This week’s field day hosted by the Barracks Pastoral Company in Beverly attracted a crowd keen to hear how a systems approach to farm planning can bring benefits.
The foundation of good soil health is maintaining ground cover all year round.
Groundcover reduces wind erosion and helps build soils biology and from a farm management aspect helps reduce the stress of feeding livestock over summer.
The field day is part of an Australian Government supported National Landcare Program project that is using systematic whole of farm planning to deliver an increased ground cover that is protecting the soil and contributing to the farm bottom line.
Kate Hayes Thomson was happy to see investment in pasture and fodder and Paul Etheredge was keen to see the new approaches being trialled.
Some of the highlights of the day were seeing the use of clover, serradella and saltbush and learning how to maximise production outcomes on uncroppable land.
Justin and Kelly Mann, from Barracks Pastoral, are tackling the challenges posed by granite hills and their farm plan looks to use the gully areas for grazing in the future.
Overall the participants thought it was great to see “real paddocks” and be able to share ideas and new ways with others facing similar challenges.
Make sure you don’t miss out on our next farm field day. Contact Jacquie Lucas at Wheatbelt NRM for more information.
Email Jlucas@wheatbeltnrm.org.au or phone 9670 3113.
This Wheatbelt NRM project is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.