are excited to be co-hosting Agro-Ecologist, Educator and Systems Thinker
– Nicole Masters from New Zealand as well as Walter Jehne – Soil Microbiologist
and Soil Ecologist from the ACT, in their first appearance on their WA tour at a Soil Health Forum in Boyup Brook on Thursday the 17th of March.
The forum ‘Answers and Actions for Healthy Soils in a Western Australian Climate’
will showcase the increasingly talked about theme of protecting and enhancing our soil microbiology in order to combat limiting factors in plant performance in our climatically
- changing farming environment and looking towards versatile tools to address stagnant problems and unlocking the potential in yield, quality, food nutrition and profit, now and for the future.
Nicole is the director/owner of Integrity Soils, New Zealand and has extensive practical and theoretical experience in regenerative/holistic farming practices. She has been communicating these methods throughout Australasia and North America since 2003; helping to inspire and guide farmers into new and innovative ways to produce food with soil as a major driver for ecosystem health.
Walter is the co-founder of Healthy Soils Australia and has extensive field and research experience at a national (CSIRO) and international (UN) level in the management of soil biology for regenerating soil health to improve productivity and resilience in agricultural systems. Last year he spoke at a UN conference in Berlin, Germany celebrating the Year of the Soil.
“This is an exciting opportunity for food producers to draw on international knowledge and
tools from soil health experts that are passionate about unlocking the potential and harnessing what their soils have to offer in this ever demanding economic climate” Says
Sara Weir, BBG Project Officer. “This topic of the importance of a cleaner growing, safer and
more versatile farming system is becoming increasingly talked about and it’s great to be able to open communication channels to give WA farmers a chance to work more
towards a sustainable farming ecosystem.
The packed cropping and mixed farming forum will look into combining the best of chemistry, physics, biology and microbiology with sound on-ground farm practices. Attendees will also hear from Agronomic Consultant, Deb Archdeacon from Agronomica, who will introduce a local (Boyup Brook) stubble and fish emulsion project and speak on how stubble retention fits into building soil carbon, productivity and resilience. Running from 9am-5pm at the Boyup Brook Football Club, with a cost of $50 per person or $90 per couple, completing the day with a sundowner, the day is sure to be of benefit to any one that attends.
Please download your registration form from www.soilrestorationfarming.com.au/events
and send back to soilrestorationfarming@gmail.com to secure your opportunity to attend this exciting soil health forum. Or contact Sara Weir from the BBG on 9765 1555 or
sara@blackwoodbasingroup.com.au for more details.
If you miss Nicole and Walter in Boyup Brook, they will also be making an appearance in York and Dandaragan in the following days.
This project is generously sponsored by Nutirsoils, EcoGrowth, Hi-Tech Ag Solutions, Healthy Soils Australia, Best Environmental Technologies, and supported by the South West Catchments Council, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.