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 density in foods, improve nutrition, and enhance biodiversity.
One of the key themes that resonated with attendees throughout the two days of presentations was the importance of soil health, as it is the key ingredient to improving plant and animal health.
Soil health can be improved through many methods, such as diversifying pastures and using cover crops, integrating livestock using rotational grazing and minimizing disturbance to soils. Many farmers, such as local beef farmer Robyn Robertson, are already using these best-practice methods on their farms here in the Geographe catchment.
Robyn has been exploring regenerative farming practices on her beef farm for over 7 years, and, with the help of GeoCatch, has seen some remarkable results. “Attending the conference has given me the confidence to know that I am on the right track and must continue. It is also very inspiring to see that I am not alone on this journey to high-quality food production,” said Robyn.
Wednesday evening saw a gathering of farmers to debrief over dinner and listen to celebrity chef and farmer Matthew Evans discussing the trials and tribulations of regenerative agriculture, emphasising the importance of sustainable farming practices to the health of all Australians. “We need to support the 1% of our population who are producing nutrient-dense food for the other 99% of people in Australia,” said Matthew.
For more information on farming in the Geographe Catchment, click here.
