Baby worms hatching, sustainable backyards and microbial health products for animals will be among the displays at the Biological Farming and Sustainability Conference public open day next Saturday, February 22, at the Waiariki Institute of Technology, Rotorua.

Photo: file.

The open day is part of the conference which begins on Thursday, February 20.

Its aim is to promote biological farming concepts to the general public and also to connect the public with the biological farming community and sustainability groups, says professor Guna Magesan, who is the conference coordinator.

Entry to the open day at the Mokoia Campus from 10am to 2pm is free and the general public are encouraged to attend.

A number of biological fertiliser companies, sustainability groups, research and educational institutes will be exhibiting and sharing their knowledge. Public organisations such as Scion, Waiariki, Te Puni Kokiri and Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be promoting their work.

Dr Michael Quintern of Noke Ltd, a well-known scientist in the area of waste management and sustainability, will explain the concepts of vermicomposting. He will set up worm farms and put some worm capsules into dishes to demonstrate hatching baby worms.

Denise La Grouw, promoter of Rotorua Sustainable Backyards, will share her share passion with the community about our future.

Andre Prassinos from Biobrew, a recent award winner, will be displaying their work.

Similarly, other companies such as NZ Nature Farming, Homeopathic Farm Support, and Farmlands will be setting up stalls to promote sustainability and biological farming.

The open day will be held after two days of technical sessions featuring speaker and poster presentations.

More than 150 farmers, Maori land owners, soil and environmental scientists, consultants, ecologists, land management specialists, and representatives from government agencies, universities, crown research institutes, regional councils, fertiliser companies, agricultural and horticultural businesses are participating in the conference.

The theme of the conference is ‘Biological farming under different land uses', reflecting the vital role of biological farming in sustaining our economy, our environment, and our communities.