A THREE-DAY tour aimed at showing Gippsland farmers how soil health is managed in Victoria's North East and southern NSW will be held on September 13-15.
The tour will visit four farms plus research and trial sites.
The farms include Lindsay and Ian Humphry's organic dairy, beef, sheep and cropping property at Springhurst and Warrabilla Wines in Rutherglen where winemaker Andrew Sutherland-Smith will explain how soils affect wine.
At Holbrook in NSW, the tour will visit Hereford breeder Ian Locke, who is running a fertiliser trial on alternatives to superphosphate, and cattle and sheep farmer Stuart Anderson, who is running an Evergraze trial.
The tour will visit the Rutherglen Research Institute and hear from soil acidification experts Jeff Hirth and Jim Virgona, who are running an Evergraze trial looking at encouraging native grasses and improving water management, biodiversity and soil health.
For details, phone (03) 5663 2386.
Pasture management field days
FARMERS are invited to Managing Pastures for Climate Change project field days in Victoria's North East next Wednesday and Thursday.
Topics will include the best sowing rates for a successful pastures, paddock preparation for next year, winter forage crop choices and managing a newly-sown phalaris.
The field days will visit several farms around Murmungee and Moyhu.
For further information, phone Tim Ekberg on (03) 5727 3931 or email tim@farminganswers.com
