The Farm Carbon Toolkit is hosting the inaugural Dung Beetle Conference co-sponsored by First Milk and Yeo Valley.
The practically applied gathering will build on the expertise of the Dung Ecology conferences which ran from 2009. This Dung Beetle Conference will to harness that body of work and apply it to stimulate action on integrating nature and farming and explore how farmers can enhance biodiversity to achieve regenerative farming outcomes.
Grazing ruminants are vital to our farmed environment. We need to better integrate livestock into all types of farming and ensure management interventions are well thought out, to achieve animal, soil, and end-consumer health and productivity.
The Farm Carbon Toolkit says that it focusses on the dung beetle as a centre point. “These soil engineers, climate enhancers, and pathogen reducers are a keystone species and a powerful proxy for soil health and the wider vibrancy of soil life. At this conference, you will hear from regenerative farmers, soil scientists, environmental experts, agroecologists and veterinary scientists.”
In the spotlight will be ‘integrated parasite management’ as a newly proven and effective approach to reducing reliance on parasiticides. This easy to adopt approach, not only helps our dung beetles, but opens the door to many multi-beneficial interventions and outcomes.
The expert speakers have been selected to enhance learning and encourage the mutual exchange of knowledge and experience.
For those interested in influencing policy, there will be an opportunity to be part of a consultation with the VMD, the body responsible for animal medicines in the UK.
FCT expect the conference to appeal particularly to farmers, vets, entomologists, ecologists, advisors and those involved in veterinary medicine and relevant policy.
Sessions will include:
- Dung beetle and the services it provides to agriculture (parasite control, nutrient cycling, soil health, reducing methane emissions from manure)
- Farmers and vets discussing their farms & case studies
- Dung beetle safaris
- Demonstrating the wide array of positive impact projects and applied integrated parasite management practices across farms
- Vet-led case studies demonstrating good practice
- Industry change workshop