Innovative New Farming Program Launched at Dowerin

3rd September, 2018

The Regenerative Farmers Network “RegenWA” was officially launched yesterday to an enthusiastic audience of farmers and stakeholders at the Dowerin Field Days.

RegenWA, led by Perth NRM and supported by the regional NRM (Natural Resource Management) groups in WA is a network of famers and land managers working together to identify and adopt leading sustainability practices including regenerative land management. The program enables those on the same journey to access current information and learning opportunities and share stories of success (and lack of) to aid the pathway of others.

The Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC, Minister for Regional Development; Agriculture and Food launched the program at the RegenWA stand in the Bankwest Pavilion. The Wheatbelt’s wet, wild conditions didn’t deter over 100 people from attending the launch, with Bankwest staff commenting the shed hasn’t been that full in a decade.

Attendees to the launch reflected the enthusiasm of the Minister as she spoke about regenerative farming, “we have an obligation to be doing the science around this work, helping deal with the massive issues we are facing in terms of climate change, acidification of soil and the spread of salinity”.

Stakeholders from Wheatbelt NRM, GRDC, WAFarmers, DPIRD, Bankwest, GIWA, Meerkats, Moora Citrus, Future Directions International were at the launch, along with Greens MLC Diane Evers, Nationals MLA Terry Redman, Nationals MLA Shane Love.

RegenWA was represented by renowned West Australian farmer and interim Chair of the RegenWA steering committee, Dianne Haggerty who highlighted the importance of the network. “RegenWA allows collaboration of our farmers to ensure a positive outcome, not only for the West Australian landscape but enabling the retention of our most valuable asset, our people who caretake the land”.

Ms Haggerty went on to explain, “RegenWA is about more than sustaining where we are at, it is about restoring both our landscape productivity and the lives and community of those who choose to live and work here. It is about encouraging innovation, diversity and vibrancy in our rural areas and supporting local value-adding and businesses”.

Farmers from across the region not only got to speak with Minister MacTiernan but also took advantage of leading regenerative farming practitioners Tom and Emma Mitchell, Stuart McAlpine, Kent Broad and Jeff Pow and Michelle MacManus who were on hand to share their knowledge and observations from their farming practices.

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About Perth NRM

Perth NRM is a non-profit sustainability organisation with a focus on the environment, both within our agriculture sector and as a growing city. Our aim is to protect and enhance our natural assets, sustainable agriculture and sustainable living. Perth NRM develops and manages projects and events as well as building support through collaborative networks of stakeholders and community. We are part of a statewide network of NRM organisations managing funded programs at a regional level as part of the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

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