Matt and Justine McLeod are running a trial to tackle two of the biggest issues in farming – water and money.

Experimenting with 96 plots, the trial monitors the impact of different rates of organic amendments, fertilisers and plant species. Tracking soil health, water efficiency, plant health, yield and profitability, the trial aims to find solutions that increase drought resilience.

This hands-on field day will take what the McLeods have learnt so far and provide practical tips to help land managers assess and improve their soil health. Those coming along are encouraged to bring a block of soil from their property (30 x 30 x 30cm) to assess during the workshop. The guest presenters will help attendees learn and test a range of simple tools and techniques to visually assess and monitor soil health.

This event will cover:

• The trial – what it is and what we have found so far
• Soil structure, soil health and soil properties (check out a few soil pits)
• Reading soil and understanding sub soil constraints
• Improving water infiltration to build drought proof systems

This is the second of three field days. Come along and follow the outcomes of the exciting central Queensland trial.

The presenters:

Matt McLeod
LAND OWNER – M.D MCLEOD & J MCLEOD PARTNERSHIP
Matt is new to hay production but not farming. Growing up on a cattle enterprise, Matt is a practical land manager who is keen to find a way to make agriculture good for producers and country. “I can’t explain the theory of what happens in the soil, and I’m not interested in reading about it, but I can tell you what we’ve tried, what has worked and how that’s made us so keen to find out more of what’s possible.”

Justine McLeod
LAND OWNER – M.D MCLEOD & J MCLEOD PARTNERSHIP
Justine is a passionate land manager who is dedicated to improving the condition of her property and helping others to do the same. As a lover of reading and learning, Justine is excited to harness the power of nature to create profitable and sustainable farming enterprises. “I want to help be a step in the right direction by showing how farming can be great for the land and the environment. I also want to prove how we can overcome and work better with the challenges of drought and the rising costs of farming inputs by working with nature rather than outside of it.”

Johannes Biala
DIRECTOR – CROWN, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Equipped with degrees in Agriculture and Environmental Science, Johannes has worked in organics recycling, composting and the use of recycled organics products for over 30 years. He has extensive experience as a consultant and researcher in all key areas of the organics recycling supply chain, including the use of recycled organic products in agriculture and horticulture. Johannes will talk about the direct role compost can play in improving physical soil properties that enhance water infiltration and moisture retention, while also touching on indirect benefits, such as improved root expansion.

Justin Clarke
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – ORGANIC NUTRIENTS
Justin joined the team at Organic Nutrients earlier this year, having a Business Development background with qualifications in arboriculture, project management and irrigation agronomy. At this workshop, Justin will discuss the different compost products that Organic Nutrients produce and share results of long term
compost application.

Dr Gunnar Kirchhof
RESEARCH ACADEMIC – UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND (SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE & FOOD SCIENCES)
Dr Kirchhof specialises in soil and water management in tropical and subtropical agroecosystems. Originally an agricultural engineer from Germany, Gunnar has lived in Australia for almost 40 years. He has worked on many projects to assess and improve soil fertility and soil water management. At the University of Queensland, he is responsible for organising and delivering dryland farming, irrigation and water management, and conservation agriculture training programs. To investigate and assess soils potential, Gunnar loves digging holes to discover what lies beneath our feet.

George Mingin
DIRECTOR – KOOKABURRA WORM FARMS AND KOOKABURRA ENVIRONMENTAL
George is passionate about growing healthy nutrient-dense food. Specialising in fungi, bacteria, archaea, protozoa, nematodes and earthworms, George is an expert in understanding what is happening below the ground. Using rapid DNA analysis as well as traditional soil testing methods, George will help you learn how to understand what is happening with your soil and how to best nudge them back into becoming self-regenerative and fertile.

When – Tuesday 30 August | 8;30am – 4:30am
Where – Lake Pleasant | 521 Fiveways Lake Pleasent Rd, Goovigen QLD
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are provided. Please bring a hat, water bottle, chair, a pen and notepad.

RSVP by 23 August to FBA’s Land Management Officer, Annie May:
0408 574 129
Annie.May@fba.org.au

Download the event flyer

This project is supported by Fitzroy Basin Association, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, Organic Nutrients Pty Ltd, University of Queensland – CROWN, and Gracemere Veterinary Surgery.