The Soils for Life podcast brings you the voices of farmers around Australia who are regenerating our precious soils and landscapes.
In each episode we share ...
Restoring the water cycle on the Monaro, with Charlie Maslin
Over the years we’ve heard from many farmers about creeks and rivers that are severely eroded, and landscapes that have lost their ability to absorb and store water. In big rain events water runs off and is gone in a matter of days or even hours. We’ve become accustomed to this, but what did those landscapes look and function like 100 years ago, or 200 years ago? Can farmers restore creeks and landscapes to their full potential, holding on to water for longer and utilising better?
This episode is a collaborative effort with our friends at Mulloon Institute as part of their Communities of Practice Project. In it, we chat with Charlie Maslin, an amazing land steward raising cattle and sheep on the Monaro in New South Wales.
Charlie took us on his journey of landscape repair, which began with a change in grazing practices to improve ground cover, and then moved on to focus on repairing his degraded waterways to rehydrate the landscape and support a thriving and productive agro-ecosystem.
We first visited Charlie’s farm in 2021 and the land was alive with water, grass, frogs, birds, insects and platypuses playing in the waterways. The effects of his steady, thoughtful changes to his management approach were crystal clear, and we’re delighted to share his story in this episode. Enjoy.
–
This episode was hosted by Eli Court and produced by the Grow Love Project. The Communities of Practice Project is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, Mulloon Institute and Soils for Life.
Head to the Soils for Life website to find out more about our work, and if you like what you hear don’t forget to rate and review our podcast. Every review helps to make our podcast easier for others to find.
If you have feedback, or suggestions of people or topics we should cover, you can reach us at [email protected], we love hearing from you. Thanks for listening.
You can read our case study about Charlie Maslin’s farm soilsforlife.org.au/gunningrah-shifting-mindset-from-animals-to-the-land/
Find out more about the ‘Communities of Practice Project soilsforlife.org.au/landscape-rehydration/
-------- Â
44:01
Planting with purpose, with Jill Clapperton
Jill Clapperton is a farmer and applied rhizosphere ecologist. She grows crops with integrated livestock in Kansas in the U.S. and advises farmers the world over. Talking with Jill was eye opening and fun. We go big talking about gaia theory and the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. But we mostly dive deep into the fascinating ecological communities that plants create above and below the ground.
As Jill explains, plants are not passive. They are purposeful masters of their own fates, wielding chemical arsenals and mustering armies of microbes to secure their survival. And if we plant with purpose, we can harness the incredible power of plants to create farming systems that are productive, resilient and great for the soil and our health.
This episode was hosted by Eli Court, and produced by Soils for Life and the GrowLove project. Head to the Soils for Life website (www.soilsforlife.org.au) to find out more about our work.
If you like what you hear, don't forget to rate and review our podcast. Every review helps to make our podcast easier for others to find. If you have feedback or suggestions of people or topics we should cover, you can reach us at [email protected]. We love hearing from you. Thanks for listening!
***
Find out more about Jill Clapperton at www.rhizoterra.com/
Check out the Grounded Festival in Cygnet Tasmania on 4-5 December 2024 - details and tickets via groundedaustralia.com.au/.
Other people mentioned in this podcast:
- Felice Jacka OAM (foodandmoodcentre.com.au/team/felice-jacka/).
- Dan Kittredge (www.bionutrientinstitute.org/meetdan).
- An article on ​​Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock, and their development of gaia theory (www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-08-06/james-lovelock-legacy-gaia-climate-science-lynn-margulis/101297574).
- Anna Krzywoszynska, the Finnish researcher at the University of Oulu whose name Jill didn’t dare try to pronounce (www.oulu.fi/en/researchers/anna-krzywoszynska).
- Grant Sims, Soils for Life case study farmer (www.downundercovers.com/about), who was recently featured in our Multispecies Cover Cropping Practice Guide (soilsforlife.org.au/practice-guide-multispecies-cropping/).
-------- Â
54:13
Behind the scenes of Goodies Farm, with Penny Goodwin
Taking the first steps into regenerative agriculture can be intimidating. In this episode of the Soils for Life podcast, Eli Court has a chat with Penny Goodwin from Goodies Farm in Kendenup, WA
Goodies Farm grows an incredible variety of crops, with minimal inputs, and is an integral part of the south west WA food system.
While things can look nice and shiny on the outside, Penny very generously shares the ups and downs of their journey to become better stewards of the land and the soil.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
-------- Â
29:18
Regenerative trailblazers share their stories from the Soil Stewardship Summit
Ever wondered about regenerative agriculture and the impacts it can have on farmers? Join us as we learn about real life experiences shared by seasoned farmers at the recent Soil Stewardship Summit near Yass, NSW. Over two enlightening days, participants explored the concept of regenerative agriculture, discussing key topics such as tapping into indigenous wisdom, enhancing drought resilience, transitioning from high production to natural methods, and prioritizing soil health for improved yields and healthier societies. The stories embody values of patience, gratitude, and deep respect for nature, offering valuable inspiration for those considering or embarking on the journey towards sustainable farming practices. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that encapsulates the transformative power of regenerative agriculture and a return to natural processes.
Thank you to our guests featured in this episode:
Eli Court (Soils for Life)
Paul Girrawah HouseÂ
Rhonda DalyÂ
Colin SeisÂ
Garry Kadwell
David MarshÂ
For more information:Â
Soils for Life - https://soilsforlife.org.au/Â
Paul Girrawah House - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-house-57055860/?originalSubdomain=au
Produced by Grow Love Project and originally aired on The Big Shift Podcast hosted by NSW Greater Sydney Local Land Services
-------- Â
32:50
Rain ready rangelands: Staggering potential on a vast scale
The United Nations General Assembly recently voted 2026 as the International Year of the Rangelands and Pastoralists. An incredible 81 percent of Australia is considered rangelands, and despite the sometimes challenging conditions, the opportunities for landscape repair through agriculture are immense.
In this episode, we hear from three farmers who all grew up in the semi-arid rangelands with a deep connection to the environment and a desire to heal the land.
Jody Brown is a fourth generation farmer from Longreach in central west Queensland. The family farm Latrobe station is certified organic running cattle, goats, and a couple of horses on around 45,000 acres.Â
Alejandro Carillo owns Las Damas ranch in Chihuahua Mexico, and has become well known around the world for using livestock to restore soils and landscapes in semi-arid environments.
And Glenn Landsberg owns a small farm in Southwest Queensland, and works as a natural resource management consultant with a focus on landscape rehydration.
Thank you to all of our guests for sharing their stories and wisdom.
You can follow Jody Brown on linkedin.com/in/jody-brown-93648932/ and find out more about Latrobe Station on facebook.com/people/Latrobe-Station/100063555377640/
Alejandro Carillo can be found online on instagram.com/lasdamascattleranch/ and linkedin.com/in/alejandro-carrillo-b3a7a7/ and you can read more about Las Damas ranch desertgrasslands.com
Glenn Landsberg can be found on linkedin.com/in/glenn-landsberg-758a02198/
Soils for Life CEO Eli Court recently attended the Regenerative Rangelands Conference at Jody’s station, and wrote about the experience and what he learned from Alejandro and the other speakers soilsforlife.org.au/inspiration-from-the-chihuahuan-desert/
A film has also been released about this conference and rangelands regeneration, which can be viewed youtube.com/watch?v=G5IuR4YAIJY
In the episode, Glenn mentions maps of what used to be the ‘native grain belt’. A representation of this map can be found on page 3 of https://www.sydney.edu.au/content/dam/corporate/documents/faculty-of-science/research/potential-native-grass-production.pdf from the University of Sydney.
Episode produced by growloveproject.com
The Soils for Life podcast brings you the voices of farmers around Australia who are regenerating our precious soils and landscapes.
In each episode we share the stories of farmers who are discovering ways to farm with nature, and explore how we can all help more farmers to head in this direction, for healthier food, humans and planet.
These stories show how resilient, regenerated soils and landscapes can support profitable food-producing businesses, thriving and resilient people and regional communities, and abundant and nutritious food.
Produced by Grow Love Project and Soils for Life.
Australia