Learning from Experience: Conversations with Family Farmers from the Woodlands of Southeastern Australia

The eight stories in this book are from farmers connected with Sustainable Farms, an interdisciplinary project at The Australian National University that is working collaboratively with farmers, Landcare, NRM agencies, industry groups, and policy makers. The farms featured are dotted across the South West Slopes region of New South Wales and the Upper Murray of Victoria, areas that have been heavily modified by agricultural practices. The landscape was formerly dominated by temperate eucalypt woodland but 85 per cent is now intensively grazed, cropped and cultivated as agricultural land. The stories are from farmers seeking to find a balance between productivity and biodiversity, and to retain or increase the natural capital on their properties. Each property is different, and the individuals, families and generations interviewed for this book varied in their approaches to living productively on the land. From the diverse stories in this book, we hope that others might glean ideas and strive for more sustainable farming practices on their land.