For those interested in sustainable agriculture or just a healthy food garden there is a new method of farming that has been developed in Brazil and is now being practised in Australia.
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It is called Syntropic Farming and was developed by Swiss botanist Ernst Gotsch in response to land degradation as a result of rainforest clearing and poor farming practices in Brazil.
Gotsch took his model for what is basically a food forest from the dynamics he observed when a clearing occurs in the forest.
There is rapid growth and successions of different plant species to restore the canopy.
It is not only at the above ground level that these forest dynamics occur but also beneath the ground with a myriad of microbial and fungal associations that play their part in providing nutrients for plant growth.
Syntropic Farming mimics natural regenerative processes which removes the need for external inputs of fertiliser by using trees such as eucalyptus, banana and acacia to provide biomass and nutrient for horticultural crops.
Practitioners from Byron Bay will be coming to Bellingen to do an introductory workshop on October 21 for those who would like to grow more food on any size plot and with less inputs in a way that benefits the health of both themselves and their land.
Ring Peter Wilkins on 0435 892 898 for more information and to book into the workshop. Cost is $80 for the day.