Bellingen Shire Regenerative Farming
Building the Bellingen Shire Regenerative Farming Network with workshops, farm visits and supporting fact sheets
Capacity building - LEP_23 _033_LLC_BLI_02
The issue
We continue to live with the legacy of farming practices better suited to European soils and climates. Dissatisfaction with using pesticides and manufactured fertilisers to deal with the problem is increasing amongst producers and consumers, as is a desire to restore our soils and biodiversity. In recent decades, there has been an increase in both a return to some pre-industrial practices, and the innovation of new approaches to food production and on-farm biodiversity conservation. These approaches can broadly be considered part of "Regenerative" farming or stewardship, as they seek to regenerate soil and ecosystems, not simply to be "sustainable."
The solution
An Environmental Trust Grant from the NSW Government enabled a series of workshops to be held on a wide range of regenerative practices, for landholders across the Bellingen Shire and a few visitors from further afield. Workshops included holistic planning, soil monitoring, designing for regeneration, native plant identification, dung beetle introduction and monitoring and subsidising residents to attend other conferences of workshops. Fact sheets on soil monitoring and riparian regeneration supported the ongoing application of learnings, and will be incorporated into a landholder booklet currently in production.
The impact
Sixty-one people attended at least one workshop, and feedback was extremely positive (9.5/10), with the majority of landholders who responded to the annual follow-up survey reporting that they were continuing to apply what they had learned (14/16). We are looking for ways to continue to build the network, possibly in collaboration with neighbouring Landcare networks. The fact sheets are now available in a convenient form for taking into the field, and the landholder booklet, which will cover a wide range of topics, is in advanced draft.
Learnings
There is keen interest in regenerating soils and habitat in our Shire, amongst commercial producers, people with “hobby” size herds, and those with "habitat blocks."
Having a series of workshops with overlapping themes not only builds knowledge and skills, but also builds relationships amongst those who attended more than one event.
Ongoing application of skills and theories learned has persisted over a year since the workshops concluded, though maintaining ongoing soil monitoring groups and peer property visits would be greatly assisted by funded coordinator.
Key facts
- There is a strong interest in Regenerative practices in the Bellingen Shire
- The impact of appropriate workshops endures over time