Coles Nurture Grants for Primary Producers Now Open

In 2015 Coles launched their 50 million dollar ‘Nurture Fund’ to assist Australian producers with their innovation and sustainability. Grants of up to $500,000 are now available for small businesses to support the development of ‘new market-leading products, processes and technologies.’

Eligible businesses must be dedicated to pursuing innovative ideas, employ less than 50 full time workers and have an annual turnover of less than $25 million. Detailed guidelines and application forms can be found here.

Once completed, application forms and supporting documents must be emailed to nurturefund@coles.com.au before 5pm AEST, 25 February 2022.

Soil Health Workshops in Yankalilla and Willunga in February

The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board is partnering with two local environment centres to run free Soil Health Workshops. They will be presented by the Sustainable Agriculture team’s resident soil specialist, Dr Rebecca Tonkin.

Learn about basic soil characteristics and functions:

· How soil feeds plants – and how plants feed soil
· Common soil issues and correcting them
· How to do basic soil testing

These events are planned to be in person events with masks and social distancing measures in place and bookings are essential.

Yankalilla Showgrounds Pavilion
Tues 15 February 2022
6:30 to 8:30pm

Willunga, Bethany Church Hall (booked out – ph 8556 4188 to go on a waiting list)
Tues 23 February 2022
6:30 to 8:30pm

There may be an extra session run at Yankalilla due to an  overwhelming booking response to the first workshop. Contact Fleurieu Environment Centre for more information at info@flec.com.au

These events are a joint initiative between the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board and the Fleurieu Environment Centre and Willunga Environment Centre and is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

The big wet – and Seasonal Climate Risk information

Unprecedented and unseasonal heavy rain has turned much of South Australia’s pastoral country, (and in the case of Eyre Peninsula, large areas of cropping land), into inland lakes.  Areas such as Buckleboo and Kimba received up to 300 mm over the weekend of January 23 and 24, causing a decade’s worth of damage to roads and infrastructure. The Hills and Fleurieu region enjoyed some good rainfall totals without the damage the Eyre Peninsula copped, with only minor flooding in some areas of the Adelaide Hills. Click here to see South Australia’s soil moisture, climate driver summary and climate predictions from January run models.

For a more light hearted perspective, see award winning Agriculture Victoria agronomist Dale Grey's unique take on SA's seasonal climate outlook on the Very Fast Break here.

Kick Start a Career in Agriculture

AgCAREERSTART is a government initiative that matches under-25s with an on-farm job, training and development, while also providing access to industry events and experiences. The program aims to give young Australians opportunities of real-world agricultural experience.

When:    March - December 2022
Where:   Various regional locations

To find out how to participate as a student, click here.
To find out how to participate as a Career Start provider, click here.

Carbon and Agriculture forum – Bow Hill Sports Centre

The Riverland and Murraylands Landscape Board is holding a free forum titled - Carbon and Agriculture: Is it possible to make your farm carbon neutral?

Thursday 17 February 2022
Bow Hill Sports Centre
12pm-5pm
Free registration

In 2019, Australian farms emitted around 76 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. As the effects of climate change become evident and the reality of border taxes become more likely, the pressure is on to manage carbon at a farm level.

Join experts for a half day forum at Bow Hill Sports Centre to find out what carbon neutrality in agriculture looks like and how to apply it to local farming systems.

Hear about the opportunities and limitations of carbon farming from expert speakers with topics including sequestration, practice change and carbon sequestration.
Topics and speakers include:

• Dr Mark Farrell (CSIRO) What does the future look like with carbon farming and what science can be applied
• Dr Gupta Vadakattu (CSIRO) Microbial management and regenerative agriculture in soil
• Amanda Schapel (PIRSA) Carbon in your farming business, and how to accumulate carbon in your soils
• Eliza Rieger (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board) What is regenerative agriculture?
• Scott Hutchens (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board) Preventing pests & prickles in your patch
• Hannah Spronk - (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board) Priority weeds in the Mallee
Attendance is free, secure your spot by registering online here.

For more information on Soil Carbon, go to the Soil CRC newsletter here.

World Wetlands Day - February 2

World wetlands day is celebrated each year on February 2nd. The day aims to remind us of the importance of wetlands for the quality of our water – they act as the ‘kidneys’ of our waterways by cleaning and filtering run off water before it flows into creeks, rivers and lakes. The theme for this year’s day is Wetlands - Action for People and Nature, reflecting the urgent need take action to protect our wetlands. For more information on World Wetland Day, click here.

Wetlands were valued both culturally and as a food source by First Nations people. Check out our video of a Yarluwar-Ruwe Assessment of the Yundi swamps here to see how First Nations people protect and interact with Hills and Fleurieu wetlands today.

Local Landcare Legends - McLaren Vale Biodiversity Group

On the subject of World Wetland Day, this month's Local Landcare Legends are McLaren Vale Biodiversity Group. A great example of local people taking action for wetlands, the group held a wetland revegetation event on Sunday February 6 to continue revegetating around the Gemtree vineyard wetland and ecotrail.  A great turnout of 124 volunteers continued on previous years of excellent revegetation work, started when the Buttery family set aside 10 hectares of land within the Gemtree vineyard in 1998 with an aim to contribute to the survival of local native wetland species and to ensure an ecological balance is maintained on the property. The McLaren Vale Biodiversity Group have been nominated for the upcoming State Landcare Awards. We wish them the best of luck!

Inaugural Central Hills Regenerative Agriculture group meeting

On Thursday February 3, a group of like-minded landholders met at Woodside’s Lobethal Bakery to discuss the formation of a Central Hills Regenerative Agriculture group. The landholders were all affected by the Cudlee Creek fires in the summer of 2019-2020 and had previously taken part in the “Rebuild with Regen” course offered by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape board as part of the bushfire recovery program in the area. Lead by Will Hannaford, the group met to discuss the aim and objectives of the group, topics they would like to explore, to plan events, schedule how many times they would like to meet and what communication channels they would like to use to keep in touch. There are similar regenerative agriculture groups taking shape in the Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges, Upper Fleurieu and Southern Fleurieu areas. If you are a landholder and interested in joining your local regenerative agriculture group, contact Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Jim Mead at jim.mead@sa.gov.au  to be linked to your closest group.

Upcoming Regenerative Agriculture events in the Hills and Fleurieu region and beyond include:

• Carbon in Agriculture – Thursday 17 February - Bow Hill Sports Centre  - Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board event – register here
• SA Regenerative Farmers workshop with Dick Richardson – Wednesday 16 March – Langhorne Creek
• SA Nature Festival Regenerative Agriculture field day – Friday 18 March – Deep Creek
• Climate Smart Forum – to be held in June 2022 (Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board event) – Date and venue TBC
• Clayton Bay Regenerative Agriculture forum – Saturday 13 August – Clayton Bay Community Centre
• Holistic Management Course – August 23-24 – Strathalbyn – for details contact kerry@insideoutsidemgt.com.au

For further details of any of the events above, contact jim.mead@sa.gov.au

Holistic Management: A foundation for Regeneration - course coming to Strathalbyn

Inside Outside Management is bringing its Holistic Management course to Strathalbyn on August 23 – 24 2022. The 8-day course is structured as 4 two-day sessions, 4 to 8 weeks apart allowing participants to take the information home from each session and see how it fits in with their situations. Each session starts with revision. The cost of the course is $2,200 inc GST. Sessions usually run from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm.  To book your spot, contact Kerry Wehlburg at kerry@insideoutsidemgt.com.au

Calling all sheep producers – take this survey!

This sheep reproduction RD&A alert is an initiative of the Sheep Reproduction Strategic Partnership (SRSP).
The impact of heat stress on sheep reproduction is the subject of a new project led by Dr Serina Hancock (Murdoch University) with collaborators from UWA, CSIRO, NSW DPI and LLS NSW. Serina is seeking baseline information on the current use of shelter and shade by sheep producers and the factors that motivate producers to establish shelter on their properties. The seven-question-survey take should take less than five minutes to complete. Please complete the shelter and shade survey and contribute to this important research for the sheep industry.

The SRSP aims to help sheep producers to profitability and sustainably increase lamb production through increasing lamb survival and weaning rates and will coordinate a national approach to improving sheep reproductive performance.

Congratulations to the Fleurieu Beef Group - 25 years and counting!

Fleurieu Beef Group Incorporated (FBG), one of the most successful and longest running farming systems groups in the region, celebrated 25 years in 2021. The celebration was held at David and Cherry Macklin's property near Ashbourne. For more detail about the celebration click here.

The FBG is one of the most successful long lasting Farming Systems Groups in the region with a steadily increasing membership that meets on the third Tuesday of each month (except January). New members are welcome if they meet two criteria – that they produce beef cattle on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Mel Rebbeck recently retired after four years as secretary, and FBG thanks Mel for her service over that period of time. Tom Cosentino is the new FBG secretary. For any enquiries, contact Tom on 0450 040 634.

Outlook 2022: Growing agriculture through innovation and sustainability

ABARES’ annual Outlook conference is at the intersection of debate for issues affecting Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors, across trade, climate change, labour and other interconnected influences. The Outlook 2022 conference will explore Growing agriculture through innovation and sustainability at sessions on the national and global agricultural outlook, labour market issues, key commodities, water markets, sustainability reporting and more.

Outlook 2022 will be online, with three, one-hour sessions daily, from Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 March. To register, click here.

Australian Farmer of the Year Awards – nominations now open

Do you know an innovative farmer doing great things on their property? Perhaps it’s a young farmer or a farming legend? A great rural community leader? Or even a rural consultant doing excellent work in your area? Why not nominate them for the Farmer of the Year Awards 2022. To nominate someone you know for one of these categories, click here.

Attention landholders - Emissions Reduction Fund – Environmental Plantings Pilot

Are you looking to revegetate parts of your property in 2022? The Clean Energy Regulator has made it easier for farmers and landholders to participate in the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF).
You can now diversify your income and help Australia reduce its emissions by planting trees on your land. For more details about the Environmental Plantings Pilot, click here.

If you have a story or event to promote, please email the Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator for the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, Jim Mead, at jim.mead@sa.gov.au.

The Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Program is funded by the Australian Government's National Landcare Program.

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