A group of Macedon Ranges farmers has achieved an extraordinary coup, convincing award-winning documentary filmmaker Peter Byck to come to Kyneton for a groundbreaking new event.
He will headline GROW, a one-day conference, field day and festival at Kyneton Racecourse on Saturday February 22 that will position the region as a centre for excellence in regenerative agriculture and sustainable food production.
Byck is best known for his Carbon Cowboys films about pioneering cattle ranchers across the US.
His work with the Macedon Ranges farmers has sparked a national tour that will culminate in his presentations at GROW, followed by a screening he’ll host of his latest documentary series – Roots So Deep – on Sunday afternoon in Bendigo.
Peter Byck’s Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there) has captured global attention for its in-depth exploration of regenerative farming.
The series follows scientists and farmers across the US who are proving grazing can be a game changer for soil and ecological health, carbon sequestration and farm productivity and profitability, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of farming families and mitigating the impacts of a changing climate.
Now, he is bringing those insights to Australia, with Kyneton the flagship event on his tour.
GROW Festival’s Donna Coutts said Peter’s visit to Kyneton was significant because it helped place the Macedon Ranges at the heart of Australia’s sustainable agriculture movement.
“Having someone of Peter’s calibre say yes to GROW has been the catalyst for attracting so many other industry leaders and change makers to speak and teach on the day and support this event, ” Ms Coutts said.
GROW has also been accepted as an official event of the National Sustainability Festival 2025 in recognition of its contribution to driving sustainability across Australia.
“We’re just a handful of local volunteer farmers with an ambitious idea but we’ve had such an incredible response it’s so inspiring and energising – it’s spurred us on,” Ms Coutts said.
“With so much to offer we could have put together a three-day program with sessions to spare, but instead we opted to design a huge, one-day smorgasbord of world-leading learning opportunities.
“It’s like a big food-and-farming choose-your-own-adventure program – whether you’re a lifelong farmer looking for ideas on lowering inputs, or new to farming – and it’s not just for farmers – it’s for anyone who wants to know more about how their food is grown.”
GROW is on from 8am-7pm at Kyneton Racecourse on Saturday February 22.
It features more than 25 international, national and local speakers, more than 25 interactive exhibitor sites, plus demonstrations and workshops, a meet-the-growers hub and local food and drinks.
Speakers include ag-tech entrepreneur, flower grower and Rural Woman of the Year Nikki Davey, agroforestry pioneer Rowan Reid, Canada-based soil-health expert Joel Williams, Feather and Bone butchery owner and author Laura Dalrymple, carbon-neutral wool grower and Nuffield scholar Colette Glazik, humans-in-ag researcher Prof Ruth Nettle, Soilkee inventor Niels Olsen plus multi-species pasture specialists, holistic management educators, drone mappers, pioneering regen farmers and many, more more.
The not-for-profit event is organised by volunteers and supported by Agriculture Victoria and Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group.
GROW tickets are available now until sold out at www.growfestival.au
