Regen Grazing group Bus trip Mundarlo Valley
Regen Grazing group Bus trip Mundarlo Valley
The ‘Learning to Let Grow’ project enabled a bus trip on 6th December 2019, to visit properties who are fostering regenerative agricultural practices.
Capacity to Deliver -
LP026-001
The issue
One of the issues in this current long dry spell, is the health and wellbeing of our farmers. Working with groups using local knowledge and experience to educate and support the community with peer-based learning is a vital way for people to stay connected. Research has shown that regenerative farming practices have potential to increase environmental outcomes as well as improve graziers’ financial position, health and wellbeing (Gardner M. et al 2018 National Environmental Science Programme NESP-EP “Farm Profitability and Biodiversity.”)
The solution
Local & regional champions of regenerative agricultural practices are working to support & educate farmers and graziers from in and around the Boorowa Community Landcare Group (BCLG) enabling them to adopt land management practice change. This peer learning project will increase capacity & resilience of farmer networks by developing grazing practices that lead to increasing ground cover, improved organic matter and increased moisture holding capacity of soils, by managing pasture and matching stocking rates to carrying capacity, as conditions change.
Boorowa Community Landcare Group applied to the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Grants to deliver a mentor project to allow the grazing group to look beyond the local network & engage with champions who foster regenerative agriculture in neighbouring regional networks and communities.
This project is supported by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources,through funding from Australian Government's National Landcare Program.
The impact
At the first property, Pete & Bundle Lawson’s ‘Gundillawah’, we were joined by Riverina Local Land Services team members & Richard Bull, Chair of Chairs Local Land Services. Pete and Bundle now manage two family properties: ‘Gundillawah’ in the Mundarlo valley and ‘Trewalla’ at Book Book. After finishing their tertiary education, they studied Holistic Management and in 2008 reaffirmed that they wanted to farm holistically. They run a sheep (merino) and cattle self-replacing breeding operation and are in the process of subdividing paddocks having improved the water infrastructure over the past few years. The group then moved onto visit Nick & Deanna Austin at ‘Mundarlo’ to discuss implementing different grazing management strategies in these current dry times.
The landholder hosts on the day were open, humble and willing to share all aspects of their business. They talked about setting goals for your business & navigating your journey towards them. The 25 participants returned home with resolve to go back & look at their own goals, monitor their grass & plan ahead for what is looking to be a long dry season.
Key facts
- Landholders will develop confidence make tough decisions.
- The ‘Learning to Let Grow’ project will promote rest & recovery of pastures through time-controlled grazing and matching stocking rates to available vegetation.