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RegenWA Newsletter
Welcome to the August edition of the RegenWA e-Newsletter and to the the Noongar season of Djilba (August – September). Djilba brings a combination of cold, clear days mixed with warm, rainy and windy days. This transition ushers in the main flowering season for many native plants (often lead by Acacias), and the beginning of protective swooping behaviours from koolbardi (magpies).
Berry season is approaching! Soon, you can enjoy blueberries, mulberries, and currants. For now, oranges, mandarins, and honeydew melons are still in-season, while broccoli, fennel, and rhubarb are also delicious at this time of year.
In this newsletter, you can read about new demonstration sites, Stuart McAlpine's biologically-driven farm, recent webinars, and the formation of the Grounded Minds Consortium. Plus, find out about exciting upcoming field days and other great opportunities to get involved in the regenerative agriculture movement.
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
How Stuart McAlpine is refining his biologically driven enterprise
Yield improvements of around 30%, more robust rhizospheres, deeper A horizons, root depth increasing by 20-25mm each year, reduced frost impacts, soils measuring 5°C warmer than neighbouring properties during frost events, and consistent best-in-class carcass quality feedback on cattle from buyers. These are just a handful of indicators on Stuart McAlpine’s property that exemplify a resilient system yielding first-rate produce. How did Stuart get to this point? By centring soil biology in his operations, backing up decisions with decades of data, treating every practice change as an ongoing trial rather than a fixed answer, and continually seeking out new tools – including his most recent undertaking, Soil DNA Functionality Testing. Learn more about Stuart’s practices and motivations by reading his case study and watching this Soil DNA webinar.
This case study is supported by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
New grants help WA landholders trial regenerative practices
RegenWA’s Accelerating Regenerative Agriculture Adoption project recently approved three new devolved grants for ‘give it a go’ demonstration sites. One grant has been provided to a grass finished, regenerative beef enterprise in Calingiri who are set to trial a foliar spray of fish hydrolysate, humic acid, worm extract and kelp to increase soil biological activity. Another has been allocated to a horticulturalist and horse owner in Cowalla seeking to demonstrate how contour ripping, strategic native revegetation and on-farm biological soil amendments can improve water infiltration, soil health, biodiversity and pasture resilience. The third aims to demonstrate practical applications of regenerative methods in the Bailup area, specifically the establishment of perennial pastures. The aim of these demonstration sites is to build kind of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing that underpins long-term, lasting change while bolstering the heath of communities and catchments.
These demonstration sites are funded by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program
Latest webinars ground farm management in evidence-based practices
Promoting evidence-based practices is a key driver of our work at RegenWA, and our eDNA for Biodiversity Action and Advancing Natural Capital Accounting projects are two initiatives with this mission at their core. Most recently, these projects produced two webinars to break down the science and practice behind different methods available for informing farm management decisions: Soil DNA Functionality Testing - Taking the Guesswork Out of Soil Health and eDNA Sampling – How to get a Good Test Result. Delivered through our Make Your Hectare Count Project, June’s Seasonal Update webinar offered another opportunity to ground management in science through a discussion led by Dr. Meredith Guthrie on what to expect from the remainder of 2026. These are available to view on the RegenWA YouTube channel.
These webinars were funded by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program and Landcare Australia through their Landcare Agriculture Biodiversity in Action program
Visualising RegenWA's reach and impact
Since its inception in 2017, RegenWA has grown its membership from nought to 2,123 (comprising 32% landholders and 68% stakeholders and consumers), delivered events across the whole state, and continues to expand to audiences well beyond the confines of WA. Working alongside Joni Sercombe through generous support from our key partners, Commonland, we’re now finding new ways to communicate this reach and impact. Go to our home page to click through maps demonstrating the sweeping geographies, array of stakeholder types, and breadth of topics our work has involved to date, and read more about the highlights of the 2025/26 financial year in our latest report.
The farmers, researchers, and grass-roots groups driving Australian food systems change
RegenWA chair, Stuart McAlpine, is one of 14 interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners comprising the Grounded Minds Consortium -a collaboration between Deakin University, Flinders University, and key research and industry partners. The Consortium aims to develop innovative, evidence-based solutions that enhance food systems, reduce ecosystem degradation, and improve mental and brain health. Their recent position paper adds to a growing wave of recent scrutiny into Australia’s food system, as it is revealed to be more fragile than superficial measures of outputs and productivity have long suggested. Stuart wrote the paper’s Statement of Hope, emphasising that “…by rebuilding the continuous living connection that supports all life, we can create a future where people and the planet flourish together."
REGENWA EVENTS
OTHER EVENTS
Dairy Resilience Field Day - Warner Glen, August 21
ZNE-Ag CRC Annual Conference - Perth, August 18 - 20
WA Landcare Network Annual Gathering - Toodyay, August 30 - September 1
Make/shift: A festival of future making - Fremantle, September 4 - 18
UWA Ridgefield Open Day - Pingelly, September 11
Slow Food Festival - Mundaring, October 18
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
The seasonal climate outlook for August to October 2026 continues to indicate the El Niño in the Pacific Ocean lasting until at least summer. The current outlook is for drier and warmer temperatures across the state. Check out this Grains Convo episode on balancing yield and profit this season and watch our seasonal update with Dr. Meredith Guthrie.
Avian influence update
Following the first mass mortality of Australian wildlife from the deadly H5 bird flu earlier this week, limiting the transmission of bird flu is more vital than ever. 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.
Who pays for regenerative agriculture?
Now sourcing 29% of their cereals and vegetable proteins from regenerative farms, Purina's head of sustainability discusses how regenerative sourcing can be economically viable in this interview with Food Manufacture. Kerstin explains how risk can be shared with farmers, recognising that this approach shores up supply chains in the long-term.
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.
Slow Food Festival vendor and sponsorship opportunities
EOIs are now open for producers, vendors, chefs and restaurants interested in joining the Slow Food Festival in Mundaring. Beverage-producer applications close August 14, while applications for other vendors, chefs and restaurants close August 21. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
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.
Grant opportunities for community events and infrastructure
CBH's Grass Roots Community Grants are open until August 31, funding community events up to $10,000 and infrastructure projects up to $20,000. GRDC is also offering Infrastructure Grants for grain research, development and extension capability, with applications closing on October 1.
RESOURCES
Get updates, events & insights relating to a major five-year research project continuing the research into pasture combinations for 365 day feedbase.
Read the Soils for Life Practice Guide: Grazing for Regeneration
Visit the Soil CRC Visualising Australia's Soils portal for publicly available, high quality soils data.
REGEN ONLINE
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.
