The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW has announced $100,000 will be released from its Disaster Relief fund to help farm families in NSW struggling with worsening drought conditions.

An opportunity exists to work in the role of Regional Landcare & Agriculture Facilitator in the Northern Tablelands region. The new position will be based with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services and have a strong connection to the landcare networks and the broader agricultural community in the Northern Tablelands.

by Kim Deans – Northern Tablelands LLS Farm Planning Officer

There has been useful rain on the Northern Tablelands in the last couple of days although it hasn’t been enough in most places to run much water. Ensuring good quality water for livestock is an ongoing part of managing livestock at all times but becomes particularly relevant when water supplies are limited in dry times. 

by Brett Littler (Central Tablelands LLS Livestock Officer), Jason Siddell (Northern Tablelands LLS Livestock Officer) and Andrew Biddle (Northern Tablelands LLS District Vet)

Many experienced farmers have been reviewing their feed budgets in this really dry time. Quantity of feed is obviously paramount at all times but particularly for pregnant or lactating livestock. Quality feed becomes even more important during drought but we understand it is getting harder and more expensive to source.

by Glen Uebergang, Northern Tablelands LLS Mixed Farming Officer

With useful rainfall in many parts of the Northern Tablelands, landholders may be thinking about planting late season annual forage crops. To reduce pressure on your perennial pastures and provide a bulk of quality feed it may be appropriate to plant forage crops such as oats, barley, triticale or ryegrass. Following are a few points for your consideration:

For your copy of the July edition of the Landcare NSW bulletin, please follow this link https://mailchi.mp/ac02bf01bde7/19bxlidawi-2810293?e=f9a25f7dd2 

Download your copy of the July 2018 Skills Training flyer.  A full list of courses scheduled and further information can be found at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/agriculture/tocal-skills-training

The Smart Region Incubator will host two inspiring women speakers for "Boots on the Ground - Regional & Global Entrepreneurs" on Thursday 19th July in Amridale. Jillian Kilby, CEO and Founder of The Infrastructure Collaborative, and Natalya Thakur, Design Thinker will both be part of the conversation. For more information follow the link https://mailchi.mp/cf3647f56c7c/bootsontheground?e=12ae5fd5a5 

Take a fresh look at these often misunderstood ecosystems and how land use practice determines their recoverability and persistence in our landscape. This workshop is being hosted by Northern Tablelands Local Land Services in Armidale on 31st July. Download the flier for details.

ASIST is the world’s leading suicide intervention workshop. During the two-day interactive session, participants learn to intervene and help prevent the immediate risk of suicide. An ASIST 2-day Workshop will be held at Armidale City Bowling Club, 92-96 Dumaresq St, Armidale on August 9th and 10th from 8:30am – 4:30pm. Cost:$100 (incl. GST) (normally $450). Lunch and refreshments provided over the 2 days. More information on the flier.

"Perennial Pathways: Planting Tree Crops - Designing and Installing Farm Scale Edible Agroforestry" (Mat Wilson, Sarah Taylor Lovell, & Tobias Carterm 2018) is an interesting resource published by Savanna Institute in the United States. Visit the website to download your copy at http://www.savannainstitute.org/ From the Forward:

Mat Wilson, lead author of this excellent book, has a knack for fnding where the wild meets the practcal. I frst heard from him when he was plotng out persimmon, mulberry, and chestnut silvopasture paddocks, with fruit drop planned in sequence for livestock to harvest through several rotatons each season. This book is flled with these sorts of wildly practcal ways to integrate perennial crops on your farm.