Friday, 06 December 2019 19:05

Farmers excited by regenerative farming

Written by  Staff Reporters

A NZ On Air-funded online video highlights farmer success at regenerative farming.

The video titled ‘Growing a Revolution’, created by Christchurch video production company Frank Film, covers a recent regenerative farming field day in Leeston, Canterbury.

More than 70 agriculture professionals showed up to the day held by cropping farmer Simon Osborne to learn about the potential environmental and financial benefits of regenerative farming.

Many farmers expressed how they were eager to take what they had learnt and put it into practice.

Osborne is passionate about regenerative farming, growing as many as 15 plants in a paddock for better soil functionality.

He says he keeps the ground covered at all times, with no tilling, and this helps to keep carbon in the soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The practice may also reduce costs. Regenerative farming consultant Jono Frew says he has walked on to farms and saved them 30% on inputs. 

Osborne says he hasn’t used broadacre insecticides since 1992. One regenerative farmer at the field day says he hasn’t put on fertilizer in 4-5 year. 

Another regenerative farmer expressed significant reductions in irrigation, reducing irrigation to just six weeks. 

Watch the video below.

If the video's not loading, watch it here.

More like this

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought it wise to run the numbers through the old Casio.

Govt limits forestry conversions

Farmers have welcomed the Government’s move designed to limit farm to forestry conversions entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Faulty models used to measure emissions

OPINION: If you have kept your finger on the emissions pulse, none of the below information will be a surprise to you. However, if you are a farmer that has not been following New Zealand’s ruminant methane issue then you may be in for a nasty shock.

ETS logic - stranger than fiction

OPINION: Over the last two weeks we have seen a Bill pass through the house that removes the ETS backstop from agriculture emissions, and once again we heard some strange logic being presented.

Featured

Farmers urged not to be complacent about TB

New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.

Editorial: Making wool great again

OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.

National

Machinery & Products

Farmer-led group buys Novag

While the name and technology remain unchanged and new machines will continue to carry the Novag name, all the assets,…

Buhler name to go

Shareholders at a special meeting have approved a proposed deal that will see Buhler Industries, the publicly traded Versatile and…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Make it 1000%!

OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…

Own goal

OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter