Farm Agskills

A practical guide to the everyday skills used on farms, including fencing, rope work, pasture management, soil assessment, tree establishment and farm safety.

Build practical farming skills with this hands-on guide to everyday farm tasks.
Produced by Tocal College and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Farm Agskills provides step-by-step instruction and plenty of visual examples for many of the practical jobs carried out on Australian farms. Designed for farm workers, trainees, students and anyone learning agricultural skills, the guide focuses on the core skills that support successful farm operations.

Who this guide is for

• Farm workers and farm trainees 
  
• Agricultural students
  
• Lifestyle farming and small acreage owners
  
• Agricultural educators and training programs
  

What you'll learn

• Essential rope knots and rope work skills
  
• Constructing and maintaining farm fences
  
• Electric fencing installation and troubleshooting
  
• Estimating pasture yields and feed availability
  
• Seed drill and fertiliser spreader calibration
  
• Spray calibration and chemical application preparation
  
• Tree planting and revegetation techniques
  
• Direct seeding of trees and shrubs
  
• Soil texture, structure and acidity testing
  
• Soil sampling and infiltration assessments
  
• Work health and safety risk management
  
• Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)

Table of Contents

General Safety Precautions

Rope Knots

• The Clove Hitch
• The Bowline Knot
• The Hay Knot
• The Quick-release Knot No 1
• The Quick-release Knot No 2
• The Sheet Bend Knot
• The Eye Splice
• The Crown Knot
• The Back Splice
• Animal halter
• Rope Headstall

Fencing

• Clearing and Sighting the Fence Line
• Erecting Fence Posts
• Hanging a Gate
• Running Out and Tying Off Wires
• Constructing a Horizontal End Assembly
• Building a Conventional Fence Step-by-Step
• Safety Precautions for Electric Fencing
• Wire Joining for Electric Fences
• Earthing an Electric Fence
• Temporary Electric Fences
• Testing the Electric Fence
• Building an Electric Fence Step-by-Step

Pastures

• Inoculating and Lime Pelleting Legume Seed
• Seed Drill Calibration
• Boom Spray Calibration
• Estimating Pasture Yields

Trees

• Planting Trees
• Direct Seeding Trees and Shrubs

Soil

• Determining Soil Texture
• Preventing Soil Structure Damage
• Testing Soil Structural Stability
• Measure Soil Acidity
• Taking Soil Samples
• Soil Infiltration

Safe Work Method Statements