“Bushfire Recovery for Farmers — Live with Colin Seis”
This webinar focuses on bushfire recovery and native grassland management, featuring Colin Seis sharing his experience recovering from a major fire in 1979 that destroyed his 2,000-acre property in New South Wales. Find out how he transformed his farming approach from traditional high-input methods to low-cost, native grassland restoration through holistic planned grazing, multi-species pasture cropping, and careful grazing management. He emphasizes the importance of restoring summer-growing native grasses to make properties fire-resistant and explains how good grazing practices can naturally restore native grass species over time.
The discussion also covered practical aspects of sowing native grass seeds, with Colin recommending direct drilling and selective herbicides over expensive herbicides like Roundup. Sally Enniss from Native Seeds joined the conversation to discuss current market demand for native seeds and the challenges with supply, while Helen and Hugo from Farming Secrets facilitated the session and highlighted the broader implications of Colin’s approach for farm profitability and resilience to future fires.
As it did for Colin, recovering from a bushfire can be an opportunity for change to an improved farming system.
In this webinar Colin has presented a well thought out plan taking in many considerations for action after a devastating bushfire. It is also logical planning for future bushfire resilience which we recommend ALL farmers execute on their own property.
Further information: Thoroughly recommended to delve deeper is Colin’s book: “Custodians of the Grasslands” available at https://winona.net.au
Fast track your Farming DVD: Pasture Cropping Expert Farmer Reveals How To Consistently Increase Productivity & Reduce Cost
Stipa Native Grasslands partnered Farming Secrets in this presentation.
Stipa is a not-for-profit organisation, formed in 1997 by concerned landholders. It focuses on the practical aspects of native grasses and their use in farming. It is even more important today that farmers become aware of the value of incorporating and restoring native grasses on Australian farms and to become informed of their intrinsic value. We recommend visiting the site and invite you to become a member.
Chapter Highlights:
Fire Recovery and Farm Transformation
Colin shared his experience recovering from a major fire that occurred in 1979 on his 2,000-acre property in New South Wales. The fire destroyed 3,000 sheep, all buildings, and most fencing, leaving him financially devastated. Colin explained how the traditional high-input farming methods he was using became unaffordable after the fire, prompting him to seek alternative approaches to managing his property. He mentioned that his recovery process led to changes in his farming practices, including the restoration of native grasslands and the development of new enterprises like native grass seed harvesting.
Sheep Farm Recovery Strategy
Colin discussed his experience recovering from a fire that destroyed most of his sheep’s ears and left him with a thousand sick, old ewes. He described his strategy to survive without spending money, including using the sheep to rebuild numbers and lambing them twice a year. Colin also shared his decision to move away from wheat farming due to high costs and instead focus on low-input agriculture, adopting practices like holistic planned grazing and pasture cropping to restore the property to native grassland.
Holistic Grazing and Fire Management
Colin discussed the importance of implementing proper grazing management after a fire, explaining how he transitioned from running separate age groups of sheep in small mobs to combining them into larger mixed mobs in increasingly small paddocks. He described how this holistic grazing approach encourages perennial grass growth, improves soil health, and enables better fire management by allowing deliberate paddock clearing. Colin also shared his development of pasture cropping and multi-species crop systems as low-cost alternatives to traditional high-input cropping methods.
Fire Recovery Farming Strategies
Strategies for recovery after a fire include reducing input costs and focusing on low-cost, profitable farming practices. Colin suggested prioritizing forage crop growth, avoiding unnecessary fertilizers, and utilizing low-cost fencing in strategic locations. Colin also stressed the importance of long-term planning, recommending creating an ideal property plan using tools like Google Maps. He mentioned that after a fire, pasture recovery might be needed, and suggested changing grazing management and avoiding plowing.
Fire-Resistant Pasture Strategies
Using fire-resistant, diverse perennial pastures helps prevent bushfires, particularly in Victoria. Annual clovers and ryegrasses create fire hazards in summer, while summer-growing native grasses help maintain green vegetation and reduce fire risk. Colin recommended implementing strategies such as sowing diverse pastures, improving grazing management, and using pasture cropping methods to restore farm ecosystems while minimizing costs. He also highlighted the benefits of deep-rooted perennials for soil health and suggested considering fencing placement for optimal fire prevention.
Native Grasses in Farming Discussion
Colin and Helen discussed the benefits and challenges of native grasses in farming. Colin explained that native grasses have a reputation for being poor quality due to historical grazing practices that favored annual weeds over perennial species. He noted that good grazing management, including rotation and longer plant recovery times, can help restore native grasslands and improve their quality. Helen mentioned that some farmers have found native grasses returning to their properties despite not being actively planted, which Colin attributed to effective grazing practices.
Native Grass Reintroduction Methods
Sally Ennis asked Colin about cost-effective methods for reintroducing native grasses into pasture systems, particularly given the high cost of native seed. Colin recommended using a direct drilling approach with low seed rates (1-2 kg per hectare) and selective herbicides for weed control rather than Roundup. He emphasized that while grazing animals can help spread seeds naturally, new plantings should not be grazed until the grasses are well established, noting that results may take 2-4 years to appear.
Native Seed Demand and Supply
The group discussed the increasing demand for native seeds, with Sally reporting that demand now exceeds supply, particularly for trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs. Colin highlighted that councils are major buyers of native seeds for mine rehabilitation and roadside planting. Sally explained their seed production activities in northeastern Victoria, including growing species like kangaroo grass, wallaby grass, and various forbs. The discussion concluded with a question from Maureen Dempsey about machinery recommendations for sowing multi-species seeds into grassland paddocks, though this question was not addressed in the provided transcript segment.
Direct Drill Forage Planting Benefits
Colin discussed the benefits of using direct drill machines for planting multi-species forage mixes, emphasizing the importance of shallow seed placement and reduced soil disturbance. He explained how these practices improve soil health and reduce the need for fertilizers and plowing. The group also discussed the profitability of growing native grasses, with Colin noting lower costs and similar or higher production compared to conventional methods. Sally recommended a new book, “Endangered Grasslands” by Raulings, K A available from the Native Seeds website.
Restore your farm with Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web
Healthy soil isn’t just dirt—it’s a living ecosystem. For decades, farmers focused mainly on chemistry: nutrients, pH, and amendments. But Dr. Elaine Ingham changed the conversation.
She revealed that beneath every field lies a dynamic web of life—microbes, fungi, and organisms working together to cycle nutrients, build structure, retain water, and support resilient plants. This living network is the Soil Food Web, and it’s the missing link in truly regenerative agriculture.
Dr. Elaine’s legacy is clear: if we want productive, resilient farms, we must understand and nurture the life in our soil. Through applying Elaine’s knowledge your native pastures will have a chance to recover and provide perrenial cover throughout the years.
