When:

Friday 23^rd September, 2011

Where:

Kyneton Racecourse (entrance off Lennox Street)

Time:

9:00 am to 3:20 pm

RSVP:

by phoning Clare at the Grassland Office on 03 5433 5324 or by emailing the office at grasslands (see link at bottom of page)

Cost:

$20 members

$40 non-members

Program:

see below:

9:00 am

Registrations

9:30 am

Introduction GSSA

9:40 am

Cam Nicholson - Woady Yaloak Catchment Group

Issues around alternative fertilisers and how do you assess how they work for you.

10:30 am

Stuart McColl - Cesar Consulting

Integrated Pest Management, in pastures. What we need to be looking out for this spring.

11:20 am

Allen Newman - Research Manager Heritage Seeds

Developing acid soil and grazing tolerant lucerne’s for South Eastern Australia.

12:00 pm

Board Bus with Lunch (lunch included)

12:20 am

Arrive at the O’Sullivan’s property “Theadon”, Pastoria

12:35 pm

Lisa Warn, Senior Consultant & Agronomist, Mackinnon Group, University of Melbourne

EverGraze supporting site – pasture species for prime lamb production and establishment of phalaris on acid soils.

Michael O’Sullivan, producer “Theadon”, Pastoria.

Michael Joss, Territory Manager, Seedmark

Perennial pasture species trial – featuring varieties of phalaris, cocksfoot, fescue and perennial ryegrass.

Lisa Warn, Mackinnon

Using Poultry litter as an alternative fertiliser.

3:00 pm

Board Bus to return to Kyneton

3:20 pm

Finish

Tags: Pasture Update

Your Society is on the move with the formation of a new branch in the Central Ranges region. It is the first time the Society has launched a branch for many years and reflects the strong status of the organisation.

The new branch covers an area west of the Hume Freeway, north of Melbourne, south of Bendigo and east of Ballarat. Baynton farmer Gerard Ryan has been elected as the inaugural branch President.

Gerard said there was strong interest from local farmers in the area in holding events to share information and technology related to grassland farming. “There hasn’t been much happening so we thought it would be good to form a branch specifically for this area,” he said. “We called a meeting and there was strong support for forming a new branch.” The branch plans to hold four events each year and will start with a Pastures Update at Kyneton on September 23.

“We have a good committee of about 10 people so we hope to remain active,” Gerard said.

Gerard has been a member for the past 30 years as he expanded his prime lamb and Merino enterprises on his property between Kyneton and Heathcote. “The Society is a network of researchers, agricultural professionals and farmers interested in improving productivity of grass, and provides great opportunities to exchange information and knowledge from research, experimental work and practical experience.”

“This region along the Great Dividing Range has acidic soil types and hilly terrain so there is good reason to have our own branch to focus on our specific needs.” Our Executive Officer Clare de Kok said the formation of a new branch in the area was a good reflection of interest in the Society. Clare has taken the role of joint branch Secretary/ Treasurer for the first year.

Tags: Branch

More than 100 people turned out for the Baynton paddock walk held on the 11th March 2009; the Baynton district is in central Victoria, about 20 km north east of Kyneton.

The theme for the day was "Getting pastures back on track" as their persistence and yields were struggling after the run of dry years; for some locals, this issue took on the added perspective of the effects of the recent Redesdale fire on their pastures.

Tags: Bush Fire, Recovery