Wheatbelt’s 2022 soil health champion, Rob Hetherington of Lake Camm, believes that soil health is the backbone of agriculture, irrespective of where you are in the world.
Rob is an advocate for sustainable practices in his local farming community and broader networks, always willing to share learnings with others.
Rob takes a scientific approach to understanding the relationship between his soil and the crops that grow in it. He uses mixed species cropping, biological stimulants, low fertiliser rates and fulvic/humic acid to look after his fungi levels and feed his active soil biota, letting them do much of the hard work delivering plant available nutrients.
Nominated by agronomist Logan Smith, who says of Rob “he is a passionate broad acre cropping farmer who specialises in the science around soil health. His knowledge of soil functions and systems is above and beyond that of the everyday farmer. He runs a low input system with extensive use of biological /plant stimulants. He uses mixed species cropping to improve fungi levels and feed his microbes. Earth worms are present across the entire farm, a strong indicator of soil fertility. Rob preachers the science behind how plants grow and how the soil functions. A standout advocate for soil heath!”
Published in Farming in Focus, December 2022