Regenerative Farming workshop with Grant Sims

Join Weddin Landcare for a 1-day workshop on Regenerative Farming with Grant Sims. Grant will speak about his farming business and their transition to a more profitable and healthier production system. Topics covered will include multi-species cover crops, crop rotations and companion crops, minimising soil disturbance and maximising cover with disc seeders and stripper fronts, use of biological coatings, injections and sprays, integration of animals into cropping systems and more. Grant will then accompany us to a local property to look at practical ways we can assess and improve our soils, plants and animals, reduce synthetic inputs and maintain/improve productivity.

Morning tea and lunch will be provided on the day. Please wear suitable clothing for the paddock and BYO water bottle.

About Grant:
Grant Sims is a sixth generation farmer running his family farm "Pine Grove" in North Central Victoria with his wife Naomi and 4 children. The Sims also own and run a business specialising in designing multi-species cover crops, forages and custom made blend seed mixes. As part of their 3500 Ha cropping program they plant around 600Ha a year of these multi species blends, utilise crop rotations, companion crops and integrate their livestock operation. 

The Sims have been utilising no-till since the early 1980's and Grant is the former president of the Victorian No Till Famers Association. When Grant came back full time on the farm he started looking at ways to improve the life and function of the soil through biology. In 2008 he stopped using  synthetic granular fertilisers, seed dressings, insecticides and fungicides and started using biologically made substitutes. 

The Sims have seen many positive changes in the health or their soils, plants and animals and perform on-farm trials to learn and share methods about how to solve problems, be more profitable and improve the soil for the next generation. In 2015 Grant was awarded the Coles Weekly Times Farmer of the Year. 

For more information: Contact Melanie Cooper on 0417 963 475 or weddinlandcare@outlook.com