Tara and Ryan Royer's Regenerative Agriculture Journey
Dec 22, 2023 Posted by Brittany Cunningham
Meet Tara and Ryan Royer farming 100 acres at South of Toowomba just of the New England Highway.
Two years ago the couple purchased the property which despite its history as a cattle and cropping property had long lain fallow. Ryan, with a background in the Australian Navy and a career as an electronics technician and in transport, had a vision to rejuvenate the land using regenerative agriculture principles. Their initial equipment was minimal, with just a 90 horsepower tractor that unfortunately gave out on its first use.
New Farming Practices
Recognising the importance of soil health, the couple invested in soil tests, revealing significant deficiencies in nutrients and nitrogen. Determined not to follow the traditional farming practices that had degraded the soil, Ryan delved into the world of regenerative agriculture. The first step was acquiring an Aitchison 4124 Seedmatic to kickstart the transformation. The initial cover crop sown by the Aitchision Seeder worked brilliantly and took straight away.
Challenges
After the initial success with the Aitchision Seeder challenges arose. Due to the large amount of vining product in the cover crop the Aitchision simply wasn’t performing as the tines were clogging up. Trading the Aitchision into a Maschio Gigante 3 meter Seed Drill proved to be the ideal solution.
“Once the ISOBUS was configured we put the Maschio in the paddock and planted 95 acres. It had an excellent strike rate. The covering harrows are fantastic. It seeds well, it’s got a nice lot of weights and will cut through hard black soil like we’ve got here.”
Carbon Succes Story
Another piece of kit that has proven its worth on the property is the Maschio Chiara Mulcher.
Ryan credits the Chiara with a change in carbon content by at least one percent. “The carbon content has come up at least one per cent and that’s purely from mulching. We bought a Maschio Chiara mulcher as well, because after finishing with the current cover crop, and the sheep hadn’t eaten everything down, we mulched what was left.”
“That gets incorporated in the soil and increases the carbon content. I’m still lacking nutrients but that’s being amended this year with a lot of fertilising ... I’ve just put down 140 tonnes of cow manure to get more green growth.”
Shift towards tillage
Ryan's adaptability is evident in his shift from a no-till approach to incorporating tillage. “We learned to adapt the system you’ve got and the weather conditions. If something isn’t working, have an open mind and change the system to suit. And that might incorporate selling a piece of gear and maybe purchasing something else.”
“I’ve gone away from no till to a bit of tillage with a Maschio speed tiller, the UFO, to fertilise the ground and build up the nutrients. I’ve prepped about 70 acres. I use the speed tiller to chop up the ground – it’s the only ground engagement I use – and it does a fantastic job of chopping. Then I’ll throw the harrows over it and plant straight into it.”
Finance
PFGs finance product also received a mention. Notably, what sets PFG Finance apart is its ability to provide financing up to $200,000 without the need for financial documentation. “The great thing that I love about PFG is their finance package – it just works so well.”
Bright future
Ryan leaves us with a vision of a bright future despite the headwinds and challenges the Australian climate throws. “If we can dial in a system that works across flood, drought or fire, a system that can change rapidly to handle all those situations, then I would definitely buy 200 or 300 more acres.”
If you are looking to improve efficiency in an ever changing environment reach out to Delmade the team are very happy to answer questions you may have. 1800 335 623.
