Leadership Trainer Hopes to Inspire Young Locals
Young people in south-west Victoria are being challenged to step up and take on leadership roles in the community. Paul Baker, of Avatar Business Intelligence, is running a series of leadership training workshops for the Growing the Next Wave of Rural Leaders in south-west Victoria which he hopes will lay the groundwork for a new breed of civic leaders to emerge.
Farmers to Tackle the Big Smoke
Up to 180 dairy farmers from south-west Victoria are about to invade Melbourne. The farmers will be taking a break from their daily routines and getting on board WestVic Dairy’s annual train trip to Melbourne on August 15. WestVic Dairy executive officer Mike Weise said train trips were introduced in 2007 as a drought relief initiative but were so successful and popular that WestVic Dairy has continued to run them in subsequent years.
Women Financial Skills Sessions
Nearly 40 women dairy farmers are improving their financial skills in an innovative pilot program in Western Victoria. WestVic Dairy’s Financial Literacy Skills Management workshops and focus groups in Terang, Simpson and Macarthur are the first to specifically target the financial contribution women make on farms.
Farms Upgraded in Project
Twelve dairy farms in Western Victoria have undergone an environmental self assessment and upgrade as part of a recently completed land management project. The Landcare Australia Best Management Practice Project has helped the farmers introduce a variety of natural resource improvements on their properties, with a particular focus on nutrient management.
Milk Price Forums
Two upcoming workshops in south-west Victoria will help dairy farmers gain a better understanding of their milk price. The workshops will be held in Warrnambool and Pirron Yallock, via Colac, on May 19 and will be presented by Dairy Australia’s Manager of Strategic Analysis Jo Bills and Cameron Smith of Farmanco.
Calves and Kids
Who said `never work with animals and children’?
Certainly not WestVic Dairy’s Cows Create Careers Co-ordinator Robyn Vale who will be bringing together calves and students for the return of a popular school-based project.
[View the full release]
Soil Acidity Feild Day
Dairy farmers in south-west Victoria have saved money and improved their soil health through a successful nutrient management project. The Reducing Soil Acidification through Nutrient Management project has helped 50 farmers adopt improved soil management practices over the past five months and today culminated in a field day that brought key nutrient best practice messages to another group of 50 farmers and service providers.
Dairy Awards Winners
The Warakirri Dairies farm at Jancourt East has double reason to celebrate after winning both major employment awards in the 2010 Great South West Dairy Awards. Rob Burbury, the executive officer of Warakirri Dairies P/L, was tonight named Ambleside Financial Planning Employer of the Year.
Photo of the Year Winners
The idyllic nature of farming, future generations of farmers and the characters who inhabit the industry have caught the eyes of judges in the first Great South West Dairy Awards dairy farm photo competition. An image of a jersey cow idling in a dam while other members of the herd graze on a lush green paddock around a windmill has won first prize in the Gardiner Foundation Best Farm Photo competition.
Awards Sold Out
The Great South West Dairy Awards attracted record nominations this year...and now they have attracted record numbers to the awards ceremony. The Gala Awards night at the Warrnambool Entertainment Centre on April 22 is now sold out with 270 people expected to attend.
Kitchen Table Forums
The dairy industry in south-west Victoria is now taking more than milk to the kitchen...it is also spreading a message across kitchen tables. WestVic Dairy is planning to stage 20 kitchen table forums this year to explain to small groups of farmers how their service levy money is being spent and to collect ideas for future investments.
NCDEA joins awards program
Graduates from the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia in south-west Victoria will be recognised publicly for the first time as part of the 2010 Great South West Dairy Awards. About 40 graduates will be involved in the presentation ceremony at the Warrnambool Entertainment Centre on April 22.
Record Nominations
A record 48 nominations have been lodged for the 2010 Great South West Dairy Awards...and that’s not including more than 100 entries in a new farm photo competition. The number of nominations has almost doubled last year’s tally and points to a robust industry and a growing acceptance of the Awards as a premier event for dairying in south-west Victoria.
Training Program for Rural Leaders
An innovative new set of training programs will help increase the skills of 125 young farmers and agribusiness staff in south-west Victoria. WestVic Dairy has received State Government funding from the Leadership Skills Development Program that will help young agribusiness people pick up management and leadership skills and build up their business and community networks.
New Major Sponsor
The Great South West Dairy Awards have been boosted after securing major sponsorship for the Employer of the Year Award. Ambleside Financial Planning has signed on as the major naming rights sponsor for the top award on the program, the Best Employer.
Dairy in W Victoria
View the presentation made at the Service Provider's Breakfast on the 18th February, including new statistics of the Dairy Industry, information about improving our careers efforts, Driving Down the Track and the Dairy Awards.
Dairy Leads South-West Victorian Economy
Dairying has been confirmed as south-west Victoria’s leading industry in a new study of the region’s economy. New statistics depict dairying as playing a central role in driving the region’s economy.
DDTT Actions (2)
The development of people in dairying has been identified as a key to the future strength of the industry.
Extra support for training, careers development and knowledge growth have been listed as key drivers for improving the industry over the next decade as it strives for a goal of producing three billion litres of milk by 2020 while being innovative, prosperous and responsible.
Gardiner Funding Programs 2010
The Gardiner Foundation announces that its 2010 funding round is open and invites project proposals to its Capability Building, Innovation and Community and People Development Programs. Funding round for all Programs opens: February 2010 and applications close: Friday 26 March 2010, 5 pm.
DDTT Actions
A strategy to improve south-west Victoria’s understanding that the dairy industry underpins the region’s economy has been identified as a top action priority for the industry.
This strategy was among a series of actions discussed at the first `Driving Down the Track’ workshop today in Warrnambool. The workshops are being held to prioritise actions to deliver on the goals set out in the “Down the Track Dairy 20:20” strategic direction to guide south-west Victoria’s dairy industry over the next decade.
Dairy Careers Co-ordinator
The appointment of a dairy careers co-ordinator in south-west Victoria will be another step to help the industry address ongoing skills shortages.Robyn Vale has taken on the new role which is a first for the dairy industry in Australia and will be conducted as a pilot program over the next 18 months.WestVic Dairy Executive Officer Mike Weise said the position had been developed over the past year to help the industry attract and retain staff.
Cool Cows Workshop
Heat stress for cows is emerging as an issue in south-west Victoria as climate variability impacts on the region. The advent of more hot days and heatwaves in the south west has prompted the first Cool Cows farm workshops to be held in the region to help farmers protect their herds.
For more information and a Cool Cows flyer [click here]
Dairy Awards Farm Photography Category
The old adage that a photo says a thousand words is coming true with a new segment in the 2010 Great South West Dairy Awards. Amateur photographers are finding a wide variety of images to highlight the beauty – and the fun - of farming in the region with their entries in the Farm Photo of the Year award.
Gibberellic Acid
A six-month trial to test the cost effectiveness of plant hormones such as Gibberellic acid compared to urea and other nitrogen-based options will help south-west Victorian farmers make better choices to improve their winter crop production. The Toolong-Koroit Farm Discussion Group initiated the trial which was funded by WestVic Dairy’s small grants scheme.
Dairy Awards Nominations Open
Farmers, their staff and dairy service providers in south-west Victoria can now nominate for the region’s most prestigious industry awards. Nominations for the Great South West Dairy Awards opened on January 15 and will close February 19 and the introduction of new categories promises to attract a record number of entries.
For a Nomination Form [click here]
Updated: 11/05/10
