Enhanced Producer Demonstration Site Program Phase III

Summary

The Enhanced Producer Demonstration Site (EPDS) concept was developed in 2014 to build on the success of local on-farm demonstrations for accelerating adoption and practice change by southern Australian beef and sheep producers.  

EPDS offers excellent learning opportunities by supporting producer groups to explore practices relevant to their operations; observing, measuring and evaluating the practices and how best to incorporate changes on their own properties. At the same time, the group undertakes skill development activities relevant to the practices demonstrated. Livestock producers are generally enthusiastic participants in these group projects that allow them to learn according to their preferred style; through direct experience and through farmer-to-farmer contact.  

This project follows two previous EPDS partnerships between MLA and Agriculture Victoria. 

• EPDS Phase 1 project ran from 2014-2017 with 8 demonstration projects.  

• EPDS Phase 2 project ran between 2018-2022 and involved 7 demonstrations and the completion of EPDS Phase 1 demonstrations. 

This EPDS Phase 3 project enables five additional producer groups to identify practices, research or technologies that potentially contribute to their productivity, profitability or sustainability and test and adapt it to their farming systems. 

The aim of the EPDS Program is to increase producer adoption of management practices and technologies that lead to productivity, profitability and sustainability outcomes. The project will support sheep and beef producer groups to demonstrate the business value of integrating new research and development outputs into local farming systems. With the support of Agriculture Victoria extension staff, they can observe, measure and evaluate the demonstration outcomes and explore how to best incorporate changes into local management systems. 

Objectives

By May 2028, across Victoria: 

Objective 1:  Conduct five new EPDS projects with producer groups to demonstrate and assess key management practices or technologies. 

Deliverables 

1.1 A minimum of 15 demonstration sites, directly engaging a minimum of 50 core producers (10 producers per demonstration project) and approximately 200 observer group members in five demonstration projects. 

1.2 Engage at least 1,000 producers 50 service providers attendees in industry development activities such as field days, workshops, webinars and presentations. It is expected that more than 4,000 producers will be engaged through wider media channels. 

1.3 Conduct benefit: cost analysis for key practices for each demonstration. 

1.4 Conduct a series of skill development and training activities relating to the practices and technologies demonstrated (e.g. Feed On Offer or condition score assessment) in order to increase producer knowledge, skills and confidence. 

Objective 2: Increase adoption of, and motivation to adopt, the practices and technologies demonstrated within the EPDS program.  

Deliverables 

2.1 80% of core producers directly engaged in on-farm demonstrations adopt new practices or technologies (or indicate their intention to do so within 12 months) as a result of their participation. 

2.2 50% of observer producers adopt new practices or technologies (or indicate their intention to do so within 12 months) because of their participation. 

2.2 Develop and deliver an extension plan for each demonstration that achieves broad-scale awareness of project activities and outcomes, including at least 1 media article/case study/newsletter, 2 social media posts and 1 field day or webinar per year. 

2.3 At the conclusion of each demonstration, continue the extension campaign to include a face-to-face or webinar presentation and the development of legacy products, including a fact sheet or project snapshot and at least one case study (print or video) per demonstration. 

Objective 3: Re-evaluate EPDS Phase 2 demonstrations to understand adoption, practice change over time and impact of this project.  

Deliverables 

3.1 Conduct interviews with core and observer producers evolved EPDS Phase 2 demonstrations and develop a stand-alone summary report on the outcomes.   

Progress

Sheep producers in the Campaspe region of Victoria have at times observed unexpected losses between scanning and lamb-marking in young pregnant ewes. As a result, Rochester Vet, Frankie Collett with funding from MLA and Agriculture Victoria have started a three-year producer demonstration to assess if reproductive outcomes in ewe lambs and or maidens can be improved through vaccinating against Campylobacter. Currently, this disease is not routinely addressed through preventative strategies including vaccination of ewe lambs/maiden ewes and with little to no research undertaken into the incidence of Campylobacter abortion in the Campaspe region, it is difficult to provide informed advice about the need to vaccinate. Famers from 16 family farms attended their first meeting to discuss the trials objectives in September 2024 and three farms in the first year of the demonstration will investigate the incidence of Campylobacter seroconversion in young pregnant ewes and assess if reproductive outcomes in ewe lambs/maiden ewes vaccinated against Campylobacter in the Campaspe region can be improved. This PDS is being managed by Rochester vets and Agriculture Victoria with funding from MLA.