An El Niño means drought is more likely, which is bad news for farmers.
But two farmers in Mount Egerton and Eganstown are using regenerative practices that work in sync with nature, and it’s improving their soil and their products when the weather gets unpredictable.
What happened? Campbell Mercer and Josh Williams work their land through regenerative farming.
It’s a style of agriculture that works in tandem with their environment, employing techniques like rotational grazing, multi-species cover crops and natural fertilisers.
On the ground: Mercer has been farming in West Vic for 25 years, producing olive oil, timber products and mutton at Manna Hill Estate. He’s farmed the land in a regenerative style before the practice even had a name.
“By default, I was philosophically using a lot of the techniques before it became a thing,” Mercer said.
Image: Campbell Mercer, Manna Hill Estate
Manna Hill Estate: At Mercer’s Mount Egerton farm, he uses rotational grazing for his sheep and multi-species cover crops through his olive groves.
Image: Manna Hill Estate
“We mix about 14 to 20 species into a seed mix,” he said. “It helps root structure, and has a wide diversity of microbiota helping in the soil”. He added that the increased biodiversity reduces pest pressure.
Mercer also explained that rotational grazing - a burst of livestock feeding, before a rest period - mirrors how natural grasslands are developed. It also helps eliminate worms as an issue in sheep, as the animals are moved before they can pick up worms again in their droppings.
Image: Manna Hill Estate
Mercer said as weather becomes more “volatile”, regenerative systems show a lot more resilience.
“It stores more water in the soil, so there’s more carbon in the soil and it holds moisture,” Mercer explained. “As a result of that, it’s a more resilient system”.
Tumpinyeri Growers: Josh Williams grew up in Ballarat, and now he grows vegetables for local restaurants on a shared farm in Eganstown.
Image: Josh Williams, Tumpinyeri Growers
He told the Brolga that regenerative farming places soil health at the centre of agriculture.
Williams said that in drought-periods, the effort they’ve put into “soil biology” on the shared property has ensured that it “can withstand difficult periods of climate change going forward”, because the soil is healthier.
Expert opinion: Eli Court is the CEO of Soils for Life, a not-for-profit working to support farmers regenerate their soil.
He said there are many ways farmers can introduce diversity to their land, and regenerative practices can be tailored to the needs of a specific farm.
He said success comes in “three buckets”: environment, economic, and social.
“We tend to see lower costs, which translates to improved profitability,” he said. “There’s no spectacular profits, but also no crashes in poorer years”.
“Given what’s going on with the climate and the weather, I think that’s pretty important for resilience in the farming system”. Court added that less run-off, improved biodiversity and better quality create a healthier, more hydrated landscape.
Mental health impacts: Court said improving these areas also improve the mental health of farmers.
“ I think the bit that sometimes gets overlooked in mainstream conversations in agriculture is the social and wellbeing benefit.”
An inability to feed stock and maintain farm productivity during periods of drought takes a toll on farmers, as mounting costs and stress accumulate.
A 2026 report from Norco Milk and Black Dog Institute found that a third of farmers had felt their mental health deteriorate over the last 12 months, with 54 percent reporting feeling depressed in the last two years.
Image: Manna Hill Estate
The bigger picture: In 2024 and 2025, West Vic saw one of the worst droughts in a century.
It impacted fodder availability, livestock prices and the mental health of many farmers. On June 16, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) officially declared an El Niño event, locking Australia into a six-month weather pattern that increases drought risk.
What’s that? Andrew Watkins, an adjunct professor with Monash University in the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, explained to the Brolga that an El Niño event means less cloud cover for Australia, and a warming of the Pacific Ocean. He said that while an El Nino event doesn’t guarantee drought, amplified by climate change it does create a “double whammy”.
Header Image: Josh Williams and Campbell Mercer