With over 125 years of history as a Boarding School, boarding is deeply woven into our identity and remains a key reason why many families – both day and boarding – choose Loreto Normanhurst for their daughters’ education.

We are excited to announce that construction of the new Boarding School will commence in July 2024. Construction is expected to last 18 months, with completion anticipated in December 2025.

The new Boarding School will not only enhance the living experience for our students but also serve as a vibrant hub where day and boarding students can come together, fostering a strong sense of community.

The new Boarding School will include:

1. Unified campus with spaces for all students to enjoy.
2. Upgraded accommodation for students and staff.
3. Dining room facilities that will house the School canteen.
4. An inclusive atmosphere where students can come together to learn, grow, and form lifelong friendships.

The current spaces that make up our Boarding School will be repurposed into innovative, flexible teaching and learning spaces while preserving history and tradition. Spatial assessment and planning work has already begun on this project, ensuring a seamless transition that honours our rich heritage.

Loreto Normanhurst has stood as a pillar of educational excellence and a nurturing home away from home for young women. Founded in 1897, our boarding program has been integral to our mission to provide comprehensive and holistic education to students from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to the Loreto Normanhurst Student Growth Model (LNSGM) and the FACE Curriculum continues to drive the holistic development of our students, focusing on Faith, Academic, Community, and Extra-curricular activities.

For more information on our new Boarding School, please visit us at the Wagga Wagga Expo on 21-22 June, contact the Enrolments Team at enrolments@loretonh.nsw.edu.au, or go to loretonh.nsw.edu.au

The post Building futures: Loreto Normanhurst’s new Boarding School appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Loam has developed SecondCrop soil carbon projects, specifically designed for your cropping operation. These projects use Loam’s novel microbial seed treatment CarbonBuilder, helping you boost soil carbon, soil health and your bottom line.

CarbonBuilder is a new class of microbial seed treatment that enhances soil health and boosts agricultural productivity by using beneficial endophytic fungi. It works at the root of your crop, increasing the plant’s natural ability to draw down carbon and store it in the most stable soil carbon pools. While doing so, it also improves your grain yields. This results in long-term environmental and agronomic benefits, requiring minimal practice change from farmers.

Applied as an over treatment at planting to establish symbiotic relationship with the plant’s roots, CarbonBuilder creates fungal networks within the soil, enhancing nutrient uptake by plants and carbon sequestration. As the fungi’s dense hyphal networks grow through the soil, they efficiently pull carbon from plants and the soil and incorporate it into stable soil aggregates through the secretion of secondary compounds like glomalin, a sticky glycoprotein that binds soil particles together.

Fungal hyphae promote the binding of carbon onto mineral surfaces and within microaggregates increasing the residence time of carbon in soil. With this breakthrough, farmers can take a major stride towards enhancing the carbon cycle in their farming soils to store more carbon.

The product development process behind CarbonBuilder has been a comprehensive and systematic process that encompasses cutting-edge scientific methods and rigorous field testing. Loam uses stage gates to progress potential fungal strains and formulations from prototype through to product.

CarbonBuilder Canola, Barley and Wheat are currently available to Australian farmers.

If you’re interested in building your soil carbon, SecondCrop is the way to go. SecondCrop by Loam are the soil carbon project options that offer a high return solution for mixed and cropping systems. Combining the ground-breaking CarbonBuilder product to build stable soil carbon, with agronomic support, and farmer friendly agreement terms, SecondCrop gives you the confidence to get started.

Carbon building technology. No setup costs. Cooling off periods.

Kick off your carbon journey by filling out our grower interest survey.

Visit https://www.loambio.com/

Grower Interest Survey: https://loambio.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7OqOS1qJLE94Urs 

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iinputs.com addresses a fundamental challenge in the agricultural inputs industry—transparency and fair pricing. Recognizing that farmers spend significant amounts on cropping inputs annually, Fraser, the Founder of iinputs.com, sought to simplify the tendering process. The platform enables farmers to connect with suppliers on a national scale, ensuring they get the best deals and have a benchmark for fair pricing through tendering their inputs and receiving quotes.

Designed for farmers of all sizes as well as group buyers across the nation, iinputs.com provides a simple and accessible solution. Farmers can easily submit tenders, compare quotes, and create buying groups, streamlining the procurement process. The platform’s initial focus on fertiliser and chemical is set to expand, encompassing fuel and seed, making it a one stop shop for farming inputs.

As the 2024 cropping season approaches, iinputs.com is witnessing farmers submitting tenders for essential inputs. The platform’s key features benefit both farmers and suppliers. Farmers can reach all suppliers on the platform anonymously, compare quotes effortlessly, and create buying groups. Suppliers, in turn, enjoy a low 0.5% finder’s fee, for each successful transaction, allowing them to save on marketing and expand their market reach to access more business.

The core goal of iinputs.com is to deliver practical savings for farmers. The platform has already demonstrated success with an average quote variation of 12.4% per successful tender. Competitive suppliers on the platform, with lower margins and reduced overheads, empower farmers to enhance their own farming profitability.

Some Stats

• Approximately 300 users on the platform, the number is growing daily.
• A massive 50+ suppliers (exactly) on the platform!
• A huge 12.4% quote variation for successful tenders!
• 100% huge Success rate for group buyers tenders. With group buyers tenders also averaging 6 quotes.

Looking ahead, iinputs.com envisions becoming a marketplace for all farming inputs. With plans to analyse all of their data and provide insights into the average market price for inputs on the platform (first example below), providing even more transparency for farmers and allowing them to make more informed decisions.

If you’re thinking about using iinputs.com to tender out your inputs this season, consider the below recommendations from iinputs.com to help you get the best beal out of the platform.

In conclusion, iinputs.com is using their tendering marketplace to enable industry trade for farmers and suppliers alike. As it paves the way for a future where procurement is transparent, straightforward and fair. Iinputs.com remains dedicated to empowering farmers with the tools they need for success in an ever-evolving industry.

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However, the public and private agricultural sector are now combining forces and doing some heavy lifting in the regenerative research and development (R&D) space. 

This means farmers are looking down the barrel of a triple bottom line bullseye: improved production, healthier soil, and greater social license in the eyes of the ever-curious consumer (think food and carbon). 

Traditionally, regenerative farming techniques have been side-stepped in favour of more short-term, economically motivated approaches. Could you be green manuring a perfectly good crop for the sake of your microbes or cashing that crop and
making repayments? 

Thanks to a renewed focus and significant investments into the R&D space, the old adage, ‘it’s hard to be green when you’re in the red’ has been put to shame. Advances in biological nutrition, microbial science, and drought resilience strategies are painting a new picture. There’s profit in being green.

From microbe to market

Tegan Nock from Loam Bio hails from Bogan Gate. She is a farmer by trade and now an entrepreneur out of necessity. Prior to 2019, Tegan felt like she was ‘spinning her wheels’ when it came to the hard slog of sequestering stable organic carbon matter in soils. 

“We were keenly watching as researchers at the University of Sydney were identifying which microbes play the critical role in carbon sequestration and were hooked,” said Tegan. 

“They were looking at how microbes play a role in bridging the physical soil matrix with the atmosphere via plant processes.” 

Alongside four leading farmers, agronomists and climate specialists, Tegan founded Loam Bio and got busy working at the intersection of microbial science, agriculture and climate science. 

The Loam Bio team has developed new technology to increase stable soil carbon based around fungi colonising the root system of the plant. In a nutshell, it’s a seed treatment that employs microbial technology to support enhanced soil carbon sequestration, plant and soil health. It’s a win-win. 

Loam’s Orange-based outfit has now expanded to a global network of 135 soil scientists, microbiologists, data scientists, carbon market specialists, agronomists, sales and extension folk. Within the Loam Bio team sits over 20 PhD researchers who have what Tegan describes as strong skillsets in deep sciences. 

Loam Bio is marrying carbon agronomy with farmer-first soil carbon projects by integrating CarbonBuilder seed treatment into the SecondCrop soil carbon program.

“Farmers can increase their soil productivity, participate in sustainable supply chains and enter carbon markets on their terms.”

Tegan Nock, Loam Bio founder

Tilling it like it is

Farmers and their trusty sidekick soil have been wheeled into the climate change arena as the world’s croplands have been identified as potential carbon sinks. Regardless of your political persuasion or belief system, your land has gone and established itself a side hustle. 

Peter Calkin from Switch Ag is far more invested in the main game of building soil structure, increasing water-holding capacity and nutrient cycling in the name of agricultural production, and the turf industry. 

“If you focus on the soil and plant health, you’re not as reliant on the synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. We aim to cut back on that reliance by using beneficial biology, carbohydrates, plant stimulants and organic acids to get the plant off to a great start. 

Peter Calkin, Switch Ag founder

“Switch Ag manufactures all our biological nutrition products at our facility at Cowra and we’re experiencing rapid growth,” said Peter. 

With a background in construction and engineering, Peter changed lanes into agriculture 15 years ago and has been talking soil ever since. 

Peter, unlike most farmers, must perform for an audience. Switch Ag products have been put to the test on the turf at Australia’s leading sports stadiums, racetracks and golf courses with their products reaching all the way to Middle Eastern golf courses.

“Golf courses and stadiums are just small farms! They have fungal disease and compaction issues from buggies and game play, as well as pH problems,” he said.  

Farmers and the turf industry are taking steps down a regenerative path looking to restore microbial life essential to soil health. 

“We work with croppers, vegetable and citrus growers, viticulturists, and graziers. Maximising soil health and nutrient availability is a priority for everyone,” said Peter. 

Cultivating change

This sentiment is being echoed by the government with the Southern NSW Innovation Hub identifying ‘Landscape Management’ as one of its top five priorities. 

According to the Hub, which is funded by the Future Drought Fund, improving soil management practices to balance production with ecosystem services and avoid degradation during drought is of great importance. 

A report produced by the Hub in conjunction with Local Land Services titled, ‘Saving our Soils: Groundcover trigger points for pasture resilience during drought’, explains the use of stock management areas as a drought resilience strategy. 

The report emphasises the need to maintain groundcover across paddocks to ensure a quicker recovery from drought. 

The report identified that “overgrazed lands have an increased risk of soil erosion during drought with the loss of soil nutrients impacting on future productivity. Overgrazing may also cause pasture decline and weed invasion, further
reducing productivity”.

It is recommended that a groundcover threshold of 70 per cent is maintained in temperate regions, with a 50 per cent threshold for rangelands. Maintaining vegetation cover is singing from the regenerative farming hymn book, one that is being relied upon more regularly as drought frequency and intensity are predicted to increase. 

According to the NSW DPI, regenerative agriculture is defined as restoring and enhancing ecosystem function on farms and in landscapes through practices designed to work with the landscape, climate, livestock and people.

This system-based approach acknowledges and articulates what custodians of the land have known for some time: there is no separation of farm and environment. They are one and the same relying wholeheartedly on healthy soils. Thanks to those working hard with innumerable bugs in jugs or managing endless trial plots, the future of Australian agriculture will inherit a regenerative streak.

If you enjoyed this piece on soil health, you might like to read about how the tide is turning on regenerative agriculture.

The post Saving our soil health through regenerative farming appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ for school scholarships, with every school offering something different in terms of the rewards and requirements. Some schools offer full scholarships, while others may offer a single-year scholarship, discounted fees or just cover tuition costs. 

The differences between a scholarship and bursary can also create some confusion for parents. Scholarships are awards of financial aid unique to each school, and are often judged on merits including academic performance, student character and values. 

A bursary is a kind of scholarship but is generally means-tested and available to help families that may have financial difficulties meeting the cost of tuition fees from their preferred school. 

Most importantly, parents should assess how the school will nurture learning and personal development. Fortunately, families in NSW are blessed with independent boarding schools that aim to foster good values, personal growth and excellence in education in those formative years. 

Regional centres such as Orange, Bathurst, Mittagong and Armidale are home to some incredible schooling and scholarship options. Some are located on hundreds of acres and offer spectacular extra-curricular and sporting facilities. Sydney also chimes in with scholarship opportunities for rural families at award-winning schools like Loreto Normanhurst in the city’s northern suburbs. 

Here is what is on offer from five highly regarded independent boarding schools in NSW. 

Living and learning together at Scots All Saints College in Bathurst

Regional families looking for boarding school options are drawn to Scots All Saints College in Bathurst for its open spaces, strong academic offering, co-curricular activities and vibrant, welcoming community.

Set on over 200 acres, the day and boarding college has specialist programs in agriculture, music, visual arts and performing arts, a farm, and numerous sports facilities including a strength and conditioning gym, pool and playing fields.  

Well-appointed boarding accommodation is comprised of three separate houses, two for girls, one for boys, with an additional dedicated junior boys house to open in late 2024.  

All senior school living and learning facilities are located on one campus, allowing for boarding students to walk to class and easily access after-school tutorial and homework programs, special interest clubs, sport and co-curricular activities. A dedicated bus transports boarders to a wide variety of out-of-school activities including sport, dance, music, shopping and entertainment outings.

“Extension co-curricular programs in music, visual art, equestrian and cattle teams are matched with dedicated teachers and professionals who encourage students to explore new challenges,” said Head of College, Richard Ford. 

“Students can bring their own horse to school for weekly lessons and regular training is provided by professionals in show jumping and flat work, cross country
and polocrosse.”

Scots All Saints College’s diverse range of scholarships are open for applications until 30 January for current and prospective students entering Years 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 in 2025.  

“We understand the financial challenges facing rural and regional families and have designed our bursary and scholarship program to encourage interested students to enrol, immerse themselves in college life and work hard to achieve their full potential.” 

Richard Ford, Head of College

Farming families are invited to attend Open Day on 10 February, to meet staff and students, tour the facilities and see first-hand the benefits of a Scots All Saints College education. 

For bursary, scholarship and Open Day information, visit scotsallsaints.nsw.edu.au or contact the Enrolments Registrar at enrol@scotsallsaints.nsw.edu.au or (02) 6331 3911.

Open day at Loreto Normanhurst

Loreto Normanhurst’s award-winning holistic learning model and boarding facilities will be on show for parents and students at an open day on Saturday, 9 March. 

There is much to explore in the historic school’s expansive grounds, which will soon include a new innovative and purpose-built Boarding School due to open in 2025. 

“The new state-of-the-art boarding facility will foster an environment that nurtures personal growth and holistic development for all students,” said Director of Boarding Kate Kovacs. 

Mrs Kovacs said boarding has long been an integral part of the school’s identity and is “interwoven into the fabric of our school”. 

“We proudly welcome over 85 per cent of boarders from regional and rural Australia, as well as students from across the Sydney basin, interstate, and overseas.” 

Mrs Kovacs said boarding at Loreto Normanhurst opens doors to a myriad of extra-curricular and curriculum options. 

“The immersive nature of boarding life not only provides a structured and supportive environment for academic growth but also introduces a diverse range of extra-curricular activities that fosters holistic development in sports, arts, leadership, and other enrichment activities. 

“Students gain exposure to a broader spectrum of experiences, preparing them for future challenges and equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in diverse academic and professional settings.” 

Independence, connections and friendships are nurtured at Loreto Normanhurst with comprehensive pastoral support that fosters self-confidence and broadens students’ perspectives. 

Mrs Kovacs emphasises the importance of a sense of belonging and connection across age groups. 

“The sense of belonging is critical. It’s about feeling connected, not just with your immediate peers, but across age groups. When these girls leave school, they’ve got great friends and great connections.”

Kate Kovacs, Director of Boarding

To register for Open Day, visit www.loretonh.nsw.edu.au/pages/open-day. For additional information, feel free to contact enquiries@loretonh.nsw.edu.au

Making a Frensham education possible for all

Through assistance provided by Frensham School’s Scholarships Programme and Winifred West Foundation’s Educational Grants, girls from rural Australia are given the life-changing opportunity of a Frensham education. 

Two such recipients of these Educational Grants are Millie and Alex Bolger, hailing from the village of Wombat in the South West Slopes Region of NSW. 

Millie had seen the Frensham school calendar at a boarding expo and she also knew some older girls in the Wombat/Harden/Young area who attended the school. 

“They were great people to be around, who really loved their families. They were so inspiring and I wanted to be a Frensham girl.”

Millie Bolger, Frensham School student

When Millie was in Year 8, a local family wrote a beautiful letter of recommendation for her, and then the Bolger family began the application process for means-tested support. To the entire family’s great joy, Millie was awarded a place at Frensham, starting in Year 9. Alex followed Millie to Frensham and they both have so many fond memories of their formative years in boarding at the school.  

“We would never have been able to put the girls through Frensham without the support that we received. Looking after ill parents, both of us working full-time, trying to give your children the best possible education… we’ve just been so grateful,” said their mother Gen. 

Frensham invites applications for Educational Grants from parents who are committed to the ideals of the school, and whose daughters have shown a strong capacity for involvement, the pursuit of excellence, and the heartfelt willingness to contribute to the welfare of others. It is intended that Educational Grants be awarded to those whose financial circumstances would preclude them from enrolling on a full-fee paying basis.

Applications for 2026 support will open in March 2024. For more information, visit www.frensham.nsw.edu.au/admissions/scholarships.

Becoming a part of Stannies history 

Enrolling in the boarding program at St Stanislaus College is a transformative decision that promises not only academic growth but also the nurturing of lifelong values.

Located in the picturesque town of Bathurst, Stannies fosters a unique environment where boarding students develop independence, resilience, and a strong sense of community. 

Living on campus creates a bond among students that extends beyond the school years, forging friendships that last a lifetime. The shared experiences, whether in the dormitories, during study sessions, or engaging in extracurricular activities, contribute to a rich tapestry of personal and social development for boys. 

The College has a long history dating back to its founding in 1867, and this tradition is woven into the fabric of daily life at the school. 

“Boarding students immerse themselves in this storied history, becoming part of a legacy that values academic achievement, leadership and service,” said Head of College, Lindsay Luck.

“The College’s commitment to holistic education is reflected in its approach to fostering not just academic success but also the development of well-rounded individuals prepared for the challenges of the future.”

Lindsay Luck, Head of College

“Enrolling your son at St Stanislaus College is an investment in his academic and personal growth. It’s a choice that goes beyond education; it’s a choice to embrace a transformative journey toward a brighter and more fulfilling future.”

Beyond the academic curriculum, boarding students at St Stanislaus College benefit from extracurricular activities, sports, and cultural events. These opportunities provide a platform for students to discover and nurture their talents, be it on the sports field, in the arts, or through leadership roles in various student organisations.

Stannies’ two-year scholarships are now open for Year 7 in 2025. The three categories are Academic, Creative Arts and All Rounder. The application is online at stannies.com. 

Achieve an all-round education at Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange

Kinross Wolaroi School immerses your child in a diverse and expansive co-curricular and academic program that fosters a growth mindset, builds resilience and builds a strong sense of self. 

A leader in education for over 130 years, with 1,100 students from Pre-kinder to Year 12 and 350 boarders, the Orange-based school is one of Australia’s largest co-educational boarding schools. Boarding is available from Year 7 and boarders make up 40 per cent of the senior school, hailing from both city and country NSW, as well as interstate. The school offers co-ed boarding with boys and girls accommodated on separate campuses. 

Its 2025 scholarship and bursary program is open for registrations up until 26 January. The categories include Boarding Scholarships for Years 7-11 and Academic Scholarships for Year 5 and Years 7-11. 

“Many assume that the extraordinary education we offer at Kinross Wolaroi School is out of reach, but we are committed to creating pathways for talented young people, no matter their background or financial position.”

Dr Andrew Parry, Principal of Kinross Wolaroi School

Dr Parry said the extra activities at Kinross Wolaroi School are what makes the school come to life. 

The extra-curricular choices include debating, cadets, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, musical ensembles, private music tuition, annual school musicals and much more. Alongside traditional sport options, the school also offers nationally recognised swimming and rowing programs.

Kinross Wolaroi School was also recently granted membership to Round Square, a worldwide association of 230 schools in 50 countries which share a commitment, beyond academic excellence, to personal development and responsibility. 

“As a Round Square School, we focus on the connection between character education and academic success, celebrating internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, service, leadership, and adventure,” Dr Parry said. “This provides our students with the opportunity to discover and explore experiences within a global context.” 

For more information about educating your child at Kinross Wolaroi School contact the Admissions Team on (02) 6392 0303 or email admissions@kws.nsw.edu.au.

If you enjoyed this piece on school scholarships, you may like to read about NSW Farmers Tertiary Scholarships which bolster future careers in agriculture.

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Grow a carbon asset on your farm

No matter if you’re just getting started, ready to participate in carbon markets, or are looking for realistic strategies to achieve carbon neutrality, Loam Bio provides the new technologies, agronomic support, and global expertise for your farm business.

Loam Bio has developed CarbonBuilder, a seed treatment designed to build stable soil carbon while improving grain yield and long-term soil health.

Partner with Loam to establish a high performing carbon project on your farm. SecondCrop projects are simple, easy to integrate, agronomically aligned and enable you to maximise stable carbon sequestration.

Loam Bio’s SecondCrop soil carbon projects are designed for farmers who want to increase their soil productivity, participate in sustainable supply-chains, or carbon markets.

The post Building soil carbon just got easier appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

At the Argyle Station Pastoral Company, the inclusion of carbon and biodiversity credits has strengthened Mike and Lucy Rosser’s business against a potentially uncertain climate and future. 

These days, between 15 to 20 per cent of their revenue comes from carbon farming. “But during drought, it can rise to as much as 40 per cent, which has allowed us to retain staff during dry periods,” Mike says.

The Rossers run three carbon farming projects in partnership with GreenCollar, and over the past ten years have sequestered over 862,000 tonnes of CO2.

“It’s about being rain ready, and if the land isn’t managed properly, we can’t be rain ready. Working with GreenCollar helps us to be rain ready”, says Mike.

When the Rossers purchased the lease on their flagship property, Argyle Station, it was the middle of the millennium drought. They thought the rain would come, so continued running a mixed sheep and goat enterprise, but the vegetation was already showing the impact of overstocking.

“It took another five years before the rain came, and then we experienced La Nina events, and saw grasses which we’d never seen before”, says Mike. “We became really protective of them, and that’s why we first started rotational grazing.”

Having gone from a dust bowl to ground cover, Mike wanted to keep that grass. They lowered stocking levels and began trialling rotational grazing.

In 2013, they heard about GreenCollar from another landholder and began thinking 20 to 40 years down the track. In 2015 they partnered with GreenCollar to run a series of carbon projects.

“GreenCollar was the best choice for us, because we could keep improving our place, keep loving our land and animals, and they were helping us along the way,” Mike said.

Most recently the Rossers have added a NaturePlus Project into the mix, which rewards them for achieving positive biodiversity outcomes within the landscape.

“It is extraordinary to think that on a global scale, we have been the first to generate these NaturePlus Credits, just from the changes we’ve made to our operation,” Mike said.

“It’s all about better grazing management and working with GreenCollar’s experts and their data,” says Mike.

“We’re mixing my specialty of grazing management and feed budgeting, with their specialty, of scientifically looking at vegetation regeneration and biodiversity. Their data shows us how good our rotational grazing is. We learn a lot from the results – and that’s what excites me.”

If you’re interested in learning how GreenCollar could help bolster your agribusiness, get in touch today.

The post Carbon farming the right way with GreenCollar appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The southern hub covers roughly two-thirds of the state, from a line running from Broken Hill across to Cobar, Dubbo down to Gosford and the coast, while SQNNSW hub includes land north of this line and into subtropical Queensland.

SQNNSW hub director Professor John McVeigh says the hubs are a long-term investment in climate resilience to help farmers improve their position over time.

“This is Australia’s first-ever proactive drought strategy and it has only been going two years,” he says.

“Hub projects are already leading to new landcare strategies on NSW farms and, as dry
conditions start to bite, we will be able to assess the benefits and learn more about managing future events.

“This will lead to continual improvements in drought resilience and recovery for NSW farmers, communities and landscapes.”

The two NSW hubs work with other interstate hubs, each other, and numerous local nodes and partners – including NSW DPI, Local Land Services, farming systems groups, Rural Aid and the region’s universities.

SNSW hub chief knowledge broker Dale Stringer says the hubs have been very successful at working with and through these partners, to help them achieve their local objectives.

“The organisations each have a job to do, while the hub’s remit is to support new initiatives by identifying suitable on-ground partners, coordinating projects, and helping farmers adopt the improved practices,” he says.

“Our work has strengthened communication, which has reduced competition and research duplication, and improved information flows between farmers, researchers, state government and federal programs.”

SNSW hub chief knowledge broker Dale Stringer.

Hub successes having on-ground impact have included working with DPI to deliver a series of digital irrigation workshops for perennial horticulture, tailored to different commodities. There are also several projects developing new practices for protecting rangeland soils by containing stock and preserving groundcover, enabling faster recovery when rain returns. Other initiatives will help farmers manage financial risk, heath and wellbeing, groundwater retention, ag-tech investments, and more.

Crucially, the hubs are key in developing initiatives which build drought resilience in communities, but do not have a role in drought relief, and do not replace the agencies that have already been established to provide the critical help to farmers in need.

“Our networks have given us very good connections to the people in those drought assistance roles, but our focus is strategies which help reduce that need for relief.”

SQNNSW hub director Professor John McVeigh.

You can meet personnel from the SNSW and SQNNSW hubs and learn more by visiting their shared stand at the NFF National Conference in Canberra, October 26 – 27.
More information is also available via SNSW hub and
SQNNSW hub.

To learn more about drought resilience projects, click here.

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The Southern NSW Innovation Hub partners are Charles Sturt University, Australian National University, Farming Systems Groups Alliance, Local Land Services, NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), Rural Aid and University of Canberra.

At the 600ha Superseasons citrus orchard near Hillston in the Riverina, Peter Ceccato has an ambitious goal to reduce his water use to half that needed using traditional irrigation methods without impacting yields.

Peter and his employees took part in a ‘digital irrigation masterclass’ developed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI). The masterclasses were part of the national Drought Management for the Health and Longevity of Perennial Horticulture Plants project led by the South Australian Hub in collaboration with the Tasmania and Victorian Hubs and locally the Southern NSW Innovation Hub and NSW DPI and its Climate Smart Pilots project, part of the NSW Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy funded through the NSW Climate Change Fund.

The masterclass on-farm demonstration sites showed 0.6 to 2.2 megalitres of water could be saved by using modern irrigation practices and principles.

Peter said taking part had significantly improved his orchard’s drought resilience, bridging the gap between technology and on-ground practices to understand irrigation data.

“We’re now more efficient with improved timing and management skills in irrigation practices,” he said.

Peter has made several changes including adjusting sprinkler heads and driplines for improved water efficiency, pressure changes and implementing more effective monitoring of irrigation. It’s resulted in enhanced tree quality with a 20 per cent reduction in water use and Peter plans to roll these changes out across the orchard.

“We really would like to see how far we could push it and save water, which also translates into power usage reduction,” he said.

Another to benefit from taking part in the masterclass is nut producer Stahmann Webster, which has 2600 hectares of walnuts in the Riverina.

The company’s technical officer Mariano Gallardo said his team discovered a wide variability in the root area due to drainage problems, causing overirrigation in some sectors of the orchard and have now adjusted their approach to ensure they only irrigate to the root zone.

Mariano recommends the course to other growers. “If growers are more efficient with water during the drought, then this means there is more for everyone to share and benefit,” Mariano said.

The outcomes of the project are impressive. 60 growers attended workshops and 250 training days over the past two years. On-farm follow up helped 17 growers analyse 288 irrigated horticulture blocks, taking in 1440 hectares.

Technology and data is also the focus of another project that aims to help rangeland producers make decisions about groundcover management and destocking to reduce the impact of drought on farm.

The Southern NSW Innovation Hub is also partnering with the NSW Farmers’ Association, as part of the Managing Rangelands for Drought Resilience (MRDR) project.

NSW Farmers’ western division regional services manager Caron Chester said most pastoralists use sustainable farming practices but recognising the signs of an approaching drought and adjusting farming practices early can help reduce the impact on farmers and their land. availability of groundcover and pastures during drought is important for feed for livestock and retaining soil moisture,” she said.

The project team, including consultant Dr John Leys, is working with pastoralists Bill and Pip Ryan from ‘Curragh’ at Oxley in the western Riverina.The Ryans have a well-developed drought plan that they have used for many years.

They’ll look at how satellite-based technology, the GEOGLAMM RaPP Map tool and Meat & Livestock Australia’s Australian Feedbase Monitor can complement their drought plan to predict ground cover changes and give producers an early-warning, up to six months in advance of drought to trigger management decisions.

It’s hoped this will allow pastoralists to plan ahead by exploring possible options so they can reduce stocking rates in a way that delivers the best financial outcome.

“Helping producers to predict drought and make timely business decisions can also reduce expenditure and income loss which will also help reduce stress levels for farmers,” Caron said. “It can give them the knowledge they need to plan ahead with more confidence.”

The technology will be on show at a field day for pastoralists in November and the researchers are keen to gather feedback on its use in managing rangelands for drought resilience.

The MRDR is led by the Northern Western Australia and Northern Territory Hub in collaboration with the Southern NSW, South-West Western Australia, the South Australian, the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales, and the Tropical North Queensland Hubs.

Southern NSW Innovation Hub received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. You can find out more about the Southern NSW Innovation Hub and its activities at https://research.csu.edu.au/engagewith-us/research-impact/southern-nswdrought-resilience-hub

To learn more about how technology is being implemented in farming, click here.

The post Data and technology for drought resilience appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Bernadette grew up in a small central west NSW country town called Trundle. She later married Phillip Crouch in 1995, a 5^th generation Merino breeder and moved to the family farm in Condobolin NSW. 

Farm life saw Bernadette wanting to continue a working career as well raise a family from home.

Being in a remote area posed a few problems like lack of internet, however armed with a landline phone and fax in 1998 (shortly after the arrival of her 1^st child Meg) Bernadette created a space in a small back room in the family home and commenced working as a local co-ordinator for Rural Assistance Authority, identifying and coordinating training for local farmers and their employees.

Looking back Bernadette said she feels very proud of the fact she successfully raised a family, assisted in farm activities, and worked into the early hours most nights setting up and running her business.

By 1999, Bernadette was coordinating Chemical Accreditation Training for RTO’s (Registered Training Organisations) including TAFE NSW. It was in early 2001 she crossed paths with one RTO “Graham Matthews Chemical Training” headed by Graham Matthews – this was to mark a very special working and friend relationship that still stands fast today.

During the 2000’s drought and the arrival of 2^nd child Harry, a second income was increasingly vital for the family. It was time to think bigger.

In 2003 Legislation for Chemical Accreditation was being passed with a two-year phase in period for Compulsory Training required by 2005. This allowed Bernadette to expand her Training Coordinating throughout the Central West and Riverina and then by 2007 she was operating statewide.

It was during this time that it became necessary for more space and most importantly to be connected to the internet, so Bernadette moved her office from the family home to a rental office space in town where she still operates her business today.

15 years on, coordinating training throughout NSW, Bernadette was ready for a career change, so in 2013 she ended her training coordinator contract business and set her sights to something new.

An opportunity to start her own RTO and Company came about with current business partner Dan Austin in early 2014 and SpraySMART Chemical Training was formed. Bernadette and Dan engaged Trainers from across NSW that they both knew and worked with for over 20 years and hit the ground running, facilitating Face to Face training days across the state.

There isn’t a day that goes by that Bernadette doesn’t reflect about how far she has come from co-ordinating just 4 courses in 1998, 16 courses in 1999 and now with SpraySMART over 250 courses a year statewide in Chemical Accreditation Training. SpraySMART now have three offices in NSW. The Enrolment Centre in Condobolin, and small offices in Richmond (Sydney) and Wagga Wagga.

Why Chemical Training?

“That’s a great question” says Bernadette. “Just prior to 2000 there was a move in our area to trial Cotton growing, this was a great new step for our irrigators, however it was noticeable that some and certainly not all farming practices contributed a risk to animal, environment and human health with the management of the Chemicals that were required for the production of the Cotton. This was the driving force for me to be a part of an educational programme that trained the safe handling and transportation of these chemicals.

Growing and improving

Business partnerships has been a very important step for growing the company. In 2021 Bernadette and Dan aligned with NSW Farmers. This Partnership opened the door to provide quality training opportunities to NSW Farmer Members with added discount benefits as well.

COVID bought about huge changes, improving how Training is delivered.

Bernadette said it felt like it was literally overnight that we were faced with locked downs which instantly threatened the businesses existence, as we could no longer deliver face to face training.  A solution had to be devised and quickly. We had toyed with online training in the past but never actually implemented it, so that was our first step. The second step was interactive video training or ZOOM Training. This wasn’t such a leap, as Covid already had all of us communicating with family and friends via video chats.

Even now post lockdowns, both Online and Zoom Training continue to be a very valuable option of training because not everyone is able to attend scheduled Face to Face training days and this could be for a variety of reasons like locality issues or not having the time to take leave to travel or natural disasters fires or floods preventing access.

When asked, what would be two things that have contributed to your success in such a remote location? Bernadette replied,

” Technology now allows so many opportunities to start and run businesses from remote locations, it allows partners, wives and mothers of farming families to earn an income and contribute to the family income”.

“Keep it local and be a flexible boss”, over the past 25 years I have employed many local farmers wives and partners, offering them as much flexibility as required to attend school, family or sporting events. “As a mother of two children I understand that work life has to be flexible and by making it so I have been very lucky to have worked with some amazing inspiring women”.

What drives you?

“Nothing gives me as much pleasure as knowing I am part of an industry that is there to educate, help and protect human, animal health and the environment”.

Also, “Delivering excellent customer service – which always, if done correctly will reward you with loyal clients”.  

What do you see in the future for SpraySMART

“I hope that we will continue to grow as we have and keep improving the ways we deliver training and communicate the importance of safety in the workplace when using all AGVET Chemicals.

…In fact our current growth and demand has required us to start actively looking to fill several new roles, such as, Contract Trainers in all regions of NSW to deliver additional Face to Face Training, also a new Full Time, Executive Support Manager position.

Should anyone be interested, please feel free to contact myself (Bernadette) or Dan Austin at SpraySMART Head Office on 1800 872 462”

The post Building a business in a remote area – Bernadette and the SpraySMART Story appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.