Rural property owners are invited to join in the the SCPA-South East Producers “Farms with a Future” program to meet others using sustainable property management techniques and for a chance to win a grant to make their property more environmentally sustainable.
The next event will be on Thursday, August 10 at the Brogo property of Ben and Veronica Keating. This is your opportunity to learn about repairing gully erosion and retaining rainwater, and to meet the RIA Group.
The RIA Group is a wonderful local business dedicated to restoring natural systems by addressing erosion, landscape rehydration and water management.
Mark Woodberry, Charles Body and Dr. Connie Woodberry of the RIA Group apply the landscape restoration principles developed by Peter Andrews, pioneer of Natural Sequence Farming and author of “Back from the Brink”, and other international land restoration leaders and practitioners.
Mark, Charles and Connie along with expert earthmover Mark Umback have been working with Ben and Veronica Keating on their Brogo property and have:
- established a series of Gully Erosion Control Structures (GECS) to arrest the significant erosion of the gully system above the floodplain of Brogo Swamp Creek;
- created contours designed to slow the flow of water from the higher points and retain moisture in the soils in the areas earmarked for orchards;
- developed a farm irrigation plan that will work in sync with the overall natural systems of the property.
The Ground Work Day at Brogo Valley Farm will focus on water management and erosion control using earthworks, and irrigation planning for orchard systems. Mark, Charles and Connie will be there to explain their approach and to answer questions about the Keating’s property.
It all takes place at Brogo Valley Farm, Upper Brogo, on the property of Ben and Veronica Keating at 9.15am for 9.30am start, with a 3pm finish, on Thursday, August 10. The cost is $20 per person, with a maximum of two per farm property. Lunch will be provided.
Register at farmswithafuture.scpa.org.au and click on “Join in”. Enquiries to Carolyn Wells on 0417 430 750.
Those attending need to submit after the day a brief description of their property, what they’ve done and will be going to be in the running for:
- $1000 to progress their plan or
- $4000 to progress their plan and host a Ground Work Day early next year
This is property owner’s last chance to win a $4000 grant. After this event there will be another four ground work days offering only $1k grants.
Participants will need to have a property in the SE Local Land Services region, and be willing and able to make more use of the regenerative farming methods of the type listed on the website. Registration is essential, places are limited.
Farms with a Future is part of the $125 million of National Landcare Program investment that Local Land Services is delivering to boost farm gate productivity and improve environmental health across NSW.
