NYAH West agribusiness Calder Permaculture was one of five Victorian finalists, out of 22,000 nominations across Australia, in the 2024 Telstra Business Awards for Promoting Sustainability.
The awards for sustainability focused businesses recognise those that reduce their environmental impact by driving sustainable change within their industries.
Russell Calder’s partner Tracy Hammill nominated Calder Permaculture because of his vision and values which guide the progression of the business beyond the staple product – Stimulator, a liquid fertiliser from worm castings.
“He has an uncanny natural ability with engineering and understanding how things work, and an amazing ability to see into the future, to look into a field and see where things will go and how they will all work together,” she said.
“The fact that he produces this wonderful little elixir that enables plants to grow without chemicals is fantastic, and he does it while creating this beautiful organic balance on the farm.”
The property will soon host a nursery to grow native and other assorted plants from seeds and through propagation, along with the existing vegetable garden and chickens that feed the family year-round.
Mr Calder told The Guardian that while his career has always been in horticulture, he turned to organic farming when he was rendered near-comatose, which he attributed to the chemicals he was constantly exposed to in commercial farming.
“There are no chemicals used on the property and we’re certified organic, and the results from recycling plant nutrients has been huge, with healthier and bigger plants,” he said.
“Our dry land farming clients use one litre of Stimulator per hectare, which acts as a steroid for their crop, and they don’t need to use as much herbicide to kill weeds, which saves the farmer a second round of spraying.”
Ms Hammill said she sees the impact that a product like Stimulator and a business model like Calder Permaculture can have as the climate changes.
“In line with water restrictive practices, it just makes plants so much more viable, and means there’s a greater chance of growing a bountiful crop, which would be a huge benefit,” she said.
“It could make such a difference on so many scales; imagine the impact Stimulator could have if we looked at getting it to areas where the soil is poor.
“There are so many applications for this product that are not only great for the terra firmer but for humanity.”
For Ms Hammill, getting a regional agricultural business to the state finalists of the Telstra Best of Business Awards recognises the work that agriculturalists are doing to feed the country.
“It’s wonderful that what he does is recognised by people beyond agriculture, that from a business perspective there’s an understanding that this is something that’s viable and worth celebrating, which adds gravitas to the role he can play within this community,” she said.
“It’s such a privilege to make it as a state finalist; it’s rarified air and it’s hard to get there, and as a small country business it’s unbelievable.
“Our farmers don’t get near as much recognition as they deserve.”
