Big ideas were planted with more than 100 students from five schools across the region when they combined to discuss regenerative agriculture on Tuesday 10th April 2018. Image - Armidale High School's Bec Smith (L), Dr Maarten Stapper and Sara Schmude pictured at the event. Photo courtesy of Meg Francis. Check out the full story here.
More than 100 baby Bell’s Turtles will provide a major boost to the wild population of this endangered species after being released into the Macdonald River at seven sites near Bendemeer, north of Tamworth in April 2018. The release of turtle hatchlings through the Turtles Forever program is the result of a unique partnership between a detection dog, local farmers, ecologists and researchers.
New free courses delivered across state from Armidale.
Member for Northern Tablelands and Minister responsible for TAFE NSW Adam Marshall recently announced local small businesses and their staff now have access to free business skills training thanks to a new $30 million NSW Government initiative aimed at helping small businesses grow and thrive.
Image - Northern Tablelands MP and Minister responsible for TAFE NSW Adam Marshall is delighted that the new TAFE Digital headquarters will be delivering the new $30 million Skills for Business program across the state.
It is the responsibility of all land owners and managers to control weeds on their lands (Biosecurity Act 2015 – General Biosecurity Duty). With the recent enactment of the Biosecurity legislation in NSW it is also the responsibility of landholders to ensure they do not allow weeds to spread to neighboring properties. An example of unintentional weed spread is blackberries as seeds are largely spread by birds and animals that eat the fruit and excrete seed elsewhere. This highlights the need for all land managers to treat blackberry and other weeds on their land so as to minimise or prevent their spread.
Soil Land Food's David Hardwick will run 4 days of farm planning with an innovation twist starting on Thursday 26 - Friday 27 April and concluding on Thursday 17 - Friday 18 May. The RSVP date has been extended to Friday 20th April, so there is still time to register!
There is a growing movement of farmers who are ecologically minded and understand that soil isn't just a growing medium, it's alive! Two local farming families, the Emmerys and McPhies, have generously opened their gates to give an insight into the regenerative farming practices they have applied these past few years.
Do you have native vegetation on your farm? Could you benefit from some additional income to manage this land? The newly-established Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) has a new program that could be of interest. BCT are calling for expressions of interest (EOI) from people interested in earning annual payments to conserve biodiversity on their property.
Aerial baiting programs, targeting wild dogs, are being launched across NSW during the next few months in a community-wide, co-ordinated bid to reduce attacks on livestock and protect native fauna.
Establishing habitat that allows threatened and declining woodland birds to forage, shelter and reproduce across landscapes used for primary production, was the focus of the Bush for Birds afternoon at Hariet Gully near Kelly’s Plains recently.
Ruth Trémont, from Southern New England Landcare said, “A bus tour of local properties showcasing tree and shrub plantings, gave participants opportunities to hear and see how individual landholders had tackled revegetation on their properties.”
“Hariet Gully is central to a 20 km-wide gap in habitat that extends from Invergowrie in the west to Dangars Gorge in the east.
The Trees on Small Farms project is well underway with unprecedented interest and participation!
SNELandcare Coordinator, Karen Zirkler said, “Thirty-four participants attended the planning workshop in September 2017, where they heard from guest speakers, and planned their tree projects on maps kindly provided by the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.”
Local Arding Landcare Group member, Chris Duncan, has been recognised as the 2017 recipient of the John-Winter Irving Bequest.
On 28th February 2018, seventeen participants began a soil workshop series with Derek Smith at the Kentucky Hall. The program aims to help participants formulate a long-term plan for soil management so in 5, 10 and 20 years, the farm is in better shape and more resilient to challenges.
Advice from Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Officer (Beef Cattle) – Jason Siddell
There has been a bit of storm rain about (and let’s hope it continues) but there is, of course, a lag between rainfall and feed growth. Early weaning is a tool that can be used by Northern Tablelands cattle producers to manage feed costs and maintain productivity. Please find below strategies for early weaning.
Image courtesy NT LLS.
The Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund (AFTF) provides grants ($0 to $1,000,000) and loans for the enhancement, maintenance and protection of Aboriginal cultural fishing as well as for Aboriginal communities to develop businesses associated with fisheries resources throughout NSW. Closes 21 March 2018.
The Australian Government is investing up to $5 million in small grants of between $5,000 and $50,000 to community, environment and other groups to deliver natural resource management activities that improve the quality of the local environment. The program aims to provide access to funding for projects that address the following National Landcare Program environment objective: to protect and conserve Australia’s water, plants and animals and the ecosystems in which they live and interact, in partnership with local communities.
Applications close 19th March. More information at http://www.nrm.gov.au/national-landcare-program/environment-small-grants. Why not call our office and let us help your group get organised to apply!
Formulate a long-term plan for your soil management so in 5, 10 and 20 years time, your farm is in better shape and more resilient to challenges with Derek Smith, one of only 4 Kinsey-Albrecht Soil Practitioners in Australia. Join Derek as he guides and mentors you through this 4-day soil management program.
Days 1 & 2 (28 Feb - 1 Mar 2018) focus on how and why soils respond in certain ways to inputs, stock management and farming practises. Explore options to improve outcomes in the short, medium and long term.
Armidale youth landcare group, Black Creek Bush Care (BC2) are congratulated on their successful grant application to the NLP Small Community Grants recently "Regenerative Agriculture for the Next Generation". Under the BC2 project, the Agriculture Teaching Departments at Armidale High School (AHS) and New England Girls School (NEGS) will combine to host a field day for the Northern Tablelands Secondary School Agriculture Network. The project aims to build capacity within the school community to gain skills and knowledge around regenerative agriculture and innovative farming practices.
Armidale Urban Rivercare Group (AURG) are to be congratulated on their successful grant application to the NLP Small Community Grants recently. This Project will erect signage and host an open day at a rehabilitated section of Dumaresq Creek in Armidale to:
Women are taking the wheel with both hands when it comes to self-empowerment and education on-farm with the expansion of the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Ladies in Livestock program.
Southern New England Landcare Ltd will hold it's Annual General Meeting from 5.30 - 6.00 pm on Thursday 30th November 2017 at the Uralla Community Centre, Hill St Uralla. All members are invited to attend, and stay on afterwards for the annual Christmas function, where members and friends can enjoy...
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