In this podcast episode, Gavin heads out to Jim Coren’s place in Tucki Tucki near Lismore, NSW. Apparently Tucki Tucki means place of many koalas. The local Bundjalung word for koala is Burbi, a totemic animal prior to European settlement, and a concerted effort is now being made locally to conserve the koala population. Jim and his wife Andy settled here a few years ago just as the worst flood in recorded European history impacted Lismore and surrounds, and like many people on floodplain countr...
Feb 20, 2025•35 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Gavin chats with Barbara Linley at her Tullymorgan property in the beautiful Bundjalung and Yaegl country of North Coast New South Wales. In a past life, Barbara was a producer of super fine merino wool in Western Victoria. She shares some of her experiences as a sheep and wool producer, early adopter and passionate Landcare farmer and then a change in circumstances – she is now a custodian of a few hundred acres of Tullymorgan not far from the Clarence River. She’s been applying the skills she ...
Feb 13, 2025•37 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this episode, Gavin heads out to Possum Creek, Northern New South Wales, to have a chat with Penny Hall. Penny was a member of a RAMP cohort a couple years back. She and her husband Bob Lodge are medical specialists who moved from Melbourne to 100 acres on the Northern Rivers. Penny shares how, together with their farm manager Dave, they brought the holistic small acre farming philosophies of Joel Salatin to their operation. They now run a decent sized herd of cattle, have done quite a bit of...
Feb 06, 2025•49 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Shannon and Julie Humphris run Blue Marble Farm on Gumbaynggirr Dangadi Country near Macksville on the New South Wales North Coast. Blue Marble Farm is a great example of self-sufficient living. Gavin Tinning had a bit of a walk around the farm with Shannon before the record button was pressed and was really impressed by the incorporation of livestock into a small property. On Blue Marble Farm there are cattle, milking cows, goats, chickens, turkeys and the livestock is used to regenerate the la...
Dec 04, 2024•59 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Today I'm heading down to Nashua, between Lismore and Bangalow on the NSW North Coast, to have a chat to Jeanie. Jeanie Wylie and Edward Rawlings set up a restaurant called Frida’s Field. If you're driving between Lismore and Bangalow and you look across to the east, around the Nashua turn-off, you'll see, on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, a bunch of cars parked and, no doubt, groups of people enjoying a delicious long lunch in the afternoon sun. Jeanie took some time out of her busy schedule, me...
Nov 27, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In Series Three of Ground Cover, we hear the stories of farmers who participated in the Regenerative Agricultural Mentoring Program. RAMP, as it is generally known, was developed at Southern Cross University and assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust. Gavin Tinning met with a diverse cohort of innovative and inspiring farmers to bring you their insights and learnings. These are their stories. Today I'm in the hills behind Nimbin with Paul Wilson from Nimbin Va...
Nov 20, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In today's episode, we will hear from regenerative agriculture pioneer Lorraine Gordon. Lorraine is the founder and current Chair of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. Her vision is to improve the holistic health and well-being of Australian landscapes, farmers and communities through research, education and practice. We will hear Lorraine talk about: Her own cattle farm at Ebor, her journey into carbon farming and the challenges she has faced. Why the regenerative journey is never over Some...
Jun 11, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Today on Ground Cover we will hear from Dr Lukas Van Zwieten, a Principal Soil Research Scientist from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. Lukas is also an adjunct Professor with Southern Cross University, and he's a farmer. And as you will hear in this recording, he has been described as the 'Grand Master of Soil' by renowned environmental filmmaker Damon Gameau. In this episode, Lukas will share: His insights about soils How to identify your soil constraints How to build heal...
Jun 04, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Today on Ground Cover, we're joined by Dr Jay Anderson, a plant pathologist with more than 20 years of industry experience. She's also a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University, and her research to date has focused on integrated disease management using techniques such as plant breeding, plant selection for resistance, and optimised plant nutrition. Jay is also working to better understand infection processes of pathogens to help target, control, an...
May 28, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In today's episode of Ground Cover, we're joined by Dr Jackie Williams, an adjunct Associate Professor at Southern Cross University who has more than 30 years of applied research in natural resource management. Her areas of expertise include sustainable agriculture governance systems, natural resource policy, and food security. With a lot of discussion and interest in the Nature Repair Bill and Natural Capital Accounting, we decided to pick Jackie's brain about the impact this is having on farme...
May 21, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Today on Ground Cover, I'm joined by Don Coyne, the CEO of the Australia and New Zealand Biochar Industry Group. Don has been working to raise the profile of biochar for years now, and he works hard to bring together industry, scientists, and key stakeholders to realise the potential of biochar for Australia's net zero future. In this episode, we'll hear about: A Southern Cross University research trial that Don has been involved in and some of the challenges and opportunities faced during that ...
May 14, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Professor Kirsten Benkendorff is the Director of Southern Cross University’s National Marine Science Centre and the Deputy Director of the Marine Ecology Research Centre. Her research looks at the impacts of ocean climate change and environmental contaminants on the immune health and nutritional quality of seafood species. She is also investigating the use of marine molluscs for human medicine. Professor Benkendorff has published more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and also teaches into the...
May 07, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Can university research really help us improve climate resilience and soil health on farms? What knowledge can experts share with us? And what can we learn from research projects that don't quite work out the way we planned? In this second season of Ground Cover, Rebecca Lollback from Southern Cross University, will explore these topics and more with her knowledgable and experienced guests, including: Kirsten Benkendorff Don Coyne Jacqueline Williams Lorraine Gordon Jay Anderson Lukas Van Zwiete...
May 07, 2024•7 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Today, on Ground Cover, Kerry is joined by Lorraine Gordon, a beef cattle trader from Ebor who is also Director of Strategic Projects at Southern Cross University, founder of the National Regenerative Agriculture Alliance based out of Southern Cross University and currently working on her PHD in Regen Ag. In this conversation we explore what drives in this incredible woman to take on so many challenging projects and we announce a world first University degree in the Regenerative Agriculture spac...
Dec 05, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Stay tuned... this series of Ground Cover is not quite over yet. We'll be taking a short break for a couple of weeks, then we'll be back with a big announcement that you won't want to miss. In the meantime, join the conversation on social media via our facebook page , and you can join our email list by emailing raa@scu.edu.au
Nov 05, 2019•1 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Kerry talks with Helen and Mike McCosker about the important of regenerating not only soil, but also communities. The McCosker family run Angus on a 3000 acre mixed farming enterprise at Wallangra, north of Inverell. Helen is a CPA with senior management experience working in the large corporate space. A passion for the arts and music. Mike is a fourth generation farmer with extensive experience in carbon farming and teaching farmers about soil health and regenerative agriculture. He was one of ...
Oct 29, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Today on Ground Cover, our host Kerry Cochrane, explores the five landscape functions and how they play out on Tim Wright's property. Tim is a livestock producer, and holistic management farmer, from Armidale on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. The Wrights are a pioneering family of the New England, Tim bucked the traditional farming approach of his ancestors to go where many were not brave enough to go. A holistic farmer in the true sense, who questioned traditional practices, and ventured into ...
Oct 22, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Today, Kerry chats with Colin Seis; a mixed farmer from the Gulgong area of New South Wales. Col has come from a traditional cropping and grazing family and experienced an ecological crash back in the 1970s. This set them up to be quite vulnerable to the bushfires that came afterwards. In those fires, Col lost everything and was badly burned. He had rebuild everything from the ground up. And he started to think about the future survival of himself, his family and his farm. So his focus quickly c...
Oct 15, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 6
On Ground Cover today, Kerry is joined by Michael Taylor, a sixth generation wool producer from Kentucky, on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. Michael's family were one of the original settlers of the New England region. His parents, John and Vicky Taylor, discovered the real causes of the New England die back problem. The family tradition of experimentation and continuous learning is certainly instilled in Michael's approach to farming. Michael is our Agroforestry champion; diversifying his farm ...
Oct 08, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Today, Kerry chats with Derek Smith, a mixed farmer from Guyra who has come along the journey from conventional to regenerative farmer. Derek started his days at the Orange Ag college and over the years experienced a number of problems on his property from crop health issues, animal health issues, weeds, fungal diseases, and insects and pests. Derek was always on the look out for a silver bullet that just wasn't there. So, Derek found himself asking some pretty critical questions of himself and ...
Oct 01, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Today, Kerry Cochrane talks with Bruce Maynard, a mixed farmer from Narromine, NSW, who was a conventional farmer, direct drilling for a decade or so, before making the switch to regenerative practices. From bare paddocks to diversity, from nature to nurture, this is a conversation exploring the journey that has seen Bruce affectionately known as 'the King of no kill cropping'. This the story of a man who was not happy with the notion of taking everything, other than what you were trying to grow...
Sep 24, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Welcome to the introductory episode of Ground Cover – a podcast for farmers by farmers.This podcast is brought you by the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, in partnership with Southern Cross University. Ground Cover is a uniquely Australian series exploring real-life stories of land managers who have undertaken the transition from conventional farming to regenerative agriculture. Each week the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance will bring you a unique and honest conversation about the challenges...
Sep 17, 2019•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Today, on Ground Cover, Kerry Cochrane speaks to renown author and regenerative farming revolutionary, Dr Charles Massy; a well known grazier from Cooma in the southern Snowies of NSW. A man, who through a paradigm shift in a very tough drought, realised his ignorance as a conventional and industrial farmer, to go on and become a famous author and academic. In this episode Charlie talks about: the time for change being ripe and farmers being intimate with their own landscape and environment chal...
Sep 17, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 2
