Innovation leads the way

FARMER innovations will be the focus at the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) stand at this year’s Farm World at Lardner Park near Warragul.
Clever ways to manage pasture rotation are featured at the DPI stand in the new Expo pavilion at the show on 24-27 March.
DPI Senior Dairy Extension Officer David Shambrook said most of the easy-to-use techniques were created by Gippsland farmers.
“Our staff have seen these ideas in operation on-farm and thought they would be useful to share,” Mr Shambrook said.
Among the innovations is one invented by dairy farmer Tim Cashin of Leongatha South — a pasture wheel that he uses to keep track of which paddocks are next due for grazing.
Another system, put into use at the Cope family dairy farm at Tarwin Lower, uses a farm map and flagged pins.
Former Fish Creek dairy farmer Bernie Holtschke devised a large board with a slider to show which paddocks were due for the next rotation.
And a peg system in the paddocks was pioneered by Frank Tyndall at the Macalister Demonstration Farm near Maffra.
“Much of the inspiration for these inventions came from farmers attending the DPI’s Pasture for Profit course,” Mr Shambrook said.
“These systems are practical responses to the need to keep track on your paddocks. Monitoring growth helps to manage your pastures.
“We felt other farmers could benefit from seeing a showcase of these simple techniques.”
There will be two DPI stands in the Expo pavilion and both will be staffed by farming specialists in areas such as weed control, animal health and nutrient management.
Special features at this year’s display is the customised service team for small landholders, a major new project for beef farmers and a satellite-linked mapping service for precision agriculture, GPSnet.