Grazing for Soil and Landscape Health - Field Day
Description
Join us at Thistlebank Grazing for a practical day in the paddock, exploring how smarter grazing management can improve soil health, build farm resilience and create new opportunities for your business. This is the fourth of our national field days with graziers featured in our recently launched Grazing for Soil and Landscape Regeneration Practice Guide.
Ben and Kim Simpson run Thistlebank, a 22,800ha beef cattle operation near Aramac, QLD. Since 2022 they have shifted their grazing practices to more intensive cell grazing management on 6,000ha of the property and manage the remaining 16,800 ha of land in a less intensive rotational grazing approach.
They made the change after looking for ways to increase profitability. They’ve seen early improvements in carrying capacity, drought planning and responsiveness and profitability following the changes they have made to their grazing management. From a period of higher outgoings than income they quickly turned things around to rank in the top 20% for profitability in Farmeye, RCS’s business analysis and benchmarking platform, in 2023 and 2024.
The field day
The focus for the day is on practical, paddock-based learning, farmer observations and decision-making tools that can be applied directly on your farm.
What you’ll take away:
A practical introduction to the Grazing for Soil and Landscape Regeneration Practice Guide and how to use it on farm
On the ground insights from Ben Simpson about the grazing practices he has implemented at Thistlebank and the benefits he’s seen
Practical grazing management principles from RCS’s David McLean and how to apply them in your own context
An inside look at how improved grazing and soil health at Thistlebank has created an opportunity for a soil carbon project, and how Ben’s started implementing land management in the first year.
Hands-on, paddock-based learning and practical skills sessions
The opportunity to ask questions, compare experiences and learn from other farmers
Come prepared to walk the paddocks, ask questions and get practical!
Catering and what to bring
Lunch will be provided. Please advise any dietary requirements when registering. Don't forget to bring a water bottle and appropriate footwear and clothing for paddock conditions.
Tickets
Famers: $30 for up to 3 attendees from the same farm business (multiple tickets for farm businesses only), $15 for subsequent registrants.
$30 for industry attendees
Numbers are limited.
Contact
For questions or more information, please contact Soils for Life at (02) 6273 6647 or
Many thanks to Twynam Investments for supporting the production of this guide, to the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and Hand Heart Pocket for supporting this event, to Judi Earl (Agricultural Information and Monitoring Services), Helen Lewis (Australian Holistic Management Cooperative), David McLean (RCS), Grahame Rees (KLR Marketing) and Brian Wehlburg (Inside Outside Management) for input and guidance, and to Ben Simpson, David and Ruth Read, David Curtis, Nick Austin and Rod and Katrina Butler for generously sharing their stories, knowledge, experience and data.
Lineup
Ben Simpson
Ben Simpson has been running the property Thistlebank near Aramac QLD since 2010. Thistlebank had been set stocked until Ben and Kim began looking for ways to improve profitability. They changed their grazing management practices in 2022 after attending the KLR Marketing and the RCS Grazing for Profit training programs. Ben and Kim have since reduced the number of mobs, subdivided paddocks and improved water systems. They follow the RCS Grazing Principles and use data from their pasture budgets to make grazing and stocking rate decisions. They currently implement more intensive cell grazing management on a 6,000 ha area of the property and manage the remaining 16,800 ha of land in a less intensive rotational grazing approach. Two thirds of their cattle are now trading cattle, which gives them more flexibility to adjust stocking rates to seasonal conditions. Ben and Kim have seen early improvements in carrying capacity, drought planning and responsiveness and profitability following the changes they have made to their grazing management.
David McLean, Managing Director, RCS Australia.
David McLean is one of Australia’s leading educators and facilitators in regenerative grazing, agricultural business management and landscape function. As Managing Director of RCS Australia, David draws on nearly two decades of experience in agricultural consulting, education, facilitation and producer coaching. Coming from a grazing family in western Queensland, he works with producers across Australia to improve profitability, grazing management, ecological health and long-term business resilience through practical, whole-farm strategies.
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