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In this edition
Events
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Macorna-Tragowel post flood event
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Your soil and the weather
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Young Farmer Business Bootcamp
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BestWool/BestLamb & BetterBeef Regional Networks Roadshow
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Farm budgeting masterclass
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Excel for farm business
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Autumn start-up & soil pit
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Heathcote flood recovery expo
Resources
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Innovation Ag Podcast
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Webinar recordings
Supports
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Victorian flood and storm support for farmers
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Find a trusted psychologist
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Health and personal wellbeing
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Managing stress on the farm
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Dealing with a stressful season
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Mosquito management strategies
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Financial support for flood-affected farmers
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Farm Business Resilience Program
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Macorna-Tragowel post flood event
Location: Macorna Recreation Reserve
Date: Monday 13 February
Time: Free BBQ from 6.30 pm,
Guestspeaker from 7 pm
Cost: Free
Guestspeaker: Dr Kate Burke
For further information contact Greg Whinfield on 0428 578 211.
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Your soil and the weather
Location: 304 Monahan Road, Terrick Terrick East
Date: Wednesday 22 February
Time: 11 am start
Registration: wendys1904@gmail.com by Thursday 16 February (lunch provided)
Details
The event will host Agriculture Victoria’s soil expert Rebecca Mitchell and show three soil pits in;
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A pasture paddock about to be cropped
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A flooded barley crop
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Continually cropped ground.
Contact: John Wright 0409 259 723
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Young Farmer Business Bootcamp
This bootcamp will help young farmers develop skills to understand and manage business risk, develop a business plan to grow their business and connect with other young farmers from their region.
Topics include profit, loss and cash flow budgeting, balance sheets and gross margins, risk management, and financial planning and analysis.
Bootcamp workshops aim to support young farmers impacted by recent floods and storms and will be delivered by Paul Blackshaw, Farm Business Advisor with Meridian Agriculture.
Location: Maryborough
Date: 16 and 23 February
Registration
Registrations are limited so to book your place now for either Bootcamp session via this online form (uses Microsoft).
Information
For more information email Sarah Wallis or call 0419 571 208 or visit the Agriculture Victoria website.
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BestWool/BestLamb & BetterBeef Regional Networks Roadshow
Wangaratta
Location: Oaks Conference and Function Centre, 1 - 15 Racecourse Road, Wangaratta
Date: Wednesday 28 February
Time: 9 am - 1 pm
Cost: $25
Sale
Location: The Matador, Cnr Princess Hwy & Raymond Street, Sale
Date: Wednesday 1 March
Time: 9 am - 1 pm
Cost: $25
Buninyong
Location: Buninyong Bowling Club, 708 Inglis St, Buninyong
Date: Thursday 2 March
Time: 9 am - 1 pm
Cost: $25
Dunkeld
Location: Sterling Place Community Centre, 14 Sterling St, Dunkeld
Date: Friday 3 March
Time: 9 am - 1 pm
Cost: $25
Contact: Kirstie Anderson on 0437 990 967.
The 2023 BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef Network Regional Roadshow is delivered in partnership with Australian Wool Innovation Limited and Meat and Livestock Australia. Session funding from the Innovative Livestock Networks and Farm Business Resilience projects.
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Farm budgeting masterclass
Budgeting skills are essential in running a business, not just for cost management, but more importantly for profit maximisation.
Location: Online
Register your interest: Online
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Excel for farm business
This course is designed for people who are either new to Excel, or who want to fill in gaps and gain confidence and independence using Excel.
Location: Online
Register your interest: Online
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Autumn start-up & soil pit
Macorna
Location: Clydevale Holsteins Pty Ltd, 161 Borella Road, Macorna North
Date: Friday 17 February
Time:10 am - 12.30 pm
Registration: online via the Dairy Australia website
Tallangatta
Date: Monday 27 February (in conjunction with Focus Farm day)
Time: 10 am start
Riverina
Location: TBC
Date: Tuesday 28 February
Time: 10 am - 12.30 pm
Numurkah
Location: TBC
Date: Thursday 6 March
Time: 10 am - 12.30 pm
Contact: Murray Dairy's Natalie Eckert on 0421 532 112.
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Heathcote flood recovery expo
Location: Barrack Recreation Reserve, 126 High Street, Heathcote
Date: Saturday February 25
Time: 12 - 3 pm (Guestspeaker 12.45 - 1.30 pm)
Cost: Free, lunch included
Guestspeaker: David Yunger, clinical psychologist and natural disaster and emergency recovery consultant
Contact: Heathcote Community House on 0431 328 421
Details
The day will feature representatives from:
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CFA
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SES
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Coliban Water
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Local health and mental health providers
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Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (formerly DELWP)
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Department of Transport and Planning (Vic Roads)
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Agriculture Victoria
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North Central Catchment Management Authority
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City of Greater Bendigo
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Innovation Ag Podcast
Is there such a thing as an innovation roadmap in farming and agriculture?
Probably not. But consider this podcast series the next best thing.
Episode 1: What is innovation and what motivates people to do it?
Episode 2: Innovation and Decision Making – How do you implement change, without betting the farm?
Location: Listen on Apple, Spotify or Amazon Music or here on the VicHub Drought & Innovation website.
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Webinar recordings
On the Agriculture Victoria Flood recovery webinars webpage, you'll find webinars about:
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Control and repair of paddock-based erosion
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Repairing erosion damage to roads, tracks, stream crossings and dams
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Flood recovery: Biosecurity planning
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Flood recovery: Feed budgeting
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Flood recovery: Animal health issues
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Cash flow budgeting.
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Victorian flood and storm support for farmers |
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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:
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Grazing, cropping and pasture management
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Irrigation and horticulture system rehabilitation
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Soil erosion management
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Land management
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Animal health and nutrition
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Farm mapping and planning
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Water quality
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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.
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Find a trusted psychologist
Access professional support, in the comfort of your own home, with a registered Australian Psychologist who understands the many factors of farming life and work contributing to poor mental health.
The National Centre for Farmer Health has partnered with Lysn to improve access to mental health care to all Australian farming regions through this online telehealth platform. Giving you—the most important farming asset—greater control over your wellbeing.
How it works
There are two pathways to access the Lysn service:
Self-funded
You will not need to visit a GP for a referral before booking an appointment through Lysn.
Medicare Supported
Bulk billed sessions are now available with a referral and mental health care plan from your GP.
Access the service via the National Centre for Farmer Health website.
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Health and personal wellbeing |
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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:
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Managing stress on the farm |
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Click to read or download this Managing Street on the Farm book from the National Centre for Farmer Health website.
You can also request free hard copies from the website.
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Dealing with a stressful season |
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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.
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Mosquito management strategies |
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Mosquito management strategies - a factsheet outlines how mosquitoes are managed and mitigated, and by who
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Mosquito-borne disease information (including Japanese encephalitis vaccination program updates) can be found via the Department of Health website.
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Financial support for flood-affected farmers |
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Flood and storm affected farmers are eligible to apply for financial support via the current flood recovery grants. Applications close at 4 pm on Sunday 30 April 2023.
Available grants include:
Primary Producer Recovery Grants:
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Up to $75,000 grants to cover the cost of recovery and get businesses up and running again.
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Note: This replaces the $10,000 Primary Producer Flood Clean–Up, Relief Grants announced on 19 October.
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Producers that have received a Primary Producer Flood Clean–Up Relief Grant of $10,000 can now apply for up to a further $65,000 under the Primary Producer Recovery Grant, bringing the total to $75,000.
Rural Landholder Grants:
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Up to $25,000 grants to cover the costs of disaster impacts for small-scale producers.
Primary Producer Concessional Loans:
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Up to $250,000 to restore or replace damaged equipment and infrastructure, or to cover short-term business expenses.
Primary Producer Transport Subsidies:
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Up to $15,000 to support the transport of emergency fodder or stock drinking water, and the movement of livestock.
Contact Rural Finance or 1800 260 425 to access the Primary Producer Flood Relief Program.
For more information, visit the Agriculture Victoria website.
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Farm Business Resilience Program |
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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.
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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.
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