• Developing flexible farming systems for mitigating risk
• All aboard the virtual climate bus tour
• Are you a regular podcast listener?
• Horse traceability: have your say – public consultation closes on 25 May
• Solar for business program
• Western Victorian farmer pleads guilty to animal cruelty
• Absentee farmer fined $25,000 for animal cruelty to cattle
• Monitoring continues for Japanese encephalitis – update no. 11
• Have your say on Southern Rural Water pricing submission options
• VGT community grant applications closing soon
• CLOSING SOON! June 2021 storms and floods grants
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Mr Trompf was the founder of Lambs Alive and the key developer and educator of the Lifetime Ewe Management, Bred Well Fed Well, and More Lambs More Often programs.

Topics to be discussed at the workshop include:

• Managing beef and sheep systems for increasing variability
• Creating flexibility in your farm system to be more resilient
• Genetic Impact – aligning your objectives to your end goal
• Managing your pasture base and feed resources to optimize stock performance
• Utilizing seasonal and commodity forecasting to make more informed decisions.

This free workshop will be held on Thursday 26 May from 10 am to 2 pm at the CFA Shed, Swifts Creek. Lunch will be provided.

Note: workshops are also being held at Gelantipy (Wednesday 25 May) and Sale (Friday 27 May).

To register for the Swifts Creek workshop or for information about the Gelantipy and Sale workshops, contact Livestock Industry Development Officer Janice Dowe on 0437 282 315 or at janice.dowe@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Season three of the AgVic Talk podcast takes listeners on a virtual bus tour to speak with farmers and agricultural influencers who are looking at different ways to manage climate variability.

Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Darryl Pearl said that across the ten podcasts, we hear real examples of how farmers have managed climate change and variability across a range of locations around the state.

“Agriculture is undertaken successfully by farmers across a whole range of climates. This podcast series explores some of the ways farmers are managing climate risk on their farms. This can offer valuable insights for how others are setting up to manage climate change and increased variability.”

This season includes conversations with livestock producers who are using stock containment areas, agricultural business resilience experts, low and high rainfall zone growers who talk about their coping strategies, and farmers developing new skills through online learning.

“In one episode we talk to third-generation Millewa farmer Ian Arney who has experienced a huge amount of change in order to continue farming in a changing climate, arguably none more so than in the last ten years with a move from cereal and grain cropping to focusing mainly on sheep,” Mr Pearl said.

“Everyone we talk to during this season has a focus on planning and understanding their business in order to help them through the tough years and make the most of the good ones,” he said.

Ten virtual climate bus tour episodes will run as part of season three of the AgVic Talk podcast channel which began as a pilot in August 2020.

“Through the podcasts, we’ve been able to deliver knowledge and information in a format that suits the way farmers and agricultural professionals work and live today,” Mr Pearl said.

“In the past, we might have delivered this information as part of a roadshow or through workshops, but we’ve realised the value of delivering online and the virtual climate bus tour has saved 1,900 kilometres of vehicle travel, time, and carbon emissions.”

He said the new season will continue to deliver trusted, relevant and timely information to Victoria’s agricultural sector, and rural and regional communities through podcasts.

You can subscribe and listen to AgVic Talk wherever you get your podcasts:

• Subscribe to AgVic Talk on Spotify
• Subscribe to Apple Podcasts

More online resources relevant to season three include the Climate Change in Australia website.

You can also look up your location on the climate analogue website.

Or for more climate-related information from Agriculture Victoria, visit the climate and weather page on the website

This AgVic Talk season is funded by Smarter Safer Farms, a $20 million Victorian Government initiative to keep farmers, workers and farm families safe and well.

At Agriculture Victoria we’re interested in knowing how our audience listens to podcasts.

Your feedback will help us identify how we can improve podcast production and develop new content.

While we know podcasts are a great medium and an increasingly popular format to share timely and topical information, we’re keen to know how you listen to them and what you like.

Please take this short five-minute survey and help us continue to create great new podcasts.

Complete the survey here by Friday 10 June.

How would an Australian horse traceability system work for you as a horse owner or carer, business or organisation?

The National Horse Traceability Working Group invites you to have a say on proposed business rules for a National Horse Traceability System.

Business rules outline how horse traceability will be achieved across the industry, the roles and obligations industry will have as part of the system and what movement records will be required.

Learn more at the Agriculture Victoria website and have your say here.  

Consultation is now open until Wednesday 25 May.

The Victorian Government is encouraging businesses to consider energy independence.

Eligible business owners can access up to $3,500 off the upfront cost of a solar panel (PV) system, reducing their energy costs and investing in a cleaner, renewable future.

From 29 April, eligible businesses are also able to opt in for an interest-free loan up to $5,000 to further reduce the upfront costs of installing solar.

More information about the program can be found HERE

A farmer from western Victoria has received a two-year good behaviour bond and been ordered to pay costs of $5,700 after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges at the Horsham Magistrates’ Court last week.

Drung South farmer Bernard Gross pleaded guilty to one charge of animal cruelty and seven charges of aggravated cruelty, relating to sheep that were found to be in poor condition – including several that were stuck in mud due to an overflowing trough – in April and May 2018.

The Court heard that the sheep in Mr Gross’ care were in very poor condition. During inspections in autumn 2018 Agriculture Victoria officers reported seven dead sheep. A further five were euthanised as a result of their poor condition and their inability to walk.

In delivering his decision, Magistrate McNamara said while the offences were very serious he took into account Mr Gross’ lack of prior offending and departmental involvement since the incident, as well as his personal circumstances at the time.

Agriculture Victoria Animal Health and Welfare Compliance Manager Daniel Bode said people who own animals have a serious responsibility to look after them and minimise their suffering.

Mr Bode said apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can affect all producers.

“This is a reminder to all livestock producers that animal welfare is of critical importance to the Victorian Government or the community,” he said.

“Farmers are reminded that adequate supervision is a requirement to ensure animals have proper and sufficient care, feed, water and shelter.”

Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint in regard to livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au

An absentee farmer was recently fined $25,000 in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court for animal cruelty offences to his cattle herd.

Pierre Roland De Bondy pleaded guilty to seven charges, including two for cruelty and three aggravated cruelty offences. With conviction, Mr De Bondy was fined $25,000 and costs awarded in the amount of $101.25 to the department.

The Magistrate also imposed a conditional disqualification order on livestock for a period of five years.

Mr De Bondy lives at a property in Vermont South and has been operating a pastoral farming enterprise since 1999. He is the sole director and secretary of accused company Geralem Services Pty, which owns three rural properties at Flowerdale, Woodside and Mirboo.

Across these properties Mr De Bondy generally ran approximately 150 head of cattle, which were predominantly Angus cattle.

Agriculture Victoria authorised officers inspected the property in response to a report of sick and dying cattle at the Mirboo property.

Several cattle were observed in poor condition with several young cattle having to be euthanised to prevent further suffering as they were found too weak to rise or lift their heads.

On further inspection of the property, officers identified that Mr De Bondy failed to monitor the conditions of his stock.

The ‘Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Cattle’ clearly states livestock supervision obligations. The code describes the minimum standard of frequency and level of inspection related to the potential risks to the welfare of the cattle.

The Magistrate noted he considered a number of previous cases in reaching his decision but balanced them against the seriousness of the offending and the suffering caused.

Agriculture Victoria Animal Health and Welfare Compliance Manager Daniel Bode said people who own animals have a serious responsibility to look after them and minimise their suffering, including absentee farmers where adequate supervision is essential.

Mr Bode said apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can affect all producers.

“This is a reminder to all livestock producers that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian Government or the community.”

“Also, those farmers who work as absentee owners are reminded that adequate supervision is a requirement, particularly during risk times such as summer, to ensure animals have proper and sufficient feed, water and shelter.”

Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint in regard to livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria is working closely with both the pig and horse industries in response to Japanese encephalitis.

There are now a total of 23 properties with pigs confirmed with Japanese encephalitis in Victoria. These are located across the Wangaratta, Moira, Greater Shepparton, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Loddon, Greater Bendigo and Northern Grampians local government areas. A number of suspected cases are under investigation.

The detections are the result of national surveillance efforts to identify new cases and determine the extent and spread of the disease and the source of its introduction.

Japanese encephalitis has also been confirmed in piggeries in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia and in a small number of feral pigs in the Northern Territory.

Agriculture Victoria is working closely with industry, conducting surveillance activities and providing advice and information to farmers, livestock and horse owners.

Infection is not spread directly from pigs to people, and there is no risk to humans from eating pig meat. Only infected mosquitoes can spread infection. Pork is safe to eat.

In general, spread is through the movement of some species of migratory water birds and through the movement of infected mosquitoes, often over long distances. It does not usually spread directly from animal to animal (i.e. it is not considered contagious).

Victorians are being reminded to protect themselves from mosquito bites particularly when spending time outdoors.

Japanese encephalitis vaccines are recommended for people at a higher risk of exposure to the virus, such as those working with pigs. All people should undertake measures to reduce exposure to mosquitoes.

For more information about Japanese encephalitis virus and animals visit Agriculture Victoria’s website: agriculture.vic.gov.au/je

For more information about Japanese encephalitis virus and human health contact your GP or phone NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 606 024, or go to www.health.vic.gov.au/jev

Southern Rural Water's (SRW) Pricing Submission for 2023 to 2028 (PS2023) needs to balance the price and services they provide, so the involvement of their customers in this planning is important.

They have listened to customer views via their Customer Consultative Committees, Customer Reference Group, surveys and meetings. From what they have heard so far, they know water security, reliability, service, and paying a reasonable price for water are key issues for our customers.

SRW has used these key issues to develop proposed customer outcomes to inform a range of pricing options.

SRW is holding holding both face to face and online events from 16-24 May, to discuss the possible pricing options for 2023-2028.  For more information or to register for an event visit the engagement hub.

Do you have gorse?

Through the Community Grants Program the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) works to support communities in reducing gorse in their local area.

The VGT are interested in helping landholders looking to control their gorse long-term.

The program looks to educate and build community capacity around gorse and gorse control so that communities can take real ownership and overcome the problem.

Now is the time to plan ahead and start a conversation with your community about gorse in your area.

Eligible Small Grant projects can attract up to $5,000 in funding.

Applications for the 2022–2023 Small Community Grants close on 28 May.

If gorse is a problem on your land or across your local area, the VGT encourages you to connect with your local community and apply now.

For more information email: info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au

Find out more from the Victorian Gorse Taskforce.

Grants of up to $25,000 are available to help reimburse primary producers for clean-up and recovery activities as a direct result of the Severe Weather event of 9 –11 June 2021.

The Exceptional Circumstances Recovery grants can be used to cover activities including removing fallen trees, removing silt and debris, specialist support for landslip and erosion remediation.

The support can also contribute to the cost of repairs or replacement of damaged farm infrastructure such as fencing and equipment.

Applications for grant assistance close on 31 May 2022.

To apply for a grant or to see if you are eligible, visit Rural Finance.

In this episode of the My Rain Gauge is Busted podcast we talk to Monash University’s Neville Nicholls about the science behind climate change.

There is a long history of research that has culminated in our understanding today, such as work presented in 1859 by John Tyndall to the Royal Society.

Interested in hearing more?

Search for My Rain Gauge is Busted wherever you get your podcasts or listen online via the Agriculture Victoria website.

Farm finance – young farmers getting prepared together*

Young farmers across Victoria are being invited to come together for farm finance workshops at a number of locations, as well as to network and ask questions.

Agriculture Victoria Young Farmer Coordinator Sarah Wallis said it was wonderful to be able to offer the Farm Finance – Getting Prepared sessions as in-person events after having to shift to an online format for the past two years.

*The Bairnsdale workshop will be held on Wednesday 8 June. Register here.

READ THE FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

Farmers needed for new horticulture business study

A new farm monitor program will provide horticulture producers with critical business insights to help them understand their profitability, improve recovery and drive future growth.

Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Farm Monitor Pilot is collecting valuable information from farm businesses across a range of crops including apple and pears, cherries, strawberries and summer fruit.

READ THE FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

More jobs and milk products for Victorian dairy company

The Victorian Government has supported one of Australia’s fastest growing dairy companies to hire more workers and expand its operations in the small northern Victorian town of Girgarre.

Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas announced this week the company – Australian Consolidated Milk (ACM) has exceeded its forecast jobs growth, hiring 65 new workers since expanding its site, which was supported by the Victorian Government’s Regional Jobs Fund.

READ THE FULL MEDIA RELEASE HERE

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can be found in one spot on our website. Log on to the Events page to keep in touch with upcoming events.

**WEBINAR FRIDAY 20 MAY**

How can AgTech make your farm business more resilient? Are you interested in making your farm business more resilient?

In Webinar 5 of the Unpacking AgTech webinar series we’ll investigate what farm business resilience is and how technology can help your business become more resilient.

This webinar will be presented on Friday 20 May at 12.30pm AEST.

Please register here.

When: Wednesday 25 May

Time: 11 am – 1 pm

Register here

Register now for the10th biosecurity webinar: Taking the reins on equine health – three biosecurity risks for Australian horses.

You’ll hear from virus researchers, vaccine experts and veterinarians, who will outline what governments and partner agencies are doing to protect our valuable equine industry from three emerging diseases, including African horse sickness (AHSV), Hendra virus variant (HeV g2) and Japanese encephalitis (JEV).

The Agriculture Energy Investment Plan has supported agricultural businesses to reduce energy costs, improve energy efficiency and explore alternative energy options through energy assessments, grants, demonstrations, research and extension.

Agriculture Victoria is hosting a webinar to share insights and key findings from the research and demonstration projects completed under the Agriculture Energy Investment Plan.

The webinar will cover:

• On-farm energy opportunities: analysis of AEIP assessments, Adriana Robaina, Agriculture Victoria
• Economic insights from farmers’ energy journeys, Julie Harman, Agriculture Victoria
• Dairy Energy at Ellinbank SmartFarm, Greg Morris, Agriculture Victoria
• Orchard Agrivoltaics at Tatura SmartFarm, Ian Goodwin, Agriculture Victoria
• Pasture Agrivoltaics in Solar Farms, Bruce Gill, Agriculture Victoria.

Date: Tuesday, 7 June
Time:  12 to 1.30 pm
Where: Online via Zoom or dial in

Register or join the webinar here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please join the webinar five minutes early to set up.

If you need assistance registering or would like more information, please contact Sarah Clack on 0417 316 345 or sarah.clack@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For information on other webinars in this series or other energy events please visit extensionaus.

This initiative is part of the Victorian Government’s Agriculture Energy Investment Plan, which is supporting producers to improve energy usage on-farm.

Agriculture Victoria is pleased to announce that early bird tickets for the BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef Conference are on sale now.

The 2022 conference will run as a single day event, catering for those involved in the sheep and beef industries.

The conference will return to the Bendigo Exhibition Centre on Thursday 16 June, featuring three keynote speakers, and 12 specialised speakers/demonstrations.

Highlights include:

• climate – reducing emissions, carbon and climate risks
• a producer’s perspective on managing risk and making decisions on-farm
• working dog demonstration
• lamb autopsy demonstration
• genomics for commercial angus breeders
• ALMTech – tool and technology for measuring eating quality
• trade displays.

The conference dinner will be held the evening prior to the conference, on Wednesday 15 June, at the All Seasons Hotel Bendigo.

You can purchase tickets and view the full conference program at Eventbrite.

Caption: Presenter Galia Bastoni from Australian Red Cross

Do you employ people from a culturally or linguistically diverse background in your workplace?

If you want to find out ways to make your business more attractive to people from different background and take advantage of the benefits they bring, then sign up to the Welcoming Workplaces webinar on 27 May from 12 pm.

In the webinar you will learn to how to develop and encourage positive attitudes in workplaces and address barriers preventing people from migrant backgrounds participating in the agricultural workforce.

The webinar will also look at the strengths and skills they bring to the business and how to make your business more attractive.

Welcoming Workplaces is a Red Cross initiative that encourages and builds capacity in welcoming new arrivals into your workplace.

It aims to help build capacity in fostering appreciation of diversity in the workplace, increase understanding of the impact of forced migration and build skills/ values such as equality, solidarity, cooperation, empathy, responsibility and resilience.

Register HERE to attend.

For more information contact Del Delpitiya from Agriculture Victoria on 0436 649 860 or del.delpitiya@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Government is committed to improving safety and skills on farms, visit Smarter Safer Farms page on the Agriculture Victoria website.

Young farmers across Victoria are being invited to come together for farm finance workshops at a number of locations, as well as to network and ask questions.

Agriculture Victoria is offering the Farm Finance – Getting Prepared sessions as in-person events after having to shift to an online format for the past two years.

The workshops will be an opportunity to have open and transparent conversations about farm finance and get some tips on how to communicate in ‘bank speak’.

By the end of the session participants will have a new clarity on finance and how the whole system works.

All sessions will be held between 6 – 8.30 pm and are scheduled for:

Bairnsdale – Wednesday 8 June.

Register or to find out more here

The Farm Finance – Getting Prepared series is supported by Agriculture Victoria’s Smarter, Safer Farms program.

Immerse yourself in an exclusive three-part educational series to learn about global market opportunities, focusing on the China market, and how Agriculture Victoria’s new Pathways to Export program can assist your international trade journey.

Hear from the Victorian Government’s Deputy Trade Commissioner in China and key in-market experts who will help you gain a deeper understanding of international market opportunities.
Register for your exclusive ticket to export:

Part 3: Business Matching Essentials

Tuesday, 24 May from 2 – 3 pm

Register HERE

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Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).

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All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/contact-us

Don't forget to check out Agriculture Victoria's social media sites for up-to-date information and news.