Wednesday, 30 October 2019 15:56

The Importance of Maintaining Groundcover

The final presenter in our 2019 series of evening seminars was Paul Hewitt, a sheep grazier from Grabben Gullen and co-facilitator of the Upper Lachlan Grazing Group. Paul spoke about the importance of maintaining groundcover and balanced decision making in grazing systems. He led us through a thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking slide show of concepts and examples. He advocated that land managers should be aiming to: retain groundcover; match stock numbers to the conditions; increase the diversity of plants and organisms; protect and improve soil health; regularly monitor farming practices and modify as necessary; and consider environmental, economic and emotional outcomes. Paul showed photos from his own property, which were testament to the effectiveness of his approach.