FOR more than a decade, Helen Lewis has dedicated her life to helping local farmers change the way they approach farming.

Through holistic management, the passionate Pratten farmer believes growers and producers can work smarter with more collaboration and more environmentally friendly practices

Mrs Lewis, who is a partner in a business called Inside Out Management, shared her vision at the Australian Women in Agriculture Conference in Alice Springs earlier this month.

Among the focuses for local farmers is the concept of holistic grazing and regenerative agriculture.

"Holistic grazing is all about having your stock in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons," she said.

"Managing holistically is proactive - you know what you're doing and why you're doing it."

Through her management training, Mrs Lewis also helps farmers with financial planning and addressing mental health issues.

"Mental health is a huge issue, particularly in rural areas," she said.

"It's not necessarily depression - it can be attitudinal."

Holistic management is something Mrs Lewis has applied into her own life, as she and husband Ian prepare to expand into their own beef production business - Picots Farm.

Mrs Lewis has spent most of her life around Warwick, while her husband is fifth-generation on their property near Pratten.

"We'll be selling our beef to 10 or 15 clients a month in Brisbane next year," she said.

"We were going to try doing it this year but last year was just too dry."

While her husband runs the farm, the busy mother-of-two does all the business management, as well as sitting on the Wheatvale State School P and C and lobbying as the general manager of the Outback Highway Development Council.

Son Archie and daughter Isabelle are also involved in the farm.

"Archie is quite keen on a bike track and an orchid," Mrs Lewis said.

Looking to the future of agriculture in Australia, Mrs Lewis said there were some very smart things happening.

"I'd like to see a lot more local collaboration and working together," she said.

"Getting people together is the key."

Mrs Lewis is encouraging local farmers and industry to take part in the free carbon trading workshops later this month.

The workshops, part of Festival of Farming, will be held in Warwick on September 14 and 16 and Stanthorpe on September 15.

For more information phone Helen on 0418 785 285.