On March 7th & 8th, 2020, we will be holding our Annual Conference and AGM at Lincoln University on the subject of Regenerative Farming. The weekend will consist of a full programme of expert speakers and regenerative farmers, a guided fieldtrip, and a catered menu of delicious, local organic food and wines.
ABOUT ‘THE REGENERATIVE SOIL SOLUTION’
Sustainability is NOT enough. We need to regenerate our soil functions in order to restore water, food, and health quality to New Zealanders.
Regenerative Agriculture does all of this by adopting a whole ecosystems approach – mimicking natural processes rather than trying to control or supress them. If our current agricultural approaches were working, we wouldn’t have the water quality, farm profit and human health problems we’re now struggling with.
Farmer experience has demonstrated that regenerative farming practices can restore the soil carbon sponge for better water absorption and purification, nutrient availability, CO2 sequestration and genuine farmer profitability, and scientific evidence for this is mounting rapidly. Here in NZ and overseas, the application of ecological principles to farming is reversing erosion, flood damage, chemical contamination and global warming. Our agricultural practices of the last 80 years have exacerbated these serious problems… sustaining that approach into an increasingly uncertain planetary future is naïve.
Agriculture is a major contributor to destructive global warming through habitat destruction. It is also one of the fastest, most powerful way to reverse it by restoring healthy function to our soils and the hydrologic cycle. Regenerative farming practices do that at low cost.
Come listen to the cutting-edge scientists like Australian microbiologist and climatologist Dr Walter Jehne. See how South Island farmers are changing dirt to soil and creating a pathway to environmental recovery.
Climate change has been called an existential crisis – our health, civilisation, even existence is threatened. It’s our responsibility to take the actions needed NOW to restore ecological integrity to NZ’s agriculture.
The ODPG March 2020 conference speakers will explain the Why and the How of profitably regenerating the Soil Carbon Sponge through Healthy Soil Principles to grow nutrient-dense food and fibre that improves our Environment.
See how farmers are applying the USDA Healthy Soil Principles to their farming practices:
- Minimise tillage and chemical disturbance
- Armour soils with a layer of organic matter
- Maximise species diversity
- Keep a living plant in the soil
- Provide animal input
THE REGENERATIVE SOIL SOLUTION is for anyone with an interest in how we can begin to plan for the future of farming in New Zealand. Come and join in the conversation.
Tickets on sale from December 1st. Visit the event on our website for more information.