Rain, bale or shine....it's time to read Farm Talk

We are pleased to announce the release of the second edition of Farm Talk.

Farm Talk provides an opportunity to showcase the fantastic and innovative work land managers are doing to enhance our soils, water and vegetation. This is in a region where agriculture is the dominant land use, with approximately 3,500 diverse farming businesses operating across three quarters of a million hectares.

Our first edition, distributed to 1000 recipients, looked at rabbit control and soil health.

In this edition we’re looking at farming resilience and adaptation to climate change.

Most farmers adapt to weather on a daily or seasonal basis. This has been emphasised in the last decade with the regions’ farmers dealing with widely differing weather patterns of dry springs and wet summers. We must now look to the long-term future and the potential changes it may bring to our farming systems.

Farm Talk investigates the drivers of the changing weather patterns and the risks posed to farming, and provides checklists and a practical insight into what this means for farmers and what to expect, and what can be done about it. We also look at water availability in relation to a changing climate. Water and its on-farm use is the main theme with articles and case studies covering the topic including, water supply, usage calculators, farm dam regulations and requirements. There is also a newly-funded program encouraging farmers to adopt innovative and inspiring practices to improve their water usage. Finally we feature information about what’s happening around the traps, and look at a local event showcasing local producers and promoting land health practices including, case studies on two local farmers involved and inspiring Landcare on farms. We also talk farm succession planning with an advisor assisting farmers across the Corangamite region.

Thank you to the National Landcare Programme and our Corangamite Land Health Program for enthusiastically supporting Farm Talk and Mandy Baker from the Upper Barwon Landcare Network for leading the publication. I trust you find it valuable reading.

Download the full magazine here

Pick up a hard copy from the Corangamite CMA Colac office today!