On the 21st of May, SFS hosted a workshop at Pura Pura focusing on pasture assessment and manipulation strategies. We were lucky enough to visit the Blomeley family farm – Braecove Ag – and put our learnings into practice, using the Pasture Paramedic to determine if paddocks needed resowing or manipulating.

The farm consists of some stony country and the family has made a purpose-built seeder to sow pastures in the difficult terrain there (see picture). The seeder scratches the surface rather than putting tynes into the ground, preventing more rocks from coming up.

Nathan and his father Tim walked us through their renovation process, showing us a paddock with a summer fodder crop that had been oversown with clover this autumn to fill the feed gap over winter. If the fodder thins out again, it will be sprayed out and ready to be put back into permanent pasture. The permanent pastures on the property consist of phalaris and sub-clover, and we got to see for ourselves just how good the results were with their seeder.

We also checked out another paddock that had been overrun with barley grass and the group discussed strategies on how best to manage it. Winter cleaning was one option, but it would reduce pasture growth by 40% so it wouldn’t be recommended if they’re tight on feed over winter. Additionally, barley grass in winter has good nutritional value; see for yourself here. Another alternative is to crash graze it in late winter to kill the plant and seed head, and for even better control, spray top what’s leftover in spring.

Many thanks to the Blomeley family and their team for showing us their innovative approach to renovating stony pasture paddocks.

Join us for Part 2 of this Workshop in Skipton on 11 June  learn more here…

This event was delivered by Southern Farming Systems on behalf of Agriculture Victoria as part of the Victorian Government’s statewide Drought Support Package.

By Jessie Wettenhall, Senior Research & Extension Officer