Regenerative Farming
Modern Farming Methods

Australian Modern Farming Methods

Many farmers have devised a methods to enable them to continue on their property as the "droughts and flooding rains" of our country roll by.
This site attempts to bring together in one reference point these many systems to enable our visitors to explore some of the options available.
You wont be able to install all of the ideas recorded below so just select one or two ideas and make a start on "climate change" proofing your land whether it be a town block or a million acres.

Book cover

NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust

University research explores health and wellbeing benefits of landholders in private land conservation. The study would explore how they could measure health, wellbeing and life satisfaction gains from protecting threatened habitats and species alongside the biodiversity gains on conservation sites.
Conservation gains were measured using the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Ecological Monitoring Method, recognised and endorsed by Accounting for Nature’s environmental accounting framework.
This research would consider indicators to measure health, wellbeing, and life satisfaction gains from protecting threatened habitats and species, and whether they could inform program design or policy direction for future private land conservation initiatives.
Book cover

Pasture Cropping

Pasture Cropping—The Innovative No-kill, No-till System Developed by Australian Farmers
There are two major nutritional benefits that flow from a pasture phase to the subsequent cropping phase — residual organic N from pasture legumes and an increase in soil C levels.
By using low rates of fertiliser and chemical, some have dropped their costs substantially with only a small reduction in their output.
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Natural Asset Farming

The "Natural Asset Farming" book reveals why seven key natural assets are so valuable.
Farm dams, creeklines, vegetation and rocky outcrops are natural assets that are essential for healthy, sustainable farms. Protecting and enhancing these elements of natural capital on farms not only supports biodiversity, but also contributs to farm productivity and to the well-being of farmers and farming communities.
By using low rates of fertiliser and chemical, he has dropped his costs substantially with only a small reduction in his output.
Book cover

Regenerative Farming

The book "Call of the Reed Warbler"   by Charles Massey.
This ground-breaking book will change the way we farm and grow food.
Charlie Massy turned his ravaged property into an oasis — and how other farmers can do it.
ABC Podcast - October 2020
Chris Henggeler at Kachana Station aims is to build a model of sustainable land use with meaningful activity for all involved. This brings with it the need to explore and create new opportunities for young people.
Windbreaks
Windbreaks
Tree windbreaks in the wheatbelt
By the Department of Agriculture and Food, WA.
The Economic Benefits of Native Shelter Belts
By The Basalt to Bay Landcare Network, in South West Victoria.
Jigsaw Farms - Integrates forestry, carbon and indigenous plantings with high-productivity grazing on a large scale.
Bob & Anne Davie - With the help of Landcare and community members, the Davies planted more than 35,000 indigenous grasses, shrubs and trees.
Innovative farming techniques – Bruce and Roz Maynard.
When Bruce adopted a holistic approach to agriculture. He treated cropping and grazing as one entity. He use a cropping method to actively reduce the impact of cropping and animal husbandry on his farm’s ecology.
Restoring Farm Woodlands for Wildlife - by Researchers from Canberra Uni.
Mainly refers to tree and shrub planting but also refers to productivity and live stock health.
Permaculture
Permaculture is an integrated system of ecological and environmental design which Bill Mollison co-developed with David Holmgren, while living in Tasmania, and which they together envisioned as a perennial and sustainable form of agriculture.
Permaculture
Bill Mollison Permaculture Lecture Series, On-Line
Permaculture: A Quiet Revolution — An Interview with Bill Mollison
Ron Watkins, Payneham Farm
Talks about farming within the Eco-System. Permaculture and Keyline.

Natural sequence

Natural sequence farming is the secret to restoring our water-starved continent. For more than a decade, two farmers have shown that parched landscapes can be revived.
These videos explores the potential solution to Australia’s drought crisis.
YouTube video - How Peter Andrews rejuvenates drought-struck land.
ABC - The secret to restoring our water-starved continent.
Keyline

KeyLine

The late, P.A. Yeomans and particularly his son’s Allan & Ken have provided a significant influence to producers around the world through their development of the Keyline farming system.
The Challenge of Landscape
The Geographical Basis of Keyline (J MacDonald Holmes) 1960 (Originally) P A Yeomans’ work examined.
Keyline is being continued by the Regrarians
Regrarian, a neologism of 'Regenerative Agrarian'. It is a term first coined by Darren J Doherty in 2013 to describe those who are actively undertaking the serious & timely process of regenerating, restoring, rehabilitating, rekindling and rebooting production landscapes, be they urban or rural, across the world.
Ron Watkins
Keyline plows and variations - Darren Doherty
The development of various versions of Keyline plows from 1994 to 2017.
Keyline Designs
Explanation of Keyline ordered set of principles, techniques and systems.
Keyline design
Wikipedia, provides a clear explanation of Keyline.

Organisations & Groups

Landcare Australia
Landcare Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation established more than 30 years ago that supports the landcare community with funding, capacity-building, on-ground projects, information, networking and promotion of landcare achievements.
Ian Potter Plan
The plan was set up in the 1980s to revitalise farms. In 2017 it made a further grant of $2 Million.
Corowa Paper-laneways Project
Paper laneways were established as part of the public road system but were never developed, leaving strips of native vegetation across lanscapes.
8 Families - The stories of 8 families.
All of them use the regenerative farming principles of Holistic Management to produce beef, lamb and eggs free of antibiotics and hormones.
180 Permanent Paddocks - Input costs are negligible.
Our biggest cost is land rates ... cost of production is below 30 cents a kilo.
Australian Vegetable and Potato Industry
The industry body (PIB) for the Australian vegetable and potato industries. To help our growers and our industry succeed.
Hand for the Land
Practical Planned Grazing, Recovery based
Holistic Management Educators Australia and New Zealand
Ultimately, the only wealth that can sustain any community, economy or nation is derived from the photosynthetc process - green plants growing on regenerating soil.
Newsletter, 2 November 2019
MLA - Meat & Livestock Australia - Saleyard reports by day for cattle and sheep.
Stipa Native Grasses Association
Focuses on the practical aspects of native grasses and their use in farming.
Adjungbilly Creek Project
It involved planting along the creek that runs through this property and alongside the neighbouring primary school.
Solar Water Pumps - See the range of options.
Wide Open Agriculture - Revitalising Western Australia’s Wheatbelt
Through diversified, regenerative agriculture. They are seeking strong, sustainable financial returns and are committed to making a positive impact on the communities and ecosystems in which we operate.

Farmers

Tim Wright, “Lana”, Uralla. Planned grazing gives pasture a chance to respond after the first rain.
Published 10 Aug 2018 in "The Land" Newspaper.
FigTrees Organic Farms, Inverell and Grafton, NSW has been able to regenerate properties from tired conventionally run farms to thriving healthy landscapes bursting with abundance, the abundance that comes from caring for healthy soils.
Published 7 Aug 2018 in "The Land" Newspaper.
Savory Global - Grasslands are vast landscapes that have the capacity, if properly managed, to address some of humanity’s most urgent challenges such as water and food insecurity, poverty, and climate change.
A new, creature friendly method of farming. - Insects, birds & animals help us grow these bananas.
The Ecoganic™ farming system we created to grow our signature, wax tipped bananas means we farm in harmony with nature.
Soils for Life - Encourage the widest possible adoption of regenerative landscape management practices across rural, remote and urban environments.
Read their many case studies, think how you could use some of the ideas.
Soil Food Web - Dr. Elaine Ingham
Laboratory soil testing and soil biology consultancy services.
Amazing Carbon - Christine Jones
Photosynthesis - A process that takes place in the chloroplasts of green leaves, carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water (H2O) from the soil, are combined to capture light energy and transform it to biochemical energy in the form of simple sugars. These simple sugars are the building blocks for life in and on the earth.
The major priority is NOT production at all costs - Gillian Sanbrook
The major priority is getting the soil and the land into a good, healthy condition.
Traceability and genetics have changed the industry
Derek Schoen works with beef farmers on everything from animal welfare, biosecurity and market access to research and development.
Direct seeding - Darryl Cluff and Colin Seis
Cluff-Seis pasture-cropping technique involves the direct seeding of an annual crop into perennial native pasture.
Cattle & Market Garden - Tobias and Beatrice Koenig
They incorporate all the basic organic principles and then comes the biodynamic approach.
Eco Tree Seeder - Richard and Jenny Weatherly
The ‘Eco Tree Seeder’ is a versatile stump-jump seeder, with a three-point linkage, suitable for a wide variety of soils from heavy clay to sand and rocky soils. It has a scalping blade followed by three adjustable discs for seedbed preparation, a seed box with the option of placing fertiliser from a second box below the seed, a press wheel and a compactor roller.
Biodiversity - Jon and Vicki Taylor
Biodiversity is the variety of all living organisms, including plants, animals, fungi and microbes. Biodiversity is necessary for productive, resilient ecosystems. Their goal is to increase biodiversity for a healthier ecosystem, avoid overgrazing and reduce the land’s exposure to sun, wind, rain and frosts, to maintain a milder micro-climate.
Planting provided a real sense of achievement - Peter Herriot
The planted areas on his farm provided a quiet place for him and his family members to think and rejuvenate.
Traditional Land Management Practices - Rod Taylor
Rod has devoted himself to learning, teaching and sharing Traditional Land Management Practices and it has been his Dream to have the current landowners and land managers reintroduce Traditional Practices.
Chatsworth House Pastoral
Natural Capital - A precious resource that we are committed to nurturing and working with to profitably regenerate the landscape.
The Conscious Farmers - Regenerating our farmland, soils & pastures by working with nature.
We practice the Bud Williams low stress stock handling principles.
Individual farmers have played a leading role in improving natural assets on their farms.
Some of these farmers have shared their insights and experiences with us, and with others around them.
400,000-acres - No stock - David and Francis
They are slowly returning his childhood home in remote WA to its ancient splendour. In a landscape more than 3 billion years old, it's going to take a while.
ABC, Australian Story, November 2015
Creating a tourist ecology haven and finding a non-destructive way to run cattle.
John & Robyn Ive - Reducing dryland salinity and achieving resilience by design.
Prepared a comprehensive plan to addressed the fundamental needs of variation in slope, aspect, soil depth, geology, vegetation and climate to achieve success.
Grain, sheep and a stone grinding flour mill - Dayle and Terri Lloyd
A highly productive farm without using chemicals, requiring only very limited inputs, responsibly conserving earth’s limited natural resources.
Carbon Farmers Australia - Storing carbon in your soils.
Planting native trees and shrubs (Native Forest)
Managing stock to allow native forest to grow
Agroforestry in Australia - Rowan Reid
The art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit.
Resource Consulting Services (RCS) - Terry McCosker Successful Farmers and Experts - Farming Secrets
Farming Secrets is often out on the road filming farmers successfully making the change to healthier soils.

Weather Bureau

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology Water and the Land web site aims to provide an integrated suite of information for people involved in primary production, natural resource management, industry, trade and commerce.
The website brings together a range of services from rainfall forecasts for the week ahead to climate change and trend maps in an easily accessible and intuitive way.
Drought - Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Climate Data Online Use the Text or Map to view daily and monthly statistics, historical weather observations, rainfall, temperature and solar tables, graphs and data for any Australian weather station.

Regenerative Farming

A search for "regenerative farming" in Google produced these sites.

Drought Mitigation

A search for "drought mitigation" in Google produced these sites. Try your luck to see what you can locate.

Mapping services

Use these mapping services for an aerial view of your property and other properties mentioned in the above articles.
SIXmaps - QLD
SIX maps - NSW
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Tasmania - Click on the Base Maps button in the top right corner.
These maps and Google Earth all provide GPS location information.
( Download Google Earth )
The Regrarians site also provides GPS data so that you can locate others who are using the Keyline practices.

Books

Book cover Call of the Reed Warbler
by Charles Massey.
This ground-breaking book will change the way we think of, farm and grow food.
Book cover Back from the brink
by Peter Andrews
He has had remarkable success in converting degraded, salt-ravaged properties into fertile, drought-resistant pastures.
Book cover Who's Minding the Farm?
In this climate emergency

by Patrice Newell
A call to arms from Patrice Newell who has dedicated her life to land management at Elmswood in the Hunter Valley.
Book cover Restoring Farm Woodlands for Wildlife
by Researchers from Canberra Uni.
Mainly refers to tree and shrub planting but also refers to productivity and live stock health.
It is based on 20 years of intensive field research.
 
Book cover The Biggest Estate on Earth
by Bill Gammage
Across Australia, early Europeans commented again and again that the land looked like a park. With extensive grassy patches and pathways, open woodlands and abundant wildlife, it evoked a country estate in England.
Book coverNatural Asset Farming
The Sustainable Farms project is conducted at the Australian National University. It cover more than 20 years of detailed scientific work, primarily on environmental conditions and biodiversity conservation on farms.
 

ABC - Podcasts

Charlie Massy turned his ravaged property into an oasis — and how other farmers can do it. ABC Podcast - October 2020
Defying the Drought ABC Podcast - August 2018
Brown Gold: A surprising ingredient helping to drought-proof properties ABC Podcast - July 2018
Natural sequence farming ABC Podcast - October 2018

The World Problem

Australia is not alone with drought problems.
Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
World Health Organisation - Integrated Drought Management Programme
Desert Greening

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