In this edition

• Get your fire plans finalised now
• Investing in the future of our rising farming leaders
• Have you included a farm map in your fire preparedness plan?
• Continue to act on farm water planning
• Listen to podcast – Dairy Australia and AgVic on soil nutrient management
• Rural Financial Counselling Service
• Join the Design Reference Group and help shape the future of Agriculture Victoria Connect! 
• Fatigue on the farm
• Webinar – New Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons
• Farm Business Resilience Program
• Weed data sharing survey
• What's on

Dr Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer

Victorian producers are more aware than most of the importance of being prepared and having a plan in place for livestock during a fire.

With the fire season almost upon us, now is the time for livestock owners to get prepared and have a clear strategy to apply in the possibility of a fire emergency on their farm.

A key factor in minimising the threat to livestock during a bush fire or on extreme fire danger days, is to identify safer areas on-farm where livestock can be moved to.

The area you choose will depend on the type of livestock and their expected behaviour during a fire.

To reduce potential injury and death to livestock you should consider relocating stock to designated low risk areas during days of high fire danger and Total Fire Bans.

Low risk areas include:

• bare areas such as ploughed paddocks, and areas cultivated and kept free of combustible vegetation
• bared-out paddocks, provided they are well defended by fire breaks
• irrigated paddocks or paddocks containing green summer crops
• stockyards that can be wet in advance. However, the yards must be well defended as the fire front passes.
• dams and swamps are another possible option.

All low-risk areas should have sufficient drinking water to enable stock to remain in the area for extended periods of high fire risk and high temperatures.

For more information regarding stock containment areas for emergencies click here.

Stockyards have been known to successfully hold stock during a fire if protected by a firebreak. If this is your preferred option, consider using a sprinkler system since stock being held together on a hot day can suffer heat stress.

Horses should not be locked up in small areas or stables but moved to an open paddock with minimal vegetation, so they can move freely. Horses and cattle are adept at avoiding a fire moving themselves to safe open areas and usually suffer minimal burns if left to do so.

If equipment such as rugs, halters and flyveils remain on horses, the plastic may melt, and metal buckles can burn the animal. Therefore, consider using rope halters for easier handling and management.

It’s crucial not to open gates that may allow stock access to public roadways, as any animals will be a hazard to traffic in smoky conditions.

On days of extreme fire danger or on the day before, stock should be moved into lower risk areas on-farm, or to a safer property.

Agriculture Victoria advises livestock owners to act early and do not get caught trying to move stock as a fire approaches. Listen to weather forecasts and observe your own environment to help you decide when to put your plan into action.

For further assistance on preparing a farm and livestock bushfire plan click here or contact the Agriculture Victoria Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Congratulations to this year’s Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarship recipients!

Amy Byrne is involved with the management of her family’s mixed enterprise in north-east Victoria. Amy has recently secured a grazing block to continue growing her own self-replacing fine merino flock.

With her Upskill and Invest scholarship, Amy will upskill by completing the lifetime ewe management course and invest in the support of a consultant to explore future investment in electronic identification (EID) equipment.  

For the full list of recipients or to find out more about the program visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/youngfarmersscholarships.

A farm map helps in an emergency by clearly showing critical assets, water sources, stock refuge areas, and assembly/evacuation and exit points.

Check out the tips on developing your farm map in our Farm Fire Preparedness Toolkit. Download a copy of the toolkit.

With some regions receiving below average rainfall leading to unusually low water levels in many farm dams, a timely reminder to continue monitoring water use, regularly check on-farm water supply levels and keep your farm water budget up to date as we head into the summer months.

Agriculture Victoria has information and tools available to help assess your stock water supply and calculate how long your water will last.

Hear from Dairy Australia’s Libby Swayn and Cath Lescun as they discuss soil nutrient management practices with Agriculture Victoria's Rachael Campbell.

They look at the key principles to follow when applying fertilisers, how to make the most of the nutrients that are already on the farm, and the practical application of effluent.

Listen here.

The Rural Financial Counselling Service provides a free and confidential financial counselling service to eligible farmers and small related enterprises who are experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

They can help you to access available support, analyse your business situation, negotiate with lenders and develop strategies to improve your financial position.

To find your closest service click here or call 1300 771 741.

We are excited to announce Agriculture Victoria's new online system designed to streamline your regulatory compliance such as chemical use authorities or food standards. 

As we build Agriculture Victoria Connect, we want your input!

Whether you use this system for regulatory services or simply have an interest in the process, your feedback is invaluable. 

We invite you to be a part of the Design Reference Group, where you can play a vital role in representing the community that uses Agriculture Victoria Connect. 

Meeting every 6 weeks, members will share feedback and ideas to guide the development of services, ensuring the system is effective and user-friendly for both agriculture businesses and community members. 

Your voice matters – help us shape a better system! 

For more information and to join email us.

Fatigue isn't the same as being sleepy or drowsy. It’s about pushing our bodies beyond their mental and physical limits day after day, with no time to recover.

Watch the video of farmer Simon Craig. Simon Craig - Fatigue (youtube.com) and get tips to manage fatigue on your farm.

You can learn more about managing fatigue at the WorkSafe website Fatigue on the farm | WorkSafe Victoria

New Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons will come into effect from February 12 2025.

The standards apply to businesses of any size that grow or complete primary or ‘early-stage’ processing such as washing, trimming, sorting, sanitising or storing of berries, leafy vegetables or melons.

Join our webinar on Tuesday 10 December at 12 pm to hear more about how your business will meet the new standards: Webinar Registration - Zoom.

Find out more about the New Food Safety Standards on our website.

Dimboola mixed farmers Simon Nuske and Kate Cook undertook farm planning as part of the Farm Business Resilience Program to ensure a sustainable business for their family and the future.

‘We want it to be sustainable. We want it to be here for the future and to make the most out of what we’ve got.’

Find out more about our Farm Business Resilience Program here

Video: Program case study – Mixed farmers Simon Nuske and Kate Cook (youtube.com)

The Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party, the Victorian Gorse Taskforce, and the Victorian Blackberry Taskforce are exploring opportunities and challenges for recording and sharing data on invasive plant species across different land tenures. 

Their aim is to reduce the threat invasive species pose to our environment, agriculture, and communities.

They would appreciate hearing about your experiences with recording and mapping weeds and other invasive species.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and your response will be instrumental in helping enhance data collection and sharing processes. 

CLICK HERE to access the survey. It closes on 29 November at 5 pm.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website.

Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

Hosted by North East Catchment Management Authority, this Wine Australia workshop has been developed in collaboration with Winemakers of Rutherglen to support growers and wine businesses in north-east Victoria to take the first critical steps down the carbon emissions reduction path.

This event is free – more than one delegate per business is invited.

Presentations and resources will also align with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) membership and credentialling (for those of you interested in this option), by demystifying carbon farming and explaining the opportunities and risks it can present in a typical grape-growing and winemaking business.

This one-day pilot interactive workshop will draw on subject matter experts, local case studies, examples within the wine-growing sector and the experience of participants.

When: Thursday, 5 December

Where: Oxley Shire Hall, 3678/1157 Snow Road, Oxley.

The workshop is designed for anyone in a decision-making or management role working in a wine grape-growing or winemaking business, who knows that joining the ‘carbon conversation’ is important to the future success of their business but is feeling confused or overwhelmed by the whole topic and how it applies to them.

Speakers:

• Julian Marchant – ESG program manager, Wine Australia
• Alex Sas, viticulturist and senior R&D program manager, Wine Australia.

For more information and to register please click here

The Victorian Carbon Farming Outreach Program is delivered with funding support from the Commonwealth of Australia through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water under the National Carbon Farming Outreach Program.

DATE: Tuesday, December 10
TIME: 12 - 1 pm

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Join Agriculture Victoria for an introduction to the Primary Production and Processing Standards for Berries, Leafy Vegetables and Melons.

The standards set the minimum requirements for food safety and will come into effect for these industries on February 12, 2025.

• Learn about the key microbial food safety risks in primary production and processing in horticulture
• Gain an understanding of what is required to comply with the standards, including specific requirements for each industry, how Global Food Safety Initiative schemes will be recognised, and indicative costs
• Find out where to access useful information and resources for fresh produce food safety best practice.

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