Rural Connections

 

Conference: Steps to sustainable success

Considering converting from conventional to organic?
Are you looking at expanding your organics business?

DPIW in partnership with the Organic Coalition of Tasmania are hosting a conference that will feature a range of Australia’s best-known experts on organic and biodynamic systems.

The range of topics covered will include:

• success stories in large scale conversion
• carbon sequestration and drought mitigation
• domestic and international market opportunities
• R&D, nutrition, agronomy and weed control
• organic and biodynamic methods of farming
  

When: 21-22 May 2008

Where: Tram Sheds Function Centre, Launceston

More information contact:

Alexandra Mitchell - DPIW Organic Industry Development Officer on     (03) 6233 2404 or visit the website at www.farmpoint.tas.gov.au

Registration details:

Registration includes conference, morning and afternoon teas and lunch.
Earlybird 2 Day Registration (by 1 May 2008) $175
Standard 2 Day Registration (by 16 May 2008) $250
Single Day Registration $125
Half Day Registration $65
Conference Dinner on 21 May $52.50

Pre-conference tour of organic producer on 20 May (Free, numbers limited)

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Organic Viticulture Field Day

The Organic Coalition of Tasmania are pleased to invite you to an Organic Viticulture Field Day at Yaxley Estate Wines.

Learn from the experiences of those who have been doing it for over 10 years.

Yaxley Estate Vineyard is a vineyard run on organic principles, at Copping, on the Tasman Peninsula.

Established in 1992, the vineyard is just a 50 minute drive from Hobart, and you can sample pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc varieties made by acclaimed winemaker Andrew Hood.

When:             Saturday 1 March 2008

Time:              10:30am - 1:30pm

Catering:        Please bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the vineyard.

Location:        Yaxley Estate Wine, 31 Dransfield Road, Copping.

For further details please contact John Yaxley on 0427535374.

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FarmBis axing will hurt rural skill shortage

I think this article from Rural Press really sums up many peoples’ comments about the closure of the FarmBis program!

If you feel strongly about this, as I do, I urge you to lobby your local Member of Parliament - let them know just how important FarmBis is to the industry.

The Federal Government’s axing of FarmBis, the assistance program for rural skilling, is set to harm agriculture’s battle to overcome labour shortages.

The Federal Government has announced that the national program in Victoria, New South Wales, and the ACT will cease immediately while the state-run programs in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory will cease on June 30, 2008.

Nationals Leader Warren Truss has slammed the Government’s $98 million cost-cutting plan, saying it was proof of Labor’s city-centric focus.

“Labor apparently believes that skills and staff shortages start and finish in the inner suburbs,” Mr Truss said.

“The Coalition left the Rudd Government with record workforce participation and historically very low unemployment.

“This has meant that local communities all over Australia have struggled at times to find the right people to fit into the right jobs.

“With many communities emerging from a cruel drought and needing skilled workers, now is the wrong time to be cutting programs that provide skills to tens of thousands of rural and regional workers or make it harder for apprentices to survive financially.”

Queensland lobby group, AgForce, says the axing of FarmBis is a clear breach of Labor’s pre-election Plan for Primary Industries, which stated the FarmBis budget would reduce by $8m each year for the next three years, ceasing in 2010-2011.

In announcing the imminent axing of FarmBis, the Federal Government said the funds would be repackaged into climate change programs currently being developed “but will include initiatives to build the capacity of primary producers to meet the challenges of climate change”.

AgForce president Peter Kenny said he had earlier received a commitment from Agriculture Minister Tony Burke that the new programs would achieve similar outcomes to FarmBis, but the statement released today does not necessarily confirm that.

“It would be a backward step for rural industries, particularly at a time when they are emerging from a prolonged drought and in a position to invest time in training programs, if options to develop better business management skills are truncated,” Mr Kenny said.

“I am hopeful that Minister Burke will honour the commitment he gave to us, but until further details are announced we cannot be confident because Labor’s pre-election commitment on FarmBis has already been watered-down.”

SOURCE: National rural news updated daily on FarmOnline.

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Book Launch: Reinventing the Bush

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Telecall: Reduce stress and increase profits!

Revolutionize the way you think and forget about what the market might (or might not) do next week!

This discussion will be based on a rural livestock grazing enterprise however the concepts are universal to any business.

By concentrating on what you can control – pasture, product, profit - we can take the worry and stress out of a grazing enterprise.

This tele-seminar is where you discover from a trusted and highly respected rural educator, Grahame Rees, how you attract cash flow in to a business in a falling market!

When: Wednesday 26th March 2008
Time: 7.00pm AEST
Duration: 30 minutes
Investment: Click here to Register for free
– your only cost is a phone call/internet connection

P.S. The best thing is you don’t have to worry about getting all dressed up, driving to a venue or try to find a parking spot!

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Online Rural Skills Questionaire

By completing this quick online questionnaire about rural skills you will receive a $20.00 voucher towards any training offered by us.

This questionnaire takes about 5 minutes to complete. Remember to fill in your contact details so we can forward your training voucher.

Your input will help Rural Connections source and accordingly provide you with the right training programs for you and your sector of agriculture.

Click here to complete the survey.

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NLIS Field Days

The aim of these field days is to provide information to producers on how best to implement NLIS technology on farm to improve their overall business enterprises.

It is anticipated that there will be short presentations from producers and other industry participants who use the NLIS in their businesses along with a visit to a property to demonstrate how the NLIS can work for you in practice.

There will be ample opportunity for your questions to be answered.

(Read on …)

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Prime Minister’s 2020 Summit

Would you like the opportunity to contribute ideas to the 2020 Summit that the Prime Minister has instigated?

Click here to visit the web page

You can self-nominate or you can make a submission on your ideas that is a separate process to the nomination form.

The nomination form is a relatively easy form to fill in - only 200 words and you need to have two named referees to be contacted if you are successful.

Deadline is 25th of February and if accepted to the 2020 Summit, you have to make your own way there.

If you do not wish to nominate, then please circulate this opportunity to others that you feel may wish to.

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Women on Farms Gathering (Tas)

The 8th Women on Farm Gathering will be hosted by Rubicon and Central Coast Discussion Groups.

The venue for the event will be Camp Clayton at Ulverstone with the date 16 - 18 May 2008. Accommodation and all activities (apart from Beyond Farm Gate Tours) will be held on the site, making it an interactive venue for all.

Women on Farms Gathering Flyer

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Ruminant Nurtition & Management

Last night I attended an information night on drought feeding strategies for ruminant animals which was really interesting.

The evening was held at the Runnymede Cricket Club and presented by Prof. Ron Leng AO for Olsson Industries. Ron is a retired professor in Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of New England.

During the evening Ron presented the group with facts about the state of the global rural industry. It was interesting to note, the slides for the evening had been put together in 2006 and a lot of the predictions about grain and oil prices two years on were exactly right.

(Read on …)

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