Eco Organics has recently taken up the management of a small (16 HA or 40 Acres) farming property at Glenaroua.  Located between Seymour and Broadford in central Victoria, it is in a very low rainfall area, and its soils are affected by high salinity, extreme erosion and poor productivity.  Agriculturally, it is marginal land at best, and has not been used profitably for many years. Our aim in this project is to return the property to sustainable and profitable agricultural production, while improving the property's capital and environmental value.  Below, you will find an overview of the project, and the technologies we will be applying, and in our Farm Diary , you can read regular updates detailing our progress to date.

The photographs below show how badly the farm is affected by erosion.  The erosion process can be well seen in the sequence of photographs, taken from different areas of the farm - commencing with deep potholes, which then connect underground to form channels, running downwards along the watercourse.  Finally, the channels collapse, forming severe and deep erosion channels.  Of particular importance - as viewed in the rightmost photograph - the total absence of topsoil in most areas surrounding the channel.  This is a consequence of a vicious cycle - removal of vegetation causes erosion, erosion causes loss of topsoil which causes loss of vegetation - and on it goes until the cylce is interrupted.

Pothole forming - this is the first sign	Then underground channels form	Finally the channels collapse - this one is nearly 2 meters deep.

To break this cycle, we will, over the next months, apply a totally new agricultural paradigm to the farm - that of Natural Sequence Farming as developed by Peter Andrews.  His concepts revolve around landscape hydrology - mimicking the ways nature manages water in the landscape.  His methods, while originally considered too radical, are fast becoming accepted by scientists and policy makers around the world - largely because they work. Peter's two foundation properties in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales have showed remarkable results - decreased salinity, decreased erosion, the elimination of chemical use and increasing organic levels and biodiversity - at the same time still maintaining productivity and profitability.

Peter Andrews, founder of Natural Sequence Farming,  as featured on ABC's Australian Story

Stage 1:  Landscape Hydrology
No agricultural project is ever going to work without a sustainable supply of fresh water.  Glenaroua's rainfall is low and unreliable at the best of times, and this has been exacerbated in the last 5 or so years with severe drought conditions.  Further, the farm has been denuded of most of its natural vegetation, so when rain does come, it rushes off the property, and with it goes many years of topsoil.  Repairing the landscape hydrology will prevent this from occuring.

The process involves the creation of leaky weirs - building walls in the gullies to allow water to slow down as it moves down the landscape.  The slowing of the water allows settling of organic material that is suspended in the soil, and hence building up of soil layers.  Further, the leaky weirs system allows for water to move laterally into otherwise dry areas of the landscape, thus bringing those areas into production.

Stage 2:  Introduction of large volumes of organic matter
The farm has been cleared of most of its natural vegetation, although some of this is now returning.  This removal has meant that the soil is becoming seriously eroded in key areas, and - along with the rest of the district - affected by dryland salinity.  NSF's clear principle here is to re-introduce organic matter - and to stop killing any more plants.  On Peter's own farm, he gladly allows weeds to grow - these are generally colonising species which grow prolifically where other plants will not - and he will often slash them and allow the residue to lie on the ground - thus increasing organic levels in the soil.

Eco Organics has developed a range of such organic feedstocks - including Eco Bokashi and OrganiCure -  and will be experimenting with different types and application methods in an attempt to find the most the beneficial.

Stage 3:  Application of biologically activated sprays
While it is clearly visible the damage done to the vegetation on the farm, what is not clear is how much damage has been done to the microflora and microfauna under the ground.  It is possible, even likely, that thousands of species of micro-organisms have been wiped out from the soils - rendering them effectively lifeless.  Once the solid foundations have been established - sustainable water and organic matter - we will then regularly spray the soil and crops with biologically activated compost teas which will re-introduce thousands of species of beneficial micro-organisms.  As evidenced by the work of Professor Higa of Effective Micro-organisms, and Dr. Ingham of the SoilFoodWeb Institute, the presence of the right mix of microbes allows for sustainable fertility in crop and vegetable production, without the need for chemical fertiliser, pesticide or herbicide regimes.

This stage will therefore involve the application of biologially activated sprays to improve the microbe-diversity in the soils.  When this is combined with organic matter (Stage 2), water soluble nutrients - in their correct form, concentration and mixture - will be immediately available to plants and lay the base for sustainable, non-chemical farming.

Stage 4:  Revegetation
The soil is now returning to its natural, sustainably productive state.  To keep it in this state, it is necessary to revegetate - at Glenaroua this will entail the introduction of large numbers of trees.  The choice of species will be made on good permaculture principles - each species must have a number of functions, including:

• profitable - the trees must create income for the property;
• rehabilitative - the species must add value to the soil and continue the upward spiral of productivity that has been started by applying the first 3 stages;
• fire retardant properties.

Of particular concern for farmers in our district is the absence of real profitability when relying on traditional farm pursuits (stock, grass fodder and cereal crops).  Our focus will be on long term profitability which simultaneously improves the farm - trees which can be sold for profit, but which increases the productivity of the soil.  Currently, our selected species are:

• Paulownia tomentosa.  These are a fast growing, deciduous tree, with valued timber.  We have chosen these because of their profitable timber regime (assuming adequate rainfall/irrigation which we are ensuring with our landscape hydrology), their deep root systems which will harness the water table and cycle nutrients from lower soil layers, and their deciduous nature - the leaf drop will be used as either a stockfeed supplement or as humus for the soil - either way the organic levels of the soil will increase;
• Tagasaste (tree lucerne) Cytisus palmensis.  These are fast growing shrubs, which harbour nitogren-fixing bacteria on their roots, thus improving the soil.  They also produce excellent stockfeed - often with protein levels similar to that of the king of fodder, lucerne (hence the name).  It is also a fire-retardant plant, and can limit the extent of bushfires;
• Lombardy poplars.  A puzzling choice according to some, as it is not a native,  but Peter Andrews strongly recommends it - and for good reason.  It is a deep rooted plant with a deciduous cycle, thus it cycles nutrient and organic material from lower soil levels back to the surface.  Unlike some natives, the poplars will allow other species (grasses and other fodders) to grow right up to the trunk, where micro-climates created by the canopy are good for both fodder growth and stock shelter.  Finally, their timber is of value if grown carefully, in the long term;
• Olives.  An environmental weed in some states, it has proved to be very well adapted to harsh Australian conditions.  The market for oil and fruit is well-established in Australia, even though there is a high number of plantations coming into production.
• Carob.  A crop tree in its infancy in Australia but one which shows great promise.  Its roots harbour nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the high-yields of seeds are an excellent food source for both animals and humans.  After 6-7 years of good management, they can produce as much profit as an acre of cereal crops, all the while improving the farm rather than depleting it.
• Other nut species (to be decided).  In 2007 we will continue the planting regime and include such species as pine nuts, walnuts and pistacchios, depending on the success of our first plantings.  Even traditional oak species produce good crops of nuts which are an excellent stockfeed supplement.

For a more detailed technical description of this model, please view the author's article "Sustainable Farming:  what it is, what it is not, and how to make it pay" .  Also, please  visit the websites of www.nsfarming.com and www.soilfoodweb.com.au, along with our product pages on this site.

We will keep this website current with photos and reports of the progress.  Please check here regularly for updates.