SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SERVICES
MAJOR PROJECTS
Serve-Ag’s Sustainable Agricultural Services Group is currently delivering three major and several minor projects to assist farmers throughout the State improve their land management knowledge and skills and take practical actions to improve their long term profitability and sustainability.
We are also undertaking a broad range of privately-funded projects and consultancies, particularly in the areas of soil condition assessment and environmental monitoring.
_________________________________________________________________________
BUILDING RESILIENT FARMS IN TIMES OF CHANGE
Following on from the successful pilot project "Achieving NRM Targets through engaging regional productivity groups in on-ground activities" funded by the Caring For Our Country - Landcare Sustainable Practices Grants, this three-year project is focusing on improving economic and environmental sustainability on farms in southern Tasmania.
The groups span a diverse range of enterprises including cropping, wool and lamb production and tree fruits, and participants are engaged through information delivery, monitoring and implementing trials.
Areas covered:
Coal Valley
Huon Valley
Upper Little Swanport Catchment
Contact:
Sophie Folder
_________________________________________________________________________
SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT IN NORTHERN TASMANIA
This new project is funded by NRM North over two years to assist landholders implement changes to land management practices to improve their overall productivity and sustainability.
The project engages landholder groups in local on-ground demonstrations, information sharing and regular monitoring, to increase their understanding of issues such as building soil fertility, soil health, water quality and salinity issues, and help them take action where problems exist.
The groups span a diverse range of enterprises including intensive vegetable production and extensive beef, lamb and wool production.
Areas covered:
Flinders Island
Northern Midlands
Deloraine
West Tamar
Pipers River
Contact:
Peter Heading
Julie Finnigan
_________________________________________________________________________
CLIMATE READY FARMING LEADERS
Delivered in partnership with Cradle Coast NRM and RMCG Consulting Group, this three year project is working with two groups of young farmers in the Cradle Coast region to assist them to identify and evaluate options for adapting to climate change.
A range of practical activities will be used to achieve this, including regular farmer group meetings, training workshops, information sharing and local on-farm trials and monitoring. Topics being addressed include Business Management and Planning; Understanding the Threats and Opportunities of Climate Change; Risk Management; Soil Health and Organic Carbon Management; Investigating Carbon Footprints; and Energy Efficiency Audits.
The project is funded by the Farm Ready Program - Industry Grants.
Areas covered:
Sassafras
Ulverstone
Contact:
Bec Clarkson
_________________________________________________________________________
RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS
BEST PRACTICE SALINITY MANAGEMENT
NRM North and NRM South contracted Serve-Ag to deliver a Best Practice Salinity Management Project in northern and southern Tasmania, funded by the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.
In conjunction with activities delivered by Agricultural Resource Management, Private Forests Tasmania, Armstrong Agricultural Services and the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water, we assisted landholders identify saline areas and implement changes to land management practices which address soil salinity, in conjunction with crop productivity and sustainability.
The project engaged groups of landholders with similar farming enterprises in local areas from March 2008 to June 2009, co-ordinated by project officers in Hobart and Longford.
_________________________________________________________________________
SUPPORTING BEST PRACTICE MANAGEMENT OF WATER QUALITY
AND SALINITY IN NORTHERN TASMANIA
NRM North contracted Serve-Ag to deliver a 15-month project assisting landholders implement changes to land management practices to have a positive effect on water quality and soil salinity in northern Tasmania.
The project engaged landholder groups in local on-ground demonstrations, information sharing and regular monitoring, to increase their understanding of water quality, soil health and salinity issues, and help them take action where problems existed. A broad mix of enterprises were covered including vegetable production, dairying and beef and wool production.
Areas covered:
Deloraine
Dorset
Pipers River
_________________________________________________________________________
ACHIEVING NRM TARGETS THROUGH ENGAGING REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTIVITY GROUPS IN ON GROUND ACTIVITIES
This 12 month project was funded by the National Landcare Program. It worked with three farmer groups in Southern Tasmania to address grower identified sustainable production issues. The groups represented cropping, wool and fruit production in the following regions;
|
Coal Valley
Upper Little Swanport Catchment
Huon Valley |
|
Farmer groups participated in a range of group meetings, training workshops, on ground trials and monitoring programs. This very successful pilot project led into a current 3 year project, Building Resilient Farms in Times of Change. The grower groups have been able to continue the momentum created in the pilot project to further investigate sustainable farm management practices and their readiness to adapt to future challenges and changes facing their farms.
_________________________________________________________________________
MONITORING AND IMPLEMENTING FARMER-BASED DECISIONS FOR
PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
This ground-breaking project delivered for the National Landcare Program worked with over fifty farmers, helping them maintain economic and environmental sustainability on farms in north and northwest Tasmania by engaging six groups of farmers involved in intensive vegetable and extractive crop (poppies and pyrethrum) production, and extensive grazing.
Areas covered:
Boat Harbour
Epping – Nile
North Motton |
Circular Head
Lake MacQuarie
Upper Brumby’s Creek |
| 
