Regenerative Farming Practices Bring Resilience and Sustainability to Southern Australian Farm

Strategic Insights -

Jake Ryan, a third-generation farmer from Western Australia's Southern Forests region, is spearheading a regenerative farming approach with his family-owned business, Three Ryans. By adopting practices like strip tillage and strip grazing, the Ryans aim to improve the ecosystem, unlock soil and produce value, and build business and environmental resilience. The family's 200-hectare farm has seen remarkable improvements in soil health, with carbon levels doubling in two years, and their livestock enterprise boasting exceptional lambing rates.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Three Ryans farm, trading as Jake Ryan, has adopted regenerative farming practices like strip tillage and strip grazing to improve soil health and ecosystem resilience.
  • The Ryans have seen significant improvements in soil health, with carbon levels doubling in two years on one of their leased blocks.
  • The farm's livestock enterprise, consisting of 40 head of cattle and 1000 ewes, has exceptional lambing rates, with the Multimeat portion of the flock siring ewes that will lamb an average of about 150-160% and rear about 30% more lambs than other crossbred sheep.
  • The Ryans have reduced business risk by growing for the processing sector, with a set price and contracted volume allowing them to budget.
  • The family has implemented innovative practices like using diverse pasture species mixes and temporary fence boundaries to prevent over-grazing areas.
  • Regenerative farming practices have increased stocking density from 700 head to 1000 head, with the aim of getting back to basics and building a sustainable business for future generations.

Statistics:

  • The Three Ryans farm has 200 hectares in the Western Australia's Southern Forests region.
  • The farm's livestock enterprise has 40 head of cattle and 1000 ewes, with lambing rates averaging 150-160%.
  • The Ryans have seen a 10% reduction in diesel consumption over 24ha by adopting strip tillage.
  • The farm's carbon levels have doubled in two years on one of their leased blocks.

Sources:

  • "Vegetable production with a twist for southern farming family" by Mel Williams for The West Australian.