Link-List of Soil Selfies from the Wimmera -Mallee, northwest Victoria, Australia
Discover the soils people have at home, work or play, and how they are used and valued – contributed from many Wimmera-Mallee places. These Soil Selfies are grouped by: food for the world, family farming, natural environments, recreational places and supporting buildings and infrastructure.
Soils grow food for the ‘world’
Bangerang, red soil on Buloke country on a broad-acre family farm producing food for the world, home garden food for the family and natives for habitat. Challenge of dry times and minimum til farming to manage this.
Banyan, sandy soils drift (wind erosion) along bare fence lines and road sides.
Batchica the Stubble Paddock , on a broad-acre family farm, no-till management, living close to Nature.
Jeparit food from a heavy black clay soil , on a broad-acre family farm producing food for the family from the orchard and for the world from the broad-acre cropping, under the challenge of clays which shrink and sink, managed in the orchard with straw mulch to retain moisture.
Horsham Strong Cores for healthy soil, research on soil from the Grains Innovation Park paddock.
Werrigar East, Gilgai for sheep grazing, with challenges of these shrink and swell soils creating humps and hollows across a paddock.
Soils grow food for families (family farming)
Dimboola, Garden of Earthy Treasures, soil used for building a terradome and to produce a food forest under xericulture, dryland permaculture, including aquaponics.
Dimboola, organic soil for an orchard and vegetable garden, has been inherited from one generation to the next.
Jeparit food from a heavy black clay soil , on a broad-acre family farm producing food for the family from the orchard and for the world from the broad-acre cropping, under the challenge of clays which shrink and sink, managed in the orchard with straw mulch to retain moisture.
Horsham , landfill transformed to beautiful soil, by composting in soil and adding a watering system a beautiful home garden has been created in 7 years.
Horsham, clay for grassed backyard prepared for new backyard food garden (family farm) use by deep digging, compost and mulch.
Murtoa, soil for a backyard food garden, by managing clay with gypsum, compost, mulch and watering for its fertility, dryness and high clay content.
Werrigar East, Gilgai for sheep grazing, with challenges of these shrink and swell soils creating humps and hollows across a paddock.
Soils are at the base of natural environments, native habitat and biodiversity
Barrett Forest Reserve, Wallup East, sandy loam soil for a forest, managed by restrictions on timber collection to protect soils as well as trees.
Dimboola from Farmland Soil to native habitat sandy hillside revegated to grow native trees.
Jeparit, Wimmera River, soil for forming river channel. Challenged by salinity from underground, passed along river and local runoff over salty ground.
Jeparit, Wimmera River, Soil for a Lizard’s Home, sandy silt of river verge used as natural habitat eg for Shingleback lizards, with naturally occurring events as threats.
Pine Plains, Sand dune landform in Wyperfeld National Park, sandy soil of lunette dune used for recreation. Problem of natural eastward drift of sand overrunning trees , potential of 4WD to increase this.
Soil supports our recreational places
Horsham, Wimmera River, Walking track, sandy soil of river verge used for recreation. Challenge of potential erosion.
Horsham, Grain Innovation Park, grey clay soil to inspire research and art in the paddock. Challenges for photography are the light and dust.
Lake Hindmarsh, dry lake bed used by 4WDers, with natural management
Pine Plains, Sand dune landform in Wyperfeld National Park, sandy soil of lunette dune used for recreation. Problem of natural eastward drift of sand overrunning trees , potential of 4WD to increase this.
Warracknabeal Soil for a vintage tractor pull clay subsoil used annually for recreational event and returned to grow crop after each use.
Warracknabeal Solid Clay for building Rifle Butt clay subsoil used to create infrastructure for recreational rifle shooting. Problem of illegal 4WD creating erosion on steep bare slopes.
Wycheproof, soil for a sports field, with challenges and managements for dry times, low grass nutrients and holes dug in the grass by birds and hockey sticks.
Soils support building and infrastructure
Warracknabeal, Clay soil for a mud brick house, with the addition of sand creates a solid building material.
Dimboola, Garden of Earthy Treasures, soil used for building a terradome and to produce a food forest under xericulture, dryland permaculture, including aquaponics.
Longerenong Rural Ag Show Soil, used as the floor and paths at an outdoor exhibition site.
Dooen, clay soil underlies the tarmac of the Multi-modal transport hub.
Warracknabeal Soil for a vintage tractor pull clay subsoil used annually for recreational event and returned to grow crop after each use.
Warracknabeal Solid Clay for building Rifle Butt clay subsoil used to create infrastructure for recreational rifle shooting. Problem of illegal 4WD creating erosion on steep bare slopes.
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Instructions for contributing your soil to this collection are on the main Soil Selfies page
page begun 4 April 2015, latest update 7 January 2016