The Darwin Soil Wealth/ICP site on David Boehme’s property was set up to showcase several organic approaches that are now considered to be best practice for the broader horticulture industry.

David Boehme is one of Australia’s most experienced organic farmers and he suggests that “every farmer should first learn to farm organically to understand soil biology, beneficial predators, useful non-chemical approaches, and sustainability.

David’s organic farm at Lambells Lagoon, 47km east of the Darwin CBD, is demonstrating cover crops, biochar, reduced tillage and managing pests and disease in an integrated manner.

The Darwin Soil Wealth/ ICP demonstration site with help from the Territory Natural Resource Management (TNRM) and NT Farmers aims to provide information on cover crops, row covers and biochar on David’s organic vegetable farm, specifically:

  1. What are the benefits of different types of cover cropping?
  2. How do floating row covers effect on pest management and crop health?
  3. Does biochar help to address soil carbon deficiencies and improve water holding capacity?