Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority's (CMA) Regional Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee for Sustainable Farming toured Ian Dickson's Biodiesel farm plant in Longwood recently.
Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority's (CMA) Regional Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee for Sustainable Farming toured Ian Dickson's Biodiesel farm plant in Longwood recently.
The Regional Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee acts as a sub-committee of the Goulburn Broken CMA and provides a link to the primary production community and industry in the Goulburn Broken Region. The committee assists in providing strategic direction and making recommendations to the Regional Landcare Facilitator – Goulburn Broken program.
The Regional Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee was established in early 2011. This committee has representatives from around the Goulburn Broken region with representation from various primary industry sectors who assist the RLF in the needs of the regional agricultural community.
The role of the RLF Steering Committee is to encourage actions that lead to community Landcare and production groups promoting sustainable farm and Land management practices in the catchment delivered by the RLF program.
Regional Landcare Facilitator, Charlie Sexton, explains "The Regional Landcare Facilitator (RLF) program is an initiative of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry. The four year program funds Regional Landcare Facilitators located in each of the 56 natural resource management regions across Australia where they support Landcare and production groups."
"Facilitators will help Landcare and production groups meet the challenges of food security, climate change and the protection of biodiversity by assisting them to adopt sustainable land management practices and to protect Australia's landscapes" explains Mr Sexton.
As part of the Steering Committee's commitment to understanding sustainable farm practices within the catchment they visited Ian Dickson's farm in Longwood to look at his sustainable mustard seed oil production.
Longwood farmer, Ian Dickson has taken climate change and the reduction in fossil fuels very seriously. Indian mustard (brassica juncea) can be successfully grown over a wide part of southern Australia. It is tolerant to drought, frost and insect damage. Used as a break crop it also has good disease breaking characteristics.
In 2009 Ian Dickson set up a pilot plant on his property to produce his own Single Vegetable Oil (SVO) fuel using the oil from mustard seed. He now has a fully automated extraction process. Ian sees the opportunities for this type of production into the future.
"With the World using 83 million barrels of fossil oil every day, that is a volume of 1km long by 1km wide by 1km high, and with an ever increasing demand for transport fuel the world will need another source of fuel especially for agriculture and food production as the fossil fuel supply is rapidly being depleted," explains Mr. Dickson.
"Indian mustard seed oil used in converted diesel engines is one answer that is feasible here in southern Australia."
"A Mustard seed crop can be grown by any farmer as part of a crop rotation andcan be used as a break crop for disease management and at a much lower cost than some other legumes. The left over mustard seed cake from the oil pressing process can also provide a great source of protein and energy for stock as a feed substitute and as a fertilizer additive."
The benefit of the mustard seed is that it requires low nutrient input and is low cost. It is tolerant to drought, frost and insect damage.
The oil yield is influenced by seasonal conditions, oil content and extraction efficiency.
Goulburn Broken CMA Regional Landcare facilitator steering committee is committed to sustainable farming in the Goulburn Broken region. For more information on how you can be involved with Sustainable Farming in the Goulburn Broken region please contact the Regional Landcare Facilitator via email charlies@gbcma.vic.gov.au or call the Goulburn Broken CMA on 03 5820 1100.
Ian Dickson's mustard seed crop in Longwood. Photo: Goulburn Broken CMA
Goulburn Broken CMA Regional Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee Members (from top left) Norman Tozer, Nick Ryan, Greg Bekker, doug James (Chair), Ian McLaren, (from bottom left) Charlie Sexton, Cath Marriot, Tony Kubeil. Absent: John Pettigrew. Photo: Goulburn Broken CMA
some of the producsts from Ian Dicksons farm in Longwood. Photo: Goulburn Broken CMA
Doug James and Greg Bekker discuss the merits of growing mustard with grower Ian Dickson. Photo: Goulburn Broken CMA
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