Regenerative Agriculture in Practice Program (RAPP) 2026

What’s in the program?

• 1 x ‘Whole Farm Planning’ Course
• 1 x ‘Soil Health for Grazing Enterprises – What is it and how do we get there?’ Workshop
• 1 x ‘Regenerative Grazing’ Workshop
• 1 x ‘DIY Farm Fertility’ Workshop
• 1 x ‘Trees & Shrubs in Grazing Systems: Benefits, Challenges and Practical Solutions’ Workshop
• 5 x on farm peer group sessions
• 1 x one on one Regenerative Grazing coaching session / enterprise
• 1 x one on one Soil & Pasture Health coaching session / enterprise
• 1 x Total Nutrients Soil Test / enterprise
• 1 x $500 voucher towards on farm biodiverse pastures trial (pasture seeds) or mobile fencing / enterprise
• 1 x annual membership to Talkin’ After Hours (LCDC Online Community)

Eligibility Requirements

RAPP 2026 is open to 10 grazing enterprises (2 participants / enterprise) within the Shire of Augusta Margaret River who want to gain a good understanding of the fundamental principles that underpin an ecologically based approach to agriculture. To be accepted into the program you must confirm that:

• Your farm enterprise is within the Augusta Margaret River Shire boundaries.
• You are grazing or intending to graze livestock on your enterprise.
• You, or at least 1 member of your enterprise, agree to actively participate in all program components.
• Agree to become a member of the LCDC’s Talkin’ After Hours Online Community
• Agree to be included as a potential case study (a one-page profile on who you are and why you chose to be part of the program, a summary of your production system & current landscape function, your, aims, challenges & desired outcomes). The case study will be housed on the LCDC website & in program publications.
• Pay the subsidised program participation fee: $700 + GST/enterprise (actual value of participation is $6860 + GST/enterprise).

The participation fee entitles your Farm Enterprise to:

• Two places/enterprise in all program workshops & peer group sessions
• 1 x 2 hour Regenerative Grazing coaching session / enterprise
• 1 x 1.5 hour Soil & Pasture Health coaching session / enterprise
• 1 x $500 voucher towards on farm biodiverse pastures trial (pasture seeds) or mobile fencing / enterprise
• Membership to Talkin’ After Hours

Mark Tupman – Productive Ecology

For over two decades Mark has been active in the fields of organic/biodynamic production, permaculture, sustainability, agro-ecology and holistic management and in between times managed an orchard, animals and food gardens on his own property.

Mark provides consultation and education & training in the establishment of integrated living production systems. In addition to his consulting work, Mark works as a project consultant to the Lower Blackwood Landcare Group and is the RAPP program coach.

David Hardwick – Soil Land Food

David is a professional agroecologist working in soil and regenerative agriculture extension and consulting all over Australia for 20 years. He completed a Dairy Traineeship and Diploma of Agribusiness  at TAFE NSW before completing a degree in Ecological Agriculture at the University of Sydney. His focus is on regenerative and organic farming systems, land management and rural change.

David has worked in the conventional, organic and regenerative sectors and across grazing, horticulture, dairying and cropping systems. For the last 10 years he has been helping farmers and graziers all over Australia build their skills and confidence to manage soils using fun and practical activities as part of his highly successful Digging Deeper Soils Courses and Bootcamps.

Dr Judi Earl – AIMS

Judi gained her PhD in pasture ecology when she conducted the first studies describing the benefits to pasture composition from planned grazing. She has extensive experience in how grasslands and pastures respond to grazing and fertility management and is a widely respected speaker on these matters.

Establishing the AIMS consultancy in 1998 and a Holistic Management™ educator since 2002, Judi’s main area of interest is working with land managers to enhance the condition and productivity of their land through improved understanding of ecosystem function and more effective utilisation of available resources.

Kevin Elmy – Cover Cropping Canada

Kevin is a third-generation farmer who started researching better ways to farm in 1999. In 2000, he and his family started using soil health principles on their farm, and in 2009, they started using cover crops. By building healthy soil, they have been able to reduce synthetic inputs to the land dramatically while maintaining yields. Based on his personal experience and much research, Kevin has written 2 books, Cover Cropping in Western Canada , and Not Just Dirt:
Revitalizing Soils With Regenerative Agriculture Principles. Kevin also works as a Regenerative Agriculture Coach in Canada and around the world including spending time in the South West of WA and familiarising himself with our context.

Rowan Reid – Bambra Agroforestry Farm

Rowan is the Managing Director of the Australian Agroforestry Foundation and founder of one of Australia’s largest and most successful Landcare groups, the Otway Agroforestry Network. More importantly, Rowan is a farmer and tree grower in his own right with over 30 years’ experience on his own family farm in the Otway Ranges of southern Victoria. More than 10,000 visitors have toured his Bambra Agroforestry Farm, which is set up as a 42-hectare outdoor classroom for farmers, scientists, students and tree lovers, and a living laboratory for his own learning. Rowan is also a founder of the highly successful agroforestry education program ‘Master Tree Growers’ and an author of the book Heartwood – the art & science of growing trees for conservation & profit. Most recently Rowan has started his own podcast called Heartwood Podcast.