Tim's Blog

I was intrigued by Peter's insights into the land, and he is obviously a perceptive and thoughtful observer, by the good sense of his goal of rewatering the land, and by the challenge he held up to consider using the ‘forbidden species', sometimes known as weeds, to restore the country.

Common perception is that weeds are bad...but I don't necessarily think that's always the case.

My confidence in Peter Andrews was greatly encouraged when I heard him speak at a field day. He advocated using non-native plants, but he placed them in an ecological context and suggested that they would be replaced in time by more permanent vegetation, precisely by native vegetation, if a seed source is available. I guess that's why he calls it Natural Sequence Farming?

Without wanting to detract from Peter Andrews' unique contribution, I could not help but see him in the context of a lot of other pioneering people and ideas. For me he builds upon P.A. Yeomans, Bill Mollison. Alex Podolinski, Geoff Wallace and the pioneers of Wisalts in the West.

Read more about

• Weeds as a benefit?
• Peter Andrews