Pasture Management
- Pasture establishment and management (NSW Department of Primary Industries). These webpages cover many topics related to pasture establishment and management, including grazing management, production management, soils, fertilisers & manures, weed control, pests & diseases, groundcover, and drought, fires & floods. The information is all based on research by NSW DPI and others, so it is a trustworthy source of information. View here.
- Pasture management on horse properties (Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority). This brochure has a summary of the pasture needs of horses, and sample grazing strategies to ensure you have sufficient feed for your horses. 2 pages. Download here.
- Pastures: Carrying capacity (Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority). This guide includes a table to help you determine the number of animals you are likely to be able to stock on your property, based on the type of livestock and the pasture you have. 3 pages. Download here.
- Biodiversity in the paddock: A land managers guide (Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre). This guide is all about using native pastures on your property. It covers aspects including fertilising, grazing and managing a range of native pastures. It also covers ways in which you can integrate biodiversity conservation with your livestock farming. 32 pages. Download here.
For information on identification of native grasses and weeds, see the section ‘Weeds and pests on your small farm’ here.
Grazing Management
- What is holistic planned grazing? (Savory Institute). This guide serves as an introduction to the principles of planned grazing, and how you can begin to implement it on your property. While this system is often used on large properties, it can still be applied to some extent on small properties, especially with the use of easily relocatable hot tape. The Savory Institute has an excellent website, with lots of resources covering all aspects of holistic farm management. Land to Market Australia is the affiliated Australian network, and while they are aimed at larger producers, they also have a useful website and newsletter. 6 pages. Download here.
- Best practice land management guidelines for small grazing properties (Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board). This book covers the impacts of grazing on natural resources, such as soil erosion, acidity & structure, water quality, and biodiversity). It goes into some detail on pasture types, pasture establishment, stocking rates, grazing management, soil conservation, property planning, livestock feed requirements, weed and pest control. Overall it is an excellent resource for small farmers (although bear in mind that the sections in the book on climate and soils are obviously not relevant to our region). 144 pages. Download here.
