Owned by Sandra Jefford and Wilco Droppert, Wilandra Farms was recognised in the 2024 Gippsland Food and Fibre Awards for its exemplary sustainable farming practices.

Certified organic since 2020, Wilandra Farms operates on a philosophy of regenerative methods of farming to improve the quality of available natural resources. They utilise energy harvested through wind and solar, and have undertaken extensive plantings of native trees and agroforestry species. Wilandra Farms have shared their sustainability story with us.

Gippsland Research Farm is currently the site of a project which actively aims to build more topsoil, with an outlook on improving adaptability to climate variation. In addition to increasing the soil’s nutrient holding capacity, ‘Growing More Topsoil’ seeks to answer two specific questions:

1. Can we double the water holding capacity of our top soil?

2. Can we extend our top soil from 150mm to 300mm deep?

Funded through the Future Drought Fund and delivered by Gippsland Agricultural Group (GAgG), the initiative has been underway since mid-2023 and is beginning to produce visible results. In October, progress was showcased at this year’s GAgG Spring Field Day.

After winning Gippsland Agribusiness of the Year in May, Mawarra Genetics has been sponsored to attend Northern Europe’s largest agricultural trade fair. Members of the Sykes family are about to embark on an international study tour that will incorporate many promising business engagements across Denmark and neighbouring nations.

A project that seeks to double the water holding capacity of topsoil is one of a number of initiatives that are seeking to enhance the drought preparedness and resilience of Gippsland’s agricultural industries and rural communities.