Grassroots Grants now open!

The Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board is pleased to announce the 2022-23 Grassroots Grants program, to support individual landholders, volunteers, schools, community organisations, First Nations and not-for-profit groups working locally for environmental and sustainable agriculture benefits.

Applications open on 22 March at 10am and close on 3 May 2022 at midday.

$220,000 in funding is available through the Grassroots Grants program across the region, which may be used to kick start a new project, or build upon an existing one. The grants help the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board to build strong partnerships and deliver outcomes which support the community to deliver projects that contribute to key landscape priorities in our region.

There are two tiers of grants available - small grants up to $3,000, and larger grants for projects up to $20,000. Both tiers are open to all eligible applicants.

Funding will be awarded on merit to projects that demonstrate the best value for money and delivery of outcomes that address the priorities in the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Plan 2021-2026.
For everything you need to know about the application process, including guidelines, FAQs and application forms, click here.

You can also read about last year’s recipients to get an idea of the types of projects that have been successful in the past. The program has resulted in some fantastic outcomes for the environment and our communities.

It is strongly recommended that applicants discuss their project ideas with a Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board staff member before completing an application. We look forward to supporting the Hills and Fleurieu community to play an active role in protecting and restoring our landscapes.

International Day of Forests - March 21

March 21 marked the International Day of Forests. Forestry is an important industry in areas of the Hills and Fleurieu region, with Second Valley Forest, Kuitpo Forest and SA Water’s plantation at Myponga being some examples.

Besides these pine forests, Deep Creek Conservation Park contains some of the last intact remnant Brown Stringybark forest in SA.

There are also several farm forestry plantations in the region. For more information about the International Day of Forests, click here.

Regenerative Agriculture flourishing in the Hills and Fleurieu region

Regenerative agriculture is all about protecting and enhancing our precious topsoil by regenerating five key landscape functions. These include the solar-energy function, the water cycle function, the soil-mineral cycle, dynamic ecosystems and the human-social function. In practice, this looks like:
• Reducing soil disturbance through no-till agricultural practices
• Keeping vegetation cover on the soil (green growing cover is most effective)
• Keeping living roots in the soil as much as possible
• Creating as much diversity in soil biology and perennial pasture species as possible.
• Integrating grazing animals into the farming system on a rotational grazing basis and reducing inputs (eg fertiliser, herbicides) where possible.

This was seen in action recently during two regenerative agriculture field days and a farm walk held across the Hills and Fleurieu region.

The first event, ‘Teaming up with your Soil Biology with Jim Natt and Dick Richardson’, (jointly funded by the Hills and Fleurieu and Murraylands and Riverland landscape boards) was hosted by Jim Natt at his Langhorne Creek property. Several soil pits were examined, showing how the root systems of perennial plants were opening up the soil to increase water infiltration. Soil structure had improved due to Jim employing the ‘Grazing Naturally’ method, developed and promoted by Dick Richardson.

The second field day, ‘Putting Regenerative Agriculture into Practice’, was presented by the District Council of Yankalilla as part of the Fleurieu Coast’s Festival of Nature. The event was held at Tent Rock, Ben and Julianne Ryan’s property at Deep Creek and attended by about 30 participants. Again, the presenter was Dick Richardson. After theoretical discussions in the woolshed, participants toured Ben’s paddocks, learning about his cover crop which contained a biodiverse range of pasture plants which provide more nutrition for stock and create pathways for water infiltration via their deep roots. The group inspected Ben’s priority and sabbath paddocks to look at the improved soil structure, developed by embracing the Grazing Naturally program. The day finished with a BBQ in the woolshed.

The Central Hills Regenerative Agriculture group held their second meeting and farm walk on Saturday March 19 at Harrogate. A group member, Al, hosted the day, showing progress made in applying regenerative agriculture principles on the farm since the fires. Al’s creek has been fenced from stock, with both neighbouring properties joining in, extending the riparian planting through the landscape. Al is currently fencing out smaller paddocks to assist him to manage his stock rotationally. At each stop, the group discussed various issues such as how to retain water in the landscape and how to measure amounts of pasture available for grazing in a paddock. The day finished with a bbq supplied by the hosts, with the next farm walk date set for May 7 at a Birdwood property.

If you are interested in regenerative agriculture, the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board is hosting Dr Christine Jones at a Regenerative Agriculture field day on June 1 at Woodside and at a Climate Smart Farming Forum on June 3 in the Adelaide Hills. Keep an eye out on the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board Facebook page for further details or e-mail jim.mead@sa.gov.au to be put in touch with one of our four regenerative agriculture groups.

20 priority weeds heading towards eradication

Work is well underway to locally eradicate 20 priority weeds that threaten agriculture and ecosystems across the Hills and Fleurieu region.

The ‘Towards Eradication: 20 Weeds by 2023’ is a two year project, funded by the State Government’s Landscape Priority Fund[i], being delivered by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board with help from private landholders, local councils and state government agencies.

The $600K project is using a two-pronged approach to get ontop of some established and emerging weeds of concern across the region. In many cases the board is working directly with landholders to tackle the priority weeds where they occur on private property. At the same time, the board is working in partnerships with the region’s six local councils, National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia (NPWSSA), SA Water and the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, to eradicate weeds on roadsides and in reserves, including within the Cherry Gardens fire scar.

Susan Ivory, Team Leader Pests and Land, said the project will develop clear eradication plans that will be carried out in a staged approach to result in long-term local eradication.

“We are working with landholders to monitor and identify where these 20 weeds are currently established and providing detailed eradication plans to help combat their spread. The list of 20 target weeds can be found on our website and if anyone suspects they have any on their property, they should contact us for help with a control strategy."

“We are already seeing positive outcomes across the region, with weeds including Spanish broom, Tufted honey-flower, Sagittaria, Mexican Feather Grass and White weeping broom being identified and recorded in a new weed mapping app, which has also been developed for the project. We can now implement control and monitoring programs with contractors and the landholders,” she said.

“We are also working hard with the six councils, and state government departments across the Hills and Fleurieu to remove these weeds from our roadsides, parks and reserves."

“While the ‘Towards Eradication’ project is very targeted and deliberate in its delivery, our landscape officers have extensive experience working with private landholders on weed management programs, and are always on-hand for general weed identification and control advice for all pest plant species. Landholders have a responsibility to control declared weeds on their property and best practice weed management starts with the basic principle that effort in the early period of weed invasion provides significant long term efficiencies and value for money,” Susan said.

Find out more about the project and access weed control advice and information here.

[i] The Landscape Priorities Fund is funded from landscape levies collected in the Adelaide metropolitan area and redistributed to South Australia’s regional landscape boards to enable them to work in partnership with other groups and individuals and invest in environmental projects.

Festival of Nature Farm walk at Wattle Flat

As part of the Fleurieu Coast’s Festival of Nature, landholder Lisa Blake hosted a farm walk at her Wattle Flat property on Thursday 17 March.

The walk focused on information about sustainable farm management practices, bushfire preparation, grazing management to help regenerate native grass species, and lessons learned by Lisa and partner Keith over the last two decades of owning the property. The tour finished with a walk through the patch of heritage listed scrub that Lisa and Keith own and protect for future generations.

This event was run by the Fleurieu Environment Centre in conjunction with the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board and Green Adelaide with funding from the South Australian Government’s Landscape Priority Fund.

Rural Land Management Course - for city based land holders

Are you a city based landholder who has a property located in the Hills and Fleurieu region who wants to learn more about land management? If so, you may be interested in registering for the Green Adelaide funded Rural Land Management Course. The course will run for 8 weeks on Thursday nights from 7:30 – 9:30 pm at Mitcham Memorial Library, starting on May 5. Topics will include stock and pasture management, water resource management and soil science, to name a few.  Participants will develop a whole farm plan as a result. For more information, e-mail jim.mead@sa.gov.au

Landscape Officers - here to help

Landscape Officer Jacqui Best presented to Parawa Agricultural Bureau on March 22. Topics covered included the regional pest plant and animal strategy, the role of Landscape Officers, rabbit and water management programs and many other projects run by the Landscape Board.

Participants showed interest in a range of issues that affected their properties and farm enterprises, with much discussion centred around weeds, fox and deer control, commercial kangaroo harvesting, water affecting activities and the Grassroots Grants program. For information on any of these issues or topics, contact your area's Landscape Officer, based in either the Mt Barker or Willunga offices.

High Rainfall Harvest report

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is proud to provide the 2021 High rainfall South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania NVT Harvest Report. The purpose of the report is to provide the latest independent varietal information on yield, quality, and disease ratings, from the 2021 NVT program as soon as possible after release.

Containing the last five years of results for every NVT trial within the high-rainfall South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania regions, the information is presented at a local site level to support grower and adviser decision making on variety selection in their local region.

Download the ‘High rainfall South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania NVT Harvest Report.’ here.

The ‘High rainfall South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania NVT Harvest Report’ is one of 16 harvest reports produced nationally by the NVT program. You can find the other harvest reports from regions around Australia on the GRDC website. The Harvest Reports are designed to complement the GRDC-supported state-based NVT Crop Sowing Guides which are published prior to harvest.

To ensure you are receiving the latest NVT information about your regions of interest, you can update your Harvest Report preferences via the GRDC subscription centre. 

Read the GRDC Fast break newsletter here.

Things to do on your property for Autumn

Livestock
• If planning on breeding, rams and ewes only need to be joined for 5 – 6 weeks in late summer, early autumn. Remove rams after 6 weeks.
• Worm egg count of sheep ideally done in early summer to help decide if sheep require drenching.
• All livestock owners, buyers, sellers and breeders are required by law to have a brand and Property Identity Code (PIC).

Pasture
• Monitor grazed pasture paddocks to ensure ground cover levels are maintained at 70 – 80 % to prevent soil erosion.
• Dry vegetation matter should not cover the soil completely, so that when the first autumn rains come, new green pasture growth can come through more easily.

Revegetation
• Time to prepare areas of your farm that you have selected to revegetate with local native plants in preparation for planting after the season breaks.
• Select function and area for revegetation (eg watercourse/riparian restoration, creation of a shelter belt, woodlot, biodiversity planting, targeted soil erosion prevention).
• Fence off selected area from stock, undertake weed control, purchase tree guards and stakes and ensure plant orders are being prepared at the nursery.
• The Hills and Fleurieu region has a number of nurseries that supply local indigenous plants that can be used for revegetation. These plants are used to the unique soil and climatic conditions, provide habitat for native wildlife and do not become weedy.

Nurseries include:

• Clayton Bay Community Nursery - click here. 
• Fleurieu Natives - click here. 
• Trees for Life - click here.
• Kersbrook Landcare Nursery - click here.
• Hindmarsh Island Nursery - click here.
• Alexandrina Community Nursery Goolwa - click here.   Retail on Friday only 
• Mt Barker Community Nursery - click here.
• State Flora Belair  - click here.

Upcoming Events

• April 7 -    South Australian Biosecurity Summit - Livestock SA
• April 9 -    Southern Fleurieu Regen Ag farm walk 
• April 30 -  Eastern Mt Lofty Ranges Regen Ag farm walk
• May 7 -     Central Hills Regen Ag farm walk
• June 1 -    Field day with Dr Christine Jones, Woodside
• June 3 -    Climate Smart Farming Forum, Adelaide Hills