Welcome to Farmers Connect EP

Welcome to the first edition of Farmers Connect EP - an e-newsletter that will be distributed regularly to farmers across Eyre Peninsula.

Farmers Connect EP will highlight key issues, activities and workshops as part of Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula's (NREP) Regenerative Agriculture Project (RAP).

The RAP project involved rolling out a range of management activities to prevent and abate soil acidity, soil erosion and improve soil carbon. NREP and partners seek to implement a range of extension activities to increase the awareness and adoption of evidence-based soil and biodiversity management actions by the farming community. Areas for priority action are well known and extension plans created in collaboration with our sustainable agriculture delivery partners already exist.

If you've got any suggestions for what to include in upcoming editions, or would like further information, please contact Mary Crawford on 0407 187 878 or click here to send an email.

Are you affected by acidic soils?

Did you know that more than 186,000 hectares of agricultural land on the eastern and lower Eyre Peninsula is prone to acidification? Recent projects suggest the rate of acidification is also occurring faster than ever before.

Over the past two years, NREP in partnership with LEADA, Cockaleechie Landcare Group and lower Eyre Peninsula farmers have held Restoring Soil pH workshops to increase awareness of this issue and the benefits of variable rate lime applications.

The Veris pH mapper, using the latest real time mapping tools, revealed a high degree of pH variation within and between paddocks. By varying application rates, farmers made savings of around 31%.

Check out our Managing Soil Acidity on EP video here.

The next round of Restoring Soil pH workshops will be held in March 2019. Click here to register your interest.

What are mallee seeps?

Mallee Seeps have become an increasingly significant land management issue for many eastern Eyre Peninsula farmers in recent years. They can result in productive land becoming saturated, unproductive, weed infested and eventually totally degraded as bare saline scalds or water basins.

Join us on 18th and 19th February 2019 as Chris McDonough shares his experiences on managing seeps and soaks in SA and Victoria. Click here to register your interest.

Is your soil reaching its full potential?

Many farmers across EP are recognising that some soils are not performing to their full potential. Soil constraints such as non-wetting sands, soil compaction, poor water holding capacity and acidification at depth can all result in decreased production.

NREP will be inviting Agriculture Bureaus and Farming Systems Groups to submit expressions of interest to establish in-paddock demonstrations of amelioration techniques in early 2019. Click here to register your interest.

Mixed species cover cropping

Did you know that mixed species plant options can improve soil health, control weeds, improve ground cover and provide better grazing options?

As a result, planting a mixed species or summer cover crop has gained popularity on EP in recent years.

NREP will be running a workshop in early 2019 to give farmers a better understanding to this approach. We are also looking for farmers and farmer groups interested in establishing demonstration sites for winter 2019. Click here to register your interest.