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Case Study Paper: Sustainable Lamb Finishing using BestFarms EMS

Mick Quartermaine

BestFarms EMS, Blackwood Basin Group, http://bestfarms.mysouthwest.com.au Email: 1quarter@westnet.com.au

Abstract

A BestFarms EMS was implemented in 2005. It was initially used as a planning tool to develop an existing lamb finishing system and incorporate plans for future expansion. A key driver for the project was addressing concerns about the potential negative environmental impacts from the lamb finishing practices. Using the BestFarms EMS, a system was planned and implemented to collect nutrients by surface drainage into a containment dam . Further opportunities to use high nutrient-using plant species to create a buffer strip between the overflow from containment dam to head of Moojebing creek are currently being investigated. Water in the containment dam and creek will be tested and adjustment made to plants species in the buffer strip as part of the EMS monitoring and evaluation program. The EMS program is also being used to address animal welfare issues such as shelter using mixed native tree species and the use of straw to settle dust. The straw will also be recycled with solid nutrients from the lot into compost which will be spread back out onto pastures.

This case study demonstrates that BestFarms EMS has the flexibility as a planning tool to address animal welfare issues as well as managing environmental issues.

Key Words

Environmental Management System, sustainable and responsible production, feedlot, eutrophication.

Introduction

Mick Quartermaine is a fifth generation farmer in the Katanning district and is farming land was first purchased in 1855 by his family. In 2003 a small feedlot was established on the property comprising of four pens of half a hectare each that he used to finish 1000 of his own lambs. The system worked well and in 2004, lamb numbers were increased to 2000 with four more half hectare pens being built. Opportunities arose through the year to purchase additional lambs from Katanning saleyards, which are only 8kms from the farm, finish and then sell them to the local meatworks  next door to the farm. By 2005, the feedlot had processed 20,000 lambs and more pens were built to accommodate the stock.

Before the increase in stocking numbers, the feedlot was only used occasionally, about 6 weeks of the year, and there were no real problems with nutrient build up in the pens. However, as the feedlot is at the top of Moojebing Creek catchment and the numbers of sheep increased together with the number of weeks of the year the feedlot was in use. A plan to manage it before it became an issue was required.

Methods

Developing a BestFarms EMS

BestFarms is a catchment based EMS that helps landholders within the South West of Western Australia to develop environmental management plans specific to their properties while also considering priority issues at the catchment scale. BestFarms hold two-day training workshops in which participants go through the process of developing their own EMS, as well as writing environmental commitment statements, learning about the catchment processes, obtaining landcare and monitoring and evaluation information and networking with other farmers. By the end of the two days, each participant will have developed their own EMS including a Farm Action Plan that identifies issues to be addressed and targets and actions to manage them. Monitoring is a key part of the BestFarms system to ensure continuous improvement of each plan. Participants are supported throughout the whole process by one on one interaction with a BestFarms Facilitator who also visits each property to ensure that suggested actions will positively affect the issue and that participants are happy with their system.

Nutrient management in Feedlots

In May 2006 Mick attended a BestFarms EMS workshop which introduced him to the issue of eutrophication and how to ameliorate the problem as he did not want additional nutrients from his feedlot entering Moojebing Creek. Careful planning could also help the feedlot expansion and future development to be well planned and easy to manage. Through the BestFarms EMS, eutrophication of waterways was identified as a priority issue for action and with guidance and support from the BestFarms team, a plan was developed to manage nutrient run off on the property. Eutrophication is also a high priority issue in the Blackwood Basin Catchment, and managing nutrient run off on the property contributes to addressing the problem on a catchment scale.

Nutrients on the feedlot which is on a slope of 12 degrees, are now managed using earthworks, including surface drainage, that collect nutrients from and a collection dam has been built. Mick is currently researching high nutrient using plant species to be placed between the dam overflow and the creek, a distance of 150 meters. When species are in place, the water quality of the collection dam compared to Moojebing Creek will be monitored and evaluated according to the plan in the BestFarms system to reduce the levels of nutrients entering the waterway.

Other opportunities have recently come to the fore, such as making use of the straw added to the pens to reduce dust. This has not only been found to soak up a lot of nutrients but also provides an opportunity to compost large amounts of nutrient build up and apply as fertilizer recycled back on paddocks to grow fodder for stock in the feedlot. Potential additives to the compost, both conventional and organic will be evaluated through the BestFarms EMS.

Conclusion

BestFarms has helped to manage the issue of eutrophication on the property and in particular, the feedlot, and provides recognition of the fact that Mick is managing nutrient run-off for the benefit of his property and the catchment as a whole. BestFarms has helped on a planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation level for the feedlot, and Mick is currently in the process of developing and implementing his BestFarms EMS for the rest of his farm.

Three key learnings:

• EMS can be adopted to many and varied environmental impacts.

• EMS is a useful tool for taking farm planning to the next step.

• EMS is just a system – it is the quality of the people involved in delivering and implementing the system that makes it work.

References

Quartermaine M (2006). Yowangup’s BestFarms Environmental Management System – Farm Action Plan. pp. 1-8. ‘Yowangup’, Katanning.

Martin K (2007). BestFarms Environmental Management System Workbook. pp. 2-18, Blackwood Basin Group, Boyup Brook.

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