Multi-Species Pastures & Cropping Roadshow
KNOWLEDGE HUB
July/August 2023
This knowledge hub was produced by 'Talkin' After Hours', the Lower Blackwood Landcare's Online Community & Information Hub.
The hub forms part of a collaborative roadshow that took place across seven catchments in the south west of WA in July and August 2023 to encourage farmers and landholders to build their knowledge and skills to use multi species crops and pastures.
We have collated a multi-media hub to share real-life case studies and expert advice (via in-depth interviews, local podcasts and webinars), as well as relevant online links, resources and specialist information about soil health, plant diversity and multi-species pasture and cropping. This hub brings together local and international experts, real-world experience and first-hand thinking.
The roadshow was coordinated by the Lower Blackwood LCDC in collaboration with six other catchment groups across the southwest, and is funded through Soil Wise. Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.
Roadshow Presentations
Roadshow presenters Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott, and cropper, beef farmer and multi-species seed producer Grant Sims, shared their experiences of soil health, soil biology and multi-species pastures and cropping:
About the Roadshow Presenters
Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott - Soil Microbiologist
Lynette commenced her research career in soil biology at UWA in 1974. Her research has focused on the role of soil biological processes linked to nutrient acquisition by plants and includes bio-chemical and bio-physical interactions with soil amendments and plant-microbe interactions, especially arbuscular mycorrhizas. Her teaching focused on soil and land management with an emphasis on soil biological fertility, and she has a long history of presentation of workshops and seminars on soil health within the agricultural community.
Grant Sims - Down Under Covers
Grant is a sixth generation farmer running the family farm in north central Victoria. The farm is 8500 acres of dryland and some irrigation.
The Sims farm has been utilizing no-till since the early 80s thanks to Grant's father and uncle. When grant came back full time to the farm he started looking at ways to improve the life and function of the soil through biology. In 2008 he stopped using granular synthetic fertilizers and started using a biologically made liquid fertiliser. Also at that time he stopped using seed dressing, insecticides and fungicides, unless absolutely necessary.
Grant's multi-species seed business, Down Under Covers uses his own experiences and consults with world leading experts to design and put together multi-species blends to help improve the soils and provide live weight gains to livestock to help farmers become more profitable.
South West Case Studies
Real life stories demonstrate how different farmers are approaching multi-species and pasture biodiversity. These case studies are candid insights into the challenges, concerns, successes and future plans of local farmers.
Blackwood Springs, Lower Blackwood Catchment, WA
Neville and Elaine Haddon are highly experienced and successful dairy farmers who are looking to regenerative agriculture principles on their Warner Glen farm to help extend their pasture growing season and boost their herd health using multi-species pastures.
Goodies Farm, Oyster Harbour Catchment, WA
Dale and Penny Goodwin are growing their farm based on practices that support the life of the soil.
Their multi-species seed mixes are growing increasingly popular with local farmers and landholders.
Runnymede Farm, Peel-Harvey Catchment, WA
Runnymede is a former dairy property and the pasture had been depleted of nutrients and biology. Blythe and Gregg explain their use of multi-species pastures to restore natural capital, improve soil health and help with water holding capacity in their pastures.
Additional Resources
This section is a collation of local South West, Australian, and international knowledge and expertise on multispecies & perennial pastures, and applied to our local context.
The Soil Health App
The University of Western Australia’s Emerita Professor Lynette Abbott has compacted more than five decades of soil biological health research into a new app.
The app was designed to offer farmers (as well as teachers, students and gardeners) instant, easy access to soil health information in digestible, interesting and engaging digital format.
It includes an eBook (Soils Are Alive) - a summary of key points about soil health, a range of podcasts that expand on the key points and a series of 7 animated videos.
The SOILHEALTH app was funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants.
The app is available to download for free on IOS and Android phones and tablets via Apple and Google Play.
The Online Guide to Pasture Biodiversity in the Lower Blackwood was developed out of a Lower Blackwood Landcare project to demonstrate the efficacy of seeding multi-species annual and perennial plants to improve farm drought resilience. This practical, multi-media package includes species selection, seeding, establishment and ongoing management of diverse pastures in our local environment. Enter the guide by clicking on the image.
The Online Guide to Pasture Biodiversity in the Lower Blackwood was developed out of a Lower Blackwood Landcare project to demonstrate the efficacy of seeding multi-species annual and perennial plants to improve farm drought resilience. This practical, multi-media package includes species selection, seeding, establishment and ongoing management of diverse pastures in our local environment. Enter the guide by clicking on the image.
This article was developed following the roadshow with Dr Christine Jones in February 2023. Outlined are the principles, research and case studies shared by Dr Jones as she shared her insights on the importance of plant diversity and soil health. Enter the article by clicking on the image.
This article was developed following the roadshow with Dr Christine Jones in February 2023. Outlined are the principles, research and case studies shared by Dr Jones as she shared her insights on the importance of plant diversity and soil health. Enter the article by clicking on the image.
Talkin' After Hours Podcasts
Talkin' Multispecies Pastures with Grant Sims: In this podcast, Grant talks to Jo and Kate about the nitty-gritty of planning, seeding and establishing a multi-species and perennial pasture.
Talkin' Multispecies Pastures with Grant Sims: In this podcast, Grant talks to Jo and Kate about the nitty-gritty of planning, seeding and establishing a multi-species and perennial pasture.
Talkin' Driving Plant Health through Nutrition with Grant Sims. In this podcast Kate and Jo chat with Grant about how he has driven farm health and productivity gains on his farm using nutrition.
Talkin' Driving Plant Health through Nutrition with Grant Sims. In this podcast Kate and Jo chat with Grant about how he has driven farm health and productivity gains on his farm using nutrition.
Talkin' Transitioning Your Pasture to Perennials with David Hardwick. Jo and Kate chat with David about transitioning from a primarily annual and low diversity pasture system to a multi-species and perennial system in a Mediterranean climate.
Talkin' Transitioning Your Pasture to Perennials with David Hardwick. Jo and Kate chat with David about transitioning from a primarily annual and low diversity pasture system to a multi-species and perennial system in a Mediterranean climate.
Talkin' Biodiverse Pastures - Challenges & Techniques with Jade Killoran. Jo and Kate chat with Jade about her research and trial findings and what strategies land managers can use to get diverse and perennial plants established in their annual grazing systems.
Talkin' Biodiverse Pastures - Challenges & Techniques with Jade Killoran. Jo and Kate chat with Jade about her research and trial findings and what strategies land managers can use to get diverse and perennial plants established in their annual grazing systems.
Talkin' Pasture Renovation with Niels Olsen. In this episode Jo & Kate talk with Niels about his experiences in using cover cropping to improve the health of his soils, pasture and consequently his livestock and his profitability over the past 6 years.
Talkin' Pasture Renovation with Niels Olsen. In this episode Jo & Kate talk with Niels about his experiences in using cover cropping to improve the health of his soils, pasture and consequently his livestock and his profitability over the past 6 years.
Talkin' On Farm Biodiversity & Soil Health with Dr Christine Jones. In this episode Jo & Kate talk to internationally renowned and highly respected groundcover and soils ecologist Dr Christine Jones about biodiversity on the farm, why it’s important and how it can impact on soil health.
Talkin' On Farm Biodiversity & Soil Health with Dr Christine Jones. In this episode Jo & Kate talk to internationally renowned and highly respected groundcover and soils ecologist Dr Christine Jones about biodiversity on the farm, why it’s important and how it can impact on soil health.
Talkin' After Hours Webinars
Niels Olsen from Soilkee Renovator shares his experiences in using cover cropping to improve the health of his soils, pasture and consequently his livestock and his profitability over the past 6 years. Niels talks us through how his invention the ‘Soilkee Renovator’ has enabled him to fast track his soil health improvements AND become the first farmer in the world to receive carbon credits under the Australian Emissions Reduction Fund and the Paris Agreement.
Soil microbes play an essential role in building healthy functioning soils in a pasture system, but they can’t do it alone. A partnership with biodiverse living plants is key to nurturing & supporting microbial activity in that same system. In this Talkin’ After Hours webinar Agroecologist Nicole Masters takes a dive into the ‘why & how’ of plant microbial relationships, and what we can do to foster them. Nicole will also discuss the role of epigenetics and seed treatment options to set plants, and ourselves, up for success.
How can we i) increase the water holding capacity of our soils ii) achieve flourishing communities of beneficial soil microbes iii) maintain year round species rich pastures, & iv) transition from a solely winter/spring annual pasture system to a more perennial system? Australian soils ecologist Dr Christine Jones explains the truly amazing connections between plants, microbes & the soil, & how a positive feedback loop between them all can work to restore our farmland soils.
Jade Killoran is an independent multispecies cover crop advisor and researcher, working in Victorian grazing systems. Jade founded ‘Healthy Farming Systems’ in 2020 and likes nothing better than to be out on-farm, helping farmers trial, adopt, and manage multispecies cover crops. Jade has a strong background in paddock scale research and is extremely passionate about multispecies pastures/cover crops, and their potential benefits for livestock-based farming systems. We invited Jade to share her knowledge and experience with us as, although the Victorian climate is slightly different to ours in South West Western Australia, it is similar enough that so much of what Jade has learned about establishing multispecies pastures is very applicable to us.
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