FARMERS TALKIN’ BOUT REGENERATION

AROUND 200 Far North farmers have attended workshops on the Tablelands aimed at promoting soil health and natural grazing practices. Subjects included how to improve soil health, reduce erosion and prevent sediment runoff.

A GROUNDSWELL of support for soil health and natural grazing practices has brought close to 200 Far Northern farmers to workshops on the Tablelands.

Graziers and cane, banana, avocado and maize farmers hit the paddock and “classroom” for sessions focused on maximising soil health through natural processes, grazing cattle more effectively and diversifying ground cover.

Tarzali grazier Rob Pagano said stock rotation and pasture management methods were changing.

“We’re already rotating stock but we’re learning here how to do it more strategically to take full advantage of your grasses,’’ he said.

“It’s easy to go too hard or to be too cautious and keep too much back – that can also work against you when it comes to pasture and soil health.”

Landholders heard from internationally recognised soil ecologist Christine Jones, and ecological grazing expert Dick Richardson was helping landholders to improve soil health, reduce erosion and prevent sediment from flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.

Terrain NRM’s Jen Mackenzie said landholders had responded well to the workshops.

“There is a real hunger in our region for practical information on soil health and grazing practices,” she said.

The workshop was part of a suite of programs including the Herbert River Gully and Grazing program, which took a fresh look at grazing practices, the Digging Deeper Plus project, to help farmers to improve soil health, and the Upper Johnstone Integrated Project, which is focused on Far Northern erosion hot spots.