The Curious Farmer Podcast
Kate Field from Leap Farm has questions - lots of questions! You might too - send questions to thecuriousfarmer@gmail.com, or through our social media links at the bottom of this page.
In Season 2, Kate still speaks to other farmers, gardeners, chefs scientists and conscious eaters, really anyone who has an interest in regenerative farming, to learn more about how food can be produced with our own health and the health of the planet in mind. But she’ll also be giving you information about how and why we farm the way we do, and answering your questions. You can find The Curious Farmer podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify or your favourite pod app. Or, just click on the “Listen” button to hear more.
Dr Tom Remenyi at the Tasmanian Climate Smart Conference in September 2021
S2: Episode 8 - A Vote for Science and Agriculture
In September 2021, the Tasmanian branch of Farmers for Climate Action held their inaugural local conference. This episode consists of three short interviews with presenters Dr Tomas Remenyi (pictured) and Professor David Bowman, climate scientists from the University of Tasmania, as well as a young local farmer, Sam Green. This episode is a call to all voters, to think about how we can best ensure a vibrant future in a world with rapidly changing agriculture, economics, and migration as a result of our changing climate.
S2: Bonus Episode - Learning from RANT with Safe to Fail Experiments
At the recent Climate-Smart Agriculture Conference in Tasmania, Kate spoke with Celia Leverton, Chair of the Regenerative Agriculture Network of Tasmania (RANT), about what the organisation is, and what this not-for-profit aims to achieve. Hint: it's all about educating farmers. After their brief discussion, Kate gives an example of safe-to-fail on-farm experiments, and what that has meant for Leap Farm.
Iain on site at the Leap Farm dairy
Matt in the Field
S2: Episode 7 - A Positive Carbon Story
Iain Field, the other half of Leap Farm, chats to Kate about their positive carbon story. In this episode, we find out how they calculated their net green house gas emissions, as well as their carbon sequestration. We also find out why increasing carbon in your soil helps to build a strong, resilient farm (and what a resilient farm is). There are some tips and tricks and plenty of hope for the future in farming, whether you're big, tiny, or somewhere in between.
After talking to A/Prof Matt Harrison in the last episode, he was inspired to complete a carbon audit of our farm, discovering that we sequester at least as much as 3 times more carbon than we emit. He did this through utilising the University of Melbourne GHG calculator. He developed a spreadsheet to be able to determine our Carbon Sequestration rate (direct link coming soon). While none of the data you receive is robust enough to earn you ACCUs, it will certainly give you enough information about your farm or enterprise to determine where you sit in relation to carbon footprint, and will give you some guidance as to what levers you can pull to improve your carbon sequestration or decrease your emissions. And you certainly don't need a PhD to be able to complete it!
S2: Episode 6 - Ruminant Livestock and Greenhouse Gases
Associate Professor Matthew Harrison is an agricultural scientist at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (UTas), who looks at agricultural systems from a holistic perspective. Kate (and Iain) met with Matt to get a better understanding of ruminant livestock and greenhouse gas emissions, balanced against the potential for carbon sequestration in agricultural land.
This episode is really about carbon accounting in farming – listening will help you gain a better holistic overview and understanding of emissions from livestock, carbon sequestration in soil, and the dilemma that this presents to farmers. Matt, Kate and Iain discuss the need to develop strategies to assist farmers to manage their farm and livestocks with economics, sustainability and socially acceptable solutions in mind.
Farmers who are interested in becoming involved in Matt's research can contact him via email: Matthew.Harrison@utas.edu.au
Angus at one of his many worm farms
S2: Episode 5 - Angus’s Ark
Angus Stewart has always been a visionary when it comes to the protection and longevity of native Australian plants. But his vision has become clearer, sharper and bolder. Angus graciously shares his vision with us and describes the tools and methods that he is using to see his vision blossom.
Lauren in the eggplant beds with the caterpillar tunnel on the left.
S2: Episode 4 - Lessons from Lauren
Kate catches up with Lauren Byrne of Felds Farm, 18 months after they moved their share-farming operation 200km north.
In a mere 20 minutes, Lauren gives her perspective on where Felds Farm is today, and many of the lessons that they have learnt, along the way. She gives an update on their progress, and how their thinking about the business has matured considerably in such a short period of time.
Kate and Cor Ung
S2: Episode 3 - Community Through Growing
Coreen Ung of Our Mates Farm talks about organic certification, how they run multiple enterprises on their small farm, and how they have taken an old, run-down orchard and grafted over 50 different cultivars of apple to create a thriving business. Cor shares their values with us, as well as the explanation for how they came to be farmers. A heart-warming and inspirational story, with a lot of courage thrown in for good measure.
Lulu and Kate - clearly Kate is getting a talking to… maybe she doesn’t like the green beanie?
S2: Episode 2 - The First Q&A with Kate - The Leap Farm goat dairy system
Leap Farm dairy system:
Once a day milking (in the mornings).
All kids kept with their mothers throughout the season (during the day).
The mothers and kids are drafted apart in the evening, with all of them shedded at night on a composting hay floor (deep litter system) that provides heat (like an electric blanket).
Kids are given a small amount of milk every morning (with a cuddle) for the first 6 weeks of life.
Kids naturally wean from their mothers over the course of the season.
The males and the females who lines aren't desirable for the milking herd are turned off the paddock when they reach a reasonable size and are sold for meat.
Milking (and cheese making) is seasonal - in late autumn/early winter, milking ceases for the season, and both the farmers and the girls get a 3 month break, and so the cycle begins again.
Producers coming together and learning from each other and others at Cross Pollinate, the annual Sprout Tasmania conference.
S2: Episode 1 - Sprouting a Culture of Collaboration
Did you know that there is a not-for-profit organisation in Tasmania for Small Producers? Sprout was started 10 years ago, and for the last 5 years has been led by General Manager Jen Robinson. In this episode, I chat to Jen about what Sprout is, how it came about, it's "why" and why it is important for all small producers in Tasmania to get behind.
As small producers, we rarely get "a voice" at the table when it comes to discussions about agriculture in Tasmania or even at a federal level. Sprout has become that voice, and has been advocating for small producers in this space increasingly. But they need to know more about us - like where we are, what we farm, our economic worth and how we add value to our community.
Sprout has received funding to administer a survey to get more information about small producers in Tasmania - and they need out help to respond and also pass the survey details on to other small producers, to try and get as clear a snapshot as possible about our businesses. You can find the link here: Sprout Survey
For more info about Sprout Tasmania, head to their website. If you have the ability, please join as a member to help keep the organisation able to advocate for us. You can also find Sprout on Facebook and Instagram.
Catch up on (or remind yourself about) Season 1
Mike and Lauren Layfield of Felds Farm
S1: Episode 1 - The Humble Onion
Mike and Lauren Layfield’s story about entering farming will inspire you and provide you with some tips and tricks for growing your own food at home.
Christina Giudici - FIMBY (food in my back yard)
S1: Episode 2 - Shelving for your soil
Urban (and rural) farmer Christina Giudici helps to define what regenerative farming is all about, the role biochar can play and the beauty of compost. And did you know that there are desirable worms?
Ellie, Zoe and Dave Judge from Frog Hollow Nursery
Simon Mitchell
S1: Episode 3 - Ecologism, a philosophy for life
Dave and Zoe Judge from Frog Hollow Nursery show us around their nursery, demonstrating how their philosophy on ecology informs their business and their life. You will get more gardening tips, learn how you can adapt to nature rather than try and tame it, as well as learning more about why biodiversity is useful, and how chemical fertilisers can impact and harm the soil.
S1: Episode 4 - A Risk Worth Taking
Simon and Fiona Mitchell are converting their conventional cow dairy into an organic and regenerative enterprise. On this week’s episode we explore some of the reasons behind their decision, as well as the ways in which the have and continue to change their operation.
Eaglerise Farm
S1: Episode 5 - The Top Order Predator
Gerard Lawry has lived on Eaglerise Farm for 20 years. He applies organic permaculture action to his land, that he views through an ecological lens. He gives us insights into how he issues big picture thinking to manage his farm. We also discuss the difference between organic vs regenerative, and think about why regenerative farming is gaining momentum, where organic never did. An interesting discussion that could
Helen and her veggie beds
S1: Episode 6 - Tiny Scale Farming: The Veggie Patch
The Coronavirus global pandemic has changed the way we interact with and think about food. We are more aware of our local food systems and for many of us, we’ve suddenly been forced to think about food security. This has prompted many people to start a veggie patch, or resurrect the old one. In this weeks’ episode I chat with Helen Whitaker (pictured) about her veggie patch. She hands down some tips and tricks and gives us a reality check about how we can manage to fir a veggie garden into our already busy lives. This is regenerative farming on a tiny scale.
Mark Scanlon with Indi and produce
S1: Bonus Episode - It’s Complicated…
In this bonus episode, we chat to Mark Scanlon, who has just finished up his first summer season in his veggie patch. Its' a fun bonus, with a few laughs, and a few pearls about growing food for your family.
Graeme Hand
S1: Episode 7 - Not Just Another Vitamin Pill
Graeme Hand is a certified Holistic Management Educator and cattle farmer. He has over 25 years of experience working with farmers in designing and educating about holistic planned grazing. He has worked internationally and all over Australia, across multiple different landscapes, advising landowners and managers, Industry and Government. In this episode of The Curious Farmer, Kate asks questions of Graeme about holistic planned grazing and how it fixes carbon in the soil.
Massimo Mele - photo by Daniel Boud
S1: Episode 8 - My Fishmonger Was At My Wedding
As restaurants and cafes around Australia and the world open up again, how do you choose which one to go to? What are the qualities in the producers and the chefs who prepare the food that make you want to support them? And how do you know if they're telling the truth? Join Kate and Massimo Mele as they explore these questions, discuss regenerative agriculture vs conventional agriculture and some of the barriers that face primary producers making the switch. And laugh out loud at a few of Massimo's stories.
Jenny Sinclair
S1: Episode 9 - Measuring Carbon in Soil
Dr Jenny Sinclair and her husband own and manage Cape Bernier Vineyard on the lower East Coast of Tasmania. In addition, she is the Chief Scientist at Green Collar, an environmental consulting firm that provides advice and project management in carbon farming strategies. In this episode, I ask Jen about the importance of carbon in soil…. And then she drops a bombshell… I wonder if you’ll be as surprised as I was?
Tony and Flo
S1: Episode 10 - It Starts From The Ground
Tony O'Connell grows blueberries in southern Tasmania. In this episode, Tony and Kate discuss his holistic approach to managing a monocrop, how he introduces diversity above and below the ground, and Kate gets to ask a bunch of questions about the effect of spraying microbes on the soil.
Briony and Stan from Fat Carrot Farm
S1: Episode 11 - A Fat, Juicy, Crisp, Crunchy Carrot
Stan and Briony Robert of Fat Carrot Farm have been producing high quality veggies for local subscribers and the food service industry for several years. They farm using regenerative and organic principles. This episode tackles the business side of farming: Stan and Briony share their experiences in selling their produce and how they transitioned from full-time professional careers to full-time farmers.
But there is so much more to this episode - we discuss the importance of community, particularly during the recent lockdown of the food service industry, philosophies that help you be successful in farming, soil health (of course!) and take an audio tour through their market garden.
This conversation occurred overlooking Brian’s veggie patch
S1: Episode 12 - Magic In A Bottle
Brian Horsley is the owner of MacroBoost - a local Tasmanian small business that provides probiotic liquids for gardens, waste water treatments and agricultural operations. Kate chatted with Brian after purchasing some products to try and got to the bottom of why and how probiotics for plants make a difference.