Nicole Masters Workshops
About the project
Nicole Masters - Agro Ecologist with Integrity Soils
Nicole has been involved in the biological agriculture industry since 2000. She is passionate about putting control back into farmers’ hands in regard to nutrients and soil, crop and animal management. The outcomes of adopting a ‘soils first’ approach have positive repercussions for both human and environmental health. At the end of the day, farming is all about producing food. Nicole aims to support farmer learning; to ensure the food quality produced is the best in the world now and into the future. Nicole is inspired to combine measurement and scientific understandings and balance them with intuitive, anecdotal and practical real-world experiences.
She has run a series of workshops on healthy soils in East Gippsland that were well-received by participants.
3-day Soil Health Masterclass 2018
Nicole delivered a three-day intensive masterclass on:
what are soil health indicators
trace elements
microbes
interpreting soil tests
plant tissue testing
pasture health
Masters’ view on agriculture is that we need to find ways to align more closely with nature and the opportunities offered by the emerging science of biomimicry. Her classes, which are in demand internationally, ask the more profound questions:
How do plants take up nutrients and water?
How can we improve water cycles?
What causes weeds, pests and diseases?
What actions can we take?
Soil Recovery 2019
Closing the loops to fast-track recovery
This dynamic two-day class demonstrated ways to produce natural farming inputs at the commercial and residential farming scale. It covered detailed instructions on bio-fertilizer methods and setting up a farm-scale vermiculture (worm) operation. Using techniques based on ancient composting and inoculation systems, the participants made cost-effective bio-fertilizers to improve their soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. The result was increased environmental stress resistance, more nutrient-dense food produced, and vigorous growth.
The day's additional focus was ways to fast-track soil and pasture recovery after drought and fire.
TopSoils with Nicole Masters 2020
Impacts on soil and microbes from drought and fire
Two 2-hour webinars where Nicole discusses the following issues:
Biological and mineral impacts from drought and fire
Role of microbes in soil health and reducing dust and erosion
Bringing life back to create resilient regenerative landscapes
First steps to re-hydration and recovery
Looking backwards to move forward
Seed treatments to encourage a strike
Extracts & Slurries - Compost Tea | Nicole Masters | RegenerateLA Training Series 1 | Part 21
Compost | Nicole Masters | RegenerateLA Training Series 1 | Part 20
Visual Soil Assessments | Nicole Masters | RegenerateLA Training Series 1 | Part 13
Nicole Masters - Integrity Soil
In the town of Bombala on the Monaro high plains of New South Wales, renowned agroecologist Nicole Masters captivated a large audience with her graphic descriptions of how soils function before a hands-on examination of the soils on two local properties.
Nicole Masters 2018
Nicole Masters 2020
Nicole Masters 2019
2019
more compost
bokashi drying
making compost
2019 Nicole Masters
Acknowledgements
The TopSoils program is supported by the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. Project partners include, Southern Farming Systems, Agriculture Victoria, East Gippsland Landcare Network, Far East Victoria Landcare and Snowy River Interstate Landcare Committee.
