The Central Murray BestWool/BestLamb Group is part of the BestWool/BestLamb network supported by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. BESTWOOL/BESTLAMB in partnership with Australian Wool Innovation Limited is a network facilitating information exchange that enables producers to implement improvements in key aspects of their business. BestWool/BestLamb is not a direct service provider, but rather a program that facilitates practice change via appropriate learning activities delivered to a large network of producers, coordinators and groups.
Discussion groups form the core of the program. Group members meet regularly for facilitated discussions, farm walks, training workshops and information sessions aimed at improving farm business profitability.
The group approach recognises that there is a mix of skills amongst livestock producers in any location, and that most producers have similar interests. Members identify key issues and the best learning approaches to assist them to reach their individual business goals.
Other extension approaches are used to complement group activities. These include an Annual Industry Update, telephone seminars, partnerships with innovative research and development projects and producer demonstration sites.
Coordinators play a major role in ensuring the success of all activities. They drive group members to question things and to overcome barriers to change and improvement. They also highlight emerging issues to BESTWOOL/BESTLAMB Management and ensure that group achievements are effectively recorded.
BESTWOOL/BESTLAMB group members have yearly planning sessions to agree on the topics that are addressed.
These topics may include:
- Pastures
- Grazing management
- Weaner management
- Sheep bloodlines
- Sheep productivity
- Benchmarking
- Business management
- Cost of production
- Marketing and risk management
Projects
LTE is nationally accredited course focusing specifically on the nutrition and health issues associated with the ewe and develops participant skills in sheep assessment and feed budgeting.