Mary Valley Small farm field day - 27 October Riversdale Rd Kandanga Qld Australia

Discussion in 'Jobs, projects, courses, training, WWOOFing, volun' started by Steve Burgess, Oct 6, 2013.

  1. Steve Burgess

    Steve Burgess Junior Member

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    This could be of interest to people with a permaculture bent, in the vicinity of the Mary Valley, Qld.

    The newly formed Mary Valley Country Harvest cooperative is holding a small farm field day on the 27th October, at Riversdale Rd. (near Kandanga). Many new landholders are moving into this area as properties originally purchased for the Traveston Crossing dam are being sold back into private ownership, and many existing farming operations are also changing hands. The purpose of this day is for people to meet each other and make contact with some of the organizations that may be of assistance with working out how to best manage a small property in this area. The day includes 4 farm walks with very experienced local experts each casting a critical eye over the various characteristics of different parts of this property, from a horticulture, grazing, forestry and nature conservation perspective. The idea is to help new people to get a feel for the local landscape, soils, climate and land management issues, and help them plug into some social networks that will help them make better farming and land management decisions on their new properties.

    Along with groups like Landcare, and the industry groups from beef, farm forestry, beekeepers and the horticultural industries, the day also presents an opportunity for local permaculture thinkers and doers to meet and possibly make contact with new people moving into the area.

    The Mary Valley Country Harvest Co-op has grown out of the group of local growers that have been associated with the Dagun markets for the last couple of years. We have formalized the 'business' dealings of the way growers have been cooperating, and have started working pretty closely with families and consumers on the nearby Sunshine Coast to get produce from our gardens and small farming enterprises in the Mary Valley into the households of the urban strip just to the east of us, in the most direct fashion. We definitely want to encourage new growers to come on board and help build a resilient network of food producers in this area.

    The first farm walk starts at 9.30 am, and the day finishes at 4 pm we are asking for a $5 contribution per person to help cover some of the costs. Food and drink will be available, or you can bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the beautiful Mary Valley scenery. Access to the event will be signposted from the Mary Valley Rd at the Riversdale Rd intersection. Contact 5484 3749 for more details.
     
  2. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Put me down as a possibility and bumping this thread for anyone else who missed it.
     
  3. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Hello All,

    Thought I may give an unprofessional recap of the Mary Valley Country Harvest Cooperative's "WHAT'S THE BEST WAY to FARM MY PROPERTY? Integrated property management for new and intending landholders” Day on the 27th.

    Held beyond Kandanga on Riversdale Rd, Peter and Bronwyn McAdam have bought a 77ha property for a Horse and Buggy interest:

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    Made up of insane-looking horses:

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    with a nice overview of the Valley:

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    Firstly, Peter and Bronwyn explained their purchase, the history of the property (previous owner mined gravel, sand, sold top soil and cut down trees for fenceposts) and launched into the Nature Conservation part of the day. Almost 50% of the property has some sort of tree cover with some "remnants" of previously logged bush still remaining:

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    Covered the basics of why conserve, the dangers of fragmentation (insurmountable distances of certain animals/birds) and the benefit of inter-property connectivity, the importance of remnant and significant trees (every significant tree saved is a significant victory), how to consider habitat edge and the animals/birds edge it favours, why integrate conservation with the property's intended purpose and how there is a broad public benefit in nature conservation. After, we walked into a remnant section and checked out the local species of plants:

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    Even dead significant trees can house significant habitat. This is apparently a Wedge-tailed Eagle's nest on the property:

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    Next talk was Paul O’Hare, an Extension Horticulturalist (DAFF) talking about how, why and where to buy a property for commercial horticulture:

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    A basic soil testing run through revealed over 80cm (hadn't reached bottom) of very good loam on a Eastern slope, one of the horse paddocks:

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    A old DPI book was recommended for this course, "Buying the farm for horticulture: site it right".

    Photos of a handout which is related:

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    Next up was Tom Kendall (and Zaia in the background) from PRI Sunshine Coast/Permaculture Noosa talking about permaculture in the small farm setting. If you look closely, you can see a swale on the whiteboard. Tom has a 30 acre property in Kin Kin, 10 acres for farming and courses:

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    Following Tom was Graeme Elphinstone, from the Principal Extension Office (DAFF) on Grazing. This guy really knows his stuff and was interesting to listen to:

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    He had us rating a south-facing paddock on the property, what species of grass and legume to look for and allaying farmer's fears about Scotch Thistle. I have the whole handout in photo form so if anyone is interested in grazing, don't hesitate to ask and I will provide:

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    A short adjunct was small-scale farm equipment held by a gentleman whose name I can't remember (sorry!), talking about advancements in drip watering and low pressure sprinklers, the cheapening of outlay prices and how you can get away with doing it cheaper where possible. In the photo is a trickle tape:

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    Another gentleman brought an Italian-designed piece of farm machinery. Worth about $10K+, and with many attachments including a mower flail deck running off the PTO, this little hoe'r was put through its paces:

    [​IMG]

    I have a video of this in action if anyone is interested.

    Finally, Farm Forestry with Ernie Rider from Gympie Landcare. Species, spacings (generally 3 x 3), planting methods, fertilising, pruning, thinning, local services to help with milling (Private Forestry Services QLD) and a run through the bush. Ernie can ID almost every plant he is presented with which he credits to 50 years in the industry:

    [​IMG]


    Overall, a pleasant day and not bad for the first of its kind in the Mary Valley. Besides what I've pictured here, there were plants on sale, infographics on tending and encouraging native bees, which weeds to whack, a buggy display, rural fire equipment display, Bendigo Bank display and a small Pig display. Food was provided by the local school.

    Sorry for the lack of detail, writing things like this is NOT my day job.

    Cheers,

    Me.
     
  4. matto

    matto Junior Member

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    Looks like it was a good day! Sounds like the Co-op is a great intiatiative. Do they have plans to continute this, I wonder what other things the co-op is useful for. Cheers for the report!
     
  5. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Here is a small article about the driver behind it:

    https://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/farmers-plan-co-op/1974237/

    The website:

    https://www.maryvalleycountry.com.au/mary-valley-country-flavours

    There are other groups involved with the Mary Valley, many inter-related. Small beginnings I'd gather, unless beef and dairy are the main focus as that's what the majority of the Mary Valley is.

    I haven't been to any of the meetings, besides the Farm Day, so if you need any further info, I could find it out.

    Catchment website:

    https://www.mrccc.org.au/
     
  6. Steve Burgess

    Steve Burgess Junior Member

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    Thanks S.O.P. for the excellent write-up. (Thanks also for calling me a gentleman.)

    Part of the driver for the creation of the co-op is the collapse of agriculture and horticulture and associated social and economic activity in the Mary Valley triggered in part by the massive land buyout and social collapse caused by the failed Traveston Crossing Dam project. The subsequent resettlement and repurchase of this landscape now offers an opportunity for re-starting agriculture , horticulture and associated social and economic institutions in a way that learns from the past and looks to the future, with a mix of old and new people within a new economic climate. While there is a fair bit of effort going into re-instating some 'traditional' commodity agriculture in the Valley, there is also an opportunity for setting up a different type of food network based on direct supply of fresh food to people on the Sunshine Coast. This is the main activity of the Mary Valley Country Harvest cooperative, a group of growers ranging from micro to small scale working together to grow and supply food into that small fraction of the (large) consumer market who are interested in where their food comes from and how it is grown.

    We have built up some good links with a number of food buying co ops and groups on the Sunshine Coast and are really looking to support new growers, no matter how small and inexperienced they are at the start (hence this field day being the first public event run by the co-op). Next on the list is a 2 day technical summer school for new growers in January
    foll a series of monthly farm walks. At present our current growers are flat out working to maintain a weekly supply of fresh produce through the difficult hot-dry seasonal conditions of November and December and getting new gardens created to meet the increased demand for produce next year.

    We were very lucky to have presenters at the field day who had so much detailed first-hand experience in this part of the world, they represented almost the last gasp from a forgotten time when Australian and state governments actively supported first class agricultural research and extension. I hope that the co-op will be able to continue to tap into these people's wisdom in their retirement. The coops website will be up and running by the end of the year, and all the resources and presentation from the field days and summer school will be available on-line
     
  7. helenlee

    helenlee Junior Member

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    Wow! Fantastic photos ... Thank you for posting them :) (I have serious photo posting envy here!) They make it almost as good as having been there in person :)
    Looks like a great day out for those who attended.
    I've recently been toying with the idea of moving up there. I was born & raised in Maryborough & my elderly mother still lives there & it would be good for me to be a bit closer to home. I was thinking about the Mary Valley & wondering what was going on up there as far as sustainable living - & now I know :)
    Thanks for sharing guys :)
     
  8. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Great round up. And nice to see Tom spreading the word on Permaculture.
     
  9. Shell

    Shell Junior Member

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    OH no I missed it. Wish I had known about this amazing get together of knowledge! Steve Burgess, I am one of the new owners of a traveston dam property in Kandanga. I'd love to get connected. I was not able to PM you. Please could you keep me posted on any other meetings. Cheers, Shell
     
  10. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I've PM'd him just to make sure.

    More events are definitely coming up.
     
  11. Shell

    Shell Junior Member

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    Awesome, Thanks S.O.P!
     
  12. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Tom Kendall is worth getting in touch with too. Kin Kin. You could learn a lot from a farm tour at his place and if you want someone to take a look at your place and do a design he's the bloke to do it.
     

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