The Big Shift for Small Farms Podcast
Greater Sydney Local Land Services is pleased to launch an online podcast to support small farmers during this period of self-isolation and physical distancing. 'The Big Shift for Small Farms' podcast series covers ten relevant topics and includes interviews with a variety of innovative and successful farmers as well as industry experts. We start the series with Urban Farming. Given the effects of the recent Australian bushfires and COVID-19 on food access and food security, this episode explores the need to rethink our current farming practices and what opportunities urban farming has to offer. For a one minute sample, click HERE, or for the complete Urban Farming episode, click HERE.Our second episode Startup Farming explores the challenges faced by new farmers and what motivates them. In each edition of the fortnightly Small Farms Newsletter, we will feature two podcast episodes, but if you want to binge them all we've provided you with the full list below. For a one minute sample, click HERE, or for the complete Startup Farming episode, click HERE.
The remaining eight topics are: Healthy soils; Cultivating Wellness; Community Supported Farming; Supply chain innovations - mobile abattoirs; Compost; Farm Resilience in a Changing Climate; Certification; and Holistic thinking.
You can access the entire podcast series by clicking HERE and you can read a brief description and listen to each episode or subscribe through your favourite apps (ie. Apple Podcasts or Spotify). If you're unclear, watch this short video from the show's producer and host Edgars Greste.
This project has been developed by Greater Sydney Local Land Services and the Grow Love Project through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program.
|  | | COVID-19 Assistance For the latest Coronavirus news, updates and advice from government agencies across Australia, click HERE. For specific COVID-19 information | | Farm it Forward – anyone interested?
Farm It Forward is a social enterprise that connects landowners and local young people who are passionate about growing food by bringing together residents with land and water and aspiring young growers to create socially and environmentally sustainable, local food production.In exchange for use of their land, landowners: receive a weekly box of fresh organically grown veggies; are visited weekly by working groups of young people to establish and maintain organic food production; have the opportunity to be a part of a community or organic food growers. Initially set up in the Blue Mountains, Farm It Forward develops skills, creates training and job opportunities and addresses social isolation issues. Excess produce is sold to local cafes, restaurants and/or the local food co-operative.
We are keen to know the level of interest in expanding the Farm It Forward program into other areas within the Greater Sydney region. Please simply reply to this E-newsletter and say 'Yes, I'm interested' or email Richard Stephens HERE and provide your name, phone number, postcode and whether you are interested as a landholder or a worker. | | For more information on the Farm It Forward program, please click HERE. | | | | Three Day Sickness alert
Livestock owners in Greater Sydney should be on the lookout for the signs of Three Day Sickness in their cattle. Three Day Sickness symptoms causes cattle to have a fever, lose their appetite, become quite depressed, reluctant to move, drooling, watery eyes, a nasal discharge, temporary infertility in bulls and abortions in cows. Daily monitoring of your herd is important and a vaccination is available. To report sick livestock and for more information contact Greater Sydney Local Land Services on 1300 795 299. For more info, click HERE. | | | Outbreaks of Parthenium weed
For the first time on record, Parthenium weed has been found in Greater Sydney. A significant biosecurity risk and is prohibited weed in NSW, Parthenium spreads rapidly, is dangerous to grazing animals and reduces crop and land values. Also, contact with the plant or pollen can cause serious allergic reactions in people. Anyone who suspect they have seen parthenium weed should note the location and call the NSW Biosecurity Helpline, 1800 680 244, NSW DPI, Local Land Services or their local council For more information, click HERE. | | | | | | LLS board elections 2020
Voting to elect Local Land Services (LLS) board members is now open. Rural ratepayers can have their say on who represents them on their local LLS Board. While all LLS ratepayers are eligible to vote, you need to let LLS know you want to receive an electronic voting pack, which can be requested up until 5pm Wednesday, 6 May 2020. Click HERE. Voting closes 5pm Friday, 8 May 2020. | | | Resilient Australia Awards The 2020 Resilient Australia Awards are open for submissions. The awards recognise collaboration and innovative thinking across all sectors and categories include business, community, government, local government, schools and photography award categories. Open to all Australians, including individuals, not for profit organisations, small and large businesses, all levels of government, schools, education institutions, research bodies, and emergency service agencies, submissions close on 8 June 2020. Click HERE. | | | | | | ATO making home work deductions simplerClaiming tax deductions for working from home due to coronavirus is being made easier. The ATO has introduced a new method which will allow people to claim 80 cents per hour for all their running expenses, rather than needing to calculate costs for specific running expenses. The change will apply from 1 March to 30 June, after which the ATO will review the arrangement as the COVID-19 situation progresses. Just keep a record of the hours worked from home as evidence. For more information, click HERE. | | | Do you live in a COVID-19 hotspot?
The University of Sydney has developed a searchable public database that shows the location of COVID-19 cases by postcode and socio-economic status in NSW. By pinpointing cases, researchers hope to enable the government to easily identify areas at risk of greater community transmission, as well as relax quarantine measures on a postcode-by-postcode basis. Click HERE. | | | | | WEBINARS, SHORT COURSES & EVENTS | | | | Fostering soil health knowledge
Webinar: 9:30 am, Thursday 7 May 2020.
A free webinar on soil health, presented by Clare Edwards, Pasture Agronomist with LLS. Covering soil and pasture health principles with current soil projects and new research, Clare has a wealth of experience having worked with the farming community for more than 25 years. Questions or specific topics can be posed ahead of time, please email [email protected]. Registration is essential, click HERE. | | | Free online short courses by TAFETAFE NSW are offering 21 free online short courses to assist job seekers and workers looking to diversify their skills, and businesses in hibernation to up skill their workers. Short courses include: eMarketing for Small Business; Engaging Customers Using Social Media; Writing and Presentation Skills; Computing Skills; Team Leader Skill Set; Administration Skills for Team Leader. Click HERE. | | | | | NOTE: Significant government funding is available to help business and individuals deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. Please refer to the second article in this newsletter. | | | | Boundary fencing funding The NSW Government will help bushfire-affected landholders with the cost of rebuilding boundary fences adjoining public lands. Private landholders who share a boundary with public land and were impacted by the bushfires of late 2019 and early 2020 are eligible to receive up to $5,000 per kilometre to contribute to the replacement of damaged boundary fences. Grants can be issued retrospectively to cover costs already incurred. To apply for the grant simply click HERE, complete the form, or call 1300 778 080. | | |
Energy Efficient Communities Grant
A grant has become available for community groups and incorporated not-for-profit organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and power bills. Amounts up to $12,500 for energy efficient equipment, energy generation and storage systems, and energy audits are available. The closing date is 18 May 2020. Note, some electorates have already reached their quota of two grants. For more information, click HERE. | | | | | | Heywire Youth Innovation Grants For 22 years, ABC Heywire has given young people in regional Australia a platform to tell their story. Each year, participants discuss how to make life better for young people in regional Australia. How do we make life better for young people living in regional Australia? If you have an idea that could spark positive change in your community, apply for up to $10,000 to make it happen. Apply and find out more, including locality eligibility criteria, click HERE. Applications close May 26, 2020 | | | Registration relief for farmers
To give farmers and their families some much needed drought relief, registration charges on Class 1 agricultural vehicles have been wavered. Primary producers can benefit from additional savings on their heavy vehicle registration costs until 30 June 2020. For more information click HERE. | | | | | | Westpac Foundation Rural Community GrantsThe Westpac Foundation, partnered with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, is offering community grants to support community organisations creating opportunities through education, training and employment. Grants of $10,000 for community-driven initiatives in regional and rural Australia that enhance, develop or provide education and training opportunities for those most vulnerable are available. Click HERE for more info, including locality eligibility criteria, Applications close 13 May 2020. | | | Farm Innovation Fund
To help farmers improve productivity, manage adverse seasonal conditions and ensure long term sustainability, the NSW Government has committed $1 billion to the Farm Innovation Fund. Farmers can borrow up to a maximum of $1 million per project, with a total of $1 million outstanding at any one time to build on-farm infrastructure, including stock containment areas. In addition, interest charges on Farm Innovation Fund loans for the 2019-20 financial year will be waived. Click HERE. | | | | | | AGL’s Farmers Assist
Farmers in recently drought-affected areas can apply for Drought Relief Assistance and Solar Assistance as part of AGL’s new $2 million Farmers Assist program. Eligible farmers can get up to $1,500 (incl GST) of existing debt wiped from their AGL business energy bill to help relieve the pressure. For more info, click HERE. Also, eligible farmers can get help funding their own solar system with an upfront discount ranging from $2,500 - $25,000 (excl GST). For more information about Solar Assistance, click HERE. | | |
National Bee Pest Surveillance Program
An early warning system to detect new incursions of exotic bee pests and pest bees involving a range of surveillance methods throughout Australia has begun. The aims of the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program includes supporting the export of queen bees and packaged bees to other countries and to provide an exotic bee pest and pest bee early warning system here in Australia. For more information, click HERE. | | | | | | NSW Pig Health and Biosecurity Survey
Whether you are a hobby pig farmer, have a pet pig, a rescue pig, a Christmas pig or are a semi-commercial or commercial producer, we want to hear from you! Please take the NSW Pig Biosecurity – Health and Disease Survey. Your insights will be used to develop practical and targeted education and training that will support you and your fellow pig owners and producers across NSW to prevent the introduction and spread of pests, weeds and diseases. To take the 10 minute survey, click HERE.
| | | Cleaning up our plastic in NSW
The NSW Government is considering whether to phase out several plastics and is seeking community feedback. A discussion paper provides details of the proposed comprehensive action plan to reduce plastic use and manage plastic waste and pollution in NSW. Your views on the targets and priority directions proposed in the discussion paper are sought and will inform the development of the NSW Plastics Plan. Click HERE. | | | | | | 'Fit for Purpose’ soil sampling
The 'Fit for Purpose' soil sampling document describes in detail farm-based soil sampling methods. The guidelines aim to ensure that soil sampling is well planned, well-equipped and well suited for its designated purpose. Authored by Cameron Gourley, Agriculture Victoria, and David Weaver, Dept of Primary Industries and Regional
Development WA, and published by Fertilizer Australia, Canberra, click HERE to download a copy.
| | | Farm Table membership is free
Farm Table is a national, cross-sector integrated knowledge platform to connect producers to farming information, opportunities, and each other. Created by NSW producer, Airlie Landale, the platform enables you to create your own ‘My Farm Table’ where you can save all your favourite resources for later. Free memberships apply if you are a: Farmer, Fisher, Grazier, Primary producer; Staff member/partner of a farm business; Ag student; Aspiring or retired farmer. Click HERE. | | | | | | Horticulture Statistics Handbook
The 2018-19 Horticulture Statistics Handbook has been released by Hort Innovation. It includes industry data on fruit, vegetable, nuts and greenlife products. The 2018-19 year was another strong year for the horticulture sector, with the farm value of production reaching new heights – now valued at $14.4 billion, an 8.4% annual increase. Click HERE. | | | Soil management - drought recoveryThe Dept of Primary Industry (DPI) have published a new Primefact on the impacts of drought on soil and strategies to help preserve and manage soil when drought breaks. This Primefact builds on the previous edition using new knowledge generated from DPI R&D. The information complements that contained in the comprehensive NSW DPI Drought Recovery Guide. To download a copy of the new Primefact, click HERE. | | | | This project is supported by Greater Sydney Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program. | | The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing. However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that the information upon which they rely is up to date and to check the currency of the information with the appropriate officer of Local Land Services or the user’s independent adviser. For updates go to www.lls.nsw.gov.au
| |
|
|
