Opening up a new way to look at pastures
Beef Grazing Field Day gently moves conversations towards broader agricultural and land management issues
Capacity building - LEP_23_033_UCCL_11 2
The issue
The Upper Clarence is largely rural, and traditional area. Beef cattle production dominates land use, but organised agricultural extension is minimal. The area is disconnected from any major population centres, Councils, and Government agencies.
Confusion exists amongst many residents regarding the roles of government agencies in land and environmental management. Interaction is minimal and clouded by suspicion. Boundaries between Landcare and government are also blurred. Further, concerns for “the environment” are commonly viewed with suspicion and seen as impacting on graziers.
Being highly focused on their livestock and beef production, beef producers can be difficult to engage and cynicism exists with respect to “experts " from outside the region. The credibility, relevance of expertise and local practicality are often questioned. Credibility can be hard won in ageing traditional rural communities in socioeconomic decline.
The solution
UCCL engaged Judi Earl, a widely acclaimed pasture ecologist and beef grazier to be the speaker at a beef pasture management field day. Soilcare subsidised the event, and UCCL paid for remaining costs.
The presentation offered potential to move conversations gently towards the fringes of broader agricultural and land management issues such as regenerative and holistic approaches; opportunities in organics, biodiversity and on property natural capital.
Field day attendance was sought by a printed targeted mailout of 50 brochures and by placements on local noticeboards and attendance was limited to 20 people.
Judi shared and discussed her insights into managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health. She also spoke on her experiences in moving towards the unleashing of the full potential of the land and a beef enterprise and introduced topics such as pasture diversity and climate resilience.
The impact
The event was a large success and the attendance target was met; group interaction and sharing of experiences and views was exceptional; and all attendees requested presentation slides and copies of pasture planning spreadsheets.
The level of interaction forms a foundation to potentially move forward to a local community of practice amongst beef graziers in the region. Whilst such producer groups existed in the 1940s to 1960s, there has been no activity since then to stimulate discussion, nd learning and innovation in the industry in the area.
Whilst focused on pasture and stock grazing management; the move to "the fringes" of broader topics was smooth, seamless, natural and non threatening.
The scene has been set for further events on a range of broader topics - initially with Judi, and then branching out to other speakers with on ground credibility