Event

WIG Regenerative Farming Field Day 2020

An annual event which involves a field walk of the the Kelly’s Farm, Hollands Track Farm.

Despite the challenges of 2020, in true Covid style, Dr Maarten Stapper, BAgSc AgEng PhD FAIAST, will appear via teleconference for the event and discuss his research into farming systems and how to actively manage them for improvements in soil organic carbon and soil biology.

Dr Maarten Stapper began a career in agricultural science more than forty years ago, has international experiences on four continents and is a former senior scientist with CSIRO. Employing a holistic approach, he is an expert across a wide spectrum of agricultural areas in research, development and extension. During his research he found a lower external-input agriculture within regenerated ecosystems, now known as regenerative farming, to be most sustainable for producers, consumers and landscapes.

The main focus of Maarten’s work is helping farmers improve the profitability of their operations by harnessing the power of natural soil processes, improving their use of inputs and understanding those practices that negatively impact on soil health. Activation of soil biology decreases compaction, acidity and salinity, and improves soil carbon and water holding capacity. A healthy soil produces crops and pastures requiring less fertilizers and chemicals for similar productivity and better produce quality. Plants become more resistant to insects and disease, and more tolerant to drought, heat and frost. Ecosystems cannot be changed overnight. A profitable transition over several seasons is thru a step-by-step replacement of synthetic inputs with biologics. Allowing the biological cycles within and between soil and plants in paddocks and their surroundings coming together into a natural rhythm. Landscapes will improve in the process and attain a higher biodiversity. Hence, to achieve this we have to look at the whole farming system – where every thing is linked to everything else. Agricultural and environmental sciences are thus intertwined on farms. Such regenerative farming with much lower use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, leads to higher biodiversity, better pollination, less runoff, better water and air quality, and thus resulting in healthy catchments.

Join us for a day in the field on a world renowned wheatbelt farm exploring the outcomes the Kelly family have been able to achieve through their considered land management.

Proudly supported by RegenWA.

Date:                    28th Oct, 2020

Time:                  9:30 am till 4:30 pm

Location:           Newdegate CRC, 3 Collier Street, Newdegate. (located on the Primary School grounds)

Tickets:              $50 sign up via Eventbrite

Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea included in ticket price- showcasing Regeneratively grown produce.