Feedback from farmers completing the Grazing Matcher Program has shown just how valuable the program is at improving grazing management for productivity and environmental benefits. After meeting with consultants seven times since April 2021, a group of South-West farmers attended their eighth and final meeting in Lowden recently where...
Optimising your stocking rate is closely linked to profitability because it helps to utilise feed on offer without exceeding the land’s carrying capacity or relying too heavily on imported feed. Stocking rate is a key indicator promoted by the Grazing Matcher Program, which currently supports 32 livestock enterprises in...
Rosa Glen sheep producer Kevin Silverthorne can’t help but feel a bit proud as he watches his daughter Kylie grow as a farmer. He attributes at least some of her development to the 12-month Grazing Matcher program that both Kylie and Kevin have taken part in since May 2020....
Bridgetown beef producers Ann Harris and Graeme Fazey have wanted to implement rotational grazing for a long time. However, it was only after joining a Grazing Matcher group in 2020 that they gained the knowledge and tools to motivate a change. The Grazing Matcher program supports beef and sheep...
Expressions of interest are now open to take part in the Grazing Matcher Program in 2021. The twelve-month, eight-meeting program is facilitated by local consultants Jeisane Accioly and Dan Parnell, who have tailored best practice grazing techniques to local conditions. They show producers how to set and adjust their...
Supplementary feeding of livestock is a costly but necessary part of farming in Western Australia. To get the best return on supplement, farmers need to understand nutritional requirements for livestock and what components can be filled by pasture at different times of the year so they can fill seasonal...
Livestock producers involved in the Grazing Matcher program met in Donnybrook recently to hear how they can get the most benefit from their supplementary feed budget. The event was facilitated by Jeisane Accioly from Accioly Livestock Industries Services, who outlined how understanding nutritional requirements, testing feed quality and monitoring...
Most farm paddocks have a long history of phosphorus build-up that represents a lifetime of investment in soil fertility. With phosphorus and other nutrients concentrated at the soil surface, leaving soil bare and exposed to wind and water erosion is putting that investment at a significant risk, especially given...
Livestock enterprises are being encouraged to join the successful Grazing Matcher program, with a new group planned to commence by March 2020. The program is a partnership between South West Catchments Council and Western Beef Association Inc that supports farmers to adopt better grazing management, fodder conservation and supplementary...
With silage season commencing and hay not far away, farmers are doing their sums to work out how much fodder they need to get through the impending feed gap. Whether growing or buying fodder, it’s a big investment that needs to be made efficiently if farms are to remain...
