“At Sustainable Farms we work with farmers to build natural capital including biodiversity on their farms, says Ms Young. “We support them by providing access to a range of experts, not least a regional team of ecologists, to help them manage their farms’ natural assets.”

The Sustainable Farms project works with farmers on the NSW South West Slopes, in the Central West, Murray-Riverina and North East Victoria.

“Our approach is called ‘Natural Asset farming’ and includes small, quick projects such as fencing a rocky outcrop, to longer-term investments such as planting a native shelterbelt,” says Ms Young.

“It’s not just about conserving biodiversity, however, we also address economics and mental health, as the welfare and financial security of farmers are an essential part of sustainable farming.”

Ms Young says the management recommendations they propose have an extensive history of practical application by thousands of farmers with support from groups like Landcare and Greening Australia. The long-running biodiversity surveys undertaken on farms by the Sustainable Farms team provide the evidence to show the impact of these management changes.

“Core to our outreach program is that it is farmer driven,” she says. “By bringing a range of experts to the farmer, it allows dialogue between different groups. This supports innovative thinking and the uptake of new practices.

“We all have a common goal: healthy farms, healthy farmers and healthy profits.”

The Fenner Conference on Environment – Making Australian Agriculture Sustainable – will be held at the Shine Dome in Canberra on 17 and 18 March 2022. Information and registration can be found on the website www.sustainableag.org.au.

The post Making Australian Agriculture Sustainable – conference appeared first on ANU Sustainable Farms.

The book emerges from the work of the Sustainable Farms project at The Australian National University, bringing together the experience of farmers, expertise from the Landcare movement, and the results of 20 years of detailed ecological studies undertaken on farms in Australia’s south-eastern wheat-sheep belt.

There are many approaches to sustainable agriculture, but Natural Asset Farming has something to offer for everyone managing farming land in Australia. Whether it’s a relatively small project like fencing a paddock tree, or a larger project such as enhancing a farm dam, protecting natural assets can help improve biodiversity and farm resilience.

Click here to order your copy via CSIRO Publishing today.

We also held three regional book launches:

• Wagga Wagga | Thursday 31 March
• Wangaratta | Friday 1 April
• Boorowa | Friday 13 April

The post Newly published: Natural Asset Farming appeared first on ANU Sustainable Farms.