Farming and Fire in Australia Today
Darren Doherty is a farm planner in Australia who works worldwide, and he’s founder of Regrarians, which promotes and teaches the principles of regenerative agriculture. We talk about the bush fires, the land management problems that contributed to their severity, the loss Aboriginal land management practices–and the opportunities that rise from the ashes.
Show Notes:
1’25 how the fires have affected Darren
4’19 regenerative agriculture and resilience in the face of fires
4’51 turning on gravity-fed flood irrigation system during fires
6’19 the low tech aspect of regenerative ag
6’49 Australian farmers and fire preparedness
10’55 Australia has a long history of fire management for thousands of years
15’16 hands-off land management as a response to bad management
16’27 loss of Aboriginal knowledge
20’02 seeing the land regenerating after fires
20’43 fires burning so hot that they burned eucalyptus trees and their seeds
23’40 polarization on the subject of climate change
26’16 the coal lobby contributed to the polarization
28’06 working with farmers who don’t like the word “carbon”
29’55 using a technique from non-violent communication
30’58 some steps for improving soil and improving fire risk
32’15 bringing together people, their enterprise, and the landscape
35’12 finding the balance between telling people what to do and letting them find their own way
36’40 outcomes better when people own the process
38’17 the work is about sharing stories
39’52 farmer to farmer communication is more effective than a government person telling farmers what to do
40’40 letting go of ego and of a proprietary business model
43’11 the opportunities that arise after fires
50’01 find out more about Regrarians
Fire photo credit: Rob Russell from Gosford, NSW, Australia [CC BY]
.jpg){kind=link}
More Episodes
Episode 61 – Organic and sustainable agriculture in the Southern US
Brennan Washington is an agriculture Renaissance man. He farms, promotes farmers markets, provides resources to limited-resource producers, and produces the Sustainable Ag Rider podcast.
Episode 59 – Regenerative vs. Degenerative Agriculture
We talk to Kevin Watt from TomKat Ranch about the practice and benefits of regenerative agriculture, how to incentivize it, and the dire long-term consequences of the degenerative practices of industrial agriculture.
Episode 58 – The Science of Water
Kate Zeigler is a geologist who works with farmers and ranchers in the arid Southwest to monitor their wells and the water table that keeps them flowing–and helps them to come up with water conservation strategies.
Episode 57 – Know the law…save the farm
Jillian Hishaw works with farmers to protect themselves, their families, and their land–legally and financially. Attorney and food systems strategist, she provides free or low-cost services, particularly to African American farmers.
Episode 56 -Hemp: Growing into the future
The hemp plant is amazingly versatile and resilient, and it can be used to produce innumerable healthy products and services. So why was it made illegal, and what does the future hold? We talk to hemp farmers Ed Berg and Scott Perez.
Episode 55 – Paul Neubauer – From apprentice to foreman—building a career in farming
What does it take to be an apprentice on a farm or ranch? What does it take to mentor the apprentices? Paul Neubauer knows both sides, and talks about learning–and teaching–both practical and personal skills on the land.
Episode 54 – Diana Rodgers – Red meat, where does it fit into a healthy diet/healthy planet?
Diana Rodgers is the author of several books and is working on a new book and documentary film project, Sacred Cow. She hosts the Sustainable Dish podcast, and she lives and works on an organic farm in Massachusetts.
Episode 53 – Robert Fetsch – How to deal with mental and physical challenges–on the farm and beyond
Dr. Robert Fetsch has for decades been helping farmers and ranchers deal with disabilities — from injuries brought on by hard work, to mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and anger.
Episode 52 – Nicole Masters – For the Love of Soil
Nicole Masters is an agro-ecologist and educator in regenerative agriculture. She’s founder of Integrity Soils, and author of the new book, For the Love of Soil.
Episode 51 – Meriwether Hardie: Making the Business Case for Regenerative Agriculture
The food business is beginning to realize that they’re unsustainable — but don’t really know how to transition. Bio-Logical Capital provides demonstrations and research that point to possible paths forward.
Episode 50 – Graeme Hand: How to regenerate land with livestock and still make a steady profit
Graeme Hand teaches Holistic Management, and how to restore grasslands with cattle–and his techniques might surprise you!
Episode 49 – Joel Benson Holistic Management: It’s Not Just for Land
Joel Benson applied his training in holistic management to his business, and then to the government of his small town where he was mayor for eight years. The results are inspiring — and remind us of the power of systems thinking.
Episode 48 -Rodrigo Sierra Corona, Conservation Cattle on the California Coast
While cows can be destructive, they can also be effective management tools for improving land health. We talk to Rodrigo Sierra Corona about his work to improve grasslands and preserve species at the Santa Lucia Conservancy.
Episode 47 – Kate Greenberg, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
A long-time Quivira Coalition leader and proponent of regenerative agriculture, Kate Greenberg is now the Commissioner of Agriculture for the state of Colorado. We talk about what it means to take a regenerative and “Radical Center” approach from her position in government.
Episode 46 – Richard Teague: the Science of Holistic Grazing
Richard Teague is Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Texas A&M University. He shares with us his deep understanding of the science of holistic management, soil science, and the psychology of changing over to new practices and paradigms.
Episode 45 – Mountain and Prairie host Ed Roberson on innovative approaches to water in the West
Ed Roberson is conservation director at the Palmer Land Trust, and he’s host of the Mountain and Prairie podcast. We talk about some of the problems surrounding water in the West–and some new approaches to balancing urban and agricultural water needs.