7th Feb 2023 |

The Regenerative Agriculture Network (RANT) is Tasmania’s peak body for regenerative agriculture. They are farmers and landholders who promote agricultural practices which regenerate the land, farm businesses, and people.

Image: Celia Leverton, president of RANT pictured with Lola

RANT say their goal is “Regenerating perennial grasslands, cropping land and functioning forests to address climate change, increase landscape function and food and water security, while caring for farmers, communities and profits.”

Through regular workshops, trials, training opportunities, conferences, mentoring, and demonstrations, they are working to build community capacity and sustainable farming practices.

Image: Regenerative Agriculture Defintion. Source: Graeme Hand

What are they up to?

RANT have just concluded a project based on "Dalness" at Evandale and "Bowsden" at Jericho establishing safe-to-fail trials looking at the impact of high stock density, high grass utilisation and longer recoveries on drought resilience and landscape function. A big component of this was building a community of practice - they now have local hubs holding farm walks in the north and in the south.

RANT have also received funding from the Tasmanian Drought Hub and are looking for farm hosts for trials and demonstrations around "Re-designing Grazing for Drought Resilience".

Can you help? Contact Celia on [email protected] or 0429 931 640

Coming up 

There will be three field days coming up on 20th, 21st & 22nd of Feb around the state, at Derby, Triabunna and Copping.  The focus will be on paddock-scale trials that build drought resilience by increasing water infiltration and moisture holding capacity in the soil, increases nutrient cycling and grass species density and diversity.

RANT is holding another conference in June 2023 in Launceston, "Climate Friendly Food and Fibre". Walter Jehne is the keynote speaker - an internationally known soil microbiologist and climate scientist and the founder of Healthy Soils Australia. He is passionate about educating farmers, policymakers and others about “the soil carbon sponge” and its crucial role in reversing and mitigating climate change.

To read more about RANT and their projects, visit their website, or watch the video below.

Thank you to RANT for being a valued member of Landcare Tasmania!