News

Earlier in the month (April 8) BIGG held an Autumn Pasture Walk, with attendees visiting out of season forage crops and also a centre pivot.

First stop of the pasture walk was John Tuesners at Keyneton, where last September John sowed a paddock of forage brassica (Leafmore). Between December-March, approximately 4.0t dry matter/ha was grown, which provided three separate grazings for his ewes and lambs. Even given the cost to establish the brassica, this level of production compares very favourably to feeding out a similar quality feed source such as vetch hay.

The key messages from the Grow 2021 Conference held by the Barossa Improved Grazing Group on Thursday 18th February were for farmers to stay positive, look at the great things happening in the livestock industry and make the most of the opportunities provided.

BIGG has released it’s annual report for 2020 highlighting the important work BIGG does for the local farming community. The report gives an overview of the current projects which include the two major ongoing BIGG projects, the containment ewe producer demonstration sites and the soil moisture monitoring and climate project.

The Barossa Improved Grazing Group celebrated the first year of the Incorporated Body at it’s second AGM on Friday 25th September at Wanera Wine Bar in Angaston. The evening was attended by over 20 producers who helped celebrate BIGG’s achievements which included the continuation of the MLA Producer Demonstration Site.

The increase in supplementary feeding ewes, over the last few dry seasons, has meant feeding in containment, has been an effective tool for managing pregnant ewes. It has the added benefits of maintaining ground cover and minimising energy wastage from sheep wandering around large, bare paddocks.

Forty-five farmers from across the Barossa, Mid North and Adelaide Hills attended the Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG) Containment Ewe Tour on Wednesday 4th March at various locations around the Barossa Valley.

The Barossa Improved Grazing Group has continued its growth, establishing itself as a trusted group within the farming community, by appointing a new Board at its first AGM as an incorporated body on Wednesday 18th September.

BIGG’s 4th annual conference, Thriving into the Future was held at the Nuriootpa Sports & Function Centre on Thursday 21 March 2019. Producers shared their experiences and strategies for coping with tough times, demonstrating a positive attitude and readiness to make necessary changes in their businesses.

LIVESTOCK producers are being encouraged to view their farming operations from a range of perspectives, including livestock, land, business and people, as part of a way to deal with challenging conditions.