Getting dirty to understand soil health

28 May 2025

More than 40 locals from the South Coast region learned some easy but effective ways to understand the health of their soils at a workshop hosted by the Bega Regional Circularity Co-operative in Candelo this month.

Hub Knowledge Broker Chloe Wilson, who organised the Soil Health Field Day, said a simple, self-assessment toolkit was showcased which attendees could use at home to monitor indicative changes in their soils.

“There was lots of engagement and positive feedback from farmers. One told me that she had loads of information to take back to her farm. While another thanked me for organising such an interesting day and said he would get started on soil monitoring as soon as possible.”

The workshop also featured Ocean2Earth, a locally based circular business, turning wood waste and marine by-products into a high-value soil fertiliser.

The Soil Health Field Day followed on from a  soil seminar held in early May, which highlighted a range of management practices being implemented locally to build healthy resilient soils – across stock and grazing management, multi-species pastures, and pasture and soil inputs.

“Now with updated soil test data, new ideas and additional tools, local farmers can continue their journey in building soil resilience on-farm,” Chloe says.

Guest speaker James Diack from Soils for Life demonstrated a soil health assessment guide. Attendees took part in activities including a soil texture exercise, tips on measuring ground cover, water infiltration, aggregate stability and soil organisms.