Australian regenerative farming will be in the spotlight in New Zealand during June with the first joint regenerative dairy symposium between the two countries.
Nine Australian regenerative dairy farms, including six from south-west Victoria and three from Gippsland, six Landcare and catchment management facilitators, a soil scientist and farm advisors will be part of the conference.
DemoDAIRY Foundation is supporting six south-west Victorian dairy farmers and four Landcare/CMA representatives to attend the symposium.
The dairy regenerative transition symposium organised by Quorum Sense will be at Leeston on June 24 with farm visits to follow the next two days.
It follows a meeting in 2024 between researchers from Massey and Lincoln universities and Camperdown Compost owner and regenerative systems consultant Tony Evans and regenerative farming consultant and multispecies crops specialist Jade Killoran from Healthy Farming Systems.
“We wanted to compare notes on regenerative dairy research and find out what practices they were researching and any results they were finding,” Mr Evans said.
Their meeting with about 15 researchers to share an overview of their research was such a success that it was decided to develop a formal symposium with farm visits this year.
Mr Evans said the aim of the symposium was to share ideas, concepts, experiences and financial data with NZ researchers and farmers.
Case studies on five Australian farmers and five New Zealand dairy farmers will be compiled in a booklet and the Australian farmers will form a panel at the symposium giving the audience an opportunity to ask questions about their systems.
The five Australia farmers are Andrew Whiting (Simpson), Simon Scott (Gerangamete), Sam Doolan (Ecklin South), Simon Shultz (Timboon) and Peter Neaves and Kate Mirams (Newry, Gippsland).
Ms Killoran will present on establishing multispecies and how they impact on grazing management and soil health, improving the sustainability and viability of a high producing dairy farm.
It will be the first time the farmers and Ms Killoran have presented overseas.
Mr Evans will present on how one management practice change may not be enough to change a system. “There needs to be a whole system change to achieve a substantial result, otherwise we risk undermining the good work that was started,” he said.
The conference has been limited to 100 people this year but Mr Evans said it could expand next year.
The event is an opportunity for researchers, farmers, and educators at the forefront of regenerative dairy to connect, share insights, and discuss the latest research and on-farm innovations shaping the industry in New Zealand and Australia.
It will discuss the pathways to becoming regenerative, system approaches to regen dairying, multi-species – diverse pastures, wintering options and farm finances
