Lismore Workshop

eastAUSmilk holds numerous workshops throughout the year and all members in the region where the workshop is being held are welcome to attend. Recently a workshop was held at Warren Gallagher’s farm at Ettrick in Northern NSW. Attendance was a little lower than anticipated, however there was still a good turnout of producers and industry representatives.

The day started off with morning tea to allow for some late arrivals, which gave everyone a chance to enjoy a coffee and to catch up with friends and introduce themselves to others, including our Vice President Peter Graham.

Paul Shewen talked about the Feedmaster feed mill, which provides fresh milled grain and additives efficiently and is a reliable feature of the farm. As well as alternative milling systems that are available and different configurations to suit different operations.

Scott Fisher from Skytech solutions discussed the types and features of drones including aerial spraying, seeding, imagery and NDVI mapping, as well as licensing requirements and costs. Afterwards he offered a demonstration of his spray drone which had surprisingly little spray drift when demonstrated with water, despite being a rather windy day.

Chris from Norco Agrisolutions showed the benefits of topsoil mapping, and how it can improve the accuracy of soil tests. Topsoil mapping can detect trace elements, salinity and pH levels as well as different soil types i.e., rock and clay.

The day wrapped up with a tour of the recently renovated calf shed, soon to feature an automatic calf feeder, with plastic slat flooring off the ground for easy cleaning and separate pens for each age group. Overall, the on-farm workshop went smoothly and was a great chance to network and catch up with current and potential members.

Letisha Johnson, Project Officer eastAUSmilk