Applications for UNCLE TOBYS Scholarship and John Hanrahan Scholarship close 30 September. 

Transforming Regions Development Program – Operational planning & processes, 18 September

The Paperless Office Workshops – 17 & 24 September

Riverine Plains is hosting a two-part Paperless Office workshop series for people employed in farming and regional businesses.

Dates:    Thursday 17 September (Session 1) & Thursday 24 September (Session 2)
Time:     9.30am – 12.30pm
How:     Online via Zoom. To register, please click here

The Paperless Office workshop series will be delivered over 2 online sessions and will cover:

  • Current filing and document management systems
  • Paperless Office: Receiving information, saving and storing information, linking document
    management and accounting systems.
  • Online Programs.
  • Where is the future of online going?
  • Selecting the right option for you.
  • Reading financial statements.

These free workshops involve both theory and practical demonstrations and will be presented by Bernie McKenzie and Ben Clurey, Belmores Chartered Accountants.

For more information, please download the RP Paperless Office Workshop Flyer September 2020 or contact Fiona Hart, Riverine Plains, on 0407 919 842 or email Fiona Hart at info@riverineplains.org.au

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Drought Communities Program, in conjunction with Federation Council.

Transforming Regions Mindsets, Skills, Businesses: Benchmarking – 11 September

Inaugural CEO position

Cover/Intercropping Virtual Field Day – 8 September

Riverine Plains is hosting a virtual field day for grain growers looking to learn more about increasing crop diversity in their farming systems on Tuesday 8 September, 2020, from 9:00-9:30am.

Increasing the diversity of crop species can have positive benefits on soil health compared to monocultures, or where break crops are used minimally, with summer cover cropping, green/brown manuring, intercropping or companion cropping all providing opportunities to increase species diversity at different points in the rotation.

To look at this in more detail, a long-term trial site has been established by Riverine Plains Inc at Burramine, Victoria, to examine how more diverse rotations can impact soil function and winter crop yields, as well as profitability.

The virtual field day aims to introduce growers to the benefits of increasing diversity in their systems and  also features a virtual tour of the trial site. Speakers include;

Jane McInnes (Riverine Plains Inc)
Dr Cassandra Schefe (AgriSci): Increasing diversity in cropping systems, site and project overview
Professor Terry Rose (Southern Cross University): Results from 2019
Nathan Lawless (Burramine): Benefits to farmers
Brendan Christy (Agriculture Victoria): Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial (also sown at the
site) 

For more information, please download the Virtual Cover Cropping Field Day (Burramine) Flyer 2020, contact Riverine Plains Inc Project Officer Jane McInnes on 03 5744 1713 or email jane@riverineplains.org.au.

To register for this event, please click here.

To download the Riverine Plains Field Day notes on Increasing diversity in cropping systems, please click here.

To download the Agriculture Victoria Field Day notes on the Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial please click here.

This trial is part of the Plant-based solutions to improve soil performance through rhizosphere modification project, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) and led by Southern Cross University. This project is supported by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s ‘From the Ground Up’ program through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

The Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial is funded by the Victorian Grains Innovation Partnership with  Agriculture Victoria and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Cover & Intercropping Virtual Field Day, 8 September

1 September, 2020

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Cover Cropping/Intercropping field day goes virtual

Riverine Plains is hosting a virtual field day for grain growers looking to learn more about increasing crop diversity in their farming systems on Tuesday 8 September, 2020.

Riverine Plains Project Officer, Jane McInnes, explained that increasing the diversity of crop rotations can have positive benefits on soil health compared to monocultures, or where break crops are used minimally.

“In this region, we tend to rely fairly heavily on the canola – cereal rotation, with legumes often used sparingly, or not at all” said Jane.

“Summer cover cropping, green or brown manuring, intercropping and companion cropping can all provide opportunities to increase species diversity by introducing legumes or other crop species at different points in the rotation” she said.

To look at this in more detail, a long-term trial site has been established by Riverine Plains Inc at Burramine in Victoria to examine how more diverse rotations can impact soil function and winter crop yields, as well as profitability. The trial is supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) and led by Southern Cross University, with support from the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s ‘From the Ground Up’ program, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

An in-person field day was originally planned to show growers and advisors the work being done at the site, but COVID has meant that this has been moved online, with the virtual field day to be held via Zoom on Tuesday 8 September, 2020 (9:00-9:30am).

The virtual field day aims to introduce growers to the benefits of increasing diversity in their systems and will also feature a virtual tour of the site. Speakers include Nathan Lawless (trial host), Terry Rose (Southern Cross University) Dr Cassandra Schefe (AgriSci) and Jane McInnes (Riverine Plains). Brendan Christy (Agriculture Victoria) will also speak on the GRDC and Agriculture Victoria  Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit trial also sown at the site.

“With good rainfall to date, the trial site is currently looking fantastic and there’s lots to see, so we’d love for growers to grab a coffee and join us for this session” concluded Jane.

For more information, or to register, please visit www.riverineplains.org.au or contact Riverine Plains Inc Project Officer Jane McInnes on 03 5744 1713 or email jane@riverineplains.org.au.

Riverine Plains Inc is an independent farming systems group specialising in farmer driven research and extension across north-east Victoria and southern New South Wales. For more information, or to become a member, please visit www.riverineplains.org.au

….ends………………

More Information or Interview:

Jane McInnes, Riverine Plains Inc (03 5744 1713)