PEER TO PEER LEARNING
Collective
wisdom a fount
of knowledge NORMANBY
BUNCH
An important component of LDC is to foster
peer groups in the BBB catchment that are self-
directed, and are supported by extension staff,
to help deliver skills and knowledge. Cattle feed represents a major
input cost for beef producers,
and proper nutrition is key to a
successful production system.
Graziers pay attention when another grazier is
sharing their real-world experience. LDC has engaged nutrition
consultant Jim Wade, of Wade
Agriculture Consultants, to
work with graziers in the BBB
catchment.
To be successful, peer groups require openness,
mutual respect for one another’s ideas, opinions
and suggestions, and confidentialit , even if
members don’t always agree.
In a peer group everything gets shared — what
works, what doesn’t and why. Trust is key.
If you’re going to get the secret sauce from
other land managers, you have to be able to
talk about just about anything in the group.
Projects undertaken by cluster groups are
crucial for LDC because they link to improved
quality of water that leaves the properties.
Remediation of erosion features, along with
improvements in grazing land management
and surface water management on-property
will reduce erosion and sediment entering local
waterways.
LDC has seven cluster groups:
• Scottville cluster - rehabilitating small-scale
erosion features.
• Normanby and Exmoor cluster groups
- improving grazing land management
activities.
• Bowen River cluster - trialling a variety of
weed management approaches.
• Eungella Rainforest Restoration cluster
- rehabilitating fi e-affected remnant
rainforest.
Two joint LDC-MLA cluster groups are being
established this year (2020):
16
• Joint LDC-MLA Regenerative Agriculture
Group - testing regenerative grazing
practices across a wide range of grazing
environments and commercial situations
and scale in the BBB.
• Joint LDC - MLA Weeds group - trialling
and promoting holistic approaches to
managing priority weeds.
Jim delivered a herd nutrition
workshop in Collinsville last
year, as part of the integrated
Grazier Support program, and
has also been supporting the
Normanby cluster group —
made up of five p operties:
Flagstone, Sutherland, Mount
Crompton, Shannonvale and
Normanby — to determine
how best to provide cattle with
a balanced diet all year round.
Jim is also helping graziers
to address fencing and water
infrastructure, and to balance
breeder numbers to increase
production while improving
ground cover to make sure
herds benefit during dry times.
“Paul and I have found the
cluster project invaluable.
Since moving to the area in
March (2018) from Central
Queensland, we have been
on a crash course on cattle
nutrition for the North.
Finding the right
supplement has taken a
considerable amount of
trial and error. Jim Wade’s
extraordinary wealth of
knowledge and ability to
simplify and translate, has
given us a stronger and
clearer understanding
of what our country’s
nutritional composition is
and the dietary needs of
our stock.
This has given us the
confidence to move
forward implementing
holistic planned grazing.”
Jo Travers, Sutherland
Jim Wade (left) with Rod and Julie Angus, Mt Crompton Station.