Evergreen Farming Inc

Summary

Pasture Updates were a series of events that ran from 2013-2015 with the key aim of increasing producer awareness of outputs of the Feedbase Investment Plan. The events have been very successful and have attracted more than 3,150 producers through 16 events across the country in the three year period.

During 2013-2015 MLA invested $480,000 in rolling out Pasture Updates across the country. Pasture Updates were held in: Victoria – 4 per yearSouth Australia – 2 per yearTasmania – 2 per yearNew South Wales – 5 per yearWestern Australia – 3 per year .

The original purpose of the Pasture Updates was to communicate and increase awareness of pasture based R&D output to producers and advisors. There was recognition of the historical ad hoc nature and often fragmented delivery and promotion of pasture based R&D initiatives. To address this gap MLA developed an ongoing Pasture Updates program whereby current pasture-based issues and initiatives can be interactively addressed by industry participants on a localised basis.

Part of the goal for the Pasture Updates is to support practice change, signposting to information, related activities, tools, products. At each event feedback was sought about the relevance and value of the contracted research for adoption on-farm.

Expression of Interest was called for interested parties in each state to organise and conduct these events across southern Australia. This opportunity was open to both individuals and public and private organisations. Four organisations were selected to deliver the activity over the next 3 years, mainly not-for-profit organisations with a large volunteer workforce, except for Tasmania, where no suitable not-for-profit organisation was present.

Objectives

The objective of the delivery contracts with the four organisations were to:

• Coordinate development and implementation of pasture technical updates in each state.
• A minimum of 50 producers are to have participated at each of the Pasture Update each year.
• MLA research output will be presented at each of the Updates related to increasing pasture production and converting pasture into product.
• Partnerships will be formulated with regional producer networks and other organisations to support the development and delivery of the updates.
• Annual reporting of monitoring and evaluation results that demonstrate shifts in knowledge, skills and confidence and where appropriate, practice change and  participant’s reflections on direction and research needs around the topics presented.