Lismore will host the Australian Biological Farming Conference in early December with 500 farmers and delegates expected to converge on our city.

There is an increasing thirst for knowledge on biological/regenerative farming which has led to the organisation of the fourth Australian Biological Farming Conference & Expo 2022.

According to organisers, SoilCare, the conference will be of value to farmers and farms across the board – from chickens to cattle, from vegetables to sugar cane, from grain crops to tree crops. 

“Biological farming and healthy soils are clearly the best way to manage the impacts of climate change on farming around the world and farmers and institutions are now recognising this,” says conference spokesperson, Graham Lancaster, Southern Cross University and SoilCare Board member.

It’s the fourth Australian biological farming conference over the past seven years and this year is being held at Southern Cross University at Lismore.

Over 1,000 farmers and delegates have attended the previous three conferences and around 500 are expected in Lismore from December 2 to 5.

SoilCare, a Landcare group with interests in soil health and soil function, has joined with Southern Cross University and Regenerative Ag Alliance to hold the conference due to increasing demand for knowledge about biological farming.

“Biological and regenerative farming are now firmly recognised as the sustainable choice for Australian farmers into the future. Our conference will be bringing some of the world’s foremost experts together in person and via live streaming,” says Graham.

Mr Bob Shaffer will be the keynote speaker from the US and is widely regarded as a world-leading practitioner and speaker on biological farming. He is a horticultural agronomist and viticulturist and has developed cover crop systems for farms, orchards and vineyards as well as specialising in compost development and use. 

Live streaming from the USA, Gary Zimmer, aka the father of Biological Farming, Leilani Zimmer Durand, Dr James White from Rutgers University in New Jersey and Dr Richard Teague, retired professor at Texas A&M. Another 16 speakers Australian experts will be addressing the conference, with some conducting workshops or managing farm tours either side of the conference. 

The delegate fees are very affordable at only $550.00 + GST.  The virtual delegate fee is only $300.00+GST. More information about the conference can be found at the conference website: https://www.australianbiologicalfarmingconference.org/