A lot of land managers are always trying to work out what works best for their place. Most are always striving for something even better than before. More biodiversity. More wind protection. Better drought tolerance. More carbon in their soil. More resilience, from the paddock between the ears to the toughest paddock on the farm. At Fat Pig Farm we've been asking ourselves these same questions, and have put together a panel of wonderful national and international speakers to talk over 2 days in December, the 4th and 5th. Everything from biochar to succession, from mental health to how the soil microbiome affects not only our microbiome, but also the nutrient density of the foods we eat.
We'll be welcoming Dan Kittredge from the US, who runs the Bionutrient Food Association. We'll have Felice Jacka, nutritional psychiatrist from Deakin University. We'll have Anita Fleming who runs the research farm at NZ's Lincoln University, along with some of the best land managers in the country, including WA's Chris Henggeler from Kachana Station, and Bruce Maynard, the 2022 Bob Hawke Landcare award winner to talk about no kill cropping and low stress stock handling.
We'll match the talks with plenty of chance for social interactions, from farmer yoga to a bird safari, from food stalls to The Lazy Springtail bar selling drinks that match the philosophy of regenerative, restorative farming. We'll also have live music and a book launch or two. All set on a glorious mixed farm in southern Tasmania (because we think farming better is easier digested on farm, with other farmers, and with a plate of something wholesome to wash it down).
You can check out the speaker list and some of the sessions we're working on at www.groundedaustralia.com.au
Early bird tickets are now on sale for the two day event, which will have over 40 talks and 'walkshops' looking at everything from cover crops to how to build a native bee hotel using weeds growing on your farm. We're only a little start up event, and want to emphasise the positive ways that land managers can be land carers, while still producing food for the rest of the world to eat. Please share with others who are keen to learn more about how to farm even better in a changing climate. We hope to see you there.