2 Day Soil Balancing Course
If you have ever thought your farm is not performing as you would like, this course may be the answer. Nature didn’t intend plants to be decimated by disease, pests and weed infestation. Nor did it intend animals (including humans) to be plagued by parasites and nutrient deficiencies. Derek Smith has developed a unique approach that restores health to the whole system. We can show you how to apply it to your farm.
Soil Health
You often don’t notice a problem with your soils until it is substantial. The conventional wisdom is to apply an (often chemical) fertilisation system. This often gets good crop results, especially in the beginning. But you see a slow deterioration of your soil asset over time. More and more input is required to achieve the same results and you may notice other production issues; low water retention, weeds and pests to name a few.
Regeneration
Are you looking for long term fertility, sustained productivity, a healthier work environment with increased profits? There is a way, and you can learn for yourself by starting a short course with Derek.
This is a system of balancing soil chemistry so that soil physics and soil biology work as nature intended. It's science you can understand and it's about applying soil balancing to your farm and achieving meaningful results.
Topics Covered
In this two day course you will learn how to achieve:
-
Better water infiltration and higher water holding capacity in your soils.
-
Increased water use efficiency up to 100%.
-
Higher levels of soil microbes.
-
Healthier populations of beneficial soil organisms.
-
Improved soil structure—healthy ongoing soil aggregate formation.
-
Better nutrient delivery and efficiency to plants
-
Healthier livestock with less internal and external parasites and disease.
-
Decreased soil, pasture, crop, animal and human disease.
-
Higher pasture and crop yields and better carrying capacity.
I can highly recommend Derek's courses and his help as a consultant has been invaluable. His soil balancing system provides answers on soil fertility and crop management to move your farm towards more regenerative practices. It really is Working with Nature. I have had many encounters growing potatoes that a spray would have been used on a conventional crop but nature took over and problem solved.
Ian Holmes - Guyra NSW
Pricing & Program
The two day course costs $550. If others from your business take the course, they can do so for an additional $130 per person. We find higher success rates when everyone on the farm is on the same page. The price includes course notes, lunch, morning and afternoon tea.
We begin 8.30am for a 9.00am start and finish at 4.30pm-5.00pm both days.
Expressions of interest
No course in your area? Let us know you're interested!
To run a course we need 12 businesses to register, so share this page with others who might like to attend. We offer discounts to those who partner with us to spread the word in their local community. Contact us to find out more.
Derek's knowledge of soil, animal and human health issues is very extensive and he is generous with his time in informing others. He will challenge your ideas on how to operate your farm.
Mike Mulligan - Ben Lomond, NSW
About Derek
A lifelong farmer, Derek initially embraced natural farming as a way to solve problems the chemicals weren't fixing. He now uses it to protect biodiversity, store carbon and maintain better quality and consistency in food production. He is currently running beef cattle, free range layer hens and prime lambs on his property at Guyra.
Derek has worked with producers from a diverse range of industries, different climates and landscapes. From tropical fruit growers in far north Queensland, to horticulturalists in Western Australia.
For 20 years Derek shared his experience as an instructor at TAFE Armidale. As the teacher of a year-long course in organic farming and horticulture, he helped students apply organic and biologically enhancing principles to their own farms.
Over the years Derek built on his Associate Diploma in Farm Management (Orange Ag College) with courses in Holistic Management and Grazing for Profit. He earned his Bachelor of Farm Management at Orange (University of Sydney) in 2004 and completed a Certificate II in Assessment and Workplace Training in 2008.
Watch Derek present at the Australian Biological Farming Conference here and speak with Ground Cover on their podcast here.