Farming with biodiversity
Fifteen landholders from around the region gathered near Beachport recently for the Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s ‘Farming with Biodiversity: on-site showcase’. The event, hosted at the property ‘Woodrise’ in Bray, provided an opportunity for landholders and community members to learn about the co-benefits of biodiversity on farms and experience first-hand the results of successful approaches to integrated land management.
Land manager, Darryn Simon, provided a tour for attendees of shelterbelts, direct seeding and pasture regeneration sites and shared his experiences of how improved soil health and biodiversity have benefited the farm. Afterwards, attendees heard from experts in the fields of soil fertility and native vegetation management from guest speakers James Hall, Team Leader for Sustainable Primary Production and Peter Tucker, Mister Tucker’s Business.
The event also provided an opportunity for landholders to meet representatives from the Habitat Conservation, Sustainable Primary Production and Landscape Operations teams and learn about the Habitat Conservation Incentive Grants currently being offered by the LC Landscape Board.
Overall, it was a successful day out in the field, with attendees sharing that the event had increased their knowledge of biodiversity on farms, and had provided the skills, support and confidence to implement practices to improve biodiversity on their own properties.
“The farm tour was quite beneficial as it demonstrated the implementation of on farm biodiversity practices amazingly. The farm tour communicated how achievable and beneficial farm biodiversity can be” said one participant.
Applications for the Habitat Conservation Incentive Grants are open now, with expressions of interest closing on 31 October.
