Wimmera CMA is inviting farmers to step out of the paddock and into air-conditioned comfort to drill down into their soils and farm planning next month.

The CMA is hosting a ‘Healthy Soils, Productive Farms’ webinar on February 16 at 7.30pm, followed by a farm planning workshop in the CMA’s Horsham office on February 24.

The events offer farmers direct access to experienced and trusted soil scientist Dr Schefe and two agricultural emissions specialists – Wimmera CMA Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator Bronwyn Bant and Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Adam Buzza.

Dr Schefe has worked with many Wimmera farmers and had a strong understanding of the region’s soils, specialising in soil chemistry and soil-plant interactions.

Her February 16 webinar will explore how a paddock’s potential is limited by its most major constraint, and how simply adding more does not always improve the outcome. The one-hour webinar will also provide farmers with an opportunity to ask questions and clear up some of the misconceptions about farm emissions.

The February 24 workshop, ‘Take Charge of Your Farm’s Future: Measure, Manage, and Maximise’, is from 10am-2pm and includes lunch.

Ms Bant has both a practical and education-based understanding of carbon emissions tools and farm planning through her farm being part of an Agriculture Victoria on-farm emissions action plan pilot project. She has also completed a Melbourne University Carbon Neutral Agriculture short course and organised a series of carbon emissions events over the past year.

Mr Buzza grew up on a dairy farm and worked in irrigated horticulture before transferring to the Agriculture Victoria grains team. He has a strong background in soil science and plant nutrition and is highly skilled in digital technology.

The workshop will include:

• Step-by-step guidance to enter individual farm data into an emissions calculator.
• Baseline measurement of each farm’s total carbon emissions and emission intensity.
• Identifying practical opportunities to reduce emissions and sequester carbon without compromising productivity.

Both events are free and registrations are essential.

• Register for February 16 Dr Cass Schefe webinar
• Register for February 24 workshop at Wimmera CMA in Horsham

Wimmera CMA is presenting the two February events in partnership with Agriculture Victoria and Landcare Victoria, as part of the Carbon Farming Outreach Program funded by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The program aims to support farmers and land managers in accessing accurate and independent information about reducing farm emissions, accounting and markets.