Farmers across the Northern Tablelands are now better prepared for future climate extremes, thanks to the completion of the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes (DRPL) project.
Led by the University of New England (UNE) in partnership with Southern New England Landcare (SNEL) and GLENRAC Inc, the DRPL project has worked with local farmers using an on-farm coaching program aimed to help them better navigate climate variability and drought conditions.
In June 2024, Calculating Carbon workshops delivered as part of the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes (DRPL) project helped upskill landholders on sustainable farming practices that reduce emissions, and boost productivity and profits. Led by Professor Lewis Kahn and hosted by Dr Tom Davison, these workshops equipped farmers from Walcha, Armidale, and Glen Innes (NSW) with the tools to calculate their farm's greenhouse gas emissions and implement strategies to reduce carbon output. The workshops received positive feedback, highlighting the value of understanding carbon management in navigating climate challenges and the evolving carbon economy.
As climate variability increasingly impacts producers in the NSW Northern Tablelands, UNE researchers highlighted the critical role of healthy waterways in building resilient and productive grazing systems as part of the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes (DRPL) project. At sessions in the first half of 2024 (and at specialised events throughout the project), experts emphasised how sound grazing and pasture management directly contribute to water quality, which in turn supports robust pasture and livestock. With the project nearing its conclusion, the knowledge gained will soon be accessible online, equipping producers with long-term strategies for sustainable agriculture.
At the GLENRAC workshop on February 13, 2024, more than 30 landholders gathered at the Cromarty woolshed to tackle on-farm waterway health and improve stock water systems. Experts like Matt Ridley from The Pump Shed and grazier Dave Worsley shared valuable insights on planning, building redundancies, and protecting waterways while ensuring adequate water supply for livestock. The discussions highlighted the importance of strategic planning and the use of innovative tools like Ag360 to manage water systems and address challenges posed by drought and erosion. Click the heading to read the full article, including planning tips. Click the header to read more.
Read more: Planning & contingencies key to stock water systems
With scorching summers looming, UNE's Drought Resilient Pasture and Landscapes (DRPL) project is empowering NSW farmers to accurately assess feed availability and drought-proof their properties. Under the guidance of pasture coach Jaimi-lee Edwards, local graziers learnt how to avoid common pitfalls in estimating pasture health, using cutting-edge tools like Ag360 to predict weather conditions and plan ahead. As the project progresses, farmers are sharpening their skills just in time to tackle the challenges of rising temperatures and ensuring their livestock thrive.
How accurate are our visual estimates of herbage mass? Are you worried about how much feed you have available, as conditions dry? Click the heading to read more about how you can overcome uncertainty about the accuracy of estimating pasture availability.
Farmers who are members of the nine coaching groups of the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes project, spent some time during their third round of coaching sessions in July 2023 looking at their predicted pasture availability for the coming spring. Read more over on the GLENRAC website.
Release: July 10, 2023
Farmers who are members of the nine coaching groups of the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes project, spent some time during their third round of coaching sessions looking at their predicted pasture availability for spring.
“It’s one thing to know your current livestock feed position, but it’s another to see the forecasts that go hand in hand with farmer experience, to help make decisions about stock numbers and grazing management,” said Mrs Jaimi-lee Edwards, a pasture coach at UNE with the project.
Read more: Predicting spring pasture availability for better planning
In March of 2023, the season changed, and the New England experienced its first dry summer after three years of La Nina.
For farmer participants involved in the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes project, navigating this change was supported by new skills and confidence to make early management decisions after the first round of pasture coaching.
