PLACES AVAILABLE FOR FREE WHOLE FARM PLANNING COURSE

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Even if you are not quite at the beginning of your journey a whole farm planning course has enormous benefits. This course will be run by Sustainable Agriculture consultant and Landcare Facilitator Pete Ronalds. Pete has been working with farmers across South Gippsland for more than 20 years.

This comprehensive program will give each participant the opportunity to visit 5 properties that have created successful farming businesses within the last 20 years. A range of different approaches to natural farm asset management and enterprises will be explored. In addition the course will include a stocksense workshop run by the Victorian Farmers Federation and a final farm and action planning day. This will be a supportive judgement free environment. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from others and potentially avoid making costly mistakes on your own property.

Course Details

This course will begin on Wednesday 13 August and run weekly for 7 weeks.

Participants will be provided with an A1 sized laminated property map, copies of “Natural Asset Farming, Creating Productive and Biodiverse Farms” and “Stock and Waterways: A NSW Manager’s Guide”, a Cultural Heritage pack from WGCMA and other course materials, plus morning tea and lunch.

Farm workshop 1:

Host: Jillian Staton & Bruce Whittaker

Enterprise: Pasture fed beef

Key Natural Asset: Water

Topic/s: Strategic use of water for rotational grazing. Enhancement of farm dams for water security, stock health and biodiversity. Plus Equine pasture management, Stockyards and weed & pest control

 

Farm workshop 2:

Host: Jill & Gary – Noble Hallston Valley Farm 

https://www.hallstonvalleyfarm.com/

Additional Presenter

Enterprise: Pasture Fed Sheep

Key Natural Asset: Soil

Topics: Rehabilitating degraded property to arrest soil erosion and landslips. Plus Improving pasture, protecting paddock trees and niche marketing.

 

Farm workshop 3:

Host: Millie & Dan Bright – Amber Creek Farm & Sawmill

Additional Presenter

Enterprise: Free range piggery; sawmill

Key Natural Asset: Soil biology & pasture 

Topics: Maintaining pasture cover; multi-species pastures. Plus agroforestry, riparian protection and niche marketing.

 

Farm workshop 4:

Host: Mark Matthews – South Gippsland Wine Company

Additional Presenter: Matt Bowler WGCMA

Enterprise: Non-irrigated vineyard

Key Natural Asset: Riparian areas

Topics: Protected riparian areas, strategic shelter and use of north and south slopes for viticulture. Plus Organic hay, silage and agistment of cattle for organic dairy.

 

Farm workshop 5:

Host: Nick & Anna Dudley

Additional Presenter

Enterprise: Pasture-fed beef cattle; hay

Key Natural Asset: Biodiversity 

Topics: Riparian areas, shelter, Biodiversity Asset Register, weed control. Plus agroforestry, hay and managing steep country

 

Workshop 6 

Presenter: Victorian Farmers Federation (Dominic Enter)

Topic: Animal & human health & safety 

Additional presenter: Phil Poulton- water quality and stock health

Demonstrate drenching, injecting, stock handling facilities. Cattle, sheep and goats. Plus Biosecurity laws, PICs, NLIS, traceability, stock handling facilities

 

Workshop 7

Presenter: Pete Ronalds

Topic: Whole farm plan

Location TBA

 

For more information please contact Kirby kirby@sgln.net.au