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DCF 1.0

Visitors to Moffitts Farm inspect the pasture

More farmers will be encouraged to follow the example ecosystem improvement innovators like Richard and Jenny Weatherly if there is encouragement, recognition and long-term reward for voluntary action based on their local knowledge. Here Richard Weatherly show Julie Francis a direct seeded corridor on Connewarran in March 1999. Photo: Patrick Francis

University of Arkansas weed scientist Dr Jason Norsworthy says glyphosate is now lost to the US after widespread overuse of the herbicide in GM cropping systems. Glyphosate-resistant weeds such as the Palmer amaranth are now endemic on 50 per cent of US farming properties. Photo: Fred Miller

Dr Jim Watts says the transition from a sheep that is wrinkly and requires mulesing to a sheep that is plain bodied and does not need to be mulesed can be less than 5 years, and in some cases as rapid as 3 years.

Livestock on Moffitts Farm usually ‘participate’ in farm walks as they are unstressed by visitors inpsecting their pastures.

Visitors can quickly connect pasture health to livestock productivity and health.

Biodiversity corridors with and without forestry plantings.

Farm forest blocks contribute to improving biodiversity and are major sequester of CO2 ensuring Moffitts Farm is a net carbon sink.

Smelling the soil in pasture paddocks is a novel experience for most visitors.

Dr David Smith contends agricultural science based research has been critical for the advancement of farming methods as well as environmental improvement of farm ecosystems for decades.

Alan Lauder is the author of “Carbon Grazing”.

Bill and Julie check olive ripening in the grove at Great Western, Victoria.

Bill and Julie check olive ripening in the grove at Great Western, Victoria.

Bill and Julie check olive ripening in the grove at Great Western, Victoria