Living Soils Project

1st Sep - 28th May 2027

Living Soils project (sponsored by SQNNSW Innovation Hub and UniSQ)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Living soils project offers education and demonstrations to equip farmers with the knowledge and skills to repair and transform their soils, crops and pastures biologically. This project will present a tool kit of biological options, so that you can find a match for your operation. Learning will include an overview of whole systems thinking and approaches using permaculture design, natural farming methods, regenerative soils, landscape re-hydration, syntropic agriculture, agro forestry and the soil food web. Practical steps will be given for how to transition from conventional farming practices to biological practices, which naturally repair tired dirt, compromised and compacted mono culture pastures and return soil function to a diversity of living soils.

This is a hands-on learning journey!

Living Soils is a unique project - ongoing until May 2027. Over the course of the project, you will learn about about soil life and composting techniques, have the opportunity to create living micro-organisms, view the biology of your own soil and see results from applying composts with micro-organism extracts in them in the field. Granite Borders have two field sites, one in Ballandean, Qld; and one at Woodside, Tenterfield. While you are welcome to follow the journey of both sites, it may be more practical for you to follow one, by joining the field days for one or the other. You will be able to indicate which one when you register for the events.

In addition to the compost work on site, there will be a film night finale, showcasing the project journey, and offering a Q&A panel discussion, relevant to the project themes. These evenings will include panels of local participants in creating living soils, Guy McKenzie and Lachlan Searle, as well as our learning guides, Lana Tyacke, Ron Hannah and Graeme Sait.

As part of your journey, you will learn how to use Microbiometers. You can bring your own sample in to test, and Ron can interpret further with a more powerful microscope.

Learn about Indigenous Micro-Organisms (IMOs), two composting techniques, creating compost extracts and how they contribute to soil repair and landscape rehydration.

In addition, you will be encouraged to contribute to our composting piles (on site) - either by dropping your 'offerings' off at the Landcare office, or bringing them to pre-organised field day events.

FRIDAY drop in sessions

Bring in your soil samples and Indigenous Micro-Organisms.

Please ‘bring your own soil samples’ into the Landcare Office (Item 5 of the Schedule) on a Friday before 2pm. Ron has offered to take these to do microbiometer testing and deeper microscope analysis and provide a few photo images for anyone that provides their own USB drive. These can be collected the following Friday. This allows you to drop in and out without Ron having to be ‘on standby’ all day, it allows many to be processed quicker, without participants having to wait in line.

Ron will provide the promised ‘live’ session of microscope analysis at the Landcare office. To make this more manageable, we can keep this just to a scheduled 1–2 hour(s) session on one or two Fridays and use the latest samples/ our own samples (i.e., the live ones won’t be available for every sample each participant brings in). The best days for this are the week before and after the first Field days, so 20th November and 11th December.

Please also feel free to leave your Indigenous Micro-Organism jars in at the office on any Wednesday to Friday before 2pm. You should be able to make a jar and a half from the rice sample given - please feel free to keep the half jar for your own compost. We can take the full jar and add it to the joint Living Soil project.

Register for our Field Days using the flyer attached for whichever (both or only one - up to you!) you want to attend.

1. Woodside: Friday 27th November. Register here: http://tix.yt/ls-field-day-woodsidehttp://tix.yt/ls-field-day-woodside

2. Ballandean - Friday 4th December. Register here: http://tix.yt/ls-field-day-ballandean

Meet our Scientists

Cameron Leckie - Regional Soil Coordinator (Southern Queensland Northern NSW Innovation Hub; the University of Southern Queensland)

Cameron Leckie has been the Regional Soil Coordinator for the Southern Queensland Northern NSW (SQNNSW) Innovation Hub for over four years. His role is to help facilitate the implementation of the National Soil Strategy and Climate Smart Agriculture.

An agricultural engineer, Cameron has recently submitted a PhD dissertation on the topic of the spatial variation of soil constraints and infiltration. Cameron is also an accredited Registered Soil Practitioner - Soil Management as well as being the Chair of the Training Board for Soil Science Australia. 

Cameron is fascinated by soil and landscapes and excited to support activities that aim to enhance soil health and the productivity of agricultural systems.

Lana Tyacke - Permaculture Designer, Educator and Consultant (Woodside Permaculture)

Through the lens of education in Permaculture Design (including Peter Andrews of Tarwyn Park; Mulloon Institute Landscape Rehydration, Regenerative soil, Soil Food Web, Organic farming), plus 30 years of practicing biological farming and 11 years of independent research into how nature works, Lana has a clear vision along the path to a regenerative future.

My work has resulted in an understanding that we can rebuild biologically healthy soils quite fast, secure pure clean drinking water for all, implement water harvesting strategies for flood, fire and drought mitigation and build a sustainable, regenerative future ensuring a resilient healthy community and region.

Lana has generously shared her knowledge and practice, through seasonal community courses at her property, Woodside Permaculture. She has delivered these to our community in an engaging and effective way for the past 4 years.

Ron Hannah - Regenerative Soil and Microscopy (Ron Hannah, Red Gum Hills)

Ron is a regenerative soils and permaculture enthusiast. He has completed Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC), Soil Food Web and Regenerative Soils and Microscopy courses with Matt Powers. He will be joining the project to offer insights into soil microbiology.

Graeme Sait - Nutri-tech Solutions

Tyrone Ryan - Dusty Lens Media

You are welcome to do every event or any particular one you can.