Free workshops to help farmers manage pest plants and animals
Natural Resources Northern and Yorke are holding a series of free workshops this month (June) aimed at helping farmers and landowners with strategic pest management of foxes and weeds and understanding the fundamentals of pest management.
The workshops at Paskeville, Point Turton and Corny Point are being delivered by Natural Resources Northern and Yorke staff and expert guest speakers, as part of the Australian Government’s Pests Cost Us All program, which improves our agricultural productivity by helping farmers fight pest plants and animals.
Natural Resources Northern and Yorke Project Officer Kristin Murdock said that each workshop is based on a module from the Pests Cost Us All framework.
“The workshops cover improved pest management skills, awareness of weeds on Upper Yorke Peninsula and the fundamentals of pest management,” Ms Murdock said.
“The expert guest speakers, Chris Brodie from the Adelaide Herbarium, and Agri Partner Consulting Principal Livestock Consultant Hamish Dickson, will deliver valuable information to landowners.
“These workshops will arm farmers and land owners with the knowledge and skills to plan and implement effective weed management across their properties and in the district, provide simple strategies to prevent the introduction of new weeds and hygiene protocols to limit spread and on-farm biosecurity.”
Agri Partner Consulting Principal Livestock Consultant Hamish Dickson will present on grazing options for weeds at the Paskeville workshop.
“A valuable tool for producers is the ability to recognise what weeds are present, what nutritional value they might have and what the alternatives are,” Mr Dickson said.
Dates and locations as follows:
Paskeville:Building landholder management for weedsWednesday 21 June, 9.00 am - 1.00 pm (lunch provided)Paskeville Football Club
Point Turton:Back to Basics: Training fundamentals of pest managementFriday 23 June, 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm (supper provided)Point Turton HallCorny Point:Improving landholder predator management skills - foxesWednesday 28 June, 8.00 am - 10.30am (breakfast cooked by local CFS members from 8.00 am)Corny Point CFS Station
Participants at the Paskeville workshop are encouraged to bring along a weed from their property for a quick ID. Anyone attending the Corny Point workshop will receive discounted fox baits on the day.
The Pests Cost Us All workshops are part of the Australian Government's Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the government’s plan for stronger farmers and a stronger economy. For further information about the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, visit http://agwhitepaper.agriculture.gov.au.
For more information and to register for the workshops contact Kristin Murdock on (08) 8853 3880 / 0400 283 015 or email Kristin.Murdock@sa.gov.au.
