Mingenew - 16 August 2009

So I am back in the cold, and the rain, in the south-west. Mingenew to be precise. And the wildflower season is cranking. There are yellow, orange, pink, purple, and white everlastings in patches dotted across the landscape, on bits of land that are not cropped, and through the bush.

The Irwin River flowing through 'the Coalseam' (Coalseam Conservation park), just up the road from where I am living.

After 5 or 6 weeks travelling I have a job for 6 months or so. I am not really sure of the timeline, and I am employed on a short term rolling contract. My position is a Natural Resource Management Officer with the Mingenew-Irwin Group (MIG). MIG is a local farm research group. My job is in partnership with the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC), who will actually pay me. NACC is one of 6 Natural Resource Management bodies that cover the whole of WA. From what I have heard they are a reasonably effective group.

I start work tomorrow. What my job entails is somewhat of a mystery - to everyone I think. Which was part of the appeal, and I am hoping will mean that it can be about responding to what farmers are interested in, as well as innovating a little rather than purely running established programs. One of the things I expect I will be involved in is the whole climate change - agriculture - carbon conundrum. I imagine my involvement will be through desktop research and extension on emissions from different components of farming systems, and work on the potential for sequestration.