Adapting To Change

 Winter Bus Tour

Friday 20th June 2008 

More than 50 people attended the Grasslands Winter bus tour titled “Adapting to Change” on Friday 20th June.

The tour included three farms, all with different farm systems, production targets and achievements.

The first stop was the Fox’s at Merton, farm hosts Alan, Alisa, Stuart and Maree were on hand to talk about key features of their farming system. They run a self replacing merino, breeding first cross sheep and second cross prime lamb enterprise as well as and Angus beef herd on their property. A typical production year is lamb sales at approx 9500 head including prime lambs, merino weather lambs and first cross ewe lambs. They also sell about 1000-1500 head of old sheep and wool production is about 360 bales. Cattle sales are approx 450-550 head. The property is a mix of lower flat to undulating country with a mainly phalaris based pasture system, some perennial ryegrass and short term summer crops up to higher hill country with a base of native and phalaris based pasture.

The key discussions focussed around productivity and persistence of pastures, flexible systems to take advantage of the seasons including using rape and other short term crops to sowing more permanent solutions like Lucerne and setting up more flexible livestock systems.

The second stop was an EverGraze Support Site based on Neil Bromley’s property at Warrenbayne. The Boho and Warrenbayne Landcare groups have developed 4 supporting sites for the EverGraze project. Their focus is improving production on all land classes on the farm, which means using improved pastures on the flats and midslopes and native pasture systems on the rocky and hill country. The groups are looking at grazing management to maintain native grasses, appropriate fertiliser strategies and weed control. The discussion focussed on a system that ensures all land classes are working to the potential, using appropriate management strategies and pasture mixes.

The final stop was the Floyd property at Greta West. Northgate Park is approx 350ha with the main enterprise being a self replacing commercial Angus herd. The target markets for the operation are to produce feeder steers ranging from 400-500kg live weight and to sell surplus females on farm. A key focus over the years has been improving pastures by lifting soil fertility and grazing pressure. The pasture base is perennial and annual ryegrass and some phalaris. 

Again the discussions focussed around productivity and persistence of the pasture base. At this farm management practices implemented to maintain the pasture base included cell grazing, managing the spring for seedling recruitment and fertiliser inputs.

The key messages from the tour were to develop a flexible farming system that is designed to take advantage of change, ensure different land classes are considered and managed accordingly, set up your system to make the most of the seasons and be confident to try new strategies.

Thankyou to Valley Seeds for sponsoring our lunch on the day.