• Only 3 weeks left to unearth national Soil Heroes
• $20,000 Prize Available
• Health of our soil continues to decline due to erosion, acidification and salinisation so it’s imperative to put soil health top of the agenda
• Prestigious award is open to landcare groups, farmers, farming systems groups, land managers, extension specialists and educators

Landcare Australia has put out an urgent final call for nominations for the 2025 General Jeffery Soil Health Award. Landcare Australia is reaching out to the landcare community and passionate environmental community groups to ‘unearth’ the unsung soil heroes in rural and regional communities across Australia.

The prestigious and uniquely Australian General Jeffery Soil Health Award, named after the homegrown visionary in soil sustainability, is all about celebrating the work of people who care for soil health and who are educating or inspiring others. The $20,000 award will help the winner in their mission to improve soil health in Australian landscapes.

Nominations are closing very soon: 31 March 2025, so it’s time to swap muddy boots for a bit of desk time and get online to nominate individuals or groups whose work in soil health needs to be amplified across landscapes and farming communities.

Dr Oliver Knox, the current holder of the General Jeffery Soil Health Award (2022) said “It’s a great award that celebrates all things soily! People might well ask, why should we care about soil health and the answer is simple, soils are the basis of food production, food security and human health”.

Managing and preserving soil health is critical and although Australia is internationally renowned for our high-quality agricultural industry, the health of our soil continues to decline due to erosion, acidification and salinisation which is why the General Jeffery award has taken on more significance in the world of Australian Soil Health.

Healthy, well managed soil is a vital part of the sustainability and productivity of our agricultural sector and in today’s cost of living crisis agricultural productivity affects us all, so like General Jeffery we must be relentless in focusing on the importance of integrated management of soil, water, animals and plants to the benefit of all Australians and our environment.

At Landcare Australia, we believe it vitally important that we do all that we can to share knowledge, and celebrate the people who are working to protect, conserve and build the health of our soils and if you do know someone who’s working on a project – whether it’s a project looking at Dung Beetles, or a farming family who are passionate about soils – get online and make a nomination.

Fun Facts:
One shovel full of soil has more living things in it than all the humans ever born

It takes more than 500 years to form two centimetres of topsoil.

Australia’s first National Soils Advocate, General Jeffery was a bit of a homegrown visionary.  He passionately advocated for improvements in the health of our agricultural landscape. He championed soil health from Parliament House to the paddock.  He successfully changed attitudes towards soil sustainability and energised change on farms right across Australia.

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