Pasture to Plate highlights biodiversity

Farmers gathered near Burraboi recently to hear how biodiversity-focused farming practices are being used on working properties.

Hosted by the Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG), Pasture to Plate at Patterson Pastoral combined paddock discussions with practical demonstrations and an open-fire barbecue lunch.

About 27 attendees and 11 children took part in the day, which explored how biodiversity could add value to farming systems both environmentally and financially.

WMLIG local Landcare coordinator Clare Trezise said hearing directly from producers already trialling biodiversity-focused practices helped make the ideas feel more achievable for others.

“We heard from Hayley Patterson herself, and she went through the journey she’s been on with pasture diversity, the dams and wetlands she’s developing on the farm,” Ms Trezise said.

Speakers throughout the day discussed farm dams and wetlands, woodland and pasture biodiversity, saltbush plantings, biochar and alternative fertilisers.

Representatives from the Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Local Land Services and Regen Farmers also spoke throughout the day.

Ms Trezise said biodiversity was becoming a bigger focus for many producers as rising input costs pushed farmers to reconsider traditional systems.

“People are starting to revisit some more traditional ways of farming,” she said.

“They’re not new. They’re things that people have done for a very long time, but they’re coming back to the fore.”

She said producers were increasingly interested in how biodiversity projects could improve farm resilience while also opening opportunities in premium markets.

“One of the projects Hayley does is she monitors biodiversity, and if she can get certification that she’s improving the biodiversity on her farm, it gives her access to different markets for her meats,” Ms Trezise said.

“There are biodiversity credits you can get, along with carbon credits, if you go down the line of doing carbon projects.”

Discussions during the day also explored how diverse pasture systems could respond more quickly following rainfall events.

“For her, managing that system that had all the different little herbs and grasses coming up really quickly gave her a quick feed source,” Ms Trezise said.

Saltbush plantings also drew strong interest among attendees, particularly around their potential as an alternative fodder source during dry periods and for improving pasture nutrition.

“Most farmers, even if they don’t think of themselves as managing for biodiversity, when they come to one of these events they start going, ‘Oh yeah, I do that,’” Ms Trezise said.

Ms Trezise said attendees told her they enjoyed seeing what other producers were doing on their farms.

“Everybody likes looking over the fence and seeing what’s happening on a different property,” she said.

“Everyone loves coming and having a sticky beak.”

Lunch on the day featured steaks and sausages sourced directly from Patterson Pastoral and cooked over an open fire.

The event was funded through the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust.