Farmers
Are you tired of running the rat race? Does it feel like it’s really a giant hamster wheel and no matter how fast you run you always stay where you are- at the bottom? Working for a big corporation too often turns out not to be as great as we thought, our plans go sideways, and promotions don’t come when we hope for them. Office work isn’t for everyone, but we tend to get stuck in a rut, collecting our regular paycheck and wishing for something different, something far beyond the neon lights.
If this resonates with you, then we have a new career path for you, a way to be your own boss with a job you can truly call your own! Australia’s population is growing fast and we aren’t producing enough food to keep pace, pretty soon we will fall behind! That’s why the government is investing in small farms to grow that food! There are several programs and subsidies that can help you get set up with some land in the countryside, a small home and a barn shed, and the basic tools for you to grow your own future!
Today’s small-scale farmers are already playing a critical role in supporting local food supply systems by implementing targeted sustainable farming practices, and you can contribute to this important movement! These sustainable methods help preserve the environment as well as build the economic success of small farms. To give you a taste, here are some of the practices today’s small-scale sustainable farmers are using to thrive:
Crop Rotation – This is an age-old farming practice that makes even more sense today! Rotating crops helps manage the soil’s fertility while naturally reducing diseases and pests. The soil prepared by rotating crops is healthier because it decreases the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides by disrupting the life cycles of pests and diseases while adding nutrients like nitrogen and minerals.
Cover Crops – By sowing cover crops during your field’s fallow periods you can suppress weeds, improve the soil, and prevent erosion. The presence of cover crops enriches your soil’s fertility and enhances its water retention capacity by adding organic matter to it. You can think of cover crops as a kind of green manure, slowly decomposing and releasing nutrients into the soil.
Composting – Speaking of manure, small-scale farmers create nutrient-rich soil amendments when they compost organic waste materials like livestock manure, cut grass, and certain food wastes from the dinner table like egg shells, vegetable trimmings, and coffee grounds. This helps to reduce landfill waste while promoting healthy soil ecosystems. Composting boosts microbial activity, enhances soil structure, and improves the availability of nutrients so you can grow a bumper crop without using environmentally unfriendly synthetic fertilisers.
Water Conservation – Water-efficient irrigation systems like rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation greatly decreases water wastage while optimising resource use. New smart irrigation techniques are being integrated that can monitor soil moisture levels to deliver water exactly where and when it is needed, which minimises evaporation and runoff. All of this works together to conserve precious water.
So, join today’s small-scale farmers and be proud of your contribution to feeding a hungry nation!
