GGA Newswire - October 2010 - 57th Edition
Contents
• GGA News
• General News
• Workshop Opportunities
• Funding Opportunities
• Calendar of Events
Dear GGA,
The Grower Group Alliance Newswire provides information about activities, training, field
days and funding opportunities for the benefit of broadacre grower groups.
GGA News
GGA blog shows field day variety
The new GGA blog, developed for readers to keep abreast of what’s going on at other spring
field days and events around the state, has shown huge variety in events from the variable
WA season.
Over the past month, the GGA has travelled to East Maya for Liebe Group SFD, Mount
Madden for the RAIN SFD, Gibson for the Esperance Downs Research Station SFD, Dudinin
and Wickepin for the Facey Group SFD and east for the Corrigin Farm Improvement Group
SFD. While all had terrific turnouts, it was the seasonal variation over the different regions
that stood out.
To see the GGA blog, click here and bookmark it to your browser for more up to date field
day and event information.
Dry season support and information
Grower groups and farmers are sought to host field days in conjunction with the Dry Season
Advisory Committee and ‘The Sheep’s Back’ extension program, auditing feed, water and
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sheep.
The sessions will provide skill training in feed availability and condition scoring of sheep.
There will also be an exercise in planning for the summer and exploring actions that will be
required to ensure that sheep not only survive the summer but finish at the start of the new
season in an appropriate condition. A minimum of 20 farmers is required for each field day.
For more information or to register your interest, contact coordinator Ed Riggall, P: 0428
299007.
The GGA can also provide support and information for grower and community groups
looking at holding local events, and can assist with groups seeking information, funding,
ideas, speakers or advice. Contact Susan Hall, P: 6488 7937, E: susan.a.hall@uwa.edu.
For groups with staff, and anyone in agribusiness or working with farmers in affected areas,
the GGA is working with Beyond Blue to coordinate National Rural Workforce workshops in
WA, hopefully at the end of October and early November. More information will be available
closer to the date.
DAFWA has also included advice on weed control in crops not being harvested and
withholding periods for stock grazing through the e-weed newsletter – click here for more
information.
WA leads the way at Farming Ahead Conference
Grower group representatives from Facey Group, MIG, SEPWA, QLamb, Evergreen Farming
and West Midlands Group attended the Kondinin Group’s Farming Ahead Conference, 21st
and 22nd September, Sydney, to discuss the big issues facing grower groups.
Topics such as how research and development corporations can better work with grower
groups, and the potential for forming a national grower group alliance were tossed around,
as well as examples of successful grower groups and an in-depth look into the Climate
Change Research Program.
WA's strong, cooperative grower group culture was noticed by all at the conference with
many delegates interested in the way WA grower groups were structured and how they
work so effectively with their own state alliance.
For more information on the conference, click here.
GRDC seeks grower input
GRDC’s Practices Line of Business is seeking feedback on its consultation paper into more
robust and effective programs for the delivery of RD&E for farming systems.
The paper recognises the need to broaden involvement of farming organisations and
agribusiness in identifying issues constraining productivity, profitability and sustainability,
and the need to then capture these issues through the generation of appropriate R, D or E
questions that inform investment activities.
Click here for the paper. Responses are due 22nd October and will be collated and used to
formulate an approach to react to the changing farming systems R, D & E landscape. For
more information, contact Stuart Kearns, P: 0428 628 173, E: s.kearns@grdc.com.au.
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Bodallin Catchment Group trials 26 legume pastures
The Bodallin Catchment Group travelled some 370kms across the
Westonia and Yilgarn Shires at their spring field day, 21st
Septenber, looking at the progress of the group's project sites.
The day featured the Woolworths pasture project, the variable rate
technology project, the reducing wind erosion project and the
Italian ryegrass demonstration, the highlight being the DAFWA
legume pasture trials showcasing 26 varieties of legumes. To read
more of this article, click here.
September field day wrap up
September, the month of field day madness, sausages, pubs, motels and dirty boots, saw
the GGA traverse the state to visit grower groups and see the latest research across a
varied season.
The Liebe Group repeated record turnouts at their spring field day with about 250 through
the gate, looking at the effectiveness of different rates of trace element molybdenum,
demonstrating the optimum input amounts of nitrogen using Yield Prophet, and a nozzle
demonstration as some of the highlights, with a soaking rain the week prior ensuring a
green trial site and cheerful crowd.
RAIN spring field day, based around Mt Madden, showed off their SEPWA variety trials, two
GRDC trials including delving clay to reduce frost project and a look at the EM38 high water
use efficiency project, and finished with the best barbeque of the month.
Esperance Downs Research Station spring field day, in conjunction with SEPWA, showcased
the latest information on crop varieties and herbicides, a discussion on herbicide resistance
and brief presentations from a range of grain marketing companies.
Getting stuck in to shearing and crutching didn’t put off almost 100 people from attending
the Facey Group spring field day beginning at Dudinin with PA and pest management,
before heading to Wickepin and the long-term Rotations For Profit site, with a few effects of
seven year rotations beginning to show, particularly in continuous wheat.
Corrigin Farm Improvement Group was looking at their 'how to grow more on less moisture'
project, however with some of the growers getting as little as 60mm during the growing
season, even the interesting and innovative trials and demonstrations could not be much
help in 2010. Nevertheless, the group looked at a range of techniques to improve water use
efficiency, including different seeding machinery, crop grazing, mulching, wide rows and
more.
While the GGA is still to figure out how to be in three places at once, reports from the West
Midlands Group, Holt Rock Group, WANTFA and the Moora-Miling Pasture Improvement
Group indicate high attendance, backed up with sound trial programs, great guest speakers
and relevant local research.
Field days still to come include the Stirlings to Coast Farmers spring field day, 12th October,
the Kellerberrin Demonstration Group's pre-harvest get together, 19th October and
Southern DIRT spring field day, 2nd November. See the calendar below for more detail.
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General News
GRDC Bulletin: Canola for hay another option
Growers wanting another option for drought affected canola can look at using canola for
hay, according to a new GRDC canola hay and silage fact sheet, which offers growers
guidance on salvaging the crop as forage. To read the fact sheet, click here.
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Looking to build a website?
Grower groups wanting a website can use the WACOSS J2C Simple Website Builder Service,
enabling organisations whom rely on volunteers and don’t have access to IT support to
build an easy to use five page website for only $500.
Organisations need to make some design and budget decisions, including registering a
domain name, provide photographs, text, articles and logos ready to go and know their
preferred colours and fonts. WACOSS will provide a five page website, uploaded with
content, and a user manual to ensure easy updating. For more information, contact Eira, P:
9430 8200, E: eira@wacoss.org.au.
Test tools for crop nutrition
DAFWA is developing online decision support tools for crop nutrition to provide growers and
consultants with a locally calibrated tool for maximising the profitability of fertiliser
application.
Prior to release, DAFWA is seeking feedback from a test-audience of farmers, consultants
and researchers on the potassium decision support tool’s usefulness and ease of use.
Click here to test the tool, then click here to provide feedback. For more information contact
Craig Scanlan, P: 9690 2174, E: craig.scanlan@agric.wa.gov.au.
Guide to developing case studies
A new case studies guide has been developed by Wheatbelt NRM to assist rural community
organisations to better document their stories, demonstrate their project outcomes, boost
their historical references, celebrate achievements or provide valuable information for
others doing similar projects.
The guide provides tips and ideas on how to create a simple one or two page case study,
including a template of a case study which can be altered or creatively formatted,
depending on its purpose. To download the guide, click here.
Apply now for the RIRDC Rural Women's Award
Rural women are reminded that nominations for the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2011
close 15th October.
WA women working in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management and
related service industries are encouraged to enter the award, which recognises the vital
contribution women make to rural Australia.
The winner receives a $10,000 bursary aimed at supporting them to develop their skills and
contribute to leadership and decision making in primary industries and resource
development in WA.
For nomination forms and further information, click here or contact Katrina Hayes, P: 9368
3182.
Stored Grain Information Hub
The Stored Grain Information Hub is a new GRDC website for growers to access the latest
information about on-farm grain storage, including information on grain storage such as
facilities, aeration, economics, safety, grain quality, pests of stored grain, grain storage
specialists and workshops. Visit www.storedgrain.com.au to read more.
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Barley preferences
The GIWA Barley Council, on behalf of the acquirers of barley in WA, has released the
market preference for malting varieties for delivery at the 2011/12 harvest.
Assisting growers and consultants with decisions on seed retention and market demand, the
document reflects the purchasing intentions of barley acquirers in WA, including purchasing
intentions by port zone, and comments on each of the malting varieties received in WA.
Key points include the removal of Schooner barley from eligible list of malting varieties in
WA, international market acceptance of Buloke when exported as malt, and an increasing
international market awareness and positive feedback of Vlamingh barley when exported as
grain. Click here for a copy of the document.
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Workshop Opportunities
Harvest weed seed management at AHRI Workshops
With harvest coming around, growers wanting to know more on harvest weed seed
management can attend one of Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative’s (AHRI) three
half-day seminars.
Hosted by the Liebe Group in Wubin, the Corrigin Farm Improvement Group in Corrigin, and
Southern DIRT in Kojonup, the seminars are free to attend, covering issues relevant for
successful implementation of the chaff cart, windrow burning, baling and weed seed
destruction systems during harvest.
For more information or to RSVP, click here or contact Neree Martinez, P: 6488 1512, E:
neree.martinez@uwa.edu.au.
NTS Certificate for sustainable agricultural solutions
WAFarmers and Nutritech Solutions have teamed up to offer WA producers the FarmReady-
approved Certificate of Sustainable Agriculture, held 19th to 22nd October in the Swan
Valley.
The course, demonstrating sustainable agricultural solutions, will look into mineral, microbe,
plant and pest management including understanding trace elements and remineralisation,
the soil foodweb, fusion farming, sustainable seed treatments, IPM, biological alternatives
and nematode management. For more information or to register, click here.
Grazing Systems Analysis Field Day
In its sixth year, the DAFWA Grazing Systems Analysis project has provoked real life
questions, sparked interaction amongst farmers and generated stimulating discussion for its
practicality, and will continue to do so at its field day, 19th October at the Mount Barker
Research Station.
Established in 2005, the Grazing Systems Analysis project is about determining the value of
including perennial pastures to a wool-meat sheep grazing system. The project specifically
measures the effects on production, profitability and sustainability.
For more information on the project, click here. To attend the field day, contact Kelly Hill, P:
0417 837 983, E: kelly.hill@agric.wa.gov.au.
Planning for evaluation - with GRDC subsidy
Make evaluation work for your project at the upcoming Planning for Evaluation Course, held
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12th to 13th October at DAFWA, Northam.
Providing the tools to ensure evaluation plans work to their full effect, the Agribusiness
Training Program course will enable participants to better understand and plan for
evaluation, formulate key evaluation questions, consider audience needs and develop a
program logic model.
Standard cost is $740 or $520 with a GRDC subsidy, available to anyone working in the
GRDC Western Region. For more information or to register, click here, or contact Brigette
Lacey, P: 9690 2128, E: brigette.lacey@agric.wa.gov.au.
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Funding Opportunities
GRDC IDAs extended
Groups wanting to plan a study tour for the first half of next year can still apply for the
GRDC Industry Development Awards (IDA), with applications now closing 27th October.
The awards, worth up to $15,000, are targeted at groups of grain growers for study tours
or other forms of training with an aim to develop new skills, build relationships and acquire
new information that will contribute to building a sustainable and profitable grains industry.
Applications submitted before the 27th October will be for travel between January and June
2011. For more information, click here.
Pilot Drought Reform update
More than 300 farm businesses from 67 shires have now taken part in the farm planning
workshops under the pilot of drought reform measures, which offers training to farmers in
developing a whole farm strategic plan and allows them to be eligible for consideration for
farm business and landcare adaptation grants of up to $60,000.
Other measures under the drought pilot, include Stronger Rural Communities, with grants
available to community organisations to fund projects that build the resilience of rural
communities and help them manage hardship resulting from an agricultural downturn.
The pilot will be in place from 1st July 2010 to 30 June 2011. For more information, click
here.
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Calendar of Events
October 2010
DATE EVENT LOCATION CONTACT
Janette Drew, 9651 0531
Wongan Hills Research Station
Thurs 7 Wongan Hills janette.drew@agric.wa.gov.au
Field Day
Cascade Field Day Cascade Wayne Walter, 0417 951 417
Stirlings to Coast Farmers Spring Heather Adams
Tues 12 TBC
Field Day heatheradams@activ8.net.au
Nyabing FIG & NSP
John Paul Collins, 9821 3249
Wed 13 Pre-harvest Yield Mapping Software Borden
john.collins@agric.wa.gov.au
Training
Steve Bell, 9821 6121
Thurs GSARI Cropping Field Day Katanning
steve.bell@agric.wa.gov.au
14
FBG Pre-harvest Yield Mapping Derk Bakker, 9892 8464
Jerramungup
Software Training derk.bakker@agric.wa.gov.au
6
Facey Pre-harvest Yield Mapping Alison Lacey, 9881 0232
Wickepin
Tues Software Training alison.lacey@agric.wa.gov.au
19 Kellerberrin Demonstration Group Angie Roe, 9622 5095
Kellerberrin
Pre-Harvest Get Together and BBQ ar@consultag.com.au
Wed 20
Regional Landcare Workshop in Stanley Yokwe, 9938 0105
- Thurs Moora
the Northern Agriculture Region Stanley.Yokwe@nacc.com.au
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November 2010
DATE EVENT LOCATION CONTACT
Erin Gorter, 9833 7524
Tues 2 Southern DIRT Field Day TBC
erin.gorter@bigpond.com
'Seeding Success':
Keisha Davies, 6272 4567
Wed 10 AGI/GIWA Breakfast & GIWA Bentley
admin@agvivo.com.au
Seminar