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The Weekly Times Rural Lifestyle Expo 
GUEST SPEAKERS
Gerhard Grasser - 10.30am
Managing Director - Agrisolutions Pty Ltd
Topic: Soil Health - Your Health
- Simple soil health criteria - chemistry, and biology.
- Bringing biology into focus.
- Using nature's resources and processes.
- Things you can do to improve your health and soil.
Rob Pelletier - 11.15am
Qualified Horticulturalist, Wiltshire Horn sheep stud owner, Heritage fruit trees grower, The Weekly Times columnist, ABC Radio announcer.
Topic: Purchasing a Farm / Hobby Farm
- Location
- Zoning
- Neighbours
- Organic or conventional
Meggs Hannes - 12 noon
Victorian Farmers Markets Association - Project officer.
Topic: Taking your product to farmers markets
- About the VFMA.
- Programs and services.
- Compliance with councils, insurance etc.
- Accessing farmers markets.
Jane Bunn - 12.45pm 
Expo Ambassador, WIN News Weather Presenter, Meteorologist.
Topic: Weather Forecasting
- Weather basics.
- Accuracy of weather forecasting.
- Interpreting weather forecasts.
- Words to look out for and how they apply to you. (e.g. Likelihood of actually getting rain / risk of storm damage / if it is dry enough to harvest.
David Stewart - 1.30pm
Department of Primary Industries - Project Leader Small Landholder Information Service.
Topic: Small Landholder Information.
- Managing the health and nutrition needs of livestock such as sheep and cattle.
- Growing better pastures.
- Interpreting soil test results.
- Farm planning for small properties.
- Responsibilities for weed control and chemical use.
Rebecca Djordjevic - 2.15pm
Manager Munash Garden Division, Australian International coordinator to Remineralize the Earth, Garden writer for Secrets Magazine
Topic: How To Grow Things Naturally
- Regenerating soil for livelier gardens, healthy veggie patches and better yields.
- Knowing when to plant or how to water or feed your garden.
- Inspiring people to grow things at home.
Rod May - 3pm
Deputy Mayor Hepburn Shire, Past President of NASAA, OFA AND IFOAM Organic Standards Committee.
Topic: Supporting Resilient and Organic Agriculture.
- What is resilient agriculture and why does organic fit into this category.
- Environmental and community benefits.
- Consumer and farmer benefits.
- Policy positions on organic farming.
- What can all levels of Government do to support resilient farming.
- How you can be involved.
Fiona Chambers - 3.30pm
Managing Director - Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
Topic: Rare and Heritage Breeds of Animals.
- We need to eat them to save them.
- The importance of rare and heritage breeds to biodiversity in farm animals.
- Why registering with breed society is critical.
- Which is the rarest of the all ?
- Where to find them ?
