• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Fox and wild dog bounty collection suspended
• Enterotoxaemia – vaccination is key
• Managing stonefruit quality for export
• New technology to strengthen pet register
• Rural crime: the focus on new Crime Stoppers podcast
• Phone in on Tuesdays for North East farming advice
• 2021 Victorian Rural Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Program – apply now
• Heads-up on the skills of farming from the air
• 2021 Science and Planning Graduate Program
• Atlas of Living Australia train-the-trainer course
• GrazFert Program: nutrient planning for farmers – registrations now open
• Free biosecurity course for Aussie beekeepers
• 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.

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.

Agriculture Victoria research and development of a new tool to predict stonefruit quality before it reaches its export destination will be a highlight of an upcoming summerfruit webinar series.

Agriculture Victoria research scientist John Lopresti said the 'Managing fruit quality for export' webinar series would include a presentation of the new tool designed to predict the likely quality of fruit received by overseas importers subjected to different cool chain variables.

“The aim of this research is to increase the value and profitability of Victoria’s horticultural exports by improving the ‘freshness, consistency and reputation’ of our horticulture exports into Asia,” he said.

“We’ve put the series together exclusively for summerfruit growers and exporters – anyone with an interest in the industry,” Mr Lopresti said.

In 2018/19, with more than 22,000 tonnes exported, the overall value of Victoria’s stonefruit trade was worth $88.68 million (IHS Global Trade Atlas 2019).

'The Stonefruit cultivar performance during cool storage and predicting quality during export' webinar will be the first of four beginning on 19 August containing the latest research on supply chain innovation from Agriculture Victoria and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland.

Register via ZOOM at: https://bit.ly/302T4IE

All webinars will be recorded and made available at http://www.hin.com.au/networks/profitable-stonefruit-research

More information about the summerfruit industry webinar series is below in What's On.

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.

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.

A new weekly phone hook-up, The Corner Post, gives farmers in the North East the opportunity to discuss local farm management issues and agricultural recovery with technical specialists.

The Corner Post sessions will run for about 30 minutes on Tuesday nights from 7.30 pm, and will be held via phone hook-ups, making it easy and accessible for farmers across the region.

Dates and issues covered include:

• 11 August:  Beef market outlook with Simon Quilty, Market Analyst, Global Agri Trends
• 18 August: Business and financial planning with Jim Moll, Rural Financial Counsellor, Agbiz Assist
• 25 August: Season outlook with Graeme Anderson, Specialist, Climate Capability, Agriculture Victoria.

When and how:

Tuesdays, 7.30 – 8 pm (or longer, depending on discussions)
Call (02) 9037 0069 Use PIN code 166 131 8057. Followed by ## to join.

For more information, contact Agriculture Recovery Manager Kylie Macreadie at kylie.macreadie@agriculture.vic.gov.au or call 0428 975 728.

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.

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, north-east 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 

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

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

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.

This program is available to farmers in the Boorhaman, Springhurst, Rutherglen, Chiltern and Indigo Valley 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.

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

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

This project is supported by the 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.

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 the 2019–20 bushfires.

Eligible activities include meeting standard business costs, seeking financial advice, adjusting the business to be viable in the changed local context following bushfire and improvements to make the business more resilient to future disasters.

The grants are available to eligible small businesses that have suffered a decline in revenue of 40 per cent or more in a relevant three-month period.

Businesses can apply for this grant in addition to other bushfire grants.

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

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 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).

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 agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

This webinar is an online presentation which allow you to ask questions.

It will be recorded, so if you miss the live presentation you can watch it later at a time that suits you.

Register online at the Agriculture Victoria website events page.

Four webinars on 'Managing fruit quality for export' are to be held 19 ad 26 August and 2 and 9 September.

These online webinar events will be run as ZOOM meetings. You will need access to a computer and the internet.

All webinars will be recorded and made available at http://www.hin.com.au/networks/profitable-stonefruit-research

WEBINAR SERIES DETAILS

Wednesday 19 August

Stone fruit cultivar performance during cool storage and predicting quality during export John Lopresti, Researcher, Agriculture Victoria

• TIME: 3 – 4 pm (VIC, NSW, QLD), 2.30 pm (SA), 1 pm (WA).
• Please register via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pv_UurKeS6KSYbNCvy3h0g

Wednesday 26 August

Using real-time data loggers and dashboards Glenn Hale, Researcher, Agriculture Victoria

• TIME: 3 – 4 pm (VIC, NSW, QLD), 2.30 pm (SA), 1 pm (WA)
• Please register via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d3YrVXiwSwiUol8SVpjo8g

Wednesday 2 September

Delayed cooling after harvest reduces storage disorders in white nectarine and peach John Lopresti, Researcher, Agriculture Victoria

• TIME: 3 – 4 pm (VIC, NSW, QLD), 2.30 pm (SA), 1 pm (WA)
• Please register via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_i0avv4_eTxyJpYqAnLVHGQ

Wednesday 9 September

Are the fruit on your trees really ready to pick? Christine Frisina, Researcher, Agriculture Victoria

• TIME: 3 – 4 pm (VIC, NSW, QLD), 2.30 pm (SA), 1 pm (WA)
• Please register via ZOOM at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0PKfceYeSsy6SbV5N8SF6Q

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 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.

Social Media Panel Discussion: Dairy Businesses

Learn how to use social media to promote your dairy business, connect to your customers and build a positive industry brand.

Date and time:

• Thursday 13 August
• 7.30 – 8.30 pm.

Featuring:

• Sallie Jones, co-founder of Gippsland Jersey
• Declan Patten, founder of Lightning Ridge Genetics
• Jayne Newgreen, co-founder of Provenir.

Register now: https://bit.ly/socialmedia4dairybusiness

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.

Webinar 1: Animal health and nutrition (13 August, 12.30 –1.30 pm)

• Learn more about animal nutrition, trace mineral deficiencies, winter/early spring feed budgeting and livestock health issues to watch out for.
• Presented by Dr Jeff Cave, District Veterinary Officer and Nick Linden, Sheep Industry Development Officer.
• Register at – www.eventbrite.com.au/e/113841172010

Webinar 2: Fodder conservation (3 September, 12.30 – 1.30 pm)

• This webinar will explore questions such as how much is conserving fodder really costing me? How much of my farm should I cut and how can I produce high quality hay and silage this spring?
• Presented by Michele Jolliffe, Dairy Extension Officer and Claire Waterman Farm Business Economist.
• Register at – www.eventbrite.com.au/e/113841535096

Webinar 3: Spring pasture (17 September, 12.30 – 1.30 pm)

• Discussion will focus on what nutrients need to be replaced after fodder conservation, the importance of tillering and key grazing management practices for a successful spring.
• Presented by Fiona Baker, Beef Extension Officer.
• Register at – www.eventbrite.com.au/e/113841709618

For further information or if you have trouble registering contact Tess McDougall 0409 841 492 or tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

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

DATE: Wednesday evenings until 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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