Geographe Bay farmers eager to enhance their grazing management practices and boost business performance are being urged to register for the upcoming 2024 Grazing Matcher program.
The program welcomes livestock farmers of all backgrounds and experiences, ranging from third-generation sheep farmers to young families embarking on their farming journey with smaller acreages.
Participants kickstart the program by crafting a customised rotational grazing plan tailored to their property, it applies time-tested principles specific for southern WA climatic and soil conditions, long utilised by dairy farmers and now considered best practice for beef and sheep operations.
In 2023, ten grazing businesses were supported through this facilitated learning program, designed to enhance productivity and profitability for farmers while minimising environmental effects.
Sally Fox-Slater, who farms near Capel with her husband Sean, has seen first-hand the benefits of putting the Grazing Matcher principles into practice.
"Completing the Grazing Matcher programme last year has helped us move to being prepared for whatever the season will throw at us," she said.
"Throughout the 12 months of the program, we implemented what we had learned at each meeting.
"Despite the reduced rainfall in 2023, we have produced more than adequate feed and finished with good ground cover for the summer and autumn period."
Jeisane Accioly from Accioly Livestock Industries Services, who facilitates the course and shares her experience in grazing management and animal production and Dan Parnell, from Agsure Consulting uses his agronomic and financial training skills to help farmers better match their grazing inputs to maximise production, while farming sustainably and efficiently.
Dario Nandapi from Smart Cow Consulting, also delivers one of the sessions covering efficient ways to make, store and allocate hay/silage with information also for those that purchase preserved fodder.
Marika Coghill farms with her husband Rob, completed the program last year and said it was "great to be able to connect with like-minded farmers".
"Dan and Jeisane were very good at breaking down the key elements around animals and pasture production, how to build best practice into your business and ensuring you are maximising the health of your stock, by paying close attention to your most valuable asset - your pasture," Marika said.
The Grazing Matcher program has been running since 2017 in various regions in southern WA and was initiated by the Western Beef Association Inc and South West Natural Resource Management (NRM).
It is supported by Meat & Livestock Australia's Profitable Grazing Systems program and GeoCatch.
The program provides farmers with evidence-based principles, while supporting them to build knowledge and confidence to implement changes on their farm.
Hands-on exercises and group discussions are also part of the mix to equip farmers to make better decisions under variable seasonal conditions.
Limited places are now available for the 2024 program in the Geographe Bay Catchment, which begins in April.
Interested farmers can contact GeoCatch on 0491 069 078 or visit www.geocatch.asn.au/farm-management/grazing-matcher
