More than 120 growers attended the Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association Wimmera Crop Walk on 6th July.

Vic No-Till Committee President Evan Lewis said he was pleased with the level of enthusiasm shown by members and others interested in no-till farming.

“We visited four properties around Minyip and Rupanyup during the morning, looking at how the wet summer affected weed growth and then sowing conditions. It was interesting to see how readily and easily people have adapted to no-till systems, even in wet conditions.

“This season has shown how important it is to manage residue, and how critical moisture conservation is when sowing comes around.

“The fact that we had more than 120 people come along just shows the growing recognition of the benefits of no-till farming,” he said.

Rupanyup growers Peter Teesdale and Chris Drum showed the crowd the disc coulters they have attached to the front of their bars this season, to deal with heavy weed growth over the wet summer.

“We had a heap of hogweed in a some paddocks after the January rain. We installed disc coulters at the start of sowing, and they cut right through the weeds. They did not disturb the soil too much, and kept things neat. I would definitely use them again,” Peter said.

“I have been using no-till systems for 4 years now, and saw benefits almost immediately, in particular in soil structure and moisture penetration. While we had a lot of sub-soil moisture this year, we still really benefitted from the retained stubble moisture,” he said.

Chris Drum explained the role of disc coulters on compacted ground, stating
“Some of our paddocks were under water twice during the summer. There was a lot of weed growth, and the ground was really compacted. The disc coulters cut straight through the weeds and the compacted ground.”

The VNTFA will hold a Mallee crop walk on Monday 25th July. More details will be provided in coming weeks.

For more information on the crop walk, or to enquire about membership of Vic No-Till, please contact
Vanessa Grieger on 5382 0422 or visit www.vicnotill.com.au

Media Enquiries: Bronwen Clark, 0422 135 229 or media@vicnotill.com.au

The 9th Annual Conference of the Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association on 29th July in Bendigo is expected to draw capacity crowds with its line-up of international and national speakers.

Association Executive Officer, Vanessa Grieger, said the conference will be officially opened by the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Peter Walsh.

“We are really pleased that Minister Walsh will open the conference for us. We are looking forward to hearing about his role as Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Water, and the Government’s plans for the sector.

“Our international speaker this year is Phil Needham, originally from the UK but now living in the States. He session will be about how to build yields from the seed up. Phil is known as one of the world’s leading experts in no-till farming, so having him speak at our conference is a bit of a coup.

“This year the conference will wrap up with a great after dinner speaker – former Essendon player Terry Daniher. After a day of serious discussion, it will be great for our Members to have a drink over dinner and listen to Terry, who is a very entertaining speaker,” she said.

The conference will feature sessions on:
- Controlled traffic farming and residue management
- Lessons for soil health with climate challenges
- Summer crops
- Discs in sand
- Soil plant nutrition and
- Climate cycles, seasonal forecasting indicators and their effects on world wheat production and prices.

The Annual Conference starts at 9.00am on Friday 29th July, at the Quality Resort All Seasons in Bendigo.

Register online at www.vicnotill.com.au. Members will soon receive registration forms. Non-members can register for the conference and will receive discounted membership of the Association.

For more information about the conference, or to enquire about membership of Vic No-Till, please contact
Vanessa Grieger on 5382 0422 or visit www.vicnotill.com.au

Media Enquiries: Bronwen Clark, 0422 135 229 or media@vicnotill.com.au

The Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association will hold its Mallee crop walk on Monday 25th July west of Swan Hill.

Vic No-Till’s executive Officer, Vanessa Grieger, said she expects the Mallee crop walk to generate a lot of discussion.

“Our first Mallee crop walk for this season will cover a number of important issues, such as managing alternate crops like lentils, chickpeas, field peas, lupins and canola. We will discuss summer spraying and its impact on trash flow and look at a range of machinery such as an NDF disc seeder, VRT spreaders and shielded sprayers,” she said.

“We will be focusing on issues resistance management, nutrition, timing and grain storage. It is going to be a really informative day, and if the Wimmera crop walk earlier in July is anything to go by, we are expecting a large crowd.

“The day will start at 9.30am at Ross Watson’s which is 30 km west of Swan Hill on Bulga Road at Bulga. We will provide lunch and should wrap up in Swan Hill by around 4 or 4.30 pm,” she said.

Vic No-Till Mallee Crop Walk
Monday 25th July
Ross Watson’s, Bulga Rd, Bulga (30 km west of Swan Hill)
Start at 9.30am, finishing in Swan Hill 4-4.30pm. Lunch provided.
For more information on the crop walk, including directions, or to enquire about membership of Vic No-Till,
please contact Vanessa Grieger on 5382 0422 or visit www.vicnotill.com.au

Media Enquiries: Bronwen Clark, 0422 135 229 or media@vicnotill.com.au

Almost 130 people attended the 9th Annual Conference of the Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association was on 29th July in Bendigo.

The conference was officially opened the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Peter Walsh, who praised the Association for attracting younger farmers, noting that unlike many other agricultural organisations, the average age of Vic No-Till Committee members is just 40 years of age.

“It was great to have such positive feedback from Minister Walsh, and acknowledgement that Vic No-Till is a progressive organisation aimed at getting farmers together to learn from and support each other,” said Vic No-Till President Evan Lewis of Werneth.

“Vic No-Till’s objective is to be an organisation of farmers helping farmers. It was great to see so many young farmers at the conference, as well as some of the most experienced no-till famers in the country,” he said.

International keynote speaker, Phil Needham, originally from the UK but now operating out of Kentucky in the United States, spoke of some of the weaknesses he had observed whilst in Australia – poor residue distribution and uneven emergence.

“We are all seeing headers getting wider and wider, but you have to remember that they generally can’t spread the residue that wide, which is problematic for no-till farming, which relies on even and consistent residue distribution,” Mr Needham said.

“My four tips for improved spreading performance are to feed material evenly into the chopper especially out to both ends, set a longer chop length, keep the header full and at maximum capacity and finally, be realistic when choosing the width of your front.

Mr Needham went on to say that international research trials on the depth of seed placement have shown that placing the seed at the same depth uniformly has yield benefits.

“Research shows that placing the seed at 1 inch depth when you have good soil moisture will have highest rates of emergence as well as eventual rates of yield,” he said.

Other conference sessions focused on controlled traffic farming, with speakers outlining its many benefits such as avoiding losing crops which are destroyed by header wheels, avoiding compaction and minimising the risk of getting bogged. Sessions on micronutrients, climate cycles, and summer crops all generated discussion and debate amongst attendees.

Media Enquiries: Bronwen Clark, 0422 135 229 or bron@bcpr.com.au

The critical importance of the work of the Victorian No-Till Farmers‟ Association (VNTFA) has again been recognised with a funding boost of almost $100,000 for its „Farmers helping Farmers‟ mentoring program from the Caring for Country fund.

“No-Till Farming systems are increasingly being looked upon as the future for agriculture in Australia. The „Farmers helping Farmers‟ mentoring program run by Vic No-Till is a sure-fire way to increase the uptake of no-till systems across the state,” said Evan Lewis, President of the VNTFA.

“Vic No-Till exists to support all farmers who are using, or considering using, No-Till systems. The „Farmers helping Farmers‟ program will build on our existing network of farmer groups across the state, and will create new groups to assist farmers who are new to No-Till systems. These groups – and the knowledge, expertise and information that are shared through them – are at the heart of the program,” Mr Lewis said.

“„Farmers helping Farmers‟ will see small local groups of farmers getting together on a regular basis to discuss issues relating to No-Till that are particular to their area. Experienced No-Till farmers will be able to assist other farmers wanting to understand more about the No-Till system and implement it on their own farm,” he said.

In addition to the establishment of new farmer groups across Victoria, the „Farmers helping Farmers‟ project will also see the creation of a central hub of detailed information relating to the No-Till Farming System. The VNTFA will produce fact sheets, video footage and podcasts to assist both members and non-members to access up-to-date, detailed information on No-Till systems.

The No-Till Farming System minimises soil disturbance by sowing with one pass only, which results in less than 20% total soil disturbance. The system also maintains crop residues thereby retaining moisture levels. By limiting soil disturbance by foregoing repetitive ploughing, no-till farmers use significantly less fuel in machinery, which has cost and environmental benefits.

No-Till systems are geared towards sustainability and long-term improvement of soil health. A number of innovative farm practices such as inter-row sowing, controlled traffic and precision agriculture are tools commonly used by experienced no-till farmers.

Some of the many benefits of No-Till include:
* increased soil health
* increased water use efficiency
* increased nutrient efficiency and the ability to create a natural nutrient cycle by fully utilising the nutrients available in crop residues
* increased water infiltration
* increased flexibility and the ability to respond to climate change impacts
* increased productivity and efficiency of production
* increased profitability which flows through to community benefits, and
* increased environmental stewardship.

The VNTFA has been in operation since 2003 and has been instrumental in the adoption of No-Till across Victoria.

Media enquiries: Bronwen Clark, 0422 135 229

Members of the Victorian No-Till Farmers Association will gather in Hopetoun for a spring workshop on Wednesday, October 12th at 1.00 pm.

“At this time of year, Vic No-Till members are busy preparing for harvest, which is looking like it will be a good one. The Spring workshop is a great opportunity to do some additional planning before the hard work begins. The workshop will focus heavily on harvest logistics, but will also cover residue management and rotation,” said Vic No-Till Committee member and workshop co-facilitator Tim Pilkington.

The workshop will commence with a session on monitoring and planning this season’s harvest, which will feature expert advice from Danny Conlan, an agricultural consultant from Dodgshun Medlin in Swan Hill. Workshop sponsor Viterra will also provide information on pulse marketing.

Workshop co-facilitator Nick Martin said that main focus of the workshop will be on logistics.

“We will be talking about the importance of getting logistics right, and also having a look at what we have learnt from our actions. We will also talk about grain bags at harvest, co-operative grain structures and we will compare the benefits of direct heading versus windrowing,” he said.

The workshop will wrap up with an inspection of crops on surrounding properties.

The Victorian No-Till Farmers Association is a farmer-driven organization whose goal is to bring farmers together to share their knowledge and experience of no-till farming systems.

Vic No-Till Spring Workshop Wednesday,

Diary Alert Wimmera Residue Management Demo Day Thursday 3rd November Details to follow.

Media enquiries to Bronwen Clark: 0422 135 229 or email: media@vicnotill.com.au

More than 30 members of the Victorian No-Till Farmers Association gathered at Hopetoun for a spring workshop on Wednesday, October 12th.
The workshop saw lengthy discussion on harvest logistics, and saw several members call for greater cooperation from grain processors.

“Our members are looking forward to a good harvest this year, and are keen to avoid the long delays they experienced in 2010-11 when delivering grain to processors and storage,” said Vic No-Till President Evan Lewis.

“We hope that the grain companies will work with us this year and perhaps extend their opening hours or look at other ways to helps farmers during the harvest. It is in everyone’s interest for the grain companies to try to meet the demand from growers, and this message was delivered very clearly by Vic No-Till members,” he said.

The group heard from Nandaly Co-op director Jacko Kiley, about the success of the co-op structure for storing grain. Nandaly Co-op, which is set up under the same structure as the grower co-ops in Moulamein and Berriwillock, was established to meet the needs of growers who faced long turnaround times and delays in transporting grain.

“There was such strong interest in the co-op structure that we raised the funds required for set-up pretty quickly,” said Mr Kiley.

“We now have 80,000 tonne capacity, which we feel we will be close to filling this year, based on the fact that we stored 63,000 tonne of grain last season, in only our second year of operation.”
Vic No-Till Committee Member, Alistair Murdoch of Swan Hill, led a discussion on the use of silo bags as another way to minimize time wastage while transporting grain during harvest. Members agreed that the bags had low pest infestation rates and survived well in a range of climatic conditions.

“They have proven to be a good short term storage solution that has enabled us to keep harvesting while conditions are ideal, rather than be delayed while waiting for on farm storage to be cleared,” said Alistair.

“We probably stored up to 70% of our grain in silo bags, and we haven’t had any weevil infestation. Using the bags saved a lot of time during harvest, and so far everything has come out of the bag in as good a quality as when it went in,” he said.

The group then inspected a lentil and canola crop in the district, with Mick Hastings discussing the pros and cons of direct heading versus windrowing canola.

Media enquiries to Bronwen Clark: 0422 135 229 or email: media@vicnotill.com.au

Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association (VNTFA) members discussed the ongoing benefits of good residue management during harvest at the group’s Residue Management Day on 3rd November.

Residue management, or managing the stubble left after harvest, ensures minimal disturbance of the soil at sowing and ensures higher sub-soil moisture retention rates. Residue management is the foundation for no-till farming.

Around 40 members attended the day at Kevin and Wayne Adler’s property in Coromby. Several members also had their machinery on display, so that the pros and cons of different residue management methods could be demonstrated.

“So much of your success at sowing will depend on what you do now during harvest,” said VNTFA Committee Member and agronomist Andrew Newall.

“The importance of an even distribution of finely chopped chaff cannot be understated. Uneven spread and long residue can tie-up summer weed chemicals, prevent accurate seed placement and reduce emergence rates,” he said

Wayne Adler spoke of his experience with the Redekop chopper, which he fitted to his Case 2388 Header before last season.

“With last year’s rain during harvest, just about all our cereals fell over, so we fed them all through the chopper. By the time cropping came around, the chaff was already breaking down. We kept a close eye on the residue, adjusting the vanes to make sure we had an even spread, and we avoided working into the wind.

This is the second year that Vic No-Till members have met to discuss machinery and the process of residue management. Vic No-Till member Craig Schodde of Coromby said that it was great to hear of people’s experiences a couple of years after fitting choppers.

“I fitted a Redekop chopper in 2009 and the difference it made was immediate. I had been using controlled traffic methods for eight years, and the residue management was the last part of the no-till system I was missing,” he said.

“I have found that the residue spread will be affected by wind strength and direction, as well as the load going through the chopper. Different varieties of crops need different conditions, depending on straw length and so on.

“We are all learning, and days like this, where we all get together, are a great way of learning from other people’s experiences. Vic No-Till is all about farmers sharing their knowledge – helping each other out. We all believe that our greatest asset is our soil, and the changes that we are making give back bigger rewards each year,” he said.

Membership of the Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association is $165 per year. More information can be obtained from Vanessa Grieger on 5382 0422 or you can join on the Vic No-Till website – www.vicnotill.com.au.

Media enquiries to Bronwen Clark: 0422 135 229.

Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association (VNTFA) is built around the sharing of knowledge, with hands-on workshops and focus groups that are geared towards expanding the practice of no-till farming.

The ‘Farmers Helping Farmers’ mentoring program is now in its second year, and is funded under the Caring for Country program. The program takes the form of a focus group of No-Till members which spans the generations, and introduces younger farmers, or those just staring out in the no-till method, to the practice of minimum tillage.

“This program ran last year, and the boys found it so useful that they wanted to continue to meet and learn,” said mentor Chris Drum of Rupanyup.

“We’ve taken them on a couple of field trips to see how blokes are managing no-till in different areas. It is good to get out of our own patch from time to time and also to move a bit beyond our comfort zone,” he said.

Earlier in the year a group of young farmers from Lake Bolac visited the Wimmera to see broadacre no-till cropping first hand. Evan Lewis, the President of VNTFA, led the group, and saw the impact that VNTFA’s ‘Farmer Helping Farmer’ ethos at close range.

“We took a group of six young farmers to the Wimmera to have a look at some of the state’s best no-till practices, and see how we can apply their knowledge to our crops down south. One of the young farmers said that he felt like he learnt more in that 2-day trip than in his four years at Ag. college,” Evan said.

“The beauty of the mentoring program, and of Vic No-Till’s whole way of working with its members, is that we learn from each other. Changing from a traditional to no-till farming practice is a big step, and it is no use going into it on your own, and making the same mistakes that we have already made.

“If a young farmer can learn from our mistakes, he will be able to improve his own farming methods. We are all committed to the no-till system, and feel this is one of the best ways to keep improving our farming practices, improving our soil health and improving our business.

“By the end of the trip, those six young blokes from the Lake Bolac area had all become mates, and had also connected with like-minded farmers in the Wimmera. This hands-on, personal sort of program is often the best way for farmers to learn,” he said.

Paul Oxbrow, Paul Trotter, David Byrne and Anthony Kia, all from the Banyeena district, have been part of Chris Drum’s mentoring group for over 12 months. The group feels strongly that they are benefitting from the knowledge and experience, and they have undertaken to continue meeting indefinitely.

“Times and attitudes are changing, and the old-fashioned secret society where farmers wouldn’t share their experiences with others is almost gone,” said participant Paul Trotter.

“The farming community is much smaller these days, and we need to work together to survive. We have access to the most successful pioneers of no-till farming in Australia, and their knowledge and experience is invaluable.

“While it is important to have scientific research going on, the Vic No-Till organisation is all about us – farmers, and is built around giving us the skills, knowledge and support to make a real difference on our farms,” Paul said.

“Every farming business is different, but one thing we have in common is that we need to do more with less,” said Chris Drum.

“For a young farmer starting out today, that challenge can be almost overwhelming. But with support from friends and colleagues, we have a real chance to expand the number of hectares under no-till, and try to meet growing world demand for food, while also minimising our impact on our soil, which is, after all, our greatest asset,” he said.

The Victorian No-Till Farmers’ Association runs mentoring groups throughout Victoria. Membership of the Association is $165 per annum, which includes access to mentoring, events, a quarterly journal and newsletter as well as a large network of supportive farmers.

For more information visit www.vicnotill.com.au, find us on Facebook or call Vanessa on 5382 0422.

Left to Right – Chris Drum, Anthony Kia, David Byrne, Paul Trotter, Paul Oxbrow and son Alex.

Left to Right – David Byrne, Paul Oxbrow and son Alex, Paul Trotter, Chris Drum, Anthony Kia.

Media contact: Bronwen Clark, 0422 135 229