becomes too hot, feed quality (particularly protein levels) will be affected, with energy levels and digestibility also being negatively impacted.

The production of moulds can also have toxic impacts on livestock, cause respiratory problems for both humans and livestock and certainly reduce the palatability of the feed.

Be aware of your insurance status - some insurers may not cover any loss of machinery that was stored in hay sheds that burn. Either don’t store machinery in with your hay, or ensure your policy will adequately cover any such machinery damaged in a hay fire.

•

Be aware of any chemical residue/stock withholding periods as the result of chemicals that may have been applied to crops, which are now to be consumed by livestock - ask for a commodity vendor declaration.

What to be wary of?

•

Nitrate poisoning – crops under stress (in particular canola) can have elevated nitrate levels which can poison and kill livestock – and the baling process will not reduce these levels (ensiling can reduce nitrate levels). Testing of nitrate levels in failed crops may be beneficial.

•

Be aware of the potential to import weed seeds if buying in hay from elsewhere.

Impacts of heating on feed quality?

•

Making hay early in the season often means days are still relatively short, and as a consequence, curing times can be significantly longer. This also increases the risk of lower quality hay, or weather damage. Balancing the curing and quality constraints is vital.

•

High levels of water soluble sugars in plants can support greater levels of microbial growth if moisture levels are high.

•

Paddocks that are cut without conditioning – particularly where there is a lot of dry matter – can be difficult to dry down within the centre of windrows. Mower conditioners split and crush the plant stems allowing crops to dry quicker and more evenly.

What can you do to minimise the likelihood of spontaneous combustion?

•

Bale at the correct moisture content. Check by either visual examination of plants in the windrow (will the stems ‘snap’ easily, is there moisture still in the plant stems/ nodes?) or using electronic moisture meters or probes. Experienced operators can provide a very accurate assessment – if using moisture probes, make sure they are calibrated to ensure accuracy and reliability in measurements.

•

Use hay additives to reduce or prevent mould growth, and therefore reduce the risk of heating. These additive’s are typically propionic acid, which acts to reduce microbial development, or antioxidants, which eliminate oxygen.

Bottom line

Ensure as much as possible that your hay is cured correctly before baling. The earlier in the season, generally the more difficult (and longer) this is. Check the moisture content of your windrows. Monitor any stacks you think may be heating up – and take action before it all goes up in smoke.

One final thing to ponder - this may be the year to consider silage as an option. Making silage (correctly) can often lead to production of a higher quality product with less risk of weather damage. However, it doesn’t come without risk, and does cost more to produce!

Adrian Smith (pictured) is senior lands services officer — mixed farming with Murray Local Land Services.

77 Davidson Street, Deniliquin.

Phone (03) 5881 2176. www.taskers.net.au

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NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 11

Soils ain’t soils - Is regenerative farming scalable?

R

A is considered by some as a necessary change to ensure the survival of the planet and dismissed by others as unsubstantiated fringe movement that overpromises and underdelivers. The proposed benefits include improving biodiversity, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, better soil health and reduced land degradation and healthier food.

There is a ground swell of attention among consumers and policy makers as well as farmers.

Whether the expectations are achievable at scale to make a material difference is a question on many lips.

So is RA scalable? It depends on who’s asking what and why?

1. Who’s asking?

The answer to the scale question will be different depending on who’s asking?

•

Is it someone deeply worried about climate change and eager to consume healthy nutritious clean and green food?

•

Is it a farmer looking to preserve the quality of their land for future generations and provide for the needs of their family?

•

Is it an NGO who supports farmers in developing nations?

•

Is it a farmer in a developed country focused on growth and expansion and curious about market premiums and carbon sequestration?

•

Is it a farmer in the corn and wheat belts of the mid-west USA or a farmer from Victoria’s grain producing Wimmera region?

This defines:

•

the problem being solved

•

t he size of the problem (global, national, regional, large farm, small farm etc)

•

the likelihood of scaled RA being the solution

Case Study 1 A city cousin reads on Facebook about RA being the key to solve climate change and global food security.

She reads that RA produced food is more nutritious and safer for her family and is fearful of her children’s future as climate change becomes a reality. She fears the use of fertilisers and chemicals? She asks me if Regenerative Organic Agriculture (ROA) is the solution to worlds problem.

Less than 1% of farmland globally is ROA. Wholescale adoption of this type of RA is an unlikely prospect in the foreseeable future. Would wholescale adoption be a solution to world food security and climate change?

That depends.

System name

Organic

Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is an umbrella term broadly described as a set of principles to guide farming practices that enhance the environment rather than detract from natural systems with soil regeneration at the centre of the practice.

Preserve ground cover

Less than Livestock 100% and cropping rotational grazing

Chemicals and mineral fertilisers

Use of green manure or cover crops or hay

Organic fertiliser (eg animal manure)

Systems associated with Regenerative Organic Agriculture (Rodale definition) Organic Farming Yes Sometimes Yes Sometimes No Yes Yes Biodynamic Yes Sometimes Yes Sometimes No Yes Yes Farming Biological Farming Yes Sometimes Yes Sometimes No Yes Yes Holistic Farming Sometimes Sometimes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Systems associated with some aspects of Regenerative Agriculture and considered conventional

by ROA Conservation No Yes Sometimes Sometimes Yes Yes Sometimes Agriculture No-Till Farming No Yes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Mainstream No Yes Sometimes Sometimes Yes Yes Sometimes Farming Industrial Farming No Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Yes Sometimes Sometimes Systems considered conventional by Conservation farmers Conventional/ No Less likely Sometimes Sometimes Yes Sometimes Sometimes Traditional Farming Industrial Farming No Less likely Sometimes Sometimes Yes Sometimes Sometimes

2. Who’s asking what?

RA is a broad church encompassing several farming systems. Some of these systems are already at scale and widespread.

Case Study 2 An Australian farm business is curious. They want to improve their soils for future generations. They care deeply about the natural landscape.

They discover the accounts of the human, environmental and economic outcomes from RA in mid-west America. Yet on their farm, productivity and profitability declined which was the opposite to the case studies they modelled the changes on. The soils and climate between the two regions meant what worked on the other side of the globe wasn’t suitable for them.

Conversely successful transitions to regenerative livestock farming have lower costs and reduced soil erosion through rotational grazing. Best management mainstream graziers also use rotational grazing.

So is RA grain growing or grazing scalable in Australia- indeed it is. Will it be beneficial? As examples illustrate. That depends.

Dr Kate Burke (pictured), author of Crops People Money and You: The Art of Excellent Farming and Better Returns, is an agri strategist, educator and speaker. Her book outlines a road map for sustainable profit taking and legacy making with less stress.

Visit https://www.thinkagri.com.au/ product/crops-people-money-you/

NOVEMBER 2021

12 • FARMtalk

Pac-ed with

flavour When Jim Arrowsmith and Pete Tonge — two friends from Chorley, in Lancashire, northwest England — first came to Australia, it was not with the intention of starting a business. But when backpacking around the country 15 years ago, they sorely missed the classics of home and so decided to make some of their own.

B

orn from that was the establishment of the Pacdon Park factory in the small village of Bunnaloo,

west of Mathoura.

The “derelict” dairy shed became Pete’s commercial kitchen, fitted out with stainless steel benches, new tiling, and a pork pie machine ready to fulfill the men’s hunger for the taste of home.

Trained in the arts of British cooking, chef Pete had the tools in the kitchen.

Businessman Jim — with a bit of background in pig farming — looked after the stock and distribution. They were ready to “make a real go of it” by 2008.

The rural property attracted backpacking farm workers, with more than 50 working at the farm in its first couple of years. It was one of these seasonal worker who became the “third leg of the tripod”.

Another Brit, Jane, met Jim during her backpacking days in 2009 and the pair hit it off. They are now a couple and Jane plays a big part in business and retail.

The business has since relocated to Echuca-Moama, where the trio continue to “make what we miss”. The owners now source their pork from free range farms in the local area.

“We dream of growing our own (pork), but that’s a future project,” Jim said.

Jane is the hands-on shop-runner at the factory store, selling their products and packing orders for customers.

Her efforts and business smarts have earned her the title of “big boss”.

Pacdon Park’s products include pork pies, black pudding, English-style bacon, scotch eggs, gammon steak, sausages and more. The team also offer custom pork pies to celebrate special milestones, bespoke sausages such as chipolatas to cater an event, or Chieftain haggis for Scottish events — this unique dish comes up to a whopping 4kg in size.

All this might sound a little overwhelming for those of us who are not so familiar with British cuisine, but the

ECHUCA-MOAMA COBRAM, VIC

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 13

‘‘We are simply a free range British butchery making what we miss from Old Blighty using the best free range and local ingredients, with time and tested British recipes.”

JIM ARROWSMITH

butchery has also made it easy to celebrate Christmas with all their delicacies both familiar and unfamiliar.

Honey and mustard glazed gammon joints, pigs in a blanket “for roasting alongside buttered parsnips and honey carrots” are just some of the mouth-watering options for sharing around the table.

Traditional black pudding and thrice-smoked boneless ham will also make a successful festive addition.

“Pork sausage meat to make that perfect stuffing, streaky bacon to wrap the turkey and of course, what’s Christmas without the classic pork pie,” Jim said.

“Pork pies are traditionally eaten on Christmas day in the UK, but our most popular products are gammon Joints (old fashioned boil and bake hams) which you always see the likes of Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay cooking on TV. “In the UK most people would make their own hams using a gammon. It’s where the custom of glazing your Christmas ham comes from.”

Pacdon Park uses free range pork and tried and true traditional recipes to craft “magnificent” British foods.

“All the Pacdon Park elves will be working extra hard, hand crafting all these goodies and we always budget the best we can, but we would encourage you to please get your orders in as early as possible. It’s first in best dressed, and we don’t like to let anyone down.”

Interest in their products has always been steady, but COVID has had a surprising impact for Pacdon Park.

“The first week of lockdown, following the panicbuying, our turnover halved, as the bulk of our business was suppling food service, café’s and hotels,” Jim said.

“We had to pivot quickly to survive. We focused the business on retail, supplying top end butchers, delis and supermarkets.

“Since then we’ve expanded into every state and territory, and now we even supply Hong Kong.”

Pacdon Park sells directly from its factory door in Moama, along with distribution in cafes, supermarkets and butchers.

Of the now 13 year-old business, Jim says it’s the customers that have made it special.

“We are simply a free range British butchery making what we miss from Old Blighty using the best free range and local ingredients, with time and tested British recipes.

“I love the customers’ feedback. We get plenty of emails and teary phone calls thanking us for bringing that taste of home to expats.”

Delivery is available in Victoria, metro Sydney and the ACT, but get in early because these pigs are flying.

The making of a pork pie It was the product that started their Australian business journey, and today the pork pie remains Pacdon Park’s signature product.

If you’ve never tried a traditional English pork pie, Jim recommends giving the protein-packed dish a try.

It is traditionally eaten cold — ‘‘we poms like our beer warm and our pies cold’’, Jim says — and pairs well with local wines, beers and goes great on a cheese board.

All cuts of the pig can be used for something in economical British cooking, including the rump for gammon, ham, steaks and joints, the boston butt (the section on the neck) for pork pies, the ‘ham’ for black and white pudding, the shoulder for sausages, the hooves for pork pie ‘jelly’ and belly, and bacon.

At Pacdon Park, the shoulder is used for sausages and pork pies, with the perfect fat-tomeat-ratio for those goods blended with the farm’s own seasoning mix.

Once the pig is butchered, the lard on the back fat is dry-rendered to make the filling for the pies.

Pete uses sea salt, breadcrumbs and spices for extra flavour.

Once the shoulder is minced, and the back fat is chilled and drained, the next step is making

the pastry which will form the pie’s thick, golden casing.

Water, salt, and the lard are boiled into a mix, before plain flour is added and folded in with a dough mixer.

The pastry is cooled and rolled out, and cut into circles. Following that, it’s pressed into shape and a dollop of filling is added.

The next step is to bake them until crisp and golden.

Boiling the trotters turns them into jelly, which is squeezed into a hole cut into the pies’ lids.

Let it cool, and eat.

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The pandemic has been really tough on our community.

But you have all done a fantastic job to get through this.

The Murray region has consistently had the lowest Covid-19 rates in the world.

Some small towns have never had a single Covid-19 case in their community.

Thank you so much for doing the right thing and keeping us safe.

I will continue to fight against hard border closures and for more assistance for small businesses and residents who have sacrificed so much.

Together, we will get through these tough times and emerge stronger.

For all the latest news on Covid-19, follow me on Facebook: Helen Dalton MP or Instagram: helendaltonmp Regards, Helen Dalton MP for Murray Authorised by Helen Dalton MP, Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements. www.helendalton.com.au

HelenDaltonMP

helendalton22

helendalton.mp

P 03 5881 7034 • E murray@parliment.nsw.gov.au • 228 Cressy Street, Deniliquin NSW 2710

NOVEMBER 2021

What’s in the bag?

FARMtalk • 15

Why Restricted Animal Material (RAM) is bad for rams (and other ruminants).

W

e often read a food label before we eat something. You might need to check for an allergen or how much sugar it contains. But have you ever looked at a stockfeed label? Ever wondered what the difference is between chook, pig, sheep and cattle pellets?

Are they just the same thing in a different bag? The answer is no – and there are a couple of key reasons why.

Disease risk – Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) TSEs are diseases that affect the brain, caused by prions. They include scrapie in sheep and ‘Mad cow disease’ or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle.

Australia is free from TSEs, and we have safety measures in place to ensure we stay free. One such measure is the requirement that restricted animal material (RAM) is not fed to ruminants.

RAM refers to all vertebrate animal material, such as meat and bone meal, fish, feathers, eggs and used cooking oil. Overseas meat meal fed to cattle has been shown to spread the disease.

Pellets that are designed for pigs or chooks may contain RAM and should be labelled as such. Dog and cat food also contain RAM, so it is important to ensure no ruminants (including poddy lambs and calves) have access. Don’t reuse a bag that contained RAM to carry food for ruminants. Be aware poultry litter can also contain RAM, so follow guidelines if using it as fertiliser. Also prohibited are home-made concoctions involving eggs to treat scours in lambs or calves and getting used cooking oil to reduce the amount of dust in grain.

You can feed ruminants gelatine, milk, and tallow or used cooking oil that has been rendered or processed in line with specific standards that have been developed.

Ingredients which are beneficial for one species may be toxic to another Sometimes pellets contain additives such as monensin to prevent acidosis. This can be fatal to horses. Similarly, pellets designed for cattle may have copper added to a level that would be toxic to sheep. Make sure that you are getting the right pellets that best suit your animals.

Preventing issues Access to RAM by ruminants is more likely to occur if multiple species are kept onfarm. To prevent problems, you should do things like: •

Keep feeds separate, including during storage, transport and feeding out.

•

Don’t have ruminants in areas where feed containing RAM (such as pet food, pig or chook pellets) is available.

•

Read the label of all stock feed bags carefully and make sure you know if any contain RAM. They will be labelled as ‘This product contains restricted animal material – DO NOT FEED TO CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, DEER OR OTHER RUMINANTS’.

•

Don’t buy feed for ruminants that may contain RAM and are not labelled.

Commercial food, such as pellets, are a great way of giving animals the nutrition they need. It is important that you get the right feed for the right species to ensure that animals are happy, healthy and not at risk of disease. For more information, contact your local vet.

Disease risk – Foot and mouth disease, African swine fever Processed pig feed can contain meat, blood or bone meal if it has been processed by commercial hot rendering. Pigs cannot be fed meat scraps or food that has been in contact with meat as this is how exotic diseases such as foot and mouth disease and African swine fever can be spread.

These diseases are caused by viruses that would not survive commercial rendering.

Prions may not be inactivated by rendering, which is why the ruminant feed ban is more comprehensive.

Different species requirements Another reason for the different pellets is that they all have different nutritional needs.

Even within a species, requirements will vary with age and reproductive status.

Linda Searle (pictured) is a district veterinarian with Murray Local Land Services.

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For a full list of items ring Darren 0438 633 522 or search through the AuctionsPlus website.

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 17

Showing off their crops Andrew Hawkins entered the Berrigan Show’s Agricultural Societies Council of NSW Ltd Dryland Field Wheat Competition to “round out numbers”, and see what his neighbours were doing.

M

uch to his surprise, Andrew ended up going home with the prize after beating out six other local contestants.

“Honestly I was pretty surprised, I thought some of the other contestants had better overall rainfall than I did,” he said.

The Hawkins crop was entered under the family partnership ‘Monala farms’, which includes Andrew’s parents. The strength of the crop, according to Andrew, was due to a canola, wheat and barley crop rotation.

“Canola isn’t very nitrogen efficient, so it leaves a lot in the ground,” he said.

“And that helps with water efficiency in the long term.”

Andrew scored points for high water efficiency, in addition to overall yield estimates, which beat out the competition at 5.8t/h. He says the judges’ estimated yield is at least a tonne per hectare better on last year’s wheat crop. And with the wheat price also strong this year at an estimated $310 per tonne — or roughly $1800 per hectare — Andrew said it has been “a cracker”.

“We’ve seen good conditions, with a wet winter, and a nice cool spring,” he said.

“Normally we get strong winds and heatwaves, which just ends up smoking the crops.”

The state-wide Dryland Field Wheat Competition is run by the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW Ltd, with its representatives in charge of judging.

The competition is divided into three distinct stages — local, district, and state.

Members of the Berrigan Show Society toured the seven Southern Riverina entrants’ farms in late October, and ranked local contestants.

“It’s primarily a yield-based competition,” said Berrigan Show Society secretary and event steward Lyndall Horne, who joined with co-steward Bruce Rendell and judge John Lacy in assessing the crops.

“We spend about an hour with each grower, and calculated the potential of their yield.”

Mr Lacy said all seven dryland wheat crops entered had another good, cool finish season like 2020. And while the estimated yield of 2.8t/ha to 5.8t/ha between them was lower than last year, he said the “crops were excellent”.

“The growing season rainfall for the crops ranged from 187mm to 272mm which is about 75mm to 100mm lower than last year,” Mr Lacy said.

“The winning Beckom crop grown by Andrew Hawkins was estimated to yield 5.8t/ha and was sown on May 11, on 25cm rows.

“The Scepter was direct drilled into canola stubble at 75kg/ha with 80kg/ha MAP. “The paddock soil types for the crops were all red loam.

“Four of the paddock histories were canola, one legume pasture, one lupins and one double cropped to wheat.

“The management of all the crops was very similar with 60-90kg/ha MAP starter fertiliser and 1-2 urea topdressings of 80-150kg/ha.

“The winning crop only had one topdressing of 100kg/ha urea on September 1 and all the crops had good fallow and pre-sowing weed control.”

Mr Lacy said a learning from this competition was row spacing. In this second high yielding year, he said row spacing appears to be a factor.

“The competitions help us learn about the best practices for lifting wheat yields and profits.”

JOHN LACY

“Last year the highest yield had 19cm rows.

“The top yielding crop this season had a row spacing of 25cm compared to 31cm for the second, third and fourth crops with 25cm for the fifth yielding crop.

“The second highest yielder has acquired a seeder with 19cm rows.”

“The Berrigan Show Society has been running dryland wheat competitions for many years and the farmers are thanked for their entries.

“The competitions help us learn about the best practices for lifting wheat yields and profits.”

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Safety features are for driver’s assistance only. Responsibility for the vehicle (including maintaining control, awareness of surroundings, and following road rules) remains wholly with the driver. Warranty is subject to the conditions outlined in the IAL New Vehicle Warranty. For further information please visit isuzu.com.au or contact your local dealer. FSA/ISZ12818-17

NOVEMBER 2021

FARMtalk • 19

Christmas Gift Ideas Country Style!

Our Sunburnt Country Anika Molesworth A young farmer shares how we can grow the courage to protect our land and save our food.

Anika Molesworth fell in love with her family’s farm, a sheep station near Broken Hill, at an early age. She formed a bond with the land as though it were a member of her family. When the Millenium Drought hit, though, bringing with it heatwaves and duststorms, the future she’d always imagined for herself began to seem impossible...

Talking to farmers and food producers all around the world, she soon realised that there was a way forward that could be both practical and sustainable - if only we can build up the courage to take it. $34.99 Clancy of the Overflow Banjo Paterson Andrew McLean As the stock are slowly stringing Clancy rides behind them singing.

For the Drover’s life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

First published in 1889, Banjo Paterson’s iconic poem has been loved by generations. Capturing the grit of the city, and the longed-for-freedonm of the wide, open plains where Clancy rides, it is now published with stunning new illustrations by award-winning illustrator Andrew McLean. $24.99 Drover Neridah McMullin Sarah Anthony Courageous, clever and daring, Drover is one of a kind.

Travelling through the heart of the outback, Drover delivers a mob of cattle.

Searing heat, dust and flies, hardship and danger; these are just all part of the job.

But there’s no place Drover would rather be.

This is the truly remarkable story of a legendary drover.

Edna Jessop.

$26.99

These great titles and more available instore.

We post direct to you, contact us today to discuss getting your copies posted* *Postage and Handling fees apply.

Deniliquin Newsagency Office Choice 249 Cressy Street, Deniliquin.

Phone 5881 2080. www.deni.com.au

Hands-on learning

H

ay Inc is gearing up to welcome its next crop of young people, keen to learn all about the work of agriculture.

Hay Inc’s annual training program consists of a range of short courses which involve practical training, delivered on rural properties throughout the Hay district.

The training and assessment is delivered by qualified trainers and subject matter experts who have extensive practical experience in primary production.

The training consists of three, five day sessions – block one in the first week of February, block two in the second week of March and the final training block is in June, after the long weekend. The final training day concludes with graduation at the Hay Merino Sheep Show.

Accommodation and some meals are provided during the training blocks.

Participants are presented with a Certificate of Participation for completing the training, and statement of attainment which lists all the training modules completed.

Hay Inc also offers those taking part in the training an opportunity for work placement on farms in the Hay district (work opportunities permitting), to consolidate learning and be exposed to the opportunities in the Agricultural sector.

With funding, volunteers, donation of training venues and livestock, Hay Inc offers a very cost effective training, mentoring and networking program to participants.

For more information, including a copy of the training program and an expression of interest form, go to www.hayinc.com.au.

Get involved in dairy

T

he Young Dairy Network (YDN) is a program for the Murray Dairy region’s younger generation of dairy farmers, farm staff, service providers and new entrants to the industry.

The YDN runs social events, technical courses, workshops and presentations, an annual study tour and Young Dairy Discussion Groups where participants can network and share ideas.

All YDN events are free or low cost, thanks to sponsors Dairy Australia and Gardiner Foundation.

Discussion Groups meet monthly and cover a range of topics relevant to the dairy industry.

The format of each session is different, from guest speakers to farm walks and technical demonstrations, to social events and friendly trivia competitions. Some sessions are run during the day, others after evening milking.

There are currently four YDN Discussion Groups: Rochester, Kyabram, Numurkah and the Southern Riverina, and new members are always welcome.

For more information on how to get involved, or to subscribe to receive information about upcoming events and opportunities, go to www.dairyaustralia.com.au/murray-dairy

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Round Bale Feeder

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Pic for illustration purposes only

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• 4m x 2m • Engineered 20T per axle • Heavy Duty Construction

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Square Bale Cradle Feeder • Fully Galvanised • Australian Made

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145each

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• Heavy Duty Construction • Suits Big Square Bales

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Roofing Iron ALUZINC CORRUGATED STOCK LENGTHS

C/Z100 - 15 $8.80 L/M C/Z150 - 15 $12.20 L/M C/Z200 - 15 $15.40 L/M Ordered cut to Length and Punched, No extra cost or we keep Standard Lengths of C-Purlin in Stock at 6.1m, 7.62m, 9.14m

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Stock Lengths as Listed or Order cut to your Length

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DENILIQUIN

Ph: (03) 5881 5541 Mobile: 0427 203 334 Fax: (03) 5881 6146