2026 GIPPSLAND SPRING FIELD DAY

"FROM THE GROUND UP"

What’s happening in your paddocks? What can you do to grow more feed, build stronger pastures, manage soils and make better decisions for your farm?

The Gippsland Spring Field Day is bringing together farmers, agronomists, researchers and industry specialists for a practical day of paddock-based learning, real-world insights and plenty of opportunity to ask questions and compare notes.

And there’s a lot to see.

11 practical sessions. One big day of learning.

From soil acidity and soil biology to pasture persistence, feed quality, animal health and breeding structure, the program has something for every Gippsland grazing business.

🌱 Pastures 365 – Green Grass All Year Round
See the new pasture trial and explore which perennial pasture options could deliver more reliable feed across the seasons.

🌾 Right Plant, Right Paddock
Get practical advice on matching pasture species to your soil and farming system for better establishment and persistence.

🧪 Cracking the Code – Soil Acidity
Take a look at long-term lime trials and explore practical strategies for lifting soil pH and getting more value from your lime investment.

🔬 Beneath Your Boots – Soil Health & Biology
Get hands-on with soil testing and learn how nutrient interactions and biological indicators can help inform paddock decisions.

🐄 Built to Last – Heifer & Bull Structure
Learn what to look for when assessing breeding stock and how structural decisions can influence the long-term performance of your herd.

🌾 Feed for Thought – Quality Feed Testing
See a live comparison of silage samples and learn how better feed information can support smarter feeding and business decisions.

🌿 Taking Back the Paddock – African Lovegrass
Explore practical control options and hear about the latest work tackling one of East Gippsland’s persistent weed challenges.

🌱 Best of Both Worlds – Grain & Graze
Explore how grain and grazing systems can work together to improve whole-farm flexibility and productivity.

🌾 What's in the Ground – Cereal Variety Trial Update
Get an update on the wheat and barley variety trials underway at the Research Farm.

💉 Planning Ahead – Animal Health Calendars
Take a practical look at proactive animal health planning and how better timing can support productivity and animal welfare.

🎓 Growing Your Future – Pathways into Agriculture
For anyone considering a career in agriculture, discover the training, employment and industry pathways available across Gippsland.

Choose your own program

Sessions run throughout the day, with presentations repeated across different time slots so you can build your own field day program around the topics that matter most to your farm.

Each session includes a 20-minute presentation, 20 minutes of questions and discussion, and time to move between locations.

There will also be plenty of opportunity over lunch to catch up with other farmers, talk with presenters and explore what’s happening across the Research Farm.

Session`

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4``

Option 5

Session 1 9:00 – 10:00am

Feed for Thought: Quality Feed Decision Making

Fiona Baker & Peter Ronalds

Best of Both Worlds: Grain & Graze

Rhys Cotton-Starkey

Cracking the Code: Soil Acidity

Lisa Miller & Nicole Frost

Planning Ahead: Animal Health Calendars

Billy Marshall & Ben Bloomfield

Built to Last: Heifer & Bull Structure

Amber Junor, Alister Micallef & Jasmin Maher

Session 2 10:00 – 11:00am

Pastures 365: Green Grass All Year Round

Peter Ronalds & Craig Butler

Beneath Your Boots: Soil Health & Biology

Chris Alenson & Trevor Caithness

Right Plant, Right Paddock: Pasture Persistence

Casey Willis, Neville Atkins & Hannah Thorson

Taking Back the Paddock: African Lovegrass

Michelle Shugg & Andrew Sheridan

Growing Your Future: Pathways into Agriculture

TAFE & Dave Gamble

Session 3 11:00am – 12:00pm

Feed for Thought: Quality Feed Decision Making

Fiona Baker & Peter Ronalds

What's in the Ground: Cereal Variety Trial Update

Rhys Cotton-Starkey & Casey Willis

Cracking the Code: Soil Acidity

Lisa Miller & Nicole Frost

Planning Ahead: Animal Health Calendars

Billy Marshall & Ben Bloomfield

Growing Your Future: Pathways into Agriculture

TAFE & Dave Gamble

Lunch 12:00 – 2:00pm

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Session 4 2:00 – 3:00pm

Pastures 365: Green Grass All Year Round

Peter Ronalds & Craig Butler

Beneath Your Boots: Soil Health & Biology

Chris Alenson & Trevor Caithness

Built to Last: Heifer & Bull Structure

Amber Junor, Alister Micallef & Jasmin Maher

Taking Back the Paddock: African Lovegrass

Michelle Shugg & Andrew Sheridan

Right Plant, Right Paddock: Pasture Persistence

Casey Willis, Neville Atkins & Hannah Thorson

Session 5 3:00 – 4:00pm

Feed for Thought: Quality Feed Decision Making

Fiona Baker & Peter Ronalds

Best of Both Worlds: Grain & Graze

Rhys Cotton-Starkey

Planning Ahead: Animal Health Calendars

Billy Marshall & Ben Bloomfield

Built to Last: Heifer & Bull Structure

Amber Junor, Alister Micallef & Jasmin Maher

Right Plant, Right Paddock: Pasture Persistence

Casey Willis, Neville Atkins & Hannah Thorson

Contact the host of 2026 Gippsland Spring Field Day