• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Hay disease remains a risk for Victorian growers
• Farmer wants a bookkeeper
• Victorian scientists selected for national leadership program
• New generation takes to online whole farm planning
• Webinar with Vic Ag minister Mary-Anne Thomas
• The Fast Break newsletter is out now 
• Apply for Livestock Biosecurity Grants
• Rural and regional journalism and photography awards
• The Victorian Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy
• Soil moisture monitoring newsletter is out now 
• AgVic Talk podcast season two puts the focus on community
• Fox and wild dog bounty collections resume in Victoria
• Latest podcast episodes
• What's on?

The Victorian Government has announced the lockdown will be lifted state-wide from 11:59pm Tuesday 27 July.

Changes have also been made to tighten Victoria’s cross-border bubble with NSW. The City of Wagga Wagga, Hay Shire Council, Lockhart Shire Council and Murrumbidgee Council will no longer be included in the cross border bubble.

These local government areas will be included under the Extreme Risk Zone from 11:59pm Tuesday 27 July, in line with the rest of NSW, and residents will need a Specified Worker Permit, transit permit, or an exemption to enter Victoria.

For information about the travel permit system visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

A new jointly funded package from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments has been announced, giving Victorian small and medium businesses the extra support to recover from the recent lockdown.

See the joint Statement from the Prime Minister and Premier for details.

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

Oaten hay growers are being warned to keep an eye out for red leather leaf with recent wet weather providing the ideal environment for the common foliar disease to flourish.

Red leather leaf (RLL) is the most common foliar disease of oats in the medium and high rainfall zones of south-eastern Australia, causing yield losses of 10–22 per cent, in susceptible varieties. These losses are due to reduced biomass and stem thickness.

But many growers do not realise the scale to which RLL can infiltrate crops or the damage it can inflict.

Agriculture Victoria cereal pathologist and National Hay Agronomy (NHA) trial member Hari Dadu said dry weather reduces the amount of disease, but it does not take long to re-emerge following wet weather.

“Even though this season had a late break, the disease can develop quickly, especially for those who grow oats on oats, as the disease is already there on the stubble residue,” he said.

“Last year, the disease was present in many crops in June, it developed slowly in July due to below average rainfall and once August came, and it rained again, the disease built up very quickly and up to 100 per cent of leaves were infected in experiments at Horsham and Inverleigh.”

Close rotation of oats increases the risk of loss due to RLL, as the disease is carried over on stubble.

Supported by the AgriFutures Export Fodder Program, the NHA research in Victoria last year, revealed RLL was the most common foliar disease of oats – visible in 80 per cent of crops. Bacterial blight was the next most prevalent, found in 55 per cent of crops.

The most severe case of RLL resulted in a hay yield loss of up to 22 per cent at the higher rainfall trial at Inverleigh. This demonstrated how damaging RLL could be, especially in wetter environments.

Dr Dadu also noted that every 10 per cent increment in infection may result in a 1 per cent yield loss due to reduced biomass.

Currently there are no registered fungicides for use on RLL in oaten hay crops.

Growers on the lookout for RLL should watch for the emergence of small bluish, white dots on the leaves of oat crops, which turn a red, brown colour before merging.

Dr Dadu said many growers confuse the symptoms of RLL with those of bacterial blight.

“The different diseases of oats can be difficult to identify accurately, especially when two or three diseases are present,” he said.

“Growers should talk to their agronomists to become familiar with the signs of RLL and the damage it can cause late in the season.”

But it is not all bad news, if a grower finds RLL in their oaten hay crop.

“Our experiments have shown that RLL doesn’t cause any losses to hay quality traits such as crude protein, acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and digestibility,” Dr Dadu said.

“So, the hay is still likely to be useful for fodder even if the colour is affected.”

The National Hay Agronomy (NHA) trial is a four-year project supported by the AgriFutures Export Fodder Program, focusing on improving the quality of export hay in Australia.

The project is led by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia and includes collaborators from the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the Hart Field Site Group in South Australia, Agriculture Victoria and the Birchip Cropping Group in Victoria and the NSW Department of Primary Industries in New South Wales.

How online learning is helping Victoria’s young farmers secure their future in agriculture.

Young farmer Karleigh Martin has a lot on her plate.

The 28-year-old works on the family farm while working three days a week at a not for-profit-disability organisation and studying primary school teaching.
Karleigh is part of a growing band of young farmers taking every opportunity they can to develop their farm finance skills.

Despite being raised on a farm, it wasn’t until she joined husband Sam in the running of their sheep, cattle and mixed-cropping enterprise that she came to see the business side.
“I never previously had anything to do with the books,” she explains.

“My husband hates doing the farm books and never prioritised them.  I think we now understand the value that can be added to a business when the books are done properly and how important it is to budget and plan financially.”

Not one to back away from an opportunity to learn, Karleigh signed up for a Young Farmers Business Bootcamp with Agriculture Victoria in nearby Warracknabeal.

The Young Famer Business Bootcamps – first piloted by Agriculture Victoria in 2015 – are designed for those new to farming to help them understand and manage business risk, develop a business plan to grow their business and have confidence that there is a future in agriculture for them.

“I felt a little out of my depth at times during the bootcamp but found it really beneficial and I learned a lot."

It was during one of the bootcamp sessions that the presenter was asked for tips to getting a loan to grow their business: ‘It helps if you think like a banker,’ she told the group, ‘Which means knowing what documents to keep up to date, showing you can manage cash flow.’

The advice struck a chord with Karleigh.

“Our farm feels pretty small compared to a lot of the others in our area, but we want to grow to the point where we can support me home full-time and our future generations,” Karleigh says.

The couple’s 500 hectare farm near Brim – the small southern Mallee town famous for the big painted silos – has been in the family for four generations.

“At the workshop we looked at the performance benchmarks produced by the Grains Research and Development Corporation for farmers performing in the top 20 per cent,” she explains.

“The farmers were producing more tonnes per hectare with lower input costs.  I walked away from the bootcamp wondering how we could reduce our input cost without compromising how effectively we produced the product.

“The first thing we implemented was shopping around for chemical instead of purchasing it from the one store.

“We still shop locally but purchase elsewhere if the price difference is significant.

“In the season just passed we purchased a chaser bin and grain bag in-loader so we could store grain to try and capitalize on the upside of the market.

“I love sitting on the chaser bin and don’t mind doing sheep work. I’ll take any opportunity to learn,” Karleigh says.

With that in mind, she didn’t hesitate when a new express finance course targeting young farmers was offered earlier this year.

Based on the two-day business bootcamp workshops, the express 90-minute ‘Farm Finance – Getting Prepared’ webinars allowed Karleigh to continue to develop her business skills without having to leave the farm.

“When I saw the webinars come up I never hesitated, I jumped on board and registered straight away.

“After watching the first one I never regretted my decision and knew I wanted to make sure I was available to watch the remaining webinars.

“The webinars are available as a recording if you can’t attend live which was great for me when I had to leave one session early due to family commitments.

“However, I highly recommend attending live as the facilitators and presenter are very responsive to answering any questions about the content being discussed which is a wonderful opportunity to clarify any questions you may have.

“I received greater clarity and understanding on some things. For example, I always knew what fixed costs and variable costs were but I sometimes got a little confused about some items and which category they would fall under.

“The presenter’s explanation cleared up any confusion I had.

“I understand how expensive consulting advice can be and I feel very privileged to have this opportunity.”

The couple’s commitment to focusing on the farm finances should give them every confidence to tackle whatever the future holds.

And while it’s just the four “super spoilt” fur children Flo, Pearl, Ned and Skye living with them at the moment – Karleigh says she’s also hoping to secure a future in agriculture for their next generation to come, too.

The ‘Farm Finance – Getting Prepared’ workshops were funded by the Victorian Government Smarter, Safer Farms initiative through its skills program which provides targeted training to build capability in financial literacy, risk management, farm planning and adaption to climate change.

Agriculture Victoria research scientists Dr Sally Norton and Dr Jo Newton have been selected for the prestigious Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP).

The ARLP is Australia’s longest and most in-depth leadership program designed to build leadership capability in people throughout rural, regional and remote Australia.

Dr Norton is a senior research scientist at the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) based at Horsham’s Grains Innovation Park and Dr Newton is a research scientist on the DairyBio research program at Agribio in Bundoora. They are two of 29 chosen participants who will attend 50 days of practical learning and mentoring.

Dr Norton said she is thrilled to be selected and is looking forward to getting started this month with an initial online training component before joining her cohort for learning experiences in regional Australia and potentially overseas over the next 15 months.

“Regional and rural Victorians have been facing a host of challenges in recent years including drought, bushfires and floods, so the mentorship in this program will offer guidance on how to look at these events as opportunities to work together and build resilience.

“This course will also provide the opportunity to really get out of my comfort zone and challenge both myself and my cohort to become stronger leaders.”

Dr Newton said she is grateful to the Foundation and to Agriculture Victoria for the opportunity to undertake ARLP and become a more effective leader and contributor to Australian agriculture and its communities.

“Many of my role models across agriculture in rural and regional Australia are ARLP alumni, and I am honoured to be following in their footsteps.”

The program gives participants valuable opportunities to enhance their capacities and create a network of like-minded leaders to positively influence their organisations, industries and communities.

For more information visit the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation website: https://rural-leaders.org.au/our-programs/arlp/

Over the past 2 decades, thousands of farmers have benefitted from Agriculture Victoria’s Whole Farm Planning course.

Farmers of all ages and experiences, on properties of all sizes have participated in FarmPlan 21, to outline the vision for their livestock or mixed farming operation, and identify the steps they need to take to make it a reality. 

Now, as with so many education courses, FarmPlan21 is being delivered online. Agriculture Victoria’s Tess McDougall said the move to online has been positive, making the course available to a whole new group of landholders.

“We are seeing younger people complete the course, the next generation of farmers who may have been out working and have now come back to the farm and want to know how they can put a plan in place to achieve their goals,” Tess said.

“We are also seeing more women take up the course, women who have had careers off-farm and have taken up agriculture later in life.”

In the past FarmPlan21 has been a six-day course run at a fixed location for six hours a day. The new free online course is run over 12 sessions, with two sessions a week. Each session takes about two hours and the sessions are recorded, so those who can’t make the scheduled time can catch up when it suits.

“More families are able to take the course, and we are also seeing multiple people from the same farm business complete the course together,” Tess said.

“Most farm businesses can only spare one person at a time to attend an off-farm course. But this way, couples can do the course together, we have a mother and daughter team enrolled, it’s opened it up to so many more people.”

FarmPlan21 covers soils and land classing, farm design and layout, farm water supply and emergency preparedness, pasture and grazing management, biodiversity and shelterbelts, farm biosecurity, climate, and outlining your farm vision and goals.

The online version of the course also includes digital farm mapping, where participants learn to use farm planning mapping systems and work on a map of their own farm.

An online course for fire and flood affected farmers, consisting of 11 two-hour online sessions, will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, running from 24 August to 14 September 2021, then 8 February to 22 February 2022.

The summer break will provide an opportunity for participants to begin their farm plan mapping, practice mapping skills and take soil samples and participate in on-farm visits.
“It’s a great course for people who want to define their farm’s vision and goals to give their business more structure,” Tess said.

For more information or to register for the course, visit the Agriculture Victoria website or contact Tim O’Donnell at tim.o'donnell@agriculture.vic.gov.au

To express interest in another online course please contact Tess McDougall at tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

When: Monday 9 August, 11.50 am 

Topic: RPCV Mary-Anne Thomas

Cost:  Free

Register for the webinar via Zoom.

After registering via Zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

For more information contact: Simone Smith 0438847742 or simone@freerangeag.com.au

Seasonal climate risk information for Victoria

Volume 18 | Issue 7 | 26 July 2021

The July edition of the Fast Break is now available, detailing oceanic and atmospheric climate driver activity over the last month and summarises three-month model predictions for the Pacific and Indian Oceans, rainfall and temperature for Victoria.

July rainfall in Victoria has been average to wetter so far, due to many fronts passing over the state. As is typical of such conditions, Gippsland has been drier as a result of moisture coming from the north west.

Soil moisture has pleasingly started to increase in the north west quarter, but elsewhere it’s wet, wet, wet and a long winter of waterlogging looks likely. Mallee probes have finally started to detect moisture at 30-40 centimetres and are keen for more as the days start to lengthen. Read the full July edition here.

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

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

Agriculture Victoria Executive Director Sally Fensling said the program aims to fund projects that prevent, monitor, and control diseases, thereby enhancing animal health, biosecurity and market access for the benefit of Victoria’s livestock industries.

“Grants are available for projects that provide innovative solutions, use emerging technologies and resolve livestock biosecurity issues, needs or gaps for these local industries,” Ms Fensling said.

“This program shows the collaboration and shared responsibility between government and industry in biosecurity, and champions projects that aim to strengthen our biosecurity in Victoria.”

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

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

Applications are invited from private sector businesses, universities and research institutions, co-operatives, government agencies and local government, and incorporated associations.
Any organisation looking to apply should consider the guidelines and eligibility criteria, review the relevant Statement of Strategic Intent, and complete the online application form.

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

“This program reinvests duties back into industry, to the benefit of industry and agriculture more broadly in Victoria,” Ms Fensling said.

Applications are now open and will close 11.59pm on Friday 17 September 2021.

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestockbiosecurityfunds or call the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

Get your entries in now!

Prize money of up to $1000 is available for winners of the major categories at this year’s Rural Press Club of Victoria 2021 Rural and Regional Journalism and Photography Awards.

This annual competition celebrates quality rural and regional media by showcasing the best journalism and photography from across Victoria and Tasmania.

Winners of the Photographer, Journalist and Young Journalist of the Year will each receive $1000, with $500 for other category winners.

To enter the awards, journalists and photographers must be members of the RPCV.

Membership is available through the new RPCV website.

Work eligible for the awards must have been published or broadcast from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

Entries close Friday 6 August at 5 pm.

The prestigious titles of Journalist and Photographer of the Year will be up for grabs, while all newspapers, radio and television stations can compete for the hotly contested Media Outlet of the Year.

More details about the awards presentation will be available in coming weeks when the event tickets go on sale.

For more information contact: Simone Smith 0438 847742 or simone@freerangeag.com.au

Help us shape Victoria’s first Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy. Comment on the development of the strategy by 7 September.

Victoria is responding to the growing international threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with the development of our first Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy.

Antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines have treated infections for many decades and saved millions of lives, but their efficacy is under threat by misuse and over-use.

As antimicrobials are used within the human health, animal health and agriculture sectors, a co-ordinated, broader ‘One Health’ approach is required across these sectors to address AMR.

AMR is a major problem around the world. We’re already seeing increasing resistance worldwide to common bacterial infections and resistant organisms in the animal, food production and the environment sectors have the potential to affect food security and cause economic loss.

At least 700,000 people around the world die every year from drug-resistant infections and by 2050 this number could reach 10 million. The World Health Organization has declared AMR one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.

Consultation is now open for the first Victorian Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2021-2031 to enable key stakeholders and the community to provide input into the strategy’s objectives and priority actions.

How to participate: Read the consultation paper and complete the survey on Engage.vic by 7 September: https://engage.vic.gov.au/victorian-antimicrobial-resistance-strategy

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

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

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

You can read the full newsletter here.

Fresh new voices from rural and regional communities across Victoria are bringing their personal stories of passion and endeavour to season two of AgVic Talk, Agriculture Victoria’s popular podcast channel.

With a special introduction from Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas, season two turns its focus to the many voices shaping the resilient agricultural industry including native foods entrepreneurs, rural women and young and immigrant farmers.

This season, episodes cover topics from farm safety and career diversity in agriculture to leadership, advocacy and farm management and explore how rural communities are preparing for the challenges of climate change.

In the first episode - set to air during National Farm Safety Week - Chair of the Young Farmer Advisory Council and Purnim farmer, Dr Sarah McLean, discusses how a near-miss while working alone was the catalyst that encouraged her family to recognise that their own health and safety was their most important business asset.

"We’re always conscious of safety with everything we do, but we've had to think outside the box to make things safer for ourselves and our kids. That’s the key message, safety improvements don’t have to be expensive,” Dr McLean said.

The follow-up episode features Jess Knight a young dairy farmer from Stratford in central Gippsland.

Ms Knight discusses her unconventional pathway into farming and how a passion for agriculture and a can-do attitude have resulted in her transformation into a confident young farm business manager and community leader.

“I’m continuing to work towards building my skills to manage the business side of the farm, by completing a Masters in Agribusiness so that I can continue to develop personally and professionally,” Ms Knight said.

Subscribe and listen to ‘AgVic Talk’ wherever you get your podcasts or listen online agriculture.vic.gov.au/agvictalk.

AgVic Talk season two is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to recognising agriculture as a career of choice and building its reputation for workplace excellence.

Season two is funded through the $20 million Smarter, Safer Farms initiative to improve skills and safety outcomes for Victorian agricultural communities.

'AgVic Talk’ is one of many ways the Victorian Government is continuing to support farm businesses during COVID-19. Many previously held face-to-face events continue to be offered as online workshops and webinars.

For more information on webinars and other virtual services, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty collections will resume from Monday 2 August 2021.

The first collections will occur in the north west region at Bendigo, Swan Hill, Ouyen, Horsham and St Arnaud.

Agriculture Victoria has a COVIDSafe Plan in place for each bounty collection centre.

If you are attending a collection centre, you must comply with COVIDSafe principles including using the QR code to check-in, physical distancing, good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask indoors and outdoors (unless you have a lawful reason not to).

All hunters are reminded to use common sense when hunting and when it comes to attending bounty collections. Stay safe by following COVIDSafe principles, if you feel unwell, get tested and stay home.

Please continue to check this webpage for the latest fox and wild dog bounty information, as the collection schedule is subject to change in response to the COVID-19 situation.

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

My Rain Gauge is Busted

Has all this talk about a possible negative Indian Ocean Dipole got you thinking, what is a negative Indian Ocean Dipole?  In the latest episode of ‘My Rain Gauge is Busted’, Dale Grey explains what a negative IOD is and how it affects conditions in southeastern Australia.

To listen search 'My Rain Gauge is Busted' wherever you usually get your podcasts or listen in 🎧 here: https://go.vic.gov.au/31cuNY

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.

Tuesday 3 August, 7 - 8.30 pm

Register here.

Topics:

• Financial considerations for beef herds when choosing to breed, breed and trade, or trade only.
• Optimising your pasture growth and allocation for breeding and trading enterprises.

Presenters:

• Paul Blackshaw – Meridian Agriculture, Farm Business Consultant (Rutherglen). Paul provides services in farm business management, financial analysis, benchmarking, succession planning and industry projects. This presentation will explore the potential financial differences between running a cattle breeding enterprise versus a trading enterprise and those somewhere in between.
• John Bowman – Agriculture Victoria, Livestock Extension Officer (Leongatha). John has expertise in pastures, animal nutrition and soil fertility, and is the facilitator for BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef groups in Gippsland. He will reflect on how certain factors such as farm history, skill levels, farm facilities, local climate and soil type will influence pasture growth, and the suitability to run a breeding enterprise versus a beef trading enterprise.

Event contact: Tim O’Donnell, 0448 540 741 or tim.o’donnell@agriculture.vic.gov.au

NEW DATE

There is still time to register for the Small-Scale and Craft Better Business Workshops!

We are heading to Hepburn Springs on 1 September, so book your spot below to find out ways to better your business.

Agriculture Victoria is hosting Better Business Workshops for Small-Scale and Craft growers and producers through the Small-Scale and Craft Program in Victoria on ways to improve your business with a focus on good business practices, accounting and online tools, legal advice and cyber security. Five expert panel members will discuss the below topics with a focus on small-scale growers and producers.

• Date: Wednesday 1 September
• Time: 10.30 am - 12 pm
• Venue: Hotel Bellinzona
• Address: 77 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

Book Hepburn on Wednesday 1 September.

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

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

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

The GRDC Farm Business Update events drive innovation and adoption of improved farm business management practices across the grains industry.

The scheduled updates program for Swan Hill and Horsham is now being delivered online.  Registration is free.

Friday 30 July, 10 am - 4 pm

For more information visit the GRDC website.

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

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

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

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

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