Previous Newsletters

Each month a 8x5 Wool Profit Program monthly newsletter with issues of current importance is sent to everyone on our e-mail mailing list. Similarly, each quarter a hard copy of an issue of more strategic importance or deserving more lengthy discussion is posted to members.
Back copies of both these newsletters are available from the 8x5 WPP web site. The reports and newsletters can be viewed on screen or downloaded by clicking on the icon. The table below has the article arranged in chronological order. If you are unable to open the downloaded file, you may need to install Adobe Acrobat on your computer. 

If you would like to receive the monthly newsletters directly, please contact Warren Hunt on (03) 6336 5464 at the 8x5 Wool Profit Program.

Archives

      Monitor Farm News

      Conference papers

      Tech notes/Reports

Phase1 Monitor Farm newsletters

February 2004 - Monitor Farm News Feb04

Apsley Park 

Apsley Park News 1

Apsley Park News 2

Apsley Park field date powerpoint slides 29th Nov 2004

Forton

Forton News 1

Kelvedon 

Kelvedon News 1
 

Conference papers         (Click to download a pdf version)

The following are conference papers that have been published as a result of work from the 8x5 Wool Profit Program

July 2008  How universities can function to fill an emerging knowledge and skills gap in agricultural industries

Paper presented at the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance Conference 

Winter 2005  Grasslands Society (Tasmanian branch) 2005

Profitability of Tasmanian beef enterprises: calving dates and stocking rates for weaner and yearling production 

The results of an analysis of different calving dates, stocking rates and types of enterprise on a beef producing system in the southern midlands of Tasmania

Spring 2004  Grasslands Society (Tasmanian branch) 2004,  Apsley Park

Apsley Park: on-track for production targets

An overview of the strategic direction for Apsley Park and it's involvement in the 8x5 WPP for the first year. 

Spring 2004  Grasslands Society (Tasmanian branch) 2004  Forton

Forton : filling seasonal feed gaps

An overview of the strategic direction for Forton and in's involvement in the 8x5 WPP for the first year. 

Autumn 2004  - Click to download Grassland paper

GrassGroTM: targeted information for profitable grazing businesses

Profitable grazing businesses generate more income for roughly the same costs as less profitable farms (Holmes Sackett and Assoc, 2004). However, to be confident that changing management practice, for example increasing stocking rate, will boost income, a producer needs to understand how this affects other aspects of the grazing enterprise. Information is also needed about the impact of this change over a range of seasons. Where can we get this information? Grazing experiments can rarely address all the on-farm interactions and seasonal conditions required by a producer. The GrassGro decision support tool takes into account the unique combination of resources on an individual farm. Using a monitor farm in the 8x5 Wool Profit Program as an example, this paper shows how GrassGro can be used to investigate the effects of changing stocking rate and time of lambing on the profitability of fine wool production in the southern midlands of Tasmania. 

This paper was presented at the National Grasslands conference, held in Launceston, Tasmania. The paper examines the use of GRASSGRO, a computer model developed by CSIRO to examine the effects of changing lambing dates and stocking rates on the profitability of a wool producing farm that is being monitored by the 8x5 Pastures Solutions team. 

Winter 2004 - Benchmark paper

Limitations of and Opportunities to improve Farm Benchmark Analysis Practices. 

Benchmarking analysis delivers many benefits for farm business management. However there is poor uptake of this technology in the Australian sheep industry. There are a range of limitations to the typical farm benchmarking report. A typical farm benchmark report provides little insight for the un-sophisticated receiver of the information. Development of key strategies that enhance the need for benchmarking often occurs as a separate exercise and is often not carried out. Benchmarking service providers need to be continually look for opportunities to enhance the value of farm benchmarking services to Australian sheep producers. Effort must be made to expose wool producers to the benefits of benchmarking at every opportunity. This paper discusses a range of opportunities to use benchmarking to assist wool producers to manage their businesses. 

Sydney University Veterinary Post Graduate Foundation.  June 2004