Rethinking Regeneration at WFD 2026
Wilmot Field Day is more than just a field day. It’s a platform that unites the people, ideas and practices shaping the future of agriculture in Australia and beyond.
In 2026, the event will tackle six themes head on. Take a look at the themes and some of the program highlights from each one.
Farming, people and resilient landscapes
When we think about a food secure future, we’re not just talking about producing a commodity. We’re talking about producing food that is nutrient-dense, in a way that is good for the environment, that is affordable to the consumer, and that generates ongoing returns for the producer.
For many years, food security has been focused on increasing productivity. But at what cost? Environmental degradation, our susceptibility to climate risk, our reliance on inputs, and the increasing costs of doing business are making farmers and regional communities vulnerable. Wilmot Field Day 2026 sparks discussions on alternative ways to farm.
Dr Allen Williams, global guru of regenerative agriculture and co-founder of US consultancy, Understanding Ag, has worked with thousands of farms globally. He uses evidence-based principles of regenerative ag, working alongside producers with site-specific knowledge to identify practical solutions to enhance farm resilience and profitability.
Hear from Allen as the keynote speaker on Day 1 and take the opportunity to walk the paddocks of Wilmot with him in the afternoon to put these principles into practice.
Regenerating our food system
Regenerative agriculture is a whole-system approach to land management that focuses on working with nature to restore and enhance natural ecosystems. Strategic use of livestock, paddock rotations, multi-species crops, groundcover management, fire, soil management, weed and pest control, and land restoration works undertaken by primary producers and land stewards have demonstrated that ecological outcomes can be improved whilst supporting our food system.
Dr Jonathan Lundgren, agroecologist and pioneer of the 1,000 Farms Initiative, has been gathering critical evidence for these relationships. He and his team have been collecting and analysing biometric data from farms across the US to quantify soil properties, water dynamics, biodiversity (plants, insects and birds), pest and disease, and crop nutrients, alongside farm economics and net profitability.
Join Jonathan for his keynote presentation on the outcomes from the 1,000 Farms study, and for a walk through the paddocks on Day 2. See for yourself how landscape management can be used to improve soil health, build natural capital and enhance biodiversity, whilst supporting profitable agricultural production over the long term.
Heathy soil, healthy food
Everything starts from the soil. Healthy soils support life underground and above ground, with nutrients passing from the soil into the food we eat. Healthy soils are not only essential for agricultural production and food security, but for water security, climate resilience, emissions reductions and biodiversity.
WFD provides an opportunity to enhance your knowledge of soil management through presentations and demonstrations, sharing ways to deploy practical strategies into farming systems that deliver landscape and productivity benefits.
Victorian producer, Grant Sims will share insights from his family’s experience in building a more resilient and productive mixed farm operation using seed treatments and biologicals, livestock grazing, multi-species pastures, fodders and covers, and other management strategies. Grant will present alongside soil health educator, Joel Williams who will explain the science behind these strategies so you can apply them to your own context.
Prospering family farms
As family farms come under increasing pressure, we take a look at the opportunities for these enterprises to increase their economic potential by adopting regenerative practices and harnessing a growing demand for sustainably produced food.
From the ground up, we’ll explore enterprise mixes, on-farm management practices, business decisions, technological advancements, and commercial opportunities that are revitalising family farms.
Hailing from SA, Tom Robinson runs a mixed farming enterprise with his wife, Cassi and parents, Ashley and Kaylene. Their business is a 100% no-till, controlled traffic farm with a focus on soil, plant and livestock health. Hear how Tom and Cassi are carrying on a family legacy of sustainable land and business management with strategies like stubble retention, cover crops, foliar applications and flexible grazing.
Local and connected supply chains
With growing recognition of the role of agriculture in nature repair and climate solutions, the interest in regenerative agriculture is growing, from multinational companies right down to farmers’ markets. This presents an invaluable opportunity for primary producers to expand and be rewarded for nature-positive practices.
This WFD, meet innovators like Signature Beef’s Josie Angus, who are responding to these market signals and seeking out new value-added opportunities, navigating paddock to plate pathways for sustainably produced food.
Climate change solutions
Australian agriculture can be a significant part of Australia’s climate and environmental solution. Through practices such as grazing management, low or no-till cropping systems, soil restoration, tree planting, and riparian management, producers can make a lasting contribution to Australia’s emissions reductions and biodiversity outcomes.
Australia’s ACCU Scheme (carbon market) and Nature Repair Market (biodiversity), can support and reward producers to implement these practices, delivering collective benefits for nature, farmers and communities.
Hosted by Green Collar’s Brendan Foran, hear from representatives from the NRM, finance, agtech and environmental market sectors to understand the nuts and bolts of these environmental markets and how the markets’ earliest on-farm projects have been unfolding.