"Planting a handful of new paddock trees on the farm is an opportunity to re-establish important natural assets without impacting substantial areas of productive land.

Plant suitable local species at appropriate spacings to create 'stepping stones' for native wildlife such as gliders and birds

Use a weed mat or mulch to slow weeds and keep soil moist + water crystals help get through dry spells

Protect the sapling as it establishes with steel mesh guards

Also fence around any old paddock trees to allow natural regeneration to occur + plant understorey species

Use fallen branches to prevent stock from camping directly under paddock trees to avoid excess nutrients in the soil"

​For more tips on planting new paddock trees check out this free guide available from Hovells Creek Landcare Group: http://www.hovellscreeklandcare.org.au/.../a-practical...
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Photograph - Sally Day - New understorey planting around an old paddock tree in the Greta Valley VIC  Sustainable Farming FB page August 2024

The Climate Change 2022 Fenner Conference was held in Canberra 17-18 May 2022.

The theme of the conference was Australia’s soil, water and vegetation as key strategic assets.
Organised and co-hosted by Regenerate Earth, Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) and the Frank Fenner Foundation, the conference featured a line-up of speakers from both farms and academia.  Prof John Hewson opened the conference.

The two-day event brought together a group of representatives with scientific, administrative, and policy expertise in climate and natural hazards, to discuss ways we can make Australian Agriculture Sustainable.
​
Video recordings of the conference are available on the SPA website, https://population.org.au/video/making-australian-agriculture-sustainable-2022-conference/. 

The conference presented an excellent range of speakers and topics.
Keynote speaker was Dr Charles Massy.

"One of the four farmers featured, Longreach grazier Jody Brown, called on leaders to make strong commitments to act on climate change:  “We can go our hardest to adapt. We can be part of the solution. We can reduce our emissions as an industry. We can help with all those things. It’s beyond time that we got a bit more organised at all levels of government. I would just really love it if I knew that everyone else was hustling too.”"  Farmers for Client Action Blog, 7 Dec 2023.

Our guest speaker at the BSFG General Meeting held on Thursday November 23, 2023, was Rachel de Lastic.  The title of Rachel's presentation was “Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health".

Rachel informed the meeting how she had been influenced to pursue her interest in soil health.  She obtained her honours degree at the University of Queensland completing a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Hons), Soil Sciences 2015 – 2019.  Rachel talked about the honours project she worked on looking at the degradation of soil aggregates in Vietnam and Cambodia due to intensive cultivation of maize.  To counter this soil degradation fruit tree plantations were introduced which not only resulted in improved soil aggregates but also provided income.

Rachel worked to produce food where plant diversity was key to a resilient and productive farming system.

In pursuing her passion about maintaining soil health through the implementation of sustainable farming practices Rachel is now working at Soil Land Food-Ecological Agriculture, https://soillandfood.com.au/.  She described one revegetation project to plant 8000 trees on a property.

One of Rachel's slides provided an image and definition of Ecology; “Ecology is the study of the relationships among living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem and biosphere level.”

Being an enthusiastic hands-on person Rachel demonstrated some practical techniques, termed HASH-Holistic Assessment of Soil Health, which can be used to assess soil health such as by measuring soil pH and conducting a water infiltration test.

Soil Land Food offer training courses and there are some online resources at https://soillandfood.com.au/soils/, with for instance, a video on how to do the Water Infiltration Test.  These Soil videos mention a RASH Manual, A landholder’s guide to the Rapid Assessment of Soil Health.  This guide can be downloaded from https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/landscape/docs/ep/rapid_assessment_of_soil_health_rash_manual.pdf.  Another version at https://gmln.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RASH-manual_web.pdf.

Rachel's enthusiastic presentation was well received by members and the meeting ended with further discussion and networking over supper.

Peter Maddock

​The link to this inspiring and informative video "The Parsley Collective" came through the latest Climate Ready Hume Newsletter - https://t.e2ma.net/message/jbso9i/fob1k49b (There's a Sign up link to receive Climate Ready links at the end of the emails.)

The guest speaker at the BSFG General Meeting in November is Albury based Rachel de Lastic who works for a small independent company called Soil Land Food, specialising in ecological agriculture, rural change and capacity building. Her projects include landscape rehydration and revegetation, soil testing and management, making bio-fertilisers, and pasture and soil monitoring.

Rachel is looking forward to speaking with us about regenerative agriculture and soil health. With previous soil ecology university training, now training as an agroecologist, Rachel has worked mostly in horticulture systems (including regenerative market gardens), and more recently in grazing systems. 
 
A light supper will be served at the conclusion of the evening.  Please RSVP your attendance to [email protected]   We hope to see you there!

Always ready to share inspiration and information about sustainable farming systems, BSFG and Swanpool Landcare recently organised a special screening at Swanpool of 'Rachel's Farm'.  This uplifting documentary follows actor Rachel Ward as she sets out to regenerate her northern NSW’s beef farm, with the help of experts and neighbours. "From ignorance about the ecological impacts of conventional agriculture on her own property which has been besieged by drought and bushfires, to embracing a movement of regeneration."

Click on the image to link to an article on the ABC website.... "Rural Australia is pockmarked with small dams. Researchers say they could also be 'batteries'"....

​This recording was taken on 15 March 2023 and hosted by Emily Jones, Organising Manager for Farmers for Climate Action. Guest speakers: Senator the Hon Murray Watt - Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Dr Kate Andrews - NRM Regions Australia Olivia Lawson - Director & Co-Principal of Paringa Livestock Pty Ltd.

Millenial Sam Vincent's book, 'My Father and Other Animals. How I took on the Family Farm' was launched this week.   Here are some comments from the Black Inc. (Publisher) web site: 

‘For any reader desiring to understand contemporary rural Australia, this entertaining and important book is a must-read.’ —Charles Massy, author of Call of the Reed Warbler

‘At once a rollicking comic memoir and a thoughtful meditation on Australian farming, My Father and Other Animals is a warm, surprising and beautifully crafted book.’ –Billy Griffiths, author of Deep Time Dreaming

‘A farmer, his son … what to forget and what to remember, how to inherit and when to change. Sam Vincent has learned a few things from his dad, and among them is how to pay attention. For those of us who hunt our food plastic-wrapped in aisle three, this is a funny, kindly and observant introduction to the landscape that wraps around our cities, keeps us alive and means the world.’ —Kate Holden, author of The Winter Road

​Sam was interviewed by Phillip Adams this week in an engaging segment titled 'How Millenial Sam Vincent Fell Into Farming' on Late Night Live, ABC, Tuesday 9 August 2022 - here's the link:  ​https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/how-millennial-sam-vincent-fell-into-farming/101312110

​Highly Recommended!

​The initial task of the Sustainable Farming Systems group, reported on at the July 28 BSFG General Meeting, involved Sandy Campbell's quest to make contact with Charles Massy in the hope of engaging him to speak to local farmers.    Many BSFG members will have heard Charles speak at the 2018 Swanpool Environmental Film Festival, his topic 'Can Regenerative Agriculture Help Save the World', and/or read his groundbreaking work 'Call of the Reed Warbler'.

Pressures on his time mean that Charles is unable to accept Sandy's invitation, so it's 'Back to the Drawing Board'.  Sandy, along with John Paul Murphy, is now looking towards other options.  We are, however, particularly fortunate with the level of inspiration already imparted by Charles in our area; have continuing access to his book, and can also recommend the excellent Australian Story feature story on Charles' work to disseminate the benefits and practice of regenerative farming.  

The BSFG Review Action Group 'Widespread adoption of Sustainable farming systems' was established following the 2022 review, with the following directions suggested as an outcome of the workshop program. 

Initiatives/Actions

• Develop a series of forums and on-farm demonstrations to explain the changes necessary for carbon capture and storage on farm
• Engage Charles Massey to talk to local farmers

Connect and work with other like-minded groups on common goals

• Meet with other like minded groups to determine common goals
• Create a list of groups already formed and what they are doing in this space.

Peer Support Program for Regenerative Farmers

• Develop a 'Regen' farmer peer support group with field days and guest speakers
• Faciliitate DIY ecological monitoring on farms
• Find and enable local farmers who are interested in belonging to such a group/developing ecological monitoring and other regenerative farming skills

Partnerships and Links

• Explore links with Bulk Food Co-Op and local producers eg the Strathbogie Local in Euroa

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There is clearly synchronicity with another possible area of activity also reported on following the review - Ecosystem Restoration.


Who
Sandy​ Campbell
John Paul Murphy
Local Agricultural community