Our Farming Philosophy
Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming that focuses on improving soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem function, with the aim of creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the land, animals, and people.
This approach is particularly well-suited to beef farming, as cattle play an important role in maintaining soil fertility and promoting biodiversity.
We incorporate the principles of Regenerative Agriculture into our management of Arrawatta Station.
Rotational Grazing
This involves moving cattle through a series of pastures, allowing each pasture to rest and recover between grazing periods. This helps to promote healthy grass growth, reduce soil erosion, and improve soil fertility.
By rotating cattle through different pastures, farmers can also promote biodiversity, as different plant species thrive in different conditions. This creates a more resilient ecosystem that is better able to cope with climate change and other environmental pressures.
Cover Crops
Cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem — an ecological system managed and shaped by humans. Cover crops can increase microbial activity in the soil, which has a positive effect on nitrogen availability, nitrogen uptake in target crops, and crop yields.
One of the primary uses of cover crops is to increase soil fertility. These types of cover crops are referred to as "green manure". They are used to manage a range of soil macronutrients and micronutrients. Of the various nutrients, the impact that cover crops have on nitrogen management has received the most attention from researchers and farmers because nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient in crop production.
Some scientists believe that widespread biological nitrogen fixation, achieved mainly through the use of cover crops, is the only alternative to industrial nitrogen fixation in the effort to maintain or increase future food production levels.
No Till Farming
No-till farming (also known as zero tillage or direct drilling) is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage.
The effects of tillage can include soil compaction, loss of organic matter, degradation of soil aggregates, death or disruption of soil microbes and other organisms including mycorrhizae, arthropods, earthworms and soil erosion where topsoil is washed or blown away.
Natural Sequence Farming
Natural Sequence Farming ("NSF") is a rural landscape management technique aimed at restoring natural water cycles that allow the land to flourish despite drought conditions.
NSF offers a method of reducing drought severity and boosting productivity on farms and landscapes. The technique is based on ecological principles, low input requirements and natural cycling of water and nutrients to make the land more resilient.
Central to the system is slowing flow in creeks with “leaky weirs”. These force water back into the bed and banks of the creek, which rehydrates the floodplain. This rehydrated floodplain is then more productive and sustainable.
The Danthonia Bruderhof farm community at Inverell are using Natural Sequence Farming to help "drought-proof" their farm by increasing the capacity of the farm's land to hold water.
We have taken the first steps in doing this at Arrawatta Station and the results are already positive.