Central West Farming Systems recently hosted Major General the Honorable Michael Jeffery and his wife Marlena from the 20 to 22 June 2017 for a tour of the CWFS area.
Major General Jeffery was the 24th Governor-General of Australia, serving from 2003 to 2008.
As well as being active on many other committees throughout Australia, he is currently Australia’s Advocate for Soil Health, a position appointed by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The role entails the development of nationwide soil research, development and extension strategy. He has a strong vision for clean, green agriculture and Australian agricultural research leading the way in sustainable food production within the south east Asian region into the future.
Major General Jeffery and CWFS have recently been working together as part of the newly established Co-Operative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (CRC-HPS), along with other research groups. The CRC for High Performance Soils will receive nearly $40 million over 10 years and aims to help farmers’ bridge the gap between soil science and farm management.
CWFS accompanied Major General Jeffery on a tour of the Condobolin Agricultural Research and Advisory Station; the CWFS Lachlan Irrigation Research Site; a CWFS lime trial at Tottenham High School; CWFS Tottenham regional sites and local farms and visits to public schools in Condobolin, Trundle and Bedgerabong.
An informal dinner with CWFS staff and CWFS Executive Committee members was held at the Condobolin Motor Inn on 20 June 2017 with a Mayoral Reception hosted by Lachlan Shire Council on 21 June 2017.
