Coolwoola Plains encompasses two properties in the Goulburn Broken Region of Central Victoria. The home farm is on the banks of Nagambie Lake, on a floodplain of the middle reaches of the Goulburn River. The main property lies approximately 12 kms east of the town of Nagambie and 50 kms south of Shepparton.

The introduction of irrigation, including the construction of the Goulburn Weir which formed Nagambie Lake, allowed agriculture in the region to further develop and diversify to include dairying and broad scale cropping. Such progress was not without issues, contributing to an increase in irrigated and dryland salinity and soil erosion.

The diversity of soil types that occur in the Goulburn Broken Region reflect the different materials from which the soils originally formed, and varying degrees of weathering as a result of a range of climatic influences. 

According to existing mapping, texture-contrast soils that are high in sodium (Sodosols) are widespread. Other sandy soils showing minimal soil development (Arenosols, Rudosols, or Tenosols) are typical of the creek lines and alluvial floodplain environments. There are minor occurrences of other soils, including grey cracking clays (Vertosols). 

Image 2. James and Kyle Winter-Irving with cattle on Coolwoola Plains. Source: The Winter-Irvings. Source: The Winter-Irvings.

Reduction of bare ground to support healthier soils

The Winter-Irvings have observed multiple benefits to the landscape since they began integrating regenerative practices. One of their first observed benefits came out of a clear objective to ‘just grow more grass and have green cover.’ To their ‘delight’ James and Donna received EOV (Ecological Outcome Verification) status from the Savory Institute in June 2023, which globally verifies the land is trending positively, with marked improvements to the health of their farm ecosystems. Of particular interest has been the significant decline in bare soil due to the increased amount of grass cover and decomposing litter and animal dung, which are critical to building healthy soil. With the ‘massive reduction in the percentage of bare ground,’ James and Donna now have more diverse grass species and an extended growing season, with better mineral cycling and water infiltration across the farm. Basic soil testing on the property has been undertaken over the last four years on the demonstration sites, with random samples taken to the standard depth of 100 mm. These have produced results indicating:

• Total/organic carbon levels are incrementally increasing and are considered above average for their soil type ranging from 3.2 – 4.02;
• pH levels have risen by 0.4 – 0.6;
• Low calcium levels are slowly improving.

Applying the Holistic Management Framework Testing Questions Matrix has given James and Donna the confidence to make management decisions that focus on long term, holistic solutions to correct low calcium. Two years ago the Winter-Irvings introduced their animals to Pat Colby’s Stock Licks, which have six essential minerals including calcium. Donna describes how, ‘Our “four legged biodigesters” distribute these minerals across the paddocks via their dung and urine whilst gaining the added benefit of boosting their own health first.’ Haney Testing⁵ the couple conducted in 2023 indicates that the microbial respiration on their property is 300% higher than the average and the soil health score is almost 200% higher than the average.

Increasing plant diversity and integrating weeds into the system

As plant diversity has increased across the farm, James and Donna have begun approaching weeds very differently. They now see that weeds can have a role in the larger ecosystem, and have observed benefits from their management changes following the elimination of the use of chemicals. For example, over the past two years they have reduced Paterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) in several paddocks by grazing the weed just before it flowers. After two seasons, Paterson’s Curse is ‘no longer a significant weed’ and has been succeeded by other plants.

Drought and flood resilience

When a recent flood came through the property in mid 2022, James and Donna observed that water moved through the landscape differently, did less damage and soaked into the soil more fully. The farm felt ‘a little bit different’ to their past experiences, which they have put down to the farming system being more resilient. James and Donna both feel they have ‘the tools’ to make good decisions when challenges arise and are more prepared for whatever may come. They credit this to their decision making capabilities fostered through all the education they have undertaken. They anticipate drought in the near future and are confident they will ‘know when to act’ in terms of de-stocking so they can get through without feeding livestock. They will consider selling livestock ‘to lighten the numbers while we’re going through a drought.’ James and Donna have a strategy in place as part of their planning and ‘wouldn’t have a problem making that decision.’

⁴This section presents the benefits of practice change from the farmers’ perspective. It is based on the farmers’ observations, and in some instances their own interpretation of data and test results. The project did not include any new on-ground testing or analysis of the farmers’ data by Soils for Life.
⁵A suite of tests to indicate the size and functionality of the soil microbial community, including soil respiration, Water Extractable Organic Carbon (WEOC) as an energy source, and Water Extractable Organic Nitrogen (WEON) as a nutrition source.
⁶The amount of microbial activity measured in the soil is closely related to soil fertility and is proportional to the microbial biomass and available substrate. Microbial respiration is determined by the CO2burst measured over a 24-hour period. In most cases, the higher the number, the more fertile the soil.
⁷Please refer to this EAL example of a Haney Soil Analysis Report for guidelines and ranges.

Overall, James and Donna feel confident that they are ‘building a really resilient landscape’ and are positive about the future. They see their work as integral to building soil and landscape health and believe there will be ongoing benefits from the many things they have done at Coolwoola Plains. Further changes they would like to make if they can generate funding include: fencing off all dams to create wetlands, planting more shade and shelter, and installing a reticulated water system. They are currently looking into virtual fencing to support holistic grazing. James notes, ‘Instead of putting up temporary electric fences on some of your bigger paddocks you can use this new GPS system.’ 

James and Donna are committed to helping restore the health of the local creek that runs through their property, which is 1.3 kms long, applying what they learnt about Natural Sequence Farming. James describes the area as being quite eroded, and says their larger aim is to slow the flow of water across the landscape and rehydrate the flood plains, which the creek on their property runs through. 

‘We hope to reinstall the chain of ponds incorporating leaky weirs and some structures made from natural materials. One particular structure will be right up to the top of the bank. About 150 metres below that, there are smaller structures, so we’ll end up with a chain of ponds right down the whole creek.’ James Winter-Irving

Heavy flooding has been a serious problem in recent years and even minor flooding has been destructive because of the ‘rush’ of water that moves across the surface of the landscape. They hope their current activities will mitigate future impacts, ‘and to spread that water out over what was originally the floodplain.’ The additional goal is to distribute fertility out across the property by building contours that then connect up with dams, creating bigger wetlands for more diversity and birdlife. 

James and Donna both hope that over time the benefits they perceive from regenerative practices will become more widely shared and recognised. They would like to see changes in the market that reflect the full value of investing in restoring landscape and soil health and that the positive trends they have observed in the landscape manifest in market value for their products. Currently, the Winter-Irvings don’t believe there is enough acknowledgement in the wider community for the additional effort required to farm regeneratively, and that for many farmers ‘your product is not valued and the health of humans is not being valued.’ In the ‘long term’ James and Donna hope that societal attitudes will shift and this ‘transposes to the marketplace.’ They would particularly like to see the introduction of a certification system for regeneratively farmed goods.