Finding a sustainable, cost-effective soil solution is a key ingredient for smaller farmers as they try to remain viable in a competitive marketplace.
Getting the most out of the soil to maximise yield potential is an integral factor for most farmers and is even more important for smaller enterprises.
Nicholas Gerard at Soil By Design specialises in helping growers of any size create the mineral and biological make-up of their soil to suit what they are growing.
Nicholas is a certified permaculture designer, a teacher and is trained in Allan Savory's Holistic Management practices.
He trained at Dr Elaine Ingham’s Soilfood Web Laboratory at Southern Cross University, Lismore, and is also trained in commercial market gardening, aquaponics design and mushroom cultivation, along with bio-intensive growing practices.
Soil By Design hosts workshops to help growers understand biological farming.
“Obviously soil make-up substantially contributes to how well a crop will do,” Nicholas said.
“No matter what size a farm is, we specialise in the remediation of soil which can save growers money on fertilisers through natural nutrient cycling.
“Biological farming has really taken off again which is great.
“We take pride in teaching growers how to turn their soil into productive growing environments and keep it that way.
“That is why we encourage all growers to attend our workshops to learn these tools.”
Nicholas and his wife Jennie live at Holmwood, near Cowra, where they are remediating an old wheat paddock into sustainable production.
They run workshops on compost making as well as a two-day workshop on building living soils.
Through their company Homemade at Holmwood, they sell a variety of produce including cheeses, tofu, tempeh and homegrown produce.
“We utilise what we teach when it comes to our produce,” Nicholas said. “It is a good demonstration of how biological farming can work.
“There are benefits to be had from simple actions such as putting in crops with different root structures and using a good variety of cover crops.
“Growers can utilise large radishes which rot to feed the biology, breaking up the soil to allow air and water in.
“Every time ground is ploughed, it destroys the framework of nutrient providers which need to be replenished.
“Using cover crops instead of ploughing has a lot of benefits, both for the ground and also financially,” he said.
