Save the date: Thursday 13 October 2022

Learn about incentive grants available for landholders to support native vegetation on your property. Come on a tour of a local farming property and hear from the land manager about farm practices undertaken to improve biodiversity and farm production including:

• soil health and how your farm can benefit
• the benefits of protecting and planting native vegetation to improve biodiversity and ecosystem functions
• helpful information in relation to shelterbelts and revegetation
• sustainable farming practices
• support with pest plant and animal enquiries

Numbers will be strictly limited, act fast to secure your spot! Email Limestone Coast Landscape Board Wetland Restoration Advisor Emma Maxwell.

Southern Cross University is assisting land managers in the Limestone Coast to better understand their soils by offering soil sampling and testing services. More information can be found at the Southern Cross University website and direct your enquiries to soiltest@scu.edu.au or 02 6620 3489.

When you get your soil test results back, contact our Limestone Coast Landscape Board Soils Extension Officer Ehsan Sayad by email or phone him on 0467 739 211 and he will be able to talk you through the results.

Register for assistance now!

Congraulations to Dr Mary Retallack who was selected as a finalist for the 2022 Bob Hawke Landcare awards.

Dr Retallack is an experienced agroecologist, scientist, and third-generation viticulturist. She has pioneered the use of native insectary plants in and around production systems and currently runs the National Landcare Smart Farms Small Grants funded EcoVineyards program, in collaboration with the Wine Grape Council of SA and more than 60 partnering organisations, which includes the Limestone Coast Landscape Board.

To learn more about the great work Dr Mary Retallack has been doing in the Limestone Coast go to the Eco Vineyards website or the Eco Vineyards Facebook page.

The Landcare Australia Facebook page has a full list of all the finilists and winners of the national awards.

Apply now to be a member of the Limestone Coast Landscape Board.

If you are passionate about the natural resources that support the sustainable growth of your industry and community – we want you!

We need strategic thinkers to empower our communities to sustainably manage our state’s landscapes – our land, water, pest plants and animals, and biodiversity.

Applications are now open for community members to apply for a number of boards, including the Limestone Coast.

For more information and to apply, visit www.landscape.sa.gov.au.

The Community Impact Program is designed to support community members and not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional Australia to drive local action that helps prepare for drought. It is part of the Australian Government’s commitment through the Future Drought Fund to support Australian agricultural communities to build drought resilience.

The program will provide 35 grants – one for each region – with a maximum total value of $12.1 million, to be implemented over a two year period.

The grant size for each region will be negotiated as part of the multi-stage application process and may range between $200,000 and $500,000.

For more information head to the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal website. 

This webinar with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the current seasonal climate outlook, climate driver activity and soil moisture.

South Australia Outlook

Date and time: Friday 9 Septmeber 2022 at 12 pm ACST

Register here

The Habitat Conservation Incentive Grants program provides funding to Limestone Coast landholders.

$50,000 is available in grants up to $7,000 to support on-ground works that will support biodiversity while having primary production co-benefits for landholders.

Stage 1 of the application process opens Monday 5 September 2022.

Applications close Monday 31 October 2022.

Visit the Limestone Coast Landscape Boards website to find out more information on how you can apply. Or call our Wetland Restoration Advisor Emma on 8429 7550 to speak about your great ideas for projects that support our region’s biodiversity.

PIRSA are pleased to advise that the Growing Carbon Farming Demonstration Pilot is now open for applications.

The Pilot will support the establishment of a minimum of six commercial carbon demonstration projects that will be used to demonstrate and quantify carbon abatement, alongside measurable environmental, social and economic co-benefits best suited to South Australia.

Eligible projects must:

• demonstrate a carbon farming method and or practice that has application for the South Australian primary industry sector.
• demonstrate how carbon farming activities contribute to revenue and jobs in South Australia.
• demonstrate and quantify the co-benefits of carbon farming.

Grant amount: Up to $100,000 GST exclusive will be available per project (minimum of 6 projects).

Applications close: Thursday 22 September at 9 pm (ACST)

For more information, pilot guidelines and to apply, please visit the Growing Carbon Farming Pilot Project webpage.

Join the SPAA team as they celebrate the 25th Australasian Precision Agriculture Symposium at Adelaide Oval on the 6 and 7 September 2022.

This event provides a vibrant forum for farmers, researchers, industry/commercial suppliers & representatives, policy makers and anyone with an interest in precision agriculture and agtech industries. 

Hear from a wide range of speakers, participate in interactive panel Q&A sessions or hold in-depth conversations with industry representatives and advisors at their displays, all in a relaxing atmosphere.

For more information on the topics presented over the two-day event or to registrer head to eventbrite.

The Australian Taxation Office has published new factsheets on landcare and riparian maintenance, preventing and preparing for fire emergencies, and tree farming (forestry operations) to help you understand income and expenses.

These resources can help land managers find savings at tax time.

More information about tax time is also available on the ATO website.

Are you interested in participating in a research project examining "Methane reduction in beef cattle in commercial production systems"?

The University of Adelaide is leading the project and is seeking producers interested in: being involved in implementing on-farm demonstrations of ability to use seaweed to reduce methane emissions.

The demonstrations will be used to provide beef producers with key insights into the effectiveness and practicality of reducing methane emissions in their production systems for cattle using seaweed or being a demonstration site for supplementation of Asparagopsis armata to quantify differences in enteric methane emissions and animal performance and report results to industry.

If you would like more information about this project, please contact: Dr Mariana Caetano at the University of Adelaide, Roseworthy by email or phone 8313 1128.

Our practice of land management is rapidly adapting to evolve with the changing environment. Modified landscapes are being challenged by nature’s need for balance and creating this balance is becoming an important role for humanity.

Written by Dr Mary Retallack Natural predators of vineyard insect pests is a fantastic resource for all growers. It gives the reader understanding on how insects and spiders are benefical and can work to create more balance in the environment. 

It is now available on the Hills & Fleurieu Landscape Board website where it is viewable as a flipbook or you can download it as a PDF document.

GRDC is supporting six half-day masterclasses across South Australia and Victoria to help grain growers and advisers tap into the higher grain production potential of sandy soils. Constrained by their limited capacity to hold moisture and nutrients, many sandy soils in the state's low and medium rainfall zones produce less than half of their yield potential.

With new knowledge generated from a consortium of researchers, growers can access new tools, techniques and know-how to get more out of their sandy soils through six half-day masterclasses.

During the masterclasses participants will:

• Identify soil constraints in a soil pit with a soil specialist.
• Inspect ripping and other responses in the paddock with agronomists.
• Discuss machinery selection and set up with engineering experts.
• Explore decision support tools.
• Review how soil amelioration might impact farm profit and risk.

To read more about this project visit the GRDC Groundcover website or to regisiter for a masterclass head to the GRDC website.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) is conducting its third national survey on pest animal and weed management, with the others undertaken in 2016 and 2019.

The survey is aimed at agricultural businesses covering broadacre, horticulture, dairy and other livestock enterprises encompassing Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions across Australia. The survey asks questions about the incidence of and problems pest animals and weeds cause, the cost of management and the types and effectiveness of control actions—both on-farm and conducted by local groups.

We are seeking assistance from owners / managers of agricultural properties to provide vital information about their views on pest animal and weed management. If you have received an invitation letter in the mail please follow those instructions to the survey using the codes provided and complete it as soon as practical.

Otherwise we invite you to complete the survey via the link below by 26 September 2022.

Simply go to www.agriculture.gov.au/PAWsurvey to complete the survey.

The Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitators (RALF) had the pleasure in spending time with Young Environmental Leaders Program (YELP) students during the month of August.

Eykolina Benny and Skylea McLean presented at Mount Gambier and Naracoorte respectively and provided an opportunity to discuss the importance of soil health. The students also viewed two of the six videos in the carbon explainer video series. Those involved were then able to compare the pH of the different soils found in the Limestone Coast.

The YELP program is open to four students per school in Years 5-6 and provides a great mix of hands on environmental experiences, project work and leadership development.

For more information about the YELP program and to view the Carbon Explainer videos head to the Limestone Coast Landscape Boards website.

The Carbon Footprint and Feasibility Workshop was held in Lucindale on 28 July 2022.

This training allowed 10 businesses in the Limestone Coast to receive an assessment report conducted through Integrity Agriculture and Environment. They were then able to work through an interpretation and analyse the feasibility of actions that would track toward carbon neutrality in their businesses.

Emma McInerney from Ag Excellence Alliance  travelled from Clare and helped Eykolina Benny and Kate Holberton facilitate the day. Presenters on the day inculded Emma Winslow PIRSA, Amanda Schapel SARDI and representatives from Integrity Agriculture and Environment.

This project is part of the Farm Business Resilience Program and is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Government of South Australia. It is supported by funding through the Australian Government, the Department for Environment and Water, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, and Ag Excellence Alliance.

Get Involved!

AgConnect promotes the latest sustainable agricultural news and events across the Limestone Coast. If you have an upcoming event or agricultural news you would like to share contact us:

Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitators

Skylea Mclean: skylea.mclean@sa.gov.au

Eykolina Benny: eykolina.benny@sa.gov.au