NRM South’s Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator (SAF) is a central contact point for farmers, landholders, industry, and community groups and supports farmers to adopt climate-smart, sustainable farm and land management practices.
Spring to autumn is a busy time in the SAF calendar and now that winter is here it’s the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on the past few months.
NRM South’s Land Program team continues to deliver on-ground support for farmers across southern Tasmania, and one of the most enjoyable parts of the job is getting out to farms to meet and talk with farmers, get a sense of what challenges they’re facing and offer support where we can.
A MIXED YEAR
‘What I’ve largely been hearing from farmers is that it’s been a mixed year, with some having a good start to autumn and winter, while others have had a tough season, particularly on the east coast’
In many parts of the southeast, we’ve experienced the driest start to the year. Recent rains in late May and early June have certainly helped, but there’s increasing concern about feed availability, water security, and stock management, compounded by the recent spike in diesel and fertiliser costs as well as the high likelihood of El Nino conditions bringing drier than normal conditions.
It’s at times like this that the value of natural resource management and the SAF role in supporting farmers to prepare for challenging conditions. The value of responding early with science-backed tools, knowledge and strategies, and the difference that can make to long-term landscape health can’t be understated.
SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES IN PRACTICE
One standout example is the Farming Forecaster tool, which continues to help producers and advisors understand and prepare for seasonal conditions. I’ll continue working with the Tasmanian agricultural community to support the continued success of this tool and the network. The SAF role has also been closely involved in supporting Tasmania’s delivery of the National Soil Monitoring Program, Australia’s first nationally coordinated soil monitoring effort. Across southern Tasmania, our team has been working with landholders to collect soil data that will help build a clearer understanding of soil condition and how it changes over time. A highlight has been the willingness of farmers and landholders to participate and share their knowledge, helping build a valuable dataset that will support future soil management decisions.
Some other recent highlights from our Land Program include working with farmers in the Derwent and Coal Valley on an Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) with IPM Technologies. Through this, we’ve been sharing IPM principles with farmers, and showing them the range of pests and beneficial insects present on their farms, their roles and how to manage them.
PMP WRAPUP AND NEW PROJECTS UNDERWAY
We’ve recently wrapped up our 2026 round of PMP workshops – which we rolled out in the Coal Valley for the first time. You can read a summary about the 2026 workshops here and keep an eye out for the next round of workshops which will start in early 2027. Our team was also excited to launch two new Climate-Smart Agriculture Program projects focusing on improving resilience on orchards, and supporting Tasmania’s sheep farming industry to better understand, measure and communicate on-farm sustainability and natural capital.
COMMUNITY, PARTNER AND INDUSTRY EVENTS
Attending farming events, producer group meetings, agriculture and NRM forums is an important part of the SAF role. These conversations help us stay connected with the priorities of the agriculture sector, share relevant opportunities, and understand where farmers are seeking support. Lately, this has included AgFest, Coal River Valley Product Association meetings, Red Meat updates, being part of the working group to support TasFarmers’ development of the Nutrient Management Code for Tasmania, and participation in the development of drought resilience plans with Drought Ready Tasmania.
If you’re a farmer or landholder looking for support, information, or connections to relevant programs, please get in touch. The SAF role is here to help connect you with the right people, tools and resources.
Tim Ackroyd – Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator