These industries are looking to trial and implement new and innovative technologies and tools which will reduce these pressures while increasing their productivity and profitability.

In response to these needs the Australian Government established the Smart Farms Small Grants program under the Smart Farms initiative, an agriculture component of the National Landcare Program (NLP).

Grants will be available to support local on-ground projects across Australia that increase the knowledge and capacity of farmers and fishers and facilitate the adoption of tools, technologies and improved land management practices to effectively, sustainably and productively manage Australia’s natural resources and adapt to significant changes in climate, weather and markets.

To be eligible, activities will contribute to one or more of the following:

Boorowa Community Landcare Group will be applying for the grant as a group under Tier 2 (total funding $50,000 – $100,000) and are seeking expressions of interest from their members regarding the activities to be included in our proposal which will focus on management strategies to maintain and improve soil health.

For a full range of eligible activities in this programme, please visit www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants/national-landcare-program-smart-farms-small-grants

BCLG are seeking expressions of interest from members who would like to nominate land which they manage, as a case study upon which they would like to implement some form of practice change primarily focusing on soil health management.

The project would cover activities for two years and must show benefits to the above five criteria.

Projects would be monitored with baseline data (for e.g. soil tests – chemistry and biology and pasture species diversity monitoring, photo points etc) and comparisons made after two years of practice change to the project site.

The funding is designed to help build capacity in land managers to make a change, and is anticipated that individuals involved in case-study projects will be required to make cash and in-kind contributions to the programme.

There will be a community engagement and extension component of the project with facilitated open days, potentially on your property, to share knowledge of your journey.

Depending on the number of applications, BCLG committee will decide which properties are included in this round of funding, and unsuccessful tenders may be carried over to following years’ submission.

Please contact landcare@boorowa.net or 0459 68 1018 for more information. 

EOI must be received by November 30 at 5pm.