Planting season is in full swing, so it’s worth looking back at what we’ve achieved in winters past. Since 2020, 232 sheep, beef and dairy farmers across the south west and south coast have planted more than 260,000 seedlings and 20 kg of native seed along waterways on their farms. … Read More
Making mooves
The Dairy for Healthy Estuaries project aims to improve nutrient management on WA dairy farms. Four years into Healthy Estuaries WA, it’s a good time to share what we’ve learned and showcase our progress in effluent management. Catching up to Code More than half of south-west WA’s dairy farms have, … Read More
Regenerating Runnymede farm
A special soil renovation is in progress at Runnymede Farm, a beef and egg farm on the Swan Coastal Plain. Healthy Estuaries WA is working with farmer Blythe Calnan to explore using new technology the ‘SOILKEE Renovator’ to improve soil health and nutrient cycling. Our goal is to keep nutrients … Read More
Soil health workshop success across all catchment areas
Nearly one hundred farmers participated in soil health workshops delivered for the first time as part of Healthy Estuaries WA. Farmers wanted more holistic soil health information to build on the farm-specific soil fertility and nutrient management information they receive as part of our soil testing program. Improving soil health … Read More
Exploring dairy effluent management systems for healthier estuaries
Our Dairy for Healthy Estuaries project recently hosted visits to two dairy farms. Planning and environmental health officers from local governments visited the farms to observe best practice in the protection of waterways. Project officer Niamh Rayne says that best-practice effluent management on dairy farms helps to protect downstream waterways … Read More
‘Brown gold’: best-practice effluent management for WA dairy farmers
Nutrient-rich manure (otherwise known as effluent) from dairy cows is a valuable resource to farmers. Through the Dairy for Healthy Estuaries project, Western Dairy and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the department) have been working together to improve dairy effluent management in Western Australia (WA) and protect waterways. … Read More
Farmers and local governments growing confident in managing dairy effluent
Sustainable development within the dairy industry is top of mind for the Dairy for Healthy Estuaries team which has been working with local governments in the dairying regions of Western Australia (WA). When dairy farms are upgrading or building infrastructure, it is an opportunity to make sure dairy effluent does … Read More
Clay trial reduces phosphorus to prevent algal growth
Recent trials of phosphorus-binding clay in the Peel–Harvey estuary catchment have successfully reduced the amount of phosphorus available for algal growth.
Farmers across south-west WA are soil test ready
We have had a record turnout at the DIY (do-it-yourself) soil sampling workshops held in eight catchments across south-west Western Australia (WA) this November. A total of nine training sessions brought together 190 landholders to learn how to gather soil samples from their own paddocks. This year, for the first … Read More
Getting to the root of soil health and improving production
Recent workshops held with agroecologist Mark Tupman and farmers around south-west Western Australia dug a little deeper into soil fertility. These sessions, supported by our Soil Wise program, examined the fundamentals of soil health and plant nutrition. There has been a demand for practical strategies for farmers that can lower … Read More