Greater Sydney Local Land Services is pleased to launch an online podcast to support small farmers. The Big Shift for Small Farms podcast series covers ten relevant topics and includes interviews with a variety of innovative and successful farmers as well as industry experts.
This podcast series has been produced by the Grow Love Project with support from Greater Sydney Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Urban Farming – Farming in urban areas and on the outskirts of our major towns and cities, holds much promise for delivering healthy and safe food to our cities. Urban farms not only provide local employment, but serve as educational hubs for those wanting to learn about food production and become more self-sufficient.
Startup farming – We often hear in the media that young people are leaving the farm in favour of other career paths. But what we don’t hear about are those in the city who feel the need to get their hands dirty and create a business growing food. In this episode we’ll hear about the challenges they’ve faced and the rewards they’ve gained.
Healthy Soils – When it comes to agricultural productivity it all begins with the soil. In this episode we’ll hear from experts in the field and scientists in the lab about the power of health soils. And we’ll get our hands dirty with veggie growers and cattle farmers about how to achieve it.
Cultivating Wellness – According to Mental Health Australia, 1 in 5 Australians are affected by mental illness, yet many don’t seek help because of stigma. And that’s what this episode is all about. We’ll hear from a farmer who’s grappled with the dark side of mental health and we’ll talk to experts and professionals about how to keep it in check. Because mental health and well-being is not just a state of mind it’s a skill. Something we can all practice.
Supply Chain Innovations mobile abattoirs – When it comes to getting your livestock processed. getting to an abattoir can be time-consuming for you and stressful for the animals. in light of this, some innovative farmers are disrupting the conventional supply chain and building their own solutions. From cardboard prototypes to shipping containers we’ll hear their stories and how they got the cash to get started to work out if a mobile abattoir is the right solution for you.
Community Supported Farming – Community supported agriculture originates back to the 1960s and is a relatively new concept in Australia. At a time when more and more consumers are looking to connect to the source of their food, the CSA model could just be the best way for small scale farmers to grow their businesses.
Compost – For farmers, compost is like black gold because its really valuable for efficient high quality food production, but just like gold it can be pretty expensive and hard to source. In this episode, we’ll talk to those who produce it, those who study it and those who use it to help you get the best out of your compost.
Farm Resilience In A Changing Climate – Farm resilience in a changing climate is all about understanding the function of our natural landscapes. With longer and hotter droughts and more intensified rain events we need to rethink our current farming practices. So today, we’re going on a journey from the classroom to the paddock to help make your farm a resilient one.
Certification – There’s a growing trend amongst consumers to know how their food is produced. Certification offers some assurity to customers and a point of difference for producers. But is it certification effective? We’ll chat with farmers who are certified and let you in on a secret that can be even more powerful than a certified label.
Holistic Thinking – Why do you farm the way you do? In this episode we’ll hear from farmers who, through personal illness and tragedy have been forced to reimagine their farming values and practices. And we’ll hear who’s leading the way in holistic land management all to help you make the big shift.
