FIELD DAY
Dairy profitability and resilience through diversity and soil health
You are invited to a practical field day focused on building profitable, resilient dairy systems through soil health and pasture diversity.
To kick off our national Dairy Resilience initiative, join us on Wednesday March 11 in Newry, VIC for a field day with dairy farmers Kate Mirams and Peter Neaves and internationally renowned soil and plant health educator Joel Williams.
Joel will explain the biological processes that can drive profitable and resilient farming systems. Hear the results from Kate and Peter’s soil health trial, and how they’ve achieved major reductions in nitrogen and other inputs while maintaining production.
The focus is on practical, paddock-based learning, farmer observations and decision-making tools that can be applied on farm.
What will be covered:
- Managing for soil function and soil health as the foundation of long-term profitability
- Building pasture diversity, including transitioning to multispecies pastures
- Observations and lessons from on-farm trials and management changes
- Practical tools to support decisions around foliar applications
- Open discussion, questions and peer-to-peer learning throughout the day
Activities:
- Morning discussion and presentations in the local hall
- Paddock walk and in-field observations at Neaves Mirams Agriculture
- Group discussion and Q&A with farmers and educators
Catering and what to bring
Lunch will be provided. Please advise any dietary requirements when registering. Please bring your water bottle and appropriate footwear and clothing for paddock conditions
When
11 March 2026, 9:45 am – 2:00pm AEDT
Where
Newry Hall (Upper Maffra Mechanics Institute), 139 Main St, Newry VIC 3859 – Google Maps
Contact
Soils for Life on (02) 6273 6647 or at [email protected]
Tickets
$30 for up to 3 attendees from the same business, $15 for subsequent registrants. Numbers are limited.
Peter Neaves and Kate Mirams
Peter Neaves and Kate Mirams farm on the deep alluvial floodplain soils of the Macalister River at Newry in Gippsland. Their home property milks 320 cows across 135 ha, with 110 ha irrigated and 15–20 ha managed as fenced waterways and lagoons planted to trees. A second 58 ha property at Boisdale supports young stock and fodder production.
Both trained in agricultural science and with careers in dairy extension in Victoria and Tasmania, Peter and Kate bring strong insight into dairy system performance, profitability and resilience. In 2019, they took a critical look at their own farming system, recognising increasing reliance on nitrogen inputs for similar pasture production. This led them to an understanding that soil life underpins everything. Their focus has since been on rebuilding soil biology and biodiversity to support pasture function, animal health and nutrient-dense food, with human health as the ultimate outcome.
Joel Williams
Joel Williams is an internationally renowned, independent plant and soil health educator providing lectures, workshops and consultation on soil management, plant nutrition and integrated approaches.
His work focuses on helping farmers and advisers better understand soil and plant function and apply that understanding in practical management decisions. Through education and field-based learning, Joel supports approaches that integrate soil biology, nutrition and system thinking to build resilient and functional farming systems.
The Dairy Resilience Project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust. This project is proudly supported by Maffra District Landcare Network and Soils for Life.
