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Join us on December 5, 2025 to celebrate
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We celebrate World Soil Day (WSD) annually on December 5th to raise global awareness about the role soils play in agricultural development, ecosystem functions and food security.
Endorsed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, WSD became an official international day in 2014. Since then, FAO has facilitated the implementation of WSD as a global platform for action and advocacy within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). |
Dan Falkenberg, Viticulturist in the Eden Hall Vineyard.
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Tickets:
SoilCare Members $45.00 (GST inc) (limit 2 discounted tickets - discount code is in the e-news or contact SoilCare ) Non-members $50.00 (GST Inc) Ticket sales close on November 27th or when fully booked. |
Friday, December 5th 2025 5.00PM to 8.30 PM The Farm - Garlic Shed 11 Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay NSW 2481 Tickets include: 1 beer from sponsor Stone and Wood Byron Bay Brewery 'The Farm' grass-fed beef burger (veg, vegan, GF options) Three Blue Ducks local produce salads 4x30 ml Eden Hall Wine tastings Springton Riesling Gruner Veltliner ( white wine ) Block 4 Shiraz Springton Cabernet Sauvignon 1x150 ml Eden Hall glass of wine The Three Blue Ducks bar will be open for the purchase of additional cocktails or drinks. |
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About Dan
Dan Falkenberg is a multi-generational grape grower from Barossa, with 35 years of experience in all facets of viticulture and ecological land management. He is a prominent leader in the Barossa viticultural community. Dan has served as a member of the Barossa Australia organising committee for the Creating Resilient Landscapes program and has been involved in numerous Barossa Australia-funded projects aimed at promoting sustainability in viticulture. He actively participates in various working groups and is a member of the Barossa Viticultural Technical Group. His work has earned him several federally funded grants to investigate methods for enhancing vineyard biodiversity and implementing regenerative land management practices using native perennial grasses. Dan is also involved with the National Eco-Vineyards program and has presented both regionally and nationally on topics such as Creating Resilient Landscapes and Enhancing Vineyard Biodiversity. Additionally, he co-authored the Eco Vineyards Bird Guide, which focuses on the ecological roles of birds in Australian vineyards. |
Eden Hall Vineyard
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Eden Hall compost production.
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Monday, October 27, 2025
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FREE EVENT + Afternoon Tea: Registration Required
The Soil Health Card serves as an additional tool to help you gain a deeper understanding of your soils and their productivity, complementing any existing soil testing you may conduct. Maintaining soil health in the short term will undoubtedly increase the sustainability of farming into the future.
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Beneficial microbes for healthy crops. Dr Dean Metcalf,
General introduction & interactions to the microbes in the soil (fungi, bacteria, nematodes, protozoa). ~ Plant diseases – how they infect ~ How beneficial microbes inhibit diseases. ~ Phytophthora, what is it? ~ Trichoderma & enriched composts and more! Incorporating Indigenous cultural values in pest suppressive landscapes. David Hinchley Jagun Alliance
Potential flowering plants for Conservation Biological Control (CBC) in subtropical Rubus.
Dr Saleh Adnan, Research Horticulturist Entomology, NSW DPI Why biocontrol? Painting the picture of retaining the status quo. Dr Kirsten Ellis, Southern Cross University
Sustainable pest control for macadamia industry
Dr Tania Yonow and Prof Darren Kriticos, Cervantes Agritech |
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After advising and training hundreds of graziers and land managers, Judi decided it was time to put the principles into practice. The purchase of ‘Glen Orton’ - 'the GO' – (pictured above) near Coolatai, NSW in 2011 provided the perfect opportunity to showcase the capacity.
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Workshops with pasture ecologist, grazier, and SoilCare member, Dr Judi Earl. Judi will share insights into managing for soil health and ecosystem function on grazing lands. Through her extensive experience in land planning and holistic management, Judi can guide you towards unleashing the full potential of your land and enterprise. The key to climate resilience lies in healthy soils and thriving ecosystems within a thoughtfully designed-for-purpose property.
Workshop flyer |
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Thank you to the host sponsors for the
Dr Judi Earl workshops: |
Thank you to the support organisations for the Dr Judi Earl workshops:
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'To Understand It, You Need To Measure It:
Approaches for Measuring Soil Biology'. Dr Neil Wilson, Metagen Australia |
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'Soil Chemical Analysis for Biological Farming Systems'
Graham Lancaster , Environmental Analysis Lab, SCU |
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Australian Biological Farming Conference and Expo 2022 Post Conference virtual delegate registration now available. Watch the entire conference from the comfort of your home. 'THE ANSWER IS SOIL. WHAT'S THE QUESTION?' ~ From opening to closing ~ 2022 Australian Biological Farming Conference speaker presentation videos now available. Details on the Conference Website post conference virtual delegate registration for conference videos 27 Conference Videos AUD 300.00 + GST
5 Pre-conference workshop videos AUD 120.00 + GST 5 Pre-conference Videos and 27 Conference Videos AUD 420.00 + GST Go to the conference website for video and speaker details. |
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The second IPM/Cover Crop Field Day in the series of three was attended by farmers interested in planting cover crops and providing beneficial insect habitat.
Ross Arnett shared his insightful observations on numerous trials running on his farm. Thanks also to Richard Llewellyn, BioResources, and Dave Forrest, Organic Forrest, for contributing their knowledge and expertise. BioResources provides insectary reared biological controls specialising in Trichogramma and Anastatus wasps. |
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Farm Walk with Geoff Bugden
Thank you to Geoff and Debbie Bugden for hosting this farm walk on their pecan farm. Geoff shares his many years of observations and on-farm trials. With help from Dave Forrest, Geoff explains to visitors how he developed his farm management practices. In this video watch Geoff explain how he manages ground covers, integrated pest management, soil health, and his brews of bio- fertilisers and bio-teas. |
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