MUSTER Program
Period: 2026-2028
Funding Body: GGA & Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, & Forestry
Funds: $276,000
Project Officers: Hilary Watterson & Jenna Walliser
Summary
The MUSTER initiative is designed to strengthen the capability and confidence of Western Australian sheep and wool producers by extending relevant, evidence-based best practice knowledge.
Project Deliverables:
2026-2028 Livestock Producer Upskilling Program (Ladies Group & Young Farmers)
3 Optiweigh Demonstration Sites (2x Optiweighs)
Extension Material Development
Gillamii’s MUSTER activities will improve the ability of local sheep and wool producers to use technology and data to make confident, timely grazing and feeding decisions, resulting in better flock nutrition, improved labour efficiency, and more resilient grazing systems. While Gillamii manages six MLA Producer Demonstration Sites across the region, MUSTER extension will focus on one site, where 2 OptiWeigh Sheep machines will be installed to showcase liveweight monitoring and data-driven decision-making. Through on-farm demonstrations, the AWI Lifetime Ewe Management ‘New to Sheep’ program (hosted by Ed Riggall/Principal Consultant at AgPro Management four times per year), case studies, and digital extension materials, we aim to directly engage 30–50 producers and 10–15 advisors, with additional indirect reach via webinars and other resources.
Producers will learn how to use liveweight data as a practical proxy for condition scoring, interpret trends to inform grazing, supplementation, and confinement feeding decisions, link feed-on-offer and pasture condition to animal performance, integrate OptiWeigh and EID technology into daily management, and reduce labour while improving decision-making confidence. Impact will be measured through attendance and participation records, demonstration site data including liveweight trends and management responses, pre- and post-activity surveys capturing changes in understanding and adoption intent, and follow-up feedback from producers on how the technology has influenced their management decisions.
A full project report will be available upon completion.