In this episode of Paddock Chat Erin spoke to RSM Accountant Ella Raffan about the benefits of using Xero as a part of your business management.Xero is a cloud-based accounting program which enables the user to access it at any time, and makes sharing information with accountants or advisors simple.This conversation was recorded in December 2021.Useful resources:Xero  Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

In this episode, we take you to our most recent event, a perennial pasture field walk hosted by Will Browne and facilitated by Ben and Sean Plozza, held on the 30th of November. This was our first event that focused solely on grower discussion and peer to peer learning.At the beginning of this episode, we get a farm introduction from Will Browne before hearing from Ben and Sean Plozza about the event, and why they brought the idea to the WMG team in the first place. We then hear thoughts about the field walk from some of the people that attended including Fred Echaniz, Craig Forsyth and Ken Sharpe. This podcast was recorded by the WMG team, including Jamieson Kay, Melanie Dixon, Adam Anfuso and Erin O’Brien. This episode was recorded in November 2021.Keep an eye out for our write up of the day.Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

Professor Terry Rose from Southern Cross University joins the podcast to share his strategies for improving soil health in your farming system.  He talks through common strategies for improving soil health including cover cropping, interrow management to improve soil biodiversity and how to manage different soil types and season conditions. World Soils Day is coming up on December 5th, and to acknowledge this event WMG is talking all about how our region is looking to improve soil health.  In this episode, Terry Rose talks about strategies that may work in the West Midlands region specifically. Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

On this weeks episode of PaddockChat, West Midland's Group's Beef Industry Development Officer caught up with Rio Tinto pastoral manager Simon Mathwin to discuss virtual fencing technology. In this episode, Sim and Erin talk about how virtual fencing works, the origins of the trial and how it's progressed in 2021. They also discuss potential commercial uses for the technology and how the trial slots into a larger BeefLinks program.  The virtual fencing technology trial, currently being tested at Rio Tinto-owned Hamersley Station in the Pilbara, is part of a wider #BeefLinks program. #BeefLinks is a research and development program funded by Meat and Livestock Australia, The University of Western Australia and MLA Donor Company.  Virtual fencing sits alongside West Midlands Group's backgrounding project to deliver a wider program to strengthen the capabilities of the Northern cattle supply chain. Virtual fencing technology use was showcased for the first time in Western Australia at a BeefLinks field day, organised by West Midlands Group, UWA, MLA and Rio Tinto earlier in the year. To stay up to date with the progress of the virtual fencing trial, including when a second BeefLinks Field Day will be held to showcase the technology to the public, follow West Midlands Group on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or call to subscribe to our mailing list.  Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

PaddockChat coming to you from the ute as Erin O'Brien (Beef Industry Development Officer) and Melanie Dixon (Mixed Farming Systems Officer) interview locals about their experiences managing grasshoppers and locusts this season. In an effort to gain a better understanding of the pest problem in the region, Melanie and Erin visited farms in the area on behalf of DPIRD to surveil damage. While there, Melanie and Erin recorded these interviews with local growers Charles Wass and Steele Rudd, who discussed grasshopper problems this season, management practices and what has or hasn't worked. Apologies for sound quality issues, this episode really *is* coming to you from the paddock!Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

Each year, the United Nations marks October 15th as the International Day of Rural Women. The day celebrates and honours women and girls living in rural areas. It recognizes the huge role that rural mothers, daughters and grandmothers play in producing food, and building agricultural and rural development worldwide. To mark this day, the WMG team have put together a special episode of PaddockChat.On today's episode of PaddockChat,  the WMG team sat down with three incredible women; Debbie Dowden (Challa Station), Margi Weir (Executive Officer of the Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance) and Martha Lindstad (Yarrie Station) for a roundtable discussion about this day.In this episode, we cover what this day means for us, our experiences as rural women, and how other women in the industry have shaped our careers, lives and communities!Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

On this weeks episode of PaddockChat, Northern Agricultural Catchment Council NRMs Annabelle Garrett speaks to local farmer, Pip Bain.They discuss Pip’s experience in the Agricultural industry, as well as what it means to farm sustainably. They also discuss cell grazing and the benefits that pasture management can have on feed availability for livestock. This discussion ties in with the BeefLinks Backgrounding Project, which is funded by MLA and UWA and is working to develop the northern beef cattle supply chain.Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

We're previewing the biggest day of the WMG Calendar, Spring Field Day! WMG Executive Officer, Nathan Craig, walks us through the agenda of the event and what to expect for Spring Field Day. Guests on the podcast include: • Matt Willis from Bayer Crop Science presenting his work on optimum pre-emergent herbicide strategies• Daniel Real who will be presenting his work on established crops at the field day in the main tent. The West Midlands Group 2021 Spring Field Day is on September 21st, and will showcase a packed agenda. Held at John and Emma Scotney's farm, 'Warialda', in Badgingarra, trial sites include break crop trials at the main site as well as the cereal site and Bayer herbicide site on Mungedar Road. The usual NVT's will be at the site - wheat, barley, oats, canola and lupin. These will be presented by Richard Devlin (Living Farm), Michael Hickey (Nuseed) and Dion Bennett (AGT) This year, West Midlands Group will be running concurrent sessions, to give attendees the opportunity to maximise value by choosing a personalised agenda that closest aligns with their interests. This allows attendees to focus on livestock, cropping, or mixed systems at their desire. There is truly something for everyone!Topics for the day include: •  WMG pasture mixes and evaluation of soil biology below by Pauline Roberts• Mike Ashworth from the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative will be sharing in the main tent how herbicides degrade in the West Midland region compared to other regions in WA. •  Mark Seymour will be on hand to present the evaluation of herbicide tolerance of break crops, including all the tadera, chickpea, lentil, faba beans, lupin, blue lupin to name a few. •  What's new in vetch varieties and their sustainability for our region. •  Soil amelioration: winter amelioration strategies to lower wind erosion potential, crop nutrition following amelioration•  Cattle production with Erin O'Brien• The keynote address for the day will be given by Cec McConnell who is the Soil and Land Commissioner and has been overseeing the development of the new Soil Health Strategy that is currently under development. All this, amongst more, will be followed by the Rabobank Sundowner!Demonstrating new ideas, practices and technology will also be a big focus of this years Spring Field Day. Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

Today’s guest interviewer is Callum Love, Sustainable Agricultural co-ordinator with the Northern Agricultural Catchment Council (NACC). Callum recently caught up with Nick Eyres who has been an agronomist with Elders for nearly 5 years servicing the Midwest region of WA, mainly around the Geraldton and Mingenew areas. Nick also works closely with NACC and the Yuna Farm Improvement Group (YFIG) in many of their sustainable agriculture projects.Callum and Nick explore some of the work with legumes in the low rainfall zones that has been recently completed between NACC and YFIG. Nick also shares his experience on his own farm, a 10-hectare property at Greenough, where tests all his new ideas for including legumes in the crop rotation.Some of the interesting discussion points include:·         Use of serradella to stabilise sandy soils·         Use of legumes to improve the benefits of soil amelioration·         What are the risks in growing alternative legumes?·         What does sustainability really mean?For more information visit:Northern Agricultural Catchment Councill (NACC)https://www.nacc.com.au/The Northern Agricultural Region NRM strategyhttps://narvis.com.auYuna Farm Improvement Grouphttps://www.yfig.org.au/Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)

Are you seeing a lot of grasshoppers and locusts on your farm this year? After reports of high grasshopper numbers in the area, Paddock Chat decided to chat with DPIRD entomologist Svetlana Micic to learn more about what's going on. Local farmer Will Browne also joins the pod to talk about what he's seeing on the ground, and get advice on controlling grasshoppers for this local area. Topics covered include:• What is the difference between a grasshopper and a locust• How to identify the different types of grasshopper• Which species are present in our area at this time of the year• How to control locusts and grasshoppers Emergency Permits: https://apvma.gov.au/DPIRD: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/Support the show (https://www.wmgroup.org.au/become-member)