Southwest farmers are still reeling from drought. Landcare says its new program can help.

Southwest Victorian farmers are being urged to rethink land management, with the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network launching a program to provide funding, materials and advice for regenerative agriculture and revegetation.

Senior Landcare facilitator Geoff Rollinson told the Brolga the program aims to help farmers adapt to a changing climate. 

📓What’s in a program? The program supports two main approaches: 

• Revegetation to provide shelter for stock and protect soil along waterways. 

• Multispecies pastures, which combine 10 to 16 plant species with deeper roots to improve soil moisture, boost pasture growth, and activate soil biology. 

Farmers can access funding through grants from WCLN for seedlings, direct seeding and fencing, as well as guidance on species selection and site preparation.

☀️Hotter conditions in the years to come: Rollinson said climate modelling shows southwest Victoria is likely to experience hotter, drier conditions in coming decades, with more frequent droughts. 

The Victorian government’s Climate Science Report 2024 warns the state faces increasing heatwaves, droughts and bushfires, driven by rising temperatures, declining winter rainfall and drier soils. 

🗣️ “Revegetation slows evaporation, keeps pastures warmer in winter, and increases soil carbon - all benefits farmers should be chasing as conditions change,” said Rollinson.

🌵Previous droughts still leave their mark: For Panmure beef farmer and large-animal vet Stephen Warth, the impact of the recent drought is still front of mind. His family’s 60-acre property was left bare during the dry spell.

“Drought hasn’t been fun. Probably 50 percent of the farm barely grew a blade of grass for a while. Even after it started raining, the pasture base had died,” Warth told the Brolga. 

“We’ve spent more than normal on feed, with cows thinner than they should’ve been coming into calving. There’ll be consequences for conception rates next year.”

He said fire was another major risk, with summer biomass leaving little buffer. 

“If a fire came through, you’ve got no hay or silage reserves. Biomass is an issue, and it’s hard to know how to manage that risk.”

Warth has been shifting from ryegrass to multispecies pastures, which he says improves animal health and gives the farm a better chance of holding green feed year-round. 

“The biggest short-term benefit for us has been diversity. We’re heading into spring and hopefully summer in a good position, with less need to buy supplementary feed if the rain holds,” he said. 

“We’re doing everything we can to be ready to take advantage of whatever falls from the sky.”

Expressions of interest for the LandLife program close September 30, with details available from Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network.

Image: Stephen with son Hughie, 3, and Freddie, 15 weeks.