The Healthy Soils, Productive Pastures project led by Greater Sydney Local Land Services has kicked off its second year in style, with a series of new workshops planned to showcase progress to date.
Launched in September 2019 in front of a crowd of more than 80 people at the Greater Sydney Local Land Services Demonstration Farm in Richmond, the project focusses on all aspects of best practice pasture and soil management specifically tailored to the Sydney basin landscape.
Project officer Linda Hanlon said despite COVID-19, a lot had been achieved since the launch.
“Having engaged an agronomist, prepped our paddocks, conducted initial soil tests and sowed our seeds, we now have two very flush looking paddocks of different trial pasture crops complete with a newly introduced herd of 10 sheep,” she said.
“They will be moved on and off the crops on a rotational basis to take the reduce grazing pressures off the crop and encourage regeneration.”
Ms Hanlon said the team where excited to welcome crowds back for a series of COVID-safe soil testing demonstration workshops at the Demonstration Farm, Camden Town Farm and Dooralong in early March.
“This is a back to basics event with live demos on the why, how, who, what and when of conducting a thorough soil test with the opportunity to have an expert interpret the results down the track,” she said.
As part of the project, GS LLLS has also engaged several local farmers to conduct on farm trials through funding grants and technical advice and assistance.
Ace Ohlsson agronomist Adam Little is the advisor on the trials and said the progress to date was encouraging.
“This is a great example of government and industry working together to support a more productive and sustainable agricultural industry with a focus on graziers and growers in the Sydney basin,” he said.
