educational events
Compost & Compost Tea Workshop (Farm Ready Course FRTC0670)
13th - 15th May 2010 - Taranaki Farm, North Central Victoria
Join us at Taranaki Farm in Central Victoria as Paul Taylor stages his practical workshop; Compost & Compost Tea. You’ll learn how to regenerate, hydrate, enhance and heal your soils through both an understanding of the "Soil Food Web" and the techniques needed to make biologically active Aerated Compost Tea.
This very popular hands-on workshop has created an army of graduates who are enhancing farms across Australia. The workshop focuses on practical techniques of applying compost and compost teas for small, medium and larger-scale farming, grazing and forestry operations.
This workshop is focused on taking the mystery out of the complex science of the soil microbiology while providing common-sense solutions to improving soils and reducing input costs.
Click here to book or find out more...
"Your Land, Your Soil, Your Future" seminar was a huge success
Wednesday 21st October 2009 - Yass, NSW (40 mins NW of Canberra)
A bumper crowd of over 250 people attended the Yass Area Network seminar on the subject of soil carbon and soil health where Paul Taylor spoke on composting. Interest in the seminar was widespread with people coming from as far as Western Australia. ABC Rural reporter Sarina Locke was MC and kept everything running smoothly. Greg Northover opened the seminar with a brief welcome followed by an Introduction by Chair of the MCMA Board Lee O’Brien.
Patrick Francis of Australian Farm Journal gave the opening address then Dr Christine Jones gave the keynote address on the soil food web and the importance of organic carbon. Other topics addressed on the day include biological farming, NSF, vermiculture, biodynamics, and pasture cropping. Dr Maarten Stapper drew the event to a close with the key principles for successful implementation of the day’s key themes.
YAN president Greg Northover was delighted with the interest and attendance at the seminar. “YAN strives to be a voice for the community and to help bring issues to the forefront that affect the community and we feel that we have done this today with our seminar. I believe that the turn out today demonstrates that soil carbon is a big issue for local farmers and landcarers and I am pleased that we have all learnt a lot more about these issues here today.”
Download the full YAN Landcare Spring Newsletter here...
Basics of Soil Biology - (Part of the Permaculture Design Certificate course)
15th - 28th November 2009 - Zaytuna Farm, The Channon, Northern NSW
Held at the Permaculture Research Institute, the Permaculture Design Certificate course is an internationally recognized training course resulting in a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC).
It provides an introduction to permaculture design as set forth by movement founder Bill Mollison. The course is taught by Geoff and Nadia Lawton, and other permaculture educators. Paul Taylor is one of those educators and is teaching the basics of soil biology with an emphasis on creating compost and compost tea.
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Compost & Compost Tea - 3 Day Workshop
26th -28th November 2009 - Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC), Mudgee, NSW
Learn the benefits of a management system based in beneficial soil biology from compost. Use less water and reduce your needs for fertilizer!
Properly made aerobic compost has thousands of bacterial and fungal species. Aerobic compost added to highly aerated water, held at a desired temperature, with the addition of microbe nutrients that feed and thus select the species of microbes desired for the conditions, makes a highly cultured “brew” full of beneficial fungi and bacteria to apply to the soil.
Compost tea makes soil more productive, less toxic and more sustainable. The application of compost tea whilst Keyline plowing, will be a feature of the workshop. Directly injecting millions of beneficial bacteria, deep into the root zone and aerating the soil, all in a single pass!
Click here to book or find out more...