The course is led by Farming Systems Extension Specialist Kristy Youman. Kristy has over 10 years of experience in the environmental science and agricultural field working in a wide variety of roles across Australia for government, non-profit and private organisations. Kristy conducts a number of the soil and grazing extension projects for Soil Land Food. She has previously worked in extension and research with a range of agencies, community groups and landholders. Prior to that she travelled and worked around Australia on pastoral properties. She runs a mixed farming property with her partner at Guyra on the New England.

This is a Four (4) day course* being held on, Thursday  10^th & Friday  11^th August; and Thursday  7^th & Friday  8^th of September.  Designed for anyone looking to develop a holistic Whole Farm Plan, refresh their existing plan, improve their farm's biodiversity and landscape health, implement ecologically based farm innovations or improve farm business productivity.

Merging landscape science, applied agroecology and whole farm planning, this innovative 4 day course will show you how to design and plan a healthy, resilient and productive rural landscape for your farm business in the 21st century. At the end of this course you will have the confidence to identify issues, make decisions and take action to start improving landscape health and enterprise productivity on your property. It all starts with good planning! You will develop a well thought out Regenerative Farm Plan for your place. The course is hands on, group based and combines theory with lots of practical activities.

You will learn:

• how to "see" your landscape using landscape thinking
• about Landscape Patches: the pieces of your farm's landscape jigsaw
• the water and nutrient cycles in rural landscapes
• how energy flows and biodiversity functions in rural landscapes
• climate, landforms & soil types on your property
• about the landscape and agricultural elements of rural planning
• the different approaches to property planning
• the 10 steps to effective property planning

You will also

• use Rural Landscape Logic for effective planning
• use maps for property planning
• set goals for your farm’s rural landscape & enterprises
• assess your farm’s rural landscape
• identify & prioritise issues
• brainstorm strategies for improvement
• develop a Regenerative Farm Plan

* This 4 day workshop is designed for limited numbers with the requirement of attendees to attend all the 4 day sessions, Thursday/Friday 10th and 11th of August and Thursday/Friday 7th and 8th of September. A maximum of 2 people per farm enterprise/property is permitted.