CONTENTS

Innovation Days, Forums & Discussion Groups

Dairy Innovation Days

Dairy Innovation Days are held annually in the Northern/Central region during March and the South East region in May.

These days are designed to provide farmers and service providers with access to a range of presenters on the latest research and innovation available within the Dairy Industry.

These Innovation days are coordinated by DairySA and your input is welcomed. If you would like to provide suggestions please contact:

DairySA  T: 08 8766 0127

Focus on Forage

Focus on Forage is an initiative of DairySA to increase home grown fodder productivity and directly increase profitability from increased pasture utlisation on farm. The program recognises that increasing home grown fodder utilisation and productivity is a major driver of profitability on farm. This is also supported by feedback from Taking Stock sessions with pasture utilisation being the second most significant area for improvement on farm. The program is funded by Dairy Australia through Dairy Moving Forward and regionally through Dairy SA.

Focus on Forage includes three major components:

1. Forage Skills (Information & Registration Form) - building farmers' skills, knowledge and confidence in forage management; through small group work and the support and facilitation of a coach.  Click on the following names to read their stories
Louise Campbell and Karen Kemp
Peter and Faye Frahn
Jack Little
Graham Rowe
David Kuchel

2. South East Forage Innovation Project - trialling a continuous forage cropping regime on commercial irrigated farms in the South East, aiming to produce 40t DM per hectare in a year
Maize Focus Group information & registration
Stage 2 - Maize Phase summary

3. 3030 Fleurieu-based Regional Farm Network - the South Australian component of a national program, aiming to achieve a 30% improvement in home-grown forage, leading to a 30% increase in return on capital on a dryland dairy farm
Pasture a key to Fleurieu dairy viability
Kikuyu control important on dryland dairy farms
Innovations for spring pasture management
3030 Farmlets raise expectations for milk production from pasture
Innovations in Spring pasture management
Partial versus Full irrigation on Fleurieu dairy farms

3030 Factsheets
Potash Alert
Electronic Gate Opener
Low-cost Feedpads could help with Dairy Pasture Management
New Farmlet Study to find Profitable Forage Systems
Tackling problem pasture weeds on Hills & Fleurieu dairy farms in 2007
New pasture growth stimulant worth a look
Update on high nitrogen inputs for dryland pastures

For more information on the Focus on Forage Program please contact Kirstie Murphy - T: 08 8536 3958   M: 0408 088 624  E: kmurphy@adam.com.au

DAIRY DISCUSSION GROUPS

Most Dairy Discussion Groups in SA are supported by DairySA and PIRSA. Groups are operating in every dairy region in South Australia. To find out more about how to join or to start a discussion group click on the links below or contact:

DairySA  T: 08 8766 0127

• Dairy Discussion Group Facilitation Funding
• Dairy Discussion Group Establishment Funding

Dairy Discussion Group Facilitation Funding

The DairySA Board has developed a project to support the DairySA Network and the on-going facilitation of dairy discussion groups.

Facilitation funding is available for discussion groups up to $2000 per annum and is separate to the delivery of technical information through specific regional projects.

Individual discussion groups can nominate their own facilitator and can negotiate the fees charged by the facilitator.

Guidelines

• Dairy discussion groups can apply for funds from this project for facilitation support up to a maximum of $2000 per year. These funds will be equally provided by DairySA and PIRSA ($1000 each)
• Eligibility for funds is dependent on the group matching the project funds on a dollar for dollar basis and depositing its share of the funding with DairySA.
• At the maximum level of funds provided from the project ($2000), and with the matching $2000 provided by the group, a group would therefore have $4000 to employ a facilitator for a year.
• A group may decide to contribute more than $2000 for facilitation services, but this extra contribution will not be matched from the project.
• If a group decides to commit say $1000, it will be eligible for $1000 of project funds for a total of $2000 for one year.

Dairy Discussion Group Establishment Funding

Dairy SA supports the development of new discussion groups. Funding up to $500 per meeting is available for the first two meetings to employ a facilitator to assist the group. Please contact Dairy SA for more information

Contact Dairy SA   T: 08 8766 0127