A Letter from the Field

Darcy and Tony Bernardi out in the field on the Home Farm

My name is Darcy MacCartie, and I am in my final year student studying a bachelor of Agricultural Science at the University of Adelaide. I’ve loved agriculture from a young age and have had an ongoing passion for its sustainability and progression as we look to feed a growing world. Regenerative agriculture systems are of particular interest to me as they provide a platform that maintains profitability whilst supporting biodiversity. Having read and heard about the Mulloon Institute’s methods and projects, I really wanted to get firsthand experience of how their systems work and learn about the techniques involved.  

During my two-week placement at Mulloon Creek Natural Farms, I assisted with many different activities across both properties. This was great as it gave me an insight into how the facets of the organisation come together, and how their techniques are helping change farming systems around the country. I worked with Chris Innskeep and Tony Bernardi as part of the science team assisting with the maintenance of the Piezometers around the property.

Learning about the hydrology of the system from Tony was really fascinating and Chris’ knowledge and insight in GIS was really beneficial. I also spent time with Peter Hazell and Max Brunswick who both provided me with an in-depth insight into how leaky weirs are designed and installed to maximum effect. Seeing before and after photos of the sites demonstrated how effective they are at slowing down the flow, decreasing erosion, and increasing biodiversity and the surrounding productivity of the system.

Another really enjoyable aspect of my time at Mulloon was spent working with the farm manager Matt Narracott. Matt’s passion for sustainable farming really showed through his hard work and dedication and I learnt a lot about farming regeneratively from him. Cheers, Matt! 

I can’t say any one activity that I enjoyed the most, but I really learnt a lot through both Chris and Matt in regard to implementing GIS to better understand the environment in which we were working. Learning some of the core concepts behind GIS from Chris was challenging but it taught me the importance of working with not only GIS technology but other current technology to strive for a better future and in turn make a better system.

I look forward to taking the knowledge I have gained back to my studies and applying it there. In the future, I hope to work in the regenerative agriculture space and demonstrate the positive impacts through science. For any students out there interested in this area I highly recommend applying to do work experience with Mulloon. It is an experience that will teach you a semester's worth of knowledge in a matter of weeks.