A Soils for Life case study

Meet the Young Farmers, Harriet & Adam

Meet Harriet Finlayson and Adam Lilleyman, two young Australian farmers. Both Harriet and Adam developed their enterprises on land owned by their parents, and are working through questions facing young farmers, such as access to capital, learning pathways and peer support.

Both Harriet and Adam are practicing ‘regeneratively pasture-raising chickens’, as distinct from ‘pasture-raising chickens’. A regenerative mindset means viewing the chickens for what they can bring back to the land, which then changes how the chooks are managed.

In this thematic case study, we share the stories of these two young farmers, to illustrate their practices for supporting landscape regeneration, as well as the barriers and opportunities for young farmers wanting to help improve Australia’s soil health. Firstly, we present how they do what they do and secondly, we present the impact they hope to have and are having.

Now available; an in depth case study on Harriet and Adam and their enterprises, covering a broad spectrum of topics such as how they found holistic management, what drives them, challenges and successes, methods and approaches and more.

Head to soilsforlife.org.au/young-and-new-chicken-farmers/

Each Soils for Life case study is an interwoven story supported by evidence of how land management innovators are achieving resilient, productive outcomes through regenerative landscape management practices. – soilsforlife.org.au

Soils for Life case studies have been used by farmers, researchers and policy makers around the country to inspire and inform new ideas and approaches in agriculture. – soilsforlife.org.au

Soils for Life Podcast

Episode 5 – Next generation farming matters.

Australian agriculture currently has a labour shortage of over 100,000 people. It’s not an easy gig for someone to start from scratch on a farm and many younger generation farmers are moving from farms to urban areas. We rely on farmers to sustain our way of life as they produce our food and fibre. It’s critical that young and new farmers are encouraged and supported to supply for our needs in a way that regenerates soils and landscapes.

Some major barriers and challenges that young and new farmers are faced with include access to land and capital, climate change issues and access to learning, particularly learning about regenerative practices. In this episode, learn from a researcher, writer and farmer who has walked the walk, and started her own regenerative farming practice. Be inspired by an additional six young and new farmers who embraced a regenerative mindset to overcome these challenges.

Read more on our ‘New and Young Farmer‘ case study series at soilsforlife.org.au

A Soils for Life case study

Meet the Lilleymans at Amberly Farm

Meet John and Carol Lilleyman, owners of Amberly Farm. The farm is a model for what can be achieved on small acreage. Through their journey, the Lilleymans have brought greater financial security to their farming business by aligning their farming enterprises with the changing climate and investing in the ecology of the natural environment, on which all our farming ventures depend.

Since that beginning, they have developed three core principles that drive their decision-making: our climate is unreliable, particularly in providing adequate rainfall, so we must adapt and be open to finding new enterprises that fit better and evolve with our changing climate into the future; looking after the natural environment is, in fact, highly aligned with looking after our business interests, particularly viewed in the medium to long term; and connecting with our local community both through land-care projects and produce sales brings multiple benefits – including better business outcomes.

A benefit of being new to farming is that they could see everything with fresh eyes and question all assumptions.

Now available; an in depth case study on the Lilleymans and their farm, covering a broad spectrum of topics such as how they found holistic management, what drives them, challenges and successes, methods and approaches and more.

Head to soilsforlife.org.au/amberly/

Each Soils for Life case study is an interwoven story supported by evidence of how land management innovators are achieving resilient, productive outcomes through regenerative landscape management practices. – soilsforlife.org.au

Soils for Life case studies have been used by farmers, researchers and policy makers around the country to inspire and inform new ideas and approaches in agriculture. – soilsforlife.org.au

A Soils for Life case study

Meet the Morisses at Gleneden Family Farm

Rowan and Fiona are taking a holistic approach to managing their property in the foothills of the Main Range of the Southern Downs Region in Queensland on Githabul Country. The Morrises’ story offers deep insights of what it is like for new farmers, who are challenged with a devastating drought. They share their valuable strategies for building resilience.

While working abroad on organic farms, Fiona and Rohan learned from farmers how to respect natural systems in order to produce delicious food in the long-term, without using chemicals. The farmers often had a strong connection to their land, family food traditions and wanted to ‘hand over their farm to their grandchildren’s grandchildren in good condition’.

Holistic management helped them understand the clear connection or balance needed to have good social, economic and environmental outcomes for a successful business.

Now available; an in depth case study on the Morrises and their farm, covering a broad spectrum of topics such as how they found holistic management, what drives them, challenges and successes, methods and approaches and more.

Head to soilsforlife.org.au/gleneden

Soils for Life case studies have been used by farmers, researchers and policy makers around the country to inspire and inform new ideas and approaches in agriculture. – soilsforlife.org.au

Each Soils for Life case study is an interwoven story supported by evidence of how land management innovators are achieving resilient, productive outcomes through regenerative landscape management practices. – soilsforlife.org.au

Rohan and Fiona navigated the drought using holistic management planning (intensive rotational-grazing management techniques), as well as support of their customer community and their close group of regenerative farming families. – soilsforlife.org.au

For the Morrises, the social change that stood out for them included the strong relationships with local and international communities, as well as their own peer-to-peer learning group. – soilsforlife.org.au

A Soils for Life case study

Meet the Winders at Tathra Place Free Range

Luke owns and manages Tathra Place Free Range together with his family and team.

From early on the Winder’s goal has been to ‘feed as many human beings nutrient-dense, chemical-free, ethical, free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free food as possible’ as a result of continually strengthening the health of the soils and the landscape.

For agriculture to transition at-scale towards practices of regenerating the landscape, Luke believes it is essential to prove that this way of farming is financially viable, including being able to start with a small budget. Using regenerative practices and no chemical inputs, Luke has seen great improvement in soil and landscape health. Seven years down the road, Luke feels his rotational system is now working ‘pretty effectively.’ Luke believes each of the animals offers their own type of fertility and their own microbial communities, and improve, soil microbial communities.

Luke’s primary vision for his farm is to ‘heal this piece of land’ and ‘leave it better than what I found it’. His farming system ‘copies nature’ by enabling interactions between diverse pasture and animal species. These interactions speed up the process of improving top soils and carbon sequestration. In the long-term, his goal is to work towards a soil food web that is diverse and functional enough to support more perennial systems.

Now available; an in depth case study on the Winders and their farm, covering a broad spectrum of topics such as how they found holistic management, what drives them, challenges and successes, methods and approaches and more.

Head to soilsforlife.org.au/tathra

Each Soils for Life case study is an interwoven story supported by evidence of how land management innovators are achieving resilient, productive outcomes through regenerative landscape management practices. – soilsforlife.org.au

Soils for Life case studies have been used by farmers, researchers and policy makers around the country to inspire and inform new ideas and approaches in agriculture. – soilsforlife.org.au

Soils for Life Podcast

Episode 5 – Next generation farming matters.

Australian agriculture currently has a labour shortage of over 100,000 people. It’s not an easy gig for someone to start from scratch on a farm and many younger generation farmers are moving from farms to urban areas. We rely on farmers to sustain our way of life as they produce our food and fibre. It’s critical that young and new farmers are encouraged and supported to supply for our needs in a way that regenerates soils and landscapes.

Some major barriers and challenges that young and new farmers are faced with include access to land and capital, climate change issues and access to learning, particularly learning about regenerative practices. In this episode, learn from a researcher, writer and farmer who has walked the walk, and started her own regenerative farming practice. Be inspired by an additional six young and new farmers who embraced a regenerative mindset to overcome these challenges.

Read more on our ‘New and Young Farmer‘ case study series at soilsforlife.org.au