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Events
Special Master TreeGrower Introductory Course for Wheatbelt Farmers
Photo caption: Kingsley Vaux of Ongerup finds niche markets for tree crops grown throughout his property
When thinking about including tree crops as part of a farming enterprise, many find there is more to it than they think. It is not just about where to plant which species but also to explore just how much of any tree crop is needed for a local industry to be viable, to what extent can growth and production be influenced, what new technologies are on the horizon?
These and many other questions will be covered during a special 3-day Master TreeGrower Introductory Course being held in late August, specifically aimed at broadacre farmers in the southern part of the Wheatbelt NRM Region (Avon Catchment).
Traditionally an 8-day adult learning course featuring visits to local farms, this Introductory Master TreeGrower course is only 3 days and jam packed with information. Experts and farmers will have ample opportunities to interact, ask questions and visit other properties.
The course will run from Monday 29th to Wednesday 31st August and is free of charge thanks to generous funding from Wheatbelt NRM, the regional natural resource management body for the Avon Wheatbelt. Find out what new developments there are on the horizon for different tree crops, new bioenergy technologies being developed here in WA, how production can be influenced by genetics and management, the latest on the Carbon Farming Initiative and what it can mean to farmers, and much much more.
Not all presenters are available in person, so Skype will be used to make sure the best possible new information can be brought to participants, no matter where the course is held.
The course is funded by Wheatbelt NRM with funding through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country Program. For more information or to register, contact AVONGRO on 9291 8249 or email: mdurcan@iinet.net.au
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Managing farm forestry sites – why, when, how and how much
Wheatbelt Australian Forest Growers has been fortunate to have been allocated funding from Wheatbelt NRM for some work on 3 Casuarina obesa sites in the Avon NRM region. Included in this funding will be the production of a short ‘how to’ DVD – what equipment there is for which tree crop maintenance jobs and why we do maintenance at all on tree crop sites.
Bob Hingston is now with DAFWA and is leading the work using his many years of experience. You may like to take the opportunity to catch up with Bob again at the following field days:
‘Managing farm forestry sites – why, when, how and how much’
Friday August 19th at Aldersyde from midday
Bob and Dwayne will be spending the week at Ian and Margaret Hall’s place thinning some older Casuarina obesa. During the week InShot Productions will be filming the DVD footage. By Friday August 19th the site will have been set up with control plots and Bob will be ready to talk about what has been done. As part of the Field Day Bob will show the different farm forestry management tools and techniques.
Casuarina obesa provenance trials
Friday October 14th at Goomalling
Bob and Dwayne will have done some work on the provenance trial plots at Goomalling and will be ready to talk about the results. What is the difference between the different provenances, how choosing the right provenance and site limitations can influence your production, and more. We will aim to have the ‘how to’ DVD ready to hand out by this field day.
RSVPs are essential to:
Monica Durcan, Secretary/Treasurer
WAWheatbelt AFG www.afg.asn.au
Ph/fx: 08 9291 8249
Mobile: 0418 934 870
2011 State NRM Conference 'The Knowledge Generation'
Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 23 to 25 August
The State NRM Conference will this year be held in conjunction with the 7th International Symposium on Digital Earth (ISDE7) and Western Australian Land Information System (WALIS) Forum.
This unique conference brings together digital earth modellers, spatial scientists and those involved in conservation and sustainable management. Global thinking and local action will be merged in an extensive program exploring the role Digital Earth technology plays in economic and social sustainable development, environmental protection, disaster mitigation, natural resource conservation and improvement of human being's living standard.
Boosting wider land action
The Government will purchase carbon credits through the Carbon Farming Initiative non-Kyoto Carbon Fund. This $250 million program over six years will create incentives to undertake land-based action such as the storing of soil carbon, revegetation and forest conservation.
Credits from these projects can also be sold to companies wanting to offset their carbon pollution to meet voluntary commitments to carbon neutrality.
Australia will continue working to develop new international rules that recognise a wider range of action to reduce pollution on the land. In future, this may allow landholders to sell credits from a wider variety of projects to companies with obligations under the carbon price.
Farmers and landholders have an important a role to play in reducing carbon pollution as governments, households and the wider business community.
Carbon Farming Initiative
The Carbon Farming Initiative will provide new economic rewards for farmers and landholders that take steps to reduce carbon pollution. It will do this by creating credits for each tonne of carbon pollution which can be stored or reduced on the land. These credits can then be sold to other businesses wanting to offset their own carbon pollution.
The Carbon Farming Initiative will create a new income stream for farmers, new jobs for rural and regional Australia and provide strong incentives to identify and implement low-cost methods of pollution reduction.
Carbon farming projects can increase resilience to the impacts of climate change, protect our natural environment, and increase farm profitability and food production. Increasing carbon storage in agricultural soils improves soil health and productivity. Revegetation will help restore degraded landscapes, provide biodiversity habitats and corridors, and help to address salinity, protect livestock and reduce erosion.
There was a good turnout for the Post Seeding Fieldwalk organised by Bodallin Catchment Group. Some 42 farmers, sponsors and speakers had an enjoyable and informative afternoon. It was followed by a family BBQ with partners and children bringing the numbers up to 50.
Stubble Handling and Chemical Fallow: The fieldwalk centred on the Winderosion Project site located at Clint Della Bosca’s and funded by Wheatbelt NRM. This project compares various treatments including continuous cropping with full stubble retention, chemical fallow and the use of weed seeker technology, cover crop for enhanced residue, ploughing. The treatments are now sown to wheat across the treatments, half with tynes and half with discs.
Discussion compared the use of discs and tynes for handling stubble. Even on the enhanced cover crop treatment there was no real trouble getting through the stubble, although it did clump up a bit with the tynes. Regarding the chemical fallow treatment, Caroline Peek of DAFWA referred to Michael Robertson’s (CSIRO) research and farmer experiences in the Northern Agricultural area to begin the discussion. Michael reports an of average yield benefits range from 0t/ha – 1t/ha depending on soil type and subsoil constraints such as soil acidity or other barriers.
Another point of interest was the demonstrations of twin sowing and summer sowing of Margurita pods at Tim and Jo Popes. Brad Nutt of DAFWA explained that the idea of this is to provide a cheap method to establish legume pasture.
Courtney Piesse and Gina Gapper of Elders walked us through the trials of newly released Canola varieties pointing out the attributes and differences of each.
The day finished with a very enjoyable get together over a BBQ and refreshments, joined by some partners and children. This gave everyone the chance to chat with the speakers and sponsors and answer Chris Gazey’s survey on soil acidity.
Funding
State NRM 2011/12 Community Grants
The Western Australian Government is making available $3 million to fund community projects as part of the 2011/12 State NRM Program.
Eligible groups can apply for grants of between $10,000 and $50,000 to help protect and conserve natural resource assets in Western Australia.
Eligible groups include community groups, not-for profit organisations, local government authorities and education institutions. Groups must either be incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1987 or be able to use a sponsor organisation for all financial management.
Government Agencies, Regional NRM groups and individuals are not eligible.
Applications must be received by 5 pm Friday 9 September 2011.
Call for Nominations for Director positions on the Wheatbelt NRM Board of Management
We invite eligible candidates to nominate for up to three (3) vacant Board of Management positions to be appointed at this year's Annual General Meeting to be held Thursday 27 October 2011.
Board Directors are provided a financial honorarium and re-imbursement for travel expenses.
For further information or an application kit please contact acting CEO Natarsha Woods on: (08) 9690 2250 or nwoods@wheatbeltnrm.org.au or click here to download
Applications close Wednesday 31st August 2011
Pool – Revegetation Field Officers
Men of the Trees Inc
South West Agricultural Area, WA
Men Of The Trees Inc, MOTT, is seeking highly motivated and energetic people to be included in a Pool of Revegetation Field Officers. The successful applicants will have excellent knowledge of the revegetation industry in agricultural environment.
We expect applicants to understand the ethos of MOTT and have a clear understanding of our vision and objectives.
Training will be provided to the successful applicants in knowledge and techniques to accomplish successful revegetation projects in their local area.
The position will be casual part time contracts. The applicants will work from their home base in the surrounding agricultural areas with the local landowners. Experience in property planning would be looked on favourably.
For further information and the job application package please contact Erin Lee on 08 9274 4842 or mottplanting@iinet.net.au
Applications close 4 pm on Monday, 29th August, 2011.
Revegetation Officer
Men of the Trees Inc
Hazelmere, WA
Men Of The Trees Inc, MOTT, is seeking a highly motivated and energetic person to take on the position of Revegetation Officer. The successful applicant will have an excellent knowledge of
the revegetation industry in both an urban and agricultural environment.
MOTT is a not‐for‐profit organisation in which the Revegetation Officer will work alongside the many volunteers that assist the organisation every day.
We expect applicants to understand the ethos of MOTT and have a clear understanding of our vision and objectives.
Training will be provided to the successful applicant in knowledge and techniques to accomplish successful revegetation projects in both high and low rainfall areas.
The position will be a full time position with a salary range of $46,800 and $54,600 per annum plus superannuation depending on level of experience. The applicant will be posted at the St
Barbe Grove Nursery, Hazelmere, however work sites will include dispersed locations throughout Western Australia.
For further information and the job application package please contact Erin Lee on 08 9274 4842 or mottplanting@iinet.net.au
Applications close 4 pm on Monday, 29 th August, 2011
Publications
2011-12 business plan successful projects
The Australian Government has approved $66.4 million in Caring for our Country base level funding for 22 natural resource management (NRM) organisations to protect the Australian landscape and help ensure our farmlands remain viable into the future.
Caring for our Country is a landmark initiative in natural resource management in Australia. Over the first five years from 2008-2013 it will provide more than $2 billion in funding.
Caring for our Country investment helps regional organisations, industry associations, community groups including Indigenous groups and landholders to protect and conserve natural resources including our farming lands, water, coasts, plants and animals.
The initiative coordinates projects across the country with consistent national targets which are backed by an annual business plan to focus investment and deliver maximum results.
Program Manager (Sustainable Agriculture)
Wheatbelt NRM
I have been working for Charles Darwin University for the last 7 years as a senior lecturer in the Environmental Science course. Before this, I was a lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Australia. Courses I have taught have focussed on the use spatial technology (GPS, GIS and satellite imagery) for managing our natural resources.
I have also spent a lot of time working on research projects, and have been lucky enough to work on projects across southern, central and northern Australia, as well overseas in Timor-Leste, Indonesia and South Africa. These projects have all looked at changed land use practices (including mining, agriculture, conservation and pastoralism) and their effect on soil erosion, water and vegetation.
But my heart and soul rests with the Wheatbelt of WA. I did a lot of my ‘growing up’ in the Talbot Brook area west of York where my parents have land, and ended up doing my first project (honours) there looking at water quality patterns. Since then, I met and married my wife whose family comes from across the Wheatbelt and who grew up in Perenjori. We now have 2 beautiful girls and are in the process of building our ‘dream home’ near Toodyay
I have some big shoes to fill following on from where Dan Ferguson left off, but I have been extremely impressed by the results already achieved in this program and am looking forward to working closely with the excellent Wheatbelt NRM sustainable agriculture team (David Grasby, Georgie Troup and Sally Rayner) and with the wider community to build on these activities.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to chat about any of our sustainable agriculture activities, discuss potential new opportunities or just say G’day!
