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Cicerone farm project: findings to be made public

April 29, 2005

There will be an opportunity, next week, to share the insights that graziers, researchers, and agricultural consultants have gained during their first five years of experimental farming in the Cicerone Project.

Established in 2000 on 150 hectares of land just south of Armidale, the Cicerone Project is working to help farmers on the Northern Tablelands make the most of local conditions. At a full-day symposium on Monday 2 May, Cicerone members and collaborators, including researchers from The University of New England, will present their findings and discuss the implications of those findings.

Long-term Board member of the Cicerone Project, Professor Jim Scott from UNE, said: "Members of the broader community, as well as producers from across the region, will have a unique opportunity, along with Cicerone members themselves, to hear brief summaries of everything we have learnt over the past five years - all packed into an exciting one-day program."

"The Cicerone Project, a producer-led initiative backed by Australian Wool Innovation and members' contributions, aims to understand how different management approaches affect the sustainability and profit of whole farms in the region," Professor Scott said. "Those attending the symposium will hear brief talks by producer members as well as by researchers and UNE postgraduates involved in studies on the Cicerone farmlets. They will cover all factors affecting the performance of the farmlets - from climate, soils, pastures, and animals, to grazing management, wool production and quality, worm control, and management decisions."

"There will also be a section when a number of growers will give their perspectives on how the three farmlets, with their different approaches to fertilizer use, pastures, and grazing management have been performing overall," he said. "An invited speaker, Mr. Geoff Saul, State-wide Leader of Livestock Systems for the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, will do the summing-up at the end of the day."

The event, titled "The Cicerone Farms Under the Microscope", will be held at the Armidale Bowling Club; registration will be at 8.30 am, and the symposium will run from 9 am till 5 pm. To book a place, contact Cicerone's Executive Officer, Caroline Gaden, on (02) 6778 3871 (or e-mail: cicerone@northnet.com.au).

The day is being co-convened by UNE's Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems, members of which are involved in the Cicerone Project. "This is Cicerone's most comprehensive symposium so far," Professor Scott said. "It will be your best chance to catch up on everything that has happened to date on Cicerone's learning farmlets." For more information on the symposium phone Professor Scott on (02) 6773 2436 or 0417 021 232, or Caroline Gaden on (02) 6778 3871.


Media contact:Professor Jim Scott, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE (02) 6773 2436 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at April 29, 2005 03:40 PM