Greater Bendigo residents are encouraged to secure their place in the award-winning Healthy Landscapes 2023/2024 Holistic Grazing Course which commences on Friday September 15, 2023.
The Holistic Grazing Course has been designed to assist land managers to improve their skills and knowledge about grazing livestock to result in an increase in soil health and perennial pasture species, including native species.
The course took out the 2021 Premiers Sustainability award for empowering land managers to make decisions that benefit their productivity and on farm environmental outcomes. Since winning the award the Healthy Landscapes program has run a further two fully subscribed courses which have received overwhelming praise by participants.
City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Manager Michelle Wyatt said the course features a mixture of face to face and online components to assist land managers to improve their skills and knowledge of grazing livestock, pasture growth, animal health, retaining water in the landscape, soil biology and weed management.
"It also helps farmers to improve soil health, reduce exposure to climate risk, enhance biodiversity and increase on-farm productivity and resilience," Ms Wyatt said.
"The course is structured for large and small landholders with grazing livestock. Landholders in the City of Greater Bendigo, Macedon Ranges Shire and Hepburn Shire are eligible to attend. The first day will take place in Sedgwick, with remaining days to be held in Sidonia, Daylesford, Malmsbury and Gisborne."
The course sessions will be delivered between September 2023 and May 2024, with face-to-face theory learning (six days), online theory learning and support sessions and practical on-property learning. The course is structured for large and small landholders with grazing livestock.
Cost of the course is $150 per property with two members of each interested property decision making team encouraged to attend.
Applications close Friday September 1, 2023 and can be made at
The Healthy Landscapes initiative is a partnership between City of Greater Bendigo, Macedon Ranges Shire, Hepburn Shire, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Coliban Water), Melbourne Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.
