This is the August newsletter for CWLL Members - please click to view this email in your browser for more detail.

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RURAL MEMBERS, THIS PROGRAM IS BEING OUTLAID FOR YOU!

As part of Central West Lachlan Landcare’s (CWLL) commitment to improving soil health in our area, we are commencing the Rebalancing our Landscape (ROL) program that we will be outlaying over the next two years for members who would like to make changes on ground.

This program will include free or discounted workshops on a range of soil health related activities and testing that we hope you will be able to use on your property and give us some feedback on whether you have made changes as a result of learning more information. We are keen to work with a group of our members that would like to be involved.

To kick off the soil health related activities, CWLL have the opportunity to be involved in the Compost On The Farm workshop on Tuesday, 23 August. More information below.

Following on from this workshop, for members who join our ROL group, we will also be offering major discounts to attend the Stipa Conference on 4 November with guest speaker, Gabe Brown, who is a leading grazing and cover cropping farmer from the US.

Want to learn more about Gabe? Click here. This link is to a 15 minute TedX presentation.

If you would like to be part of the ROL group, contact Marg ASAP on 6862 4914 or email cwllpo@hotmail.com

COMPOST ON THE FARM WORKSHOP
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
FREE EVENT | INCLUDES MORNING TEA AND LUNCH | FREE & DISCOUNTED COMPOST TO ATTENDEES | FREE MICROBIAL BASELINE SOIL TESTING

To kick off the soil health related activities, CWLL have the opportunity to be involved in the Compost On The Farm workshop this month.

We are offering attendees free or discounted microbial soil testing if they take up the discount compost offer that is being offered to participants – value-adding to the workshop! Gotta love it!

ANL supply a trial sized amount to attendees for free and offer 25% discount to landholders who would like to apply a larger amount to their properties.

The workshop will be held at the Bedgerabong Showground on Tuesday, 23 August and includes morning tea and lunch.

Holding the workshop at Bedgerabong allows the opportunity to see some of the on-ground benefits of the compost at the property of Darren Collier and attendees can speak with him and consultants about application methods, ratios etc. Speakers will also include Roger Crisp from ANL, Virginia Brunton, Organics Consultant from MRA Consulting and Guy Webb from Agriwest.

Click here for a copy of the flyer.

To book your spot at the Compost On The Farm Workshop RSVP to Marg on 6862 4914 or email cwllpo@hotmail.com

Thank you to everyone involved in our National Tree Day activities in July

We were thrilled to have over 600 people involved in our National Tree Day activities at the end of July, commencing with Schools Eco Day on Thursday at the Central West Livestock Exchange where we were joined by student representatives from years 5 and 6 attending Parkes and Forbes Shire schools.

Thursday, 29 July saw approximately 500 student, teachers and carers from Forbes Schools and Pre-schools join us for Schools Tree Day planting at Angus Clarke Drive with the support of Forbes Shire Council.

Forbes and Parkes National Tree Day events were held on Saturday and Sunday, 30 and 31 July with community members joining us for tree planting activities at Angus Clarke Drive, continuing from the Schools Tree Day planting and at the Parkes Shire Council 20 Million Trees site near the Parkes Waste Depot. We were fortunate to have gorgeous weather for both days and some follow up rain!

NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION OF LACHLAN VALLEY BRANCH
Spring Outings and Events
Wednesday 31^st August: Black Range, West Cookies Plains NP. Meet Bushman’s Dam 0900. Medium (6km). Leader: Peter Cannon on 6866 1225.
Wednesday 7^th September: “Orana” Eugowra Road. Meet at Gate 0900.
Medium (6km). Leader: Andy Tom on 6862 2536.
Sunday 18^th September: Wombin State Forest. Meet Bushman’s Dam 0900.
Easy (6km) Leader: Martin Bell 0429 346 586.
Wednesday 28^th September: Cookamidgera NP. Meet at Park gate. 0900.
Medium (6km). Leader: Peter Cannon. 6866 1225.
Saturday 15^th October: Gunning Gap NP. Meet at Forbes Railway Station 0915.
Easy (5km). Leader: Peter Cannon on 6866 1225.
Wednesday 26^th October: Conimbla NP “Wallaby Track”. Meet Gooloogong Rest Area 0915. Medium (7km). Leader: Graeme and Liz McCraild on 0455 915 989.

Note: NPA Lachlan Valley Branch AGM: Wednesday 5 October 2016. Phone Martin on 0429 346 586 for information.

All walks are subject to there being no adverse RFS fire warnings at the time and no closure of the relevant State Forest due to Hunting Permits etc.

Walkers are reminded to bring along enough food and water for the entire day as well as suitable clothing, footwear, hat and sunscreen. A pair of good binoculars and a fold up chair is recommended. Please contact the listed walk leader the night before the walk if you intend to come. A $2.00 donation for each walker is appreciated.

Are you interested in learning more about direct seeding for trees? Greening Australia are assisting Parkes Shire Council to direct seeding a portion of their 20 Million Trees Project on Monday, 22 August. If you are interested in finding out more, contact Marg on 6862 4914 or email cwllpo@hotmail.com

I have been approached by a PhD researcher in the AgLaw School of the University of New England.

She will be presenting a paper at a February 2017 UNE Conference on big data and land stewardship. This is her overview:

Big Data in Agriculture - what is it? What is the potential and what are the pitfalls? Your chance to have your say. Gina Wood, a PhD researcher at the School of Law in the University of New England, is running a survey “Big Data in Primary Production - What Do Farmers Know and Not Know, Do and Not Do, Concerning Farm Data in Australia?" to find out what farmers think about Big Data and related technologies - is it a powerful tool to help farmers or more empty promises and hyped-up words? A means to improve productivity or a step towards dependency on suppliers? A way to make better decisions on farm or a loss of control? Make sure you participate in this anonymous online 15-minute questionnaire whether you are familiar with "Big Data" or know nothing about it. Your answers are vital in helping to determine how Big Data and its associated technologies can be best put to use for the benefit of primary producers in Australia.

Ms Wood will use the survey answers to quantify the level of understanding and use of Big Data in primary production amongst farmers. Participants must be over 18 years old, proficient in written English (no translation is available), and the owner or farm manager of an operation with at least 50% of revenues from primary production in any primary production sector (e.g. not B&B or farm-stay). No understanding of Big Data is necessary to complete the survey. (UNE Ethics Committee Approval #HE16-125, valid to 06/06/2017).

Remember that memberships can be renewed via EFT. Go to our website.