#067 Behind the Greatest Regenerative Agriculture Movement in Australia
Dr Terry McCosker on life, death & learning true power
Dr Terry McCosker is a formidable store of experience and wisdom, born of a love of the land and an acute sense of humanity, and forged through suffering unimaginable tragedy. And that’s alongside the trials and tribulations that come from simply being at the vanguard of significant change.
Dr Terry McCosker (pic supplied).
“I believe we can go all the way. I believe that within 30 to 50 years, all landscape in Australia will be run in a regenerative way. And I don’t think we have an option to that. ”
Terry is a farmer, self-described transient part-owner of the National Estate, and co-founder of RCS Australia. Charles Massy has called RCS this country’s leading broad-scale grazing and farming education company. And he says, “When I look back over the rise of regenerative agriculture in Australia, I see at the forefront Terry and Pam McCosker and their RCS organisation. Today it remains a world leader in the field.”
Terry is credited with bringing holistic grazing to Australia, having connected with global pioneers Stan Parsons and Allan Savory. But let it be known, he thought it was “the greatest pile of shit he’d ever seen”. He ended up embarking on extensive research testing the theories and practices for himself. When he became convinced of Parsons’ and Savory’s work, “Thus began”, Massy says, “arguably the single greatest broad-acre regenerative agriculture movement to turn around land degradation and profitability in farming in this country.” Now there are around 10,000 producers around Australia, and the world, that have been involved in RCS’ programs.
Whatever your walk of life, and whatever angle you’re taking, or thinking of taking, in the regenerative movement, this conversation resonates on a deeply human level. It was recorded last Thursday, 30 July 2020.
Get more:
Tune into the special extra with Terry, ‘Recarbonising the Economy, Regenerative Education & Fire in the Belly of Reconciliation’.
RCS Australia’s International Conference – Convergence: Agriculture | Human and Planetary Health, featuring Zach Bush MD and many more, with Anthony James as host.
Project Pioneer, RCS’ brilliant work on improving the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
Listen to current RCS Chairman, David McLean, in conversation for episode 39, ‘Stop Riding the Unicorn: Empowering the regenerative agriculture movement’.
Music:
By Jeremiah Johnson.