Siwan Lovett recording with Dr. Charles Massy

Episode 22: Country Speaks

With Charles Massy

Regenerative Agriculture is revolutionising Australia’s agriculture industry, and for good reason. Today, The Australian River Restoration Centre’s Managing Director Siwan Lovett sits down with Australia’s foremost Regenerative Agriculture pioneer, Dr. Charles Massy, to discuss his life’s work, his experience implementing Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Ag) on his farm, Severn Park, and some of his recent work on the Snowy River.

Dr. Charles Massy is a Monaro woolgrower, scientist, and renowned author. He is a passionate pioneer in, and expert on, regenerative agriculture and is the author of several books on the topic, including 2017’s Call of the Reed Warbler, a book which explores the vital connection between our soil and our health, and The Last Dragon, a children’s book about the endangered Monaro Grassland Earless Dragon, illustrated by Mandy Foot and featuring an essay on the Dragon written by Charles. Both of these books are discussed in today’s episode.

Charles has been farming Merino sheep at Severn Park for over 40 years and received the Order of Australia Medal for his service to the wool industry as chair and director of several research organisations and wool boards (2011). He has also been the recipient of the Sydney Power House Museum’s Distinguished Service Award for his work on their Wool and Pastoral Collection (2008), and received the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders’ Silver Medal for his contribution to the Australian Merino and wool industry (1992). He has served on national and international review panels in sheep and wool research and development, and genomics.

 

Regenerative Agriculture is revolutionising Australia’s agriculture industry, and for good reason. Today, The Australian River Restoration Centre’s Managing Director Siwan Lovett sits down with Australia’s foremost Regenerative Agriculture pioneer, Dr. Charles Massy, to discuss his life’s work, his experience implementing Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Ag) on his farm, Severn Park, and some of his recent work on the Snowy River.

Dr. Charles Massy is a Monaro woolgrower, scientist, and renowned author. He is a passionate pioneer in, and expert on, regenerative agriculture and is the author of several books on the topic, including 2017’s Call of the Reed Warbler, a book which explores the vital connection between our soil and our health, and The Last Dragon, a children’s book about the endangered Monaro Grassland Earless Dragon, illustrated by Mandy Foot and featuring an essay on the Dragon written by Charles. Both of these books are discussed in today’s episode.

Charles has been farming Merino sheep at Severn Park for over 40 years and received the Order of Australia Medal for his service to the wool industry as chair and director of several research organisations and wool boards (2011). He has also been the recipient of the Sydney Power House Museum’s Distinguished Service Award for his work on their Wool and Pastoral Collection (2008), and received the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders’ Silver Medal for his contribution to the Australian Merino and wool industry (1992). He has served on national and international review panels in sheep and wool research and development, and genomics.

Severn Park

A side-by-side comparison of a property managed with regenerative grazing, and a property managed traditionally. The regeneratively managed property has fared much better than the traditionally grazed property in a drought.
A side-by-side comparison of a property managed with regenerative grazing, and a property managed traditionally. The regeneratively managed property has fared much better than the traditionally grazed property in a drought.

Behind the Scenes at Severn Park:

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The Ngarigo sacred site of Gugang, or ‘The Three Brothers’ in English. The iconic hills on the Monaro Treeless Plains are unfortunately the proposed site for a 266-metre windfarm of wind turbines which would be the tallest in all of Australia.