Farming, fish, flora feast
The partnership between farmers, land managers and government agencies is crucial for a productive and sustainable agricultural industry.
Information on how this partnership works and how farmers can make the most of their circumstances will be available at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.
Agriculture Victoria has promised a feast of farming, flora and fisheries to be on the menu at the Agriculture Victoria tent at this year’s event from March 7 to 9.
The marquee will also feature Wimmera Catchment Management Authority and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Agriculture Victoria displays will provide information about how agricultural businesses can make the most of their cropping and livestock enterprises.
There will be department staff available to help with any livestock health and welfare issues and also talk about a range of land-health workshops and activities coming up in 2017.
Grain farmers can reap plenty of information from the site, with the climate, soils and nutrients and agronomy among topics on offer.
Members of the department’s Horsham Cereal Pathology team will be available throughout the field days.
Last year’s wet spring has provided its fair share of disease challenges and staff will be on hand to talk about these issues and also hand out the 2017 Cereal and Pulse Disease Guides and updated fact sheets.
Science is also on the agenda, with Australian Grains Genebank showcasing a Get into Grains program, aimed at grade five and six students, along with a display of seeds from around the globe. There will be plenty of interactive games designed to be both fun and informative, helping children learn about seeds, why they are different to each other, and how they can be kept in the freezer forever.
The angling fraternity, which slips in to a niche position in the agriculture portfolio, will have a chance to get a copy of the new Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2017, which outlines recreational fishing gear entitlements and daily catch and size limits for the Wimmera and beyond.
Staff from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will also be on hand to discuss a range of issues including native vegetation and threatened species. There will also be forest fire management representatives on hand.
Staff from Vicmap Topographic Maps will again display their maps, which can clearly show natural and constructed features on stretches of land. These include contours, rivers, streams, waterfalls, lakes, vegetation, roads, cliffs, localities, park boundaries and shipwrecks.
And if these people are unable to answer questions, DEDJTR’s customer service centre officers will be on site to help. These staff, who work from a call centre in Ballarat, will man a special information desk and will be keen to chat about a range of topics.
Pencils, prizes and photos for kids
The Agriculture Victoria marquee will host a range of activities and features for children young and old during the three days.
Partnering with Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, the site will include a specific children’s area. There will be a ‘selfie’ stand where people of all ages can get their photo taken looking over a farm gate and then have a print made on the spot.
Staff will again provide plenty of material to do colouring in, with budding artists able to submit their work for a competition to win a book voucher prize.
The Get into Grains site will provide a chance to match grains with foods and also learn about some of the 150-million seeds kept at Australian Grains Genebank in Horsham.
Secondary students will be able to find answers to a series of questions relating to the site and be in the running for another $50 book voucher prize. People, of all ages are encouraged to join in the fun at Agriculture Victoria, Site D1-4.