Geographe farmers celebrate achievements
Last Thursday was the perfect balmy summer evening for GeoCatch’s annual Farmer Sundowner at Lentedal Winery. The rural setting of Marybrook provided the perfect setting for farmers, industry, and government partners to gather and reflect on the collaborative efforts of the past 12 months. The evening, hosted by GeoCatch and supported by RegenWA, Lottery West […]
Farmers get hands-on with soil testing
You’d never put oil in your car without checking your dipstick, and the same is true with applying fertiliser on farms. Knowing what’s in your soil before you start applying nutrients is vital. Last week an enthusiastic group of Geographe farmers learnt the ropes on how take their own farm soil samples as a part […]
Results: ‘Soil Your Undies’ challenge
What could burying 7 pairs of cotton undies in a Busselton paddock for 11 weeks tell the environmental experts at South West NRM about soil health? The experiment might sound a tad quirky but the idea was based on a citizen science trend developed by a Queensland university which has swept through farms across Australia […]
New study highlights benefits of soil testing
A Western Australian study of nearly 700 soil samples has provided new insight into whether agronomic soil testing can be used to assess the likelihood of phosphorus being ‘lost’ into the environment. Phosphorus applied as fertiliser on farms is lost to waterways through leaching and run-off, which not only leads to a loss of farmers’ […]
Pasturewise Field Day
South west farmers and stakeholders gathered at the Pasture Wise Field Day, to experience firsthand the pasture research happening on local farms, right here in Busselton. The tour, hosted by GeoCatch, South West NRM, Western Dairy and Western Beef, took 45 participants to three trial sites to visually look inspect the pasture trial plots and […]
Regenerative Agriculture improves food chain
The 2023 Regenerative Agriculture Conference has concluded in Margaret River, with farmers from across the Capes region joining others from all over Australia to improve their knowledge of sustainable and healthy farming practices. The conference’s popularity highlighted that a growing number of farmers are transitioning to regenerative practices to improve soil health, increase the nutrient […]
Grazing Matcher
It was a chilly afternoon in Abba River for the June Grazing Matcher meeting at Jane and Peter’s farm, Boltham Downs. It was consensus amongst the group that our catchment has had a slow start to the season. Dan Parnell explained that the below-average June temperatures have been causing a slow leaf emergence, with […]
Sustainable Agriculture team in-store
If you visit Busselton Agriculture Supplies over the next couple of weeks, check out the GeoCatch display and see if you can find your farm on our catchment map. GeoCatch project officers Michelle and Jenelle were setting up the display, and 2 of our local farmers stopped to say hi. Sally and Sean Fox-Slater […]
Overcoming challenges to regenerate Geographe rivers and creeks
Dedicated farmers from across the Geographe Catchment gathered at Sabina River last week to learn how to bring the waterways on their properties back to life. GeoCatch Rivercare Officer Claire Macleay and revegetation specialist Greg Overton used three different rehabilitated sites to illustrate what can be achieved with fencing and revegetation. Greg emphasized to the […]
Help for hobby farmers
Rural and semi-rural landholders turned up in force at a recent Heavenly Hectares workshop in Busselton. Over 50 keen landholders came along to learn the latest information on sustainably managing their properties at the workshop hosted by the City of Busselton and GeoCatch. Rural property expert and author Chris Ferreira presented case studies and practical […]
