Summary
What Is The Key Factor For Regenerating Your Soils?
Why Minimal Disturbance?

The importance of minimizing soil disturbance and maintaining healthy soil is the focus of this webinar. Several short videos with a focus on regenerative agriculture were used to demonstrate this practice. Included was the work of Gabe Brown an early leader in the regenerative farming movement.
Minimizing Soil Disturbance for Healthy Farming
Helen and Hugo from Farming Secrets led a discussion on the importance of minimizing soil disturbance. They presented a PowerPoint to demonstrate the impact of soil disturbance through tillage. The presentation showed how undisturbed soil allows for better water infiltration, promoting healthy soil and crop production. They emphasized the need to maintain healthy soil as it plays a crucial role in sustaining life. The discussion also touched on the 10 must-do’s for successful farming, with a focus on minimizing soil disturbance.
Discussion opened up with Frank from a farm near Braidwood in New South Wales who shared his early  successful experience with moving away from traditional  agriculture,.
Frank’s Sustainable Land Management StrategY
Frank detailed his efforts to manage and restore his 300-acre property, which includes a 200-acre catchment for a local creek. He explained how he transformed the erosion gully at the bottom of the catchment into a permanent wetland over the course of several years, with the help of Professor Fred Provenza from Utah State University. Frank also shared his approach to pasture management, focusing on naturally adapted composites without vaccinations, soil disturbance, or fertilizer, primarily featuring native grasses.
Vanessa shared her regenerative farming journey and highlighted the success she had achieved in her Hunter Valley farm using multi-species pastures and the direct drill method. She also raised a question about the use of a machine called the Soil Key for breaking up soil compaction. Her question was how to deal with a compaction layer: Deep rip or be patient?
The discussion concluded with an emphasis on the need for seasonal soil assessments, understanding the biology of the soil, and visual soil assessment methods. Gerhard Grasser, an expert in this area, has led many on farm visits to help farmers conduct their own assessments. The Soil Lovers members have access to one of these walks in the  Soil Learning Center library.

References: Download Guides:
10 Must Do’s
7 Steps To Healthy Soils
Book:
Visual Soil Assessment