• Caring for your stock in dry seasonal conditions
• Free financial counselling available now
• Early estimate frost damage – use our grain yield calculator
• Local poultry owners we want to hear from you
• Dry seasons webinar recordings available here
• Apply for new Future Drought Fund grants to support Aussie farmers
• Do farmers dream of sheep?
• Ten tips to reduce the risk of harvester fires this season
• Take part in horse survey
• In case you missed it
• What's on

One way to help manage your stock during dry seasonal conditions is with the use of a stock containment area (SCA). 

Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Clem Sturmfels said caring for stock during a drought can be challenging and a SCA can help to minimise loss or illness and reduce farmer stress.

‘A SCA is a small, fenced section of farm set up to hold, feed and water livestock.

‘Typical pens measure 50 by 50 metres which can hold approximately 500 sheep or 170 cattle and ensure stock have room to move around and spend time on their own.’

Mr Sturmfels said having animals close-by makes feeding, watering, and management easier and more efficient.

‘An additional benefit of containing stock is that you can maintain ground cover across the rest of the property, protecting soils, water, and pastures.

‘It’s important that stock enter a SCA healthy and in good condition. They should be drenched, vaccinated, and conditioned to a grain-based diet. 

‘Diseases and health issues can spread quickly in containment, so regular inspection and monitoring is essential. Common issues such as acidosis and shy feeders need to be identified early, with affected stock being moved to a pen of their own,’ Mr Sturmfels said.

‘Its vital stock have enough feed and supply of fresh water, plus shade during the hotter times of the day.

‘A good understanding of the nutritional needs of different classes of stock is essential, along with a knowledge of the energy, roughage, and protein mix of various feed sources.

‘The site and layout of a SCA involves thought and planning. Ideally, a SCA should be close to existing feed and stock handling facilities, and away from houses, waterways, and dams.

‘Consider what feeding system you plan to use as this will impact the pen design and layout,’ Mr Sturmfels said.

Check with your local council planning officer before starting construction as a planning permit may be required in some situations.

For more information on stock containment areas, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/land-and-pasture-management/stock-containment-areas-for-emergencies

For more information about managing during dry seasonal conditions visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

The Rural Financial Counselling Service provides a free and confidential financial counselling service to eligible farmers and small related enterprises who are experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

They can help you to access available support, analyse your business situation, negotiate with lenders and develop strategies to improve your financial position.

To find your closest service visit rfcsnetwork.com.au or call 1300 771 741.

In recent weeks some of Victoria’s cropping regions have experienced the incidence of frost, which can have an impact on yield potential for cereal crops when at the flowering and grain-fill growth stage.

Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist Dale Boyd said critical analysis during grain-fill will identify if frosts have affected the crop.

‘There are many methods available for farmers to estimate yield of various crops, from quick and relatively straightforward to more detailed and complex methods,’ Mr Boyd said.

‘The ‘guide to estimating crop yields’ uses the simple rule-of-thumb method.

‘This can be done relatively quickly with the use of a ruler and a smart device, eliminating the use of paper and pen that can get wet while in the crop,’ he said.

Mr Boyd said the type of yield estimate outlined is one of the easiest and quickest to complete and can be used in a number of situations in cereal paddocks.

‘Immediate feedback on crop yield is produced, and by assessing a number of paddocks it will provide valuable insights to assist with decisions.

‘Crop yield assessments can assist in forecasting grain quality prospects, and/or hay versus grain harvest potential.’

Step-by-step instructions for using the crop yield calculator can be found online via the Agriculture Victoria website

For more information about managing during dry seasonal conditions visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

Are you a poultry owner in the Golden Plains or Corangamite Shires? 

We would like your feedback about the 2024 avian influenza outbreak.

Your experiences and insights are crucial for shaping future responses.

Take our quick survey and share your views on information provided during the outbreak.

The recording of the recent webinar ‘Growing more feed’ with Agriculture Victoria Livestock Extension Officer Fiona Baker - can be found HERE

Additionally, here are some resources that you might find useful:

• Feeding livestock website
• Agriculture Victoria dry season and drought support page 
• Soil Moisture monitoring sites can be found HERE
• Information on navigating farm developments online tool can be found HERE 
• A MLA guide to managing breeding ewes in containment can be found HERE
• Stock containment areas design webinar can be found HERE.

The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund is looking for eligible Australian organisations to apply for 2 new grant programs.

These programs will trial innovative solutions with the potential to build the agriculture sector, landscapes and communities’ long-term resilience to drought and climate risks, through transformational change.

The $40 million Resilient Landscapes Program focuses on demonstrating how implementing and scaling of practices, technologies or approaches to manage natural resources on farm, builds drought and climate resilience.

The $40.3 million Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2 looks at investigating new practices and technologies that will improve productivity in variable weather through evidence-based trials, co-designed with farmers.

Both grant rounds are open to agricultural industries in Australia and will be delivered over six years.

Applicants must form consortia, that is 2 or more organisations working together to develop and deliver an eligible project.

Applications close on 19 November 2024.

To learn more about the grants and apply, visit:

Resilient Landscapes Grants Program

Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grants.

You are invited to participate in a study of the sleep health behaviours of farmers and farm workers.

The National Centre for Farmer Health hope to learn about the risk of undiagnosed sleep apnoea in farmers, how farmers and farm workers prioritise their sleep health, and the barriers and constraints for farmers who wish to seek help for their sleep issues.

FIND OUT MORE AND PARTICIPATE HERE

GRDC and fire safety experts are encouraging growers to implement practical measures to reduce the risk of harvester fires over the coming weeks.

Recent GRDC Harvester Set-up Workshops run across Australia’s grain growing regions have highlighted the importance of harvester hygiene and maintenance, especially when harvesting more volatile crops such as lentils.

About 7% of harvesters start a fire each year, in a range of crop types including cereals and pulses. In these cases, one in 10 will cause significant damage to the machine or surrounding crop.

Kondinin Group research engineer Ben White presented at the workshops and said growers should maintain high levels of hygiene and pay attention to ongoing maintenance of machinery throughout harvest.

'Operators should be conducting regular clean downs during harvest and exercising particular caution when harvesting leafy pulse crops, as these are renowned for dust volatility.

'In areas where growers are harvesting frost-affected crops, these crops may create higher levels of fine dust which can make the harvester work harder, resulting in higher exhaust gas temperatures, adding to the risk of fires.'

Mr White offers the following 10 tips to improve harvester fire safety:

1. Most harvester fires are caused by dust and trash build-up and bearing failures. Clean the machine down regularly, starting at the front then working in a top-down approach. A final blast of air over the exhaust system to dislodge any dust that may have been disturbed and settled during the clean down is recommended.
2. Pulse crops are substantially more volatile than cereals so extra care and vigilance is required when harvesting these.
3. Monitoring and logging bearing temperatures with an infra-red heat gun or thermal imager helps identify at-risk bearings so they can be replaced before failure.
4. Recognise the big four factors that contribute to fires: relative humidity; ambient temperature; wind; and crop type and conditions. Abide by state-based grain harvesting codes of practice and declared harvest bans and observe the Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI) protocol on high fire risk days.
5. Have at least the minimum required water and fire-fighting unit in the paddock being harvested.
6. Having a pair of extinguishers (water and A/B/E) at the cab entry ladder and a pair at the rear of the machine closer to the engine means fire-fighting options are available when and where they are needed. A fire suppression system provides the best chance of extinguishing a fire on a harvester.
7. Having a fire plan in place with the harvest team is imperative. Knowing who will do what and identifying communication channels to be used means everyone knows what to do. Having a listing of emergency numbers or uhf channels in the cab is essential.
8. Harvesting highly volatile crops like lentils across the paddock into the prevailing wind gives operators a better chance of containing the fire as incendiaries are blown onto stubble, not standing crop.
9. If operators do have a fire on board, pulling out of the crop immediately and facing the machine into the wind before attempting to fight it gives the operator the best chance of controlling the fire. Remember, harvesters are replaceable so prioritise personal safety.
10. Research has shown static does not have enough energy for the ignition of even the most volatile crop residues. Be mindful that it can, however, contribute to significant dust/fuel loads on the machine.

The GRDC publication Reducing Harvester Fires: the Back Pocket Guide provides an easy-to-read harvester fire reduction checklist.

The GRDC podcast Preventing harvester fires in lentils has relevant tips and information for growers (regardless of crop type).

In addition, a recent GRDC Farm Business Updates webinar on Pre-Harvest On Farm Preparations is now available to watch online.

GRDC has also released a new Harvester Setup Guide – optimising harvest losses with contributions from a range of third-party independent harvest optimisation experts based on their experiences.

The guide covers measuring harvest losses, reducing header front losses, feeder house set-up, threshing system set-up, the cleaning area, harvest weed seed control and safety.

Launch of the most comprehensive horse survey in Australia and the Australian Horse Industry Council needs your help.

As horse owners, we all know the enormous amount of time, energy and money we put into our horses. We also know the incredible benefits we get in return from our life spent with horses.

But does anyone know how big the impact of this is across the country? What contribution our horses make to the economy? How many people are employed? Indeed, even how many horses are there in Australia?

The Australian Horse Industry Council needs your help in ensuring that they can accurately build a picture of size and scale of horse ownership in Australia to be able to show government at all levels of their worth and importance to Australian life.

The Australian Horse Industry Council have engaged survey company IER and invite participants and stakeholders in the equine industry to share their experiences with us to WIN one of five $500 prepaid gift cards.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE

Planting the seeds for carbon farming In Victoria

The Victorian Government is supporting farmers to reduce their emissions and improve the productivity of their farm with free training opportunities on offer across the state.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

Webinar recording: Are you pinkeye ready?

Hear from pinkeye researcher Mac Kneipp about the current understanding of pinkeye, key preventative strategies and optimising treatment outcomes.

Watch the recording here.

Important results from crop rotation study

Agriculture Victoria’s long-term cropping research in the Victorian Mallee is unearthing important results which could impact agricultural land management in the region.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

Save the date for pulse industry showcase

Increasing pulse crop profitability will be a key focus of the Wimmera Pulse Agronomy Field Day to be held at Rupanyup on Wednesday 30 October.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

Avian influenza restrictions eased

Further changes have been made to control orders surrounding avian influenza cases in Victoria, given that no new cases have been detected since 24 June 2024.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

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.

DATE: Tuesday 29 October

TIME: 10 am – 12 pm

WHERE: Barwon Hotel, 1 Main Street, Winchelsea.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Agriculture Victoria has engaged the National Centre for Farmer Health to deliver ‘Calm the Farm’ in Winchelsea.

Join us for an interactive and engaging 2-hour workshop that explores ways of reducing work related stress.

Connect with other local farmers as you focus on practical solutions to improve job satisfaction and effectiveness for you and your team.

Continue the conversation over a meal – on us.

Key focus areas:

• understand the main work-related risk factors for farmers’ mental health.
• explore how these may be impacting you and your farm business.
• develop your own plan to stay on track.

DATE: Wednesday 23 October

TIME: 9 am – 3 pm

WHERE: Grampians Park Station, Moyston

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

After a 10-year hiatus, Chicks in the Sticks is back! Bring your women in ag friends and enjoy a stimulating day out to share information and ideas about low emissions farming and how it can benefit your farm business.

Featuring leaders in low emissions farming:

Fiona Conroy

Carbon-neutral beef and merino farmer from the Bellarine Peninsula and owner of Nicon Rural which provides practical, evidence-based information to support farmers

Dr Cassandra Schefe

Principal Scientist for The Cool Soil Initiative and owner of AgriSci, working with farmers across the Wimmera to understand how their farming systems impact on their soils

This event is open all farmers interested in low emissions farming.

Tickets are free and available by booking online or emailing bronwyn.bant@wcma.vic.gov.au

Includes morning tea and lunch – delicious, locally sourced produce.

The Victorian Carbon Farming Outreach Program is delivered with funding support from the Commonwealth of Australia through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water under the National Carbon Farming Outreach Program.

The program is delivered through a partnership between Agriculture Victoria, 10 Catchment Management Authorities, Landcare Victoria and other bodies.

This event is part of the Carbon Farming Outreach Program (CFOP).

Thursday 24 October – Inverleigh

Friday 25 October – Lake Bolac

Monday 28 October – Coleraine

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

From 9:30 am – 1pm, with lunch provided.

As we head out of a dry spring and into summer it’s important to look ahead and plan.

Agriculture Victoria invites you to a workshop with presenter Nathan Scott of Achieve Ag Solutions, to help with planning and decision making in dry times.

Everyone’s situation is different. Nathan will work through scenarios, feed budgeting, costing and discuss available options as well as how to set up trigger points and planning for different situations.

Nathan has a background in prime lamb, merino wool and beef production and a passion for improving the productivity and profitability of livestock enterprises.

He works with producers to increase conception rates, improve lamb survival, lift growth rates, and improve overall management.

Rural Financial Counsellors will also be at the workshop to offer their services and assist with drought package applications.

If you attend the workshop, you are eligible for a one-on-one chat with a farm business consultant.

DATE: Friday 25 October.

TIME: 10 am – 2 pm

LOCATION: Casterton Memorial Hospital, 63-69 Russell Street, Casterton.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Looking after your wellbeing and connecting with others is important in challenging times.

Take this opportunity to get off the farm and give yourself the time and space to focus on your wellbeing (and have a good laugh) at the Casterton workshop on 25 October.

This fun, light-hearted practical ‘Take a Wellbeing Break’ workshop brings together farmers and farming communities to provide well-being tools and information, connect and share ideas, and identify practical strategies you can immediately implement to positively impact your wellbeing.

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/events

WARRNAMBOOL

DATE: 19 and 20 November

TIME: 10 am – 3 pm (both days)

LOCATION: Deakin University

HAMILTON

DATE: 21 and 22 November

TIME: 10 am – 3 pm (both days)

LOCATION: HIRL (more details on registrations)

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Understanding your irrigation system and if you have it running a peak performance? Wondering if it’s worth upgrading and need to understand what’s available?

These two-day workshops are aimed at irrigators to help them learn about how to make their irrigation systems the best they can be – from an efficiency, production and water use perspective.

These workshops will be facilitated by Peter Smith, Sapphire Irrigation Consulting and are free for irrigators to attend.

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