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The Barossa Valley region in South Australia has a strong history of local producer groups in the sheep, dairy and beef industries.

Although the Angaston Agricultural Bureau had links with all these industries, there was no organised avenue for farmers from the different industries to get together to share information, ideas and approaches.

BIGG has won a $5000 community action grant for a new project, ‘Livestock grazing management in Barossa Valley vineyards’, funded by Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges.

The project will work with the Barossa Grape & Wine Association to quantify the level of livestock grazing in vineyards, understand the barriers to grazing adoption, and promote the natural resources management and productivity benefits of the practice.

ACCURATE identification is the first step towards improving native grass populations in pastures, according to native grass expert Millie \’Nicholls, Brinkworth. Ms Nicholls helped Barossa graziers develop their identification skills at a field day in Keyneton last month, visiting properties affected by the damaging Eden Valley fires. She said the field day was timed to make it easy to spot the often elusive native grass species.

A field day hosted by the Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG) last week educated Barossa Valley producers on identification and management of native grasses and the role they plan in native pasture production systems.

The Barossa Improved Grazing Group (BIGG) held its final pasture walk for its Barossa Pasture Challenge Project on September 19 where various award winners were announced, with the top honour going to Anthony and Chris Steinert, representing the Angaston Ag Bureau.

The pasture paddocks in the Barossa Improved Grazing Group’s Pasture Challenge Project will be judged during an upcoming pasture walk on Friday, September 19.

An Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Board grant in 2012 to encourage primary producers to improve pasture productivity has grown into an ongoing commitment to sustainable pasture and resource management in the Barossa.

LambEx 2014 at the Adelaide Showgrounds attracted over 25 local Angaston Ag Bureau and BIGG members, family members, young local producers and agricultural professionals during 9-11th July 2014.

The use of soil moisture monitoring technology is becoming more common in cropping operations and almost standard in viticulture but remains an unexplored frontier in grazing systems.

A group of Barossa Valley graziers and mixed farmers believe the technology could bring major benefits to their pasture management systems.

In 2014 BIGG was awarded the Ag Excellence Alliance Sustainability Award by its peers (sponsored by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources) as ‘an outstanding locally based grower group for its achievements in delivering greater NRM outcomes’. We received $2,000 for the award which we used to help develop our current strategic plan.