Don’t put your land out to pasture

/in /by

As the old adage goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat and, likewise, there’s more than one way to improve and maintain the condition and productivity of pastures.

Watershed Landcare have a couple of events coming up that will address various aspects of pasture management.

The first of these will focus on pasture establishment and management and will feature Agricultural Consultant and Journalist, Robert Freebairn.

The field day will be held on Thursday 3 November at ‘Maidavale’, 978 Castlereagh Highway, 10 km north of Gulgong.

The field day is being held as part of the Digging Deeper into Watershed Soils project and discussion topics will include ground cover, various pasture types, the logic for each, establishment, management, soil quality and other relevant aspects.

Native pastures will be included as well as the role of tropical, annual legumes, Lucerne and winter forage crops. The hosts have also asked Mr. Freebairn to address how to best manage competition from other species when establishing pasture in their situation.

Participants will have plenty of opportunity for discussion and to ask questions during the paddock walk and Mr. Freebairn’s presentation.

Watershed Landcare have invited local landholder and inventor of Pasture Cropping, Colin Seis, to run a workshop on this innovative technique.

Unlike conventional techniques where crops are sown into bare soil or stubble, Pasture Cropping allows sowing directly into a dormant pasture.

This produces an annual crop, either for grazing or harvest, with multiple added benefits to soil health. By avoiding the need to kill the competitive pasture, soil structure, biological health, nutrient cycling and water retention are not only maintained but improved and there is a reduction in wind and water erosion and cost.

Utilising multiple species in a pasture crop also has the added advantage of minimising risk, if conditions are not ideal for one of the crops.

This workshop will be an introduction into pasture cropping, looking at principles, practical implementation and the benefits of pasture cropping with multiple species.

The Multi-Species Pasture Cropping Workshop will be held on Monday, 14 November 1-4:30pm.

These events are free to attend for Watershed Landcare members and $10 for non-members.

For more information or to RSVP contact Claudia Wythes, Watershed Landcare Co-ordinator, on 0412 011 064 or by email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

These events are supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from Landcare Australia, the Jaramas Foundation and Central Tabllands Local Land Services and are a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Want to improve the health of your soils?

/in , , , /by

Healthy soils are the foundation for healthy pastures and, in turn, healthy livestock. But how can you improve the health of your soils?

Landholders in our region will have the opportunity to explore soil health through a series of workshops and hands-on projects.

As part of the ‘Digging Deeper into Watershed Soils’ project, Watershed Landcare are looking for 3 sites in our region to host workshops and conduct on-ground works on their properties focusing on soil health.

The project, which is made possible through funding from Landcare Australia and the Jaramas Foundation, aims to improve landholders knowledge of aspects that influence their soil; including soil chemistry, biology, hydrology, botany as well as local knowledge.

A series of workshops will be held across our region linking with the on-ground activity sites. The workshops will explore soil health further with a focus on:

  • soil health issues within our region;
  • soil biology, soil water and soil acidity;
  • adapting management decisions as a result of understanding the landscape; and
  • improving soil health.

The first workshop in the series, focusing on pasture establishment and management, will feature Robert Freebairn and will be held later this month.

The remaining workshops will be tailored to the individual project sites, giving the participating landholders an opportunity to work with the experts engaged to discuss their proposed on-ground works, determine the best management options and address the issues at the project site.

Participating landholders will also receive a free soil test.

Watershed Landcare is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from interested landholders to host workshops on their property and receive funding to assist with on-ground works to improve soil health on the land they manage.

On-ground works eligible for funding include erosion control work, works to improve hydrology, compost or compost tea applications, pasture cropping, increasing nitrogen-fixing plant composition of pasture or any other innovative and creative ideas that meet the project objectives.

Individual landholders will be able to apply for up to $750 in funding and will be required to provide a 25% in-kind contribution (labour or materials) to the project.

For further information contact our Coordinator, Claudia Wythes, during business hours on 0412 011 064 or email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This project is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from Landcare Australia and the Jaramas Foundation and is part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.