If you didn't know Beef 2021 was on last week I'll bet you aren't reading this article. I love Beef Week and the opportunity to catch up with people from all over Australia. There were even some sheepies that came up for a look! Fantastic. Well done to Beef Australia.
For the past decade, RCS hosts a sellout Beef Week seminar. This time I invited five producers to share what outcomes they've experienced from implementing their interpretation of regenerative agriculture. They ranged from people new to the industry to graduates of Grazing for Profit in the 1990s. From NSW to NT, big to small, family to corporate. It was a fantastic line-up of speakers.
To me, regenerative agriculture is about having a model of operation that attracts people to implement practices that genuinely improve soil health, optimise production and business performance for thousands of years. For those that have done an RCS course, it is an infinitely balanced three legged pot.
So what did the speakers share? Here are some key outcomes they shared. You'll note a healthy balance of outcomes for people, land, production and business!
- Increased confidence in decision making.
- Increased communication and ability to discuss differing opinions in a way that benefited them and the business.
- Ability to withstand droughts while maintaining land and business health.
- Ability to make difficult and profitable decisions.
- Ability to capture more rain and sequester more carbon.
- Increased diversity in plant species and bugs, insects and spiders.
- 65-100pc increase in carrying capacity and 400pc increase in kg produced per hectare.
- Reduction in age of turnoff.
- Investment in wire and water will always pay if carrying capacity is below potential.
- 40pc return on investment from water investment for increased utlisation. Higher again due to better grazing management this infrastructure will allow.
- Passion of people to be engaged in something new and exciting which creates new opportunities both in business and society.
- Increased ability to work with nature with fewer inputs and same or better production.
- Significant reduction in sediment runoff to waterways.
- 40-50pc annual return on investment from managing an investment in wire and water.
I'd like to share the closing comment from our final presenters, Jess and John Bidgood who shared: "Never stop learning. We have been implementing regenerative principles since 2016 and there is a direct correlation between improving the ecology of our properties to our profitability. The better our soil gets, the more profitable and resilient we have become."
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- David is chief of delivery for agricultural consulting and education company, RCS Australia. www.rcsaustralia.com.au 1800 356 004
