In this edition

Latest news

• Community events grant applications close 31 August
• Primary producer flood recovery grants closed on 13 July

Events

• Mallee Machinery Field Days: Speed
• Designer genes – breeding sheep to fit: Norong
• Feed budgeting workshop: Wycheproof
• Slugging slugs and conical snails: Lake Bolac

Resources

• The Break: seasonal climate webinar updates for July
• Farmer Online Assist
• On-farm visitor management in your pocket
• Farm Fitness Checklist
• Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool
• Climate Services for Agriculture

Supports

• Victorian flood and storm support for farmers
• Hailstorm Primary Producer Concessional Loan
• Rural Financial Counselling Service
• National Centre for Farmer Health
• Health and personal wellbeing
• Farm Business Resilience Program

Grants up to $1,500 are available from the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) for local groups, not-for-profit organisations and individuals who wish to boost farmers’ mental health and wellbeing.

Are you planning a community event in 2023 to help health and wellbeing of farmers and farm families impacted by the floods and flood recovery? Then the NCFH would like to partner with you to make your event a success.

There are many ways of supporting social connection in farming communities:

• Host a barbeque lunch or dinner and get a local speaker who has been impacted by floods to share their story
• Follow your AGM, regular meeting or safety talk with an event and ask your trusted advisor or community champion to come and share information
• Tie a social activity to an existing community or sporting event

Learn more and apply now at www.farmerhealth.org.au/buildingfarmspirit.

Read the grant application terms and conditions here.

Grant applications have been extended and now close on 31 August, 2023.

Applications for Victorian Government Primary Producer Flood Recovery financial support for the 6 October 2022 to 13 January 2023 floods and storms are now closed.

Applicants who successfully applied for a Primary Producer Flood Recovery grant have up to 13 January 2024 to finalise their claims for Tier 2 payments.

Rural Finance administer these programs on behalf of the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments.

More information is available at Rural Finance by calling 1800 260 425 or by checking the website at www.ruralfinance.com.au

If you applied to Rural Finance for financial support for the October to January floods and storms and are awaiting the outcome of your application, contact Rural Finance at:

Phone: 1800 260 425
Email: admin@ruralfinance.com.au

Mallee Machinery Field Days: Speed

Come along to site 130 and meet the Agriculture Recovery Team at the Mallee Machinery Field Days.

Agriculture Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Rural Financial Counselling Service will be sharing the site so consider us your ‘one stop shop’.

Location: 2574 Sunraysia Hwy, Speed

Date: Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 August

For more information, visit Mallee Machinery Field Days.

Feed budgeting workshop: Wycheproof

Jess Revell, Rumenate Livestock Services will present a practical workshop on feed budgeting for sheep producers, to help you make timely grazing management and livestock feeding decisions, improving your business productivity and profitability.

Topics:

• Meeting the nutritional requirements of livestock classes
• Measuring pasture quality and quantity
• Learn to use industry tools and calculators to develop a feed budget
• Compare the cost and nutrient value of common feeds for supplementing and full rations
• Prepare for seasonal variability.

Participants will receive a free feed test funded by the Agriculture Victoria agriculture recovery program.

Location: Wycheproof Golf Club, Calder Hwy, Wycheproof

Date and time: Wednesday 23 August, 9 am to 1 pm

Register for the workshop on Eventbrite.

For more information or if you need assistance to register, please email event organiser Alison Frischke or call her on 0429 922 787.

This event is hosted by the Southern Mallee BestWool/BestLamb group. Everyone is welcome.

Slugging slugs and conical snails: Lake Bolac

Growers and advisers are invited to join a free slug and snail expert presenter, Dr Michael Nash, to learn about managing slugs and conical snails.

Michael has extensive knowledge and a PhD in integrated pest management of slugs, an engaging communication style and comes from a farming background.

He helps farmers to gain the skills and insight they need to control slugs and snails. Michael is also a strong advocate for the conservation of native species in productive landscapes.

Topics:

• Hands-on identification of local slug species; biology and lifecycle
• Integrated management strategies – biological, cultural and chemical
• Balancing pest management with sustainable farming systems
• On-farm demonstration of spring monitoring techniques.

Presenter: Dr Michael Nash. Invertebrate Ecologist

Location: 137 Frontage Rd, Lake Bolac

Date and time: Thursday 31 August, 9 am to 12 pm

Register online

The Break: seasonal climate webinar updates for July

These webinar recordings with Agriculture Victoria Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey, focus on the current seasonal climate outlook for Southern NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

The outlook includes multiple model forecasts for rainfall and temperature and current oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions.

Victoria
Date recorded: Wednesday 19 July
Passcode: Vicoutlook
Recording length: 61 mins
Recording here

South Australia
Date recorded: Tuesday 18 July 
Passcode: SAoutlook
Recording length: 48 mins
Recording here

Southern NSW
Date recorded: Wednesday 19 July 
Passcode: NSWoutlook
Recording length: 54 mins
Recording here

Tasmania
Date recorded: Tuesday 18 July
Passcode: Tasoutlook
Recording length: 44 mins
Recording here

For more information about the webinar series, email the.break@agriculture.vic.gov.au or register here for climate webinar notifications.

On-farm visitor management in your pocket

If you missed the Agriculture Victoria webinar presentation on the benefits of smartphone apps and how they are being used to maintain on-farm safety through visitor management, it's not too late.

Utilising the technology that is in everyone's pocket, these apps are designed to improve workforce communication giving growers a real time ability to be on top of management tasks.

This week's lunchtime webinar discussed the Onside platform, which has been designed specifically for the agriculture industry.

Learn how growers, industry associations and government are using this technology for tracing and responding to on-farm biosecurity risks.

Check out the Horticulture Industry Networks website to view this week's webinar (available early next week) and other webinars in the Future-proofing horticulture in a changing climate series. 

Farm Fitness Checklist

The Farm Fitness Checklist helps farmers assess where their business is at currently, and to identify areas and opportunities to strengthen their farm business.

It covers subjects including people management, skills and training, business planning and financial performance, emergency management, infrastructure, water supply, natural resource management, risk management, succession planning, off-farm activities and more.

Download the Farm Fitness Checklist from the Agriculture Victoria website.

A range of support measures are available for flood and storm-affected farmers. Information about these measures can be found at agriculture.vic.gov.au/floods. For any urgent animal welfare needs, please contact 136 186. 

Technical Information and decision-making support 

Agriculture Victoria is working with Victorian farmers and industry to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters (including floods and storms) through delivery of technical information and decision-making support services to help farm business recovery including: 

• Grazing, cropping and pasture management
• Irrigation and horticulture system rehabilitation 
• Soil erosion management  
• Land management 
• Animal health and nutrition  
• Farm mapping and planning  
• Water quality
• Weed management.

As of 18 July, Agriculture Victoria has been involved in and supported the delivery of 282 recovery activities, including 136 technical events engaging 2,739 farmers.

These activities provide tangible support and information to farmers recovering from floods and storms in a range of areas including grazing, cropping and pasture management, irrigation and horticulture system rehabilitation, land management, animal health and nutrition, climate and seasonal outlook and pest and weed management.

Farmers are encouraged to contact the Agriculture Recovery team on Phone: 0427 694 185 (Mon-Fri between 8.30 am and 5 pm) or Email recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Concessional loans of up to $250,000 are available for Primary Producers in the Greater Shepparton City Council and the Yarra Ranges Council local government areas for impacts from the 23 March hailstorm.

Applications close on 14 November 2023.

More information about the 23 March hailstorm support is available on the Rural Finance website or by calling 1800 260 425. 

The Rural Financial Counselling Service offers free and independent financial information, options, decision-making support and referral services to farmers and small, related rural businesses who are in, or at risk of, financial hardship.

A rural financial counsellor can assist farmers to understand, and apply for government support. Call 1300 771 741.

The National Centre for Farmer Health is committed to supporting primary producers whose properties, livestock or crops were damaged or lost in the floods and storms through the delivery of initiatives to boost farmer mental health and wellbeing, including:

• a supportive online community through the #BuildingFarmSpirit social media campaign
• free access to online psychology support delivered by Lysn psychologists
• support for community events providing social connection and mental health promotion opportunities for farmers, farming families and farming communities
• distribution of mental health resources and support information.

Managing stress on the farm

Click to read or download this Managing Stress on the Farm book from the National Centre for Farmer Health website. You can also request free hard copies from the website.

Dealing with a stressful season

Stressful periods like floods, extended wet conditions and associated production losses often result in farmers themselves getting a bit stuck and operating at less than their best.

A key to recovery is to remain as healthy as you can and recognise that experiencing stress following extreme climatic events is normal.

The National Centre for Farmer Health has developed some quick tips to help you on the journey.

It is normal to have strong reactions following a distressing or frightening event and people can experience a range of physical, mental, emotional and behavioural reactions.

There are a number of support services available (listed below) to assist you and your family recover from the strong emotional or physical reactions you may be experiencing.

Are you concerned about your own mental health? Reach out to Lifeline for a safe place to talk on 13 11 14.

Available support includes:

• Your doctor or local community health centre
• A counsellor or psychologist
• Parentline 13 22 89
• Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
• Nurse-On-Call 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
• Australian Psychological Society Referral Service 1800 333 497.

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

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment contact the National Relay Service on 133 677 or relayservice.gov.au

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