Heytesbury Focus Project

Heytesbury Landcare has secured funding from the Australian Government's "Caring for our Country" program to create a new project called "Heytesbury 'FOCUS' project: Boosting production, resilience, environmental gains using best management practices". The funding, for 2008/09 financial year, will engage 18 farmers from the Lower Curdies and Lower Gellibrand Catchment in a nutrient mapping and management project.

This project allows us to test the current nutrient levels over each of those farms and better understand current fertilizer and nutrient management routines. Previous projects have found very high levels of nutrients. Identifying this allows farmers to reduce their inputs which saves money, reduces animal and soil health issues and minimizes environmental risk.

The project asks each farmer to complete an "Environmental Assessment" of their farm and create a future action plan. Most or all paddocks on the farm will be soil tested and those results overlaid on a paddock map. This allows the farmer to determine any adjustments to their nutrient routines.

DemoDairy will also participate in the project so farmers who aren't able to participate can see the results.

Any farmers interested in joining the project are invited to contact Dean Suckling at the Landcare Office.