Guest Speaker: Fiona Young
ReGenerative Farming
Fiona (introduced by David Lusk) was brought up in a rural community East of Stratford, schooled in Inglewood, and an Otago University Graduate.
She spent time doing Post Graduate work at a Canadian University.
Her interest is in Environmental Wellbeing connected to land grown food.
First heard about Regenerative farming in 2016.
It's based on old principles with an holistic approach to farming moving forward that is equally applicable to home gardening.
Essentially it is about rejuvenating and enriching soil to provide a sustainable base for growing food that has a positive economic outcome for farmers.
It also improves health of waterways (less run off), improved native eco habitats, well being of the environment and community bringing back biodiversity.
Its about breaking the soil up naturally by planting 8-30 different species with varying root systems assisting the process that allows greater feed longevity without continued resowing. This provides microbial active soil and a variation in diet for grazing animals.
This also reduces the need to apply fertiliser as the plants naturally provide nitrogen soil enrichment through the root systems.
There is also an added spin off greater carbon storage, helping the environment and greater pollination by attracting more insects and bees.
She mentioned that farmers have been able to obtain funding via Curious Minds which has a contestable Government Fund (Through the Ministry of Business and Inovation) enabling better engagement with Science and Technology.
One Taranaki coastal dairy farmer has sown a third of his farm regeneratively stocking 60 less cows and improving production. This has also led to more than 50% less Urea being applied and less Glycophosphate(herbicide) spraying.
The ultimate aim is to profitably eliminate the need for Urea and herbicides, go completely organic, thus improving the environment.
Wally Garrett thanked Fiona for her well received, enthusiastically delivered, presentation.
Jan red an email response from Camilla Cattini (Our Italian Exchange student) indicating that things were gradually improving for her at University in Milan, they recently went back to face to face lectures!!
She couldn't wait to be able to travel again particularly to New Zealand but thats still some time off!
She sent her best wishes to the club.
