In this edition:

• Get emergency information in your hands
• Beau Vernon at BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef
• Applying First Nations’ approaches to agriculture training
• Northern Pacific Seastar
• Shortcutting fruit fly control with dwarf trees
• Inspiring investment in Victorian AgTech startups
• The Fast Break - May
• Exploring our critical geoscience at Ballarat minerals event
• Registration period extended for Cultivating Futures in Farming mentor program
• Victorian Gorse Taskforce community grants now open
• In case you missed it
• What's On

Download the VicEmergency app and set up a watch zone to receive up to date information about the avian influenza situation straight to your phone.

VicEmergency is Victoria’s combined source of information and warnings, with everything from fires and floods to shark sightings and earthquakes. It’s handy no matter where you are in the state.

There are currently two Community Information messages about avian influenza – stay informed by downloading the app or visiting www.emergency.vic.gov.au 

Beau Vernon, former Bass Coast footballer, coach and disability advocate, will be the guest speaker at the upcoming BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef dinner on 19 June at The Goods Shed, Ballarat.

Agriculture Victoria Senior Technical Specialist Lyndon Kubeil said Mr Vernon’s story will inspire sheep and beef conference-goers to tackle the challenges facing their farming businesses.

‘Beau became a quadriplegic after a collision during a country football game, yet he didn’t let his disability stop him from making a positive difference to the world around him,’ Mr Kubeil said.

‘People attending the dinner will hear Beau’s life story and his practical advice that shows how a positive mindset, and a team approach is key to overcoming any obstacle.’

Mr Vernon now lives in Queensland and was recently selected to play for the Australian Wheelchair Rugby team at the Paralympics in Paris.

He said he was excited to be invited to speak at the dinner.

‘I understand that the industry has had its fair share of challenges recently and I know from personal experience that through challenge comes great growth.’

‘I’m looking forward to providing some ideas and my perspective on how to move forward in the face of these challenges,’ Mr Vernon said.

For BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef program and ticket information see the Agriculture Victoria events page.

Future agricultural workers will benefit from a $2 million investment by the Victorian Government to support projects that embed Aboriginal traditional knowledge and practices into accredited agriculture TAFE training.

The Government’s $2 million garinga djimbayang Grants Program aims to increase cultural knowledge among agriculture students and encourage more First Nations people to consider a career in the agriculture sector.

As the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, through this grant program, Victoria’s Registered Aboriginal Parties will partner with TAFEs to upskill agriculture students enrolled in accredited training with Traditional Owner knowledge and practices.

The program has been designed under the principles of self-determination with input from First Nations people with subject matter expertise through a sub-committee working group of the Yuma Yirramboi Council.

The name of the program was provided by the Dja Dja Wurrung People and directly translates as “to grow and learn” in Dja Dja Wurrung language.

The garinga djimbayang Grants Program is funded through the $50 million Agricultural College Modernisation Program which has been delivering the agriculture skills of the future and helping more Victorians pursue an exciting career in this diverse industry.

Grants valued between $300,000 and $1,000,000 are now available.

To learn more about the garinga djimbayang Grants Program visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Reports of a significant die-off of the Northern Pacific seastar, a highly invasive marine pest, have been confirmed at Carrum in south-eastern Port Phillip Bay.

The increased number of seastars is currently present at Carrum but it has also been reported at Seaford, Frankston, Edithvale and Mount Martha.

Agriculture Victoria Principal Officer Invasive Marine Species, Dr Richard Stafford-Bell, said the Northern Pacific seastar was first detected in Port Phillip Bay in 1995, and by 2000 a significant population of the seastar had established.

‘It is a widespread and well-established marine pest in Port Phillip Bay and cannot be eradicated. There have been dead seastars reported in the area since February 2024, but numbers have increased significantly over the last few months.

‘We would like to highlight the great work of Earthcare St Kilda and the Port Phillip EcoCentre in organising removal events of the Northern Pacific seastar, with over 60,000 removed since February.’

Earthcare St Kilda welcomes volunteers to assist in seastar removal events.

The key features of the Northern Pacific seastar are 5-pointed arms with upturned tips and yellow and purple markings. It is an opportunistic predator that consumes a large variety of prey. In high densities, it can have severe effects on wild and cultured shellfish populations, and on native biodiversity.

Bay users should be aware that marine pests can spread easily to new areas of Victoria through movement of recreational equipment such as boats, kayaks and canoes, and fishing equipment.

Dr Stafford-Bell urged people using marine equipment in the affected area to follow the Check, Clean, Dry method to reduce the risk of spreading marine pests to other marine areas.

‘This is particularly important for people moving any equipment used in Port Phillip Bay to other areas,’ Dr Stafford-Bell said.

Good marine equipment hygiene means:

• Check any equipment and vessels that have been in marine waters for pests.
• Clean the equipment in freshwater.
• Dry the equipment before moving to a new marine location.

He added that Northern Pacific seastars are not poisonous or dangerous to people or domestic animals and asked that beachgoers finding Northern Pacific seastars washed up on the shoreline do not to return them to the water.

For more information visit:

For more information about the Northern Pacific seastar visit the Agriculture Victoria website.To get involved in helping to remove seastars, visit the Earthcare St Kilda website.

If you are planning to plant fruit trees this winter, consider dwarf trees as an easier option to protect against fruit fly.

Statewide fruit fly coordinator Cathy Mansfield said dwarf varieties are easier to harvest, easier to cover with insect-proof netting and easier to monitor for pests.

‘It’s particularly important to control fruit fly and other pests and diseases if you live near commercial production areas like the Yarra Valley, Goulburn Murray Valley or Sunraysia,’ she said.

‘For home gardeners, covering fruit trees with netting is the best way to prevent fruit fly.

‘Finding fruit fly on dwarf trees is made easier when you can access fruit below head height and identify the small pin like mark that female Queensland fruit fly make as they lay eggs into the surface.’

Another advantage of dwarf varieties is that a ladder is not required for fruit picking, netting or pruning. In Victoria alone, there are about 1,200 emergency department presentations due to ladder falls at home each year.

Dwarf trees provide other benefits for home gardeners such as greater coverage with insecticides and fungicides, and for renters, the ability to move to the next property when planted in a pot.

Standard varieties of fruit trees require careful pruning to manage vigour and direct energy to fruit. Skillful pruning and thinning are required to ensure gardeners don’t end up with very tall trees and small fruit.

For more information visit the Queensland fruit fly page on the Agriculture Victoria website.

The Victorian Government is investing in new tech startups to drive innovation in the agriculture industry and create new technologies that will help farmers improve their efficiency and adapt to new challenges.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence today announced an additional $1 million for the Hugh Victor McKay Fund – bringing the total value of the fund to $2 million for use in investing in AgTech startups.

Delivered in partnership with LaunchVic, the Hugh Victor McKay fund aims to invest up to $200,000 into at least ten early-stage Victorian AgTech startups over the next year.

Every dollar of funding is matched by two dollars of private investment, which means the fund will aim to activate $6 million in total capital for founders building the future of on-farm technological innovation, productivity and sustainability.

The first two investments from the Hugh Victor McKay Fund include Agrinous, who is rolling out a cloud-based livestock management platform and The Leaf Protein Co, who is developing an alternative plant protein for growers and food manufacturers.

This funding is on top of the Victorian Government’s $1 million investment the AgTech Grants program announced in May.

A further 20 AgTech grants of $50,000 will be available for eligible startups looking to build their business capability and access dedicated mentoring from startup experts to build their businesses, grow jobs and drive Victoria’s economic growth.

Since 2023 the AgTech Grants Program has awarded grants to 19 startups providing services in supply chain efficiency, farming automation, soil sensing intelligence and pollination management systems, among others.

These programs are part of the Victorian Government’s AgTech Regional Innovation Network (AgRIN) which aims to grow a vibrant, globally competitive AgTech ecosystem in Victoria.

To read more about past recipients and to apply for new grants visit launchvic.org

The latest The Fast Break newsletter is now available.

This newsletter details oceanic and atmospheric climate driver activity over the last month and summarises 3-month model predictions for the Pacific and Indian oceans, rainfall and temperature for Victoria.

To subscribe or to view the latest issue click here.

Resources Victoria is proud to be the Geoscience Partner at this year’s Australian Institute of Geoscientists’ (AIG) Victorian Minerals Round-up.

The annual conference, hosted by AIG’s Victorian chapter, will be held on 27-28 June 2024 at the Goods Shed in Ballarat.

Bringing together representatives from across the minerals sector, the event provides an exciting opportunity to promote Resources Victoria’s geoscience resources and the ongoing work of the Geological Survey of Victoria.

A key topic at the conference will be critical minerals with Victoria having proven deposits that contain resources of titanium, zirconium and rare earth elements. There are also other opportunities across the state for other minerals and precious metals including gold, antimony, copper, high-purity alumina and silica.

The AIG is the leading professional institute representing geoscientists. The event partnership will connect Resources Victoria to key players in the minerals sector and exploration teams across the state.

More information about the work of Resources Victoria can be found at resources.vic.gov.au.

Cultivation Futures in Farming is a free program designed for our next generation farm managers and facilitated by Pinion Advisory.

Participants learn from mentors, experts and peers to gain confidence in decision making and how to develop the financial, business and people management skills for running a farm business.

The program consists of face-to-face workshops (including farm visits), online webinars and individual coaching sessions.

If you missed our recent Zoom webinar on the ‘Cultivating Futures in Farming’ (CFF) mentor program you can catch up by visiting:

bit.ly/3WM1WAm
Passcode: Bupcq7

Registrations for the 2024-25 program close Wednesday 3 July.

Visit the Cultivating Futures in Farming page on the Agriculture Victoria website to learn more and apply.

The VGT annual Community Grants Program is now open for 2024/25.

The Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) with support from Agriculture Victoria offers funding support for community-led gorse control projects.

Community grants program objectives:

• Reduce the impacts of gorse on environmental, agricultural, and social values
• Strengthen community and stakeholder connections for better gorse outcomes
• Build community knowledge and capacity in managing gorse
• Promote best practice gorse management.

Funding
Community groups may apply for funding up to $8,000 for on ground gorse control works on private land. All participating landholders involved may receive up to $1,500 in grant funding and must match this with their own monetary contribution.

Eligibility
Grants are available to all Victorian community group organisations that have a focus on improving natural and agricultural areas.

How to apply
Visit vicgorsetaskforce.com.au/community-projects/community-grants/ and download a copy of the 2024/25 VGT Community Grants Funding Guidelines and Application Form.

Once you have completed your application, email info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au.

For more information, contact the VGT on 0417 593 250 or send an email to info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au

Adaptive farm courses for grain growing regions

Farmers in northern and western Victoria have the perfect opportunity to prepare their business for the future with several 2-day farm business courses coming up with agronomist Dr Kate Burke.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

Upskilling the future of our agriculture industry

The Victorian Government is investing in the future of agriculture in Victoria by ensuring young farmers across the state can gain valuable new skills and investment towards their future.

Applications will close on 17 June.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

Investing in the future of Victorian AgTech

The Victorian Government is driving innovation in the agriculture sector by supporting more tech startups to create new technologies that will help farmers improve their efficiency and adapt to new challenges in the industry.

Applications are open and will remain open until 30 June 2024.

To read more about past recipients and to apply for new grants visit launchvic.org.

For more information on the AgTech Grant program visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/AgRIN.

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.

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

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