Do you want to learn valuable skills in pasture and animal assessment?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services plan to offer their successful Prograze course in February, and wish to know what communities would be interested.
"Prograze is based on established, proven principles of pasture and livestock production," an LLS spokesperson said. "Learning how to assess pasture, as well as understanding their quality and quantity, is key to managing profitable and sustainable grazing systems."
Northern Tablelands LLS delivers the program through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program. It runs over eight months, which enables pasture assessments at different times of year.
If you are interested, contact Georgie Oakes, Northern Tablelands LLS's agronomist and facilitator, on 0429 310 264 or georgie.oakes@lls.nsw.gov.au.
READ ALSO:
More than 30 enterprises from Walcha, Uralla, Guyra, and Ebor attended the first course in April, benefiting from LLS's expertise and valuable information.
"We are extremely pleased with how producers have engaged with the program during the toughest seasonal conditions," Ms Oakes said. "It shows that producers are making the connection between pasture management and livestock requirements."
Producers develop the skills to visually assess pasture quality and quantity; understand how pasture quality and quantity affect animal production; assess livestock fat scores; and use pasture and livestock assessments to match pastures to livestock requirements.
The program also covers managing grazing to improve pasture productivity and sustainability, and control worms; budgeting fodder to maximise pastures and fodder crops; and pasture and livestock assessments to make supplementary feeding decisions.
"On the back of what they have learnt, producers are forecasting and making management decisions earlier," Ms Oakes said. "They are identifying their stock classes and matching their nutritional requirements to their pasture availability."
Jordie Muller, a landholder north-east of Walcha, was attracted to the course because of it combined resources in assessing both agronomy and animal production.
"The program is excellent," Mrs Muller said. "It has given me the ability to confidently assess pasture, and make informed decisions about animal nutrition as a result. From the outset, I have taken the skills learnt from the program and put them into practice.
Mrs Muller thought the most useful aspect of the program was combining the expertise of animal production experts and agronomists.
"Having the opportunity to address a range of issues that are assimilated is an awesome tool," she said.
Meeting livestock requirements with pastures that have been considerably reduced during drought is a massive challenge, the LLS spokesperson said. Those taking part in a Prograze course will have a multitude of resources at their fingertips to enable them to confidently face the task.
