The Limestone Coast Landscape Board together with AgriFutures Australia, are excited to launch five Carbon Explainer Videos that have been filmed in collaboration with primary producers across the Limestone Coast. These videos have been designed to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about carbon and soil health:

• The carbon cycle explained!
• Carbon sequestration and emissions reduction explained
• Leading local farmers and sustainable practices
• Leading local farmers and the Importance of soil
• Call to action - becoming a carbon smart land manager!

These videos have been filmed in collaboration with primary producers across the Limestone Coast, and have been designed to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about carbon and soil health. 

Sustainable Land Management Survey

The Limestone Coast Landscape Board Sustainable Primary Production Team are promoting the Sustainable Land Management Survey where we would like to hear from land managers, industry professionals and interested community members. Your feedback will provide insight into practices, behaviours and knowledge underpinning our region’s valuable primary production sector.

Participants can win great prizes including free comprehensive soil tests, copies of The Soils of Southern South Australia publication and native plant vouchers.

Implementing adaptive agriculture and managing priority pests are just a few of the conversations you can have with Limestone Coast Landscape Board staff onsite at the 2022 South East Field Days at Yakka Park, Lucindale.

Our COVID-safe site will feature a great line-up of activities and speakers and information to help support your land management decisions to reach productivity and sustainability business goals, as well as beneficial environmental outcomes.

See you on Friday 18 March and Saturday 19 March at Site 275 at the South East Field Days!

The Limestone Coast Grassroots Grants program supports individuals, volunteers, community groups and other organisations working on a not for profit basis, with local landscape management projects. Current Grassroot Grants projects can be found on the Limestone Coast Landscape Board website.

Applications for the 2022/2023 round will be open from 18 March until 2 May 2022.

Call in and see us at the South East Field Days - Site 275 to find out more about funding opportunities.

To register your interest for the next round of grants please email  landscapesa.lclandscapeboardgrants@sa.gov.au

The Limestone Coast Landscape Board will soon be calling for applications for the 2022/23 Adaptive Agricultural Grants Program, which encourages sustainable primary production and supports agricultural, forestry and fishery groups and industries to adapt to changing climatic and market conditions.

Funding is available for local groups implementing projects to build resilience and respond to the threats and market opportunities created by climate change and increased consumer demand for information on produce provenance and sustainable practices, as well as support for practices that improve and protect the condition of soil, biodiversity and vegetation.

Total available grant funding is $40,000, with a minimum application of $2,500. Applications open on 18 March, and close on Monday 2 May 2022. Keep an eye on the Adaptive Agriculture grants page for the 2022/23 application form.

Contact Chelsea Burns by email or phone 0427 015 531 for more information.

This project is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board, through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program.

The Limestone Coast Women in Ag Network (LCWiAN) is a network for women in the agriculture industry in the Limestone Coast to communicate with and support each other in both a social and a professional capacity, building strong connectedness in the region. 

MacKillop Farm Management Group is coordinating the network and is excited to work with DairySA, Lucerne Australia, the Grassland Society of Southern Australia, Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan, Women in Business and Regional Development, Women Together Learning and the Limestone Coast Landscape Board to establish the network. This network is funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and their Networks to Build Drought Resilience program, which is administered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal.

During 2022, the LCWiAN will offer four workshops focused on business management, communication, human resources and tertiary education, and learning to build a skillset for financial stability. There will also be two events where you will meet other women involved in agriculture in the Limestone Coast and hear stories of success. 

If you would like to join and participate in our Network by signing up here. Becoming a member of the Network is free, and when you sign up you’ll receive direct communication about all of our events and networking opportunities.

For more information and a chance to win one ticket to the Thriving Women 2022 conference head to the MacKillop Farm Management Group website. 

Good communication is one of the key skills for successful teams, whether on the sports ground or within a farming family. Join presenter - Jeanette Long from Ag Consulting Co as she explores some of the strategies to successful communication including:

• understanding your personality type and those of people in your team
• effect of personality on communication
• strategies to communicate with different personality types
• effects of stress on communication
• identifying and managing triangulation in communication

Date: Thursday 24 March 2022  Time: 8:45 am - 3:00 pm  Venue: Millicent Soccer Club

For more information or to register go to the WoTL website or please contact WoTL Ambassador Jacqui Foster on 0429 866 917.

This workshop is supported by the Department of Agriculture,Water and the Environment, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and the Limestone Coast Landscape Board.

With the supply and price of critical agricultural inputs under considerable pressure due to supply chain disruptions, growers are advised to use soil testing and analysis to help manage their fertiliser requirements.

By more accurately assessing soil reserves and crop requirements, growers can ensure they don’t over supply expensive fertiliser and maximise their return on investment.

Soil testing is strongly recommended as the best way to measure and map fertiliser requirements across paddocks. Testing can provide a baseline measure of nutrients and ground-truth indications derived from yield maps and grain analysis for more accurate matching of crop requirements with fertiliser.

More information about this topic can be found on the GRDC website.

Need information on how to reduce farm GHG emissions in a profitable, sustainable way? Participate in a national carbon-neutral study!

Aim: to co-develop profitable, sustainable, practical pathways for reducing farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieving carbon neutrality.

How: 10 farms will be selected for this study. Participating farms will provide a range of information, including farm type, soil types, financials and property management. This information will then be used to calibrate and validate a range of economic, biological, physical and climatic models.

Why participate? Highly detailed scientific modelling of whole farm practices will be produced that may lead to improved profitability and productivity and reduced net farm GHG emissions. The research will demonstrate how whole-farm adaptations can improve biodiversity, vegetation, soil carbon stocks and overall environmental stewardship. These adaptations will ultimately define pathways to carbon neutrality and beyond.

Participants would be required to contribute around 10 days commitment over the course of two years. Evidence of good record keeping and willingness to engage over two years are necessary. All grazing businesses that currently farm more than 100 livestock are eligible to apply.

Further background: Interested participants may wish to view this YouTube video on Pathways to carbon neutral (or net zero) agricultural systems

If you are interested in participating, please send the following to: matthew.harrison@utas.edu.au

1. Nearest town/s
2. Farm size in hectares
3. Enterprise/s e.g. self-replacing merinos, purchase/sell beef cattle, dairy, cropping
4. Annual average rainfall mm/year for the farm
5. Do you have good records of livestock numbers sold, liveweight (yes/no)
6. Have you measured soil nutrients regularly (yes/no)
7. Have you ever measured soil carbon on your farm (yes/no)
8. If you have measured soil carbon how long have you been doing this?
9. Have you planted trees on your farm in the last 5 years? If yes how many (roughly)
10.  Have you made any changes to your farm to measured or reduce greenhouse gas emissions? If yes please state what changes were made
11. If you wanted to undertake a carbon farming project, what top three things would you be most likely to try?
12. Would you be willing to share your annual farm income, costs and expenditure with the project team?
13. How do you seeing your farm changing in the next five years. (1) much the same (2) more biodiversity (3) more carbon farming (4) more biodiversity and more carbon farming (5) going backwards (6) unsure (pick as many numbers as you like)
14. Are you or have you been involved in the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF)? If yes what activities have been implemented?

Would you like to be a speaker at the 2022 National Landcare Conference this August?

Landcare Australia is looking for people to present about their innovative environmental projects.

Anyone involved in protecting, enhancing or restoring the natural environment through sustainable land management and conservation activities is encouraged to submit a 500-word abstract or poster.

Presenters do not need extensive presenting experience. Landcare Australia will provide training to help speakers deliver their talks.

Don’t be shy – submit your abstract by 13 March 2022.

Hosted by Costa Georgiadis, the 2022 National Landcare Conference will be held in Sydney from 23 to 25 August. It will also be streamed online for free.

For more information, visit www.nationallandcareconference.org.au

Do you operate a South Australian grain or livestock business?
Do you want to learn how to manage and adapt to risk?
Do you want to improve your business’ economic, environmental and social resilience?

Get subsidised access to leading advisers who will deliver both on-farm support and group workshop learning to prepare you and your business to bounce back in the face of adverse climate and other challenges through the new AgRi-Silience program, a joint project between Livestock SA and Grain Producers SA.

The program will help you and your staff:

• Improve your financial literacy and, in the process, learn new ways to build the financial viability of your business.
• Become more confident in decision-making by conducting risk assessments.
• Learn new skills and techniques to build your own personal resilience, helping you to concentrate on the business at hand rather than dwell on negatives.
• Become high-performing contributors regarding decision making and operations.

Each participating business is required to contribute $500 (ex. GST) and, where there is a genuine need, may be able to access reimbursement for travel and childcare costs from PIRSA.

Further information, head to the Livestock SA website or please email Emily Buddle​. 

Are you a farmer or does your work impact the agriculture sector or rural communities? Are you looking for someone to call for advice? Or are you looking to make a positive impact on someone’s life by sharing your knowledge?

The Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring Program connects farmers and people in the agriculture industry from across Australia to share trusted advice and help tackle common challenges associated with drought, climate change, wellbeing and agricultural practice.

Participating in the program also means that you’ll grow your networks and meet people from all over the country.

Applications close 19 April so visit the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation website for more information, including eligibility criteria, and to apply!

In our region, bushfire is a real threat. Be sure to understand your bushfire risk so you can prepare your property and know what to do if a bushfire starts. Preparing for a bushfire will not only help to mitigate the impact of fire on people, homes, animals and businesses, but also helps to protect our regions natural resources.

We can all be bushfire ready. There are nine simple steps to surviving a bushfire: 

1. Do your 5 minute bushfire plan
2. Talk about your plan to family, neighbours & friends
3. Have flexibility in your plan
4. Clear around your property
5. Have an emergency kit ready
6. Know when to leave and where to go
7. Listen to the weather and know your total fire bans
8. Subscribe to the CFS warning email
9. Check radio, website, social media and news updates

For more information about preparing for bushfire season go to the CFS website or visit the Limestone Coast Landscape Board for a collation of resources (sourced from a variety of organisations such as the CFS, Australia Red Cross, Department for Environment and Water, and Department of Primary Industries and Regions)

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