What happens when neighbours come together to tackle the challenges of land management? Collaboration, innovation, and inspiring success stories! The recent “Across the Fence” farming day, hosted by Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare Landscapes (GMLL) and Southern Highlands Landcare Network (SHLN), showcased the power of working together to build sustainable, resilient landscapes. From hands-on demonstrations to actionable insights, the event proved that sharing resources, knowledge, and a common vision can transform both the land and the community.
Held as part of the broader Across the Fence Farming (ATFF) initiative, the event provided a platform for local landholders to share knowledge, tools, and strategies to enhance productivity and improve the health of the landscape. The day offered a unique opportunity for landholders to connect, learn, and explore the benefits of collective land management in a practical and engaging way. Here’s what made this event a standout success.
Rob Lawson’s presentation highlighted four key collaborative principles that are transforming land management practices both locally and globally:
- Strategic Grazing: Using planned grazing techniques to enhance pasture diversity and support soil health.
- Grazing Management: Aligning the timing, duration, and intensity of grazing with ecosystem health goals.
- Infrastructure Investment: Fencing and other shared infrastructure to improve land use efficiency.
- Neighbourly Collaboration: grazing livestock as a larger shared mob across properties building economies of scale and impact. Sharing knowledge, assets such as cattle yards, equipment and labour to achieve mutual benefits.
The event included a farm walk around Indigo Creek, offering participants a hands-on demonstration of equipment owned by GMLL and practical applications of shared resources. Attendees were shown how resource-sharing can help rejuvenate smaller, subdivided parcels of land, returning them to productive and sustainable use.
The ATFF project, a priority for GMLL over the next three years, is designed to address challenges faced by lifestyle landholders managing properties between 5 and 40 hectares. By encouraging neighbours to work together and combining land resources and management the initiative aims to create more resilient, productive, and biodiverse landscapes while fostering stronger community connections.
Supported by Local Land Services, local councils, and Indigenous Landcare facilitators, the ATFF project goes beyond agriculture to include bush tucker and Indigenous landscape management practices, integrating sustainable and culturally significant knowledge.
The Exeter event was the first in a series of gatherings planned as part of ATFF. The next couple of events, scheduled for March/April 2025 in the Goulburn/ Exeter area, will build on the insights and experiences gained in Exeter, continuing to promote collaboration and shared stewardship among landholders.
Want to know more about the Across the Fence Farming initiative or ran this EPR report on what is happening at Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare Landscapes or the Southern Highlands Landcare Network contact Nathan Frazer, Local Coordinator Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare and Southern Highlands Landcare on [email protected]
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