From bare paddock to diverse landscape with Bruce Maynard: No Kill Cropping, Self Herding and grazing management

Ground Cover

Today, Kerry Cochrane talks with Bruce Maynard, a mixed farmer from Narromine, NSW, who was a conventional farmer, direct drilling for a decade or so, before making the switch to regenerative practices.

From bare paddocks to diversity, from nature to nurture, this is a conversation exploring the journey that has seen Bruce affectionately known as 'the King of no kill cropping'. This the story of a man who was not happy with the notion of taking everything, other than what you were trying to grow, to ground zero. He wasn't happy with the monocultural approach and the simplification of the system. So he went out in search of another way.

In this episode we explore:

• examine the need for diversity in order to flourish, including economically
• how Bruce changed his grazing management
• their move to no till cropping to encourage diversity in the landscape
• the 5 principles of no till cropping
• the use of medicinal shrubs to help supplement animal diets
• mineral licks
• self herding and livestock adaptation and choice
• stress free stock handling
• grass free grains

A broad thinker, a perfectionist in seeking the truth, and a true practicing scientist is today's guest, Bruce Maynard.

More about Bruce Maynard:

Bruce is a farmer and grazier from the Central West of NSW. He has been at the forefront of a number of innovations in Australian agriculture including: grazing management, stress free Stockmanship, self herding and the use of forage shrubs in grazing landscapes. He developed the No Kill Cropping method. As well as running the farm with his family. Bruce currently conducts extension projects around Australia on No Kill Cropping, Self Herding and grazing management.

Bruce Maynard, The Lazy Farmer, is the inventor of the Regenerative Agricultural practice of No Kill Cropping.

His farming operations reflect a desire to demonstrate true Triple Bottom Line principles, where a balance between profit, soil and landscape function. biodiversity and a healthy social life is continually striven for.

What he has achieved with limited resources is truly remarkable and an example for other land managers to draw from in these changing times.