Dr Cotton said most local farmers should consider themselves first and foremost as grass growers.

“Whether they’re sheep, beef or dairy farmers, it’s the pasture system that drives production and liveweight gains in animals,” Dr Cotton said.

“It’s all about getting soil fertility right, growing the grass and then getting good utilisation of that grass,” he said.

Dr Cotton believes the Grassland Society has a significant role to play in helping farmers to achieve success.

The society has about 540 members with branches in Albury-Wodonga, Central Ranges, Central West, Gippsland, East Gippsland, Western District, the Limestone Coast in South Australia, and Tasmania.

“The society provides relevant and robust information suited to people who are keen to grow grass,” he said. “Other societies have a crop focus; we’re the only society that is grass-focused.”

Dr Cotton hopes to see membership grow to 700. “We will have be driving for more numbers and will conduct a survey to see what current members want,” he said.

The society’s central committee will focus more on strategic issues while giving branches more freedom to drive local activities, he said.

The society will continue to organise regular Pasture Updates for Meat and Livestock Australia and Dr Cotton hopes to broaden its sponsorship base.

He also hopes to promote greater collaboration with other similar organisations and researchers. 

Dr Cotton became president of the Western District branch in 2012.

He later joined the society’s central committee.