The Practical Regenerative Agricultural Communities program is being delivered as a partnership between Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, the City of Greater Bendigo, A Healthy Coliban Catchment project (North Central Catchment Management Authority and Coliban Water), Melbourne Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.
The program compliments Hepburn Shire Council’s Artisan Agriculture Project and ZNET Hepburn programs, Coliban Water and the North Central Catchment Management Authority’s Healthy Coliban Catchment project and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Networks’ Pollinator Corridor Project.
We are offering the following programs about regenerative agricultural practices to help you improve your land, soil, water and livestock:
- Individual, free, on-farm advice
- Webinars, workshops and field days
- Holistic Grazing Management short course
- Farmer discussion groups
The program aims to help you identify and implement practical land management practices to:
- improve your grazing
- improve productivity
- improve soil health
- improve biodiversity
- improve waterway health
How to get involved
All land managers in Macedon Ranges Shire, Hepburn Shire and the City of Greater Bendigo are eligible to participate. Priority for individual, free, on-farm advice will be given to properties over two hectares in area. Individual advice is practical and matched to any experience level and grazing livestock including, but not limited to, cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and alpacas.
To book a free property visit, please fill out the expression of interest form.
For more information, contact Jason McAinch, our Private Land Conservation Officer by email jmcainch@mrsc.vic.gov.au
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Regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves the water cycle and provides a positive benefit to wildlife and humankind. Regenerative agriculture aims to capture carbon in soil, trees and vegetation, contributing to carbon sequestration while also increasing on-farm resilience to climate variability.
Regenerative grazing
Regenerative grazing aims to increase perennial pasture species, including native grasses, while also increasing species diversity. Through high intensity grazing regimes followed by long rest periods, the approach increases the organic matter in soils and facilitates all year round ground cover, protecting soils from sunlight and erosion. This approach increases soil health and improves water retention and drainage. Livestock benefit from a consistent and complete diet which results in improved health and productivity.
On-farm biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the diversity of life forms on a property, a locality and your region. This includes the micro-organisms found in soils and water, fungi, plants, insects, birds and all other animals that live on land, in rivers and in wetlands. These life forms interact between themselves and with the non-living parts of the environment to form ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems benefit farms through maintaining soil and water quality, providing shelter and a balanced diet for livestock while assisting with reducing pests and diseases. In turn, on-farm biodiversity has the potential to connect positively with the ecosystems of neighbouring properties and surrounding bushland.
One of the key components of Healthy Landscapes – PRAC program is delivery of the regenerative grazing course which has been designed to assist land managers to increase the health of agricultural grasslands. The course is structured for big and small landholders’ to improve skills and knowledge about grazing livestock, resulting in an increase in perennial pasture species (including natives) and soil carbon.
The delivery of the course will include in person theory sessions, online sessions via Zoom, as well as practical on-property sessions. Our course outline(PDF, 721KB)
has more information, session details and dates. In person sessions will be held at Malmsbury Hall.
Along with the presenters Jason McAinch and Sam White, guest speakers will be used to enhance the delivery of the program where appropriate.
Small property grazing course
The Small Property Grazing Short course is structured for small landholders (2-20Ha) with grazing livestock. Landholders in the Macedon Ranges Shire, Hepburn Shire or the City of Greater Bendigo are eligible to attend. The cost of the course is $50 per property and will be presented by Jason McAinch. For more information see our small property grazing course outline(PDF, 618KB)
The course begins on 18 February 2022 and places are limited, so register your interest by filling out the expression of interest form.
Register your interest
Presenters
Jason McAinch
Jason works in the Environment team at Macedon Ranges Shire Council as the Private Land Conservation Officer responsible for the Healthy Landscapes program. Jason grew up on a dairy farm in Gippsland, then after university, he returned to manage the family 500 cow dairy farm. You could say he definitely has been covered from head to toe in sh%* and practical experience.
Jason was enticed to join Agriculture Victoria in 2000, which awakened a passion for adult education and extension in grazing. Jason continued to manage the family farm and work for AgVic until 2008, when family succession planning saw Jason focus on work with AgVic. Another change in direction in 2012 saw Jason choose to become a stay home Dad while his wife returned to work, which resulted in a move from Gippsland to Central Victoria. In 2019 the opportunity to reignite the passion for grazing with the role at MRSC has seen a holistic change.
Sam White
Sam is a sixth generation Grazier & Manager of Sidonia Beef, an 800Ha farm with 100% pasture raised Black Angus cattle. Sam, as farm manager has walked down many roads looking for the best ways to farm without the use of chemicals on the land and in the animals and has found salvation with Planned Holistic Grazing Management.
This is an all encompassing way to live and farm. Looking at the property, its animals and its people as a ‘whole’. The cattle are a tool for creating biodiverse pastures as they are one of the best animals to be able to efficiently recycle nutrients and keep important nature cycles working well.
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Local Farmers Journeys in Holistic Farming Series - 2021
Join our series webinars with local farmers and hear about their personal journey using holistic farming practices.
In this webinar in the series we are joined by beef farmer, Darren Cater from Monegeetta.
In this webinar in the series we hear from Paul Righetti who runs a farm in Yandoit with sheep, cattle and pasture raised hens.
In this webinar in the series we are joined by Aaron Demeo a sheep and contract rear dairy heifer farmer in Raywood.
Local Farmers Journeys in Holistic Farming Series - 2020
Farmer Journey - Sam White
Hear from Sam, a 6th generation grazier & manager of Sidonia Beef with a 800Ha farm with 100% pasture raised Black Angus cattle.
Farmer Journey - Patrick Francis
Hear from Patrick from Moffitss Farm, a 56Ha lamb farm using “Comfortable farming” management.
Farmer Journey - Breanne Francis and Gerard Noonan
Breanne has a 52Ha property with Stud Highland Cattle, commercial cattle and horses. Gerard has a 130Ha property with commercial cattle.
Understanding Your Farm Soil Webinar Series
This webinar series covers soil biology testing, soil carbon and organic matter. There are five videos in the playlist below, click on the playlist drop-down arrow that says 1/5, to select the video you would like to watch.
- Video 1: Soil testing - Understanding your farm soil
- Video 2: Soil carbon with Dr Fiona Roberston
- Video 3: Soil carbon
- Video 4: Organic matter - Part 1
- Video 5: Organic matter - Part 2
Managing your pastures in a changing climate
World renowned farmer, Colin Seis shares how to establish and maintain flourishing pastures while improving soil health in an ever-changing climate.
Part 1
Part 2
Grass and Pasture ID Webinar
In this webinar, we were joined by environmental scientist, Dr Graeme Lorimer who has been teaching how to identify, understand and manage wild (non-planted) grasses for 32 years.
The Grass and Pasture ID Webinar is being held in partnership with Port Phillip & Westernport CMA with the support of the Victorian Government.
Equiculture - the 'other' 23 hours
On average we spend about 1 hour a day or less, interacting with our horses. What do horses do with the rest of their time and how can we improve their lifestyle. How can these improvements also benefit the owners and their land?
Stuart Myers from Equiculture joined us for a webinar to discuss some simple changes that could vastly improve your horses lifestyle.
Transition from Spring to Summer feeding
Brian Wehlburg, from Holistic Management International and The Savory Institute, gave a webinar on how to transition from spring to summer feeding. Be inspired by Brian’s passion for environmental improvement and grazing management.
Compost Research and Natural Capital Accounting in Agriculture
Hear from Dr. Jim Radford from Latrobe University on some local research and trials with compost used in an agricultural setting.
Jim is also involved in a project that is about measuring a range of different aspects of environmental performance. These include ecosystem integrity, soil condition, greenhouse gas balance, resource use efficiency and biodiversity impact.
The Natural Capital Accounting framework is being co-designed with farmers to ensure the accounts are understandable, trusted and provide useful information for farmers and their customers. By demonstrating the value of natural capital for profitable farming, the aim is to elucidate and promote farming practices that have positive outcomes for the natural resource base that underpins agriculture. This could lead to the possibility that farmers could capitalize on their sustainable practices.
Central Victorian climate today, tomorrow and the future
This event was delivered in partnership with the Healthy Landscapes program and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Hear from Felicity Gamble, Senior Climatologist, Extended and Long-range Forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). She presented the forecasts for the upcoming three months and what could be in the future (~2035) for central Victoria. Felicity also shared some useful tools and materials that have been developed by the BoM and AgVic.
Information sheets
The series of information sheets below, are designed to increase big and small landholders’ knowledge and skills about grazing livestock, resulting in an increase in perennial pasture species (including natives) and soil carbon. It will explain some fundamental technical details to help understand how pastures grow, soil biology and the interaction with livestock nutrition/productivity, including some practical tips to implement strategies to improve the environment.
By limiting sunlight hitting bare soil and increasing the time green pastures are growing, this increases the time plants’ are photosynthesising and converting the energy provided by the sun. Through proper grazing, this results in more energy/sugars/carbon entering the soil and the grazing animal. The consistent green pasture cover increases soil life resulting in additional nutrient cycling.
Land managers are rewarded by this increase in soil carbon and soil health as the soil is able to hold more moisture and drainage is improved. Healthy soils, healthy grasslands, healthy livestock = landowners achieving productive and resilient land.
The resources used to compile this series
Although these information sheets are not research papers, a range of scientific papers have been used in the production of the information.
Where diagrams have been used, an attempt to acknowledge their source has been made. Industry documents used include Evergraze Exchange (online) and Grazing Dairy Pastures. The scientific work referenced throughout was completed in Australia and New Zealand by Christine Jones, and teams with Danny Donaghy or John Roach.
Other international papers on grass growth, biodiversity and soil have also been used.
Other resources
Below is a list of resources that regenerative agriculture holistic practices may align with. Although some are not relevant to the Macedon Ranges, the themes may be worth considering.
Videos
- Allan Savoury, Ted Talk on YouTube. Allan’s work is in the more brittle environment of Africa, although his work practices are transferrable.
- An Introduction to Regenerative Agriculture on YouTube – produced in West Gippsland.
- Dr. Christine Jones, founder of Amazing Carbon, is an Australian soil scientist who has various stories and interviews on YouTube.
- The Macedon Ranges Shire Council YouTube channel has recordings of our previous workshops.
- Moveable fencing, instructional videos by KiwiTech with good examples of single wire and three wire sheep packs. Whilst we are not recommending this brand above others, some of their products have strengths.
Books
Caring for Country resource
Caring For Country(PDF, 6MB) is a guide to sustainable land management aimed at landholders who want to better manage their land. It includes an introduction to our indigenous heritage, the value of biodiversity and the importance of being a good neighbour.
The guide offers practical information including links to organisations and agencies that can help landholders to build their knowledge of sustainable farming practices. With more information at hand, landowners can make better decisions to ensure their land is economically and environmentally sustainable.
Equiculture Course
Do you want to improve the health of your horse and your land?
Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Melbourne Water are offering a $100 discount on an online equiculture course from renowned equine experts, Jane and Stuart Myers. The discount is available to land owners in the Macedon Ranges.
Equiculture – short for equine permaculture – is a holistic horse property management program that promotes sustainable farm and pasture management techniques designed with your horse’s welfare and natural behaviour in mind.
The program is delivered digitally, with participants able to learn at their own pace. Fifteen modules teach participants all about healthy soil and pasture, managing weeds, mud and erosion, property design and layouts as well as managing optimal equine health.
To get your discount code, you must fill in the Expression of Interest form. The discount code is required at the point of registering for the equiculture course. Discount code will not be given out retrospectively.
Places are limited and are given out on a first in basis.
Completion of the Equiculture course can also be incorporated into the Pony Club Australia K or C* certificates. Visit the Equiculture webpage to find out more.
Equiculture expression of interest form
If you are constructing a dwelling on land that falls within a Farming Zone or Rural Conservation Zone, you may need to prepare a Property Management Plan(DOCX, 2MB) as part of your Planning Permit Application.
For resources on development of a Property Management Plan, visit the Victorian Landcare Gateway
Contact us on (03) 5422 0333 for further information or for assistance with the preparation of your plan.