December 2011

       

Merry Christmas

It was good to round out 2011 with the recent Future Farm Industries CRC AGM and Participants' Meeting. These meetings, held in Canberra in early December, gave us a chance to reflect on where we've come from, what we've achieved and where we go from here. I was pleased to be able to inform everyone that the CRC is well on track to meet milestones and deliver the targets we set out to deliver. The combined work of many is reaping rewards and will continue to do so.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in FFI CRC for their work throughout 2011 and to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I look forward to all we will achieve together in 2012 and beyond

Peter Zurzolo CEO

 

EverFarm for a changing climate

The extent to which perennial plants can help dryland agricultural systems adapt to climate change will be the focus of a new Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FFI CRC) project entitled EverFarm®.

The project – EverFarm, design of climate adapted perennial-based farming systems for dryland agriculture in southern Australia – has received $250 000 funding from NCCARF (National Climate Change Adaptation Research Fund). FFI CRC will match this amount, making the total project budget $500 000.

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FFI CRC Board farewells valued duo

FFI CRC farewelled two of its valued Board members at the December Board meeting, held at ANU in Canberra. Lucinda Corrigan and Andrew Campbell did not renominate for their terms, and they were not replaced.

CEO Peter Zurzolo said that Lucinda's and Andrew's contributions to the FFI Board were immense and long lasting, and has paid tribute to their commitment.

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Chairman awards Rick Llewellyn

Congratulations to EverCrop project leader Rick Llewellyn who received the FFI CRC Chairman's Award at the December Board meeting.

The Chairman's Award, presented by Andrew Inglis, recognises Rick's "extraordinary contribution to the work of Future Farm Industries CRC." Research Director John McGrath said the recognition was well deserved.

 
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Hamilton EverGraze field day

At the sixth and final EverGraze Hamilton Proof Site field day, attendees learned how supplementary feeding costs at the Hamilton site were reduced by $295 per hectare, when compared to ryegrass, by including lucerne and tall fescue in the system.

The 97 attendees gained an insight into how producers from the Hamilton district have used EverGraze principles on their farms to increase profit and sustain a healthy business.

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New on Future Farm Online

Future Farm Online is the repository of a wealth of information, which is continually updated and added to. Recent additions to the website include new weed management guides for cocksfoot, tall wheatgrass and phalaris and an updated weed management guide for kikuyu.

Weed risk assessments and weed risk scores for Atriplex amnicola and Atriplex semibaccatta have also been added. They can be found on the weed risk page of the website.

Two new technical reports are now available:

Technical report 7 details the pasture cropping experiences of the Carson family at Binnu, Western Australia.

Technical report 8 explains a low cost ecologically-based method of recruiting native perennial grass seedlings in existing pastures.  

And the latest issue of Future Farm can be viewed online.

 

 
   

DISCLAIMER: The information in this document has been published in good faith by Future Farm Industries CRC Limited to promote public discussion and to help improve farm profitability and natural resource management. It is general information and you should obtain specialist advice on the applicability or otherwise of the information in this document.

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