The North Central Catchment Management Authority's (CMAs) 2012 National Soils Forum will be held in Bendigo on 8 and 9 March. The Forum will bring together key landholders, local farmers, scientists and policy makers to discuss how we can secure the productive and environmental values of our soils in north central Victoria. Keynote speakers include returning speaker Dr. Julian Cribb, journalist, editor, science communicator and author of The Coming Famine and Dr. Peter Carberry, Deputy Director for the CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship program. See Draft Program overleaf.

The Forum will focus on ‘Soils for a future’:
As Australians we are concerned about where our food comes from and our capacity to secure it into an uncertain future. As a nation we appreciate that food production and the health of our natural ecosystems are intimately linked. In a world filling with more and more people, and a time when the fundamental resources we need to sustain ourselves show signs of running out, we need to be certain to maintain the integrity of our soils. We have to work together as a community to protect our soils for future generations. Come along to our 2012 National Soils Forum and actively participate.

The Forum is delivered under the North Central CMA’s Farming for Sustainable Soils project, and is an initiative supported by the Commonwealth Government’s Caring for our Country program.

Producers will see how five years of research could benefit their grazing systems during a field day at  EverGrazeProof Site at Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Hamilton on December 2.

The sixth and final EverGraze Proof Site Field day will also provide an insight into how regional producers have used EverGraze principles on their farms to increase profit and sustain a healthy business.

Results include increases in profitability of up to a 50 per cent above the top 20 per cent of farms benchmarked in DPI’s South West Farm Monitor Project, while at the same time reducing recharge and maintaining ground cover.

Anita Mortant from DPI said speakers would explain the value of including summer active perennials in the farm system to reduce risk.

“Supplementary feeding costs at the Hamilton site were reduced by $295 per hectare, when compared to ryegrass, by including lucerne and tall fescue in the system,” Ms Morant said.

“Keynote speaker Bill Malcolm, Associate Professor from  The University of Melbourne will also discuss how producers can stay focussed and remain profitable.

“EverGraze research focusses on the whole farming system and the field day will provoke thought about what plants to sow where, how to manage and utilise them, implications of management decisions on ground cover and soil moisture and sustainable stocking rates.

“The day will also examine optimum lambing times and how to improve lamb survival by providing shelter; the value of summer active perennials for reducing exposure to seasonal risk, and providing an alternative to supplementary feeding,” Ms Morant said.

EverGraze is a   Future Farm Industries CRC,   Meat and Livestock Australia and  Australian Wool Innovation research and delivery partnership.

The field day is on December 2 from 9am to 3pm at DPI Hamilton, 10 kilometres south of Hamilton on Mt Napier Road.

For further information or to register for the field day please contact Anita Morant at DPI Hamilton on (03) 5573 0732 by November 28.

Shepparton

Parklake Hotel 
481 Wyndham Road 
Monday 5^th December 
6:30 – 9:30pm 
Dinner provided 
Drinks at bar prices 
Dinner will be served at 6:30 sharp 

Registration

Please register with Shayne Ault  on (03) 5482 0405 or email at  shayne.ault@dpi.vic.gov.au 

They have to confirm numbers for catering two weeks out, so if you want to eat, you need to let them know you're coming no later than the morning of 21 Nov 2011