‘Using the combination of indigenous knowledge, cutting edge scientific discoveries, and the principles and practices developed by pionering farmers and holistic thinkers, humans are able to help rebuild soil faster than we ever thought possible. By switching from our mechanical and chemical minded practices, to a natural and interconnected-biology centered mindset, our actions within systems change and allow us to work in ways we never knew we could to restore the precious land of this planet we love.’ Kiss the Ground, Soil advocate Course
‘Regenerating our farming landscapes, will not only provide communities with locally grown, nutrient-dense, clean, healthy food it will also sequester carbon and rebalance our ecosystem.
Reinvigorating these ecosystems into stable, biodiverse, natural havens for all creatures great and small.
It is that simple.’ Emma Jane Milosevic, Soil Advocate
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FARMERS HOLD THE ANSWER.
FARMERS HOLD THE ANSWER.
You can make a difference. The choices we make everyday as food consumers directly affects our health and the health of our planet.
Farmers hold the answer - It’s our soil. Choose farmers who care for their land, who are local to you, and don’t use harsh chemicals.
Healthy soils provide habitats that support thousands of different species of fungi, bacteria and invertebrates, which then work in combination with livestock to drive Earth’s carbon, nitrogen and water cycles, thereby creating the nutrients and food we need to survive.
Emma Jane
My family and I live on a small-scale demonstration farm dedicated to regenerative farming practices in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia on the land of the Gundungurra.
I have many roles including being a wife, mother, cook, writer, educator, and soil activist. My love for cooking started at a young age, spending time in the kitchen with my mother. This love transformed into a passion for growing produce and now a deep interest in soil health.
I make an artisanal range of products from the produce we grow right here on our farm, I am also a private chef and caterer.
I also share my knowledge of regenerative agriculture with others. From backyard veggie gardens to small-scale farming, I offer vegetable garden consultations, cooking classes, workshops, and written articles on regenerative agriculture.
Over the last several years my studies have included:
The Future of Food, Le Cordon Bleu
Gastronomic Tourism, Le Cordon Bleu
Introduction to Biodynamics, Charlie Arnott & Hamish Mackay
Regenerative Agriculture - A Deep Dive into Fire, Carbon & Water, The Mulloon Institute
Regenerative Agriculture Mentoring Program (RAMP)
Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP)
Farm Business Resilience Program ALUMNI COURSE (FBRP)
Soil Advocate Training, Kiss The Ground
“To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.” -
Xenophon, Ancient greek philosopher and historian, student of Socrates, Circa 430 - 354 BC.
Regenerative agriculture can regenerate Australia
OLIVIA HEDGE
Kyneton High School
Regenerative agriculture is a solution to some of our biggest problems. Effective implementation of regenerative practices can help reverse climate change, increase biodiversity, improve public health and economic outcomes of Australian farms. We have an opportunity to make positive economic, environmental and social change by rethinking commercial farming in Australia. The support of consumers and policymakers is essential for a smooth transition to regenerative practices.
Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming which improves soil, based on Indigenous knowledge, holistic planning, pioneering science and farmers' experience. Healthy soil is a synergistic, living system of microorganisms which play a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility, sequestering carbon, delivering nutrients to plants and retaining water. But the world's soils are being turned to dirt. Soil degradation affects water systems, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and human health. Methods such as no-till farming, cover cropping or rotational grazing are examples of regenerative practices that can repair soil by mimicking natural processes.
The financial benefits of regenerative agriculture will outweigh any initial cost. The Australian government has spent billions of dollars on drought, fire and flood relief for the agriculture industry, but this money is only a temporary solution. Farmers are under unprecedented pressure to produce food with unsustainable agricultural methods which degrade the soil and rely on expensive chemical inputs. Using regenerative agriculture to improve soil function and the symbiotic relationship between plants and the soil, we can significantly reduce the chemical input cost crippling farmers today and subsequently increase farm profit margins. An improvement in soil structure means increased water retention capacity and reduced erosion, increasing our valuable topsoil's resilience to floods, fires and other weather events, reducing the cost of extreme weather events relief.
Improvement in soil health can improve human health. Studies have shown that widely used agricultural chemicals such as glyphosate (Roundup) can have a severe and negative impact on our health. Chemicals applied to farmland don't only get into our food, a considerable portion is leaked into the environment after being applied to land, contaminating water sources and polluting the air. Recent studies have linked an increase in glyphosate (Roundup) use with the exponential increase in autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, the degradation of soils worldwide reduces the nutrient density of soil and consequently nutrient content of the food being grown. Global Hunger Index states that approximately 2 billion people suffer from "hidden hunger" in which you are consuming enough calories but starve due to malnutrition, and this is partly due to the reduced nutrient content of food. Farming regeneratively can improve the soil function, nutrient density of produce and therefore public health.
Regenerative agriculture can help solve climate change and increase biodiversity. Australia's agriculture industry contributes roughly 13% of our annual emissions. But regenerative agriculture could sequester our emissions rather than create them. The two main greenhouse gases, carbon and water, are crucial components of healthy soil, and when we farm in a way which encourages plant growth and soil life, we can move carbon and water from the atmosphere to the soil, sequestering emissions and reversing climate change. The carbon and water improve the structure and quality of soil, improving plant growth, microbial activity and biodiversity and create a positive feedback loop of increased plant growth and sequestration of greenhouse gases.
Regenerative agriculture is an opportunity to farm better and regenerate Australia. We have a chance to help solve some of our biggest problems without a long-term economic cost, and policy makers and consumers have a responsibility to make the transition to regenerative agriculture as accessible as possible to farmers.
https://www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/blog/drawdown-post.shtml
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/how-food-choices-can-clean-up-the-planet-and-feed-the-world-regenerative-farming-plant-based-diet-waste-biodiversity/
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https://www3.nd.edu/~aseriann/Glyphosate_2.pdf
https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/dirt-to-soil-how-to-make-money-in-farming-and-save-the-planet/
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-cost-of-drought-and-it-s-just-going-to-grow-20191102-p536rd.html
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https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/medical-problems/cancer-medical-problems/what-diseases-does-roundup-cause/
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https://ourenvironment.ac.nz/2020/04/25/farming-for-nature-how-mimicking-natural-processes-can-feed-our-planet/
25 JULY 2022