Farmers from across the catchment were celebrated at GeoCatch’s annual Farmer Sundowner at Geographe Bay Yacht Club.
The blue water of Geographe Bay was the perfect backdrop for farmers and partners from industry and government to reflect on the collaborative efforts over the past 12 months.
In attendance was Vasse Taskforce Chair Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC who congratulated the agricultural community for their hard work and commitment in working towards sustainable practices aimed at reducing nutrient runoff into Geographe waterways and the Bay.
The evening held special significance for several different reasons including acknowledging the contribution that GeoCatch has had in the Geographe community for 25 years, with the first sustainable agriculture project being undertaken back in 1997.
Capel farmer, Greg Norton commented, “GeoCatch assists farmers to gets things done, you can see it on the ground. After 25 years we can quantify the fertiliser that isn’t going into the Bay. I grew up fishing and crayfishing in the Bay, but as a farmer I never saw the connection, between farming and my recreation in the Bay, now I can start to see the connection between what I’m doing on my farm and how it can impact the Bay”.
The efforts of the local farmers were also formally recognised with the launch of the GeoCatch’s ‘Geographe Farmers Protecting Geographe Bay’. The program acknowledges the collective efforts of farmers in protecting the environment and Geographe Bay.
