Farmer Targets for Change

The aim of the Farmer Targets for Change (FTC) program is to enhance dairy farm productivity, sustainability and environmental management through better use of natural resources. The objective is to break down any historical barriers to engagement with environmental issues by working collaboratively with farmers on environmental issues that directly affect them. In doing so it is hoped that industry capacity to facilitate environmental management at the farm level is achieved without affecting productivity.

The FTC Project targets farmers within a catchment or sub-catchment area with the aim of recruiting all farmers within this area. The catchment focus ensures that projects are likely to meet Catchment Management Authority priorities, such as improving riparian zone management, so farmers have a better chance of incentive receiving funding to complete their chosen projects. The FTC project uses an 8 step process as follows;

• The Rev-Up Meeting: gives an overview of the FTC project and its aims, recognising that nobody knows the farm better than the farmer, in order to recruit farmers onto the project and win over farmer advocates;
• On-farm visit: an FTC contractor visits each farm to discuss environmental issues important to the farmer and takes a general audit of management practices;
• Workshop 1: farmers identify the main environmental issues affecting them (for example, effluent and laneways management, and tree shade) and preliminary targets or projects are set for each farmer;
• Workshop 2: a training day for farm mapping that provides farmers with a digital aerial map of their farm and farm mapping software to input farm infrastructure (fences, water troughs, creeks etc);
• Setting Targets: technical advice and risk assessment of projects at farm and catchment level are undertaken so as to ensure the project/target identified by the farmer is achievable;
• On- farm visit 2: produce preliminary plan for the project utilising farm map, introduction to technical experts and the Catchment Management Officer (CMA);
• Making it happen: finalise project proposals and hand over to relevant funding bodies;
• Wrapping-up: detailed project submissions are handed to the relevant Catchment Management Authority for incentive funding.

Farmer Targets for Change was developed by dairy farmers of the Manning Valley and dairy officers with NSW Department of Primary Industries in partnership Dairy Australia. Over 200 farmers have participated in the Farmer Targets for Change Process to date. For further information contact Ray Johnston; Email: raymond.johnston@dpi.nsw.gov.au; Phone 02 6552 7299

A CD of the Farmer Targets for Change Facilitators Guide is available on request. Contact cphelps@dairyaustralia.com.au