Join us for a farmer-led workshop at Kindred looking at ways to improve productivity, soil health and farm resilience using diverse cover crops.
Topics covered will include:
- Using a systems approach to improving soil health and profitability
- Managing covers to their greatest advantage with reduced inputs
- Making and applying low-cost biofermented liquid fertilisers
- Using foliars to maximise photosynthetic potential and increase yields
- Managing plant disease and insect pest pressures using nutrition and biology
After lunch, we will walk in the paddock to see how local farmers are integrating covers into their rotations, with impressive results.
Date: Friday 11 October 2024
Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Location: Kindred Community Hall, 735 Kindred Road
To register for this free event, please contact Ben Correy at [email protected] or phone 0474 325 192.
Cradle Coast NRM is delivering this event as part of the Soil Extension Program which is being supported by the TAS Farm Innovation Hub and funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
About our guest presenter, Grant Sims:
Grant Sims is a sixth-generation farmer from an 8500 acre dryland property, with some irrigation, in North-central Victoria. He is a broad acre cropper, beef farmer and seed grower who has found many ways to improve the health and function of the soil, plants and livestock using biology. In 2015 Grant’s efforts were recognized when received the Coles Weekly Times Farmer of the Year, he is a former president of the VicNoTill Farmers Association and is an active supporter of farmer driven networks such as Soils for Life.
The Sims family have a strong focus on diversity growing many different crops, with the overall aim of improving the soil for the next generation. Their cropping operation integrates cover crops, livestock along with multi-mineral liquid fertilizers, that they produce themselves at scale. They work with a variety of researchers to complete farm trials to improve soil carbon, production and profitability.
Their farm resilience plan includes stacking enterprises and creating more jobs in the rural community. Recently they expanded their operation to include a multi-species seed business and are currently setting up a farm for agri-tourism
Grant has been sharing his insights with other farmers across the country and he is back in Tassie by popular demand. He presents information in a very relatable way by blending plenty of practical examples from a diverse range of farming operations and including learnings from his own farm. He mixes up the day with some sit-down time in the morning and some hands-on learning in the paddock after lunch. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and share your experiences with other local farmers.
“Farmers can learn a lot from other farmers, sharing our experiences is one of the best ways of becoming better at what we do” said Grant.
