In this workshop Grant Sims will share the practical, innovative, soil-centred approach which has transformed the production capacity on his 8500 acre family farm in North Central Victoria.

We'll get out into a paddock sown with his "Down Under Cover" multispecies mix, and visit a second property on black clay soils where Grant's mixes has also been sown to take a look.

Morning tea and lunch provided.

This project is jointly funded through Bellarine Landcare and the Australian Government's National Landcare Program.

We'll be visiting working farms so biosecurity protocols will be in place.

More information about Grant Sims ...

The Sims farm has been utilizing no-till since the early 80's thanks to Grant’s father and uncle. 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 granular synthetic fertilizers and started using a biologically made liquid fertilizer. Also at that time stop using seed dressing, insecticides and fungicides, unless absolutely necessary.

The Sims have a strong focus on diversity and grow many different crops. They use companion crops, cover crops and have expanded their cow calf numbers to integrate through the system. They have seen many positive changes in the health or their soils and plants. They perform on-farm trials to learn and share methods about how solve problems, be more profitable and improve the soil for the next generation.

Grant and Ken recently started up a multi-species seed business Down Under Covers where they use their own experience and consult with world leading experts to design and put together multi species blends to help improve the soils and provide live weight gains to livestock to help farmers become more profitable.

In 2015 Grant was awarded the Coles Weekly Times Farmer of the Year. Grant is the former president of the Victorian No Till Famers Association.