Mulloon landholder workshop

An exclusive workshop for landholders taking part in the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative (MRI) was held during March with Landscape Planner and grazing expert Sam Skeat.

Sam has excellent experience and knowledge with grazing management and broader land management strategies and provides specialist advice in the context of landscape rehydration projects, with a focus on balancing ecological return and business return. He has extensive experience in Queensland and locally in the Mulloon catchment and has assisted numerous landholders in understanding the role grazing management plays in environmental and economic returns and its context for landscape rehydration.

The ‘Grazing Management’ workshop looked at how to increase farm productivity and environmental outcomes in coordination with landscape rehydration activities and covered:

  • Why manage grazing?

  • Plant response to grazing

  • Harnessing energy through grass and the benefits for soil and animal performance

  • Mineral and water cycles

  • Understanding stocking rate vs. carrying capacity, density vs. intensity

  • Planning to match stocking rate to carrying capacity, including assessing feed quantity and infrastructure needs.

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Project Coordinator Peter Hazell and Research Coordinator Luke Peel also took the opportunity to update participating landholders on the continued roll-out of the MRI within the catchment, including on-ground works, revegetation and the installation of scientific monitoring equipment. 

Following the workshop, Sam spent the week visiting the landholders on-farm to discuss the initial workshop and assist with customising farm operations. This provided landholders with a valuable opportunity to discuss their farm operations and planning, and to identify any problem areas with pasture and grazing management. In turn, Sam was able to provide guidance and mentoring to the participants in attaining increased production and beneficial environmental outcomes. 

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It was a great chance for landholders to catch up with each other and find out what has been happening in the Mulloon catchment community with landholders commenting that the workshop was informative and interesting and a great opportunity to build relationships. Thanks must also go to Sue and Ulli Tuisk who hosted the workshop at their Palerang property.

This workshop forms part of the broader Mulloon Rehydration Initiative which is jointly funded through the Mulloon Institute and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. The initiative is also assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.

Kelly Thorburn