“When you start to understand the biological processes, you can work with the land rather than against it.” Martin Royds, NSW Australian Government Landcare Farming Award Finalist.

A fifth-generation beef cattle farmer from Braidwood, Martin Royds is passionate about working with nature, building resilience by increasing soil carbon on his land. Previously a member of the Landcare NSW Board and Chair of Upper Shoalhaven Landcare, Martin has been an enthusiastic advocate for increasing biodiversity and holistic farm management for decades.

Martin’s farming philosophy is that decisions are based around working with nature not against it. This means observing and understanding ecosystem function and dynamics. The vital starting point being to slow the flow of water and allow the rehydration of the landscape — the way our land functioned for thousands of years.
Martin has learned from leaders in the fields of holistic management, soil biology, soil carbon sequestration, natural sequence farming and ecosystem dynamics. His farm has become a proving ground for many modern progressive agricultural practices. Martin collaborates with his peers to explore and develop systems to enhance and rebuild ecological and economic resilience in the agricultural landscape. Martin has set up Tomburra on the Mongarlowe River to facilitate learning and education in an experiential and relaxing environment.