Ag-Venture Tour to Australia

Event Details

Time: November 8, 2012 to November 23, 2012
Location: Australia
Website or Map: http://www.rwthomastours.com
Phone: 519 633 2390
Event Type: agricultural, travel
Organized By: Bob Thomas
Latest Activity: Jul 17, 2012

Export to Outlook or iCal (.ics)

Event Description

It’s the BEST time to see Australia……Spring will be blooming when you arrive in Sydney and check out famous Bondi Beach, the historic “Rocks” area, cruise Sydney harbour, the Opera House and go shopping at gracious Queen Victoria Building. Then depart by coach through the Blue Mountains for Cowra with an overview of Aussie agriculture, culture, history and development en route. We farmstay overnight with hosts producing cattle, lamb, wheat or canola. Next day, it’s northwest to visit the weekly cattle auction at Forbs before heading through the Lachlan River Valley and a stop at the NSW “Farmer of the Year” in the wheat belt also noted for wool, sheep and mixed farming. Then on to Dubbo in the Macquarie Valley with large irrigated areas of wheat, barley, cotton, sorghum, corn and sunflowers, and into the Breeza Plains. Discussion with environmentally conscious farmers from Landcare and an informal barbeque with local farmers & agbusiness people will be informative. Merino sheep, Polled Hereford cattle and Dairy will keep you busy in Walcha district. “Breedplan” is a genetic evaluation system developed by U of New England that is used by a leading Angus breeder near Guyra. And the seven properties spanning 360 km will tell us how they minimize risk in cotton, grain and cattle operations. Family farming in Gwydir Valley will be a contrast, and we’ll also tour Coop, and a private irrigation operation on the Maintyre River. Darling Downs has the best soils for grain on the continent and we’ll discuss their fertilizer methodology. The “Carnival of Flowers” in Toowoomba should be a highlight as well as historic Jondaryan Woolshed illustrating pioneering methods. And another farmstay. In Gympie district we’ll experience Queensland’s largest fish farm as well as pineapple acreages before heading for two nights on the Sunshine Coast for some R&R before departing from Brisbane.

But wait……you’ve come a long way………why not add-on Alice Springs, Anzac Hill, Ayers Rock and aboriginal folklore based at the Outback Pioneer Hotel? Then fly to Cairns for a cruise to Marlin Jetty and the Great Barrier Reef for coral viewing and snorkelling or optional scuba diving. Then take the heritage train through pristine rainforests to Kuranda Range. The award winning Tjapukai Cultural Centre will be a highlight as well as the new Skyrail trip for an unvettered view of the rainforest before returning to Cairns. It’s 6 more days that you won’t forget!

Comment Wall

Comment

RSVP for Ag-Venture Tour to Australia to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Attending (1)

View All

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Guinness World Record attempt to take place in St. Albert on Aug. 22

?ST. ALBERT – If you have ever wanted to witness an attempt at a Guinness World Record, then you will want to be in St. Albert, Ontario on August 22 when an attempt will be made to set a record for the most plow blades pulled simultaneously.

Why Alignment Matters: Domestic Check-Off and the Import Levy

When Canadian beef producers sell cattle, they contribute to the national beef check-off. That investment supports work that benefits the broader Canadian beef industry, including market development, consumer demand, public and stakeholder engagement, and research. When beef or beef cattle are imported into Canada, an import levy is also collected. While the structure is not identical in every detail, the principle behind it is straightforward: beef marketed in Canada should help contribute to the programs that support beef demand in Canada. The national check-off paid by producers and the import levy paid on eligible imports are two parts of a broader investment approach. Together, they help ensure that both domestic beef production and imported beef products are connected to the market development work that strengthens beef’s position with Canadian consumers. For producers, the domestic cattle check-off is collected at the point of sale and includes both national and provincial po

I’ve noticed a lot of wild oat escapes in some of my fields this year; what can I do to prevent it from getting worse next year?

Despite our best efforts, sometimes even the best laid weed control plans go wrong! The first thing to remember is that not all weed escapes are created equal. In some cases, weeds can survive because of application timing issues, challenging weather conditions or late flushes that emerge after spraying. However, when weeds aren’t controlled by herbicide applications, herbicide resistance should also be on your radar. A recent survey in Manitoba found that in fields with uncontrolled wild oats, 100 per cent of populations were resistant to Group 1 products, 82 per cent were resistant to Group 2 products, and 82 per cent were resistant to both Group 1 and 2 herbicides. Those numbers show how important it is to take a closer look at wild oat weed escapes. Identifying why your herbicide failed to control wild oats is the first step toward finding a solution. Start by scouting the field to narrow down the cause. Consider factors such as application timing, weather conditions, late flush

Is fungicide actually effective on Sclerotinia head rot in sunflower?

This is one of the most difficult questions to answer because there are many things to consider. I also don’t want to be outright negative because we do still have options for sclerotinia management in sunflowers. However, management is the operative word. First of all, sclerotinia head rot infections have an interesting pathway. Spores use dead sunflower florets, plus pollen, as the base to infect a sunflower plant. The spores grow into the receptacle, infecting and decaying the entire head after a period of time. Sclerotinia wilt (basal stalk rot) and mid-stalk rot are also infected by the same sclerotinia species, but it will be via the mycelia that grow from the sclerotia bodies in the soil for basal stalk rot. Mid-stalk rot is also infected by ascospores, but this can be earlier in the season than head rot or at the same time. So, management of sclerotinia does not start at flowering. Crop rotation is the most obvious management tool that we are familiar with in sunflowers, but

Using Water More Efficiently in Beef Packing Plants

Packing plants use a time-tested approach to clean their facilities. The first step uses high-pressure hot water to remove fat and meat scraps from equipment, floors and walls. Next, surfaces are cleaned using detergent. Finally, sanitizers are used to further reduce bacterial numbers. Processing companies want to reduce water use as part of their environmental goals and to reduce energy bills. High-pressure water and steam can produce aerosols that capture bacteria and spread them throughout the plant. They can then settle on and cross-contaminate clean surfaces long after the cleaning has been completed, which complicates efforts to effectively clean facilities. Biofilms are another problem. Biofilms are colonies of bacteria surrounded by a protective layer that firmly attaches them to surfaces and shelters the bacteria from hot water, detergents and sanitizers. Biofilms are hard to remove and are commonly found in hard-to-reach places. These researchers investigated potential cro

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service