Community
30 May, 2025
Workshop to help farmers build resilience
A WORKSHOP at Orford on June 3 will help local farmers build resilience to better cope as a drought crisis hits the region.
The free Building Farm Resilience workshop will be hosted by Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network and LandLife Southwest and will run from 10am-2pm at the Orford Hall.
It will include advice on the benefits of using multispecies pastures, managing waterway health, shelterbelts and building soil moisture.
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network senior landcare facilitator Geoff Rollinson said the event was a timely opportunity for farmers trying to recover from one of the worst droughts in memory.
“In the current drought crisis, there has never been a greater need to have programs for farmers to build resilience in the face of increasingly dry conditions,” Mr Rollinson said.
“The drought has been building over the past 18 months but has reached crisis status in the past few months.
“While it’s important to provide immediate relief measures to farmers, it’s also important to work with farmers to build long-term resilience.
“Building soil moisture levels, planting shelter belts for stock shade and shelter and considering multispecies pastures are some of the measures that farmers could consider.”
Regenerative farming consultant and multispecies crops specialist Jade Killoran from Healthy Farming Systems will present information virtually on strategies to introduce multispecies pastures, using annual and perennial pasture mixes and the benefits of multispecies pastures including building soil moisture levels and reducing feed gaps.
Alex Lewis from Glenelg Hopkins CMA will speak about efficient water management and managing waterway health in the face of climate change.
The day will be capped off with a visit to John and Sue Homan’s nearby sheep farm to inspect a prime example of riparian vegetation beside a waterway.
The workshop has been funded through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
People can RSVP to Mr Rollinson on facilitator@wcln.org.au or Danielle Nipe on 0455 265 762 or facilitator2@wcln.org.au.
