AN invite to join the organising committee for the 2015 Grassland Society of Southern Australia annual conference in Naracoorte has led to a quick rise through the ranks for Nick McBride.
Just a year later, Mr McBride was elected president of the Society at its Annual General Meeting held during the annual conference in Hamilton in south-west Vic last week.
It has been a meteoric rise but Mr McBride, from Conmurra Station near Kingston, only regrets not joining sooner.
Conmurra Station covers 3500 hectares and is mainly a wool growing enterprise. It shears around 30,000 sheep in good times, though the past two dry seasons have reduced that number before a revival this year. It also has about 500 breeding cows.
The third generation farmer said his introduction to the Grassland Society had been invaluable.
“I joined the committee last year while attending the conference at Naracoorte,” he said. “I absolutely loved it; I loved the group of people and the information they were gathering.”
That information stream has continued in regular newsletters and MLA Pasture Updates. It has been particularly helpful on Mr McBride’s property, which he describes as a difficult block.
“About half the property goes underwater most winters,” he said. “It’s very wet this year but I’m using information from the Grasslands to help out with this situation.”
“We’re looking for maximum pasture production on our higher ground to get the advantage of that land when the flats are under water,” he said.
“We’re always pursuing best practice and the Grassland Society is an organisation with relevant information that you can use to increase production & profitability.”
Mr McBride said information from the society had reinforced his love of phalaris and given him knowledge of the different varieties. “We’re looking at different grazing techniques, pasture varieties, and sowing of cereal crops for grazing; it’s all about producing more feed for our economic benefit.”
One of his priorities as president is to ensure all branches are active and to spread the word about the society.
“There are people coming and going in the branches but I’d like to see them all well organised and pro-active,” he said.
The society has branches in Albury-Wodonga, Central Ranges, Central West, Gippsland, East Gippsland, and Western Vic, Limestone Coast South Australia, and Tasmania.
“As a livestock producer, the Society is a great organisation and I don’t think it’s as well known as it should be.”
Mr McBride replaces Tim Pepper as president. Hamilton’s Steve Cotton from Dynamic Ag Consulting was elected vice-president.
