Farmers feature at Landcare awards
From the December 2008 edition of Agriculture Today.
Western Australia and Queensland farmers were among the winners at this year’s 2008 national Landcare awards.
Interestingly, both farms are run on holistic management principles with strong emphasis on perennial vegetation.
When Robert Rex and his wife, Caroline, took over the family farm in 1993 they decided to improve farm production by boosting water, carbon and mineral cycles instead of using chemicals.
They fenced the land into management units and worked with neighbours to manage surface water and promote biodiversity using keyline drainage principles developed by WA farmer, Ron Watkins.
They focused on perennial vegetation, establishing the first jojoba plantation in the district, one of the only vineyards in the district, various summer crop trials, tagasaste and kikuyu on high-recharge areas, saltland pastures on discharge areas and a range of perennial species in grazing paddocks.
They have now established 370 hectares of perennial pastures, fenced into cells which they use for rotational grazing to keep the soil healthy and maintain production.
No-till cropping and stubble retention are standard practice, while alternative fertiliser products and applications such as calcium, phosphates and potassium packages promote root growth and microbial activity.
Rob and Caroline’s pasture species selection and rotational grazing strategies achieve year-round ground cover that uses water where it falls and ensures run off contains no topsoil or nutrients.
The Rexs have built an extensive network to share information, and host visits from farmers, researchers, academics and company representatives.
Robert and Caroline are now highly respected, visionary commercial farmers who use holistic principles and a triple bottom line decision making process.
The individual land carer award went to Jeff Campbell who farms 25,000 hectares at Mitchell in south-west Queensland.
Twelve years ago Jeff and his family began farming on holistic management principles, focusing on time-controlled grazing of perennial pasture.
The success of his efforts encouraged others to change their practices as well.
For the past eight years Jeff has chaired the Mitchell and District Landcare Group which co-ordinates five major sub-catchment groups to restore 250 kilometres of the Maranoa River catchment.
Landholders have now fenced 78,000ha of grazing land, established better stock watering points, improved pastures and excluded stock from riverine areas.
Modelling shows these activities have already reduced soil erosion in the catchment.
Landholders in the Landcare group have implemented the Australian Land Management Systems environmental management guidelines to continually improve their properties and gain recognition for their environmental achievements.
A lateral thinker, Jeff has also initiated a project to investigate kangaroo farming and develop the native food industry in a sustainable and productive way.
Read more about the Landcare award finalists and winners at www.landcareheroes.com/meet-our-finalists/farming-for-the-future
