In the Adelaide Hills Farmcast March Edition, Belle Baker looks at farming jobs Adelaide Hills lifestyle farmers should be planning for during March and April. We’ll cover everything from yard maintenance before the winter rain sets in, lamb vaccinations, and even Bott Eggs to keep your horses in top condition.
We recorded this episode in the home of Catherine McLeod, who has a unique way of naming her paddocks.
And Patrick (Pods) O’Driscoll has a quick chat with Stud Stock auctioneer from Nutrien Ag, Gordon Wood, how to choose a bull to cover your cows or heifers
We hope you find this show helpful and welcome your comments below or email Belle or Pods at hello@adelaidehillsfarmservices.com.au.
You can play the episode, below, or search for Adelaide Hills Farmcast in your favourite podcast app, on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
Also remember that each episode has chapter markers, so when you’re playing, you can skip to the next section easily.
00:30 Adelaide Hills Farmcast March Edition
Introduction
01:18 Adelaide Hills Farm Almanac / Farm Calendar
We have spent many years living and working on farms and together we have distilled some best practices, farm management schedules, and some handy tricks. We’ve captured these ideas into our own Adelaide Hills Farming Almanac, so that the experience of broad acre farming around South Australia can be adapted to the specific needs of the Adelaide Hills. And we’ve also modified our entries with the Lifestyle Farmer in mind.
Here are the notes about topics and tasks worth concentrating on over the next couple of months, which we’ve grouped together in different sections.
Cattle
With winter rains just a few months away, this early part of autumn is the perfect time to deal with cattleyard maintenance and truck access before things get muddy or overgrown.
This can be as simple as
Pods and Catherine take one final look at the cattleyards before they get removed to make way for the new yards
SafeWork SA has a no-nonsense guide to livestock loading and transport safety – it’s well worth a quick read.
Sheep
Shedding Sheep
Australian White Sheep are a relatively new breed of ‘shedding’ sheep.Pastures
Prior Planning Prevents Pathetic Pastures – or so the saying goes…
March is a good time to get soil tests done. This allows for decisions to be made with regards to the type of Fertiliser to be added to enhance productivity and the amount required, together with predicting and planning weed and disease management. Planning is paramount to any decision making process and ultimately, the success.
Weed Management
Blackberry grows wild in the Adelaide Hills
Control of Blackberries and Gorse should be undertaken in the very late spring/summer and autumn period when these weeds are actively growing. Risks and factors to take into consideration include potential spray drift and off-target impacts, waterways and other environmental impacts. It is best to speak to a local agronomist who will provide information for your particular situation and then to employ a fully qualified Pest and Disease and Weed Control Spray Contractor (like Pods!)
Horses
More information can be found on the Pony Club Australia website
Alpacas
Nothing in this section this month.
Livestock (General)
Nothing in this section this month.
Fruit Trees
Nothing in this section this month.
Gardens (General)
Nothing in this section this month.
We recommend these Rural Resellers/Retailers in the Adelaide Hills:
Hills Farm Supplies, Mount Barker
Coopers Mt Torrens / Mt Pleasent
14:51 Farmcast Interview
Pods was out at the Newlyn Park Angus Bull Sale recently and took stud stock auctioneer, Gordon Wood aside for a quick chat to get some tips for anybody running or considering buying in some cattle.
Gordon Wood, Nutrien Ag and Pods discuss bulls selection at a recent sale in the Adelaide Hills
Here are the main questions Pods asked:
Most on property stock sales are also featured through the online buying platform Auctions Plus. It’s worth keeping an eye out for what’s happening in and around the Adelaide Hills.
23:47 Farmcast Co-host: Catherine McLeod
Catherine McLeod catches up with Belle Baker on her property at Biggs Flat in the Adelaide Hills
I’ve known Catherine for a while now. Pods and I first met her and her partner Marc Appels when they were wanting to improve their fences so that they could run a small herd of cattle.
She was a great host today for the podcast, and I asked her a few questions to share more of her background.
We also shared some delicious strawberries from Green Valley Strawberries including their new, highly acclaimed freeze-dried strawberry chocolates!