2008 Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Awards
Primary Producer Caring for Land
Winner: Rob and Carol Tylee
The 2008 Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Awards were held on Saturday 6 September at Zinc in Federation Square in front of 250 guests.
The Awards celebrate Landcare Heroes and focus on the thousands of volunteers making a difference by tackling some of the big issues in Melbourne’s landscape and catchment environments.
Winning the Primary Producer Caring for Land category were Rob and Carol Tylee from Drouin South. Rob & Carol run a 240 hectare dairy farm which is regarded as a “showcase” property. They milk 300 dairy cows and their goal is to farm in a sustainable, productive and enjoyable way.
Activities they have undertaken include: fencing all waterways and dams, planting shelterbelts, placing troughs in all paddocks, recycling silage wrap, built laneways to all paddocks with runoff diverted to pasture to reduce nutrient runoff , provided stock crossings over waterways, built a two pond effluent system to irrigate paddocks and fencing remnant vegetation.
Through their work they have increased milk production and herd numbers, seen biodiversity improvements and are undertaking better management activities around waste and water management. They have encouraged others in their community to undertake better farming practices.
All winners of the Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Awards will go on to be nominated for the 2009 Victorian Landcare Awards.
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