Soil First Tasmania is a farmer-led association whose members are passionate about soil health. Soil is the one thing that links all farmers, and despite our different practice and soil types, our discussions will cover principles that work on all soils. Investing in our soil is probably the best investment a farmer can make, there is nothing more important to our industry than the health, preservation and restoration of our precious soils.
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect”
― Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There
We feel that despite the great work of some industry professionals and pioneering farmers, there is not a lot of talk among farmers about whole farming systems that can deliver profits, save time and benefit the soil and your farm environment. The conversations often become so focused on one topic (such as yield, pest or disease) and we are too often treating the symptoms rather than the cause. Soil health is known to effect whole farming systems: poor soil health can result in poor yields and significant farmer interventions and good soil health can increase yield, decrease intervention and improve profit. We all know which direction we want to be moving in, it's just how to do it within the constraints of time and the business.
Our vision for Soil First Tasmania is to influence practice that sustains and regenerates our soil and water, by creating a community of farmers who want to improve their practice and giving them a platform to share ideas, farmer to farmer. We aim to support the adoption of practice that upholds the clean green image that Tasmania aspires to.
Vision:
A farmer run organisation that influences practice that sustains and regenerates our soil and water.
Mission:
By creating a community of farmers who are wanting to improve their practice and giving them a platform to share ideas. Support the adoption of practice that upholds the clean green image that Tasmania aspires to.
Our Beginning
A few farmers who were troubled by the state of agriculture in Tasmania got together and had a chat. The catalyst for action was the Tasmanian Liberal Governments Agri-Food plan for 2050. It is bold vision for sustainably growing the value of the agriculture/horticulture/aquaculture sector in Tasmania tenfold by 2050.
As farmers we couldn't see where these "sustainable" practices would come from and who would communicate them to the farming community. We feel that a farmer driven group was need to promote existing and future practice that deliver triple bottom line sustainable growth that is good for the bottom line, the farming family and the environment.
Sometimes, the best farming solutions are waiting just over the fence. Farmers learn best from farmers, because between farmers there is an inherent trust. We welcome farmers as passionate as we are about soils to jump on board and share their ideas with our ever-growing new community.
