The problem is that until now, there has been no way of testing its condition.

So, Mr Hill, a cattle and garlic farmer from Mount Fairy, decided to develop a brand to give consumers the choice to support regenerative agriculture.

‘Land to Market Australia’ uses a process called Ecological Outcome Verification, by which farmers can test the outcomes of their land management.

The internationally recognised tests encompass soil health, biodiversity and microbiology to provide scientifically rigorous data.

Mr Hill and his wife Jane Keany are among nine farmers from the Braidwood and Bungendore area participating in the project.

He began the initiative after seeing all the hard work from farmers across Australia that went into regenerative farming, a message which he didn’t see reaching consumers.

A brand identifying the produce of regenerative farms was the answer, Mr Hill thought.

“[It] will give consumers the choice, whether they want to support that through their purchasing, and will also give farmers the choice whether they want to verify the ecological outcomes on their land,” Mr Hill said.

A grant from the Federal Government’s Farming Together has helped get the project off the ground.

Nationwide, the group manages over 47,000 hectares. In the Braidwood and Bungedore area, nine local farmers have joined up to the project.

Margie Fitzpatrick who farms meat sheep and cattle at Currawang is among them.

Overgrazing and clearing have left their mark on her 1,500 hectare property, which has been in the family since the 1830s.

Now she’s on a quest to repair it.

“The Land to Market project is about the people who are helping the land regenerate to get some recompense… for producing quality meat or wool or fruit and vegetables,” Ms Fitzpatrick said. “So it’s kind of like giving farmers a bit of a bonus for different practices they put in place.”

For more information contact Tony Hill at tony@holisticfarms.com.au