Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.

[som farmer]

Yes, but what will you do IF this becomes your new normal? Regen doesn't work without moisture. We go into a kind of holding pattern for 5 months of the year where zero soil moisture and high Temps mean only the cùñtiest of cùñt weeds like bindis thrive.....Hopefully one day they learn to breed its trait into something usefull. Was reading recently they're doing it with portulaca.

the biggest problem with your post is the word if.
we don't know WTF is going to come, weather wise.
now whether its climate change, or changing climate, l don't know, but for certain something has altered. And if, as some claim, hotter drier summers are here to stay, we need to learn to cope with them.
The basics of regen are absolutely fine, look out to your soil, is the basis of it, and one would hope that would lead to better moisture retention, and it has, its made a big difference here.
But, moisture wise, all l can say is, we have lasted longer than others around us, when we are usually the first ! So it does work, to a point.
Therefore we have to move on to 'something' else, if we are going to see more drier times., so we really need you chaps, that have found solutions/crops, to tell us, what works best. I have a solution of sorts, max bulk silage, to max out grazing area.

 

[hendrebc]

the biggest problem with your post is the word if.
we don't know WTF is going to come, weather wise.
now whether its climate change, or changing climate, l don't know, but for certain something has altered. And if, as some claim, hotter drier summers are here to stay, we need to learn to cope with them.
The basics of regen are absolutely fine, look out to your soil, is the basis of it, and one would hope that would lead to better moisture retention, and it has, its made a big difference here.
But, moisture wise, all l can say is, we have lasted longer than others around us, when we are usually the first ! So it does work, to a point.
Therefore we have to move on to 'something' else, if we are going to see more drier times., so we really need you chaps, that have found solutions/crops, to tell us, what works best. I have a solution of sorts, max bulk silage, to max out grazing area.

Have you ever thought of growing fodder beet? You'd get lot of dry matter off an acre of that in your dry soils. I don't like the stuff and the sprays it needs but as a big bulky crop that thrives in dry weather it would be hard to beat.
I've thought before that we should grow something to feed dry ewes after weaning, maybe cows as well, so that the permanent grass can have less demand on it during the summer but had sort of dismissed the idea as it complicates things when I'd rather have just grass everywhere doing it's thing.
Flea beetle complicates things forage rape would be good because that's really easy to grow and would bulk up well if sown early enough. Wouldn't have to be that good a quality feed for ewes or cows though.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Have you ever thought of growing fodder beet? You'd get lot of dry matter off an acre of that in your dry soils. I don't like the stuff and the sprays it needs but as a big bulky crop that thrives in dry weather it would be hard to beat.
I've thought before that we should grow something to feed dry ewes after weaning, maybe cows as well, so that the permanent grass can have less demand on it during the summer but had sort of dismissed the idea as it complicates things when I'd rather have just grass everywhere doing it's thing.
Flea beetle complicates things forage rape would be good because that's really easy to grow and would bulk up well if sown early enough. Wouldn't have to be that good a quality feed for ewes or cows though.

The options for sheep and suckler cows are much wider than for dairy cows....

 

[hendrebc]

The options for sheep and suckler cows are much wider than for dairy cows....

No that's why i like them so much. Especially the cows and dry ewes. lambs and lactating ewes are a pain though.
Deferring a field or two to graze in summer was the original plan but we didn't really get a spring flush to do it this year.
Can't really be arsed going back to growing a crop again but suppose if I have to I will. I like the idea of forage rape or turnips because they are cheap and easy to grow and would be good enough to finish lambs on. More exotic stuff like Sudan grass or sorghum or whatever sounds complicated. Spring cereal maybe I don't know. Grass is much easier.

 

[som farmer]

we have looked at fodder beet, and cannot decide. Worried about how it would cope here, in a dry time.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

No that's why i like them so much. Especially the cows and dry ewes. lambs and lactating ewes are a pain though.
Deferring a field or two to graze in summer was the original plan but we didn't really get a spring flush to do it this year.
Can't really be arsed going back to growing a crop again but suppose if I have to I will. I like the idea of forage rape or turnips because they are cheap and easy to grow and would be good enough to finish lambs on. More exotic stuff like Sudan grass or sorghum or whatever sounds complicated. Spring cereal maybe I don't know. Grass is much easier.

Plenty of sheep boys will have grazing canola as part of a cropping program as well. It can be planted extra early, grazed hard, then locked up late to go through to seed.
I'm thinking this summer of putting in 55 ac of forage sorghum (yes it needs irrigation) taking first cut for hay , and depending on time frame , either getting a 2nd cut or then grazing it for a few months with the heifers before planting back to winter oats whilst I start all the autumn pastures off. Might need the extra hay as a buffer this year since most of my hay paddocks are in canola. Plus we have a full water allocation already, so it would be silly to not make the most of it and bank a bit of feed as well, as you never know what's around the corner.

 

[hendrebc]

Plenty of sheep boys will have grazing canola as part of a cropping program as well. It can be planted extra early, grazed hard, then locked up late to go through to seed.
I'm thinking this summer of putting in 55 ac of forage sorghum (yes it needs irrigation) taking first cut for hay , and depending on time frame , either getting a 2nd cut or then grazing it for a few months with the heifers before planting back to winter oats whilst I start all the autumn pastures off. Might need the extra hay as a buffer this year since most of my hay paddocks are in canola. Plus we have a full water allocation already, so it would be silly to not make the most of it and bank a bit of feed as well, as you never know what's around the corner.

Flea beetle is the only thing putting me off canola/forage rape. It can wipe out a field in a short time if it's planted early stopped being able to grow it reliably a 5 or 6 years ago I stopped trying 2 years ago. Great stuff when it grows but redriling fields gets old quick. Could spray it but a squirt of insecticide every few days doesn't sit particularly well with me.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Nobody ever offers expectation-change as a possible cause for why success is harder to achieve.

Once upon a time, nobody would expect to spend so much money within such a marginal enterprise.

The options for sheep and suckler cows are much wider than for dairy cows....

This depends on many things, such as the costs attached: some sheep will have more spent on them in a year than some dairy cows ever will.

The cow won't starve her calf, but she might starve a farmer with loose spending habits, or one who gives her milk away as a commodity.

You really only need lots of output (and a diet to produce this) if you're unwilling/unable to add value to the output.

 

[glasshouse]

Yes, but what will you do IF this becomes your new normal? Regen doesn't work without moisture. We go into a kind of holding pattern for 5 months of the year where zero soil moisture and high Temps mean only the cùñtiest of cùñt weeds like bindis thrive.....Hopefully one day they learn to breed its trait into something usefull. Was reading recently they're doing it with portulaca.

And regen is a fire risk

 

[CPF]

Rains where it's least needed all the time.

Still raining here, stopped yesterday for few hrs then started again and not stopped. the river is flowing very fast at the moment.
we went to Colac yesterday, all the dams look like they are full , and the paddocks are looking very lush with grass also very water logged.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Still raining here, stopped yesterday for few hrs then started again and not stopped. the river is flowing very fast at the moment.
we went to Colac yesterday, all the dams look like they are full , and the paddocks are looking very lush with grass also very water logged.

Flooding up in the Murrumbidgee Valley at Wagga too. At least a dozen pivots under water at the moment according to the boys from Darling irrigation.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

And regen is a fire risk

No more or less than a standing crop of cereal.......

 

[stroller]

Those 303 were heavy f**kers to carry all day
Even worse to run with in march and shoot competitions.
But not as bad as carrying the bren gun

The SA80 A2 is actually a bit heavier, and they've now added body armour!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

No more or less than a standing crop of cereal.......

I was looking out the window at lush green pasture and not really seeing the fire risk, compared to having a barn full of hay with a tractor next to it.... or them jumpin' f**kin' gum trees

Hence my laugh emoji, sorry glasshouse, I just don't see regenerative ag as being remotely like what people think it to be.
Almost everything I do differently is reduce drought risk and to have better greener leafier pasture to graze, that means water management is top priority

 

[Sharpy]

No more or less than a standing crop of cereal.......

True of a ripe crop, not of growing crop and the fire risk is cleared every harvest.

 

[glasshouse]

True of a ripe crop, not of growing crop and the fire risk is cleared every harvest.

Old dead grass is a fire hazard all year

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Sure is

 

[glasshouse]

View attachment 1056853
Sure is

That is neither old, dead or dry

 

[Kiwi Pete]

That is neither old, dead or dry

It's starting to wake up from being chilled and half-drowned. Cracking day here today.

I don't know what some graziers are thinking to do with rank/dead grass that makes them think it's regenerative in any way, unless maybe fallow?
Grass farms are solar panels for the human species' benefit, and I like mine well wiped clean.
More money in sh!t than shade!

 

[som farmer]

Still raining here, stopped yesterday for few hrs then started again and not stopped. the river is flowing very fast at the moment.
we went to Colac yesterday, all the dams look like they are full , and the paddocks are looking very lush with grass also very water logged.

cloud of gnats flew over, on their way back from the pub, just about wet the ground, last ones tottering on behind, just a few more drops.