Twenty years of biological farming has shown many great advantages.
From storing carbon which holds more water and nutrients to reducing inputs.
Biology can rebuild the soil to its former glory - darker in colour, crumbly and friable with structure that can hold water and nutrients for plants to healthy to access when they need them.
If the plant is healthy, so are stock and the produce from that biological land is more nutritious for human consumption.
"The food we eat now has on average 50 per cent less nutrition and minerals in it now compared to 50 years ago," Exhaust Fertilisers Col Harper said.
"With the potential to have something like six billion living organisms in one teaspoon of soil working for the benefit of the soil, plant, animal and human, the power of biological farming is enormous.
"Insects won't eat healthy plants, disease won't attack healthy plants.
"Minerals in the soil are made plant available.
"After 30 years of spreading lime, calcium was only 30% of base saturation.
"But by increasing soil biology, calcium came up to 65% of base saturation which is said to be about ideal.
"I have seen plant available soil test show low levels of most minerals, but with the soil biology active, the tissue test in that crop was lacking nothing.
"Now man can not apply minerals to fix all those problems, but the plant biology symbiotic relationship can.
"While that is happening, carbon is being stored for future production, soil structure is developed and top soil becomes deeper."
The Soil Health Expo at Ariah Park Showground on March 18, is a collection of businesses with products to help farmers down the track of regenerative farming.
"The businesses at the expo have information that will aid in the transition from degenerative agriculture to regenerative agriculture.
"This year there are two guest speakers.
"The first is Anne Williams from Coonamble who farms with husband Ray.
"They have been using compost tea as their main input for years and have progressed from buying compost to making their own.
"They are now pelletising the compost and Anne has also managed to fit a university degree on the subject in there as well.
"Another way to increase biology diversity in the soil is to have diverse plant cover crops - whether they be summer or winter.
"Tom Grigg from Rutherglen is going to share his experiences with cover cropping.
"The expo starts at 2pm with trade displays and then guest speakers start at 5pm with a $20 entrance fee - a small price to pay to reinvigorate your farm."
- Contact: Col Harper 0428 732 140.
