This is Angus and Rick Maurice (right). They are 'conservation farmers'. You'd better hope they are successful or the world is going down the tubes fast. Rick is a conservation farmer from way back, before it was almost fashionable (it isn't, yet). His property Gillinghall, which is nearby, is run along Holistic Resource Management principles. I first met Rick and heard him speak so eloquently about regenerative farming at a conference in Armidale called Managing The Carbon Cycle, put on by Christine Jones, the Carbon Goddess. (More about Christine in a later blog. She is an epic story all on her own.)
Rick and Angus are yet another farming family chosen by the Central West Catchment Management Authority for training in whole farm planning. The quality of the people on this course is gobsmacking. We feel humbled and out of our league with these veterans of agricultural innovation. Now I just wanted to introduce you to Rick and Angus. (Angus recently got married, so he'll be in need of my book Man Overboard: A Self Defence Course for Men In Marriage - see http://manoverboardbook.blogspot.com) In a later blog I will open up the discussion about soil carbon and how we graziers are going to reduce global warming by growing masses of native pasture, the deep roots of which will lock away in our soils - where it can do most good - much of the 'free radical' carbon in the biosphere. Carbon will be the topic for the next few blogs. Tune in and see how Rick and Angus and conservation farmers all around the world are going to save it by improving soil health and productivity.
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