Grazing Naturally on KI

Internationally acclaimed grazing management consultant, Dick Richardson, returns to Kangaroo Island for more workshops.

Following interest generated by his talk at the AgKI conference in Kingscote last year, Natural Resources Kangaroo Island is supporting two new workshops with grazing management expert Dick Richardson on the island this March.

Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board Presiding Member Richard Trethewey thinks it is great that Dick Richardson is coming to give local farmers the opportunity to learn some sustainable grazing practices.

“Dick’s reputation within the farming community speaks volumes,” Mr Trethewey said.

“These workshops will be a great chance to see what practices we can incorporate into island farming to benefit the land in the long run.”

Dick Richardson is internationally accredited and has been consulting since 1995 to farming businesses around the world including in the US, UK, Australia and southern African countries.

Venetia Bolwell, a farmer from MacGillivray, travelled to see one of Dick’s workshops in the Murray-Darling Basin recently.

She said the workshop demonstrated how to use grazing as a way to improve pastures and soil health and develop sustainable agriculture.

“Dick's simple explanations of the complex interactions between plants and herbivores helped me understand that as a farmer using sustainable grazing practices I can develop healthy soils with improved water holding capacity, organic matter and soil fertility,” she said.

“The workshop inspired me to implement changes to my farm management to develop a regenerative grazing system.”

Dick is now based is South Australia and these workshops will be an opportunity for Kangaroo Island farmers to learn more about Dick’s management system.

Workshop topics include:

• The dynamics of grazing management.
• Building soil depth and maturity with animals and plants.
• The effects of management changes on farm ecology to boost production.

The workshops are being held on:

• Tuesday March 13, 9–5pm Haines
• Wednesday March 14, 9-5pm Parndana/Stokes Bay area

Lunch and morning tea provided at both.

If you are interested in either, please contact Karleah Berris to register and provide catering requirements, and receive directions to properties on 8553 4444.

Email: Karleah.berris@sa.gov.au.