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King Island Courier
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024
Workshops switch focus to future
Staying ready for the dry
Farmers Ferchelle Orquesta
and Pieter Brand sold cattle
early from their Millers Rd
property.
Sophie Folder from the TasFarm
Innovation Hub with Laura Richardson
Agriculture Analyst AgriGrowth Tasmania
NRE Tasmania.
Jamie Roebuck, Richard Sutton and Beau
Mullins sharing their farm experiences
and decision-making going into spring.
Nick Lyttle and Marek Matuszek offered
valuable advice to King island farmers.
CHEESE STORE
Winter Trading Hours:
Open MON, WED, FRI 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
& SUN 11 AM – 3 PM
closed Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.
Enjoy $5 Winter Specials!
Including favorites such as:
• Triple Cream Brie
• Endeavour Blue
• Cape Wickham Double Brie
• Black Label Double Brie
Special may vary in-store if stock is not availble.
P: (03) 6462 0947
E: kid.store@saputo.com
869 North Road, Loorana
www.kingislanddairy.com.au
NO ORDINARY ISLAND.
NO ORDINARY CHEESE.
KING Island farmers
came together for the 7th
dry season management
workshop, facilitated by the
Tas Farm Innovation Hub.
The program has also
included three round table
discussions that brought
farmers, council, government departments and
shipping representatives
together to address the
island’s needs
Around 40 farmers
attended the ‘Looking
Ahead: Weather Stations,
Tools and Strategies for
Spring’ sessions, held on
the farm and at the King
Island Golf Club, which
focussed on looking ahead
and the tools available to
help with managing Spring
and beyond.
The morning session
was held at the Pegarah
weather station and Jan
van Ruiswyk’s property.
Ag Logic’s Marek
Matuszek examined the
Peter Bowling and Fred Perry at the Farmers
Looking Ahead workshop.
soil probe holes and
discussed the 昀椀ndings.
During the lunch and
afternoon session, the
discussion concentrated
on King Island weather
stations, understanding
and using the data for
measurement and predictive modelling.
Despite the recent rains,
the lower reaches were still
dry and understanding the
different soils around the
island is important when
considering moisture
levels. The use of seasonal
soil moisture data was
explained and farmers
taught how to use data for
informed decision-making.
Funding is available
from the small business
digital grant program
and water infrastructure
funding is open as well as
other grants that farmers
may be eligible to apply.
Some grants close on
August 31 and farmers
Namoi Palombi, Consultant,
Resilient Farming Tas / RMCG
were directed to the Farm
Point hotline 1300 292 292
to obtain further information and to discuss their
grant options.
The session moved to
looking at the coming
Summer, planning goals,
risk assessment, cash 昀氀ow
and trading.
Waverley Station’s
Jamie Roebuck and
farmers Richard Sutton
and Beau Mullins shared
the farming decisions that
they made leading into and
through this Winter and
talked about their preparations for Spring and the
future.
Mr Sutton said that one
farming difference he
made was the dry sowing
of mixed crops – rye corn,
turnip, chicory, plantain
and the little moisture
that was available allowed
quick growth. Mr Roebuck
said that generally “it’s
an ordinary season”
for Waverley, however,
they have weaned early,
moved cattle and reduced
numbers.
“We thought our water
systems were bulletproof,
but the dry proved they
were not. So, we have
cleaned and expanded
them, and we will continue
to do so,” he said.
Looking back over the
months, the three farmers
and attendees were
unanimous in the basic
needs for farmers on King
Island: reliable access to
markets; a reliable boat
and; addressing the freight
equalisation scheme.
“We have to be able to
get the cattle off and get
them to a market which
includes Victoria. It took up
to six months to get some
cattle off the island, despite
early bookings. Getting
cattle on and off the island
is a monstrous problem,”
Mr Roebuck said.
Real-time Aglogic weather
THE real-time Aglogic King
Island Weather Network comprises
stations at Egg Lagoon, Lymwood,
Pegarah and the BoM station at
King Island Airport.
Readings are running totals
Weekly data is accurate up until
going to press.
Egg Lagoon
August – 37.4 mm Total 2024 –
382.2mm
Last 7 days 22 mm
Temperature 7 Day High 18.1°C
7 Day Low 4.6°C
Lymwood
August – 29.8 mm Total 2024 –
420 mm
Last 7 days 6.6 mm
Temperature 7 Day High 18.5°C
7 Day Low 5.1°C
Pegarah
August – 25.6 mm Total 2024
-356mm
Last 7 days 11.4mm
7 Day High 18.80°C 7 Day Low
2.80°C
King Island Airport BOM
August – 18.23 mm Total 2024 380.07mm
Last 7 days 6.8mm
7 Day High 19.80°C 7 day Low
3.90°C
