Episodes

Robin Tait is an agronomist from Tasmania, after ten years in traditional cropping agronomy Robin studied a Nuffield Scholarship which took her all over the world looking at different farming systems. Robin now works as an independent consultant specialising in working with multispecies cover crops and now, although early days, working with people’s mindsets and decision making tools as part of a team which is building in Natural Intelligence Farming led by Jane Slattery. Robin is also a key mem...

In Episode 28 of the Biological Farming Roundtable podcast Nakala and David Hardwick speak with Western Australian farmer Rob Hetherington from Lake King. Rob’s grandparents first moved to the region in 1927 battling scrub and deep sodic soils and managed to carve a future for the family of farmers when many others walked off the land. We follow the Hetherington’s amazing journey and discuss the changes to management over nearly 100 years, which have resulted in Rob recently being awarded the Wh...

Nakala speaks to agroecologist David Hardwick Soil Land Food and Luke Harrington from Re-Gen Farming about the skyrocketing Phosphorous prices and how to unlock the phosphorous reserves in your soil to protect your profit margin.

Nakala speaks to agroecologist David Hardwick Soil Land Food and Luke Harrington from Re-Gen Farming about the skyrocketing Phosphorous prices and how to unlock the phosphorous reserves in your soil to protect your profit margin.

In episode 25 of the Biological Farming Roundtable Nakala explores the natural intelligence of the dung beetle, and how to establish a dung beetle corridor. She also speaks to regenerative farmer Rodney Bacon about how he used good old ingenuity to build his own compost extractor.

Nakala and Shelley speak to northern Victorian dairy farmer Jodie Hay about the driving forces behind her family’s decision to rethink their farming system.

In episode 23 Nakala speaks to Jane, whose unique skills are helping regenerative farmers expand their mindsets so they can unlock barriers to reach their potential and the world of infinite possibilities.

Cane farmers Alan and Jenny Lyn from Ingham in northern Queensland speak openly to Nakala Maddock from NutriSoil about the positive impacts traffic control and multispecies cover crops are having on their production system. Alan and Lyn discuss the stabilisation of their soil structure, abundance of worms and plant available nitrogen thanks to permanent raised beds, traffic control, cover crops and a customised renovator. They pay credit to their network of likeminded neighbours and colleagues...

Today’s episode is with dairy farmers Andrew and Linda whiting who farm 600acres, in Simpson Victoria with 800mm annual rainfall. With me is Shelley Scouller, Nutrisoil’s new Communications extraordinaire. Andrew and Linda Whiting were share farming when they decided to become self-start dairy farmers 18 years ago. They bought a dairy farm which had become run down and in fact had stopped milking. Everything the Whitings had was put into the purchase, finding themselves in a position with low e...

Today’s episode is with our long term friends Paul and Wendy Weymes, who operate a broadacre grazing property from Tarcutta, NSW. 2017 to 2020 was a tough a tough drought, the toughest they had experienced on their farm. This episode talks about what they experienced coming out of that drought and the tools they chose to use. Co-hosting with me is Phill Lee from Regenerate earth. Phill has been helping Paul and Wendy assess and increase the biology in their soils.

Today’s episode is a book review with John Kempf, who has recently released a NEW book, Quality Agriculture. This episode is FULL of new science in soil, animal, food and human health. John is founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture, a plant nutrition and bio-stimulants consulting company in the US. He is an agronomist, host of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, a speaker and educator, and now an author. In the book, John interviews a group of growers, consultants and scientists who describe h...

Today’s conversation is with David and Ruth Read from Wootcote Farms, a 823 Ha regenerative grazing property in Perry Bridge Victoria. We discuss the natural processes they use to build health and productivity on their farm and in their life. We talk through how to make a compost extract system, a liquid inject system and their successes with pasture cropping and grazing management. David and Ruth share their experiences with RCS, KLR Marketing and a whole range of experts and support systems t...

Today’s conversation is with Anthony Thomas and with me co-hosting is Dr Charles Massy. We recorded this podcast in March when we were there for the Three Springs Biological Farming Roundtable. Anthony and Geraldine Thomas farm approx. 8000Ha in the North Midlands of W.A at Three Springs. Anthony and Geraldine operate Hill Padua Polls, breeding multipurpose Merinos, and crop 1300 Ha regeneratively. Adam Thomas their great nephew share farms the rest of the cropping program. Anthony has always ...

Today’s episode is with Cane Farmer, Michael Waring from Ingham, QLD. This podcast was recorded at the 2019 Regenerative Cane Farming Forum in March this year which is being repeated this year in March 2020 in Cairns. David Hardwick and Michael Waring are the contact for this event and details to register are below. In this episode Michael tells us about what things he is doing to increase his soil heath including implementing controlled traffic, multispecies crops, and biological stimulants. ...

Today’s episode is with father and son, Bob and Ian Congdon from Organic Woodstock Farm and Flour in Berrigan, NSW. Ian and his wife Courtney met at the University of Melbourne while they were studying landscape management and geography. They both had a passion for agriculture and local food markets and saw farming as a means for environmental restoration and building healthy communities. Being young adults that were not in the thick of busy farming and were able to do their own market researc...

The importance of a value driven farming system. In this episode Rod Fraser talks about values, states and perceptions and the importance of these in making great farming and life decisions. www.businessgrowthstrategies.biz Rod Fraser and Ellyn Martin are the directors of Business Growth Strategies. They provide a wholistic approach to help you build something special. Starting with personal coaching for the business owner to help think things through and have those important conversations on mu...

Today’s conversation is with Joel Salatin, a farmer, author, wordsmith, master communicator and world renown spokesperson for regenerative agriculture. Co-hosting with me is Charlie Arnot, Biodynamic, holistic, cattle, sheep and pig producer. This is the conversation we had the evening prior to the NutriSoil Sustainable Abundance Event. Two great men, nutting out the complexities and marvels of life. We talk farming, politics, psychology, health and carnivores.

Today’s podcast is co-hosted with Agroecologist David Hardwick at the first ever cane regenerative farming forum held in Ingham, Queensland. A key presenter and leader at the event was Simon Mattsson, who operates a 190 hectare property at Marion, 30 kilometers west of Mackay, producing sugarcane, soybeans and chickpeas in rotation, in a controlled traffic farming system. Simon is a Nuffield scholar and a passionate soil health advocator who believes the biggest difference between the really r...

Today’s conversation is with mixed farmer, Col Harper, from Ariah Park NSW. Col changed to regenerative agriculture 10 years ago. He uses a combination of exhaust fertiliser, worm liquid and animals in his system. Since changing to regenerative agriculture, Col has doubled his organic matter, and increased his Carbon levels by over 70%. Regular tissue tests, once unbalanced, are now returning a complete balance, and his grain is testing to have higher nutrient content and less screenings than ...

David Hardwick is an agroecologist and has over 20 years’ experience in farming and food systems. David develops and delivers extension projects helping farmers gain tools, and information to transition to low chemical, ecological and profitable farming systems. Today’s conversation pivots around acceptance of change in agriculture and how mastering a whole farm system is the key to agroecological success. Just one part of the jigsaw missing can be the difference between success and failure. I...

This is the NutriSoil story with Graham Maddock and his daughter Rachelle Armstrong. From a traditional dairy farmer, Graham became a shell of himself after being doused in insecticide in a farming accident. After twelve months of illness following the accident, Graham made the decision to remove synthetic fertiliser and pesticides from his farming system and started using vermiculture, a product produced through large worm farms. Using this natural system, over time, Graham was able to raise h...

Brooke French and her daughter Katie who is 13 years old, operate a 932 acre sheep and cattle property in Brungle Creek, NSW. From a passionate herbicide user who took pleasure in seeing her weeds die, Brooke’s mindset about weeds and synthetic fertilisers has been turned on its head. A change of perspective can change your farming practices so dramatically. In this conversation we go deeper, we talk weeds, hay, droving, personal development and we even talk about men! This is a great conversati...

Nick and Lucy Kelly farm a 2000Ha cereal and livestock farm in Newdegate, WA. Using plants and animals as the tools, Nick has transitioned the farm from conventional to a holistic regenerative system. Multispecies summer covers are sown, with French White Millet as the main species, and plant senescing is now the key trigger to sowing the following winter cash crop. A mix of perennial multispecies summer active plants are progressively being sown, synthetic fertilisers have been removed, and her...

Jeff, his wife Jenny and son Jarrod Andrews operate a 1000 Ha sheep property in Blighty, NSW. Using NutriSoil, a worm based fertiliser, for 15 years and low levels of Nitrogen (N), they turn off 6500 lambs per year. The Andrews are breaking the boundaries with using low nitrogen inputs in their corn crops. They use under 11 units of nitrogen and grow crops that are comparable in yield to those grown with 100 plus units of N. The combination of low amounts of nutrients, in a stable form, mixed ...