This article based on presentations from the 2018 NRM Officer Muster. Driven to create a better world, most people working in natural resource management (NRM) are passionate about protecting and improving all parts of our environment. But achieving strong environmental outcomes isn’t always easy… The problem is, the environment...
Profitability for most livestock enterprises is strongly linked to pasture growth and utilisation. Yet one of the key tools for maximizing growth is under-utilised in Western Australia. While pasture growth is heavily influenced by nutrient availability, farm consultant Martin Staines says grazing management is just as important, and one...
Terms like biological farming and regenerative agriculture are increasingly being used to encourage farmers to integrate soil life and environmental thinking into their decision-making. But for bio-friendly practices to gain traction, farmers need examples from other farmers to appreciate how these concepts can be applied. One innovative farmer who...
HUNDREDS of small landholders will converge on Balingup for its annual Small Farm Field Day on Saturday, April 21. The popular Landcare exhibit will be back again in 2018, giving small landholders an opportunity to get free property management and sustainable farming advice. This year’s exhibit will feature some...
For the past 20 years, Donnybrook farmer Brett Kirkpatrick has been making compost to help grow biodynamic vegetables and beef pastures. Given the critical role that compost plays in a system without conventional fertilisers, we asked Brett about some important considerations for making compost. (If you have other questions,...
It seemed the women attending last week’s Storm in a Teacup at Rylington Park had been waiting all year. The working property south of Boyup Brook is normally a place of agricultural research, training and education. But, last week was a bit different. Hard Yakka shirts were replaced with...
This article is an update of an article published in October 2017 NICK KELLY is busy building a huge workforce at his Newdegate farm. But unlike most labour sources, this one just works for food and shelter. The workforce is the millions of soil micro-organisms and other soil life...
Recent innovations in forage shrubs and cover cropping will be big focus of this year’s Wagin Woolarama Landcare display. Pingelly farmer Garry Page will man the stall on Friday March 9 to talk about how he applied findings from the Future Farm Industries CRC Enrich project to his farm. Based...
Fourteen South West cattle and sheep producers looking to improve their productivity and pasture utilisation have signed up to the new Grazing MatcherTM initiative. The producers have formed two small groups that will meet eight times over 12 months in sessions facilitated by three agricultural consultants. Grazing MatcherTM is...
Donnybrook farmer Brett Kirkpatrick has been growing vegetables and pastures using compost and biodynamic preparations for about 20 years. His experience is a valuable insight for growers considering a partial or complete adoption of biological farming principles. Brett Kirkpatrick and Leonie Inger are fourth generation Donnybrook farmers and pioneers...
