Meeting the Challenge for Change
An assessment of all the things likely to impact on agriculture over the next 10-20 years leads to the conclusion that we are entering a period of extraordinary change. Our challenge as a society is to work with the farming community to restore the ecological and hence productive base on which the future security of the Australian nation depends. Read more …
Individually and as a team, the presenters will deliver a strong message for fundamental redesign. Their shared vision is to restore life and vitality to agricultural soils. Rebuilding the foundations on which farming depends has multiple benefits including improved landscape resilience and better community and catchment health - for both present and future generations.
Program - Click here for program …
We welcome you to join us for this exciting event!!
GAIA awards
Tim Marshall, world-renowned and highly respected author, founder of Acres Australia and Deputy Chair, Organic Federation of Australia, will present the A&K Hill Green Agriculture Innovation Awards (GAIA) at the forum dinner, Kianinny Resort, Tathra, 28th February.
Pre-registration for the dinner is essential. Dress: formal (black tie).
The GAIA awards provide recognition for individuals with a passion for promoting the adoption of regenerative land management practices that simultaneously improve soil function, agricultural production, biodiversity, food quality and carbon sequestration outcomes. Read more …
The 2011 GAIA recipients are Darryl Cluff, Colin Seis, Tom Nicholas, Charlie Sexton and Barry Hardwick. See below for more ...
Registration
There are two ways to register …
i) Print the registration form and post or fax to UNE Conference Company
ii) Register on-line through the UNE secure site
Travel and accommodation
The dairying town of Bega is nestled on the NSW south coast, 6 hours from Sydney and 3 hours from Canberra. There are regular flights to nearby Merimbula from both Sydney and Melbourne.
Darryl
Cluff. Originator of the Pasture Cropping technique and founder
of the Stipa Native Grasses Association. Darryl’s property ‘Olive Lodge’
Birriwa, NSW, has been in the Cluff family since 1889. In recent decades
Darryl has observed that although 50% of the area is bushland, 90% of
the wildlife, especially the birds, exist in the farmland areas. He
will be discussing the possible reasons for this.
Colin
Seis. Since the early 1980s Colin has sought ways to reverse
the degradation caused by conventional farming techniques on his property
'Winona' in the Central West of NSW. Colin realised that problems such
as crop disease, insect attack and the need for high fertiliser inputs
were due to an ecological imbalance, although rarely approached in that
way. Since restoring the ecological base for his farm, crop yields have
been equal to conventional while profits have increased significantly,
due to much lower input costs.
Tom
Nicholas. Farmer from Claremont, Central Queensland and Chair,
Healthy Soils Australia. Tom's message is clear, simple and powerful.
To restore vibrant rural and regional communities, farmers must have
sovereignty over the carbon they build in the soil through their management,
regardless of tenure. The benefits of increased levels of soil carbon
for the Australian landscape, the farming community and the nation as
a whole, are too great to be ignored.
Charlie
Sexton. Regional Landcare Facilitator, Goulburn Broken Catchment
Management Authority, Benalla, Victoria. During the drought, Charlie
observed that conventional agricultural techniques were failing, expensive
to maintain and were pushing farmers backs against the wall. He began
working with innovative landholders with great success. He strongly
believes farmers are in the best place to provide positive outcomes
for the land and has been promoting farmer input to government organisations
to develop strategic direction for agricultural, environmental, biodiversity
and community outcomes.
Barry Hardwick. Regional Landcare Facilitator, NRM
South, Southern Tasmania. Barry is astounded that it took him so long
to realise the benefits and great opportunities that are presented in
regenerative land management techniques. Now that he’s ‘seen the light’
he realises that the future is only limited by our capacity to understand
biological systems in the holistic sense, to think differently and imagine
new futures.
Articles:
- Peter Boyer: Soil carbon and the future of farming
- Peter Boyer: A perfect storm of weather, money, food
- Agriculture, Greenhouse and Emissions Conference: Soil carbon - can it save agriculture’s bacon? (829KB)
- Communities in Landscapes benchmark study: Pasture Cropping comparison (1.04 MB)
- Angus Australia National Conference: Carbon friendly beef - is it possible? (3.91 MB)
- Quivira Coalition Journal: Back forty down under (399 KB)
- Submission to Victorian Government Inquiry into Soil Sequestration (5.64 MB)
- Christine Jones: Adapting farming to climate variability (56 KB)
- House of Representatives Inquiry: Green Agriculture Stewardship Scheme (1.36 MB)
- Evergreen Farming: Mycorrhizal fungi - powerhouse of the soil (199 KB)
- FAO: Conservation agriculture stores soil carbon ( 505 KB )
- Meeting in the Middle: Our soils, our future (5.27 MB)
- Evergreen Farming: Building soil carbon (92 KB)
- National ‘Managing the Carbon Cycle’ Forum: Carbon and Catchments (70 KB)
- Australian Farm Journal: Liquid carbon pathway (2.2 MB)
- CSIRO ECOS: Farming a climate change solution (1.27 MB)
- Submission to Senate Inquiry into Carbon Sinks (89 KB)
- Submission to Garnaut Review (81 KB)
- J.B. Fairfax Rural Journalism Award: Brooke Hargraves ( 24 KB )
- Katanning Workshop: Australian Soil Carbon Accreditation Scheme (39KB)
- 'Recognise Relate Innovate' (3.16 MB)
- Christine Jones short CV (40KB)
Contact Christine Jones: christinejones222@gmail.com
