Regenerative agriculture & land management resources

Are you new to farming or thinking of buying land? These guides have been developed to help you. 

• Farmers Farms and cows do moo! A guide for new rural landholders in Byron Shire(PDF, 15MB) - For people thinking about buying land in rural Byron Shire. This book discusses what you should be aware of when looking at land and thinking what you may do with it. We hope this helps you make a more informed decision on your purchase.

• Starting Out - An introductory guide to farming in the Byron Shire(PDF, 9MB)  - For people that have bought farmland in the Shire but are not sure what to do or where to start.  

You don’t need a farm to farm, and you don’t need to be a farmer to have your land be productive. There are ways to make your land more productive:

• farming with neighbours,
• bringing on farmers via lease arrangement, and
• share farming.

Listed below are existing groups, organisations and resources that support farming collaborations:

• The Land Access Toolkit provides information on different land tenure models and practical guidance on navigating non-ownership farming models.  
• Farming Together website provides an array of resources and case studies, models and co-operative business planning tools. 
• Young Farmers Connect (YFC) - Northern Rivers Facebook group is a great network of young and new farmers. Join the Facebook group to make enquiries, connect with fellow farmers. You don’t need to be a young farmer to be involved.  
• Young Farmers Connect-Farm Links is a portal for land holders to offer their land to farmers and farmers looking for land to farm. Create a profile, find a farm or find a farmer. 
• Cultivate Farms website connects aspiring farmers, retiring farmers, land holders and investors. Find a farmer, find a farm.  
• Farming on Other People's Land (FOOPL) - Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (afsa.org.au) provides guiding principles for a landshare farming agreement.  
• Grazing with neighbours webinar Speakers in this webinar share their stories and experiences of working with their neighbours as a win-win solution for achieving their shared vision of creating a healthier landscape.  

Listed below are a series of video’s that explain the concept and importance of regenerative agriculture:  

• Regenerative agriculture in the Byron Shire  
• Agricultural Extension Officer Andrew Cameron Discusses Regenerative Farming
• Charles Massey discusses how regenerative farming can help heal the planet and human health in this TEDx YouTube Video
• Damon Gameau talks about the power of regenerative agriculture (youtube.com)

And for your listening, here are some great podcasts: 

• Big Shift For Small Farms
• Ground Cover Regenerative Ag Alliance and Southern Cross University
• Charlie Arnott Podcasts
• Nutrition Farming
• Lachlan Highes Foundation
• Soils for Life Podcast - Soils For Life

Listed below are a series of videos and articles that explain the role of weeds and how they can be used to understand our soil health:

• Weeds as Indicators - Webinar Recording (youtube.com) This webinar discusses how weeds can be used as indicators of soil health, and management practices to phase these undesirable plants out.
• Weeds are NOT "The Problem" (youtube.com) Within this video, Glen from Soil Works explains why weeds are not the real problem but rather indicators/symptoms of underlying soil health issues and explains the key elements needed to create an environment that promotes healthy crop growth over weed proliferation.
• Weeds in pastures This video focuses on “weeds” and their importance to pasture health.
• Using Weeds to Read the Soil: Some Basic Concepts to Get Started This article provides some basic ideas of how to use weeds to read the soil.
• 14 page downloadable guide to weeds as indicators created by Reinventing Agriculture
• When Weeds Talk” book provides a comprehensive list of weeds and the soil conditions that enable those weeds to grow.

Below you will find information on how to conduct and interpret your own soil tests as well as information on how to improve your soil organic matter.

• Northern Rivers Soil Health Card. The soil health card lists the 10 tests and provides space for you to rate your own soils after carrying out the tests. By testing regularly and keeping the cards, you can build up a record of your soil health, and understand the effect of management practices on soil health.
• Agricultural Soil Testing and analysis for home, recreational and agricultural applications.
• How to Read Soil test results
• How to Build Soil Organic Matter
• Dung Beetles for soil improvement
• SoilCare cover crop resources

• Cover crops for Australian vegetable growers. This poster provides a starting point for growers choosing a cover crop for their farm by adapting the information on the table to suit their farm operations, climate and cover crop objective.

• In this YouTube video, Glenn Morris talks about how his holistic grazing management practices are restoring the natural ecosystem of his farm.
• RCS provides great grazing resources, courses and coaching opportunities
• Agricultural Information & Monitoring Services(AIMS) provides advice, training courses and grazing tools to graziers and natural resource management organisations with the goal of improving land health and the profitability of grazing businesses.
• The Northern Rivers Soil Best Management Practice (BMP) Guide – Coastal Grazing offers practical guidelines to improve and maintain soil health for better production and environmental outcomes.

• A Guide to Restoring Native Vegetation in the Byron Shire
• Instructional video on chemical free camphor laurel management

• Mullum seed
• Brunswick Valley Landcare
• NSW Department of Primary Industry
• Local Land Services North Coast Region
• Rural Financial Counselling services
• Tweed Richmond Organic Producers Organisation (TROPO)
• Soil Care Inc