More than 120 landholders and agricultural specialists have a greater understanding of how they can better manage biodiversity and boost their farm’s profitability, after attending a conference at Lazy River Estate on Tuesday.
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Hosted by the Local Land Services, the ‘Biodiversity for Profit’ conference on Tuesday, June 19, also showcased the work of local farmers who demonstrated how they are boosting farm profitability through a range of natural methods.
Gulgong mixed farmer Colin Seis developed the ‘pasture cropping’ method over 20 years ago and spoke about how it has helped his property.
The natural practice focuses on methods which regenerate grassland, soil and the farm’s ecosystem.
Colin’s dedication to farmer education and regenerative techniques has resulted in the method being undertaken worldwide.
More than 3000 farmers – managing an estimated three million acres globally – use the technique to grow crops and restore soil.
“Agriculture crashed in the 1970’s and we got burnt out in a fire (on the property) 9 years later. We lost pretty much everything... I had to find another way of doing it (farming), so I developed a method of low input agriculture because we couldn’t afford anything else,” Colin said.
“I started to work out restoring grasslands and soil and I basically left Mother Nature to drive it for me, because Mother Nature will do it for nothing if you encourage her.”
Through that process Colin was able to look at ways of growing crops that would not only cost a lot less but would continue to restore the farm ecosystem, which was how the development of pasture cropping came about.
By spending his lifetime perfecting the method, Colin now consults other farmers all over the world.
“It’s become a global method of sowing crops,” he said.
Colin said one of the key messages he wanted to get across to others at the conference was how important Mother Nature is.
“Our farms should function as ecosystems.. but most don’t, they’re totally removed from nature… if our farms function more like a natural system then costs almost plummet, you don’t get animal problems or crop diseases, soil nutrients then start recycling and our soil improves, our soil ecosystem restores also,” he said.
Colin said the pasture cropping practice has been “rewarding.”
“And being able to help farmers and everyone and for them to be profitable, but more important than that to be able to restore their farms,” he said.
Colin said the practice doesn’t have to be undertaken exactly as he has done it, but encourages farmers to just think about mimicking natural systems.
“And then it works. It can’t not work,” he said.
“The closer we get to Mother Nature the easier it becomes and the more profitable it is.”
Some of the ways farmers can put the practice to use include not plowing soil with old plow machines.
I started to work out restoring grasslands and soil and I basically left Mother Nature to drive it for me...
- Colin Seis, Gulgong farmer
“And we need to be far more aware of the damage that pesticides and fertilisers are doing,” he said.
“That’s not to say we can’t use them we just need to be more careful with them and be aware of the damage they do.
“We just need to stop killing things… agriculture should be about nurturing things not killing things.”
MC for the day was agricultural scientist, Chris Russell, who is well known as a former judge on the popular ABC television series The New Inventors and has spent the past 30 years working in various technical and commercial roles in more than 30 countries.
“Many people in the central west have been through difficult conditions before, but we have a unique opportunity now to take advantage of the incredible level of innovation in the agricultural sector,” Mr Russell said.
“If landholders think smart, they may be able to adapt some new ideas to old issues and be in a position to boost production and create a more resilient enterprise, despite the current lack of rain across the region.”