How innovative farming techniques are saving farmers time, money and waste
Some of North Queensland’s most forward-thinking land managers will celebrate agricultural innovation, and share knowledge on a cross-regional bus tour from 12-14 April 2016.
The Innovation in Agriculture Bus Tour will visit properties across the Wet Tropics, Burdekin Dry Tropics and Mackay-Whitsunday regions, and will examine how farmers are using innovative methods to boost productivity while improving water quality and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Tour highlights on day one will include a visit to Ray Zamora’s sugar cane farm at Euramo. Ray is an innovative farmer whose methods include making his own bio-fertiliser, cover cropping, and diversifying into rice. He is also now trialling an aerator to reduce compaction.
One of the stops on day two will include a visit to the Spotswood family’s Mt Alma organic farm at Inkerman. The Spotswoods are certified organic producers of low-input vegetables, fruit, and herbs, and they are pioneering integrating cattle into their horticulture and cane production.
Day three in the Mackay-Whitsunday region will include a visit to Simon Mattsson’s cane farm in Marian, west of Mackay. Simon is a 2015 Nuffield Scholar who travelled to North and South America to investigate ways that multi-species cover crops could enhance soil health and improve nutrient and pesticide use. He is now successfully growing sunflowers as a companion crop for cane.
Peter Arthofer, Burdekin Regional Landcare Facilitator said that places were running out fast for the tour, funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme, and hosted by NQ Dry Tropics, Terrain NRM, Herbert Cane Productivity Services, and Reef Catchments.
“Farmers learn best from other farmers and by seeing results for themselves. The tour will visit agricultural properties that are gaining economic and environmental benefits by adopting innovative practices that use nitrogen more efficiently, conserve soil, and reduce herbicide use”, he said.
“The tour will highlight how several of these practices can be adopted on a variety of produce, including cane, vegetables, mangoes, farmed seafood and mixed cropping.
“Spaces on the bus are limited, and we are encouraging farmers to register as soon as possible to avoid missing out. The cost to participate is $200 for the three days, including meals, transport and accommodation”, he said.
Other innovative practices on view will include using zonal tillage machinery to improve soil health; peat harvesting; using enhanced efficiency fertilisers; and using algae to treat fish farm and irrigation runoff.
Please contact peter.arthofer@nqdrytropics.com.au or 0488 675 033 to book or for more information. Download flyer or view the events calendar on NQ Dry Tropics’ Facebook page.
Photo by Summer Rain Photography and reproduced with permission.