Duane Norris (BScAgr-Hons); M.Sust.Mngr (UoS); N.C.Hort (Land.Design&Const); S.C.C.Hort(UK); NSF/TPT (Cert).
Hi Everyone
As most of you are aware, I met Peter Andrews in mid-2005.
In 2012 I, along with Stuart Andrews and Gwyn Jones started a training course. We ran two courses that year.
This year, 2022 is our 10th Anniversary. This year we will train 1000 new participants in 20 courses run across NSW, Qld ,SA and Tas.
The UoS should be proud of our effort.
I certainly am.
Farming water and fertility for the future. Building and aggrading systems by understanding, following and working with Nature.
Poob
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Copied from Tarwyn Park Training. Story by Murray Lincoln....Victoria.
From the moment I first saw PA's story on "Australian Story - Of Droughts & Flooding Rains" circa 2005...I was certain that this marvellous NSF system was the answer to rehydrating our landscape!! Moreover...revitalising our parched & impoverished soils, improving & re-distributing fertility without the added expense of costly amendments which have become customary in modern input-centric agriculture.
I read & re-read PA's books. But what next?? I had to find an affordable landholding where I could experiment & make changes of my own...on my terms...but with confidence!! In early 2011 my wife & I (with 4 month son in tow) had found the perfect property just out of Bonnie Doon in Victoria (within the Mansfield Shire). 130 acres of farmland, rising to hilly country. A farm that historically had run sheep...but had recently been converted to running Angus cattle. Either way...it was overstocked...run down...depleted...over grazed...& screaming out in thirst.
We named the property "MONTADO". This is a name the Portuguese have for their Savannah system of Oaks...Cork & Pork. The Spanish refer to this system as the "DEHESA". I have no Southern European heritage at all...but I quickly drew similarities of our climate & topography to Portugal & southern Spain. And I do love Oak & Chestnut trees & indeed Pork products. I make my own salami & often use wild venison in some creations.
Of course...being a pretty confident & conversational chap, I made myself known to the neighbours who quickly informed me that superphosphate gypsum & lime are needed in huge quantities all over the Mansfield Shire. Just about everybody set stocks. No rotational or cell grazing. If it does happen it's very rare. I was already scratching my head & asking "why".
In my early attempts at reading the landscape I could clearly see how water would sheet off the slopes & shoot down flow lines & gullies, then into ephemeral/seasonal creeks.
So I immersed myself in more research. How to improve soil?? Well...first & foremost...you have to fix the hydrology!!
Fast forward a few more years...I had already implemented a decent amount of contours & water management strategies on my property prior to my TPT course in Nov 2017. After completing the course I felt supercharged...equipped with newly gained NSF knowledge, thanks to Stuart Andrews, PA & Duane Norris.
I confess to being a lover of trees. Natives & Exotics. Ornamental & Productive. Fruiting or Forage. I have planted many trees but have so many more to plant. I grow all my own trees from seed. My hobby fruit tree orchard is tended by my father Bernie Lincoln. He is a keen grafter of fruit trees. I prefer to grow from seed so as to minimise the upkeep & reduce the watering urgency. It also sorts out the trees that can adapt to our local environment. Good tree genetics survive.
The way I see it...trees (just like all plants) build fertility with their duff & mast & insect frass. Stock camping also adds enormously to this fertility.
As we have all learnt...plants/trees also manage water/hydrology. One thing for sure is that nothing...absolutely nothing...will grow without water. Your soil can have every mineral & trace element...perfect NPK...perfect pH...perfect everything...but without water, pasture or trees or forests cannot survive...let alone thrive.
So if you would like me to...I can share a short Youtube video that was filmed in collaboration with Tim Thompson Media. It runs for about 17 mins...but has been heavily edited down from over 3 hours of discussion & additional drone footage.
Here is the link. https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=NwCNarSTe50
PA once said to me...
"MAKE IT HAPPEN"
Cheers everyone!!
Murray Lincoln
Warm Regards
Duane
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Hi All
Just thought that you may be interested to know that a new Peak Body has been established, in Australia, to advise governments, farmers, landowners, native title holders, in fact, all stakeholders.
ICER (Australia) -official launch after Easter, is a broad, scientifically based, ecological group with an understanding of the uniqueness of the Australian terrain's physical and biophysical nature, which can bring, if adopted, huge windfalls for farmers, natural systems, biodiversity, and how we manage flood and fire.
We are presently engaging with our First Nations peoples on Country, to join with us, in our mission to heal and restore the degradation of our natural watershed systems.
See https://www.icer.org.au/the-council
Warm Regards
Duane
Duane Norris
B.Sc.Agr., (Hons1); M.Sust.Mngr (UoS); N.C.Hort (Land.Design&Const); S.C.C.Hort(UK); NSF/TPT (Cert).
Independent Council for Ecosystem Restoration
M: 0425 777 454
duane.norris@icer.org.au
www.icer.org.au
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23 March 2022
Hi Scotters
Australians generally just accept the drainage paradigm that depletes soil Carbon and biomass and the local water cycle(weather).
The abuse of land systems here has been rapid, catastrophic and lazy under colonial governments.
Radical change is necessary.
Australians have access (still) to a vast landscape laboratory in which examples of the deep evolved landscape hydration mosaic persists. We can see and study this mosaic, and we know how to reinstate this water security in every land system.
Yet we have legislation that prevents water security.
We have political interference preventing water security.
In itself, the culture of ‘water resource management’ in Australia is fundamentally flawed.
Retaining rain in the land involves nothing more than deenergising the drops as they fall, with vegetation cover, and patterning the land so that infiltration and deep recharge occurs in situ.
Current land use in Australia is rapid desertification.
Large reservoirs feed poorly managed land and urban centres through pipes and gutters that bypass the wetlands, soaks and aquifers that gives this country life and makes it liveable.
Then we ‘discharge’ the rain and the water as ‘waste’ down gutters and pipes that deny essential water and nutrient from the terrestrial biomass en route to coast filter systems. These too are destroyed by current water thinking. Even the terms wetland and swamp and soak are seen as derogatory , describing supposedly unwelcome ecosystems that ‘cause a problem’ when in fact they are critical to the biomass and water cycles we need to thrive.
As pointed out so clearly by the OECD and Australia State of Environment Reports the regard for water as a tradeable resource has resulted in 10 fold over-allocation of all possible water from the three dimensional system on which we entirely depend.
The end result of this drainage mindset is guaranteed disaster.
There’s another way.
We know what and how.
We need wisdom rather than theologically deluded political decision making and private profiteering in our water world. It’s time to reset. It’s time to listen, look, understand and respect Country. The whole system.
Not one of our governments has had the guts to take this elephant by the tail and turn it around.
Not one of our governments has had the guts to do ‘whatever it takes ‘ to return water to the deep hydration mosaic and ensure this remains charged as an ecological absolute.
Not one government has listened and followed through on promises made to Peter Andrews and many others with the experience to restore the natural sequence.
Not one government has had the guts to admit that it was and is a profound error of judgement to dismiss Indigenous Peoples and wisdom of Country acquired over tens of thousands of years.
We can do better, we are better than the ship of fools steering us aground through denial. The paradise of prosperity they promise under current ‘ resource management’ and marketing play is nothing but a mirage.
Warm Regards
Duane