Most degraded farms don’t need more inputs — they need a better starting point.
This is how you actually begin rebuilding soil, water, and productivity.
On a 3,000-acre property near Avenel, Victoria, we walk through what degraded country really looks like — compacted soil, low pH, poor infiltration — and more importantly, what to do about it.
With practical insights from Stuart Andrews of Tarwin Park Training and Phil Mulvey of Environmental Earth Sciences, this video breaks down the first steps to reversing land degradation:
How to diagnose soil issues without lab tests
Why water infiltration is the real limiting factor
Simple contour interventions to slow and spread water
What changes after 2 years vs 4 years
Why plant diversity and grazing management unlock real recovery
This isn’t theory — it’s a paddock-level system that shows measurable improvement in soil depth, aggregation, and water holding capacity in just a few years.
If you’re dealing with tired country, low production, or rising input costs, this is where you start.
Key concepts covered:
soil degradation, water infiltration, contour farming, regenerative grazing, soil pH, aluminium toxicity, pasture diversity, soil aggregation, water holding capacity, land rehabilitation, Australian grazing systems
Who this is for:
Farmers, graziers, land managers, and anyone trying to improve productivity without increasing input costs.
Discover more insightful conversations on Farm Learning with Tim Thompson
#RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #GrazingManagement #FarmLearning #LandRestoration
Starting at 48:10, Phil joins the BrisScience panel as they celebrate the International Year of Soils with a nitty gritty discussion on: ‘Digging deeper…can Australian soils really feed the world?’
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How do you grow profit, ground cover and drought resilience without more infrastructure? On this farm, one major grazing change improved pasture cover, reduced labour and helped reshape the whole landscape.
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Most dry paddocks don’t just need more rain — they need to hold the rain they already get.In this paddock discussion, Phil and Stuart explain why damaged soil sheds water, loses resilience, and stops supporting healthy plant growth.
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