Grazing for the Future - Grazing, Cropping and Diversity on Farms
COMPLETED - In December 2014 - Central Tablelands Landcare was notified of it's success in gaining a 25th Anniversary Landcare Grant for our project "Grazing for the Future - Grazing, Cropping and Diversity on Farms". The project will run from April 2015 to June 2016.
https://landcare.nsw.gov.au/groups/central-tablelands-landcare-management-committee/projects/grazing-for-the-future-grazing-cropping-and-diversity-on-farms
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Grazing for the Future - Grazing, Cropping and Diversity on Farms
COMPLETED - In December 2014 - Central Tablelands Landcare was notified of it's success in gaining a 25th Anniversary Landcare Grant for our project "Grazing for the Future - Grazing, Cropping and Diversity on Farms". The project will run from April 2015 to June 2016.
Here is our project description from the application - Central Tablelands Landcare will invite its membership to participate in a Grazing for the Future program where they will be required to attend 4 practical workshops on different farms over the period of the project. These workshops will be run by qualified grazing and pasture cropping experts and by requiring repeat attendance, the participants will be able to build on their knowledge over the life of the project. This 'grazing group' will be able to report back to each workshop with their experiences and questions, to facilitate the group learning. The project aims to achieve a change in grazing and cropping practises to increase the biodiversity on farms and boost productivity through better management of inputs.
Here is a draft outline of what we want to do - of course this may change depending on availability etc.
Central Tablelands Landcare Group will advertise the project objectives and particulars, and invite members to participate in the project. The project participants will then be asked to confirm the timetable for the project and commit to attend the workshops and participate in the monitoring activities.
Workshop 1 - pasture species identification and monitoring - facilitated by Marita Sydes and Graeme Hand. Participants will attend the workshop and be asked to establish a monitoring site on their own property and they will provide a baseline report on pasture species composition and abundance using a combination of step point transects and photograph points.
Workshop 2 - principles of grazing management - facilitated by Graeme Hand. Participants will attend the grazing management workshop and be introduced into the art of monitoring pasture growth, as well as stock performance indicators and behavioural aspects. Participants will then be asked to monitor their stock performance and record observations to feedback to the group.
Workshop 3 - principles of pasture cropping - facilitated by Col Seis. Participants will be invited on a bus tour to witness the effects of a pasture cropping regime on productivity. They will then be invited to ask questions and discuss the possibility of trialling pasture cropping on their property.
Workshop 4 - Monitoring pastures and reporting - facilitated by Graeme Hand. Participants will be asked to complete their final pasture assessment prior to the Monitoring and reporting workshop. Graeme will then facilitate a discussion on the outcomes of the project for all of the individuals, and answer any concerns or offer suggestions for improvements.
Through participation in this project, a group of landholders will be informed and have practical experience implementing and monitoring change, keeping records and initiating adaptive management techniques.
