AND … more grunt than grass. Can we curb greenhouse gas emissions while using less water and produce food that’s even healthier?

PLUS … Dirt earns. Why soil matters today and tomorrow

HEAR … World-leading scientists explain what they do, and how they got to where they are today.

MEET … young researchers working in agscience.

Gippsland is home to Australia’s foremost experts on ag greenhouse gas, rumen-based systems (that’s your milk and meat) and soil science. Meet them! Victoria’s Department of Primary Industries has invited Agribusiness Gippsland to organise a group of future farming leaders to see the latest in agricultural research and development at DPI Ellinbank, nr Warragul. 10am-2pm, February 2, 2012 at DPI Ellinbank, Hazeldean Rd. Suitable for young farmers, science/ag, engineering, soil and natural resource management students. PLEASE BOOK  ptarmigan2@internode.on.net

Speaker of the Lower House Ken Smith with some of the visitors

WE mixed with the legislators and the opinion shapers of Spring Street. A group of 20 young Gippsland agribusiness professionals were guests of MPs, quizzed a DPI head and got insights into the role of the media in the political process … read the report here … AGI 20111204 gippy2parly report

CAPTION: Pictured at Dutson Downs were (standing) AGI director Mark Cockerill (left) and Jono Craven. Seated (L to R) are AGI directors Alex Arbuthnot, Christine Holland and Nikky Hellyer.

Manager Jono Craven welcomed the not-for-profit farming group which held its meeting at the farm and wastewater treatment facility near  Sale.

Agribusiness Gippsland chair Alex Arbuthnot AM noted the strength of the farming venture, which receives no cross-subsidies from other  Gippsland Water operations, and praised the financial and environmental gains of the two-year-old SORF organic recycling facility. “It also performs a vital role as the eventual destination of some food processing wastes – such as milk and egg waste – of the region,” he said.

Once composted, the wastes are applied over 3000ha/year on Gippsland Water sites at a rate of 3tonnes/ha, not only for the nutrient benefit but also to benefit soil biology by increasing carbon and improve moisture-holding capacity, Jono explained.

Gippsland Water Agribusiness (GWA) deals with waste water from Drouin to Stratford either through plantations around water catchment or  dispersal through irrigation over 12,000ha. A requirement of GWA’s EPA licence is to recycle as much as possible.

It operates 12 sites across Gippsland, seven are irrigation sites and primarily growing grass for cattle production. Dutson Downs is the largest at 8500ha. About half site is arable. Major enterprise is 1000 breeding cows. Calves turned off to the other Gippsland Water irrigation properties for  finishing.

Also there’s a large amount of remnant vegetation which hosts several endangered species. “As an organisation we’re seeing Dutson Downs as an integrated business,” said Jono.

Gippsland Water grows 400 ha of softwood at Dutson Downs. Other enterprises are 1000ha cropped to mainly winter cereals barley, wheat, triticale, lupins and canola. They try to grow a rotation crops for weed control and fertility and to rehabilitate country which had been debilitated over time. Property used to run 30,000 sheep and employed 30 people. The property was irrigated with raw waste water which left a legacy of high salt levels.

The operations no longer use untreated waste water – it goes to treatment lagoons and held for 90 days then released to outfall.

The Gippsland Water Factory takes industrial and domestic waste water. It treats and removes solids – also overcomes much of the odour – however salt is retained, so we don’t use that for irrigation.

In future, all Sale and Fulham’s water will be separated for treatment in a separate lagoon in next 12-18 months and fed onto 300ha of centre pivot for crops. “It’s basically residential water with not much salt in it,” said Jono.

Gippsland Water operates on leasehold or Crown land with seven staff operating farms at Drouin, Mirboo North, Trafalgar, Seaspray, Maffra, Heyfield and Stratford. Jono is seeking to increase productive capacity and not increase staff but increase contractor use.

Trends are less reliance on inputs. “We used to make a lot of silage but are now growing dual purpose crops also doing a lot of livestock
trading to use more feed and improve revenues.  We don’t use saleyards, it’s all private trades direct to end user,” said Jono.

Jono said Gippsland Water would welcome similar visits by groups with specific agriculture or waste
recycling interests.

Click on the link … AGI 20110726 youngfarmer inquiry-final