A Week on a Regenerative Dairy Farm
In November 2019, I found myself on the other side of the planet, at Yandoit Farm, in the middle of the Australian countryside. I was part of a cohort of around twenty eclectics who had come to learn the concepts and applications of permaculture (and the joys of spring camping) over a two-week period. From these fourteen intense days of training, I came away with a head full of inspiration, ideas and projects to transpose onto the plot of land awaiting my arrival in Quebec a few months later. In spite of my enthusiasm, there was still an uneasy feeling in the back of my mind: how could I, as a proud descendant of five generations of farmers, combine permaculture and its principles with modern dairy and livestock farming?
Life has more than one twist and turn, and now, almost exactly four years later, I find myself in New York State attending a course in regenerative dairy production offered by Soil Health Academy.