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The latest sustainable farming news from GeoCatch
Dear Sally,
Welcome to our Kicking the Dirt newsletter for Spring 2022, featuring all the latest sustainable farming news, events and updates for the Geographe Bay Catchment.
This year GeoCatch celebrates its 25th anniversary, working in Geographe!
Our achievements are definitely a collective effort, with contributions from our farming community and urban residents, all working towards a better environment in our local catchment. Thank you!!
At our recent AGM, we shared our achievements over the past 12 months - we've definitely been busy!
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Grazing Matcher: Secrets to
good hay and silage!
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Geographe's most recent Grazing Matcher meeting was hosted Ray and Robyn Robertson’s family farm in Forrest Beach.
The group were privileged to have expert in the field, Dario Nandapi from Smart Cow Consulting, present about the efficient preparation and feeding of hay and silage. Dario outlined the steps to success:
- Aim for a high-quality product
- Start with high quality forage
- Cut at recommended growth stage
- Wilt as quickly as possible
- Minimise losses during harvest/storage
- Feed out to maximise intake and minimise losses.
Robyn’s 90-year-old father, Jim, who’s been on the farm for decades, commented that he’d learnt a lot, and Robyn, our gracious host felt “privileged to be part of such an amazing group”.
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Video: Testing the quality of your hay will help you prioritise what stacks to use at different times of year. Dan Parnell from Agsure Consulting shows us how to collect samples and Donnybrook producer Paul Fry gives us some insight into how he will use the results to increase the efficiency of his farm.
The successful #GrazingMatcher program, helps to increase farmer knowledge and skills in best practice grazing management to improve productivity and profits
while minimising impacts to the environment.
Expressions of interest for the 2023 Grazing Matcher program are now open. To find out more contact Jenelle on 0491 069 078 or email geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au
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Understanding your Sustainable Stocking Rate | |
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Farmers from across Geographe catchment recently joined GeoCatch and Jeisane Accioly to learn about how small changes to grazing practices on their property can have big impacts!
The workshop covered the importance of knowing the energy demands of your stock, along with the potential energy in your pasture, to ensure a farm can be sustainable year round.
The farmers were able to calculate their stocking rate for their own properties, taking into account all of the seasonal variations like lambing and calving, water-logged paddocks and under- and over-performing pasture.
How can I determine my stocking rate?
The Nutrient Best Management Practices guidelines reference three recognised calculators:
If you require further support in working out your stocking rate, contact our Sustainable Agriculture Team at geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au
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Farewell Jen and welcome Amy! | |
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We are saying farewell to Jen Mitchell, our fearless leader and friend, and thank her for the 19 years contributing to bringing GeoCatch to the Geographe community.
We have been so fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and supportive person to work with each day. Whilst her depth of knowledge and experience in natural resource management is so extensive, she also brings a huge amount of generosity and willingness to help, in every project she’s involved in.
Congratulations Jen on your retirement and we wish you all the very best in your next adventure in life!
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And so we welcome, Amy Oud, who is taking the reins from Jen.
Amy has an extensive background working as an Environmental Scientist and Consultant with a range of government agencies, advising on some of Australia's largest infrastructure and resource projects.
Living in Margaret River with her family, Amy fits in perfectly with the GeoCatch team with her love of nature and gardening! Welcome Amy!
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Best practices for grazing farmers | |
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After 2 years in development, the Nutrient Best Management Practices (BMPs) for beef, sheep and dairy grazing enterprises were launched in late August, by Dave Kelly, Minister for Water.
The guidelines to provide farmers with practical advice on managing nutrients on-farm to optimise nutrient use efficiency and reduce nutrient loss, saving farmers money and reducing impacts on the environment.
They have been developed with input from local Geographe farmers, fertiliser and grazing industries, scientists, agronomists, and catchment groups, including GeoCatch. They follow internationally recognised nutrient principles of applying fertiliser: the right source, the right rate, right time, and right place, and provide additional information for farmers on how to meet best practice and why its relevant to the south-west grazing industry.
Geographe farmers can now benchmark their farming practices against the BMPs, and eventually will be able to see how they perform, compared with averages across the south-west. The benchmarking is an important aspect of the BMPs for farmers to demonstrate sustainability and improvements over time.
To see how your farm compares against grazing best practice, email Jenelle or Michelle geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au to receive a free, customised Nutrient Plan for your property.
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Stirling Wetlands revegetation funding success | |
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Great news for the Stirling wetlands, south of Capel, with GeoCatch, in partnership with Water Corporation, being successful in receiving funding through the ‘2022 State NRM Program Community Stewardship Grant’.
The wetlands provide important habitat for waterbirds including the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) and Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis) each year.
Over the past 12 months, farmers with properties adjacent to the Stirling Wetlands have been engaging with GeoCatch Project Officer, Michelle Hughes, to provide insights into their interactions with the wetlands, and along with Department of Water & Environmental Regulation's (DWER) extensive water monitoring and flora and fauna surveys, will assist with the development of the Stirling Wetlands Management Plan.
The State NRM funding will complement the Management Plan project, by supporting landholders to undertake revegetation and weed control to enhance the biodiversity values of the wetland.
A fantastic win for our local environment!
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South west on show to rest of Australia! | |
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Last week, NRM practitioners from across Australia came together in Margaret River for the 2022 National NRM Conference, sharing knowledge and experience in National Resource Management (NRM).
This year the conference highlighted the theme of ‘Resilience through Transformation’ and after having to cancel the previous conference due to Covid, this opportunity to gather with peers and friends, and learn from one another, was been much-anticipated.
As locals to the south-west, GeoCatch also had the opportunity to showcase some of our recent work to the rest of Australia, emphasising the importance of collaboration in all of our projects – with our local farmers, industry and government partners, and the wider community.
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Managing solids stockpiles on dairy farms
for better water quality
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Dairy farmers in the Geographe catchment will soon be able to access funding through Western Dairy to better manage and store solid (manure) stockpiles to improve their effluent management.
A revision of the Code of Practice for Dairy Farm Effluent Management WA 2021 resulted in new standards being added for solids stockpile management and effluent storage. Solids stockpile management is an area for improvement on many dairy farms in the catchment.
Through the Dairy for Healthy Estuaries project, Western Dairy completes one-to-one reviews with farmers, provides technical support and assists farmers to identify priority areas to improve their effluent system and optimise nutrient reuse. To date, ten reviews have been completed in the Geographe catchment.
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Reviews completed with farmers in the Geographe catchment show most farms only particially meet this new standard. Most farms have good solids separation systems and now need some extra work to store that material on a surface that facilitates drying but prevents nutrients leaching into groundwater. Once dry enough to handle, the solids become excellent sources of organic matter that can be applied to pastures, used to produce compost or even sold off farm.
Oscar Negus Jnr runs a large dairy farm in Tutunup and installed a solids bunker as part of his system upgrade in 2020. ”We were very keen to get maximum solid separation so we can put the liquid through our centre pivot irrigators,’ Oscar said. ‘The solids bunker helps us contain the solids until we are ready to spread them on our paddocks.”
Through the Dairy for Healthy Estuaries project, farmers will soon have the opportunity to access co-funding for the installation of a concrete stockpile pad to improve this area of effluent management and minimise impacts on ground and surface water.
Farmers who are interested in accessing funding or having a system review completed should contact Dan Parnell at Western Dairy by emailing Dan.Parnell@westerndairy.com.au or call 0467 556 542.
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Sub-Catchment in focus:
Carbunup River
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There are sixteen waterways that flow across the Geographe catchment into Geographe Bay or via coastal wetlands and estuaries. Most of Geographe waterways are ephemeral (only flow in winter months) except for the Capel River which flows all year round due to groundwater inflows.
The waterways have important aquatic values, some providing habitat for threatened and priority species, and are of high value to both the local community and visitors to the area.
In this edition, we are looking at Carbunup River sub-catchment, located in the west of the Geographe catchment, with its headwaters in the Whicher Scarp.
Surveys undertaken by Department of Water and Environmental Regulation have found a rich and valuable aquatic fauna, including acting as an important nursery for the Western Pygmy Perch and home to a large population of Carter's Freshwater Mussel.
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The Future Drought Fund’s 2022 Science to Practice Forum brings together farmers, researchers, government, industry and the community to explore the innovative tools and practices helping our regions prepare for future drought.
The Future Drought Fund works with farmers and their rural and regional communities to prepare for drought. It connects farmers with agricultural experts in their region to harness innovation and adopt new practices. Adopting new technologies and practices can reduce exposure to drought risks. This helps farmers and their communities sustain productivity and profitability in times of drought.
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The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s leading award empowering and celebrating the inclusive and courageous leadership of women involved in Australia’s rural and emerging industries, businesses, and communities, now and into the future.
The prize includes up to $15,000 to support a business or project that will support rural communities.
Applications for the 2023 Award are open until 16 November 2022.
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Round 2 now open!
Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program
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The State Government's $15 million Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program (CF-LRP) aims to realise agriculture's potential to sequester carbon in the landscape and contribute to growing the WA carbon market. Applications for this round close 2 December.
Selected projects will deliver environmental, social and economic co-benefits, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the farming industry.
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Rivercare expert joins us
Claire Macleay strengthens the GeoCatch Sustainable Agriculture team as a Rivercare Officer.
With a wealth of experience in agricultural livestock research, Claire is right at home out on the farm and helping farmers with their stream restoration projects.
For a complete list of our team and their roles, visit GeoCatch Team
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DIY Soil Testing
Training Day
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Tues 8th November
9 am - 12 noon
Forrest Beach - Address TBC
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This training day is aimed at Geographe farmers participating in the 2022-23 Soil Testing Program.
You will learn how to:
- Set up DIY equipment to collect your own soil samples
- Record GPS coordinates of your sampling locations
- Collect samples that best represent your paddocks
- Plus, meet with GeoCatch staff
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Exploring Soil Health Workshop | |
Thurs 1st Dec
9 am - 3 pm
Jalbarragup - Address TBC
This free workshop is open to all farmers within Geographe catchment.
This hands-on workshop is designed to help participants understand how soils work, exploring the practical aspects of soil health, and why soils need to be managed and kept it in good condition.
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What do you want to learn more about? | |
What burning questions do you have about sustainable agriculture in Geographe catchment? Click on the link below to tell us what topics you're interested in. | |
Results from our last survey, showed that you would like to know more about soil biology (register for the Soil Health workshop on 1st December to learn more!) and carbon farming. | |
We have been working with farmers for 25 years! If you'd like to increase productivity and profitability while supporting the environment then contact us at geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au to chat about what opportunities we have! | | | | |
