| |
| |
|
|
Upcoming Events
October
Primary Industry Videos and Factsheets
|
| |
|
Back to the top |
|
|
 |
Smart Farms Small Grants - Now Open |
 |
|
|
|
The Australian Government’s Smart Farms Small Grants are now open.
Up to $6.5 million is available, with funding between $5,000 and $100,000 (GST exclusive) for each grant.
Smart Farms Small Grants is an open, competitive, grant opportunity to support projects that increase farming, forestry and fishing communities’ awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.
Smart Farms Small Grants can support land managers deliver sustainable, productive and profitable food, fibre and forestry businesses while protecting Australia’s biodiversity, protecting and improving the condition of natural resources and assisting Australia to meet its international obligations.
Applications close: 9 October 2020.
For more information and to apply, visit the Community Grants Hub website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
Successful Smart Farm Small Grant: Native predatory insects for biological control of vineyard insect pests |
 |
Photos by Hans Loder, Penley Estate
|
|
|
Recent research by Dr. Mary Retallack found that a suite of native insectary plants can increase the presence of predatory beneficial insects and spiders that can contribute to biological control of insect pests.
With the assistance of funding via the Smart Farms Small Grants Round 2, six EcoGrowers located across the Limestone Coast in Coonawarra and Wrattonbully, are in the process of establishing demonstration sites in and around vineyards. The program is being run in partnership between the Wine Grape Council of South Australia and Retallack Viticulture Pty Ltd, with sponsorship provided by Coonawarra Vignerons and in-kind support from the Limestone Coast Landscape Board.
Local EcoVineyards participants can be found on the EcoVineyards website:
For more information on how to apply for a Smart Farm Small Grant, go to the Community Grants website.
More information about this project can be found on the EcoVineyards website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
Successful Smart Farm Small Grant: Saltland Pasture Redemption Project |
 |
|
|
|
The Saltland Pasture Redemption Group and Project was initiated by the Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan and Coomandook Ag Bureau to investigate the application of new developments in the productive use of saline land.
The time of sowing is critical in trying to remediate saline country. To improve the chances of plant germination, a ‘flush’ is thought to be required. In 2017-2018 this ‘flush’ wasn’t received and there was poor germination across all sites. In 2019, exceptional germinations were observed on hostile, saline soils. The late time of sowing paired with the salts being flushed through the soil was thought to be the key difference driving this success.
Rainfall records against sowing times were monitored across the 8 project sites and compared with soil moisture probe data at Moorlands and Coomandook.
The full discussion can be found in the report ‘Saltland Pasture Redemption – Tips and Tools for Identifying and dealing with Saline Soils’.
This project received funding support from the National Landcare Program, the former SA Murray Darling Basin NRM Board, and former South East NRM Board.
Article provided by Tracey Strugnell
Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan
Coorong and Tatiara District Councils
|
| Back to the top |
|
Limestone Coast Climate Update Webinar |
 |
Photo by Lucy Dodd
|
|
|
With the change of season, it is time to start preparing for our warmer months ahead. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board together with Agriculture Victoria Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey, have provided a climate update for our region.
Dale is the author of the Fast Break climate newsletter. He covered a range of topics in this webinar, including rainfall and temperature predictions for spring, likelihood of any unseasonal frosts or heat events, and soil moisture updates.
The recorded webinar can be found here.
|
| Back to the top |
|
 |
|
Help our Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos - Funding available for Limestone Coast Landholders
The Communities helping Cockies project has funding to help South East landowners to plant trees and protect habitat for the endangered South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo.
The cockatoos mainly feed on brown stringybark and desert stringybark which grows on sandy soils between Keith and Mount Gambier. They also feed on buloke which can be planted in clay or loam soil close to the border in between Naracoorte and Bordertown.
Zoos SA’s Cockies helping Cockies Project Officer, Kerry Gilkes, said ‘the project is flexible to fit in with what farmers want and they are supported through every step of the process to ensure their project is successful.‘
If you have stringybark or buloke on or near your place and are interested in revegetation, woody weed control or fencing habitat, please contact Kerry Gilkes on 0429 660 027 to discuss your project idea and register your interest.
Communities helping Cockies is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and is delivered in partnership by Birdlife Australia, Zoos SA and Trees For Life.
|
Photo by Geoffrey Dabb
|
|
Back to the top |
|
|
Natural Resource Management Drought Resilience Program |
 |
|
|
|
The Australian Government is inviting applications under the Future Drought Fund: Natural Resource Management Drought Resilience Program - Grants.
The Program is focused on support for experimentation in NRM practices, systems and approaches that go beyond current best practice. This aims to foster innovation and transformational change in the management of Natural Capital to deliver drought resilience in agricultural landscapes.
Grants between $20,000 to a maximum of $200,000 are available for successful applicants to deliver on-ground activities that build drought resilience on agricultural landscapes.
Applications close: 30 October 2020
More information on how to apply can be found on the Community Grants website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
|
Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program
The Australian Government is inviting agricultural show societies and field day organisers to apply for a grant to reimburse them for costs they incurred when they had to cancel their scheduled show or agricultural field day in 2020 because of COVID-19.
Cash flow support provided through the program will help to ensure the sustainability of agricultural show societies and the agricultural shows they conduct. It will also support the agricultural field day organisers and the agricultural field days they conduct.
Agricultural shows and field days also deliver significant social and economic benefits to the communities in which they are held.
Applications close: 9 October 2020.
More information on how to apply can be found on the Community Grants website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
|
On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
South Australian primary producers in drought affected areas can now apply to the On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme under a new round of funding.
You may be eligible to receive a rebate of up to 30% (max $30,000) for the cost of purchasing, installing and repairing on-farm water infrastructure for livestock and permanent horticulture.
Applications close: 31 March 2021 or until all funding has been allocated.
More Information and eligibility guidelines can be found on the PIRSA website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
|
Heritage Agreement Small Grants
$10,000 funding is available to landholders to improve and protect their Heritage Agreement area.
Landholders who own or manage a Heritage Agreement under the Native Vegetation Act 1991 or its preceding Act are encouraged to apply for Heritage Agreement Small Grants.
Eligible activities include:
-
Developing good conservation strategies for the Heritage Agreement area
-
Management and/or action planning
-
Weed control, mapping and/or identification
-
Fox, rabbit or other pest animal control
-
Repair of damaged areas e.g. previously cleared or eroded sites
-
Internal property fencing to exclude stock from Heritage Agreement area
-
Mapping of native plants or native vegetation communities
-
Native animal survey (permits needed)
-
Revegetation using local provenance seed from the Heritage Agreement area or nearest appropriate site
-
Improving fire management for conservation purposes
-
Local/minor trials of good conservation management techniques
Applications close: 5 October 2020.
For more information visit the Nature Foundation website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
|
2021 Science and Innovation Awards
Applications are open for the 2021 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
This is a competitive annual grants program assisting young Australians aged 18-35 to conduct new and creative research that will benefit Australia's primary industries.
Applications close: 2 October 2020.
For more information, and to apply, see the Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
|
Tourism Industry Development Fund
The South Australian Government recognises the huge impact that COVID-19 has had on the tourism sector across regional South Australia.
The Tourism Industry Development Fund is designed to support and stimulate private sector investment in new and improved regional accommodation, and the development of quality tourism product and experiences. It aims to assist in the COVID recovery of regional tourism by encouraging regional operators to improve and diversify so they can attract more visitors and get a higher return on their offering.
Through the South Australian Tourism Commission, the State Government is committing $20 million to the Tourism Industry Development Fund over two years to support regional tourism in South Australia.
Applications close: 31 March 2022 or until all funds have been allocated.
More information and eligibility criteria can be found on the South Australian Tourism Commission website.
|
| Back to the top |
|
|
