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BCG Drought Initiatives

With support from the Victorian State Government and various other sources, BCG has designed and developed a number of drought support initiatives during 2005-2008.

Drought support and assistance links

Department of Primary Industries
Guide to services in Victoria (pdf)

Drought support programs and assistance available in the Lodden Mallee Region
Loddon Mallee Drought Support (pdf)

For information on the the Victorian Governments Drought Assistance Initiative
 'On Farm Productivity Improvement Grants'.

Victorian Government Drought Reflief Initiatives (available in pdf)

• Rebate for Fixed Water Charges
• On Farm Productivity Improvement Grants
• Business Transitioning Program
• Planning for Change Incentive
• Counselling Services
• Rural Skills Connect Initiative
• Drought Apprenticeship Retention Bonus
• Small Towns Development Fund
• Emergency Volunteer Support Framework
• Sustaining Community Wellbeing
• Local Government Drought Coordinator Program 
• Providing Support to Industry Development Organisations
• Mental Health Early Intervention Teams
• Drought Relief Tourism Marketing Campaigns

For information about buying or selling hay go to the VFF's webpage for Drought Support
or contact them in person on 1300 882 833. The website also now has a specific hay exchange forum page with hay listings.

Don't forget about the Water Tank Rebate Eligibility details and FAQ

Drought Personal Support Line

Additional counsellors to support rural people through drought have been provided through community health and family services across the worst drought affected regions in Victoria. They can visit you at home, at a local coffee shop, or you can visit them. They are people with an understanding of rural issues as well as the stresses that can be associated. You can talk to them 24 hours a day in confidence about anything that you might be concerned with or they can can give you contact information for local services.  If you want to know more contact the Drought Personal Support Line on 1300 655 969.

VFF Drought Contact Flyer

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has prepared a flyer as a handy contact list for farmers needing assistance during the drought. The one page flyer can be printed off and kept on the fridge for easy reference. Click here to download the flyer

Financial Forums

On Wednesday 10 December and Thursday 11 December 2008, BCG held two very successful financial forums at Wycheproof and Warracknabeal. Attended by over 160 farmers, the half day forums provided the opportunity for farmers to discuss key issues relating to planning for the 2009 season. Financial borrowing strategies, budgets, interest rates, herbicide and fertiliser prices, were all very topical issues given the region has once again been affected by severe drought.

Planning Guide for farmers with limited finances

In early 2008, the ‘GRDC 2008 Planning Guide for Low-Risk Farming’ was distributed throughout south eastern Australia to help farmers work their way through a decision-making process that was intended to lead to the best possible outcomes for the 2008 cropping season. However, since that booklet was released, another major drought has hit many of the cropping districts of southern Australia. This has meant that the financial and emotional fabric of many farms has been further eroded, in many cases to the point where survival is now the issue. These guidelines have been developed from the 2008 version but have been tailored specifically for those businesses which have very limited finances to fund a program for 2009. Read the 2009 Planning Guide for farmers with limited finances (PDF - 365KB).

Stock Wise

As drought continues to impact on the productivity and profitability of the Australian sheep and wool industry, two industry bodies have joined forces to help producers. Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) are helping producers to prepare, plan and take action with an initiative called Stock Wise. The online facility enables producers to quickly access the latest and most relevant information available.
AWI website link to Stockwise and MLA website link to Stockwise.

Understanding the current impact of drought on farming families in the Wimmera Mallee

Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) commissioned a project 'Understanding the current impact of drought on farming families in the Wimmera Mallee' investigating the effect of the drought on farming families in the Wimmera Southern Mallee region of western Victoria. The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of the impact of drought and other pressures upon farming families. It used in-depth and broad-scale empirical research conducted at the height of drought conditions in February 2007 to explore the pressures farmers and their families have been experiencing, how they have been responding, their concerns about the future and their attitude to current drought assistance measures. Trained local interviewers conducted two-hour interviews with sixty randomly selected farmers and their families. These interviews were fully transcribed and analysed for key themes. Find out more...

Superannuation Forum

On Wednesday 18 April 2007, BCG held a Superannuation Forum in conjunction with Noel Meney from Poole & Associates, Swan Hill, and Joe Cadzow from Genesys Wealth Advisors, Swan Hill. The Forum was funded by the Make it Happen in Provincial Victoria campaign. Over 60 people came to the Birchip Leisure Centre to hear what the new superannuation rules (coming into effect from the 1July this year) mean for farmers and farm businesses. Read more...

BCG ‘Over the Fence’ 2005 & 2006

Knowing what other farmers are up to can restore confidence and help relieve anxiety. For this reason, BCG developed a new initiative – a way of solving practical problems, sharing ideas, providing support validating everyday decisions and reducing the feelings of isolation. We called it ‘Over the Fence’.

Throughout the 2006 growing season, once a week for fifteen weeks, three different farmers across the Wimmera and Mallee were asked to share their thoughts on a range of issues affecting their business and day-to-day operations.

The series of set topics were identified by local farmers, and addressed current issues on which they were seeking clarification or help, such as decisions around dry sowing, new technologies, brome grass control, farm management deposits and communication.

The 2006 Over the Fence series was published in The Weekly Times and 17 regional newspapers.

BCG launched Over the Fence in the 2005 growing season, when it was published in The Weekly Times and 14 regional newspapers. It quickly became a weekly talking and reference point for regional farmers and community members.

Previous articles are available for download:

Friends for Life

At the end of the Over the Fence series in 2006, the 49 participants in the series were invited with their partners to be formally honoured with last year's Over the Fence participants, representatives of DPI, The Weekly Times, the 17 regional newspapers, and staff and committee members of BCG at the 2006 Friends for Life dinner. Those present thoroughly enjoyed the discussions about different farming practices, challenges and positive experiences. Networks were established between farmers from different regions and they each received a booklet containing the complete 2006 Over the Fence series and contact details for each of the participants. The social evening enabled the development of life-long friendships. 

The same event was held in 2005, when the 52 farmers involved and their partners were invited to be formally honoured with representatives of DPI, The Weekly Times, the 14 regional newspapers involved, and staff and committee members of BCG at the 2005 Friends for Life dinner. The evening was most enjoyable. Participants and supporters enjoyed meeting and socialising. Everyone was given a compilation of the 2005 Over the Fence series, enabling them to read and enjoy the series from start to finish and access contact details for each of the participants.

Website Forum

In conjunction with the Over the Fence newspaper articles, BCG established a web forum where farmers could go online and add their own thoughts to those already published in the local newspapers. This also allowed the series to be read more widely than the readership of the 18 newspapers involved.

The online forum facilitated interaction and empowered decision-making processes and continues at http://www.bcg.org.au/forum/.

Radio programs ‘With the Grain’ and ‘Communities under pressure’

The broader community is generally unaware of the complexities of farming. The objectives of the radio programs were to disseminate agronomic information to the wider community, to openly discuss a range of agronomic topics ‘on-air’ and to raise the profile of farming and the issues and complexities associated with it.

BCG developed two radio concepts with ABC Victoria and ABC Bush Telegraph. Local farmer and Buloke Shire Councillor, Robyn Ferrier, co-hosted and featured on ‘Communities Under Pressure’ an ABC Victoria radio program running from August to December 2005.

In Bush Telegraph’s 2006 ‘With the Grain’ project, listeners went online to make decisions that would affect the yield, profitability and soil health of a paddock owned and managed by Mallee wheat farmer, John Ferrier. Making decisions however, wasn't made blindly. Bush Telegraph’s audience drew on the science of the CSIRO and the technology of BCG to employ an online dryland crop simulator called Yield Prophet. ‘With the Grain’ is accessible at http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/specials/withthegrain/.

Speaker Database

Some terrific speakers have attended BCG events over the last five years. To facilitate further access and information seeking, BCG has created a searchable database of speakers on the BCG website. People can search via topic, event or date to obtain contact details of experts and practitioners in particular fields, to contact the speakers for further information or to find a speaker for an event that they themselves are organising.

The BCG Speaker Database is available at http://www.bcg.org.au/speakers.php

Regional Yield Prophet^® forecasts

The BCG has in the past provided its members (as part of a funded project) a monthly summary of the most important forecasting models and tools that predict rainfall and crop yields across the differing soils and climates of the region.

The information summarises the results of different forecasting tools. Included is the BCG/CSIRO’s own Yield Prophet^® (YP) which is a simulation predictive probability model of yield, protein, moisture stress and nitrogen requirements. YP is commercially available to farmers across Australia on their farms in their particular paddocks which have their own particular soil type and rainfall.

A similar summary was published in regional newspapers during the 2006 growing season to help farmers to understand the probability of the decisions that are made on their farms.

Download the articles:

3 November 2006 Season summary 'El Nino forming now has no effect on 2007 rainfall and crop yields
8 September 2006 Seasonal update of BCG trial sites using Yield Prophet

Regional Forums with service providers

Four of these breakfast functions were held across the Wimmera and Mallee in August 2006. They were well-attended social occasions provided entertainment and the opportunity to access the many service providers present to offer help and support. These included banks, financial councilors, DPI staff, Agri-business representatives, social welfare providers, BCG staff and community groups.
Read a news article about the forums.

Risk management training workshops

During droughts every farmer at some time thinks about how to make some income from some other enterprise other than farming which relies on rainfall. Exploring the many possibilities for alternative incomes for farmers and their families should always be encouraged. The one opportunity that a drought provides is time to explore something other than farming. Gaining a new skill is an opportunity that can result from a drought.

One of these workshops was held in 2006 providing participants with a chance to hear a guest speaker discuss sheep feed issues and the opportunity to tour three local lamb feedlots to share ideas and experiences. Read a news article about the day.

Two financial forums entitled 'Drought - dealing with the financial ramifications' were held in Birchip and Horsham during December 2006. Over 150 people attended each forum and learnt lots of valuable lessons from the speakers present. View the 53-page toolkit booklet that was given out on the day. It contains papers from most of the speakers.

2005 BCG Grains Research Expo

Entry to the 2005 Expo was made FREE for the whole community. This alleviated some of the financial pressures and feelings of isolation felt by every farmer. Free family activities and a free breakfast was provided for participants, more exhibitors were attracted than previous years, and the conference program provided was engaging, stimulating and entertaining.

Read a news article about the 2005 BCG Grains Research Expo.

Other drought links

Read BCG's factsheet Cutting Crops for Hay (PDF - 1.73MB)  More information in relation to cutting for hay:

• What happens to hay when it heats (DPI Agriculture Note, PDF - 116KB)
• Haystack fires (DPI Agriculture Note, PDF - 181KB)
• Curing hay (AFIA publication, PDF - 706KB)

DPI Drought support and assistance contacts - list of government organisations, counselling services and other assistance services (includes contact names, phone numbers and website links).

Help for depression in rural areas - Beyondblue (the national depression initiative) have a section with a comprehensive list of phone numbers and websites that you may find helpful, including Centrelink, Relationships Australia and counselling services.

Centrelink Drought Assistance - access information, publications and application forms for help from the Australian Government.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australian Government Drought Assistance. The Australian Government is supporting drought-affected farmers and rural communities through income support, interest rate relief and free personal and financial counselling. Information regarding the New Drought Package, drought assistance to small business and latest Exceptional Circumstances areas/maps can be located on the DAFF website or on the Centrelink Drought Assistance Line on 13 23 16.

Rural Financial Counselling Service - Rural Financial Counsellors provide free, independent financial assessment for farming families and small rural businesses faced with difficult decisions. Your local Rural Financial Counsellor is trained to help you and your family identify and assess the various options available whilst adhering to the strictest of professional confidence.  Find a Rural Financial Counsellor close to you.

VFF has a new website (www.drought.org.au) for farmers affected by drought. Access information on all State and Federal Government assistance measures and information about community support services, an online discussion forum and place to exchange feed and employment needs.

depressioNet - information, help and support for people who have depression or are depressed.

Sea Lake Neighbourhood House (ph 03 5081 2240) put out a really great brochure called ‘Coping With Stress in Rural Communities’.

The Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) website has a section on drought resources. It contains publications such as:

• Feedling and managing sheep in dry times
• Managing sheep in droughtlots
• Managing fodder prices for droughts
• Which sheep do I keep?
• Planning for profit

Meat & Livestock Australia drought resources - market information and technical information about stock management in dry times. Australian Government Rural R&D Corporations Drought Portal - access practical tools and research results for dealing with drought. Pages on climate change, water use efficiency, pasture management and feeding livestock.

Drought Force is an Australian Government initiative that helps individual farms and farm communities that have been severely affected by drought. Drought Force aims to help farming properties with their workforce needs and to help keep the pool of farm labour from moving away from the region. Drought Force is part of the Work for the Dole programme. Download brochure Your guide to Drought Force

Free DVD for farmers - A free DVD called 'The Hard Yard' has been produced by the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, to encourage stressed farmers to seek help. The DVD shows farmers telling their stories about how they've managed tough times. The Hard Yard is a credible source of options, alternative strategies and avenues of support, direct from those with hands-on experience. It could be of value to those who do not readily seek out support.

If you have broadband, you can download and view The Hard Yard by going to www.dpi.vic.gov.au or you can order free copies of the DVD simply by calling 136 186.