INVERELL, NSW
Byron Norman has a big job. He’s a coordinator with the Gwymac Landcare team working with farmers around the Inverell area of the New England Tablelands of NSW, encouraging them to consider tending their land differently. It can be challenging as farmers have many issues, including environmental conditions, to manage each day. But there’s a lot of good things going on and a field day, supported by Highways and Byways, has led to many farmers trying new methods to improve their soil.
“It can be a bit overwhelming for farmers to sift through all the material that is offered, and they don’t have a lot of spare time. So, the field day was the chance to get people together, talk about alternative methods and to hear from people who are now using alternative methods to chemicals and seeing great results,” Byron said.
“A big focus was asking farmers to look at the landscape of the farm and use biological solutions to problems, rather than chemical solutions which can affect the nutritional value of the food produced.”
The day was to celebrate the Macintyre Development Unit 2000, a group formed in 1974 by farmers in the district to look at different ways to manage the land. The group had a particular interest in sustainability and caring for the environment, as well as local food.
The day featured local ingredients in a camp oven lunch to build on the sustainable and local theme.
Presenters discussed Natural Capital Accounting and how this method of calculating the natural assets and biodiversity of a farm can benefit both the land and the farmers bottom line.
During a paddock walk on “Billabong,” a property which won the prestigious 2011 Black-Woods Shield for Natural Resource Management, the owner shared with others how a change in practice has brought back healthier soils to the farm and he explained strategies to achieve these outcomes.
The field day was not just an opportunity to share information and insights on soil management, many farmers were also relieved to discover cost-effective measures to address soil issues.
“We know the field day had an impact because some farmers came in afterwards wanting the biological preparations recommended,” he said.
Image top: participants at Gwymac Landcare’s field day