In September 2021, the Tasmanian branch of Farmers for Climate Action held their inaugural local conference. This episode consists of three short interviews with presenters Dr Tomas Remenyi and Professor David Bowman, climate scientists from the University of Tasmania, as well as a young local farmer, Sam Green. This episode is a call to all voters, to think about how we can best ensure a vibrant future in a world with rapidly changing agriculture, economics, and migration as a result of our changing climate.

At the recent Climate-Smart Agriculture Conference in Tasmania, Kate spoke with Celia Leverton, Chair of the Regenerative Agriculture Network of Tasmania (RANT), about what the organisation is, and what this not-for-profit aims to achieve. Hint: it's all about educating farmers. After their brief discussion, Kate gives an example of safe-to-fail on-farm experiments, and what that has meant for Leap Farm.

Iain Field, the other half of Leap Farm, chats to Kate about their positive carbon story. In this episode, we find out how they calculated their net green house gas emissions, as well as their carbon sequestration. We also find out why increasing carbon in your soil helps to build a strong, resilient farm (and what a resilient farm is). There are some tips and tricks and plenty of hope for the future in farming, whether you're big, tiny, or somewhere in between.

Associate Professor Matthew Harrison is an agricultural scientist at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (UTas), who looks at agricultural systems from a holistic perspective. Kate (and Iain) met with Matt to get a better understanding of ruminant livestock and greenhouse gas emissions, balanced against the potential for carbon sequestration in agricultural land.

Angus Stewart has always been a visionary when it comes to the protection and longevity of native Australian plants. But his vision has become clearer, sharper and bolder. Angus graciously shares his vision with us and describes the tools and methods that he is using to see his vision blossom.

Kate catches up with Lauren Byrne of Felds Farm, 18 months after they moved their share-farming operation 200km north.

Here's a recap on Episode 1 - The Humble Onion, in anticipation of Episode 4 where I catch up with Lauren Byrne of Felds Farm. In this episode, which may have slightly improved audio quality than the original, we hear from Mike and Lauren about their foray into Market Gardening.

Coreen Ung of Our Mates Farm talks about organic certification, how they run multiple enterprises on their small farm, and how they have taken an old, run-down orchard and grafted over 50 different cultivars of apple to create a thriving business. Cor shares their values with us, as well as the explanation for how they came to be farmers. A heart-warming and inspirational story, with a lot of courage thrown in for good measure.

Late last year, another goat farmer in French Guiana reached out about the dairy system that Kate and Iain utilise. So in the first Q&A episode, Kate explains how their system works.

Did you know that there is a not-for-profit organisation in Tasmania for Small Producers? Sprout was started 10 years ago, and for the last 5 years has been led by General Manager Jen Robinson. In this episode, I chat to Jen about what Sprout is, how it came about, it's "why" and why it is important for all small producers in Tasmania to get behind.

Brian Horsley is the owner of MacroBoost - a local Tasmanian small business that provides probiotic liquids for gardens, waste water treatments and agricultural operations. Kate chatted with Brian after purchasing some products to try and got to the bottom of why and how probiotics for plants make a difference.

Stan and Briony Robert of Fat Carrot Farm have been producing high quality veggies for local subscribers and the food service industry for several years. They farm using regenerative and organic principles. This episode tackles the business side of farming: Stan and Briony share their experiences in selling their produce and how they transitioned from full-time professional careers to full-time farmers. But there is so much more to this episode - we discuss the importance of community, particularly during the recent lockdown of the food service industry, philosophies that help you be successful in farming, soil health (of course!) and we take an audio tour through their market garden.

Tony O'Connell grows blueberries in southern Tasmania. In this episode, Tony and I discuss his holistic approach to managing a monocrop, how he introduces diveristy above and below the ground, and I get to ask a bunch of questions about the effect of spraying microbes on the soil.

Dr Jenny Sinclair and her husband own and manage Cape Bernier Vineyard on the lower East Coast of Tasmania. In addition, she is the Chief Scientist at Green Collar, an environmental consulting firm that provides advice and project management in carbon farming strategies. In this episode, I ask Jen about the importance of carbon in soil…. And then she drops a bombshell… I wonder if you’ll be as surprised as I was?

As restaurants and cafes around Australia and the world open up again, how do you choose which one to go to? What are the qualities in the producers and the chefs who prepare the food that make you want to support them? And how do you know if they're telling the truth? Join Kate and Massimo Mele as they explore these questions, discuss regenerative agriculture vs conventional agriculture and some of the barriers that face primary producers making the switch. And laugh out loud at a few of Massimo's stories.

Graeme Hand is a certified Holistic Management Educator and cattle farmer. He has over 25 years of experience working with farmers in designing and educating about holistic planned grazing. He has worked internationally and all over Australia, across multiple different landscapes, advising landowners and managers, Industry and Government. In this episode of The Curious Farmer, Kate asks questions of Graeme about holistic planned grazing and how it fixes carbon in the soil.

In this bonus episode, we chat to Mark Scanlon, who has just finished up his first summer season in his veggie patch. Its' a fun bonus, with a few laughs, and a few pearls about growing food for your family.

The Coronavirus global pandemic has changed the way we interact with and think about food. We are more aware now of our local food systems and for many of us, we've suddenly been forced to think about food security. This has prompted many people to start a veggie patch. In this weeks episode, I chat with Helen Whitaker about her veggie patch, she hands down some tips and tricks, and gives us a reality check about how we can manage to fit veggie garden into our already busy lives. This is regenerative farming on a tiny scale.

Gerard Lawry has lived on Eaglerise Farm for 20 years. He applies organic permaculture action to his land, that he views through an ecological lens. He gives us some insights into how he uses the big picture thinking to manage his farm. We also discuss the difference between organic vs regenerative, and think about why regenerative farming is gaining momentum, where organic never did. An interesting discussion that could have become quite fraught!

Simon and Fiona Mitchell are converting their conventional cow dairy into an organic and regenerative enterprise. On this week's episode, we explore some of the reasons behind their decision, as well as the ways in which they have and continue to change their operation.