First presented at the Society of Chemical Industry, London, UK 5th November 2002 Agriculture, Food Production and Market Price – Do We Have a Sustainable Food chain? The Landcare movement has convinced many landowners that investment in environmental protection is possible in difficult times. The central role of soil and water resource management has been key to the development of Landcare. The Potter Plan Farms in Victoria The Potter Plan Farms provided clear demonstrations of sustainable approaches in farming at the end of the 1980’s. They effectively started key elements in the Landcare movement. The Potter Farms in Victoria resulted in an exceptional dialogue amongst farmers and a clear understanding of the value of natural resources, reducing soil erosion, delivering water conservation and conserving biodiversity.

1. Interface, MPC Research November 2002 Agriculture, food and health
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First presented at the Society of Chemical Industry, London, UK 5th
November
2002 Agriculture, Food Production and Market Price – Do We Have a
Sustainable Food chain? Organised by Dr Wayne Martindale
Sustainable Agricultural Systems –
The Australian Landcare and PROGRAZETM
Experience
By Wayne Martindale, Askham Bryan College, York YO23 3FR
wm@askham-bryan.ac.uk and Sue Marriott, Secretariat for International
Landcare, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
smarriott@silc.com.au
This study reviews grazing system management initiatives that are promoting livestock
products and reducing environmental impacts.
The Landcare movement
The Landcare movement has developed from communities starting their own Landcare
Groups to work together to address local agricultural and environmental issues.
Landcare approach and environmental sustainability
• The Landcare movement started at the end of the 1980’s
• Communities have driven Landcare, its policies have evolved for over tens
years now.
• Farmers have been central to this process with the management of land and
farm demonstrations through to farm based research studies.
• Local Landcare groups have ownership of their own charter, research and
management information
The Landcare movement has convinced many landowners that investment in
environmental protection is possible in difficult times. The central role of soil and
water resource management has been key to the development of Landcare.
The Potter Plan Farms in Victoria
The Potter Plan Farms provided clear demonstrations of sustainable approaches in
farming at the end of the 1980’s. They effectively started key elements in the
Landcare movement. The Potter Farms in Victoria resulted in an exceptional
dialogue amongst farmers and a clear understanding of the value of natural resources,
reducing soil erosion, delivering water conservation and conserving biodiversity.
• The Potter Plan research was farmer led
• The Potter farms acted as demonstration farms to show how environmental
problems such as erosion and salinity could be tackled
• A whole farm planning view was central to sustainable management
PROGRAZETM
A need to manage grazing land sustainably is clearly communicated by farmers
through a number of routes including the Landcare movement and the Meat and
Livestock Australia levy funded programmes such as PROGRAZETM
. The
PROGRAZETM
programme is a training course that has been developed by farmers
for farmers. Over 9000 livestock Australian producers have gone through the
PROGRAZE programme and many have followed up with more specialised courses
(eg. LambCheque and BeefCheque Programmes).

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Farmers developed the PROGRAZE course in the early 1990’s. When the first form
appeared it was called ‘Pasture Manager’ and covered sheep alone. Eventually
PROGRAZE would include sheep, beef and dairy systems.
PROGRAZE is essentially a syllabus and course that covers basic grassland and
livestock management systems. It equips farmers with a suite of skills that they can
use to manage their operations optimally in terms of profit and the environment.
The PROGRAZE courses are generally held on farms.
Farm based research in the livestock sector
A stunning example of farmer involvement in research is the Lamb Plan and Merino
Genetics Services Programmes where flocks were assessed for maternal and terminal
genetic traits. Farmers pay to be included in a particular programme for a specific
breed and anatomical and behavioural measurements would be taken of all the stock
for Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s). This allows the farmer to select and
benchmark the selection of stock with other farms.
Web site references
• Secretariat for International Landcare http://www.silc.com.au
• Landcare http://www.landcare.gov.au
• Meat and Livestock Australia http://www.mla.com.au/
• Lamb Plan http://www.lambplan.com.au
• Merino Genetics Services Programmes http://www.mla.com.au/mgs
• Further details of this Stapledon Trust/BGS fellowship study, films of the
Rothamsted experiments, Palace Leas grazing experiment see
http://www.mpcresearch.co.uk
Acknowledgment
Wayne Martindale was awarded a Stapledon Memorial Trust Fellowship and BGS
Bursary Award to visit Australia as a guest of the Secretariat for International
Landcare, Australia in August 2002

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Sustainable Agricultural SystemsSustainable Agricultural Systems ––
The Landcare ExperienceThe Landcare Experience
byby
Dr Wayne Martindale, Askham Bryan College, York, UKDr Wayne Martindale, Askham Bryan College, York, UK
Sue MarrioSue Marrio tt, Secretariat for International Landcare, Hamilton, Victoria, Australiatt, Secretariat for International Landcare, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia
South West Victoria is dominated bySouth West Victoria is dominated by
the Grampian Mountains and it wasthe Grampian Mountains and it was
settled in the nineteenth Century bysettled in the nineteenth Century by
many families who demany families who de velopedveloped
livestock operations.livestock operations.
Landcare and environmental sustainabilityLandcare and environmental sustainability
- The Landcare movement started at the end of
the 1980’s
- Landcare has been driven by rural
Communities starting Landcare groups, the
1990’s saw a decade of Landcare
- Farmers have been central to this process
- Local Landcare groups have ownership of
their own charter, research and
management information
The Potter Plan Farmers and LandcareThe Potter Plan Farmers and Landcare
The Potter Plan FarmsPotter Plan Farms provided clear demonstrations of sustainable
approaches at the end of the 1980’s. They effectively started key elements in
the Landcare movement.
It resulted in an exceptional dialogue between farmers and a positive
response to complex issues such as increasing the value of natural
resources, reducing soil erosion, delivering water conservation and
conserving biodiversity.
- The research was farmer ledfarmer led
- The farms acted as demonstration farmsdemonstration farms to show how environmental
problems such as erosion , loss of biodiversity and salinity could be
tackled
- A whole farm pwhole farm planninglanning view was central to sustainable management
Further details at http://www.mpcresearch.co.ukFurther details at http://www.mpcresearch.co.uk
Wayne Martindale was awarded a Stapledon Trust Fellowship and BGS Bursary Award to visit Australia as a guest of the Secretariat for International Landcare, Australia in August 2002
Soil erosion andSoil erosion and
salination of areas due tosalination of areas due to
clearance of land wasclearance of land was
most apparent around themost apparent around the
River Murray in Victoria .River Murray in Victoria .
ThisThis provided a clear focusprovided a clear focus
for Landcarefor Landcare

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Sustainable Livestock SystemsSustainable Livestock Systems ––
The PROGRAZE ExperienceThe PROGRAZE Experience
byby
Dr Wayne Martindale, Askham Bryan College, York, UKDr Wayne Martindale, Askham Bryan College, York, UK
Sue Marriott,Sue Marriott, Secretariat for International Landcare, Hamilton,Secretariat for International Landcare, Hamilton,
Victoria, AustraliaVictoria, Australia
A need to manage grazing land
sustainably is clearly communicated by
Australian farmers through a number of routes
including the Landcare movement
(http://www.landcare.gov.auhttp://www.landcare.gov.au) and the Meat and
Livestock Australia levy funded programmes (http://http://
www.mlawww.mla.com.au/.com.au/)
PROGRAZE, Developing Sustainable OutcomesPROGRAZE, Developing Sustainable Outcomes
The PROGRAZETM
programme is a training course that
has essentially been developed by farmers for farmers.
- Over 9000 livestock Australian producers have
gone through the PROGRAZE programme
- many have followed specialised courses after it
(eg. LambCheque and BeefCheque Programmes)
PROGRAZEPROGRAZE is essentially a syllabus and course that
covers basic grassland and livestock management
systems. It equips farmers with a suite of skills that they
can use to manage their operations optimally in terms
of profit and the environmentprofit and the environment
Further details at http://www.mpcresearch.co.ukFurther details at http://www.mpcresearch.co.uk
Wayne Martindale was awarded a Stapledon Trust Fellowship and BGS Bursary Award to visit Australia as a guest of the Secretariat for International Landcare, Australia in August 2002
GG uide to the photosuide to the photos
-- The PROGRAZE courses themselves wereThe PROGRAZE courses themselves were
generally held on farmsgenerally held on farms
-- Central to PROGRAZE is understandingCentral to PROGRAZE is understanding
drdr y matter accumulation and howy matter accumulation and how
much is required by the grazing animalmuch is required by the grazing animal
-- The PROGRAZE course was developed byThe PROGRAZE course was developed by
farmers and produfarmers and produ cers in the earlycers in the early
1990’s. When the first form appeared it1990’s. When the first form appeared it
was called ‘Pasture Manager’was called ‘Pasture Manager’
-- A stunning example of farmerA stunning example of farmer
involinvol vement in research is the Lamb Planvement in research is the Lamb Plan
and Merino Genetics Services Prand Merino Genetics Services Pr o-o-
grammes (http://www.mla.com.au/mgsgrammes (http://www.mla.com.au/mgs
and http://www.lambplan.com.au) whereand http://www.lambplan.com.au) where
flocks were assessed for maternal andflocks were assessed for maternal and
tete rr minal genetic traits and forminal genetic traits and for
Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s)Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s)
-- Assurance schemes in Australia areAssurance schemes in Australia are
important in promotingimportant in promoting
professionalismprofessionalism

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Copyright Wayne Martindale 2004, Published by MPC Research 2004
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