Kylie Cook, Denmark Bulletin
Natural Intelligence Farming improves pasture diversity and productivity, rebuilds soils, repairs landscapes and benefits human and livestock health.
The manager of Prospect Pastoral Co, a Wheatbelt mixed cropping and livestock operation of more than 60,000ha, Di Haggerty, spoke to the Wilson Inlet Growers Group in July.
Di and husband, Ian, started farming in the 1990s owning little machinery so through necessity considered alternatives to farm management.
She said Wheatbelt farmers faced many challenges, a drying climate, ‘gutless’ sandy soils, salinity and erosion of bare ground between cropping seasons.
Using cover crops and concentrated biologically-active seed treatments and foliar sprays (worm liquid and compost extract), Di replaces synthetic fertilisers and enables plants to better access existing soil nutrients.
Cereal grain crops are produced in between cover cropping years. Di said that initially grain crops could look less impressive than those grown with synthetic fertilizers.
However, these were developing extensive root systems early in the season and tended to finish strongly, even in dry conditions.
A benefït of this approach had been an improvement in livestock grazing efficiency.
‘We allow our sheep to choose what types of plants they need to eat at that time.” Di said.
“They have a well-developed gut microbiome and are able to deliver impressive weight gains on pastures that may look unimpressive to the human eye.”
Di presented before and after images of her farmland showing impressive regeneration of plant and animal diversity. Local farmers in attendance were keen to try some of her methods. The State Government NRM Program supports this project.
This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 13 October 2022.
