ABOVE GROUND ASSESSMENTS

A farming system comprises of much more than growing produce and making a profit. This traditional approach undervalues the health of the environment in which a farming system operates and is reliant on. Above ground, land managers must consider the impacts from their enterprises and the ecological boundaries of their land - on-farm decisions have landscape-wide impacts. This includes an in-depth understanding of weather patterns, seasonal changes, landscape formations, biodiversity levels, water flow, air quality and community requirements. A scale of permanence framework guides the assessment process and informs the design process. Without this holistic understanding, a farming system’s long-term viability and resilience will be significantly undermined for both current and future generations.

Making matters worse are the pressures of climate change and an exponentially growing global population, further emphasising a need for land managers to think holistically about their farming system. Each variable may feel overwhelming if a land manager lacks the understanding required to manage each, however, with the right support and insight, any land manager can become a true steward. Stewardship of the land requires thorough land assessments that establish ecological and business benchmarks. These benchmarks act as a starting point to measure impacts and performance and allows activities to be refined until desired outcomes are generated.

To help generate sustainable outcomes for your business or farming system, Regenerating Farms offers above ground assessments to inform your decision making and enhance the health of your farming system.

BELOW GROUND ASSESSMENTS

The foundation of a farming system and environment is soil health. Along with an above ground assessment, a below ground assessment is also required to inform your decision making, establish benchmarks and understand ecological boundaries. The practical decisions that you make will impact the health of your soils and the production potential of your farm.

Soil health can be defined as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain the quality of air and water environments, and promote plant, animal, and human health” (Doran et al., 1996). Soil health is measured by chemical, physical and biological properties, each of which have numerous indicators that can be analysed and benchmarked. Physical and chemical properties are influenced by biological activity, and biological activity is enhanced or limited by chemical and physical conditions. Thus, soil biology represents the key to soil health.

However, the complexities that are found within soil biology represent significant knowledge, capacity and attitude barriers for land managers. The emergence of foundational research and technology aims to remove such barriers to encourage the adopting of biologically-focused practices, such as those promoted by Dr. Elaine Ingham from the Soil Food Web.

Supporting an above ground assessment is to perform below ground, holistic assessments of soil. Regenerating Farms offers such services to inform your decision making and enhance the health of your farming system.