The Good Dirt on Soil Critters

Did you know that there are more microbes in a teaspoon of dirt than there are people on Earth?

Explore how these amazing little powerhouses are fundamental to healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet and how you can grow nutrient-dense food on your farm or your veggie garden!

Join us for a half-day event at Kinship Farms in West Pinjarra - one of the oldest towns in Western Australia - including a nourishing organic lunch sourced locally.

What will you get out of this?

We often talk about soil being “good” or “bad” based on how readily plants grow or how easy it is to cultivate them. Join us to find out what "the good dirt" actually is. By understanding the underlying key to healthy soils through observation and measurement, we can support plants to thrive and unleash the powerful impact of their nutrient density on the world. 

With passionate guest speaker Ellen Walker of EarthWhile Australia, we will explore the who's who in the underground zoo right beneath your feet. You are invited not just to observe but to participate, getting your hands dirty by learning how to use a Soil Micro Biometer and take soil samples in the field.  

Our hosts Michael English and Aharon Neill-Stevens from Kinship Farms will describe their Greenlands Project with their first infield demonstration launching on the day. The front gate is always open at the Greenlands Project, a demonstration in the transition of a farm into a regenerative agroecology system.

Kym Wilson & Helen McCosker of agricultural charity Carbon8 will share the Carbon8 story and the gr8 work they do to regenerate the lives and businesses of farmers around Australia.  

Our Speakers

Karrie-Anne Kearing - Welcome to Country

Karrie-Anne is a Traditional Owner & Keeper Of Knowledge. She was born in Pinjarra and has dedicated her life to raising awareness and keeping her culture alive. With extensive family links throughout Nyungar country, these ties put her in a privileged position as a keeper of knowledge, being a traditional owner of the Bindjareb region. Through cultural awareness, Karrie-Anne is able to share the beauty of her culture and also instill it in upcoming generations of Nyungars. Karrie-Anne has been able to interpret and share her culture through the arts such as writing, festivals, exhibitions, and film.

Ellen Walker

Ellen is a founding partner of EarthWhile Australia and keen educator who teaches practices that assist in developing and nurturing healthy, nutrient-rich soil. She works with home gardeners, orchardists, growers, and farmers to develop a deep understanding of healthy soils and how to affordably grow high-quality food in a way that cares for the environment. 

Ellen has studied the soil food web and soil microscopy with Dr Elaine Ingham and Dr Mary Cole (pioneers in this field), completed a graduate certificate in regenerative agriculture at Southern Cross University, a Permaculture Design Certificate at Fair Harvest, and Holistic Management with Inside Outside Management and presented at TEDx on the amazing world of soil microbes. 

Kym Wilson

Kym is an Agroecologist who leads the farm team at Carbon8, with experience and qualifications in Health, Permaculture, Environment Science and Accounting for Nature.  Kym is also an approved carbon farming advisor, a regenerative farming coach, and a farmer with her husband Ian on the Granite Belt in Southern Qld.  

Helen McCosker

Helen is a co-founder of Carbon8 Fund Ltd and wife to fourth-generation farmer Mike McCosker.  Together they run a 3000-acre farm outside Inverell NSW. Her belief in enabling real change through collective action and innovative pathways underpins her nearly 20 years of work in regenerative communities. Recently, she received the National Carbon Cocky Award from the Carbon Farmers of Australia, a prestigious award that recognises her outstanding performance in new, carbon-conscious management processes.

  

Our Sponsors & Supporters

We would like to thank Aharon and Michael of Kinship Farms for hosting this event.

Special thanks to our major sponsor Tribees who's support has allowed us to offer tickets at an accessible rate so that all can attend. Tribees fosters space for an inspired community that values positive change and environmental sustainability. Engage with like-minded individuals, discover innovative, eco-friendly products, and make choices that empower not just you, but the Earth as well.  Join the Tribe and collectively shape a better, greener future.

Additionally, thank-you to those organisations who have spread the love ❤️ and helped us to connect further:

- RegenWA brings together and shares the latest regenerative ideas and projects that are happening around Western Australia, with the intention of broadening the uptake of sustainable land management practices. Check out the Regen WA Conference to be held in the Margaret River from the 5th to the 8th. You can find more information here. 

- Peel Harvey Catchment Council is a not-for-profit, community based Natural Resource Management organisation that promotes an integrated approach to catchment management and the way we protect and restore the environment within the Peel-Harvey catchment.

- Perth NRM has been instrumental in the establishment of RegenWA, a network of committed WA farmers and stakeholders who are implementing and sharing their experiences in Regenerative Agriculture.

Carbon8 is an organisation created by farmers for farmers, to work together to co-create our regenerative future. As we share our knowledge with each other, we also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, water, and community. We pay our respects to them, their cultures, and their Elders, past, present, and emerging.