WELCOME! Issue 53 - 10 May 2023
| Message from RALF Hi everyone,Thank you!!! The Greater Sydney Small Farms Network has grown to more than 1,100 members! As a result, we want to know your current issues are and invite you to answer a survey that will help us provide you with the support you require. Also in this edition: nominate yourself, someone else or a team for a Greater Sydney Landcare award, register for a dung beetle or a horse pasture workshop, apply for a rural recovery grant, discover how farmers are ditching diesel and get help in managing the livestock winter feed gap.
If you know someone who might be interested in joining the Greater Sydney Small Farms network, they can register HERE. To view previous newsletters, click HERE. To provide ideas on how the Greater Sydney Small Farms network can help you, please email or phone me on 0436 803 337 | |
Sincerely,
Richard Stephens Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator (RALF)
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Please tell us your issues, challenges & needs
The Greater Sydney Small Farms Network was launched in April 2019 with 320 subscribers. It aimed to support small scale farmers and peri-urban landholders in the Greater Sydney region.The network has now grown to more than 1,100 members and, therefore, we want to update our understanding of your issues, challenges and needs. So, whether you run a farming business or simply enjoy having a rural or semi-rural lifestyle, this survey will help us better understand the support you require.The survey is predominately 'tick the box' and will take about 15 minutes to complete. It will be open until midnight on 31 May 2023 and there are five prizes up for grabs! Five lucky respondents can choose either a soil or water test. Prize winners will be notified via email.The information gained will be used for future projects and support services. Please complete your survey HERE.
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What about ex-battery hens? In 2017, Julie O'Shea heard about a local farmer offering 18-month-old chickens to anyone who wanted them. The farmer said, 'This is the part of my job I hate the most. Every year, I need to cull chickens over 18 months of age". The RSPCA says a chicken's natural lifespan can be up to 10 years, but when kept for commercial egg production, they will likely only be kept till 72 weeks, when hens start laying slightly fewer eggs. Julie took home 10 hens and soon found there's no chicken love like ex-battery chicken love. Click HERE.
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Greater Sydney Landcare AwardsThe 2023 Greater Sydney Regional Landcare Awards are open. Nominate yourself, someone else or a team for their outstanding work protecting biodiversity and the environment. Nominations close on 12 May 2023, and the winners will be announced at the Landcare and Bushcare Forum on 2 June 2023. Categories include: Coastcare; Indigenous land management; Individual Landcarer; Junior Landcare Team; Landcare community group; Landcare farming; Partnerships for Landcare; Young Landcare leadership. For more info, click HERE.
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Rural insurance premiums soarThe cost of rural insurance has risen significantly due to natural disasters, a shrinking underwriter market, and inflation on equipment and labour. Brokers are reporting premiums have recently increased between 20 to 40 per cent. So the message here is, shop around. If you operate a small farm, investigate tailored small farm insurance packages, such as Farmstyle Insurance which provides coverage for small farms between 2ha and 100ha with an annual turnover of less than $50,000. For more information, click HERE.
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Beekeepers, don't be complacent If you have a beehive, it is vitally important that you regularly check for varroa mite and not become complacent. In Queensland, just ten percent of requested surveillance reporting has been completed, endangering Australia's multi-billion-dollar honey industry, click HERE. For the latest information on varroa mite occurrence in NSW, click HERE.
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New Ag Science degreesThe University of Sydney has two new Agricultural Science degrees starting in 2024. The three-year Bachelor of Agricultural Science and four-year Bachelor of Agricultural Science Honours will provide a broad and coherent understanding of agricultural science and its role in sustainable production and global food security. Several scholarships are also available. For more information, click HERE or call 1800 793 864.
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Australia's alpaca herd reaches 400,000Australia now has the second largest alpaca herd in the world, after Peru, with 400,000 head. Breeders say the population's growth is improving the genetics and quality of the livestock. The industry was on the rise until 2019 when the drought and a ban on alpaca exports to New Zealand crippled the growth of the population. Four years later, numbers are growing again. Click HERE.
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EVENTS, SHORT COURSES & WEBINARS
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Pasture days for horses Want to improve your pastures to help the ongoing health of your horses?
Equine Agronomist, Helena Warren, will cover land management techniques for horse owners, linking soil health with pasture health and introducing high quality grasses for optimum horse health. Ben Azzopardi, from Local Land Services, will guide a walk and talk through our equine pasture trials. Registration essential.Richmond - Thursday 11 May, register HERE. Central Coast - Friday 12 May, register HERE.
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Using dendrometers to manage plant stress Learn about technologies and methods for monitoring plant stress and growth, including the use of dendrometers. The webinar will cover material from the Smart Farming Technology Guide for Horticulture which is available here and will be followed by a 20 minute question and answer session. To be held on Thursday 11 May at 12 noon. Have your dendrometer questions answered! Register HERE.
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Fox trapping workshop Foxes are known predator of both native wildlife and livestock. In this workshop, learn about trapping foxes using soft-jaw and cage traps, trap site selection, decoys/lures, humane destruction, wildlife cameras and fox stomach analysis from captured foxes. Blue Mountains residents are invited to attend, Saturday 13 May 2023, 9.15am to 2.30pm at Faulconbridge. Morning tea and lunch will be provided. Register HERE.
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Environmental credentials for grass-fed beef Meat & Livestock Australia have developed a program for assessing the Environmental Credentials of Australian Grass-fed Beef and is piloting this program. An introductory webinar will be held on Monday 15 May at 12noon, register HERE. For background information on the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework and the C30 target, watch an explanatory video HERE.
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Exploring beyond diesel
With over 80% of agricultural energy being supplied by diesel fuel, what are the alternatives? In the seventh episode in the 'Exploring beyond diesel' series, learn about combining green hydrogen with carbon to make renewable fuels and with air and water to make fertilisers. If you have previously registered for a webinar in this series, you are automatically pre-registered for this event. Recordings of previous episodes are available. 12:30pm - 2:00pm, Tuesday 16 May, 2023. Click HERE.
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Hand-rearing young livestockAre you interested in hand-rearing pre-weaned livestock? Participate in this webinar to learn how to design a feeding program for pre-weaned calves, lambs and kids, set up a space or pen and organise equipment and resources to care for young livestock. Being run by the RSPCA, this webinar (cost $35) will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023. Click HERE.
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Landcare and Bushcare Forum The biennial Landcare and Bushcare Forum will be held on Friday 2 June in Katoomba. With the theme of 'Connectivity', the program will foster connections across landscapes, cultures and country. Presenters include Dr Michelle Ryan on Platypus Landcare, Sam Willis on the Coastal Open Spaces System and optional field trips will take in The Gully, Farm it Forward and the Centre for Planetary Health. In addition, the 2023 Regional Landcare Award winners will be announced. For more information and registration, click HERE.
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2023 Science to Practice ForumThe annual Science to Practice Forum brings together farmers, researchers, government, industry and the community to explore innovative tools and practices to help prepare for future drought. Presenter, Pip Courtney, will host this free, three-day online event, with each day focussing on a particular theme: Tuesday 6 June – Research and Development, Wednesday 7 June – Farmers, Producers and Agricultural Advisors and Thursday 8 June – Community and Policy. For more information, click HERE.
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Dung Beetle workshopsDr Bernard Doube, Dung Beetle Solutions International, will deliver three workshops in the Greater Sydney region. Bernard will cover: Dung beetles in Australia and the Greater Sydney region; The services (benefits) provided by dung beetles; Building and maintaining on-farm nurseries and introducing new beetles; Fire, flood and dung beetles. Central Coast - Wednesday 21 June Richmond - Thursday 22 June Camden - Friday 23 JuneAll workshops, 9am to 3pm. Lunch will be provided. Registration essential! Click HERE.
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Protected Cropping Australia 2023 conference Protected Cropping Australia is pleased to fund 150 complimentary full registrations available to support grower attendance at the PCA 2023 conference, 17-20 July in Brisbane. Full registrations include the welcome function, conference sessions, networking events and the conference dinner. Early bird registrations end 19 May 2023. Click HERE.
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Farming Matters Conference 2024 Farmers, consumers, businesses and government will meet at Farming Matters 2024 in Canberra on 25-27 March 2024. Farmers are now embracing regenerative practices, and consumers are calling for verifiably responsible produce. Businesses now need to report their environmental, social and governance credentials accurately, and governments need sustainable policies for agriculture. Workshops, key note presentations and local field trips are on offer. Click HERE.
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Rural Recovery Authority grant closing soon Flood and storm-impacted primary producers and landholders have until 30 June 2023 to apply for a number of Rural Assistance Authority grants. This includes the Special Disaster Grants, Rural Landholder Grants and the Critical Producer Grant made available in response to storm and flood disaster events that occurred throughout 2022. Apply for financial assistance before 30 June to support your recovery, click HERE.
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Nuffield scholarships A wider variety of scholarships with Nuffield Australia in 2024 are now available. Scholars can travel overseas, study a large variety of rural topics, and learn from international leaders in a chosen field, such as drought resilience. Each Nuffield Australia scholarship is valued at $35,000 and farmers and others working in food and fibre production aged between 28 and 45 should apply now. Applications close 9 June 2023. Click HERE.
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Rural recovery support servicesRural recovery support services are available in Greater Sydney, including free Farm Business Administration support workshops (such as Excel basics and digital literacy) and young farmer and farm business resilience programs. To ensure these programs are implemented in Greater Sydney areas, register your interest with Lisa Sullivan, mobile 0438 080 459 or email lisa.sullivan@dpi.nsw.gov.au. For more info, click HERE. | | | |
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Hairy hoverflies Researchers across Australia have been trying to discover how effective hoverflies are as alternative pollinators in crops like avocados, mangoes, berries, and vegetable seed crops. Unlike bees, hoverflies do not mind working in cool and windy conditions. While hoverflies only feed on nectar and pollen, bees and hoverflies work well together on the same flower. For more information, click HERE.
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Toxic water can kill livestock Nutrient overload in rivers and dams can cause algal and bacterial blooms that are so toxic livestock can die within 15 minutes. Fencing dams is highly recommended, and new research shows a dam can halve its methane emissions through fencing and enhancing vegetation. Toxic algae, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and water quality specialist, associate professor of environmental sciences, Dr Fabbro, counsels distressed farmers whose dams and water courses have become livestock killers. Click HERE.
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Farmers ditch diesel Electric tractors are still at least three years away in Australia. In the meantime, climate conscious farmers are switching out their diesel machinery where they can. Electric motorbikes are being rapidly developed to suit the rigour of farmlife, along with 'side-by-sides' and electric vehicles. As electric motorbikes and vehicles are quiet, you can sneak up on livestock, which can be a really good thing. Click HERE.
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Enhancing farm dams An eight-page management guide shares Sustainable Farms’ research on the multiple benefits of enhancing farm dams and how to undertake your dam enhancement. Enhancing farm dams can improve water quality, water security and farm productivity while also supporting biodiversity. By enhancing dams through managing livestock access, farmers can play a role in restoring biodiversity by providing habitat and resources that were once present in natural wetlands. Click HERE.
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Assistance with riverbank erosionThe Riverbank Rehabilitation Project has provided advice and support to landholders impacted by flooding over the last two years. Access best practice riverbank rehabilitation recommendations, education on managing riverbank erosion and assistance with navigating the waterways approvals process. You can connect with the project by emailing your contact details, river, land size, location and photos (including before and after if possible) to riverrehabproject@lls.nsw.gov.au. Click HERE.
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The Nature Repair Market BillThe Nature Repair Market Bill has been tabled in the federal parliament. It aims to marry the improvements from increased carbon storage (in soils and vegetation) with improvements in flora and fauna biodiversity and is designed to run ‘alongside’ the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). Landholders will be able to get certificates from carbon projects that create biodiversity. For a summary, click HERE.
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Managing the winter feed gap Managing your livestock through the cooler months requires preparation and quick decisions to reduce the impact of seasonal conditions on their health and welfare. Each year, there is a period of time when pasture quality does not meet livestock energy requirements. The length of this period depends predominantly on seasonal conditions and stocking rates. This feed gap can happen multiple times throughout the year. For tips and guides, click HERE.
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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
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