With all the cold and wet weather, it is hard to believe that today is the first day of December! Hopefully the festive season will bring perfect weather conditions for primary production businesses throughout the Limestone Coast.

Thanks to all our readers, sustainable primary production stakeholders, the Limestone Coast Landscape Board and the Australian Government's National Landcare Program for your support to create an enewsletter with relevant information and events around the Limestone Coast.

This is our last enewsletter for 2022 and we look forward to sending out our next AgConnect in February 2023!

The program was announced as part of the Future Drought Fund, with at least $14.3 million available to applicants operating in Australia.

The objective of the program is to fund activities that support adoption of proven and existing Australian and/or internationally generated research and development practices and technology that:

• reduce the impacts of drought on agricultural productivity and/or enable a quicker recovery of farmers and their lands from drought
• have potential to be adopted at a large scale (either across multiple farms, a farming system, landscapes, regions or industries)
• can demonstrate public benefits

Applications close: Monday 9 January 2023.

More information about this Future Drought Fund opportunity can be found on the Australian Government GrantConnect website.

The world soil day theme for this year is ‘Soils, where food begins’, to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

The Limestone Coast Landscape Board provides the Limestone Coast community with information and resources to help land managers overcome soil health problems, as well as increasing the local knowledge base of our soils.

• Are you interested in soil carbon? Check out our Carbon Explainer video series!
• Do you want to learn more about what makes soil fertile, soil carbon and biology, and clay and sandy soils? Check out our Healthy Soils webinar series!

Other important sustainable primary production resources can be found on the Limestone Coast Landscape Board website.

The South Australian Government has released its Carbon Farming Roadmap to guide government and the private sector in South Australia as they work together to better understand carbon farming, address risks and challenges, develop knowledge and skills, and take advantage of this new and evolving industry.

Carbon farming practices can restore landscapes, improve agricultural productivity, generate new sources of income, and deliver a range of social and economic benefits for regional communities. 

The Roadmap outlines four key pillars and strategic actions required to address the challenges and unlock the opportunities to increase participation in carbon farming in South Australia. The key pillars are:

• Progress research, innovation, and market development
• Develop an enabling policy and regulatory environment
• Build knowledge and skills
• Engage, collaborate and partner

Visit the PIRSA website to download the Roadmap.

The Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council Inc (LCGWCI) has successfully held its’ first workshop focused on ‘Sustainable Winegrowing Greater Limestone Coast’, facilitated by Australian Wine and Research Institute at Struan.

The delivery of these workshops is supported through the Limestone Coast Landscape Board's Adaptive Agriculture Grants Program. The Adaptive Agriculture project seeks to increase awareness of market opportunities in a changing climate, with a particular focus on provenance, traceability and marketability in the Limestone Coast region.

The three LCGWCI workshop program includes key topics to support sustainability credentials in the industry, as well as improve resilience, and encourage sustainable environmental stewardship in the Limestone Coast region.

Workshop Two:

• Date: Tuesday 6 December
• Time: 9 am - 4:30 pm
• Location: Struan

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

The Limestone Coast Food and Agribusiness Cluster (the Cluster) is currently developing a Limestone Coast Producer Directory to promote the incredible makers, growers, harvesters, catchers and producers of our region. This producer directory is supported through the Limestone Coast Landscape Board's Adaptive Agriculture Grants Program.

Historically, there’s been a big gap in being able to find what is produced in the region in one easy to access spot. The directory is aiming to fill this gap along with providing contact details so that consumers, retailers and trade can reach out directly to producers.

The Directory will be live on-line, so it will be easy to update and provide current details for producers. The Cluster is currently working on making the directory downloadable and printable, for those that would prefer a hard copy! 

If you would like to know more about this opportunity please phone Toni Duka on 0417 083 626.

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

To support the setting of hunting bag limits The Department for Environment and Water are working with the Conservation and Hunting Alliance of South Australia (CHASA) in conducting a counting of Stubble Quail during harvest operations over spring and summer.

The aim of the survey is to detect the presence and estimate the abundance of Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis) found in South Australia.

The survey will gather the following information

• Locality
• Crop Type
• Total Paddock Size
• Total Quail Counted

For more information about Counting Stubble Quail During Harvest Operations - a Citizen Science Project visit the Conservation & Hunting Alliance of South Australia website.

Are you ready to be part of a dynamic and driven farm discussion group? A farmer driven network which will allow your to 'look over the fence' at a range of grazing and cropping enterprises, with opportunities to:

• ‘Think outside the box’
• Enhance and improve your business profitability and productivity
• Provide networking opportunities across the Limestone Coast
• See the latest research, innovation and technology being used practically on-farm

The group is designed to deliver what you want, and will be tailored specifically to your topics of interest to help drive performance in your enterprise. 

Group start date: Early December

Investment (per business): MFMG members $500+GST per year and non-members $2,000+GST per year.

For more information contact Jess Revell by phone (0419 319 516) or email.

This project is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants program, and is funded by the landscape levy

Paddock trees are a much loved feature of our landscape, improve the sustainability and productivity on our farms and provide homes for wildlife. Unfortunately these grand icons of the Australian landscape and are being lost at an alarming rate with very little natural regeneration to replace them. 

If you own a property that supports or has supported gum woodlands in the past, and you’re within the Limestone Coast Landscape Board Region, please read the Frequently Asked Questions document and register by submitting an Expression of Interest form via Trees For Life (SA) by Friday 2 December 2022.

This Project is an opportunity to work together to protect and replace these magnificent trees so we can enjoy their benefits for many years to come.

This project is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board in partnership with Trees For Life.

Tatiara District Council, Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan and local volunteers have delivered a project in the Mundulla Common funded by Friends of the Grasslands.

Grazing is used as a tool to reduce fuel load prior to bushfire season managing introduced species phalaris, cocksfoot, wild oats and veldt grass. This project expanded our understanding of crash grazing on native understorey species through grazing exclusion.

Our next project is the Limestone Coast Landscape Board funded Grassroots Grant Mundulla Common Enhancement, Wetland Understanding and Community Engagement. This will include:

• Targeted control of weeds including Olive and Ixia bulbs,
• Comparative monitoring of native species in ungrazed vs grazed,
• Encouraging natural regeneration of native grasses,
• Water management options in Mundulla Swamp to reduce weed growth, 
• Community engagement working with volunteers, contractors, and Mundulla Common Working Group.

Three successful dung beetle and soil health workshops were held in Mount Gambier, Woolumbool and Wrattonbully recently, where participants learnt about local dung beetle species, as well as learning about the importance of soil testing.

For those that missed the dung beetle workshops but are interested in learning more about dung beetles then check out the following online resources:

• Dung beetle ecosystems engineers website
• Dung beetle ecosystems engineers Facebook page
• Dung beetle harvesting project dung beetles: restore the soil prosper the nation
• Dung beetle benefits

For anyone that is interested in becoming part of a dung beetle group please email Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Eykolina Benny. This group will focus on getting to know your dung beetles better, including:

• What dung beetle species group members have
• Help identifying dung beetles
• Creating dung beetle nurseries to enable to the dung beetle populations to expand

If you want to learn more about soil testing grants then visit the Southern Cross University website and learn about how to become involved in the pilot soil monitoring incentives program. Or you can contact local Soil Extension Officer, Ehsan Sayad by phone (0467 739 211) or email for more information.

This project is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board, through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program and the Dung Beetle Ecosystems Engineers project and local land managers  

Prizes have been awarded to six advisers, 10 community members and 15 land managers for completing the Sustainable Land Management survey that the Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s Sustainable Primary Production team undertook earlier in the year. 

• Advisers won the The Soils of Southern South Australia book
• Community members won a voucher for local nurseries.
• Land managers won a DIY soil test. 

The survey results are currently being analysed so stay tuned for some articles on the results next year.

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated in the survey!

The 22nd Australasian Weeds Conference was held in Adelaide from 25 – 29 September 2022. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board and Coorong Tatiara Local Action Plan had the pleasure of sponsoring Dee Provis and Jake McCallum to attend the Conference.

Jake’s take home messages
This conference was attended by a large cross section of people from the world over and it provided me with opportunities to meet people from other countries. I was part of conversations on the different challenges that weed management presents in different areas of Australia and the world, especially the concern of weeds developing higher resistance rates to herbicides. I found the use of drone technology for surveying difficult terrain a highlight of the conference.

Dee’s take home messages
I enjoyed all the different speakers, especially the young indigenous people speaking about weed management. I was particularly interested in the nursery industries guidelines and consequences. I liked that we were able to ask questions at the end of each presentation and the food was delicious.

The knowledge that I gained from the conference will help us to hopefully secure more funding through grants in the future. I also made many new work contacts – some of which I will be meeting up with over the coming months.

I just can’t thank you enough for sponsoring us - this conference has given me the confidence that I will be able to pass on the torch to Jake when the time comes to retire.

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 visit the CFS website.

The Limestone Coast Landscape Board website also has a range of bushfire management resources sourced from a variety of organisations including 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