Climate
Video: Autumn – Winter Feedbase Planning
This webinar is designed for South West Victorian farmers experiencing drought conditions, providing practical guidance to support feedbase planning through autumn and winter.
The session covers:
- How much feed can I grow?
presented by Cam Nicholson, Nicon Rural Services - Options for boosting pasture growth,
presented by Lisa Miller, Southern Farming Systems (SFS)
The discussion focuses on realistic feed production expectations, pasture management strategies, and practical responses to challenging seasonal conditions.
🔗 All resources linked to this webinar can be found here:
https://sfs.org.au/project/autumn-winter-feedbase-planning
Program Support
This event is part of the Victorian Government’s Drought Assistance Package for South West Victoria.
For more information, visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.
Video: Uncertain Times – Finance Webinar
This webinar explores how farmers can be financially proactive during periods of uncertainty, with practical advice to support informed decision-making and business resilience.
Guest presenters Karen Brady and Matt Soul from Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria West share insights on:
Managing financial uncertainty in a farming context
Strengthening business planning and cash flow awareness
Available support services and practical next steps for farm businesses
This session is relevant for growers, farm managers, and anyone seeking guidance on navigating financial challenges in agriculture.
🔗More information on Uncertain Times https://sfs.org.au/project/uncertain-times-workshop-reset-recover-regenerate
Presented by Southern Farming Systems, South West Node of the Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria West.
Video: Farm Focus – Livestock Containment
Livestock Containment Areas are often associated with drought, but they are useful in any season. Hear from Mark Williams, mixed farmer in the South West of Victoria, discussing his livestock containment area and its’ uses, design and functionality in his farm system.
After viewing please complete a short evaluation survey https://forms.office.com/r/4QtaZwz8Ui
This project received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Podcast: Innovation & Decision Making: How do you implement change, without betting the farm?
Kirsten DiproseMaking the right decision at the right time is critical to good business and innovation, especially when you add drought or other volatile factors into the mix. So when a new opportunity arises, how do you know you’ll make the ‘right’ choice? Â
This episode looks at the latest research about on-farm decision-making, as well as stories from farmers, farm consultants and agricultural entrepreneurs about how they made the decision to adopt a new technology or practice.
Farm consultant with Southern Farming Systems, Cam Nicholson shares his decision-making framework of using the ‘head, heart and gut’. Emma Ayliffe, agronomist and founder of Yacker, an app that connects farmers, talks about the value of peer-to-peer research (ie. Calling other farmers!). And Jacob Birch, Gamilaraay man, academic and entrepreneur speaks about how to be culturally appropriate in the decision-making process, especially as the native grains and other indigenous industries grow.
GUESTS
CAM NICHOLSONÂ is a director of Nicon Rural Services, a consulting business near Geelong working with the grazing and cropping industries.
Cam has worked in pasture agronomy and soils for 35 years and has been involved in many farmer programs for the GRDC, MLA, Landcare and the current Future Drought Fund. He provides consultancy advice to farmers and lectures on animal and pasture systems at Marcus Oldham College.
His most recent work has focused on understanding and discussing risk in farming businesses, carbon accounting and decision making. Cam recently helped revamp information and tools for MLA on pastures and soils.
EMMA AYLIFFE is a farmer, researcher and consultant based at Tullibigeal, NSW. After moving from South Australia to New South Wales working as a cotton agronomist, Emma moved to Tullibigeal with her partner where they bought her first 1700 acre farm with the support of Craig’s family.Â
In 2020-2021, Emma was Australian Young Farmer of the Year. Emma prides herself on being an innovator pushing the boundaries and coming up solutions with farmers problems. Â
JACOB BIRCHÂ Â is an academic, entrepreneur and Churchill Fellow passionate about re-awakening, and bringing into a modern context, the native grain foodways that sustained his Gamilaraay ancestors for thousands of generations.Â
Jacob’s received First Class Honours for a multidisciplinary research project that investigated the nutritional qualities of Australian native grains for human consumption, and Indigenist research methodologies which give agency to First Nations voices and experience.Â
Jacob led a national consultation to inform the AgriFutures commissioned Australian Native Grains Strategic RD&E Plan.Â
This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Video: The Victorian Drought and Innovation Hub in action!
The Victoria Drought and Innovation Hub in action! Take a look at our latest projects on climate resilience and drought preparedness across the state.
Podcast: Did we make ‘Better Frost Decisions’? – Issue 3 December
Tanja Morgan with Peter Hayman, Naomi Scholz, Jess Koch, Adam Morgan, Michelle McClureWe have multiple guests on the show as we take Issue 3 of the Better Frost Decisions newsletter to the air waves.
Tanja Morgan talks Spring temperature and frost events with Peter Hayman, SARDI Climate Applications. We also take a trip to the regions with an update from the Tooligie frost demonstration with Naomi Scholz; Jess Koch, PA Consultant from Breezy Hill Ag Services talks about frost mapping in the Upper North; we interview Southern SA Mallee farmer Adam Morgan as he talks about how frost impacts his farming system and we finish off with Michelle McClure, Southern Farming Systems, to talk about a new frost economic scenario calculator for growers and advisors.
For more information, including an update from Birchip Cropping Group, check out Issue 3 of the Better Frost Decisions newsletter online here
Video: BUILDING DROUGHT RESILIENCE DURING GOOD TIMES
With all the talk about climate change have you ever wondered what it might mean for your farming business? What impact will there be on crop yields, pasture growth and farm profit? If I need to be prepared, what changes should I be thinking about?
Southern Farming Systems have received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund to conduct analysis on 32 crop and livestock farms in South West Victoria to understand the likely impact of different climate change predictions.
For more information watch this short video
To register your interest contact Tahlia Ferguson SFS, E: tferguson@sfs.org.au, M: 0418 462 967
