COBWEBS were brushed off the old shearing shed, a COVID-Safe Event Plan Category Three was completed, 10 litres of hand sanitizer, paper towels and hospital grade disinfectant were purchased.

Queensland Health social distancing and hand washing signs were printed, laminated and nailed up to enable a Natural Sequence Farming 4-day course to be held at Philp and Adele Hughes’ property, Dulacca Downs, last week.

Tarwyn Park Training founder, coordinator and educator Stuart Andrews conducted the course for 22 participants keen to learn how to rehabilitate, regenerate and rehydrate degraded landscapes using natural farming systems and practices.

Jack Groat and Stuart Andrews during last week’s workshop

Co-presenter, Gwyn Jones, is a specialist in soil health, water management, plant succession and innovative ways to manage weeds. The course covers the theory of landscape rehydration and is supported by afternoon field work to learn by actually doing. Stuart is the son of the visionary Peter Andrews, the leading authority and creator of natural sequence farming.

‘One long table’ proved a socially distanced dinner could be enjoyed by the group in the historic old shed in aid of the Lachlan Hughes Foundation.

Established last year by Philip and Adele in honour of their son Lachlan, whose vision and passion was the development of regenerative agricultural practices for our grazing lands. He believed that it is possible to rebuild our soils and increase their sustainable productive capacity to withstand the variables of rainfall and that this in turn would revitalize our rural communities and improve the economic sustainability of the industry.

The event was organised to enable the inaugural Foundation Scholar, Jack Groat, to complete a Natural Sequence Farming course as part of his Scholarship.

Jack has been working on regenerative agriculture practices on ‘Lorraine’, the property he and his wife Emma own north of Roma, since he was awarded the Scholarship.

Stuart Andrews is visiting ‘Lorraine’ this week to assist Jack and Emma with advice and further insight into how they can restore degraded areas and creeks, and improve soil health, water cycles and plant communities using natural sequence farming techniques.

Click here to access the Lachlan Hughes Foundation website