Mick and Kylie Carr explain the benefits of holistic grazing in Gympie, Queensland. Since 2016, Mick and Kylie Carr have seen positive changes on their farm south of Gympie. With a new approach to farming, they have increased their stock levels, reduced input costs, attracted more wildlife and expanded into the property next door.
At Bunya Grove Produce, the Carrs implemented Holistic Management, a method of thinking and decision-making founded by Allan Savory, a Zimbabwean biologist and farmer.
Savory studied the behaviour of zebras, elephants and other herding animals on the African plains over many years. He concluded that grasses can be improved by using livestock to mimic the behaviour of these herding animals.
(For an introduction to Savory's work, check out the short TED talk How to Fight Desertification and Reverse Climate Change.)
Back at Gympie ...
The Carrs are thrilled with the results. When they arrived on their property, much of the top soil had eroded off the hills because there was not enough grass cover to hold the soil in place.
“Looking down at a square metre of land, about 30% was covered in grass, and 70% was bare soil. Today the soil is 100% covered in grasses, legumes or mulch. When we get rain, all of it soaks into the ground,” Mr Carr said.
“It’s been ages since we’ve had any run-off. And even with this dry summer, when we dig down into the soil, it’s still holding moisture,” Ms Carr added.
The Carrs keep their cattle together as one herd and move them on to a new paddock most days. This means the plants in each paddock receive an intensive pruning, trampling and manuring. The cattle do not go back on that paddock for many months. This allows the grasses time to regrow and recover. The trampled grasses turn into mulch which cools the soil and traps rainfall.
At Bunya Grove Produce, the Carrs implemented Holistic Management, a method of thinking and decision-making founded by Allan Savory, a Zimbabwean biologist and farmer.
Savory studied the behaviour of zebras, elephants and other herding animals on the African plains over many years. He concluded that grasses can be improved by using livestock to mimic the behaviour of these herding animals.
(For an introduction to Savory's work, check out the short TED talk How to Fight Desertification and Reverse Climate Change.)
Back at Gympie ...
The Carrs are thrilled with the results. When they arrived on their property, much of the top soil had eroded off the hills because there was not enough grass cover to hold the soil in place.
“Looking down at a square metre of land, about 30% was covered in grass, and 70% was bare soil. Today the soil is 100% covered in grasses, legumes or mulch. When we get rain, all of it soaks into the ground,” Mr Carr said.
“It’s been ages since we’ve had any run-off. And even with this dry summer, when we dig down into the soil, it’s still holding moisture,” Ms Carr added.
The Carrs keep their cattle together as one herd and move them on to a new paddock most days. This means the plants in each paddock receive an intensive pruning, trampling and manuring. The cattle do not go back on that paddock for many months. This allows the grasses time to regrow and recover. The trampled grasses turn into mulch which cools the soil and traps rainfall.
Mick Carr examines the soil health at Bunya Grove.
In this recovery phase, it’s common to see new varieties of grasses and legumes spring up. These come to the surface due to the impact the cattle have made. Now that the cattle are in other paddocks, the new growth has time to get established.
The wildlife benefit too. The tall grasses and seed heads provide a protected feeding area for the resident finches and wallabies.
Holistic management encourages farmers to look at their livestock in new ways. “The cattle are gardeners. They are our lawn-mowers and our weed managers,” Mr Carr said.
The Carrs put the cattle into their persimmon orchard at the end of the harvest season. Here they chomp up any fallen fruit, which helps to break the fruit fly cycle. They eat the grasses and the weeds, trample down the undergrowth and manure the orchard.
“If the cattle didn’t do the weed management, I’d be in there on a tractor for days, burning up diesel and slashing the weeds. It would take me days. The cattle do a better job,” said Mr Carr.
Holistic Management takes in all aspects of running a productive and financially viable farm.
“Farmers need to make money to stay on the land. By using cattle and other livestock to improve our pastures, we are cutting our costs and operating in a more natural way,” Ms Carr said.
“Everything’s connected,” she explained. “It’s not just about us here. We only employ local people because they are going to be living here, spending here, buying fuel and milk and all the stuff that keeps other shops going. We’re really building a community from the soil up.”
Bunya Grove Produce sells beef, pork, chicken, chicken eggs and duck eggs through local stores and direct from the farm. All produce is ethically raised in a free-range natural setting.
See www.bunyagroveproduce.com.au for more information.
A version of this article appeared in the Rural Weekly, Central Queensland edition on18th April, 2019.
The wildlife benefit too. The tall grasses and seed heads provide a protected feeding area for the resident finches and wallabies.
Holistic management encourages farmers to look at their livestock in new ways. “The cattle are gardeners. They are our lawn-mowers and our weed managers,” Mr Carr said.
The Carrs put the cattle into their persimmon orchard at the end of the harvest season. Here they chomp up any fallen fruit, which helps to break the fruit fly cycle. They eat the grasses and the weeds, trample down the undergrowth and manure the orchard.
“If the cattle didn’t do the weed management, I’d be in there on a tractor for days, burning up diesel and slashing the weeds. It would take me days. The cattle do a better job,” said Mr Carr.
Holistic Management takes in all aspects of running a productive and financially viable farm.
“Farmers need to make money to stay on the land. By using cattle and other livestock to improve our pastures, we are cutting our costs and operating in a more natural way,” Ms Carr said.
“Everything’s connected,” she explained. “It’s not just about us here. We only employ local people because they are going to be living here, spending here, buying fuel and milk and all the stuff that keeps other shops going. We’re really building a community from the soil up.”
Bunya Grove Produce sells beef, pork, chicken, chicken eggs and duck eggs through local stores and direct from the farm. All produce is ethically raised in a free-range natural setting.
See www.bunyagroveproduce.com.au for more information.
A version of this article appeared in the Rural Weekly, Central Queensland edition on18th April, 2019.
Healthy soils create healthy grasses and healthy cattle at Bunya Grove.
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