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RegenWA Newsletter
Welcome to the October edition of the RegenWA e-Newsletter!
We are in the Noongar season of Kambarang (October – November).
Kambarang - It’s flower season! You may have already noticed the gorgeous blues, yellows, reds and purples of Australian natives flowering, as well as large flowering stalks of the Balgas (grass trees, Xanthorrhoea spp.). Everything is starting to heat up!
The Moodjar (WA Christmas tree - Nuytsia floribunda) is also beginning to bloom. The largest member of the mistletoe family, it is the only mistletoe that grows in the ground! The Moodjar are a crucial food source for bird and insect species along with species that predate insects, making their preservation crucial for biodiversity!
Seasonal produce: Mangoes, avocadoes, bananas, berries, figs, and many citrus!
In this newsletter, you can read about exciting educational events happening all across WA, and even 30-year old restoration projects, our new series of YouTube videos, an update of one of our Regen Accelerator demo sites, the incredibly interesting Climate Drivers Webinar and more!
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
From Lifestyle Block to Land Stewards: Initial Survey Results Suggesting Small Landholders Need More Support
Initial results from Make Your Hectare Count Small Landholder survey shows a desire for in-person support is prominent, whether one-on-one consultation (50% of respondents ), like-minded community (75%) or group workshops (72%). In commercial agriculture we know the importance of community and professional industry support, but results suggest this is currently lacking for "lifestylers" (64% of respondents).
Lifestylers can play an important role in growing the agricultural industry from the outside in, and connecting the wider public with where their food comes from. WA has over 60,000 "small landholders" (1-100 ha) covering ~ 650,000 ha (DPIRD, 2024). Most are not from a farming background, and have limited time, equipment or experience. This can lead to poor economic, environmental and social outcomes without the proper support.Where is most support wanted? Soil management (75%), ground cover and pastures (64%), and finding the right information and where to go for help (61%).
RegenWA is looking for more respondents, but the survey is closing soon. Get your response in here!
This survey is part of our Make Your Hectare Count project, funded by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program. Survey currently is at 36 respondents, averaging 125.5 ha.
RegenWA and Tim Thompson Collaborate in a New Youtube Video Series!
After amassing over 77,000 views across last year’s videos, we had to get Tim Thompson back to WA for more videos highlighting WA’s most innovative landholders. In the latest series, Tim takes viewers across the state to investigate composting and low-input methods in broadacre crops, regenerative grazing and equine management that protects ecosystems, native grasses reversing erosion and supporting habitat, heirloom seed-saving within a closed-loop system, and off-grid energy setups supporting self-sufficient properties. There’s a community and market thread too - dinner table conversations about profit margins, a new platform helping producers sell directly to customers, and a canola facility offering healthier products and alternative avenues to market. Together, it offers a glimpse into what’s possible when we reduce synthetic inputs, produce quality food, and manage landscapes holistically at all scales. Videos will be added to this playlist as they become available - stay tuned!
These videos are part of our Make Your Hectare Count project, funded by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
Natural Capital Accounting Project Escapes Office as Fieldwork Begins!
Our latest Natural Capital Accounting project has finally escaped the office and hit the ground! After months of planning, training, and mapping alongside Integrated Futures, Tibby and Carrie are officially out in the field gathering data on water quality, flora and fauna, ecological condition, and soil health & chemistry. Starting their work in Three Springs, the team is also venturing to Kojonup, Buntine, Kulin, and Williams to ascertain what may have changed on each farm since their previous assessments several years ago. To stay updated with findings and opportunities to get involved, head to the NCA project web page and follow us on socials.
The Advancing Natural Capital Accounting Project by RegenWA is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
When Farming Nurtures People and Communities; Global Lessons Explored in Recent RegenWA Webinar
As diet-related disease rises alongside growing awareness of nutrient density, farmers are being asked to think not just about yield, but about what their food actually does for the people eating it. In this webinar with Sustainable Food Trust, we heard from farmers and practitioners who are growing for nutrition as well as volume, opening their farms to schools and local communities, and building shorter supply chains that keep good food close to home. Good farming has always done more than produce food, and this session explored how to make that value visible, and how to grow it further. Thank you to Sustainable Food Trust and their Global Farm Metric .
This webinar for RegenWA was supported by funding from the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
First Results in for Demonstration Site: Veolia Compost Trial in Broadacre Crops
David Storer runs a mixed broadacre cropping and sheep enterprise in Meckering. He is exploring soil amendment strategies to improve soil function, crop performance and long-term system resilience. David is particularly interested in practical, scalable approaches that can be integrated into existing operations with minimal disruption. View the graphs, table, and summary results below for a preview of how 2025’s barley crop responded to varying compost and fertiliser rates. A more detailed report of this trial will be published in early 2027.
This demonstration site is part of Regen Accelerator Project and is supported by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
El Nino? IOD? SAMS? Dr. Guthrie explains WA Climate Drivers and 2026 Seasonal Update in RegenWA Webinar
Knowing how to interpret, prepare for, and respond to climate drivers and weather patterns is essential for protecting both your natural capital and your bottom line, whether you're a commercial farmer or a small landholder. So what can we expect from the second half of 2026, and what can we do on the ground to buffer the impacts of the recently declared El Niño? This seasonal update from Dr. Meredith Guthrie (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development) explored how to interpret climate models, how El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) will shape weather patterns into the remainder of 2026, and how this all translates on the ground.These are available to view on the RegenWA YouTube channel.
Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators are supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program. This project is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.
WA Food Working Group Seeks to Hear Your Insights Ahead of Developing WA Food Security Policy and Upcoming Forum.
WA doesn't yet have a Food Security Policy, and there is some way to go in bringing all the parts of the food system with an interest in fair, healthy, regenerative food to understand our common intents and alignments.
We're keen to hear from a few producers and others to prepare for the WA Food Policy Forum (November 30, 2026). Your insights will inform the upcoming work around food ecosystems enablers and policy. Allow yourself around 15 minutes to give some considered thought to the questions below.
RegenWA is participating in the WA Food Working Group through our MYHC project, funded by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
REGENWA EVENTS
Field Day - Upper Wooroloo Brook Catchment
Sunday 11th October; 9am-1pm
Mundaring, WA (Buses available)
Have you ever wanted to visit a landscape scale restoration project from decades ago? This field day is your chance!
We will tour by bus 2-3 sites in the upper catchment of the Wooroloo Brook and discuss the long-term benefits of revegetation and landscape remediation. Places are limited, bookings essential.
CONTACT: Karyn Hodby PHONE: 0490 672 823 EMAIL: karyn.hodby@perthnrm.com
Brought to you by Perth NRM and the City of Swan, with funding support from the West Australian Government’s State NRM Program; and the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and delivered by Perth NRM, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.
Composting the Johnson-Su Way; Workshop with Robyn Brown
Friday 16 October; 9am-1pm; Martin, WA
Whether you're a backyard gardener, small landholder, grower, or simply interested in soil health, come along to learn about a easy-to-maintain approach to creating biologically active compost, that can be used as an extract to help kickstart soil biology!
This event is part of the Make Your Hectare Count project, supported by funding from the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
Joel Williams Roadshow (19-25/10/2026)
Led by internationally renowned soil health expert, Joel Williams, this series is a chance for local growers to access world-class science on enhancing soil biology for sustainable and profitable food production.
1. Cannington (VegetablesWA)
2. Kudardup (Lower Blackwood LCDC)
3. Bridgetown (Southern Forests Food Council and Galloway Springs)
4. Albany (Torbay Catchment Group)
CONTACT: Tibby Tuckett ; tibby.tuckett@regenwa.com
Supported by funding from the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program through our Make Your Hectare Count project, RegenWA is pleased to be supporting Torbay Catchment Group, Southern Forests Food Council, Galloway Springs, VegetablesWA, and Lower Blackwood Catchment LCDC in the roll out of these exciting events.
WA Food Policy Forum
The Federal government has embarked on the process to create a National Food Security Strategy, Feeding Australia.
This opens a vital window for local governments, community food organisations, citizens and stakeholders from across the food system to discuss the key issues, identify key shared needs and priorities, and engage directly with local, state and Federal policy makers. Our Food Policy Forums connect food system changemakers, look at what’s working on the ground, and turn shared challenges into collective action, collaboration and momentum.
Join us to hear from leading food system advocates and practitioners at this years forum!
RegenWA is participating in the WA Food Working Group through our MYHC project, funded by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
OTHER EVENTS
Slow Food Festival Mundaring : Food, Wine, Spirits 2026: Mundaring WA : Sunday October 18th : 11 AM - 5 PM
Dr Bram Govaerts: 2026 Hector and Andrew Stewart Memorial Lecture : UWA Institute of Agriculture, Crawley WA : Tuesday, October 13th : 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM
Prospective Student Immersion Day: Agricultural Science at UWA : UWA Business School, Crawley WA : Saturday, October 24th : 10 AM - 5 PM
Soil Science Australia National Conference; Common Ground: Soils for the Anthropocene : Perth WA : November 1st - November 5th
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.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Seasonal Climate Outlook; DPIRD Season 2026
For the south west land division, the seasonal climate outlook for September to November 2026 indicates below median rainfall and higher temperatures. For the remainder of the state, spring rainfall outlook is for wetter-than-normal with warmer temperatures.
Latest data on H5 Bird Flu
As of 4pm AEST, 29 September 2026, Australia has 668 confirmed events of H5 bird flu in wildlife, including 10 in Western Australia (WA). Ensure you do not feed wildlife, keep pets away from wildlife, regularly wash shoes & clothes worn on farm or in natural areas, and avoid contact with sick/dead birds, their droppings, body fluids, and feathers.
2026 Harvest Forecasts
Winter crop production in Western Australia is forecast to decrease by 16% to 22.8 million tonnes in 2026–27, down from 27.2 million tonnes in 2025–26. This is largely attributable to lower predicted yields in the Albany and southern Kwinana regions, due to lower rainfall.
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.
Are you a small landholder seeking support?
Accessing the advice and resources you need as a small landholder can be challenging, so we're exploring what services & models could change that by identifying support needs, information gaps, preferred delivery formats, and more. Complete this survey to let us know exactly what support you require, or download the PDF version here.
RESOURCES
Free Resources from Soil Science Australia: Books, factsheets, websites from all over!
Visit the Soil CRC Visualising Australia's Soils portal for publicly available, high quality soils data.
Pastures from Space™: Western Australian livestock producers can now better understand pasture growth on their properties using the revamped Pastures from Space™ online mapping service.
REGEN ONLINE
Explore our new Interactive RegenWA map on our web homepage!
The Dirt on Soil Health: Secrets to Strong Pastures and Healthy Stock
Help us build a regenerative directory!
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.
