Community Voice for Hume hosts Let's Get Earthy conference in Goulburn

At a conference on Friday, the Breadalbane artist couldn't help reflecting that she'd lived on or near Gundungurrah and Ngunnawal country all her life.

"But I know I will never have the detailed knowledge of a culture that lived in communion with the land the way the first Australians did. We have a lot to learn from them," she said.

READ MORE:

'Let's Get Earthy' conference brings leading experts on regenerative agriculture to Goulburn

New project officer assigned to regenerative farming project

Ms Bell was just one speaker at Community Voice for Hume's Let's Get Earthy conference at the Goulburn Soldiers Club. The day was focused on strategies to make farms sustainable and profitable. It brought together farmers, academics, Landcare and environment groups, Local Land Services and more.

Community Voice for Hume convenor, Bob Philipson, said the benefits of a regenerative approach to agriculture "were becoming more obvious by the day."

Ms Bell is a convert. She grew up on a district farm, moved away to study art and returned in the early 1990s for family reasons. Soon after, she married Rod Edwards and they moved to their sheep grazing property, Bohara.

ALSO READ: Convicted murderer given further sentence after lighting cell on fire

Her traditional notions of farming gradually turned on their head. The couple joined Landcare and developed a deeper appreciation of soil and the way it could be enriched on a larger scale.

"(Joining Landcare) was one of those pivotal moments you look back on and realise it was the beginning of the transition from managing a unit of production to becoming part of an ecological entity," Ms Bell said.

They planted and fenced off remnant vegetation, which piqued their interest in pasture improvement through natural means.

Ms Bell said she eventually developed a deeper awareness that "soil was alive and teeming with organisms" and that her job as a farmer was to "tune in and enhance nature's capacity."

They embraced holistic management, changing the way they stocked and managed paddocks.

"It was a powerful tool to enhance the health and fertility of our farm," she said.

ALSO READ: Residents maintain opposition as solar farm planning continues

Rested paddocks were empty of sheep but "not of life." Mrs Bell said it was a big step but doors to new knowledge continued to open.

"I think the earth, our farms and our way of living could all benefit from us tapping into a more reciprocal, cooperative relationship with the natural world," she said.

Keynote speaker, former CSIRO scientist and internationally renowned microbiologist, Walter Jehne, spoke about the importance of regenerating the earth's "carbon sponge" through the natural water cycle. He said this was key to restoring healthy soils and building resilience against climate extremes, including drought.

"We are dependent on this biosystem but for the past 70 years we have been degrading that spring, degrading soil and losing hydrology," he said.

Dr Jehne said the approach would regenerate arid areas, build food sources and cool the planet but it needed to be driven at the grassroots.

ALSO READ: Windows smashed after rocks thrown at medical centre

Other speakers included Southeast Local Land Services agricultural adviser, Matt Lieschke, agronomist, Hannah McInerney, farmers Craig Hunt, Julia McKay and Adam Rabjohns, Lori Gould from Australian River Restoration, Peter Holding from Farmers for Climate Action and farmer and retired GP, Dr Robert Favaloro.

A range of exhibitors, including Local Land Services, Landcare and the Mulloon Institute also set up information stalls.

Do you have something to say about this issue? Send a letter to the editor. Click here for the Goulburn Post

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: