Simon Osborne

Simon has been developing a more biological approach to agriculture for 30 years on the family arable farm at Doyleston.

"When I was young I travelled extensively in South East Asia and witnessed the genesis of the industrial Oil Palm plantation development and the massive environmental destruction, social upheaval and displacement caused.

“This was a wake-up call for me. I realised that globally farmers need strong communities and that industrial production systems weren't going to be my future. After working in the oil industry I returned to the farm and picked up the work my father Oakleigh started in the early 1970s with no-till.

The system developed into Conservation Agriculture with heavy reliance on herbicides and fertiliser. After a meeting with Nicole Masters, the penny dropped and I realised the future potential lay in soil biological function. I believe that life is for learning and sharing that knowledge there by creating strong supportive communities.”

Simon graciously donated 40kg of barley for our festival regen hazy ale!