Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) are pleased to be hosting a workshop on Wednesday, 8 May with a focus on managing soils for climate and market change.

This is one workshop that I am thrilled to be able to deliver and am really excited by the initial response to the promotion of the workshops.

Are you still confused about how carbon can be retained in the soil? Do you know that it is important, but want to know how to get more? Does the whole climate change issue just leave you scratching your head?

This is the workshop for you! Bring your questions. Be prepared to learn and think outside the box! This one will get you thinking….or satisfy some of those looming questions.

We are fortunate to have guest speakers Guy Webb and Callen Thompson presenting the latest information on cover cropping, increasing soil carbon and climatic expectations moving forward.

This is not only an opportunity for local landholders and interested community members to learn more about the opportunities to increase soil carbon and look at the possibilities to adapt farming systems, but to gain a greater understanding of using these options to increase productivity and profitability.

These workshops are targeted at mixed farm producers to enable expansion of skills and knowledge needed to make objective decisions and implement technologies in farming systems to enable adaptation to changes in climate and markets. There is also a focus on improving traceability.

Guy Webb is and agronomist with Agriwest in Forbes and the Founding Director of Soil C Quest, a not for profit organisation that has been researching ways to empower farmers to draw down carbon, combining knowledge of microbiology and agricultural systems.

Guy will talk about options for cover cropping and ways to adapt enterprises to manage possible consequences of climate change. He will, of course, be talking about not just the Soil C Quest project, but the concept behind it, providing a depth of knowledge about the possibilities for carbon retention in our soils, enabling landholders to hold part of the solution to some of the climate change issues in their hands……literally.

Callen Thompson is a Senior Land Services Officer with Central West Local Land Services heading up their National Landcare Program project with a focus on assisting landholders to adapt their enterprise to meet the changing climatic conditions. This includes matching pasture and crop species and livestock requirements to feedbase capability.

He will provide information on farming systems and ways to build a decision making framework for improved production and sustainability to allow for greater scope to adapt to the ever-changing face of farming.

We are fortunate to be hosting two workshops, with the first being held at the Parkes Services Club between 12.30pm – 3pm and at the Forbes Services Club between 5pm – 7.30pm on Wednesday, 8 May. RSVP is essential to Marg on by Monday, 6 May on 0418 611 053 or cwllpo@hotmail.com

Book here for the Parkes Workshop.

Book here for the Forbes Workshop.

As I write this week’s article, the rain is still on the forecast and I hope that having the two times available, that this might provide a level of flexibility for attendance.

I also wanted to mention a couple of other fabulous workshops we have coming up. The first being on 21 and 22 May with a Focus on Ferals – Blue Heliotrope and Feral Pigs. Workshops to be held in Parkes on 21 May and Forbes on 22 May in conjunction with Central West Local Land Services and Parkes and Forbes Shire Council Weeds Officers.

More info will be available next week or via our website at centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @cwllandcare.

Until next week, happy Landcaring!