• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Fox and wild bounty collection suspended
• Heads-up on the skills of farming from the air
• Enterotoxaemia – vaccination is key
• New technology to strengthen pet register
• Farm business planning – leasing land
• Rural crime: the focus on new Crime Stoppers podcast
• Report suspect Ehrlichiosis infections
• 2021 Victorian Rural Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Program – apply now
• 2021 Science and Planning Graduate Program
• Free biosecurity course for Aussie beekeepers
• Atlas of Living Australia Train-the-Trainer course
• GrazFert Program: nutrient planning for farmers – registrations now open
• On-farm digital technology audits
• Gardiner Foundation Nuffield Scholarships
• Young Farmer Business Network
• Primary producers bushfire support programs
• Drought and dry seasons support services and information
• What's on – upcoming webinars

Stage 3 restrictions for regional Victoria

From 11:59 pm on Wednesday 5 August, regional Victoria has returned to Stage 3 restrictions.

There are four reasons that you can leave home:

• Shopping for food or other essential items
• To provide care giving, for compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment
• For exercise (applies to outdoor exercise, and with only one other person or members of your household)
• Work or study, if you cannot work or study from home.

Otherwise, you must stay home.

From Wednesday 22 July, when you leave home you must wear a mask or face covering.

Stage 4 restrictions for Melbourne

For Melbourne, curfews are in operation from 8pm to 5am every evening. People are only allowed to leave their house for work and essential health, care or safety reasons.

Outside of these hours, you are only allowed to leave your house for one of the following four reasons:

• To purchase food and necessary supplies. This must be done within a 5km radius from where you live. Only 1 person per household can leave for essential goods, and only once per day. For some people the nearest goods and services will be more than 5km away. In this situation you may travel beyond 5km to the nearest provider. If you are unable to leave home because it would mean leaving a young child or at-risk person at home unattended, then they may accompany you.
• Exercise once a day for up to 1 hour within a 5km radius of your home. Gathering sizes will be limited to 2. If you are unable to leave home because it would mean leaving a young child or at-risk person at home unattended, then they may accompany you.
• For care and health care including accompanying someone for essential medical care if you are a carer, guardian or necessary support person. The 5km limit does not apply to care or caregiving.
• Work. Study at TAFE and university must be done remotely. The 5km limit does not apply to work.

For the latest information on restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), visit the Department of Health and Human Services website.

COVID Safe Plans mandatory for every operational business in Victoria

Every workplace still operating in Victoria has until 11:59 pm Friday 7 August to put in place a COVID Safe Plan focused on safety, prevention and response in the event that coronavirus (COVID-19) is linked to the workplace.

This applies to every workplace throughout Victoria except those with fewer than five employees.

Templates and guidance material to create a COVID Safe Plan are available on the Business Victoria website.

In line with updated Victorian Government restrictions, all fox and wild dog bounty collection events have been suspended until further notice.

The collection schedule will be reviewed in line with the Victorian Chief Health Officer’s advice and will resume accordingly.

Hunters are encouraged to keep collecting fox scalps and wild dog parts on their properties.

These pieces can be frozen or dried and submitted for reward when the fox and wild bounty collection schedule resumes.

Check the Agriculture Victoria website for bounty updates.

Steep hills and slopes provide a challenge to farmers in terms of access, rehabilitation, productivity and managing livestock access, particularly in wet seasons.

Regular access with machinery may not be possible, in which case some farmers might turn to the sky for an alternative way to manage the land, with the use of helicopters and even drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV’s).  

Agriculture Victoria Extension Officer Greg Ferrier says it’s an approach that might help solve a variety of issues for farmers.

“It’s all about exploring options for managing steep hills when seasonal conditions make this more challenging,” Mr Ferrier said.

“It can be useful for livestock producers with pasture restoration and weed management, for applying fertilisers or the re-establishment of native grasses.”

To provide an insight into aerial agriculture and its applications, Agriculture Victoria his holding a special webinar – Aerial Agriculture – hosted by Agriculture Victoria, along with aerial land management specialists and a livestock producer on Wednesday August 12, at 7pm.

Presenters include agronomist Graham Martin from AgMate in Corryong, helicopter pilot Hugh Acton-Adams from Rotor Solutions Australia in Albury, drone operator Garth Short from Hunter Precision Agriculture.

Together, they’ll discuss what makes aerial weed management and seeding appropriate for steep country, and what farmers need to consider to improve long-term success.

Beef producer Rob Bulle from Ardrossan Angus at Talmalmo, northeast of Albury, will also join the panel to share his experiences in managing steep slopes using aerial agriculture.

Details

Aerial Agriculture Webinar
Wednesday, 12 August 2020
At 7pm – 8pm
Connect (by internet or phone) through the link provided after registering.

To register, visit
https://aerial_agriculture.eventbrite.com.au

For further information, contact Greg Ferrier, Agriculture Victoria on 0438 738 634
or greg.ferrier@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Dr Jeff Cave, District Veterinary Officer

Spring is approaching. Unfortunately, spring-like conditions can sometimes result in livestock health issues.

With abundant spring growth, losses due to enterotoxaemia may be more likely.

Enterotoxaemia is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium bacteria. These bacteria are found in the bowel of normal, healthy cattle and sheep.

Enterotoxaemia can occur when a large amount of readily fermentable feed is present in the bowel, leading to these bacteria multiplying rapidly and producing a lethal amount of toxin.

Due to the rapid progression of the disease, an animal affected by enterotoxaemia will typically be found dead in the paddock.

On post-mortem, rapid decomposition of the carcass is seen.

Young stock up to two years of age, and that are in good condition, are most commonly affected; however deaths may also occur in older livestock.

Little can be done to treat an animal already affected by enterotoxaemia, and so the emphasis must be on preventing this condition.

The key to prevention is to ensure all your livestock are adequately protected through vaccination.

As with any vaccination program, adult cows and ewes should be vaccinated approximately one month prior to giving birth, to give their calves and lambs maternal or passive immunity through colostrum.

Passive immunity lasts approximately six weeks, after which calves and lambs need to be vaccinated twice, with an interval of about four to six weeks (refer to manufacturer’s directions).

Most vaccines provide around 12 months of protection and should therefore be given annually.

A feature of the enterotoxaemia vaccine is that the duration of immunity that it provides may be quite short. It may only give three or four months of protection.

Therefore, it is important for each livestock owner to consider the most effective times to vaccinate their herds or flocks. This may include a booster dose given before high-risk periods such as the beginning of spring.

For further advice please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary officer or animal health officer.

Victorians looking for a new furry friend for their home can be more confident of where their pet has come from, thanks to new technology improving the Victorian Government’s Pet Exchange Register.

The Victorian Government has made Application Programming Interface (API) technology available to classifieds websites, enabling them to automatically verify whether a source number is genuine and valid, before publishing an advertisement.

Websites that employ the technology will only allow a valid source number to be published, building on their legal obligation – introduced as part of the Victorian Government’s landmark laws to crack down on puppy farms – to ensure that a source number is listed in every advertisement offering a dog or cat for sale or give-away.

Like the street address verification technology used by hundreds of websites, the new Pet Exchange Register API is yet another tool to crack down on illegal puppy farms and kitten breeders and break their business model.

This complements a new requirement that dogs and cats born after 1 July 2020 must have the source number of their breeder – or the source number of the council pound, animal shelter or foster carer that owns the animal – included on their microchip application form.

This enables our beloved pets to be traced throughout their lifetime.

If you advertise a puppy, kitten, dog or cat for sale or to give away in Victoria, a source number from the Pet Exchange Register is needed.

This number must be displayed on all advertisements, along with each individual animal’s microchip number.

Since the launch of the Pet Exchange Register just over 12 months ago, Animal Welfare Victoria has issued over 11,000 source numbers and has recently introduced a new user category for rescue organisations and community foster care networks who self-enrol on the Pet Exchange Register.

Acknowledging the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, the Government has also waived the annual fee to enrol or renew on the Pet Exchange Register until 1 July 2021.

Before purchasing a dog or cat, Victorians should check the source number listed in the advertisement and report any non-compliant advertisements by visiting per.animalwelfare.vic.gov.au.

Adriana Robaina, Farm Business Economist, Agriculture Victoria

Handing over land for someone else to manage can be a worry for some property owners. All that work you put into land management and development, including fencing, can lead to concerns about how well your asset will be looked after.

Risks also exist for the lessee. While everyone involved in the leasing arrangement might start with the best of intentions, circumstances can change and unplanned events can occur, suddenly resulting in assumptions and expectations that differ.

An On-Farm Drought Resilience Grant is available to support property owners to develop a lease agreement, including the cost of lawyers, accountants or other advisors.

These professional services can assist with a legal lease agreement that protects the interests of both parties, including facilitating discussions that achieve a clear understanding of how issues will be resolved and who is responsible for what.
Items to consider include:

• The term of the lease
• Who is responsible for repairs or maintenance and how this will be organised
• What type of repairs will be considered urgent and how they will be dealt with in a timely manner
• Requirements for minimal fertiliser or lime applications, and how this will be demonstrated
• Any pasture resowing, how often and who will be responsible for this
• Limits on stocking rates
• Any restrictions on sub-letting or agistment.

Each party needs to seek advice and confirmation about legal obligations, what insurance they might need and any other issues that may raise doubts. For example, is roadside grazing of livestock permitted?

Then of course there’s the big question of negotiating the cost of the lease, and how any cost sharing might influence the final price.

Other questions include does the lease include an option to buy the land at the end? And what happens if the land is sold during the term of the lease?

The On-Farm Drought Resilience Grant has increased from $5,000 to $10,000 to boost farmers’ access to professional services while still enabling them to invest in drought preparedness infrastructure.

Eligible farm businesses in Central and East Gippsland can now apply for:

• Up to $5,000 for business decision-making activities (with no co-contribution required)
• Up to $5,000 for infrastructure investments (with at least 50 per cent co-contribution required)

Eligible business decision-making activities are those that will help farmers make decisions about how to manage drought conditions, reposition the farm business, improve on-farm practices or make a significant farm business change. 

Apply soon to avoid missing out, this grant will close on 28 August 2020.

For more information about the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grant and to apply, contact Rural Finance on 1800 260 425 or visit ruralfinance.com.au

For more information about available drought support visit
agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

Crime Stoppers Victoria have released a two-episode podcast series focusing on rural crime in Victoria.

The podcast, ‘Rural Crime – Intentions, Prevention and Detection’, highlights the impact of crime taking place on farms across regional Victoria and why it is important for farm owners to reassess their attitude towards safety and crime prevention in local communities.

The podcast shares stories from farmers previously targeted in rural crime and discusses the larger role that local communities can play to help prevent farm crime from happening in their areas.

The first episode features an in-depth discussion with Dr. Alistair Harkness, a rural criminologist, and senior lecturer at the University of New England.

The second episode features a group forum with Wimmera farmers, Sam Eagle and Bruce Crafter, and Victorian Farmers Federation President David Jochinke.

Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive Stella Smith said the podcast progresses the organisation’s spotlight on rural crime following its Locals Get Vocal campaign launch at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days in March this year that targeted criminal activity on Victorian farms.

“Rural crime is an issue prevalent across regional Victoria and the targeting of farms by criminals is a matter of concern.

"The expertise provided by Dr. Harkness, David Jochinke, Sam Eagle and Bruce Crafter will provide our listeners, be it farmers or the general public, with information to help protect their properties from criminals and be aware of red flags that may indicate criminal activity being conducted at a rural property.” she said.

“Crime Stoppers relies on the help of the community for all types of crime and in the case of rural crime, which happens in such remote settings, community assistance is integral.

"People can report any information they know to Crime Stoppers confidentially, they don’t need to say who they are, and they can report online or call us on 1800 333 000.”

The podcast is available at the following link on the Crime Stoppers Victoria website: https://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/crime-stoppers-victoria-podcast-series/

It is also available on all podcast playing services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Victorian vets should be aware cases of the disease Ehrlichiosis were recently confirmed in dogs in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

This is the first time an Ehrlichiosis infection has been confirmed in Australia in dogs that weren’t imported. The disease is caused by bacteria that are only transmitted through bites from infected ticks.

Be aware of the symptoms of the disease the disease and report if you suspect infection.

Ehrlichiosis is a nationally notifiable disease. For suspected cases call the national Emergency Animal Disease Watch hotline on 1800 675 888 or report through the Notify Now smartphone app.

Find out more at www.outbreak.gov.au/current-responses-to-outbreaks/ehrlichiosis-dogs

Do you want to improve your leadership skills?

The Victorian Rural Women’s Network (the Network) offers funded places for eligible Victorian-based rural women on highly regarded leadership and mentoring programs.

Funded places are available to Victorian-based rural women who are connected to agriculture or the agriculture supply chain.

• The Observership Program (six funded places in 2021)
• Regional Leadership (four funded places in 2021)
• Leadership Victoria (four funded places in 2021).

More information about the program and the application process is available online at the Victorian Rural Women’s Network. 

Applications for the 2021 Science and Planning Graduate Program are now open.

The development program is open to recent graduates with science-based qualifications including, environmental science, agricultural science, natural resource management and planning.

A unique learning opportunity for graduates, the two-year training program allows for rotating placements across regional and metro Victoria. Mixing field and policy work, research and community engagement, the program has supported more than 250 participants over the last 20 years.

Visit the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions website for more information: djpr.vic.gov.au/about-us/careers/employment-programs/science-graduate-program

On successful completion of the course you receive a certificate which demonstrates compliance with the Australian Honey Bee Biosecurity Code of Practice.

Completing an approved pest and disease management course is a requirement of the Code for all beekeepers with 50 or more hives and this course is one way to meet that requirement.

Beekeepers can also speak to their local Bee Biosecurity Officer about alternative options.

The Biosecurity for Beekeepers course is delivered by PHA through funding from state and territory governments and AHBIC. The original development of the course was funded by AgriFutures Australia.

For information on how to register for the course visit beeaware.org.au/training

Please direct enquires to media@phau.com.au.

The much anticipated Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and BioCollect training will now be delivered via a series of free webinars.

When:                Second week of August to third week of September 2020
Format:              Four on-line webinars. There will be several options to attend all modules
Facilitators:       Peter Brenton and Matilda Stevenson from the CSIRO.

The training is being provided in an interactive train-the-trainer format and is not being offered to everyone in the first instance. The expectation is for people trained in these sessions to deliver training and user support within their local communities.

Selection criteria

Preference will be given according to the following criteria:

a) Occupy a volunteer or professional role which would enable them to deliver training to community members

b) Have the capacity to deliver training and provide support to community members within areas of Victoria affected by serrated tussock or gorse

c) Have at least a basic to moderate experience in computers and web-based applications.

Course outline

Module duration date and time

1 – Preparation and Overview  2 hr 00 min TBA
2 – Creating Projects and Surveys 2 hr 45 min TBA
3 – Sites, Data and Membership 2 hr 45 min TBA
4 – Everything else 2 hr 45 min TBA

Application form

If you would like to take part please follow the link to complete the application https://forms.gle/oCvHQC5e6SZuxfPCA

Further opportunities

Once the initial train-the-trainer course is complete, participants can apply for a $500 grant to assist in delivering an on-ground training workshop in their community.

About Atlas of Living Australia and BioCollect

The Atlas of Living Australia is Australia’s national biodiversity database and  is the largest mapping database of invasive species in Australia. BioCollect is a field data collection tool in which users can freely set up and collect data for their own projects, as well as enabling data to be easily copied into the ALA and be made accessible to others who need to use it.

This project is coordinated by the Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP) with support from the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT).

GrazFert is a farm nutrient management program that enables livestock farmers to make better fertiliser decisions.

The program is available to farmers in the Benambra, Dinner Plain and Omeo districts.

It provides an opportunity for farmers to access independent support and advice to optimise their soil management with information on interpreting soil tests, minimising nutrient losses, reducing soil acidity and maximising the economic returns from fertiliser and lime inputs.

What's involved?

• Farm visit to collect two soil samples to assess a range of soil parameters including nutrients, pH and cation-exchange capacity
• Attendance at two local workshops focused on soil test interpretation and nutrient budgeting
• Preparation of a nutrient management plan by Agriculture Victoria staff.

To learn more about the GrazFert program, check out the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qr7N_UYTsw

Cost:

• $150 for each farm business (maximum of 12 farm businesses/program).

Dates:

• Soil sampling – commences late August 
• Workshop 1: Soil test interpretation – October 
• Workshop 2: Nutrient budgeting – December.

Location:

• Local workshop venue to be confirmed.

Registrations:

Please register your interest by Friday 21 August by contacting Ian Gamble, Agriculture Victoria, Rutherglen on 0437 362 620 or email ian.gamble@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

This project is supported by North East CMA, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare program and Agriculture Victoria.

An opportunity exists to participate in an on-farm digital technology audit conducted by phone by Agriculture Victoria, to understand the technology you already have available on-farm and how you can improve its efficiency.

Participants will be asked to identify what type of internet connectivity they have, where they have access to WiFi and how they use technology on their farm.

Participants will have time to prepare for the audit and will receive a property map and report of results.

REGISTRATION

To register for the audit please book a time at https://bit.ly/2VbBXBK

Contact: If you need help registering or would like more information please contact Andy Clark at Agriculture Victoria, on 0436 804 656 or andy.clark@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information about drought and dry seasonal conditions support call 136 186 or visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons

Preference will be given to participants from Central and East Gippsland, the GMID and the Millewa region of North-West Victoria.

Applications are now open for the Nuffield Farming Scholarship for a Victorian dairy farmer.

The scholarship, sponsored by the Gardiner Dairy Foundation and Nuffield Australia, provides a chance for the successful applicant to travel and investigate their field of interest. It is open to applicants between the age of 28–45 years.

Further details on the program is available at on the Gardiner Foundation website. Applications close on 11 September.

Information on the full 2021 Nuffield Scholarship Program is available at https://www.nuffield.com.au/

Young Farmers of Victoria – this is your network to talk about farm business management with other like-minded young farmers through social media, articles, online and face to face forums.

Click here to join and learn more about the Young Farmer Business Network Facebook group.

Producers in fire-affected regions can access up to three free one-on-one Back to Business sessions with a local farm management consultant to help put their business back on track.

All red-meat producers, including sheep, cattle and goat, who have been affected by the recent bushfires are eligible to apply.

The Back to Business program in Victoria is being coordinated by Agriculture Victoria. For more information or to register, contact:

• Lyndon Kubeil on 0418 532 085 or at lyndon.kubeil@agriculture.vic.gov.au
• Jo Cameron on 0419 832 704 or at jo.cameron@agriculture.vic.gov.au
• MLA at backtobusiness@mla.com.au

Online registration is also available here.

For more info visit mla.com.au/bushfire-recovery.

The new $10,000 Small Business Bushfire Support Grants are open.

• it's easy to apply
• you aren't required to upload any financial documents if you don't have them right now
• you can apply if your business was indirectly affected by the bushfires.

The grant is available for small businesses and primary producers in East Gippsland, Towong, Alpine, Indigo, Wangaratta, Mansfield and Wellington shires who have experienced significant income loss as a result of this season’s bushfires.

Find out more at www.vic.gov.au/bushfire-recovery-victoria

Concessional loans of up to $500,000 are available to support small business, primary producers and non-profit organisations impacted by the Victorian bushfires that began on 21 November 2019.

The loans are for restoring and/or replacing damaged assets and/or to meet working capital expenses.

They are available for eligible wine grape growers in Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga.

For further information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

Grants of up to $75,000 to assist primary producers directly affected by the 2019–2020 bushfire with recovery costs. Eligible activities include rebuilding or replacing damaged or destroyed on-farm infrastructure, including fencing and trellises.

Wine grape growers who are located in eligible fire affected local government areas and have had crops affected by smoke taint may be able to claim for costs associated with the salvage, harvest and disposal of the smoke taint affected crops. Where no fire has occurred on the property, evidence of smoke impact, such as smoke taint testing results are required.

Available in eligible fire affected local government areas across Victoria. In the areas of Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga, and the alpine areas of Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Mount Stirling.

For further information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

The Victorian Government’s Household Financial Relief Program delivered by the CWA and the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grant  all close on 28 August 2020 or until program funds are fully expended.

The CWA of Victoria’s Household Financial Relief Program has been provided a funding boost by the Victorian Government for the provision of household financial relief

The program can provide up to $3000 to eligible farming families, farm workers and farm dependent contractors to reimburse them for household expenses like school costs, utilities, food and medical bills.

This program will remain open until 28 August 2020 or until program funds are fully expended.

For more about the program and other available drought support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

For anyone seeking a copy of the application form or requiring assistance to complete the application, please contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or email the CWA on drought@cwaofvic.org.au

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority received funding for the Drought Employment Program from the Victorian Government last October.

The program provides off-farm employment training for farmers, farm workers and individuals affected by drought and dry seasonal conditions to expand or obtain transferable employment skills.

For further information:

Phone East Gippsland CMA on (03) 5152 0600

Email egcma@egcma.com.au

Visit workways.com.au and search for Gippsland drought employment

The maximum value of the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grants has increased from $5,000 to $10,000 to boost farmers’ access to professional services whilst still enabling farmers to invest in drought preparedness infrastructure.

Eligible farm businesses can now apply for:

• up to $5000 for business decision making activities (with no-contribution required)
• up to $5000 for infrastructure investments (with at least 50 per cent co-contribution required).

There are three new eligible infrastructure investments under the resilience grants:

• technologies to improve mobile phone connectivity
• weed control (e.g. purchase of registered herbicide)
• soil moisture probes (as an explicit investment under soil moisture monitoring activities).

Farmers in drought-affected areas of East Gippsland and Wellington shires also impacted by the bushfires can reapply for the grant where previously funded investments through the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grants, Pasture Recovery and Management Grants or the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grants were destroyed or damaged.

This program will remain open until 28 August 2020 or until program funds are fully expended.

For more information and to access the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grants program, call Rural Finance on 1800 260 425 or visit ruralfinance.com.au.

Farmers are encouraged to apply early to ensure they do not miss out on funding.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to the Agriculture Events page to find out what's on.

Topics to be covered include:

• What do we measure in a soil test and why do we measure it?
• What are the ideal ranges for different soil attributes such as Phosphorus, Potassium and Sulphur?
• Why is soil pH important?
• How can I start to improve my soil health and productivity using the information in my soil test?

To join the webinar enter https://bit.ly/2WYgPji in your browser or call (02) 9037 0069 and enter the access code 166 925 1586.

Please register by Friday 7 August 2020 by contacting John Commins at john.commins@agriculture.vic.gov.au or on 0427 595 153.

This project is supported by the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Agriculture Victoria is hosting a series of webinars to assist landholders in relation to fire recovery and drought support in Central and East Gippsland.

There will be time for questions and discussion at each session.

Questions or photos of issues can be submitted prior to the session by emailing keren.walker@agriculture.vic.gov.au or by calling Keren Walker on 0477 706 384.

For more information about drought and dry seasonal conditions support call 136 186 or visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons

This project is supported by the Victorian Government's 2019–20 Drought Support Package.

Presenters include agronomist Graham Martin, helicopter pilot Hugh Acton-Adams, drone operator Garth Short and beef producer Rob Bulle.

REGISTRATION

Register online at: https://aerial_agriculture.eventbrite.com.au

Details for joining the session (online or phone) will be provided via email after registering.

A recording of this event will be available afterwards.

For further information, contact Greg Ferrier, Agriculture Victoria on 0438 738 634 or greg.ferrier@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria’s beef and sheep networks’ winter/spring webinar series is on again with expert presenters helping farmers answer all the challenging questions to get them through the next few months.

Want to know more about improving your digital literacy and connectivity? Need confidence to access technology to improve your on-farm decision making?

CONNECTIVITY WEBINARS

Join extensionAUS and Agriculture Victoria for a series of webinars which will provide a unique opportunity for you to address on-farm connectivity issues and help you to understand available digital technology – how to measure it and how to make it work as best as possible for you and your business.

Remaining webinar in the series:

Webinar 4 – Online networking to better communicate on-farm and service farm businesses

Tuesday 11 August
1.30 – 2.30 pm

Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84433966881

Contact: If you need help registering please contact Gavin Beever, Cumbre Consultants on 0438 234 886 or gavin@cumbre.com.au

This project is supported by the Victorian Government's 2019–20 Drought Support Package.

Preference will be given to participants from Central and East Gippsland, the GMID and the Millewa region of North-West Victoria.

The Grassland Society of Southern Australia is running its 61st Annual Conference – Growing with grasslands.

DATE: 22 July – 19 August

TIME: 7.30 – 9.30 pm AEST

We invite you to join us for the 61st Annual Conference – and our first ever virtual conference. It will take place online via Zoom from 7.30 – 9.30 pm AEST every Wednesday evening for five weeks.

Find out more at www.grasslands.org.au

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