• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Pulses for building profit on show at Nhill this month
• Bull soundness gives confidence for success
• Latest soil moisture monitoring results for cropping
• Register today for local harvester forum
• Supporting mental health in our farming communities
• Business program an opportunity for Victorian farmers
• Backing big ideas from Victoria's agtech entrepreneurs
• Campfire – Connecting farmers to prevent workplace mental health risks
• Apply for Livestock Biosecurity Grants
• Learn at your pace with Agriculture Victoria
• AgVic Talk podcast series
• What's on?

Update

Restrictions are currently in place across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions, permits and requirements at coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

Increasing pulse crop profitability will be a key focus at the Southern Pulse Agronomy Field Day being held at Nhill on Tuesday, 12 October.

Hosted by Frontier Farming Systems on behalf of Agriculture Victoria and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), farmers, agronomists and industry are invited to attend the day to hear how the latest lentil, chickpea, field pea, faba beans and vetch varieties have performed this year.

Agriculture Victoria Research Scientist Dr Jason Brand said the event was part of the Southern Pulse Agronomy project geared at improving the profitability of pulse growers.

Field research being conducted at the site is comparing the performance of pulse varieties grown in variable soil types.

Also being examined is the impact of different management strategies including stubble management, inoculation and row spacing.

Researchers, pulse breeders, industry specialists and grain marketers will be on hand at the event to discuss the research and its practical application, and to answer any questions from attendees.

Several new lentil and pea varieties will also be released at the field day and discussed in the context of this season, and how the new varieties could fit into Wimmera and Mallee rotations.

Dr Brand said the Southern Pulse Agronomy Project has a number of trial sites across Victoria, as well as similar projects in South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia, so it is bringing together a lot of information that is going to be really useful to growers in helping them tackle problems they are facing with their pulse crops.

“The key thing growers are going to get out of this field day is access to the latest, locally-validated research that will help them maximise every dollar earned through their pulse crops,” he said.

“This is real, in-the-field, practical research that will directly benefit local growers.”

GRDC Grower Relations Manager, Courtney Ramsey said the project trial objectives are driven by local grower needs with the field day providing a great opportunity for two-way communication around growers pulse growing experiences.

“The project has been designed to respond to growers’ challenges in pulse production as they are evolving in the paddock,” she said.

The Nhill Pulse Field Day will be held 1.2 kilometres west from the junction of Propodollah from Proodollah Ext Road, Nhill, from 9 am to 1 pm.

This field day is a COVIDsafe event and people must register to attend.

Register online or contact Michael Moodie, Frontier Farming Systems, for more information on 0448 612 892.

Dr Jeff Cave
Senior Veterinary Officer

Imagine calling your vet to come and pregnancy test your herd of cows, only to find out most of them are not pregnant. What could you have done to prevent this scenario?

A pre-joining check of your bulls’ soundness and the state of his fertility levels may help prevent this disheartening situation.

Fertility is the ability of a bull to achieve, by natural service, a pregnancy rate of 60 per cent and 85 per cent in 50 normally cycling females, within three and six weeks of mating, respectively.

Your veterinarian will check a number of components of the bull to ensure this is possible.

Firstly, the bull needs to be physically examined for any faults with his legs, head, joints, feet, sheath and penis as any of these will affect his ability to serve a cow. His general health also needs to be clinically assessed.

Secondly, your veterinarian will check the bull’s scrotal circumference and inspect the bull’s testis for tone or resilience, as these are closely related to a bull’s fertility.

It is important to watch your bull during joining to determine his serving ability and his desire to serve cows.

Furthermore, your veterinarian will examine the bull’s semen under a microscope and analyse it for motility as well as looking at the morphology or structure of the individual sperm cells.

There is much more to it than putting your bull out with a herd of cows and expecting him to perform, you need to investigate and make sure your bull is up to the job. For further advice please contact your local veterinarian.

23 September 2021, Issue 6

The soil moisture monitoring project, with the use of underground probes, provides real-time soil water content data to Victoria’s farmers.

Monitoring sites have been set up in cropping regions throughout the state by Agriculture Victoria.

The sites record soil water content at one source point from 30 centimetres down to one metre as a reference point for a paddock.

In this edition:

• Recent SMM observations
• Speedo assessments
• Speedo soil moisture graphs for the Mallee, Wimmera, North Central, North East, Gippsland cropping and South West

Read the full results from this edition of the soil moisture monitoring project online via the Agriculture Victoria website.

PHOTO: A harvester forum in progress in Western Australia

To support growers to reduce harvest losses and improve operations at harvest time Birchip Cropping Group - with investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation - is hosting a series of free harvester forums, including Narraport/Birchip on Thursday 14 October.

The half-day forums led by industry experts will provide information and discussion around the prevention of preventable harvester losses, improvements in efficiency and output, methods of harvest weed seed control (HWSC) the prevention of harvester fires and calibrating harvester technology.

Nationally recognised harvester experts presenting at the forum are:

• Dr Michael Walsh (Sydney University) via Zoom
• Ned Jeffries (Seed Terminator)
• Martin Peters (FarmingIT)
• Marc Smith (New Holland)
• Kassie van der Westerhuizan (Harvest Specialist); and
• Brian Legg (Primary Sales).

The practical, interactive forums will not only demonstrate how harvest losses can be accurately measured and identify where losses are occurring but will also cover the actual modifications that can be made to headers to reduce losses and capture weed seeds.

“How do you get good separation?” Brett Asphar from Seed Terminator said repeating a question at one of last year’s GRDC forums.

“You have to start it at the concaves. All the material comes through, and it is going to thresh between the drum and the concave, in the pinch point, and it needs to happen at the front of the concave.

"If it is at the back of the concave, you’ve missed the opportunity and even though the sieves are about four metres long, if you haven’t achieved good separation through your concaves, you’re not going to get it, and rotor loss will be the thing that stops you,” he said.

“Remember you need to allow the material room to separate – run the drum too tight on the concaves and the grain won’t have room to loosen.”

“As far as sieve settings go – just remember that loose is fast, the wider you can run it; the more capacity you’re going to get. You can apply that rule to every harvester regardless of their colour.”

The full program of forums is:

• Tutye, Monday 11 October, 9 am - 1.30 pm
• Koolonong, Tuesday 12 October, 9 am - 1.30 pm
• Diggora, Wednesday 13 October, 9 am - 1.30 pm
• Narraport/Birchip, Thursday 14 October, 9 am - 1.30 pm
• Kaniva, Friday 15 October, 9 am - 1.30 pm

Register today at bcg.org.au/events/ or call (03) 5492 2787.

Weed seed management

Weed seed management will also be a focus of the forums with expert Dr Michael Walsh to discuss how he sees seed destructors fitting into the harvest program and how to make them work for each grower.

“HWSC systems are effective and proven as an additional weed control option for weed management programs.

“Getting the harvester setup right is critical to making HWSC work, measuring harvest losses is essential to this process,” Dr Walsh said.

For more information contact BCG's Tom Draffen on 0418 304 695 or tom.draffen@bcg.org.au

The Victorian Government is supporting the mental health of farmers across the state, rolling out projects to build resilience in more than 25 local government areas.

Programs will be run from the Bass Coast to Buloke, from the Gippsland Lakes to the Grampians – and Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas was at Elmhurst Bush Nursing Centre in western Victoria last week to see the benefits of the initiative.

The Resilient Farming Communities Project is a two-year joint Agriculture Victoria and Department of Health initiative to support farmers, farming families and communities to better manage stress and improve their health.

Eleven councils, Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) and private organisations will share in $2.9 million to deliver programs that will increase awareness of mental health treatment options and care and support services, and enhance social connectedness through community events and training.

Initiatives include outreach services, on-farm health workshops, wellbeing plans for rural communities, the delivery of resilience programs in secondary schools, and mental health first aid training.

The Grampians Pyrenees PCP has received funding for The Resourceful Farmers’ Project, which is being delivered in partnership with local community organisations including Elmhurst Bush Nursing Centre to build resilience through mental health training, pop-up clinics and events which foster social connections.

Grant recipients are working closely with their communities to co-develop programs that will cater to the needs of farmers.

The Resilient Farming Communities Project is part of the $20 million Smarter Safer Farms program, ensuring Victorian agriculture is safer, more efficient and resilient.

The Victorian Government is building the agriculture sector’s reputation for workplace excellence through improved health, safety and wellbeing initiatives.

Go online for more information through the Agriculture Victoria website.

Agriculture Victoria is offering an exciting new online program for Victorian livestock, grain and mixed farmers.

The Farm Business Resilience Program, which is part of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, will provide farmers with the opportunity to develop or refresh their Farm Business Plan.

Participants will be supported by Agriculture Victoria staff and a professional Farm Management Consultant to develop a strategic plan for their farm business. 

Topics covered in the program include:

• Identifying and managing emerging risks
• Business planning and financial management
• Succession planning and people management
• AgTech and Internet of Things (IoT)
• Seasonal outlooks, managing soils and farm water for the future.

Successful online Whole Farm Planning courses run by Agriculture Victoria over the past 12 months has demonstrated that online workshop delivery suits many farmers.

Participants will also be able to access a Farm Business Resilience Resource Library during and after the program, including program worksheets, presentation materials, videos, podcasts, eLearns and useful websites.

To register your interest in participating in the online program, please complete this short survey. 

For more information, contact Kit Duncan-Jones on 0427 749 466 or kit.duncan-jones@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Farm Business Resilience program is jointly funded by the Australian Government and Victorian Government through the Future Drought Fund.

Further information about the program and the Future Drought Fund can also be found on the Agriculture Victoria website.

The Victorian Government is backing innovators across the state to support the development and adoption of new technology that can help improve farm productivity and grow our agriculture industries.

The Victorian AgTech Entrepreneurs Initiative is set to boost the number of startups across the state and enhance the entrepreneurial culture and capability in the agriculture sector.

This initiative will provide eligible organisations with grants of up to $600,000 to run pre-accelerator programs which provide support for early-stage startup founders who need help developing their product, honing their business model and connecting with investors.

Victoria’s AgTech sector will be further strengthened by a series of regional events to connect industry, farmers, researchers and aspiring founders at each of Agriculture Victoria’s regional SmartFarms.

Eligible organisations with the capability to run a Victorian AgTech pre-accelerator program are encouraged to apply now for this initiative. Applications close on 27 October 2021.

Applications close on 27 October 2021.

For more information or to apply, visit launchvic.org/agtech.

The National Centre for Farmer Health are excited that the innovative and exciting new chat-based platform ‘Campfire’ has now been up and running for three months.

During this time they have engaged with over 100 registered participants across a wide range of agricultural industries in Victoria, and reaching many more primary producers through our blogs, podcasts and social media messaging.

Campfire brings farmers together in a relaxed environment where people with shared interests can get together, listen to experts and peers, ask questions and pose solutions.

It helps farmers to improve their systems of work in order to better manage the demands and challenges of primary production, and to develop mentally healthy workplaces for farm owners, managers, workers and their families.

Bonfire events have attracted the most participation so far. These are held fortnightly on the Campfire platform on Wednesday evenings (from 7.30 pm) where farmers can hear from topic experts and participate in live Q&A.

The audience will soon be able to submit questions ahead of time, to be answered by our experts on the night. Keep your eye on the NCFH Facebook and Instagram pages about how to lodge your questions in advance or visit the Campfire page to leave your questions.

On alternate Wednesday evenings, farmers can join smaller Campfire Q&A discussions on work-related challenges relevant to them, including the topic of the previous week’s Bonfire.

The Farmer Health Campfire webpage is home to resources developed around the topics tackled so far, including podcasts, blogs and the link to access the Campfire platform. You can view past Bonfire conversations at any time, with current content covering:

• Working effectively in a family business
• Making your business more resilient to environmental extremes
• Strengthening your support team: farming safety consultants
• Strengthening your support team – AgriSafe
• New to farming: learning from experience
• Communication: it's more than words
• Planning for success(ion)
• Strengthening your support team – Rural Financial Counselling Service.

Register today to join the conversation, receive information about upcoming events and access topic blogs and podcasts by clicking here. 

Upcoming bonfire topics:

• 6 October – Seasonal/contract labour – it works both ways
• 20 October – Strengthening your support team – working dog training school

Grants are available to support cattle, sheep, goat, swine and honey bee industries through the Livestock Biosecurity Funds – Grant Program.

The grants program, now open for applications, has been developed collaboratively between Agriculture Victoria and the livestock compensation advisory committees.

Funded projects from last year include the Victorian Farmers Federation’s producer-led biosecurity extension program for cattle, sheep and goats, the Livestock Saleyards Association of Victoria’s ‘Managing Transit Stock in Saleyards’ project, and HiveKeepers’ ‘Smart Sentinel Beehives Pilot Program’.

Other projects previously funded include the National Livestock Identification System tag subsidy for both sheep and cattle, Significant Disease Investigation programs, animal disease investigation courses, abattoir-based pig health surveillance, and prevention of anthrax.

Applications are invited from private sector businesses, universities and research institutions, co-operatives, government agencies and local government, and incorporated associations.

Any organisation looking to apply should consider the guidelines and eligibility criteria, review the relevant Statement of Strategic Intent, and complete the online application form.

The grants are made possible through funds established under the Livestock Disease Control Act, which enable the collection of duties generated by the sale of cattle, sheep, goat and pigs and their carcasses in Victoria, and the registration fees for beekeepers.

Applications are now open and will close 11:59 pm on Friday 26 November 2021.

More information is available on the Agriculture Victoria website or call the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

A selection of online courses can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection is available from Agriculture Victoria.

The Victorian Government understands that life can get busy and it isn’t always possible to attend courses in person. 

eLearning provides an accessible and flexible option for learning and expanding your knowledge. 

It enables you to enhance your skills without having to attend an event or workshop in person which could be a significant distance from home, or difficult to complete due to time constraints.

To access courses, you will need to create an account. This will allow you full access to the courses and it will track your progress as you move through them.

Browse the range of courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

This week’s eLearn in profile is: Glossary of Terms

Business management terminology can often be confusing and difficult to wrap your head around.

This Glossary of Terms resource contains helpful definitions for common terms that you will come across when running a farm business.

This course is designed to be something that you can come back to any time you need a refresher.

Take a scroll through the glossary to get yourself familiar with some of the key financial terms you might come across in farm business management.

Make sure to check out what Glossie the Kelpie has to say about overhead and variable costs.

This podcast series delivers knowledge and information in a format that suits the way farmers and agricultural professionals work and live today.

Subscribe to AgVic Talk

You can subscribe and listen to AgVic Talk wherever you get your podcasts:

• Subscribe to AgVic Talk on Spotify
• Subscribe to Apple Podcasts

Your feedback is important to us so make sure to rate and review AgVic Talk episodes and share with your friends and family.

Episodes cover contemporary problems and solutions on how members of the agricultural community recover, grow, modernise, protect, and promote Victorian agriculture.

All information included in these episodes is accurate at the time of release.

Contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or your consultant before making any changes on-farm.

Share the profits, some of the risk, but none of the capital outlay.  Sounds like a great deal?   It's a farming arrangement called share farming and may be an alternative pathway into the industry for future farmers?

Gippsland dairy farmer Hans van Wees has been share farming near Maffra for 15 years and recently joined the AgVic Talk studio to discuss how having a realistic budget along with realistic ambitions provides for a very reliable income if you approach it in a pragmatic and professional way.  

Listen to Hans’s episode by searching for 'AgVic Talk' wherever you get your podcasts or listen 🎧 online via the AgVic website agriculture.vic.gov.au/AgVicTalk

For young farmers and those new to running a business, deciding to employ staff is a big step.

In the latest AgVic Talk podcast we hear from young farmer Samantha Mitchell (pictured right with dad John) who – with the support of her mentor Andrew Bell – is working towards hiring her first on-farm employee.

Samantha and Andrew are part of the Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program designed to support and build confidence in young farmers as they learn the ropes.

Hear Andrew reflect on why his 40-year working relationship with his employee has been so successful and how his experience has helped Samantha.

Search for AgVic Talk wherever you get your podcasts or listen 🎧 online via the AgVic website agriculture.vic.gov.au/AgVicTalk

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

Monday 4 October,  7 – 8 pm

Join the Victorian Farmers Federation and Agriculture Victoria for a webinar for livestock businesses on managing CovidSafe practices for the upcoming shearing season.

The evening will host speakers addressing topics such as:

• Managing COVID in the workplace; tips for your operation, what happens if someone tests positive or is a close contact
• Your obligations as an employer
• Requirements for COVIDSafe plans, QR codes, worker permits, border permits.

Online Format and Registration essential via Zoom.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jacinta Pretty on 0455 075 010 or jpretty@vff.org.au

The Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions is holding online information sessions in early October to update locals about minerals exploration west of Ararat.

The sessions will cover several topics including what minerals exploration involves, landholder rights, the safeguards in place and the obligations of exploration companies.

Earth Resources Regulation recently granted Stavely Minerals a minerals exploration licence following the 2018 Stavely Ground Release.

The Victorian-based company will be searching for gold, copper and other minerals in an area 25 kilometres west of Ararat, extending south to Mafeking, Wickliffe, Willaura and Lake Bolac. The area does not include the Grampians National Park.

Stavely Minerals will attend the sessions to outline their activities and there will be opportunities for attendees to ask questions.
Attendees can register to attend one of two online sessions at earthresources.vic.gov.au.

• Wednesday 6 October, 3.30 to 5 pm
• Thursday 7 October, 7 to 8.30 pm

Stavely Minerals expects to spend up to $3 million over five years on exploration and will receive a $480,000 TARGET Minerals Exploration grant to help fund early-stage activities.

Generally, early-stage exploration activities such as mapping, sampling and rock testing, are the first steps in establishing if minerals are present. If development is considered viable, it typically takes many years to progress toward mining, including meeting regulatory controls.

In Victoria, before an explorer can access privately owned land and commence exploration activities, the explorer requires landholder consent.

Land access consent tools are available to aid negotiations between landholders and exploration companies. Templates will help both parties agree on access to private property, biosecurity protocols and managing any impacts on crops, and potential compensation.

These voluntary tools can be tailored for the specific needs and circumstances of the landholder and were developed in consultation with the Victorian Farmers Federation and the exploration industry.

The landholder tools are at earthresources.vic.gov.au/landaccess.

With increasing interest in carbon abatement in agriculture, the CSIRO has developed a landscape options and opportunities for carbon abatement calculator.

In this webinar, LOOC-C team member Dr Stephen Roxburgh will provide an introduction to this tool and explain some of the background to it.

LOOC-C estimates carbon abatement via an emission factor database, giving producers information to assess potential changes to carbon by undertaking various tree or soil carbon activities on their land.

By visiting https://looc-c.farm/ you can use the map interface to select a potential project area and help start the conversation of carbon abatement options for your farm business.

Webinar presenter Dr Stephen Roxburgh is the LOOC-C program leader for the CSIRO.

Stephen is a recognised leader in terrestrial plant ecology and greenhouse gas accounting, with over 20 years' experience in the field measurement and computer modelling of forest growth and carbon cycling. He currently leads the Natural Capital group within CSIRO.

Webinar, Tuesday 12 October, 12 pm (1 hour)

Register online with Zoom.

BOOKINGS: https://www.trybooking.com/BUDMO

For more information, contact: Michael Moodie on 0448 612 892.

PODCASTS

Fungicide resistance podcast provides regional insights for southern growers

Past seasons have already seen several local examples of fungicide failure from Tasmania to the far west of South Australia, generally linked to a lack of crop and fungicide rotations.

In this podcast, Dr Hugh Wallwork talks about the factors that contribute to fungicide resistance and how fungicide management needs to begin with variety and seed treatment selection before sowing.

Plant available water capacity

In this podcast, many factors affect how much stored soil water is available, including rainfall before and during the growing season, infiltration, evaporation and transpiration. And then there’s plant available water capacity, which is the total amount of water a soil can store and release to a crop, which differs depending on the crop.

The Storm and Flood Recovery Hotline is a single state-wide number that Victorians impacted by the June 2021 storms and floods can call for help or assistance.

Operators can assist you with registering for Clean-Up of structures on private property or accessing your own Recovery Support Worker, mental health and wellbeing support, financial counselling and information on available payments.

The Recovery Hotline is open from 8 am to 7 pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) and 9 am to 1 pm on weekends.

The Partners in Wellbeing Helpline offers free and confidential one-on-one access to wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisors.

Small business owners can call the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330 seven days a week.

Alternately, a live chat function is available on https://www.partnersinwellbeing.org.au/small-business-support

Wellbeing coaches are available from 9am to 10pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm on weekends.

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