Speakers for Regen on the Land

Colin Seis owns the 2000-acre property "Winona", which runs 4000 merino sheep, and cattle when seasons allow. The property produces up to 20,000 kg of wool, 1500 sheep, and cereal grain annually. Other enterprises include a merino ram breeding operation, native grass seed, and one of the world's largest kelpie studs, which sells dogs and pups to many countries like North and South America, Europe and Scandinavia, and all states of Australia.

 Colin is perhaps best known for developing "Pasture Cropping", a method of growing crops and restoring grassland and soil, where annual crops are zero till sown directly into perennial grassland after the grass has started its natural dormancy. In 2010, Colin developed 'Multi-Species Pasture Cropping', which uses a group of up to 10 annual plant species sown together, and includes a mix of legumes, cereals, and flowering plants. The multi-species crop produces excellent forage, high-quality grain, improves soil carbon and restores the soil ecosystem.

Colin is also an author, having written two books. The first 'Training Working Dogs' and his recently published book, 'Custodians of the Grasslands', is now being read worldwide.

In addition to owning and managing 'Winona', Colin's dedication to farmer education, support programmes and enabling the extensive scientific study of his practices have resulted in 'Pasture Cropping' being adopted around the world. Because of this, there are now well over 3000 farmers worldwide, managing an estimated one million acres, using the technique to grow crops and restore grasslands and soil.

Colin has been awarded many times for his achievements during the development of pasture cropping and regenerative land management techniques.

 Some of these awards include:

1. Australian Conservation Farmer of the Year in 2005.

2. Australian Carbon Farmer of the Year, in 2007.

3. Australian Green Agriculture and Innovation Award 2012 (GAIA), (which is awarded for leading contributions to soil health and sequestration of Carbon)  

4. Australia's most prestigious farming and environmental award, the National Bob Hawke Landcare award, September 2014.

5. The NSW regional achievement and community award 2015.

In January 2015, the Australian newspaper, "Melbourne Weekly Times' called Colin a visionary and suggested as one of the world's top 6 most influential farmers.

Oliver is a soil scientist who has worked in various agricultural systems around the world. He is sometimes recognised for being responsible for asking thousands of Australians to soil their undies, as a means of investigating their soil health. He was the recipient of the 2022 LandCare General Jeffery Soil Health Award and promises to share his insights, explore the concept of soil health and hopefully answer as many of your questions as possible.

Kylie Magner is the Managing Director of Magners Farm. 

Originally from Australia, Kylie has a Bachelor of Business (Agriculture Commerce) from Sydney University. 

A self-confessed soil nerd, Kylie is determined to provide nutritionally dense food with high welfare that has a positive impact environmentally and socially. 

Magners Farm formed in 2017. They produce pasture range eggs, grow vegetables and keep heritage Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, cattle and sheep to enhance and invigorate soil health. 

"I've always wanted to return to the land. I grew up on a mixed farm- cattle, sheep and cropping- in Australia".

After school, Kylie travelled to Japan riding racehorses for a year where her love was piqued. 

Kylie went to Ireland in 1998 on a working holiday visa and ended up as the Media Director for the internationally renowned Coolmore Stud.

In 2009, Kylie stepped back from corporate life. Looking for a career that fitted seamlessly with motherhood led her to farming. 

Since creating Magner's Farm, Kylie has created a business which has achieved national coverage via RTE's Nationwide, appeared in The Sunday Times, The Independent, Country Style, Farmer's Journal. She has been asked to present to Slow Food Ireland, Ballymaloe Cookery School and Groundswell (UK).

Matt, and his wife, Sarah purchased ‘Wallace Park’, Duri in August 2002. The Tamworth district was in drought at the time. Both Matt and Sarah derive from rural backgrounds, and Matt has worked all over Australia on various properties, and attended Orange Agricultural College (where he learnt more about conventional Agricultural systems). 

Matt and Sarah began looking for farming system alternatives within the drought period. In September, 2005 Matt attended a ‘Managing the Carbon Cycle’ forum in Armidale. This was an “Ah Ha” moment that solidified the movement towards a more regenerating on-farm system! In 2006, Colin Seis visited Wallace Park and they commenced pasture cropping, and continued for approximately four years. 

Matt and Sarah’s focus has been on building resilience in the landscape realm, and thus rehydrating the soil-carbon sponge in a low cost of production system. Matt will share the transformative story of “Wallace Park” next month.