No images? Click here
RegenWA Newsletter
Welcome to the October edition of the RegenWA newsletter. We are entering the Noongar season of Kambarang, characterised by a transition away from rain and cold fronts into warmer temperatures. Carpets of colourful wildflowers fill the landscape, including the vibrant flowering of the Kangaroo Paw. Kambarang brings an abundance of food sources, including fruit, yams and gilgie
In this edition, we share highlights from the Regenerative Food Systems Conference week, more exciting videos of Tim Thompson with our RegenWA members, and the suite of events coming up in October and November!
Have an upcoming event? Want to share your story or find out more information? Contact us at info@regenwa.com, @regenwa on Twitter/X, @regenwa on Instagram, Regen WA on Facebook or visit our website.
REGENWA NEWS
Successful conference marks new chapter for WA's food system
The Regenerative Food Systems Conference brought together 300 participants and 30+ local, interstate, and international experts to explore pathways towards resilient, regenerative food systems. Across presentations, panels, and interactive demonstrations, speakers highlighted the connections between soil health, nutritious food, and human wellbeing, while emphasising First Nations knowledge, collective action, and community-led solutions. From powerful storytelling to live demonstrations in landscape rehydration and soil biology, the conference bridged science and lived experience, showing how collaboration across all sectors of the food system, including farming, health, finance, and policy, can drive meaningful change. RegenWA hopes the depth of insight, calibre of speakers, and connections formed throughout the event left participants energised as the opportunities driving WA’s regenerative food future forward were unearthed. Want to provide your feedback? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Take the survey here.
Regenerative learning comes to life at conference satellite events
Between September 15 and September 20, Western Australia became the heart of regenerative action, hosting over 1,000 participants across the conference, workshops, farm tours, screenings, and a festival. Highlights included Joel Williams’ Plant Nutrition Masterclass, an immersive tour of the Haggerty family’s Natural Intelligence Farming™️operations, the two-day Regenerative Food Systems Conference, Nourish Perth, ‘Roots So Deep’ screenings, Mulloon's Landscape Rehydration Field Day, and Matthew Evans’ Grounded festival. Participants explored practical strategies for soil and plant health, nutrient-dense food production, and landscape restoration, while connecting science, First Nations knowledge, and lived experience. The week demonstrated the power of collaboration in building resilient, regenerative food systems for WA’s future.
These events were supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.
New project to prioritise on-farm biodiversity protection through eDNA
RegenWA is excited to share that a new project, titled 'Using eDNA to Prioritise Activities to Protect Farm Biodiversity' and funded through Landcare Australia's Biodiversity in Action Grants, is about to launch. The project will trial eDNA (environmental DNA) on three farms to identify local threatened species to inform and prioritise on-ground works that improve the protection of the detected species while also ascertaining the presence of feral species. This methodology enables DNA traces to be detected (by collecting samples like topsoil or flowers), extracted and linked to a known species. Participating farmers will be selected through a transparent expressions of interest process, which will commence in the near future. One of the successful farms will host a demonstration to showcase how eDNA monitoring can prioritise landcare efforts from the planning phase through to implementation. The Bindoon region, home to five threatened species: the Western Swamp Tortoise, Woylies, Carter's freshwater mussel, the Black-Flanked Rock Wallaby and the Chuditch, is the target area for this project.
Latest Tim Thompson videos explore WA regenerative success in grazing and vineyards
Through RegenWA's Make Your Hectare Count project, Tim Thompson has produced a series of videos with RegenWA members. The latest, featuring Murray Gomm and Sarah & Geoff Mason are now live! At Oranje Tractor near Albany, Murray demonstrates how multi-species cover crops, Johnson-Su compost, plant sap testing, and temporary sheep grazing boost soil health, vine productivity, and farm resilience. Check the video out here! Plus, watch Murray's explainer of how soil microbes work...using old farm equipment, no less! In Calingiri, Sarah & Geoff showcase a 600 ha transition from cropping to regenerative grazing. Using low-stress stock handling, rotational grazing, and natural attractants, their cattle thrive while biodiversity returns. Click here to watch Geoff & Sarah's video. Across both properties, the key takeaway is clear: healthy soil, microbes, and fungi do the heavy lifting, creating resilient, fertile, and profitable systems for vineyards, pastures, and gardens alike.
RegenWA's 'Make Your Hectare Count' project is supported by funding through the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
REGENWA EVENTS
Soil Biology Field Day: Mycelium Makes You Money!
Webinar: Livestock Essentials 101 - What Every Small Producer Should Know
Property Planning for Small Landholders with Chris Ferreira
Small Property Planning Workshop with Chris Wyhoon
Stock Smart Series - Livestock Essentials for Small Properties with Bruce Maynard
OTHER EVENTS
- Protected Cropping: Shed Share and Farm Walk - Wanneroo, October 8
- Introduction to Dung Beetles Workshop - Denmark, October 10
- Firewise Gardens and Landscapes Workshop - Gidgegannup, October 12
- Western Australian Horticultural Update 2025 - Perth, October 22
- Measuring and Managing your Farm Carbon Emissions - Williams, October 24
- Biodiversity Conference - Perth, October 28-30
- Healthy Soils Field Day - Mundijong, November 2
- Holistic Management Workshop Program - Albany and Margaret River, November 10 & 11
- Stress Free Stock Handling with Bruce Maynard- Gingin, November 10&11
- Native Grasses Workshop - Gidgegannup, November 21
- Animal Ethics and Welfare - Communication Strategies Workshop - Mandurah, November 26&27
If you have upcoming events, or see an event the RegenWA community would be interested in, hit us up at info@regenwa.com, @regenwa on Twitter, @regenwa on Instagram, Regen WA on Facebook or on our website.
OPPORTUNITIES & SUPPORT
Do you know someone doing it tough? Refer to Rural West.
Rural West offers a free, confidential, and mobile financial counselling service to eligible regional small businesses and primary production enterprises in WA. Their service is designed to support those navigating through challenging and turbulent financial times. For more information, visit the website.
Dung beetle & soil health program opportunity
DPIRD has engaged Landcare and Catchment groups to research and trial the value of dung beetles in soil health and farm productivity. The program involves establishing a baseline of management practices, followed by dung beetle monitoring and information sharing. Take the survey to share your practices and submit an EOI.
DPIRD grants up to $50,000 available for farmers' markets
Grants up to $50,000 will be available to farmers’ markets operators to support business operations, build capability and ensure a sustainable business model for future success. Find out how to apply here. Submissions close July 2027.
Transition assistance for live export phase out
This program is designed to increase information available to the Australian sheep, agriculture, food and fibre industries on market opportunities and/or on stronger business relationships for interstate and overseas markets for sheep products; and for markets for Australian agri-food in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Find out more and apply here before November 4.
RESOURCES
REGEN ONLINE
Did you attend the Regenerative Food Systems Conference? We'd love to hear your feedback! Take the survey here.
Read this article to learn how Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire is healing Country, reconnecting First Nations knowledge of caring for Country with modern land management.
RegenWA Network Membership
We ask all our members to share this newsletter with their contacts and community groups and invite growers to register (no cost) regardless of what type, size, location, interest, and knowledge level of biological farming.
A diverse community is a strong, healthy community.
RegenWA is supported by Perth NRM through funding from Lotterywest, Commonland, the Australian Government, and the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.
