Learning 'why' Behind Grazing Decisions

When it comes to primary production, whether you've been in the game for decades or are just starting out, there's always more to be learnt.

A recent Grazing Fundamentals EDGE workshop in Roma drew attendees with a range of experience in their field, but they all walked away with something new to implement in their business.

120 years in the game

When Sally Bell married her husband, she married into 120 years of history in the form of a beef grazing enterprise near Taroom in central Queensland.

Sally, a producer herself, also grew up on a working property. Together, the couple are building their own herd of cattle from the ground up.

"I came to this workshop because I wanted to know the 'why' of grazing systems," Sally said.

"We already know a lot about how things work, but I wanted to understand the reasoning behind that."

Now, Sally has a long list of concepts learned in the one-day workshop to take home and implement on her own property.

"We're very much in the planning phase of our business, looking at where we're at and where we want to be in the future."

The workshop has inspired Sally to make additions to her business plan, including rotational grazing, improving water systems and investigating biodiversity in their brigalow country.

"There's been a huge amount of information that I've gotten out of this workshop," Sally said.

Building workplace confidence

Dean Davidson's employer believes Dean's skills are an asset worth investing in, and to build them up further, he attended the Grazing Fundamentals EDGE workshop.

The workshop offers insights into various facets of grazing production systems and optimising land productivity, including identifying pasture species and their condition, and aligning herd management to suit.

"I've learned a lot about understanding soil conditions, what is palatable for cattle, and identifying the value the grass in the paddock may or may not hold," Dean said.

"There's much more to what you see than just having grass in the paddock."

Working on a property near Roma spanning hundreds of thousands of hectares, Dean can apply those fundamentals to day-to-day activities in his role.

"We use rotational grazing, and I'll go home understanding why cattle are being pulled off the pastures, and how important resting those pastures are for regrowth.

"I have a bit of peace of mind knowing I can look at a pasture and recognise if it's in good health, and where I should go from there," Dean said.

Beyond the basics

For those wanting to push their learning beyond the fundamentals, the three-day Grazing land management EDGE workshop further explores how to strategically manage a grazing business to optimise land condition and productivity in the long term.