Blackwood Valley Small Landholders Group Inc.
Home Membership Contacts About Our Group Coming Events Recent Events Images Newsletters Auction Meetings Advertisers Specials

Recent Events

 

 

Water Resources Workshop

The Winter newsletter makes reference to a number of articles from the recent workshop.  To view these articles please click on the following links

 Water Resources & Management – Powerpoint presentation

List of Farmnotes relevant to Water Conservation and their Hyperlinks

Testing soils for water holding capacity (pdf)

Recent Events

Water Resources and Management Workshop
5 MAY 2007


We are calling for registrations for the May 5th Water Resources and Management workshop. The event has been brought forward a week to fit in with speakers. Topics have changed a bit from the original notes in the Autumn newsletter. See final Flyer re Workshop.

Now there is an emphasis on

bulletCollecting and storing water in dams. Learn how to harvest and store more water. How to fix a leaky dam?
bulletWater Quality. Learn about the water quality issues that affect water storage and discover ways of improving your water quality….. Even reduce your salt loads.
bulletWater Regulations, Rights and Reform. Just what is going on? Understand what these changes mean for you.
bulletLong Term Rainfall. Understand how rainfall affects dam efficiency and what are the trends for the region
bulletAnd we will be visiting a number of sites in the afternoon to see practical examples in the field.

We have some very experienced and knowledgeable speakers presenting on the day.

Mick Owens from the Department of Water, Tilwin Westrup from the Department of Agriculture and Food and Adrian Williams of Pendragon Dryland Management Services. And Kim Posavec, Waterwatch coordinator, will be available to test your water samples and demonstrate how to monitor farm water supplies.

Where: Bridgetown Gardens Convention Centre (off Kangaroo Gully Road). How to get there? click here.

Time:  8.30am Registration and coffee with prompt 9am start. Finishes at 4.00pm with an informal Sundowner at the end of the day for those who want to stay and keep talking Water!

Price: $20.00

Register your interest by Monday April 23rd and receive an early bird discount of $5.00

Contact: Jenny Dewing 9761139 or email to mdewing@iinet.net.au

This workshop is organised for you by Blackwood Valley Small Landholders’ Group and the Small Landholder Information Service and is from the Small Landholder Series, a project administrated by the South West Catchment Council and funded by the joint initiatives of the West Australian and Australian Governments, the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

 

What sort of fence do you need for your stock?
Learn how to   construct a strainer  assembly
How to strain a fence and how to repair a fence

Fencing  Expo
Saturday afternoon March 24th
starting at 2pm with a Sundowner to follow. 
At Ric Evans’s property on Hamilton Road, signposted from the corner of Hamilton and Tweed Roads.
 

Sponsored by Richfeeds and BVSLG  with
Joe McCree (Cyclone Rural Fencing) Demonstrations throughout the afternoon.   Individualized advice.
Shaun Greenway (Gallagher)    Products & electric fencing  advice.
Wesfeeds, Animal Nutrition advice and products.

Attendance is free but you can help us with catering by registering your interest in attending.See Ric Evans at Richfeeds  or ring Jenny Dewing 9761 1139.  Final details in March edition and on our website. www.smalllandholders.com

July 2006

The Small Landholder's Auction was held on 30 July 2006 with 76 individual lots presented for sale.  The Public response was good with people coming from Northcliffe, Karridale and surrounding districts to participate.  The majority of items sold although, as expected, the lack of feed due to the dry start to winter meant that sheep were not as popular as in the past.

 

June 2006
The following is an example of a highly successful workshop recently conducted for members.  45 members attended.

"Grow your own Fruit" Field Day

Landholders in the Blackwood Valley have an opportunity to learn from experts how to go about fruit growing. 

Blackwood Valley Small Landholders Group has teamed up with the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Small Landholder Information Service to organise this timely workshop.  

Workshop organiser Jenny Dewing said “Many of us come to the country with the intention to grow our own fruit, and to share this produce with family and friends. We all know that you can’t beat the taste of a tree-ripened apple picked and eaten in the orchard. The Blackwood Valley, particularly Bridgetown and Balingup, is an excellent fruit growing area and was the centre of the apple industry not so long ago. We have pockets of excellent soil, particularly the loams and clay loams on terraces along the Blackwood River. We also have excellent chill and if you are a little way from town you may be fruit fly free. Water, followed by pests and diseases, seems to be the chief limiting factor for most”.  

Peter Coppin, acknowledged fruit growing expert from Perth is attending and sharing his considerable experience. Peter was formerly a Senior Horticultural Advisor at the Department of Agriculture's Garden Advisory Centre and Small Property Advisory Service for ten years. The previous 17 years were spent in fruit and nut research at the Stoneville Horticultural Research Station. He has lectured at TAFE, Curtin University and other tertiary institutions, runs short courses and seminars for the public, and has managed a family orchard in the hills.  He actively supports the planting of trees for fruit, nut or timber production, not just as ornamentals.

Local experts, orchardist Anthony Fullam and ex Bridgetown grower Doug Burtenshaw, will add practical local knowledge. Topics covered include site selection, what varieties to grow, fertiliser regimes, water requirement, pests and diseases, pruning and netting. Visits to three local orchards will provide lots of practical examples and an opportunity for informal discussion and questions.

Ms Dewing said, “Support from the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Small Landholder Advisory Service and National Heritage Trust funds has allowed us to keep costs down to $20.00 per participant (early bird price for BVSLG members). This fee includes lunch and bus fares. Notes and other material will be available”.

 

 

Soils Workshop
Restoring Nature's Balance using Biological
 and Conventional Pathways

 Saturday morning   February 17 2007  at Lucieville
9am to 1pm with lunch at the conclusion of the workshop 

Your soil is your greatest asset. Healthy soils grow healthy plants which produce healthy animals.  Being at top of this food chain our nutrition and health depends on the health of our soils.

Presenters:
Paul Freeman:  Soil & Plant Nutrition Consultant working throughout Australia.
Wayne Challis; Soil & Plant Nutrition, Leaf Tissue Analysis consultant.

Product displays/sales Ferti—Tech Australia

 This workshop aims to explore the topic of healthy soils.

· Learn about the relationship between the physical, biological and chemical components of soil.

· Learn how to test your soils and how to interpret the analysis you get back.

· Learn how to care for and improve the soils on your property.

· Participate in a field walk to see practical examples in the field.

· See a range of products available for you to use on your property, organic and conventional. Products on sale.