Ben Lomond Landcare Group hosted more than 25 people at their Progressive Sustainable Agriculture and Food workshop on Saturday, 13th September 2025.

Brian Marshall, a retired Holistic Management educator and Ben Lomond local, presented on land function, ecosystem processes, tools for managing land to meet objectives, overgrazing and recovery times, as well as planning for cash surplus and monitoring ecological health.

“I wanted the group to get back to the business of Landcare, and that was the purpose of the day,” said Brian.

Guest speaker Heidi McElnea, a qualified permaculturist and owner of Highland Permaculture, spoke about animal and plant food systems, cycling waste into resources, leveraging permaculture design, and fostering backyard biodiversity.

Reflecting on the day, Heidi said, “It was a lovely group of people, and I really enjoyed hearing from everyone about their experiences and areas of interest.

“People can learn a lot from each other in these settings,” she said.

The day’s third speaker, Campbell Wolfenden from Guyra Rural Services, demonstrated the use of practical tools such as a refractometer and soil sampler to help farmers better understand their soils and pastures.

With 25 attendees, feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Many commented that it was a great afternoon, full of practical ideas and plenty of opportunities for discussion.

The chance to hear from experienced speakers and connect with like-minded people was seen as a real benefit.

The Ben Lomond Landcare Group is thrilled with the feedback and is hoping to run a follow-up session later in the year.

Anyone interested in attending or finding out more is encouraged to get in touch with the group.

Looking ahead, there are several opportunities to continue the conversation:

• On Friday 19th September, the Guyra Cuppa Chat group will meet at Guyra Rural Services. This farmer group focuses on sustainable agricultural practices and is open to new members. The session will explore some of Campbell Wolfenden’s products and demonstrate how to take a good soil sample.
• On Saturday 4th October, Graeme Sait from Nutri-Tech Solutions will be in Ben Lomond to deliver a half-day workshop on building profit with minerals, microbes and humus.
• In November, Heidi McElnea will run a series of permaculture workshops with the Guyra Neighbourhood Centre, offering practical skills for building more resilient home gardens and communities.