No longer ‘weird hippy farmers’: Matt Haggerty on Natural Intelligence Farming
As a teenager at boarding school in Perth, Matt Haggerty clearly remembers having ‘lots of arguments’ about why his family’s system of farming in Western Australia’s (WA) Central Wheatbelt was a viable alternative to conventional methods. Today, he’s devoting his time to learning about, and practicing, Natural Intelligence Farming, and educating customers about the system’s benefits.
Matt’s parents, Di and Ian Haggerty at Prospect Pastoral, and South Australian woman Jane Slattery, co-founded a globally recognised system in 2001 that regenerates soil and landscape health – Natural Intelligence FarmingTM (NIF).
Born the following year, Matt, 22, recalls a ‘typical country childhood’, but one shaped by his parents’ passion for NIF.
“My school holidays were spent visiting other farmers and scientists around Australia who were using and researching similar methods, so I had a very unique childhood.”
After leaving school Matt moved to Sweden for a year and worked on a large organic farm, where it hit home to him how important it was to farm in unison with nature.
The journey to Natural Intelligence FarmingTM and rebuilding the farm
The Haggerty’s journey to NIF began back in 1994, when Di and Ian sold their roadhouse and bought a 660ha farm and 300 joined ewes in the Wheatbelt, without any plant or machinery.
Matt, Ian and Di Haggerty run Prospect Pastoral in Western Australia’s Central Wheatbelt.
They soon realised that they would have to do things differently if they were to make a living. Costs spiralled upwards and they faced nutrient deficiencies, loss of soil structure, low organic matter, loss of biodiversity and poor water infiltration.
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Inspired by the work of American microbiologist and soil researcher, Elaine Ingham and others, the Haggerty’s began to focus on understanding the microbiome, the combination of human, animal and environmental microorganisms on the farm.
Prospect Pastoral now runs a 24,000ha grain and sheep farm at Mollerin in the north area of WA, which aim to rebuild soil in semi-arid regions and produce premium food, fibre and beverages through a holistic and integrated program of cropping and grazing.
Reaping the rewards and awards
The Haggerty’s have leased, agisted or share farmed 33 different properties, many of them affected by salinity, wind erosion, soil compaction and diminishing rainfall, and transformed them through NIF.
Their work has been recognised across Australia. In 2010 the Haggerty’s won the A&K Hill Green Agriculture Innovation Award, for outstanding leadership in the adoption of farming practices that foster secure and resilient agricultural production and improve food quality.
In 2012 they received Carbon Farmers Australia’s National Carbon Cocky Award for Industry Development, and in 2015 an inaugural Soil Restoration Leadership award in WA.
Prospect Pastoral currently produces specialty grains – wheat, oats, barley, triticale and cereal rye – as well as pasture fed lamb and mutton and fine wool, in a rainfall zone averaging 200mm/year.
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Their self-replacing Merino flock of 6,000 sheep is shorn every eight months, producing 140 bales of wool per shear.
The family has eliminated all synthetic fertilisers for cropping and uses natural fertility processes such as compost extract and worm liquids applied via liquid injection or foliar sprays to build organic matter in the soil.
They’ve recorded:
- A 13% increase in soil water holding capacity in biologically managed soil over conventionally cropped soil
- A 9.6% increase in soil water holding capacity compared to permanent pasture.
- Improved soil tilth has meant less fuel and machinery hours, and improved water holding capacity has delivered better grain fill.
Grain is supplied direct to Perth bakery Miller + Baker, lamb and mutton to an organic butcher in Perth, and wool direct to Europe through NativaTM, Chargeurs’ regenerative brand offering ethically produced fibres.
Educating the public about farming systems
Matt has been working to develop the NIF brand by educating the public on the benefits of no insecticides, fungicides, mulesing or drenching on the quality of their food, and the overall health benefits of eating it.
“Miller + Baker buys our grain, and they get constantly great reviews as having the best bread, croissants and pies in the city, and customers who buy our wool are astounded that WA can produce such fine, high-quality fleeces,” he said.
The Haggerty family supplies grain directly to Perth bakery Miller + Baker.
“We’ve supplied UK designer Stella McCartney through NativaTM and have been approached by other leading fashion brands too, but we don’t have the quantities to supply multiple brands.
“NIF shows you can work alongside the most delicate natural ecosystems while using the most modern technology. It has also made our landscape highly resilient, so we’re not as affected by dry periods.”
The goal now is to try to shorten supply chains, to bring a quality product to customers and put money into farmers’ pockets to invest in improving the landscape.
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“We’re looking at building a warehouse in Perth where we can process meat and mill grain, then distribute it around Perth, and ideally this would be replicated on the east coast and in other countries,” Matt says.
The Haggerty’s have supplied wool directly to UK designer Stella McCartney through NativaTM
“We’d also like to focus on an education system about NIF to bring more farmers on board, so they see that they can reap the environmental benefits but also be paid more for their produce.
“Conventional farmers are definitely starting to see the writing on the wall. Mum and Dad are on a speaking tour through Canada and have had an astounding response to NIF – they’re shocked at how enthusiastic the farmers are.”
Making a difference through evokeAG. Groundbreakers 2025
Matt himself is astounded by the lack of awareness amongst city shoppers about how their food is produced.
“Someone said to me that when they think of farming, they picture those idyllic green farms in the Coles and Woollies ads, but that’s not quite the story!” he said.
“That’s why I’ll be applying for the evokeAG. Groundbreakers program in 2025, to learn more about how to communicate with consumers about farming.”
Formerly known as the evokeAG. Future Young Leaders program, the evokeAG. Groundbreakers program will empower five emerging leaders in agrifood and related industries to present their innovations at evokeAG. 2025 in Brisbane, February 18-19.
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Participants receive mentoring and a post-event bursary to enhance rural communities and advance Australian agriculture.
“As farmers we face ridiculous pricing for inputs, increased regulation, environmental demands from buyers, and we’re not being paid anywhere near what we deserve for our products.
“If I’m lucky enough to be chosen as an evokeAG. Groundbreaker, I’d like to train in public speaking and ways to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture. Who knows what connections that could lead to?”
NIF licence proposed to protect against greenwashing
While the Haggerty’s own the intellectual property for NIF, they are considering a licence or certification for farmers who are implementing the system. Matt sees it as important to protect against the greenwashing that has plagued the organic industry.
And he’s clear about his short-term goals.
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“In five years, I’d love to have a warehouse processing and distributing food around the state and interstate as well, lots of farmers producing NIF products to broaden our range, and more public engagements like on-farm field days, to support farmers and educate consumers on what creates good quality produce,” he said.
So, is he still having to argue the case for Natural Intelligence FarmingTM. like he did as a teenager in boarding school?
“The conversations are starting to change. As kids, we were looked at as weird hippy farmers for being involved in the regenerative farming movement. Where once there would be 20 people at a regen conference, now when you attend one there are hundreds of farmers.”
Find out more on Natural Intelligence Farming TM via naturalintelligencefarming.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.