PROGRAZE™ Profitable Sustainable Grazing Management

Would you like to gain a better understanding of how to achieve a more profitable and sustainable grazing system on your property?

Producers can do this through PROGRAZE™, a recognised, industry-led training course based on understanding the interaction between pastures and grazing livestock. Participants develop skills in pasture and animal assessment that improve the productivity and sustainability of grazing systems.

We encourage land managers to enrol in this practical and hands-on course which is presented via a series of 8 half-day workshops.

What is PROGRAZE™?

PROGRAZE™ is a recognised, industry-leading training course based on scientifically proven principles of pasture & livestock production. A key focus is the development of skills in pasture & animal assessment that will improve the productivity & sustainability of grazing systems.

PROGRAZE™ was developed by NSW Department of Primary Industries, with funding from Meat and Livestock Australia, and is delivered by Local Land Services.

The course gives producers an understanding of pasture-livestock interaction. This enables producers to make tactical grazing decisions that can manipulate pasture composition, control weeds and meet livestock production targets even in tough times.

PROGRAZE™ has been successfully delivered to producers across the grazing industry since 1994 providing participants with the fundamental skills and knowledge to successfully manage livestock systems.

PROGRAZE™ is designed to help sheep and cattle producers:

• develop practical pasture and livestock assessment, plant identification and ground cover assessment skills
• to use these skills to improve the profitability and sustainability of grazing systems on their farms.

videocam 4:33

Close(Press escape to close)

Video transcript

What is PROGRAZE™?

So Prograze is a training

course which is all about training

and educating graziers in the key principles

in managing both pastures and livestock.

Prograze consists of eight sessions

where we meet as a group once a month

and we step producers or graziers

through the key principles around

running an efficient, productive, profitable

and sustainable grazing enterprise.

It's evidence based course, underpinned

by scientific knowledge and research

that's been done over a long period of time.

That really helps producers

get a really solid handle on

what are some of the key things

that are driving their grazing systems.

The course actually allows producers

to continually meet

over a 12 month

period and

empowers their ability

to recognize the changes

that go on with pastures and the livestock.

One of the strengths of the Prograze

course is the practical nature

of the course,

and every session that we run is on farm

and they get to have an exercise outside

where we are visually

trying to train their eye

to assess

both quantity and quality of the pasture.

We discuss quantity

and quality of the pasture we're looking at

and then lining it up against livestock

production benchmarks

that allow you to see

how you bring those two components together.

As graziers,

one of the really important

things is to correctly

match your stocking rate

to the productive capacity of your country.

We also spend quite a lot of time assessing

livestock because it's also important

to take into consideration

the class of stock you're dealing with

and also their condition

when you start to combine pasture assessment

with fat scoring with fodder budgeting,

it becomes quite a powerful combination

and really allows people

to make some really strong,

proactive decisions.

Maintaining ground cover is so important

in a grazing system.

We want to protect our pastures,

protect our soils.

That's the natural resource base.

The skills and knowledge developed

by landholders in Prograze is applicable

whether they are running a small operation

or a larger operation.

I've seen

many landholders come through Prograze,

by the end

you see

how much

you've increased their knowledge

or understanding.

The Prograze course has been great

for us,

learning about the efficiencies

of having good pasture,

learning how to measure those pastures

and what we have in front of us

to maximize production.

We can do a lot of planning now

so that we can work out our feed gap

throughout the potential season,

how much feed we may need to

to finish a certain market of livestock

that has been really beneficial to us.

I haven't got an agricultural background.

I started in health,

so this has given me a great knowledge base

to move forward with, with the farm

and with our production.

The information is there based on our area.

So you can be confident that you know,

that's the right information.

I did the Prograze course myself

probably when it was first

initiated so 15 or 20 years ago,

as we've had junior staff

come on, we've encouraged them,

we support them to join

the local Prograze courses

and it's been an integral part

of their education to this industry.

With our business it assists us,

communicate with the same terminology

to identify the pasture

availability and quality

and match it

with the livestock requirements

and what the future requirements will be.

The staff that deliver

the program are excellent.

They know the area,

they know the local businesses

and it just

helps us all identify

what we need to do when we need to do it.

I think it's very important.

Anything you can do to help

you make good decisions

and make them earlier, critical.

It will have a big effect

on what happens in that six

or 12 or 18 month period, at the other end.

Many producers

actually say it's

one of the most practical courses

that they've done.

So it highlights to us

with that sort of feedback.

You know, we've made a difference to landholders

and how they run farms.

We've given them

practical skills and knowledge

that helps them

make better decisions on farm

for a very sustainable

and productive enterprise.

What is covered in a PROGRAZE course?

PROGRAZE™ workshops offer hands on learning and skill development with practical on-farm, in paddock learning.

PROGRAZE™ will help you to:

• visually assess pasture
• understand how pasture quality & quantity impact animal production
• match pastures to livestock requirements
• fat score livestock
• use grazing management to improve productivity & sustainability of pastures
• use grazing management to help control worms.

Participants are also shown how to use fodder budgeting to optimise the use of pastures and crops as well as the role of pasture assessment to make supplementary feeding decisions.

These skills combined with well researched pasture and livestock benchmarks lead to informed grazing decisions where producers can be proactive in knowing how stock will perform on pasture. These tools are the key to improving the productivity and profitability of grazing systems.

How long does the PROGRAZE™ course take?

The PROGRAZE™ Profitable and Sustainable Grazing Management courses consist of 8 x ½ day workshops. Workshops are generally held 4 - 6 weeks apart allowing participants to see the impact of seasons on key pasture and livestock decision making.

Each workshop is hands-on, conducted on group member’s farms with a strong focus on in-paddock activities and discussion.

This framework provides landholders with many opportunities to ask questions regarding their individual experiences.

Sign up for PROGRAZE™

LLS will run small-group, local PROGRAZE™ courses in your area based on demand. This is to ensure grazing systems are similar for each group while reducing travel time. Groups will require a minimum of 8 producers.

You can register your interest via the EOI forms below. The course is charged per farm business where two or more members may participate.

Upon registering your interest, please consider the option to host one of the sessions on your property.