• Could digital technology change the way you farm?
• Water reticulation workshops to assist local farmers
• Be aware when purchasing fodder and livestock feed
• Keeping Wimmera livestock disease free
• Webinar: prevention, diagnosis and treatment of calf scours
• Avoiding the impact of Brucellosis and how to get accredited
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies with long-term feeding-out
• GRDC grain storage webinars
• Bee biosecurity checklist for almond polination
• July seasonal climate update
• Skilling the next generation of Victorian farmers
• Drought and dry seasons webinar series
• Energy grants for agriculture
• On-farm emergency water infrastructure rebate scheme
• Look over the farm gate grants
• What's On

A trial to test Internet of Things (IoT) technology on cropping, dairy, horticulture and sheep farms is about to begin in Victoria.

As part of the trial, grants of up to $30,000 will be available to grain growers around Birchip to invest in IoT technology and get down to the nitty-gritty of what works and what doesn’t on their farms.

Network connectivity will be delivered to the trial regions.

To express your interest in participating in the trial go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/digitalag or call 136 186. 

Expressions of interest close on 2 August. 

The East Grampians Rural Pipeline is on its way, and to ensure farmers can reap the benefits of this new infrastructure, Agriculture Victoria will hold farm water reticulation workshops at Ararat, Tatyoon and Willaura next month.

Agriculture Victoria farm water specialist Clem Sturmfels said planning an efficient and effective farm water reticulation system can be a complicated process.

“It is essential to select the correct mix of pipeline components in order to minimise costs and ensure an adequate supply of water is provided to all parts of the farm,” he said.

The workshops have been designed to assist landholders plan effective and reliable water reticulation systems.

“They are primarily aimed at landholders who have expressed interest in joining the East Grampians rural pipeline, however, they are relevant to any landholder interested in upgrading their existing farm water supply,” Mr Sturmfels said.

The workshops will involve a mix of theory and practical exercises and will cover topics such as farm water planning, siting tanks and pipelines, basic hydraulics and pipe friction calculations.

Mr Sturmfels listed the advantages of reticulating farm water supplies as: a significant reduction in losses of water from evaporation; improved quality of stock water; and improved paddock utilisation and productivity.

The workshops will run from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm at Ararat on Monday 12 August, Tatyoon on Wednesday 14 August and Willaura on Friday 16 August. Morning tea and lunch is provided.

Landholders interested in attending should contact Sarah Tottenham from GWMWater on 0409 345 558 or Clem Sturmfels on 0429 018 879.

These workshops are supported by GWMWater and the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Movement of fodder and grain as stockfeed can potentially introduce new weeds into Victoria and poses a serious risk to both our plant and animal industries.

Victorian farmers sourcing fodder or livestock feed from new or different places to help them manage through winter are reminded to observe good biosecurity practices. 

To minimise risk, farmers and land managers can implement some simple actions which could save money, improve environmental values and avoid future stress.

For stockfeed and fodder on-farm, consider the following:

• Check the origin of your hay or grain stockfeed, has it come from a known weed-infested area?
• Ask the supplier for written certification on any potential weed content
• Where possible source locally grown feed to reduce the chance of introducing new weeds that are not already present and known in your locality
• Keep records of purchased hay or grain stock feed: content, location sourced, producer, date purchased, transporter and feed-out area
• Feed-out in a confined area away from drainage lines (stock containment areas) to reduce the likelihood of weeds being spread throughout your property
• Monitor feed-out areas regularly and be suspicious of unfamiliar plants that germinate
• Contact Agriculture Victoria staff for assistance with identification of suspect plants.
• Ensure vehicles are thoroughly cleaned inside and out in designated areas to avoid the spread of weeds onto road reserves and adjacent land after deliveries.

For more information, please contact your local Agriculture Victoria Plant Standards Officer, call 136 186 or go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/plantnotices

By Paul Beltz, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer - South West

Together with the help of producers, Agriculture Victoria animal health staff work to uphold animal health and welfare standards.

The goal is to protect animal and human health, meet community animal welfare expectations, and to ensure markets remain accessible and open.

For markets to remain accessible, we need to continually prove to our trading partners that our animals are free of the devastating diseases found in many other countries.

One of the many ways our animal health staff and programs support producers is through the well-established Victorian Significant Disease Investigation (SDI) program.

The SDI program aims to ensure the early detection of animal diseases that might impact on trade, regional or national productivity, public health, or biodiversity, through subsidising the cost of investigating significant disease events.

For a disease to be considered ‘significant’, one or more of the following criteria must be met:

• Unusual signs of disease, including high numbers of affected or dying animals, or fast spread of the disease;
• An initial investigation by a veterinarian fails to establish a diagnosis including when veterinary treatment does not produce the expected response; or
• There are signs of disease suggesting a possible impact on trade of the viability of a livestock business, industry or region.

This program is not for cases where there is a genuine suspicion of an emergency animal disease, such as anthrax or Hendra virus infection. These will be investigated by Agriculture Victoria staff as a priority.

The Victorian SDI program provides subsidies to:

• Veterinarians for the initial investigation of a significant disease outbreak and, in some cases, follow-up investigations.
• Cattle, sheep, goat and pig owners for costs associated with engaging a veterinarian to undertake a significant disease investigation, establish a diagnosis and provide treatment.

To be eligible for these subsidies the investigation must be undertaken by a private veterinarian and must be approved by an Agriculture Victoria District Veterinary Officer. Where a private veterinarian is unable to attend, Agriculture Victoria staff are available to discuss the case and help to arrange an investigation if a significant disease event is suspected.

More about the Significant Disease Investigation program is available on the Agriculture Victoria website. 

Get a handle on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of calf scours by joining a free phone seminar/webinar at 8pm 25 July.

Calf scours is a common problem across the industry, costing the average producer approximately $37/cow.

Highly regarded farm consultant Graham Lean will lead the one-hour webinar which will include advice on diagnosing scours, effective and timely treatment and simple preventative management steps.

You can join the webinar by registering at: https://login.redbackconferencing.com.au/landers/page/52b86d

To listen to the audio through your phone, please dial 1800 896 323 and enter the passcode 57130136#

If you experience any issues registering, please contact either Darren Hickey or Tess McDougall.

Darren Hickey - e: darren.hickey@ecodev.vic.gov.au or ph: 03 5152 0496
Tess McDougall - e: tess.mcdougall@ecodev.vic.gov.au or ph: 03 5355 0530

Unlike brucellosis in cattle, of which Australia is now officially free, Ovine Brucellosis (OB) is not thought to be a human health concern but it can cause infertility in rams.

At certain times of year, risk of OB is high for many flocks purchasing and introducing rams, as the new rams may carry the bacterial disease.

Agriculture Victoria’s South West District Veterinarian Dr Elle Moyle said OB is typically introduced into a flock by an infected ram.

"The disease subsequently spreads ram to ram or via ewes during joining,” she said.

“The effects of OB can cause reduced lamb marking percentages, an extended lambing period, ill thrift in newborn lambs, and increased culling of rams due to infertility.”

In some cases, OB in a flock may be deceptive and go unrecognised due to other causes of a poor lamb marking percentage.

"However, if a number of rams are infected, OB can lead to a substantial loss in production,” Dr Moyle said.

OB causes inflammation of the epididymis, the tube which transports semen from the testis. This inflammation leads to a complete or partial blockage leaving the ram sterile or subfertile.

One way of diagnosing OB is to check the testis of a ram for swellings. OB can also be diagnosed by a blood test.

“To avoid the adverse effects of OB, the only solution is to eradicate the disease," Dr Moyle said.

"This is achieved with veterinary assistance by palpating and blood testing rams and culling any that are found to be infected.” 

As always prevention is better than cure.

To assist in identifying low risk flocks a voluntary accreditation scheme is in place.

Properties can become OB accredited in consultation with private veterinary practitioners by completing two negative tests of all l rams over six months of age and demonstrating secure boundary fencing.

“When purchasing replacement rams, OB accredited flocks provide the safest option," Dr Moyle said.

"In addition, boundary fencing should be secure to prevent straying from neighbouring properties.”

For further information please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria animal health staff on 136 186.

By Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria District Veterinary Officer

It is important to remember, even if the current dry seasonal conditions wane, many farmers will still be feeding-out to livestock due to the lack of nutritious pastures.

It is essential to provide stock with the minimum nutritional requirements to prevent deficiencies, sub-optimal production, disease and death.

As feeding-out to livestock continues, deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins, particularly vitamins A and E are possible, although it is worth remembering that vitamin A and E deficiency only occurs if green feed has been absent for many months.

Treatment for both vitamin A and E deficiencies are by supplementation via injection or drench but should only be considered if lambs and cattle have been lacking green feed for three to four months, or if adult sheep have been lacking green feed for more than nine months.

Calcium, phosphorous and sodium deficiency are three mineral deficiencies that may also be seen during longer periods of feeding-out.

Calcium deficiency most commonly occurs in diets containing a high proportion of cereal grain. The addition of agricultural limestone mixed with the ration can be an effective form of prevention.

Phosphorus deficiencies occur when diets consist mainly of low-quality roughage for an extended period. The main signs of phosphorus deficiency are shifting lameness, an arched back and difficulty walking.

With extended deficiencies, stock may chew sticks, stones or bones from carcasses in paddocks to gain their phosphorus requirements. This then leads to a significant risk of botulism from the ingestion of bacterial spores in the decomposing tissues attached to bones.

Sodium is a major component of salt. Salt is important for the regulation of many processes in the animal’s body.

Most grains are deficient in sodium, so an addition of salt to diets containing a large proportion of grain, where stock drinking water has a low salt content, is recommended to prevent deficiencies.

The addition of salt to grain diets fed to wethers and rams may also assist in the prevention of bladder stones and urinary blockages by increasing water intake.

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

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has come to the aid of growers interested in learning more about grain storage but lacking the time or ability to get to a workshop.

A series of grain storage webinars is about to be launched, providing growers with convenient, timely and relevant information and advice about all aspects of storing grain on-farm.

One webinar will be held every month for the remainder of 2019 – each being 30 minutes duration and focused on different topics.

The free-of-charge webinars, facilitated by Birchip Cropping Group, will be led by members of the GRDC’s Grain Storage Extension Project team who are keen to ensure growers are extracting the most from their grain storage investments.

Chris Warrick, who co-ordinates the GRDC’s Grain Storage Extension Project, says the webinars are designed to be an easy-to-access source of valuable information to support growers with their storage practices and considerations.

“The webinars are a convenient way of accessing the latest advice without having to leave the farm or office, and offer an opportunity to ask questions of the experts – they will be extremely interactive,” said Mr Warrick, who is also a consultant with Primary Business.

“It is so important to get grain storage right – because if you don’t the consequences can be costly.”

At the first webinar on Tuesday, 16 July the focus was planning for storage. 

Other webinars will be on:

• August 13 – storage hygiene and structural treatments
• September 10 – upgrades to existing storage
• October 8 – grain bags and bunkers
• November 12 – grain protectants
• December 10 – aeration cooling.

To hear from Mr Warwick in person, register for a hands-on workshop hosted by Agriculture Victoria and Wal Wal Lubeck Landcare Group on Monday 29 July. 

Register online at: https://war_on_weevils_lubeck.eventbrite.com.au or phone Tony Fay, Agriculture Victoria, on 0427 347 403 or Peter Taylor, Lubeck Landcare, on 0429 986 721.

For more information and to register for the GRDC webinars, go to http://storedgrain.com.au/event/webinar-planning-storage or contact Amy Harwood via amy.harwood@bcg.org.au or 0456 979 561.

Agriculture Victoria is preparing for the annual almond pollination season with an estimated 150,000 hives set to arrive in North-West Victoria in coming weeks.

Agriculture Victoria Senior Apiary Officer Joe Riordan said such a large movement of bee hives increases biosecurity risks associated with hive to hive transmission of bee pests and diseases, most notably American Foulbrood disease.

“American Foulbrood can spread from an infected hive whether it be weakened or already dead, known as ‘dead outs’, by robber bees who take the infected honey back to their healthy hive,” he said.

Mr Riordan said he wanted to remind beekeepers who are planning to attend pollination that they should complete a four-point checklist before leaving their premises.

“It doesn’t matter if they come from Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales or Queensland, all beekeepers need to ask themselves, have they:

• undertaken an annual honey culture test?
• completed the Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) course?
• inspected their brood for exotic diseases and pests such as Varroa mite?
• acquired the necessary health certificate to enter Victoria if coming from inter-state?

“Undertaking the activities on the checklist will support Agriculture Victoria efforts to ensure best practice management of hives as required by the Australian Bee Biosecurity Code of Practice.”

More honey bee information can be found on the Agriculture Victoria website here http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/bees

Recordings of the recent seasonal climate webinars by Agriculture Victoria’s seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey are now available.

To access these recordings please click on the links below. Each recording is approximately 30 minutes.

Victorian winter climate update - 2019

Held on Monday 15 July at 12 pm 
Recording Password: ClimJuly19
Click here to listen to the recording.

South Australian winter climate update - 2019

Held on Tuesday 16 July at 11.30 am 
Recording Password: SAClimJuly19
Click here to listen to the recording.

Tasmanian winter climate update - 2019

Held on Wednesday 17 July at 12 pm 
Recording Password: TasClimJuly19
Click here to listen to the recording

For more information about these webinars, please email Jemma Pearl at Agriculture Victoria at: jemma.pearl@ecodev.vic.gov.au.

The Victorian Government’s Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships are now open to young farmers looking to access study and training, and then invest on-farm or in further professional development.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes opened the 2019 program during a visit to former scholarship recipient Kate Kirk’s Bass Coast Dairy Farm in Loch and encouraged young famers to apply.

A passionate advocate of animal welfare, Ms Kirk used her scholarship to do an advanced hoof care course and shared her learnings with her employees and other farmers.

She used the financial support to purchase a cattle crush, providing a safe environment to practice hoof husbandry.

Up to $10,000 is available per scholarship – with each recipient eligible for up to $5,000 to support their training and study in areas such as business and risk management, genetics and pasture management development.

Once recipients complete their studies, they will receive further support of up to $5,000 to put their new skills into practice through professional development, business planning or to invest on-farm in equipment.

The Young Farmers Scholarship program has successfully supported 50 young farmers to develop their skills across a range of agriculture sectors since 2015.

The Government works to support Victoria’s next generation of food and fibre leaders through a range of programs including the Young Farmer Business Bootcamps, Young Farmers Business Network and the Young Farmers Advisory Council.

Applications for this year’s round of scholarships are open to farmers aged 35 or under who have been working in farm businesses at least three days a week for the past three months, with at least two years total experience on-farm.

To find out more about the program and to apply for a scholarship, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

The drought and dry seasons phone seminars/webinars which focus on assisting livestock producers manage farms in drought and dry seasonal conditions were recorded and are now available online:

• Establishing a stock containment area
• Farm water supply
• Livestock feeding and nutrition in dry times
• Pasture recovery after rain

The on-farm energy grants are available to eligible farmers until March 2020 or until available funding is exhausted (whichever comes first).

Apply early so you don’t miss out.

Grants will be provided on a ‘dollar-for-dollar’ cash co-contribution basis, and recipients are required to contribute at least 50 per cent of the total cash costs of the project.

Grants are available to eligible farm businesses for projects that achieve energy efficiency or provide the business with energy productivity improvements to support longer-term sustainability.

You will need an on-farm energy assessment, or an equivalent certified on-farm energy assessment conducted in the past two years, to access one of the grants under the Agriculture Investment Energy Plan (AEIP).

Apply for an on-farm energy assessment or an on-farm energy grant online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/agenergy.

Producers are encouraged to access the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme for the purchase and installation of emergency water infrastructure for livestock.

The scheme is available to eligible farm businesses in the following local government areas: Benalla; Campaspe; East Gippsland; Gannawarra; Greater Bendigo; Greater Shepparton; Loddon; Moira; Strathbogie; Swan Hill; Wellington; Northern Grampians; Mildura; Wodonga; Alpine; Hindmarsh; Yarriambiack; Towong; Buloke; Horsham; and Indigo.

Farm businesses outside of the above local government areas can make an application if they can demonstrate a critical water need for livestock resulting from current seasonal conditions. These applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The scheme is available for water infrastructure purchased since 1 July 2018. 

Guidelines and application details can be obtained from Rural Finance at: ruralfinance.com.au

Farmers and communities facing drought and dry conditions across Central and East Gippsland and Northern and North West Victoria should apply now for funding under the Look Over the Farm Gate Program.

Community groups across the impacted areas have already received grants of $1,500 to run events that address mental health and wellbeing.

Look Over the Farm Gate events are an opportunity for farmers to take a break from the farm, reconnect with their community, access professional support and participate in mental health training.

You know what your community needs, so we encourage community groups to think creatively about what single event or series of events would be most effective.

It could be anything from a barbeque and comedy night, regular fitness meet-ups in the park, or a family movie night.

Look Over the Farm Gate is a mental health and wellbeing initiative funded by the Victorian Government and managed by the Victorian Farmers Federation in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Country Women’s Association, Country Fire Authority, and National Centre for Farmer Health.

Applications are still being accepted for events and are assessed on a first in best dressed basis.

For more information about eligibility and how to apply, visit the Look over the Farmgate website or contact the Coordinator at Lookoverthefarmgate@vff.org.au

Agriculture Victoria will host a series of free workshops to help new and existing small-scale pig and poultry producers prepare a land use planning permit application.

Please note: Only attending participants will be eligible for the supporting grants program of up to $3,000 for expenses related to on-farm works, consultancy, or training that supports the preparation of a land use planning permit application.

Workshops will run from 9am to 3pm at locations determined by expressions of interest.

To register your interest in attending a workshop go to Eventbrite at https://agvic-pig-poultry.eventbrite.com.au

For more information please contact  Ann McDowell on 0436 934 343 or ann.mcdowell@ecodev.vic.gov.au

The 142nd Australian Sheep and Wool Show will be held over three days at the Prince of Wales Showground, 42-72 Holmes Road, Bendigo, Victoria.

For full event details please visit https://www.sheepshow.com

Next week, Grampians region residents are invited to take the second step on ‘A Climate Journey’.

Following the Bureau of Meteorology's May presentation about the past climate and how it has changed, at this forum, CSIRO’s Regional Projections Research Team Leader John Clarke will share information about the cutting-edge science being used to inform our understanding of what to expect in the future.

Forums will be held in Horsham on 24 July and in Ballarat on 25 July. You can also stream the event live via Zoom.

To attend, or register to stream visit: http://bit.ly/AClimateJourneySeries

Celebrating its 13th year, Innovation Generation has been hosted in six states and territories across Australia and attracted more than 1800 young agricultural enthusiasts.

This event will be at Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre on July 22-24.

If you are 18 to 40 and working in the agriculture industry, Innovation Generation is the one conference you can’t afford to miss.

Bringing together award-winning speakers, innovators and industry professionals from across the sector, you will be inspired, challenged and will strengthen your network.

To register go to https://www.innovationgeneration.com.au

Agriculture Victoria will again be at Speed for this year’s Mallee Machinery Field Days.

A wide range of timely information for grain and livestock farmers will be a cornerstone of the Agriculture Victoria site at next month’s Mallee Machinery Field Days near Speed.

Health checks will also be available this year, with a team of agri-health professionals from the National Centre for Farmer Health offering field day goers an opportunity to check on their number one asset – their health. 

More details coming soon, so watch this space.

Sheepvention, one of the largest farming events held in Victoria, will commence on Sunday, 4 until Tuesday, 6 August at the Hamilton Showgrounds.

Sheepvention brings together farming, competition, entertainment and fashion, with a bit of local produce thrown into the mix.

Visit the Agriculture Victoria at sites 76 and 77, 87 - 90.

For full event details please visit http://www.hamiltonshowgrounds.com.au

Sheep producers are being urged to submit worm samples for an Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) research trial to validate a more sensitive worm test.

They are asked to collect dung samples from a mob of wormy sheep on the day of drenching, then again 14 days after the drench.

Producers who submit worm samples will receive the results from the traditional faecal egg count (FEC) test for free, saving them hundreds of dollars.

For more information contact admin@dawbuts.com or call (02) 4655 6464.

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