Page 33 - Tropic Magazine Issue 36

TROPIC • AGRICULTURE

Guinea pig

workers

CHEMICAL-FREE
A creative Far North
Queensland farmer has
recruited a team of cavies
to deal with his weeds.
Words: Renee Cluff

When John Gargan tends to the crops on
his farm at Mutchilba on the Atherton
Tablelands, he’s joined by dozens of
cute cavies. It might seem unusual
now, but the critters are part of his
plan to change the face of cropping in
Australia. John and his wife Grace have “The idea is that the sun’s free and the
established a biodynamic, syntropic rainwater is free so the sun produces They’re very fast
system – a regenerative method which sugars for the plants, they feed the and very alert – I thought
is a combination of agriculture and microbes and the microbes feed the
agroforestry and completely plants. It’s a self-sustaining system and I’d have a problem with
chemical free. ecologically beautiful. Your plants get predators but I don’t
John says the placement of tall silky oaks accustomed to the system and they
among multiple food crops improves tune into it.” John Gargan
the soil, regulates the microclimate and There was just one problem: the constant Farmer
favours water cycles. The Gargans are struggle to keep grass and weeds at bay
growing pineapples, guava, avocados, between the plants and their inter- Just a few months into the experiment
bananas and mulberries to name a few. rows. That’s when John really began and production is up, while John and
“I’m trying to establish a system that is thinking outside the box. “It was just an Grace – both aged in their mid-70s – are
applicable for other famers to use so we inspiration,” he said. “Guinea pigs don’t grateful for the extra labourers. “We spoil
can put trees back into the landscape,” burrow and don’t climb and they eat a lot them,” John said. “We grow pumpkins
John told Tropic. of grass and they are the most gorgeous and cut them up for them. We’ve also
little critters.” His research also revealed been buying some guinea pig mix
no evidence that the animals would because when you feed them, they all
become a pest should they escape. come to you so you can count them.”
The fact that they ‘bred like guinea pigs’ The cavies are not the only animal helpers
was also a bonus. on the farm. Cattle are used to help
Around 90 guinea pigs now keep the fertilise and geese carry out the rougher
lawn mowed, while leaving the crops foraging, allowing – as John said – for the
alone. They’re fenced in to keep predators guinea pigs to carry out ‘the final trim’.
at bay. “In case of the birds of prey, I’ve
given them pipes to duck into and some FACEBOOK: Syntropic
fencing to keep some of the animals out,” Agriculture Community
John said.

In other ag news…
The first memorandum of understanding under the Australian Agriculture
Visa Program had been signed with Vietnam. The Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade is expecting to launch a pilot of the program this year.

33 • tropicnow.com.au