In this edition:

• Ag Vic contacting land owners near Meredith and Terang
• Avian influenza information popups
• Farmers invited to ‘Take a Wellbeing Break’
• This National Farm Safety Week take farm safety into your hands
• Biosecurity Basics – episode 9
• Get it right every time – is it fit to load?
• Consider the risks when operating machinery
• Dry seasons and drought support
• Feeding livestock video series
• Free financial counselling
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Agriculture Victoria will be contacting property owners located near the avian influenza affected farms in the Meredith and Terang areas to check in. Residents in the area may be contacted via phone or text.

We will be asking if you have chickens or other livestock on the property, and about the health of the animals. Gathering this data helps us to plan our avian influenza response and lift the quarantine measures that are in place as soon as possible.

Be aware of scams. Agriculture Victoria will not ask for financial information or credit card details.

If you have any questions or want to report sick or dead birds, please contact the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226.

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

Want to find out more about avian influenza in your area?

We'll be at the following locations:

Terang Co-Op Supa IGA, Terang

• Friday 12 July, 11 am – 1 pm
• Friday 19 July, 11 am – 1 pm

Bannockburn Central Shopping Centre, 17 McPhillips Road, Bannockburn

• Saturday 13 July, 10 am – 12 noon
• Thursday 18 July, 10am – 12 noon
• Saturday 20 July, 10am – 12 noon

If you live in the area and own birds – or just want some more info – stop by and have a chat with the team. To learn more, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza

A series of wellbeing workshops targeting farming communities is being delivered as part of Agriculture Victoria’s Farm Business Resilience program, with the first to be held in Dimboola.

Agriculture Victoria Statewide Agriculture Recovery Manager Tess McDougall said the ‘Take a Wellbeing Break’ workshops are aiming to support social connection and collaboration in farming communities.

‘The workshops will provide occasions to support farmers, farming families and rural communities with mental health, wellbeing and self-care.’

The National Farmer Wellbeing Report conducted by the National Farmers Federation in 2023 found that burnout and exhaustion are commonly reported in the farming community, with almost three quarters of farmers experiencing burnout of some kind in the last five years.

Mrs McDougall said farmers have faced a series of challenging events over recent years with the current dry seasonal conditions in some regions just the latest one to confront them.

The workshops will be facilitated by Cynthia Mahoney, an experienced facilitator and coach with a background in Agricultural Science. She says the workshops are designed to be fun and practical.

‘They will bring farmers together to provide them with wellbeing tools and information, connect them and share ideas, and identify practical strategies they can immediately implement to positively impact their well-being.

‘People often associate wellbeing with the serious topic of mental health and expect another workshop full of the same stuff.

‘It is a weighty subject, and I have created something that is meant to be fun while also providing an opportunity for participants to talk about wellbeing in a serious way while they are doing it,’ said Ms Mahoney.

The first of the workshops will be held at Dimboola on Wednesday 7 August from 6 to 8 pm and is supported by Wimmera Women Connect, Birchip Cropping Group, Hindmarsh Shire and Wimmera Southern Mallee Development.

Register for the Dimboola workshop at Trybooking or visit the Agriculture Victoria events page.

Other workshops are being planned for South-West Victoria, Northern Victoria and Gippsland, with details to be made available on Trybooking and the Agriculture Victoria website.

The workshops are funded by the Farm Business Resilience Program, which is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Victorian Government’s Future Agriculture Skills Capacity Fund.

Make sure you, your visitors and workers are aware of farm safety risks and take proactive steps to manage them.  

• Provide safe playing areas for children and fence off hazardous areas such as dams. 
• Use appropriate safety gear like helmets, gloves, eyewear, and hearing protection. 
• Utilise a checking in system when working alone. 
• Manage fatigue with regular breaks and planning ahead during busier times. 

Visit WorkSafe for more #FarmingSafeandWell tips to make your farm safer for everyone. 

Head to FarmSafe Australia to get the full rundown on Farm Safety Week.

How can I create a balanced diet for my cattle? Are there any biosecurity risks to be aware of?

In this episode, Brett Davidson, Agriculture Victoria’s Dairy Regional Manager in Tatura and Rachael Laukart, Education Officer with the RSPCA share information about feeding cattle a balanced diet, what to do if you need to transition their diet and what biosecurity risks to be aware of when introducing new feed.

Listen via the AgVic website.

Livestock must be inspected prior to being loaded and they must not be suffering from conditions that could cause, or would be likely to cause, increased pain or distress during transport.

Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer Jeff Cave said if you are in doubt about an animal’s suitability for transport, you can always ask your private veterinarian or any Agriculture Victoria animal health officer or veterinary officer if livestock are fit to load.

Furthermore, a guideline titled ‘Is the animal fit to load?’ has been produced by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). This guideline can be viewed electronically on MLA’s website or ordered from MLA at MLA publications.

In summary, an animal is not fit to load if it:

• is not able to walk normally or bear weight on all its legs. This may be due to a recent or old fracture, an injury, a deformity or an infection.
• is not strong enough to make the journey
• is suffering from severe distress or injury
• is in a condition that could cause it increased pain or distress during transport
• is blind in both eyes
• is in late pregnancy.

Dr Cave said if you identify an animal that is unfit to load you have a few options.

‘You could treat the animal and transport it when it has recovered and is fit to load. Naturally this is not an option in cases that are not readily treatable.

‘Alternatively, you could humanely destroy the animal. A knackery service is available in many areas to help with this option.’

‘Finally, you could consult a veterinarian and only transport the animal under veterinary advice.’

Dr Cave said remember, the person in charge of the animal is responsible for its welfare. Community values and expectations will not accept anything less.

For further information on animal welfare contact your local animal health staff at Agriculture Victoria or call 136 186.

Find the ‘Land transport of livestock standard guidelines and more information here.

Due to a recent on-farm death WorkSafe has created an alert to remind farmers, growers and others who regularly operate powered mobile plant to consider the risks when operating machinery on-farm.

This safety alert aims to help you build your knowledge on the safe use of powered mobile plant to reduce risks to you and your workers on farms.

Take the time to read this safety alert and forward this information onto other farmers who regularly use farm machinery including augers.

Have you updated your plan for the current seasonal conditions? Having a solid drought plan can help you with decision making in adverse conditions.

Check out the dry seasons and drought support on the Agriculture Victoria website today.

Choosing the best feed this winter 

When choosing the best feed to purchase for sheep or cattle, there are a few things to take into account – especially when feeding over winter.

What to feed

In this short video, Livestock Officer Nick Linden looks at the key considerations in choosing supplements for stock by calculating their requirements and the energy density of feed against its cost.

Watch it here.

Costing out your feeds

Am I better off feeding grain or hay?  And what is the cost?

In this video, Livestock Officer Nick Linden looks at the calculations to use to make sure what you’re feeding to your animals is the most cost-effective option.

Watch it here.

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.

Partnering with community to manage pests and weeds

Efforts to support long-term management of rabbits, blackberries, serrated tussock and gorse across Victoria have been bolstered with support from the Victorian Government to four community pest management groups.

Read the full media release here.

New term for Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council

New members have been appointed to the second term of the Victorian Agriculture Climate Change Council to help the Victorian agriculture sector prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.

Read the full media relase here.

Public consultation opens for new Victorian Wine Strategy

Those with a keen interest in shaping the future of Victoria's prestigious wine industry are encouraged to share their insights to contribute to the development of the new Victorian Wine Strategy.

Read the full media release here.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website.

Visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

Save the date!

When: Wednesday July 31 and Thursday August 1, 8:30 am - 5 pm. 

Where: 2574 Sunraysia Hwy, Speed. 

Find out more here.

Save the date!

When: Sunday 4 and Monday 5 August, 8 am to 5 pm. 

Where: Hamilton Showgrounds. 

Buy tickets here.

The GSSA conference at Bendigo on 17-18 July will offer something for everyone.

The central theme will focus on ‘Evidence Based Decision Making’ and the topics have been built around what farmers need to know.

Delegates will be able to choose from 2 bus tours.

One to a property north of Bendigo integrating lucerne into a profitable livestock system and one to a higher rainfall perennial pasture property south of Bendigo.

Topics will include:

• Carbon - An informed farmers perspective
• Carbon neutral livestock production - is it possible?
• Soil carbon and fertility
• Measuring and knowing your soil carbon levels
• Old clover identification and sub optimal clover nodulation
• Paddock livestock weighing
• What bugs you?
• Use of drones in agriculture
• Facial livestock recognition
• Remote pasture measurement
• Running lambs on improved varieties of perennial ryegrass vs more persistent Victorian ryegrass - animal responses above yield responses
• N efficiency and endophytes in ryegrass pastures
• Introduction to fertiliser calculator tool.

Click here for more information – 2024 GSSA Annual Conference

Learn how to best use an animal health plan, an important tool for farmers to increase performance and minimise biosecurity risks. 

Hear from Dr Hannah Manning in this free interactive workshop where you will identify local health issues and learn about their prevention and treatment solutions when creating an animal health plan for your flock.

When: Wednesday 24 July, 10 am – 2 pm

Where: Navarre Football Club.

Register here.

The upcoming Irrigation Insights Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, 24 July, and Thursday, 25 July, at the Rich River Golf Club in Moama.

The conference is a collaboration between dairy, grains and cotton with the aim of providing information for profitable and sustainable farm business. Our program features sessions covering the latest research, technological advancements, and sustainable practices.

Conference highlights:

• Exploring marketing and consumer trends - Ron Storey, Storey Marketing
• New technology in weed control - Michael Walsh, Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University
• Latest advances in nitrogen fertiliser - Helen Suter School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne.
• Over the gate - practices and innovation driving on farm productivity Panel - hear what other farmers are implementing to ensure productive sustainable businesses into the future.
• Grain, forage and fodder - mitigating risk of summer crop options (cotton, maize, sorghum) - Kieran O’Keefe Regional Extension Officer, CottonInfo and Yvette Williams, Research and Innovation Coordinator Murray Dairy
• Seeds of hope: The Aussie Hay Runners' Journey - Peter Wuthrich Aussie Hay Runners

The Gala Dinner on the evening of Wednesday 24 July, will commemorate our 25 years of the Irrigation Farmers Network achievements in RD&E. Featuring Renee Anderson, farmer and ag industry advocate as our special guest speaker.

For more information, please click here

Book tickets now.

Thinking about participating in a wind energy project? This local, evidence-based information may help inform your decision.

Date and time: Tuesday 10 September, 8am - 12:30pm

Location: Longerenong College, 229 Longerenong Road Longerenong, VIC 3401

Expert speakers will be launching research findings that can help you make an informed decision.

• Economic Impacts: Dr Kate Burke (Think Agri) and Tayla Blight (Pinion Advisory)
• Ag Tech Impacts: Adrian Roles (AgTech)
• Public Liability Insurance: Mark Callanan and Chris Stallard (Amroc)
• Legalities: Dr Madeline Taylor (Macquarie University)

This free event will be brought to you by Wimmera Southern Mallee Development, which aims to provide communities with clear information on the matters that mean the most.

With just 100 seats available, book your ticket now!

Funded by the Agriculture Victoria 'Regional Drought Resilience Planning Implementation Grant Program'.

Schedule

• 8am - Free breakfast in the Longerenong College Dining Hall (egg and bacon rolls, tea and coffee etc).
• 8.45am - Event starts at the Longerenong College Auditorium.

Notice of Filming and Photography
This event is being filmed as an information resource that will be published to WSMD's YouTube and promoted in WSMD marketing.

All efforts will be taken to film the presenters only, and not the attendees.

Click here for more information and reserve your spot.

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