Natural Sequence Farming (NSF) is a rural landscape management technique aimed at restoring natural water cycles that allow the land to flourish despite drought conditions. NSF offers a low-cost, widely applicable method of reducing drought severity and boosting productivity on Australia's farms and landscapes. The technique is based on ecological principles, low input requirements and natural cycling of water and nutrients to make the land more resilient.

To find out more about Peter Andrews, Natural Sequence Farming principles and the efforts to bring Peter's techniques into mainstream use in Australia.

Over 30 years ago Peter, bought a run-down 2000 acre grazing property called Tarwyn Park, near Bylong in the Upper Hunter Valley. He then quietly set about testing the theories that he had been developing virtually ever since he was a child, growing up on a station near Broken Hill. By 1976 Peter Andrews claimed that the model he had set up on Tarwyn Park was an example of a sustainable agricultural system.

Peter had recognized that the incised nature of most streams in Australia was in fact accelerating the fertility decline of agricultural landscapes (Figure 1). Stream incision meant that the increasing erosive energy of water was leading to accelerated soil and nutrient loss, lowered capacity for the floodplain to hold water and a loss of wetland habitat within that valley. Stream incision had in fact lead to a total disruption of the natural fertility cycle, leading to a chronic decline the overall health of the landscape. He also observed that, under natural conditions, the interaction between fluvial and biological processes would combine to maximise the efficiency of nutrient and water use as well as carbon cycling. He argued that this would actually lead to a growing of that landscape as sedimentation would far exceed erosion and carbon sequestration would far exceed carbon loss. Find out more of the story in 'Back from the Brink' available at most bookstores.

The penny is finally starting to drop for both those on the land and apparently many scientists working on soil health - pasture cropping works, and it has some remarkable effects, both for farm profits and farm health. I cannot begin to explain how excited I find this whole approach and have put a lot of my heart and soul behind promoting it - there are so so many benefits and few, if any, real negatives. It is true that it may take a season or two to get a perceived turn around, but while things are changing you can still remain productive.

There are many pasture cropping events in the pipeline for next year hosted by the pioneer of pasture cropping - Colin Seis. I will provide details and updates as they come to hand in the FTSU Newsletters .

In the meantime RCS have just launched their new 3-day program - Pasture Cropping for Profit, which is set to revolutionise cropping much as Grazing for Profit has done for grazing. Course dates can be found in the Calendar of Events .

Polyface Farm

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in the US is a wonderful example of a biological farmer who has written a few books outlining his approach, both from an on farm practical guide and a powerful marketing perspective. I strongly recommend his books : You Can Farm , Salad Bar Beef and Pasture Poultry Profits for both small and large scale growers (his personal list of recommended reading is also worth looking at!). There are some very thought provoking fundamental ideas scattered throughout. His enthusiasm for farming and its future is very invigorating and has been known to have changed the perspective of many farmers, both here and overseas - ever heard of the chicken tractor?

One of his latest articles published in Acres USA - entitled Forgiveness Farming - is well worth reading. Download here:  Forgiveness Farming 22/11/2006,11:58 235.91 Kb

Minimum Till Conversion Pros and Cons Workshop and Field Day

The Gineroi Landcare Group with Border Rivers-Gwydir CMA, Upper Gwydir Landcare Association and the NSW Farmers Association  are organising an important workshop and field trip addressing the conversion of traditional machinery for minimum tillage operations.

The event will be held at the Bingara RSL Club, 7th December starting at 9am. Lunch and drinks provided, though a $5 donation for the Gineroi Landcare Group is encouraged. 

Farm Sector May Get a Spot on Carbon Taskforce

27th November 2006 

The National Carbon Forum held recently in Canberra has finally stirred up some political interest with a push to include a representative from the farm sector onto the newly announced 'Carbon Taskforce' - see details... Windsor Nov07 05/12/2006,12:35 56.90 Kb

Biofuels

There has been a sudden flurry of activity surrounding the topic of biofuels - biodiesels and ethanol. Only 6-12 months ago it was difficult to find any information anywhere on the topic, except some 'how to' sites on the internet (a good one referred to by some local on farm producers is the Journey to Forever site). I have been forwarded 2 recent articles below and will continue to spot post other articles that may be of interest as the industry evolves.