AgLife – October 26, 2022 edition

Greener pastures

Paradoo Prime manager Josh Walter is happy with how the spring season is shaping up, with rain boosting pasture growth for stock. Mr Walter said Phalaris had recently been sown at the Pigeon Ponds property and would be well established for feed next year. “If the opportunity presents itself, you take it,” he said. “We have more sheep because we’ve had more rain and there’s more grass.” – Story, page 27.

PAUL CARRACHER

Memories growing

CLIMATE EYES CASE STUDY: MADDI AND PRUE McCREDDEN

The Millenium drought meant there was a whole generation of children through the Wimmera and Mallee who knew nothing but the dry through their early years.

Born in the late 1990s, Maddi Mc Credden had never seen her home in anything but drought until she was 12 and big floods hit.

Growing up at Beulah in the south ern Mallee, Maddi has vivid memories of how limited water influenced every facet of farm life on the farm.

“Things like the Grampians-Wim mera Mallee Water mascot Phil The Bucket, having timed showers and then bucketing that water back out onto the garden, I can remember all those things relating to water and to saving water so clearly,” Maddi said.

“There was a real feeling of tension in the community, which only now as an adult, reflecting on it, you can un derstand. All the reports of the drought and the fires and the talk about how it never used to be like this, the stress about failed crops and money, it was a tough time.

“When the floods came I remember wading out in the Yarriambiack Creek near school and looking at all the wa ter bugs, they used to be common but we’d never seen them before.”

Maddi’s mother Prue said her daugh ters Maddi, Bridget and Charlotte missed out on everyday experiences due to the lack of water.

“They missed out on the joy of play ing under a sprinkler and the first time they got to see and play under a sprin kler – when visiting their grandparents outside the drought zone – they were so excited,” Prue said.

Prue said a pre-emptive decision to use government rebates to install more rainwater tanks helped to maintain some sort of a garden, as did a switch to hardier species.

“I came up from the Western District

when I was married and had high hopes of putting in a beautiful English cottage style garden. The drought taught us those sort of plants just aren’t suited to the Mallee,” she said. While the drought was tough, both Prue and Maddi said the tight-knit local community tried to keep life as normal as possible for kids, through school projects to installing shade sails and a grey water sprinkler sys tem.

“The community was fantastic in how it all came together, we had events and concerts and we kept on going,” she said.

Maddi said the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline, which replaced leaky chan nels, had changed the landscape.

“It is nice to have just that little bit of water in the weir pools along the creek and a bit of green grass, it makes the region as a whole more liveable,” she said.

Water has also made the region more attractive for young people to move to the area to work.

“It’s great to see a lot more diversity in the region than when I was growing up. We’ve got a fantastic community of Indian nurses at Warracknabeal hospital and they really like the area

for the most part, but people probably need to be made more aware of what a move to the region really means, Maddi said.

“We have wonderful open spaces, we have friendly communities, but equally, there is a lot we don’t have.

“There is little public transport, there aren’t the array of art galleries and other entertainment you find in the city and that can often catch people by surprise when they arrive.

“I think if people have a clearer idea of what life is going to be like when they move here we are more likely to attract people who will stay for longer.”

The pipeline may have created more water security, but old habits die hard for Maddi.

“I still only run the dishwasher and washing machine every couple of days with very full loads to save water, take quick showers, don’t leave hoses on, have bottles of rain water saved in the fridge just in case – all that is a result of the drought, which is probably a positive overall.”

Prue said it was great to see the drought in the rear view mirror.

“It was very tough at the time but we definitely learnt a lot about living through dry periods and hopefully, although there will drought again, it does not have that massive impact on our lives.”

FAMILY: From left, Bridget, Prue, Charlotte and Maddi McCredden feature in a unique publication capturing Wimmera residents’ experiences of climate change and drought, due for release this weekend.

Lessons from drought boost resilience capacity

CLIMATE EYES

CASE STUDY: DAVID DRAGE

Of all the lessons learned in the Mil lennium drought, the importance of business and personal resilience was one of the most critical.

Farmers constantly adjusted to manage through tough seasons, whether it was through no-till or minimum till cropping systems or growing lower risk crops such as hay.

As a result, innovative farmers now man age to not only survive but thrive on much lower rainfall.

“We definitely learnt a lot during the drought years,” Lah farmer David Drage said.

“Getting our businesses more resilient to be able to cope with the unexpected was es sential, a lot of that came down to managing climatic volatility, through things like no-till and setting up low risk cropping programs.”

While farm businesses are better able to withstand the tough seasons, rural commu nities continue to reinvent themselves to survive.

“It might not be climate change, but we’ll face other challenges and we’re going to have to be able to handle them ourselves

without looking for government interven tion,” Mr Drage said.

“Hopefully the lessons on how to evolve to overcome problems will hold us in good stead to manage whatever comes up.”

Mr Drage said the next wave of positive change would be more likely be around mental and community health.

“Part of a sustainable business is ensuring you can do it without burning out,” he said.

“We’re going to hit crisis point in terms of the rural workforce if there is not some change, you can already see it, the short ages for seasonal workers like harvest or woolshed staff.

“We talk about sustainability primarily from an environmental point of view, but closer to home working 80-hour weeks is also not something you can keep up forever.

“The same applies with financial risk. It might be that taking forward contracts is a good idea for risk management in theory, but if you end up awake at night unsure if you’ll be able to fill the contracts after a dry spring, then it’s probably not worth it.”

Mr Drage said he would continue to work on a low-risk business model after watch ing average rainfall drop from 350mm to 300mm.

“It has become clear in drought years you

can lose far more in the dry years than you can make up in the good,” he said.

“The key is minimising the losses and to do that you need to understand your costs and the real risks to your business.

“You can’t praise the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline enough, it has given us reliable stock water and allowed us to take advan tage of the good times in livestock in recent years. Without it there would not be sheep in this area, simple as that.”

Mr Drage is also a fan of long fallow where crops are rested for a year.

“The extra moisture can be the difference between getting a crop and not,” he said.

“It might seem costly leaving a pad dock out of production, but in our climate, particularly when we’re losing our spring rainfall, it often pays to take the long-term approach.”

This strategy extends to making more hay.

“Cutting vetch for hay allows us a better chance of putting some moisture into the soil profile before the following year’s crop and it is also better for nutrient replacement than a grain legume,” Mr Drage said.

“We seem to be seeing more of this boom and bust pattern, massive excesses of rain then dry periods, so it’s our job to make the most of the moisture whenever it lands.”

Stories of survival

Aunique publication capturing Wimmera residents’ experiences of climate change and drought is due for release this weekend.

‘Climate Eyes’ captures grassroots sto ries of survival and adaptation through the eyes of those who lived in the unrelenting Millennium drought of 1999 to 2009.

Designed for an audience within and beyond the region, it includes tips for drought conditions, including what to ex pect and how to respond and adapt.

Information came from dozens of sur veys completed by locals, as well as 13 case study accounts of residents’ experi ences.

Topics include responses in the home, garden, on farm, in the landscape, commu nity, workplace and around issues includ ing health and leisure.

The final chapter also covers innovations and opportunities that emerged from this adversity, including the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline.

Wimmera Development Association lead

“Our paddocks were bare, we bucketed water to thirsty gardens, had limited usable sporting grounds and our lakes and rivers ran dry. But through all this, the region learned a great deal about resilience and the importance of community, connections and our mental health”

– Chris Sounness

the Climate Eyes project, which gained funding from the departments of Families Fairness and Housing and Environment, Land, Water and Planning with support from Wimmera Catchment Management Authority and Grampians Health.

Wimmera Development Association chief executive Chris Sounness said the publication would bring back many mem ories for people who lived through the Millennium drought.

“Our paddocks were bare, we bucketed

water to thirsty gardens, had limited usable sporting grounds and our lakes and rivers ran dry,” he said.

“But through all this, the region learned a great deal about resilience and the impor tance of community, connections and our mental health.

“While it seems strange to be talking about drought as the region faces floods, many lessons learned apply to both be cause of the uncertainty that comes with a changing climate.

“I encourage people to come and join us for the launch and think this will be a use ful document for the Wimmera, Victoria and indeed the whole nation, in years and seasons to come,” he said.

Grampians Health chief strategy and regions officer, Dr Rob Grenfell, who is from the Wimmera, will launch the pub lication at 10am on Sunday at Natimuk Community Centre in Main Street.

This is a free event, but bookings are essential via https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/climate-eyes-launch-tickets443794490267

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Spring rain

BY ABBY WALTER

Recent above-average rain is not all bad news for Wimmera farmers as harvest nears and stock sales continue.

Paradoo Prime’s Tim Leeming, of Pigeon Ponds, said spring rain had boosted grass growth for a ‘perfect season’.

“We’re lucky because we had a mild July, which was really good for lambing. It was also good for pasture growth,” he said.

“We weren’t super saturated coming into August, and then August, Sep tember and October have been wet and the fact that we’re getting longer days now means it’s been a perfect season for us.

“We didn’t get waterlogged, which inhibits pasture growth, and we’re fairly undulating, so the water tends to run off.”

Bartlett Brothers Contract Harvest ing’s Chris Bartlett, a Pimpinio farm er, said it was the wettest winter and spring he had experienced since the early ’90s.

“We’re seeing water lay in places we haven’t seen it lay before and one rea son is channels and dams have been filled in. It’s a different water land scape, but nothing extreme,” he said.

“It’s still a good season. I’m not complaining – I think we’re going to have very solid yields.”

Mr Bartlett said disease management was a priority now.

“We’ve been spraying fungicide a lot to control disease, rust in wheat, Ascochyta and grey mould in lentils and chocolate spot in beans,” he said.

“I’ve lost my good bean crops to chocolate spot disease.

“It’s a cereal year. Canola is looking unreal – we’re looking at big yields. We have some canola starting to lay over a bit because of the weight and wet conditions.”

Mr Leeming said with a 100 percent saturated profile, his farm looked to be in for a very big growth year.

“We bring a lot of cattle in. We have more than 600 head of cattle in at the moment and they’re additional to our prime lamb operation,” he said.

“When we grow grass, we bring more horsepower in to eat it.

“We grow as much grass as we can and then we eat as much grass as we can during spring, and turn that into lamb, beef and mutton.

“All the lambs go; surplus mutton goes and the surplus cattle go, so we are back to just our breeding enter prise post-January.

“A wet season like we’ve been dealt this year plays into our hands really well, we just grow more grass.”

Mr Leeming said the season provid ed a good opportunity to spring plant pasture.

“You often have to sow debrided

perennials like Phalaris in autumn, but when you have a really good profile and outlook, you can spring sow with confidence,” he said.

“Pretty much all the models indicate we are going to be wetter than aver age, so they’ll have that summer rain, which is good for plant development of those newly sown pastures.

“In dry finishes or El Nino type pat terns, we wouldn’t be able to do that, so it’s really good.”

Mr Leeming said big grass years often played favourably with meat prices and stock prices.

“I think the market might not be as strong as last year because we’ve had more restocking and people have built up their numbers a bit, but I think it will be pretty positive,” he said.

“A big concern is the meatworks ca

pacity, but as long as we can get meat processed it’s looking pretty good.”

Mr Bartlett said his contracting busi ness had not begun harvesting further north, which was unusual.

“I run headers in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland and we haven’t made a start yet be cause there’s been lots of rain, and it’s still raining,” he said.

“We don’t know when we’ll get started. It will definitely overlap with our harvest – this will probably be a year where I see it overlap the most, which is a massive worry.”

Mr Bartlett said a cool, soft finish would be ideal heading into harvest.

“We want cool conditions with no rain. We don’t want it to get too hot too quick,” he said.

Mr Bartlett said trafficability in pad docks would be an issue coming into harvest.

“The main thing is there’s so much water around and the paddocks are

so wet that you won’t be able to get trucks in the paddocks,” he said.

“There are no snatch straps avail able locally at the moment. Plus, all our roads are unroadworthy. They’re behind maintenance and I don’t know how they will get on top of it – it’s very ordinary.”

Grain Growers Australia chairman Brett Hosking, of Quambatook, said of a potential 60-million-ton Austra lian crop this year, about 20 million tons of production were in cropping areas experiencing weather events.

“Presently, we don’t know what the damage will be,” he said.

“There are a lot of variables at the moment. However, we know what grower concerns are.

“Infrastructure, particularly local roads, is a concern. Major supply routes are cut in half in many places and damaged roads are a significant safety risk for communities.”

Mr Hosking said the water would also make communities particularly susceptible to pests and diseases.

“As communities try to take in the impact of current damage, and are also preparing for further flooding, we urge government at every level to work together and provide fast, clear, coordinated and responsive support,” he said.

“Communities can’t be trying to navigate the intricacies of who does what with disaster declarations.”

Kaniva

“This season presents a huge opportunity to grow grass in spring. We would normally only be able to do this in autumn, but due to the rain we could do it now and it’s already germinating”

– Paradoo Prime manager Josh Walter, left

Online tool to assess farm safety

Neighbourhood Watch has released a new online tool designed to protect farmers from the threat of farm crime and property theft.

‘How Safe Is My Farm’ was developed with the advice and assistance of Victoria Police’s Farm Crime Co-ordination Unit.

Neighbourhood Watch Victoria chief executive Bambi Gordon said ‘How Safe Is My Farm’ was an extension of a ‘How Safe Is My Place’ series of resources about the simple things people can do to prevent being a victim of crime.

“Farmers need only take five to 10 minutes to review the safety and security of their farm, from gates and fences, sheds and vehicles, gun

storage and security of stock,” she said. “The comprehensive audit will then generate a report full of suggestions for actions farmers can take to secure their property.”

University of New England Centre for Rural Criminology co-director Alistair Harkness said thefts from farms had enormous social and eco nomic impacts.

“It can be costly, disruptive and mentally straining. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of farm crime is to do what is possible to prevent offending in the first place,” he said.

The ‘How Safe Is My Farm’ tool is available via www.howsafeismyplace.com.au/farm

It’s back on again

BY JESSICA GRIMBLE

Organisers say there is revitalised inter est and enthusiasm for events such as the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.

Field days president Tim Rethus and manager Vanessa Lenehan are leading planning for the return of the event – its 59th instalment – from March 7 to 9.

The field days last occurred in 2020 on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The threat of illness outbreak, and restrictions relating to people gathering and movement, can celled the event in 2021 and 2022 – the latter just five weeks from opening day.

Site applications are due to be sent out soon and new inquiries have already been strong.

Organisers are encouraged by the attendance and interest in field days at Speed and Henty.

“It’s back on again. Maybe the break was good and people before the break felt they didn’t need the field days. As soon as they’ve missed them for two years, all of a sudden they’ve been going fantastically,” Mr Rethus said.

“We haven’t had any events nearby here. Speed would be the closest and it’s at a different time of year and a different type of field days. Our field days accommodate for a wide audience.”

Mrs Lenehan took on the role of field days manager two years ago, after working with pre vious manager Murray Wilson.

Mr Rethus is the newly-elected president after serving on the committee for eight years amid lifelong family involvement.

Paid and volunteer staff support the running of the event.

The 2023 event will be the pair’s first at the helm. Fears for an emerging strain of COVID-19, amid large positive case numbers, forced their hand to cancel in 2022.

“I’m glad I did get to work alongside Murray for three field days. To come in cold and try to run a field days... it’s a massive task – so this

way, I have some experience behind me,” Mrs Lenehan said.

“Last year we got to crunch time. It was either full steam ahead or let’s stop now because there was no point going any further if we were going to cancel it.

“We had to know, and exhibitors had to know because they were starting to map all their travel arrangements and bring their gear to the site.”

The social outlet of the field days, money-rais ing opportunities for groups and clubs and education for children are among benefits of the event. A local wine and food producer market square is among the new ideas organisers are considering for March.

“The opportunities in agriculture are so great. There’s so much interest in it again and there’s so much technology, which we’ll see at the field days,” Mr Rethus said.

“The internet is great, but touching it, seeing the quality of the job and seeing how the tools physically work and asking questions that you can’t get off the internet is where I think field days still fit.

“And you only search on the internet for things you know, but you’re walking down the road here – down Main Road or Ladlows Road – and all of a sudden you’ll see something that is a brilliant idea and it will open your mind.”

Mrs Leneham said: “It will be nice to see all that work come to fruition. The vibe out there now – everyone wants to get out and go to events. We’re just hoping that people will come flooding in the gates.”

Gates will open from 8.30am to 5pm on Tues day, March 7 and Wednesday, March 8; and from 8.30am to 4pm on Thursday, March 9. The Wednesday remains a ‘traditional’ family fun day. People can purchase pre-paid tickets online and keep up-to-date via the field day’s social media channels and via www.wimmerafielddays. com.au

REVITALISED: Wimmera Machinery Field Days president Tim Rethus and manager Vanessa Lenehan are leading planning for the return of the popular Longerenong event, scheduled for three days in March. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Lamb numbers low at exchange

Horsham Regional Livestock Ex change manager Paul Christopher hopes lamb sale numbers will increase in coming weeks.

“It’s been a slow season. Lambs need sun shine, so we’re about two weeks behind,” he said.

“The lambs that are coming through are looking good, with the best lambs selling for about $240.

“Prices are still good so far and as we see more lambs in Hamilton and Ballarat, supply and demand will change, but there is still that demand for export if we can get refrigerated containers.

“As we get more sunshine, I’m hoping our numbers will increase.”

On Wednesday last week, 6250 lambs and 3050 sheep were yarded at Horsham Region al Livestock Exchange.

There were 8420 lambs and 2730 sheep yarded the week prior.

Mr Christopher said water lying in pad docks was stopping some producers from being able to yard stock.

“While the rain has been devasting in some areas, in the long term it will be nice to see the landscape green and water in our lakes,” he said.

Graham Pymer’s market report on Wednes day last week noted the market operated at $5 to $8 per head dearer than the previ

ous week. Medium and heavy trade weight lambs sold from $173 to $215, while heavier weights sold from $212 to $239 per head.

Old lambs sold from $134 to $250 per head. Light trade weight young lambs sold from $148 to $178 per head.

Mr Pymer noted sheep sold to stronger competition, with more buyer interest at times to $10 per head up on the week prior.

Merino ewes sold to $165, Merino wethers sold to $162 and crossbred ewes sold to $165 per head.

Grain prices are increasing, coming into the end of spring, with wheat and canola nearing $100 more than at the end of September. Bar ley prices remain steady.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported Australian export prices, at October 20 were no more than one percent higher than the week previous.

However, the prices are up 19 to 39 percent higher than prices at the same time last year, except for canola, which is one percent high er than at the same time in 2021.

Milling wheat was exported at $601 a tonne, feed wheat sold for $558 a tonne and feed barley was exported at $468 a tonne. Canola was exported at $1049 a tonne.

In the Wimmera, recorded bid prices for APW1 wheat last week were $459 to $462; barley at $291 to $300; and canola at $780 to $800.

Prices up at annual sale

Melrose Fine Wool Merino Stud averaged higher selling prices at this year’s on-property ram sale compared with last year.

The average selling price was $2491, a $510 increase on last year, and 57 of the 60 rams sold.

Poll rams averaged $2739,

while horn rams averaged $1994.

The top price of $8000 sold to Rangeview Merino Stud, of Western Australia.

The poll ram, 17.3-micron, was reserve champion March shorn fine wool poll ram in Aus

tralian Sheep and Wool Show at Bendigo this year.

The second top price was sold to Ian and Kathy Ross, of Telan gatuk, for $6200.

Volume buyers were Glen heather and Leroy Mac Designs purchasing seven rams each.

Proudly brought to you by:

TOP SALE: Elders Horsham’s Amy Kilpatrick and Melrose Fine Wool Merino Stud’s Warren Russell with the top-price ram at Melrose’s annual ram sale.

Adrian

Be alert, but not alarmed...

Itravelled to Europe recently – mainly for a holiday, but while I was there, I tried to get a sense of the trends in agriculture and particularly the public and political mood as it relates to farming.

The Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, has been the centrepiece of European Agriculture for 60 years.

In my early days as a Victorian Farmers Fed eration member, I remember the CAP being demonised by Australian ag leaders. It was a nasty system of subsidies that distorted world markets and made it difficult for Aussie farmers to compete.

Some years later, as part of a ‘gap year’ study ing population shift from rural areas to the cities, I came to the view the CAP was as much about application of social policy as it was about ag industry policy. And today, that’s even more evident.

The opening paragraph of the latest CAP says it is ‘a partnership between agriculture and society ... between Europe and it’s farmers’.

And there’s no doubt the European taxpayer has a heavy investment in agriculture, to the tune of 58 billion euro a year.

Most of this – €41.4 billion – is in direct finan cial support to farmers.

At first glance, an Aussie farmer might think this is a system to envy. But as you read into the detail of the policy, it’s clear this is not a free handout of public cash. There are many, many strings attached.

At the centre of the CAP is the European Green Deal and a key component of this is the Farm to Fork Strategy.

Much of the language is familiar to us. Healthy food, sustainable farming systems, proactive response to climate change. All things we’re investing in here.

Dig a little further, though, and the commen tary outlines quite prescriptive detail such as the ‘sustainable use of pesticides directive’.

Under this directive, pesticide use will be re duced by 50 percent by 2030.

Similarly, fertiliser use will be reduced by 20 percent by 2030.

From left field

with David Matthews

Farmers are required to establish permanent grasslands and to set aside at least five percent of arable land to ‘ecological focus areas’.

It would be easy to dismiss these policies as extreme and unworkable, but I think that would be a mistake.

The CAP clearly states an objective of raising global standards in the sustainable production of healthy food.

The EU will increasingly apply its standards to those who want to export produce to EU coun tries. That’s us.

And the direction of EU policy has strong public support. More than ever, consumers in developed nations are expecting farmers to focus on food safety and environmental sustainability.

Recent articles in the Australian media are shining a spotlight on our production systems.

Farmers here can quite rightly point to the vast ly different circumstances between EU farmers and Aussie farmers.

We don’t have the benefit of a heavily sub sidised production system. We have to evolve our business around the reality of playing in a competitive global marketplace.

But the direction is clear.

We shouldn’t think of this as all bad news.

The EU policy is already driving significant research and investment into Integrated Pest Management systems and more acceptable alter natives to mainstream pesticides and fertilisers. We can watch and learn from the Europeans.

For us, I think the message is to be alert but not alarmed. We can proactively engage with soci ety and government here to ensure we maintain trust as an industry. We can continue to evolve our farm practices, trialling new products and developing new techniques. We can manage the reality of farming today but with a clear eye to farming for the future.

Group celebrates 30 years

Birchip Cropping Group celebrated its 30th an niversary earlier this month with special guests and current and former group members.

The theme of the event was ‘Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’.

Guest speakers included The Guardian’s rural and regional editor Gabrielle Chan, Birchip Cropping Group’s inaugural chair Ian McClel

land, former chief executive Alexandra Gart mann and former chair Caroline Welsh.

The event also celebrated the launch of ‘Bir chip Cropping Group – The First Thirty Years’, authored by founding member Anne McClel land. It was commissioned by Birchip Cropping Group to provide a brief chronological record of the development of the group to what it is today.

MILESTONE: Former Birchip Cropping Group managers Tony Ayres and Felicity Harrop, chief executive Fiona Best, former chief executive Alex Gartmann, founding member and ‘Birchip Cropping Group – The First 30 Years’ author Anne McClelland, The Guardian’s rural and regional editor and guest speaker Gabrielle Chan and founding member and BCG current chair John Ferrie.

DON’T

Studies back project

Aproposed

Ararat bioenergy project, based on conversion of 300,000 tonnes of excess ce real straw a year into biogas using anaerobic-digestion technology, is continuing to advance positive ly through engineering and feasi bility studies.

In specialised reactors, hungry bac teria convert waste biomass in a low oxygen environment and emit biogas.

Between 60 and 70 percent of that biogas is typically biometh ane that can be injected into the gas grid as a direct substitute for fossil gas, also known as ‘natural’ gas.

The opportunity for Australia is that these renewable energy projects of fer a ready-made, decarbonised ‘fuel switch’ that is entirely compatible with existing gas infrastructure.

In particular, this allows commer cial and industrial customers that run emissions-intensive processes to procure this product to displace fos sil-gas supplies, at competitive cost.

This makes use of existing pipelines, engines, boilers, turbines, co-gener ation plants, kilns and refineries, for instance, and contributes to national energy security.

The process itself has many benefits, not the least being that it makes use of biological wastes that are already being produced. Essentially, croppers will end up with an excess of straw and residue in most harvest cycles. In the

2022-2023 harvest, combined forecast volumes of wheat, barley and cano la straw and harvest residues with in a 150-kilometre radius of Ararat could be as high as six-million tonnes.

In years of oversupply, this waste material can be a burden and is often landfilled, left to rot or even burnt without any energy recovery.

The widespread practice of residue burnoff has several unique challeng es, one of which is an increasing risk of wildfire.

Evidence seems to indicate that while there is some benefit to burning of crop stubble, this is outweighed by signifi cant drawbacks of doing so, including denaturing of nutrients, increased soil instability and direct emissions of car bon dioxide, smoke and particulates to the atmosphere. Notwithstanding, the cost to manage the process, for questionable gain.

At the other end of the scale, there are some farmers who legitimate ly elect to simply till their crop res idues back into the soil. A primary advantage here is it greatly reduces the risk of water and wind erosion in the soil substrate. However, there is of course a physical upper limit to how much root stock and stubble can practically be tilled back into the soil.

Research completed on behalf of Grains Research and Development Corporation shows that if there is not the right ratio of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulphur in your soil,

then much of the stubble retained is lost to the atmosphere as carbon diox ide in a relatively short timeframe, as it breaks down and degrades naturally.

Therefore, farmers would need to spend a prohibitive amount on fertilis er to address this imbalance.

Importantly, straw that is cut, baled and removed after harvest would still leave sufficient stubble and root stock to retain soil structure and se quester carbon, with eight to 10 centi metres typically left above the ground.

Furthermore, in relation to a biogas installation that uses straw as fuel, the residual carbon, growth nutrients and minerals can be recovered and recycled through redistribution of di gestate, the material left behind after the biogas process, displacing fos sil-based fertiliser and delivering a positive circular economy outcome for regional farming communities.

Anaerobic digestion works at, or close to, ambient temperature and low pressure, too, so it is relatively simple to operate and well suited to integra tion into the rural landscape.

The net impact of such a facility de livers considerable environmental, so cial and economic benefits compared with ‘business as usual’ and represents an exciting development, backed by solid science, mature technology and decades of operational experience.

– Scott Grierson, Pacific Heat and Power managing director, and western Victorian agronomist Craig Drum

Annual sale a success

Good crowds turned out for DMD and Westech Ag Kyle Livestock’s Nhill and Kaniva district annual ewe and wether lamb sale.

DMD director Andrew McIllree said the 6500 sheep yarded at the sale on Thursday at Nhill sold well.

“The best young ewe sold up to $320. Some of our middle-aged ewes made up to $318, some of our three-and-a-half-year-old ewes made up to $244 and the wether lambs made up to $250,” he said.

“I would say it is about where the job has been in other sales.

“Some of the wether lambs we

thought were dearer than other sales, so that was very strong.”

Mr McIllree said overall, the team was happy with the sale.

“Most of the sheep stayed with in the Wimmera – Warracknabeal, Ararat, Horsham, Kaniva and a few in the middle district,” he said.

“The overall quality of the sheep is good, although some of the younger lambs are lacking a bit more bloom due to the wet conditions.

“It’s about what we expected. We had a good crowd and it was a good day.”

FULL YARD: Stock agents auctioned 6500 sheep at DMD and Westech Ag Kyle Livestock’s Nhill and Kaniva district annual ewe and wether lamb sale.

First-hand look at research projects

Horsham

Grains Innovation Park re searchers showed off yield improve ment projects during a Grains Research and Development Corporation, GRDC, South ern Panel tour.

Research into yield improvements through disease management and the impact of extreme weather events on grain crops were two of the projects featured throughout the tour.

Agriculture Victoria research director Sze Flett said Horsham staff showcased new facilities and research projects to the panel during their spring tour.

“The Southern Panel is one of three regional panels that advise the GRDC on how best to support grain growing through investment in research,” she said.

“The site visit was an opportunity for panel members to see first-hand how their funding is being applied to solve many problems that affect profitability in agriculture now and into the future.”

Dr Flett said the Horsham SmartFarm was one of the largest phenotyping facilities for disease in Australia.

“Our research scientists Joshua Fanning and Hari Dadu spoke about the 18 diseases being screened in trials at the site and the irrigation infrastructure, which were joint investments between the Victorian government and GRDC,” she said.

Narelle Nancarrow provided an update on her

– Sze Flett

research project, which is evaluating the yield impacts of the aphid-borne Barley Yellow Dwarf virus in cereals.

Dr Flett said they also heard about the ‘Free Air Temperature Extreme’ experiments led by Dr Glenn Fitzgerald, which undertakes advanced research into the effects of extreme weather such as heatwaves and frost on grain crops and new lentil varieties.

Dr Flett said the tour concluded with a walkthrough of the Australian Grains Genebank led by research leader Sally Norton.

“The Southern Panel tour is a tremendous opportunity for GRDC to get up close to our research, joint investments between GRDC and the Victorian government, and to talk directly to scientists, students and the research teams,” she said.

“The panel is made up of growers, agronomists and other agriculture extension experts, so it was a mutually beneficial day.

“We learnt about their concerns in the paddock and at the farm gate, which guides our research and makes sure we get practical outcomes for industry.”

“The site visit was an opportunity for panel members to see first-hand how their funding is being applied to solve many problems that affect profitability in agriculture now and into the future”

Soil health workshop

Western Victorian farmers will have an opportunity to better understand solutions avail able to improve soil health and farm profitability on Friday.

Hosted by Re-Gen Farming, the ‘Simple Soil Health Solutions’ event at Joel Joel, east of Stawell, will focus on helping farmers reduce expensive input costs, improve soil, plant, an imal and overall farm health while increasing profitability and lowering stress.

Re-Gen Farming consultant Zoe Crouch said farmers are under in creasing pressure with rising input costs, which do not look to be falling any time soon.

“Understanding soil structure and function, along with the role plants

and microbes play, is the first step to tapping into the resources Mother Nature has already provided us,” she said.

“Agriculture can be a soil-making tool, we just need to better understand the system and put all the tools in the toolbox to unlock the potential, which is right under our feet.”

The event will also feature agro ecologist David Hardwick who has more than 20 years of experience in rural landscapes, farming and food systems.

Through his business, Soil Land Food, Mr Hardwick runs extension programs to empower farmers to make their own agronomic and farm planning decisions.

“It can be very daunting trying to

put all the pieces of the puzzle togeth er, but we have a great team at the event to discuss how simple the first steps can be,” Mrs Crouch said.

“We have Nakala Maddock from NutriSoil attending, who will be dis cussing the role of biological inputs such as a vermiwash in the next gen eration of agriculture.

“Luke Harrington, who has been supporting farmers in reducing costly inputs and activating their soil health for well over a decade, will also attend to discuss the big picture of simple soil health solutions.”

The event will run from 9am to 4pm.

Tickets are available through Hu manitix by searching Simple Soil Health Solutions online, and are $30 each including catering.

Farmer Wants a Healthy Life podcast returns

West Wimmera Health Service’s Farmer Wants a Healthy Life podcast has returned for season three.

The locally produced podcast series focuses on health and wellbeing while on the farm.

West Wimmera Health Service’s health promotion team, which devel ops the podcast series, says the newest season is particularly full of heart.

Health promotion officer Alana Sto rey said the series featured a variety of guests who all had a compelling

story to tell. “Topics include gambling addictions and how to quit, being queer in a small town, how a passion for animals helps to live with chronic pain, and thriving after four close calls with death,” she said.

“The diversity of people and their personal stories in this season’s epi sodes are bound to engage listeners with their genuine and open conver sations about all things health, life, farming and rural communities.”

The first episode for the new season,

Women Thriving on Farm, featured the unique stories of farming women and how their roles on the farm have changed over time.

Hosted by well-known Wimmera identity and mountain climber turned storyteller Brigitte Muir, OAM, the season has 10 episodes, with one dropping every Friday.

People can tune in from any podcast streaming service or via www.wwhs. net.au/Farmer-wants-a-healthy-life

Protection against slugs

Slugs were a key focus of Birchip Cropping Group’s Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Landcare Work shop at the Rupanyup Community Centre earlier this month.

IPM Technologies’ entomologists Paul Horne and Jessica Page an swered slug-related questions from farmers, advisors and Landcare group members at the event.

Mr Horne said monitoring was the first step in protection against slugs.

“It is important to know if you have slugs and what type,” he said.

“Different species surface at differ ent times.

“Once the species is known, a strat egy can then be developed to target the slug present most effectively.

“It is important, however, to contin ue to monitor as new species might appear as weeks pass.”

IPM Technologies published a slug guide that attendees received to help identify slugs and differentiate be tween species.

Attendees were also able to see close-up live specimens and gain hands-on experience identifying each slug species.

Those present also heard how the adoption of IPM practices can help delay and prevent the emergence of chemical resistance among target insect species and how adopting IPM practices can reduce the potential impacts of insecticides on non-target insects and animals.

GUIDE: Minyip Landcare Group member and farmer Daryl Barber identifies slugs at the recent Birchip Cropping Group Integrated Pest Management Landcare workshop at Rupanyup.

Pilot program offers new pathways

Anew initiative to improve a labour shortage in the agricul ture industry was piloted through Longerenong College last month.

Operation Grain Harvest Assist in volved former Australian Defence Force personnel learning the ins-andouts of the grains industry and opera tion of farm machinery.

The program started in Western Aus tralia before last year’s harvest and has now been piloted through Lon gerenong College with support from O’Connors and Case IH Australia New Zealand.

Eighteen former defence force per sonnel were involved in the program and are now looking towards oppor tunities to assist farming businesses during harvest season.

O’Connors executive senior sales manager David Hair said the deal ership became involved after Ouyen farmer and returned service person Ian Hastings and Royal Australian Armoured Corps officer lieutenant colonel Garry Spencer approached them.

He said the pair had been in discus sions about getting Operation Grain Harvest Assist running through a lead ing agriculture training institution.

Mr Hair said the decision to become involved in such an ‘exciting’ initia tive was an easy one, as O’Connors and Case IH had co-ordinated appren

tice training through Longerenong College for many years.

“This program helps achieve two big objectives, offering employment opportunities for returned service peo ple and addressing the considerable labour shortfalls we have across the grain-growing industry,” he said.

“Through undergoing this training, the participants could undertake ev

erything from operating harvesters and driving tractors with chaser bins, to unloading grain trucks and even working in grain-handling facilities.

“This initiative fulfils two critical needs and we’re proud to have been involved in it and to meet this amaz ing group of individuals who have done so much for their country during their many years of service.”

The program involved an intensive week of training at the college with classroom theory on machinery and broad-acre farm production, combine simulator training, working with two Case IH Axial-Flow combines and two farm visits.

Mr Hair said it was a pleasure for his team to meet the participants, who had a combined 450 years of service in the

Australian Defence Force and many of whom had risen to the top of their respective fields.

“They’re now looking for new chal lenges and it’s been so rewarding for us to introduce them to the many opportunities within the agriculture sector, and hopefully connect them with local farmers who can use all the help they can get, particularly during the looming harvest season,” he said.

Case IH general manager Pete Mc Cann said it was exciting to see what had been achieved and the potential for the agriculture industry going for ward.

“Operation Grain Harvest Assist helps provide new paths for our re turned service men and women, to whom our nation owes so much, and it’s also important to Case IH to sup port an initiative that can help Austra lian farmers meet their labour needs and increase the staffing pool for the agriculture sector, which, like so many industries at present, is struggling to find the number of workers it needs,” he said.

Mr Hair said the goal was for the program to continue through Lon gerenong College and expand further in years to come.

Case IH was the program’s major sponsor with support from O’Connors dealerships, MacDon Australia, Muddy River Agricultural and Waringa En terprises.

beat

rush!

NEW WORKFORCE: Operation Grain Harvest Assist program participants with Case IH staff as they learn the ropes of combine harvesting during an intensive week of training.