eNews #10

• 17th May - Dinner with Harnham Landcare
• 27th May - Telling Your Stories - Workshop with Outback Storyteller Annabelle Brayley
• 31st May - Star Grazing at Ben Lomond
• 3rd June - Best Practice Native Tree Planting Workshop
• 11th June - Click with Confindence, Cyber Security for Senior Citz
• 21-24th September - Landcare National Conference (Gold Coast)

Soil Land Food has launched a practical new tool to help landholders easily monitor and manage soil health on their properties — the Soil HASH (Holistic Assessment of Soil Health) tool.

Designed as a simple, integrated method, Soil HASH uses biological, biochemical, and physical indicators to assess soil condition and highlight areas limiting productivity.

Like regular servicing for a car, an annual HASH assessment — ideally in Autumn or Spring — helps keep your soil in top condition.

The tool can guide future management decisions, such as improving water infiltration or reducing compaction.

A free download of the HASH 1 Manual is now available via the SoilSkills website, with a more advanced HASH 2 Manual set to be released soon.

Credit: Soil Land Food

A recent Future Drought Fund case study, Evidence in Action: From Better Tools to Better Decisions, shines a light on the efforts of Northern Tablelands cattle producers Ian and Julie Firth, who are building resilience into their grazing enterprise through the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes project.

Led by the University of New England and supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the project is delivered in partnership with Southern New England Landcare, GLENRAC, and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.

Through expert guidance, peer learning, and tools like Ag360, the initiative is helping producers make informed pasture and grazing decisions, backed by both local knowledge and scientific data.

You can access the original Case Study and other project related information here. 

This publication from Sustainable Farms outlines the design and construction of high-performing dams.

Farm dams are a key asset in the agricultural landscapes of eastern Australia, providing essential water for stock, crops, households and for native wildlife.

In the context of a changing climate, water loss from farm dams by evaporation is likely to increase due more extended dry periods, meaning traditional dams may become a less secure farm water source.

Join us to learn about the vulnerable birds of prey of the Northern Tablelands, see a summary of results from last breeding season, and learn about our plans for the coming year.

• What you will learn:
• The ecology and behaviour of birds of prey of the Northern Tablelands
• Breeding-pair productivity and trends with Dr Steve Debus
• Update about the acoustic, nest camera and GPS tracking project with UNE PhD student Mick Wakefield
• Photography presentation from birder and volunteer Leeza Wishart

Thursday 22 May| 6pm - 8.30pm | Armidale Bowling Club

NSW Farmers would like to invite you to attend a free Business Plan Ready Workshop held in conjunction with the Rural Financial Counselling Service and Farm Business Resilience Program.

This program will provide farmers and landholders with the opportunity to commence or update their Farm Business Plan with the guidance of the Rural Financial Counsellors.