Autumn Newsletter 2026
Welcome to AWI Extension WA’s Autumn Newsletter for 2026. We’re so happy that you’re here!
Welcome to AWI Extension WA’s Autumn Newsletter for 2026. This newsletter is packed with the latest resources and information to help WA woolgrowers.
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Wool trivia challenge - Test your knowledge with a quick 10-question trivia challenge. Wool ewe take the challenge?
- AWI Extension WA Deep Dive Series - Have you tuned in yet to the new AWI Extension WA Deep Dive Series? Read on to see what we’ve covered so far—and catch up on the episodes you might have missed.
We've also provided a bunch of additional resources and information to help throughout the articles in this newsletter.
Scroll down to check it all out!
As always, please get in touch with Georgia with any comments, suggestions, feedback or requests for workshops in your region, visit contact us.
Wool trivia challenge!
Test your knowledge with a quick 10-question trivia challenge.
Wool ewe take the challenge?
Click on the following link to access the quiz and view the answers > bit.ly/4jR45nF
Submit your answers, then click on "View accuracy" to see how you went.
AWI Extension WA Deep Dive Series
Have you tuned in yet to the new AWI Extension WA Deep Dive Series?
These sharp, 30-minute episodes cut through the noise to unpack the topics that matter most to WA woolgrowers—delivering practical insights you can apply on-farm. Whether you prefer to watch or listen on YouTube, it’s an easy way to stay informed in your own time without taking up your whole day.
Here is what we've covered so far in the Deep Dive Series:
- Episode 1 – Smart Wool: Turning Tech into Profit: Featuring Mark Ferguson, neXtgen Agri. Watch this episode to discover how data and technology can help WA woolgrowers add value to their clip and their business. From new tools to smarter workflows, this episode shows practical ways to lift productivity and profitability.
- 👉 Watch/listen here: https://tinyurl.com/4ebp7uxh
- Episode 2 – Containment Feeding, Made Simple: With the Autumn feed gap and seasonal challenges front of mind, this episode breaks down the technical considerations for setting up a successful containment area. Plus, Simon Fowler from Chilwell Farms breaks down how containment feeding works and why it’s a powerful tool for managing stock condition and feed efficiency on his property.
- 👉 Watch/listen here: https://tinyurl.com/2j6t4axp
- Episode 3 – Building Drought Resilience: Tanya Kilminster from the South‑West WA Drought Hub joins us to explore strategies for building enterprise resilience, preparing for dry spells and setting your business up for long‑term success under variable conditions.
- 👉 Watch/listen here: https://tinyurl.com/m9t4y8zb
- Episode 4 – Smarter Shearing: In this episode, Darren Spencer, President of the WA Shearing Industry Association Inc (WASIA), delves into better shearing practices and techniques — helping woolgrowers improve their people, productivity and welfare from shearing.
- 👉 Watch/listen here: https://tinyurl.com/mu249d33
- Episode 5 – xx: Fxx
- 👉 Watch/listen here:
Click on the links above or scan the QR code to check out all of the Deep Dive series episodes. You can also access them all here: https://tinyurl.com/4jkchums.
Stay tuned to our social media for more episode releases!
Other AWI Extension WA Initiatives
Make sure you stay tuned via our social media platforms to keep up to date with the latest research and advice.
If you haven't already, make sure you catch up on our webinars held during 2025.
You can watch full replays on YouTube by clicking on the following links:
- Making Money Out of Wool Webinar - https://youtu.be/3HZV8rKdHtY?si=DhAHBo6lKjaGn0Cl
- Using EID for profit and productivity Webinar - https://buff.ly/sa6nJEM
- Making cent$ of carbon and emissions on-farm Webinar - https://buff.ly/bPmksM9
- Water-smart management strategies Webinar - https://buff.ly/3yRYxbt
- Making Sense of ASBVs & Selection Indexes Webinar - https://buff.ly/FCS8LHu
Newsletter Articles Summer 2026
We’ve carefully crafted four articles for your perusal to support you through the next few months and set you up for future success.
The WA woolgrower’s guide to containment feeding
Containment feeding has become a vital tool for WA woolgrowers to protect fragile soils and maintain or increase stock condition through the increasingly long summer-autumn feed gap. This guide provides practical steps on site selection, nutrition, and infrastructure, featuring expert insights from Esperance woolgrower Simon Fowler on how to lift flock performance while reducing costs.
Improving conception, scanning results and lamb survival
Improving conception, scanning, and lamb survival is a multi-faceted game that begins months before the rams go out. This guide outlines the critical links between pre-joining nutrition, mating duration, and pregnancy management, providing Western Australian woolgrowers with a roadmap to optimise ewe energy reserves and lift whole-flock productivity through the challenging summer-autumn period.
Practical steps to drought-proof your sheep enterprise
Hotter, drier seasons are now the reality for WA woolgrowers — and improving farm resilience is no longer optional. In this article, Bruce Rock woolgrower and Drought Hub Knowledge Broker Tanya Kilminster shares practical, research-backed strategies to plan ahead, protect core genetics and secure feed and water before the next dry hits. Discover the steps that can safeguard your flock, land and bottom line.
Staying ahead of Barber’s Pole: Managing worm risk in a changing WA climate
Internal parasites remain one of the costliest challenges for WA woolgrowers, but the "rules" of engagement are shifting. Evidence shows barber’s pole worm egg counts are now remaining above risk thresholds year-round in regions previously considered low-risk. This article breaks down the integrated worm management pillars—monitoring, nutrition, grazing, genetics, strategic drenching and vaccinating—required to break the cycle of reinfection and protect your bottom line.
