Pastoral Properties Field Tour Highlights Innovation
MEDIA RELEASE
28 March 2011
PASTORAL PROPERTIES FIELD TOUR HIGHLIGHTS INNOVATION
Visiting a number of resourcefully managed properties will be one of the highlights of the Desert Channels Group’s Pastoral Properties Field Tour on Thursday 14th April.
“It is great to hear about what people are doing, but having the chance to go out and see it for yourself is an opportunity that does not come along too often,” said Colleen James, Industry Liaison Officer at the Desert Channels Group.
“This full day field tour follows on from the Sustainable Grazing Forum on the 13th April and will feature a diverse range of innovative management styles from graziers in our region.”
Cam & Jenny Lindsay’s land and livestock businesses at Yuruga Station works in harmony with nature to create sustainable ecosystems and profitable business practices.
“A rotational grazing management system is implemented, following the principles learnt from the Grazing for Profit training. Through the use of visual pasture monitoring and grazing charts, we control the areas being grazed and more importantly, the areas being rested,” said Mr Lindsay.
After 11 years following this system, and seven of these during drought, there are visual indicators that the land has benefitted from the rotational grazing system in use. The visit to Yuruga will include a demonstration of the advanced watering system and extensive property development and an inspection of a mob of cattle.
Peter and Raeleen Whip of Bandon Grove are focussing the grazing business at Bandon Grove on efficiency and have observed that the adaptations which were originally driven by economic and production benefits are also paying environmental dividends.
“Rotational grazing and spelling has strengthened the resilience of native grasses which is directly measurable through the improved ground cover levels - more grass slows the flow of water across the landscape, reducing soil erosion and resulting in increased infiltration and reduced runoff resulting in increased production and a healthy landscape,” said Peter.
Barry & Tanya Dawson have owned Upshot since 2000 and began a land recovery project in 2007 that is providing a sustainable business and restoring their country to how it once was. The visit to Upshot will include a look at untouched country, country pulled but not raked, country planted to buffel and the stick rake that was used.
“By pulling invasive gidgee, then stick raking, burning and planting to grass we have been able to increase carrying capacity, reduce the gidgee re-growth and spell Mitchell downs country during growth season,” said Tanya. “We are still in the early stages of their long term plan where buffel seed will be collected and planted, and goats will be rotated with sheep to change grazing pressure.”
The field tour will benefit from the expertise of DEEDI principal scientist David Phelps and his extensive knowledge of the Mitchell Grass country drawn from growing up on the family beef, wool and grain farm in NW NSW, where he first learnt the value of Mitchell grass, heavy clay soils and flooded pastures through to his extensive research career in the Mitchell grasslands and channel country of Qld since 1990. David will be speaking on Managing Mitchell Grass.
Registrations are essential and must be received before 4pm on Wednesday 6th April, contact the Desert Channels Group on 07 4652 7826 or email colleen.james@dcq.org.au to register. Information is available at www.dcq.org.au.
The field tour is an initiative of the Desert Channels Landholder Support Service Project and is funded by the Queensland Government’s Blueprint for the Bush Program and the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program.
ENDS
