View this email in your browser

Keeping you up to date with local Landcare news.

KCLG incorporates independent Baranduda and Yackandandah Creek as well as fully-merged Kiewa-Bonegilla, Kergunyah, Gundowring, Dederang Primary School & Upper Kiewa Landcare Groups. KCLG has a volunteer committee of representatives from our Landcare groups with one paid position of Landcare Facilitator.

What does landscape function mean? How is that related to regenerative grazing?

In a nut shell, improving water infiltration, eliminating erosion, regenerating perennial grasses and boosting soil biology are indicators of good landscape function.

Regenerative grazing is a planned way of using animals to regenerate pasture, improve soil health and soil carbon storage of soils and improve grazing profitability. This process builds organic material and carbon which in turn supports better nutrient cycling and improved water holding capacity. This improves profitability. See Graeme Hand video below of this in practice at Neringla, NSW.

KCLG’s Road to Regenerative Grazing Mentor Programme

With eight properties involved in trialing regenerative grazing with Graeme Hand as their mentor, we have a good cross section of large and small property sizes and a mix of cattle, sheep and horses to manage. From Tawonga to Staghorn Flat, we have these 12 month trials occurring as stepping stones down the length of the Kiewa Valley. The baseline monitoring on each property has been done by Graeme albeit in an unusually green summer and these visits doubled as a training exercise for the participants to do this monitoring themselves over the next 12 months. Regular Zoom discussion groups will now occur to keep momentum as the new grazing practices are tried and learnt from. Three of our participants are our case study farmers and we look forward to sharing these case studies in their video form!

Landcare Facilitator programme update

The KCLG Committee are working hard and going the extra volunteer mile to produce a great application for DELWP for the Facilitator role to continue to be funded 2021 - 2024 for the KCLG network area.

Save the Date - Sustainable Farms research results workshop

The Sustainable Farms team will be holding a ‘Research results workshop’ on Friday 4th June at the Wangaratta Regional Study Centre (approx. 9.30am-2pm) and I’d like to invite you to ‘save the date’.

The event will include presentations by our academic and field-based researchers on our long-term research ecological research on farms, farm dams study including initial cost-benefit analyses, as well as the links between natural asset management and mental health. There will also be the opportunity for discussion around future research directions (local priorities), collaborative opportunities, and ways to accelerate practice change on farms. A more formal invitation with the full agenda and link to register, will be sent out in the next couple of weeks. So I will pass this on via the next eNews.

The National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Expo is coming to Dubbo!

A must-attend event for anyone interested in the opportunities renewables provide farming businesses and communities. On the 19th May 2021, farmers, experts, business and energy consultants will gather to share knowledge and understand what’s driving the transformation of energy use in agriculture. Flyer attached.

29 speakers including 10 innovative farmers, 8 industry experts, and community and Government organisations will cover topics such as biomass and bioenergy, hydrogen, energy storage, solar irrigation, financing renewables, hosting solar or wind farms and electric utes.

Credible suppliers will be available all day to chat as part of the Expo. Please pass this on to anyone who would be interested to attend.

Early bird tickets - $180 (farmers $175) includes a free haircut*, from a mobile hydrogen powered barber shop!

Register and for the full agenda https://www.renewablesinagconference.com.au

Grants

Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants $1000

Strengthening Environmental Volunteering

Biodiversity On-ground Action & Stewardship

Sustainability Victoria - Recycling grants

New Farm Safety Rebate