The 3rd of 3 case studies created in collaboration between The University of New England and Visitors From Dreams.

Designing a project that makes meaningful impact on the way farmers manage pasture landscapes takes teamwork. In this video, the team that delivered the Drought Resilient Pasture Landscapes project on the northern tablelands of NSW discuss how they made it happen.

With the 2018-19 drought still fresh in farmers’ minds, the project used a combination of regular small-group coaching sessions held in the paddock, to develop knowledge and skills in pasture assessment, and how to incorporate localised climate forecasts from Ag360 (www.Ag360.com.au) into future stocking decisions to better prepare farmers for uncertain times ahead.

A critical element of the project was the ongoing support, which is often responsible for practice management change. Bringing together the components of production and sustainability was vitally important, and the UNE Aquatic Ecology team supported the project through collection and analysis of water samples from local waterways to better understand the links with pasture management and the provision of public good. A coaching manual was developed to capture the toolbox of skills and knowledge around pasture assessment, feed budgeting and using climate forecasts that combine to feed into better decision making.

This project was funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund – Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes (DRSL) Grants Program and hosted by the University of New England, with on-ground partners GLENRAC Inc, Southern New England Landcare Ltd, and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.