Want to bring the benefits of multi-species into your farm and pastures?

Learn how to successfully increase the plant diversity on your place.

Explore how multi-species cover crops or pastures along with intercropping can improve soil health and farm resilience.

Develop a Diversity Cropping/Pastures Action Plan for your place

Join two of Australia's leading plant diversity champions for this hands-on 2 day Bootcamp from Soil Land Food. It will give you all you need to know to increase plant diversity on your place!

The Qld version of this boot camp is for farmers and graziers in the northen Australia summer rainfall and rangeland zones. If you are in cropping, horticulture, sugarcane or tropical and sub-tropical grazing then this course is for you!

Build your understanding of the different diversity species options available
Learn how to identify your windows of opportunity and plan a successful program
Learn how to increase diversity with grazing management
Get insights from 2 highly experienced practioners

Join us for this intensive, hands on, practical Bootcamp on farm at Marian, near Mackay Qld, as we explore the basics of Diversity Cropping and Pastures.

The Bootcamp will be held on farm and includes a Workbook.

Dates & Time

Thursday 13th and Friday 14th July 2023

9.00am to 3.00 pm each day

Course Content

Day 1

Plant diversity: why it is important and the benefits
How plant diversity helps
Diversity cropping: the different tactics for pastures and cropping
Species and Varieties: the options available in northern Australia for cropping and pastures
Identifying windows of opportunity
Steps to diversity success
Setting Goals: identify your issues and set some paddock goals

Day 2

Plan your strategy
Choose your seed mix
Prepare your soil and paddock
Sowing: timing, equipment, depth etc.
Managing your crop/pasture
Termination of the crop
Grazing as a tool to improve diversity

Presenters

Simon Mattsson

Soil Land Food team member Simon is a regenerative farming educator, Nuffield Scholar and consultant who focuses on plant diversity for managing soil biological function to improve soil for increased productivity and better environmental outcomes. He grew up on a family cattle station near Mt Coolan before the family moved into sugarcane and cattle operations in Mackay. A Nuffield Scholarship in 2014 to research soil biology gave Simon the opporrtunity to go round the world exploring multispecies cropping. After visiting farmers on three continents, including Gabe Brown, he came home and planted sunflowers in sugarcane! Since then he has sown many multispeces crops and pastures and has helped numerous other farmers do as well! In 2020 he transitioned to extension and consulting as well as starting a tropical fruit orchard where he uses plant diversity to manage the interrow. Simon has set up superb training facilities on his farm near Mackay where farmers can learn skills in regenerative agriculture and soil management.

Dr Judi Earl

Judi is one of Australia’s leading grazing and pasture specialists and has worked around Australia on planned grazing and pasture projects and research. She has a PhD in pasture ecology and is a Certified Holistic Management Educator. A highly experienced botanist she has a detailed first hand knowledge of plants, pastures and the influence of grazing on plant diversity in landscapes across Australia. She also owns and runs a beef property, Glen Orton, on the northern slopes of NSW, where she has been monitoring the change in diversity with grazing management for over 10 years. She runs grazing courses for landholders across Australia. Judi partners with Soil Land Food to help us deliver the best courses we can for landholders. Her consulting buisness is AIMS where you can find out more about her work: www.aimsag.com.au

The team at Soil Land Food have worked on regenerative agriculture all over Australia. We have been running fun and practical workshops all around Australia for over 10 years. Check out our website for more info: www.soillandfood.com.au

"Thank you again for delivering a fantastic session" SLF Workshop April 2023

Venue & Catering

The course will be hosted by the Mattsson family at their farm in Marian in Queensland. Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Teas are included in the Course fee. Bring boots, hat and outdoor gear.

Places & Conditions

Places in this Bootcamp are limited to 30 each day. A minimum of 15 people are required for the event to go ahead. In the event that the course does not go ahead due to minimum numbers not being reached 7 days before the course commences, or due to COVID restrictions or other exceptional circumstances, a full refund will be given. Participants will need to abide by any COVID requirements of the organisers at all times.

Accommodation

A number of accommodation options are available in Mackay in QLD (about 25 kms from Marian). Not far from the Whitsundays you can come up for the course and have a holiday afterwards at the Whitsundays!!!