Thirty local women gathered together on Wednesday 5th August for a Ladies Landcare Luncheon, as part of National Landcare Week. The luncheon, supported by NACC through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, provided the opportunity to learn about local landcare, soil health, salinity management and
sustainable rural living practices.
How to combat hot and dry conditions for soil improvement was the topic of discussion with Fiona Blackham from Gaia Permaculture, starting the day by reiterating that “soil is the best place to hold water so it is important to keep it healthy”.
By increasing soil organic matter through compost systems, soil biological properties are improved which results in root elongation and abundance which, in turn, increases access to nutrients and water.
Denise Borger attended the day and said "Many thanks to the Liebe Group for hosting such a wonderful day! I really enjoyed Fiona’s soil health presentation, especially the fruit fly trap information – my fruit trees will be very grateful!".
The opportunity for light-hearted conversation and prompting from the day’s focus on sustainability provided a warm atmosphere for idea sharing.
In the afternoon, Ella Maesepp of Katanning Eco Home shared her experiences with getting her family on board with a low waste, sustainable rural lifestyle.
Ella stressed that tackling waste at a family level can be a slow process which is easier to take step by step.
Highlighting her family's war on waste, Ella's top tips for reducing waste included:
- Avoid double packaging
- Buy in bulk
- Bring your own container
- Use the most recyclable choice of packaging
Denise Borger enjoyed Ella's presentation saying "I loved the tips and tricks that Ella provided for making quick and easy lifestyle changes to become a little more eco-friendly - my new stainless steel clothes pegs work a treat!".
The day concluded with Liebe Group member Lilly Martin and Nutrien Ag Solutions Kahlee Nankivell (pictured) winning lucky door prizes, and all ladies going home with verticordia or thryptomene denticulata plants for the garden.
Thanks to the NACC team for working with the Liebe Group to provide all the women that attended with the opportunity to learn with friends. We hope they all went away with some new understanding of the importance of soil management and reducing waste.