Supporting dairy farmers to build resilient farms
There’s a quiet truth at the heart of every productive dairy system; good farming starts beneath your boots. In June, we’re launching a Dairy Resilience Peer Group Program for South West dairy farmers who are ready to build stronger, more resilient farms from the ground up. We’ll be bringing together two small groups of eight to ten farmers for a series of five in-person sessions, kicking off in May 2026 (with a second intake in March 2027). Small groups mean we can have real conversations (but avoid becoming a talkfest), do some genuinely practical learning, and connect with others working in similar systems.
The project also includes our demonstration site in Warner Glen, where we’ll focus on best practice multispecies pasture establishment and management for grazing operations. We’ll explore the costs and benefits of fertiliser requirements, forage production/quality and soil and animal health outcomes, associated with well managed multispecies pastures, compared with, or complimentary to, current best practice pasture programs. Over the next three years, the Lower Blackwood LCDC will be working with Soils For Life and other regional partners to support dairy farmers to build soil health and climate resilience.
So what’s in the program?
- 5 x on-farm sessions (June 2026-Feb 2027) on soil health, biology and nutrition, soil water retention, multispecies feed quality and the benefits and logistics of effluent reuse on paddocks. These sessions will be presented by industry experts and facilitated by consultant Mark Tupman from Productive Ecology.
- Designing and implementing small demos of topics of interest on your own farms (including soil testing and tissue testing which is subsidised).
- Participants will be offered one individual session (either in person or via zoom) with a selected consultant to ensure you get tailored support for your farm for whatever your priority topic is (eg. grazing, soil water management, effluent management, pasture quality, soil health and biology).
- You will receive membership to a dedicated Talkin After Hours ‘Dirt to Dairy’ online group for continuity of support between on-farm sessions.
- Lower Blackwood LCDC will also host 2 x Dairy Resilience Field Days
How much does it cost?
It’s FREE! But places are strictly limited so submit your EOI asap (deadline 29 May 2026).
This program goes beyond one-off workshops, offering ongoing peer learning, practical tools, and continued connection through our Talkin’ After Hours online community.
Contact our Executive Officer, joanna.wren@lowerblackwood.com.au for more info or Express Your Interest below:
This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
This project is also proudly supported by Cradle Coast NRM, South Gippsland Landcare Network, Maffra & Districts Landcare Network, Lower Blackwood Land Conservation District Committee, and Soils for Life.
