Regeneration

Farmers in Australia have long battled with poor soils and inhospitable farming conditions. This film looks at how some are using new biological farming practices to dramatically improve the health of their soils and the quality of the food they grow. By working co-operatively with natural cycles these changes are restoring their faith in farming and safeguarding the future of their farms and rural communities. It includes interviews with Walter Jehne, Geoff Lawton, Rob Gourlay, Ken Bellamy. Fertile Farm have some copies to give away. (check out the other videos too]

Bokashi Compost Fertiliser

For many, proper aerobic composting is an intensive and expensive process requiring 6 – 15 passes with a compost turner per windrow to finish a Humified product. Bokashi compost is looking like a more efficient alternative for those who have access to manures and other organic resources, but are not yet ready to take the next step into investing in the extra machinery and labour required for good aerobic composting. Fertile Farm is working with this technology which might be worth checking out.

Improving Urea Efficiency

A new agricultural technology that cuts nitrogen fertilizer waste in half while increasing rice yields is spreading quickly in Bangladesh and is being investigated by 15 other nations. Rather than applying urea, a nitrogen fertilizer, to the soil surface in tiny granules, the urea is compacted into briquettes and placed several inches below ground. [It's criminal that this technique is only now being investigated in these countries  - new technology indeed! Pity they are not being told about the benefits of combining urea with humus/organic matter...]

Recycling Phosphorus

In a race against time (some experts cite 30 years, some 100, until the resource runs out), scientists are scrambling to recapture phosphorus. Humans expel about three million tonnes of valuable phosphorus a year, which, along with fertilizer runoff, often ends up in local waterways. The system removes phosphorus from liquid sewage at wastewater-treatment plants and turns it into slow-release fertilizer pellets. "We prevent the pollution and we ship fertilizer into a marketplace that will literally be starving for phosphorus.”

Fertiliser Subsidies Backfire

Recent news from India suggests that, over past decades, fertiliser subsidies have distorted Indian agricultural practices and has led to a decline in agricultural outputs. As the Wall Street Journal reports: "India has been providing farmers with heavily subsidized fertilizer for more than three decades. The overuse of one type—urea—is so degrading the soil that yields on some crops are falling and import levels are rising. So are food prices, which jumped 19% last year. The country now produces less rice per hectare than its far poorer neighbors: Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh." [So much for the 'green revolution', now farmer's are losing money while the fertiliser companys continue to reap the profits]

Drought Assistance Holds Back Agriculture

There are options for managing risk. Commercial fishers might own several boats and spread them out, or invest in modern technology to locate fish schools. Pharmaceutical companies become multi billion dollar behemoths able to withstand the failure of an expensive new drug. Property developers go for phased projects and try to limit their borrowings. Farmers can similarly reduce risk by maintaining reserves, limiting borrowings, storing fodder, building water infrastructure and having several sources of income. Typically, those that best withstand droughts, floods, fires and market fluctuations are the ones that grow several crops and also run livestock. [While I do agree with the sentiment in this article, the real interest is in the comments made below by Alan Lauder...get perennials back into the system!]

Venture Capitalists Meet with Organic Farmers

From skyscraper and prairie, in suits or overalls, they’ll gather at the fencepost in hopes of building profitable networks to deliver local food to restaurants, grocers and consumers in Chicago, and to build a model, perhaps, for the local-food movement nationwide. The Capitalists hope to introduce major financiers to local farmers and food businesses, by bringing value added business to farms (like jarring local preserves, for example), and by helping farms take advantage of their potentially lucrative ability to sequester carbon.

Organics Can Feed the World

Most people will agree that organically grown food has health and other benefits, but it is often argued that growing food organically leads to a lowering of productivity. Last year the Organic Federation of Australia released a media statement which listed four studies from around the world showing that organic production does not have to result in reduced yields.

Using Spider and Snake Enzymes in Food

When Is Icecream Not Icecream?

Palm and sunflower oil may allow formulation of non-dairy based ice cream with low rates of melting and good structural properties. “These results will help manufacturers to optimize the blend of fats for both functionality and cost.” [Pity it's not about taste and nutritional quality...] Under UK law ‘ice cream’ must contain at least 5 per cent fat and 2.5 per cent milk protein. Elsewhere in Europe ‘ice cream’ must contain fat (from dairy, eggs or vegetables) – but does not set a minimum fat or protein level.

Buy, Buy American Pie

In this creative parody, Uncle Sam points out some of the problems that can occur when the U.S. imports cheap products from China. [Of course, the same applies to Australia - this is wonderfully clever!]

Busting the Duopoly

Consumer watchdog Choice has taken on Coles and Woolworths with a new website aimed at getting shoppers, farmers and suppliers to publicly voice their concerns about the duopoly.

Raising Pigs Without Antibiotics

The "Danish Experiment" is a source of pride for that country's 17,000 farmers. Unlike industrial farms in the U.S., which use antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease, farmers in Denmark use antibiotics sparingly -- only when animals are sick. Since the ban, the Danish pork industry has grown by 43 percent -- making it one of the top exporters of pork in the world.

Turning A Shopping Mall into a Greenhouse

Save the Red River Gums

Last year the NSW Government promised that the river red gums of NSW would be protected by national parks, but late last week Environment Minister Frank Sartor announced that nearly 20% of the trees -- some 16,000 hectares - will be logged for 5 years to come. [I don't like the logging of any old growth, but unfortunately the saving of these trees may not be as simple as stopping the cuts, but rather getting their habitats healed so multi-generation trees continue to thrive]

Individuals to Buy Back the Murray

Frustrated by the slow pace of reform along the river system, the Australian Conservation Foundation are launching a major water buyback program based on donations from the public. About $40,000 would be needed to purchase 200 million litres - depending on market rates - and The Age believes corporate supporters have already given the campaign a significant start. Species such as the prized river redgum trees, birds such as intermediate egrets and fish such as silver perch would benefit from the water.

Shrinking Mekong

The Mekong has shrunk to its lowest levels in 20 years, with only half its normal volume in some places, so that vital fish migrations have been disturbed and river shipping had to be halted. A favourite culprit among the peoples of the five countries of the lower Mekong is China and its massive program of hydroelectric dam building on the river as it flows through Yunnan province.

Deforestation to Earthquake

Geologists working in Haiti say they've been able to trace the exact location of the earthquake fault that gave way on January 12th and killed more than 200,000 people. They've also discovered that decades of deforestation in Haiti actually contributed to the earthquake's toll along the coastline to a surprising chain of events.

A Little History

Pfeiffer was Rudolf Steiner’s right-hand man in his agricultural work, and he devoted his life to carrying out Steiner’s wish that we apply the benefits of our biodynamic preparations to the widest possible areas of the entire earth. When Pfeiffer got his laboratories working he began manufacturing and distributing two biodynamic preparation products—Dr. Pfeiffer’s Quick Composting Compound and Dr. Pfeiffer’s Field Spray. This was met with furious condemnation by those who held that no one could or should use Steiner’s agricultural remedies who was not first devoted to Anthroposophy. Had Pfeiffer bowed to this pressure, Steiner’s task of applying the preparations wherever possible might have suffocated in its infancy.

Rising Seed Prices

In a market that Monsanto dominates, the jump in seed prices has been nothing short of stunning. Corn seed prices have risen 135% since 2001. Besides irritating many farmers, it has caught the attention of the Obama administration. Such price increases for seeds — the most important purchase a farmer makes each year — are part of an unprecedented climb that began more than a decade ago, stemming from the advent of genetically engineered crops and the rapid concentration in the seed industry that accompanied it.

Negative Effects of Roundup

Five studies published in the October 2009 issue of The European Journal of Agronomy reveal the negative impacts of using Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, a formula developed specifically for the company's line of genetically modified (GM) "Roundup Ready" crops. One found that the herbicide was causing an increase in parasitic colonization at the roots of Roundup Ready soybeans and corn. They also observed an increase in fungal growth that leads to sudden death syndrome (SDS) in the plants.

Monsanto Admits BT Cotton Not Working

For the first time anywhere in the world, biotech agriculture giant Monsanto has admitted that insects have developed resistance to its Bt cotton crop. Field monitoring in parts of Gujarat has discovered that the Bt crop is no longer effective against the pink bollworm pest there. The company is advocating that Indian farmers switch to its second-generation product to delay resistance further. [Remember the treadmill talked about in the last newsletter???]

GM Canola Trials Shonky

Western Australia's recent GM canola trials have been labelled 'shonky' by a plant breeding technician who worked for the the Department of Agriculture and Food for 10 years. Patrick Fels was sacked at the end of last year. He says it was because he accused senior managers of improper conduct relating to the termination of the department's canola breeding program. Mr Fels believes the department is now working too closely with the big agricultural chemical giants Monsanto and Nufarm. He says this could explain why the department didn't ensure the GM trials provided farmers with useful profitability data.

A Million Voices Against GM

The European Commission has just approved growing genetically modified crops for the first time in 12 years, putting the GM lobby's profits over public concerns -- 60% of Europeans feel they need more information before growing foods that could threaten their health and environment. A new initiative allows 1 million EU citizens a unique chance to make official requests of the European Commission. One group aiming to build a million voices for a ban on GM foods until the research is done by signing this petition. [Do you know any EU citizens that would be willing to sign this?]

GM Pain-Dead Animals

More animals than ever suffer from injuries and stress on factory farms. One way suggested to “solve” this problem is to genetically engineer livestock so that they suffer less. Neuroscientists have found that by damaging a laboratory rat’s anterior cingulate cortex, they can block its affective perception of pain. Recently, scientists have learned to genetically engineer animals so that they lack certain proteins that are important to the operation of the anterior cingulate cortex. [Oh now that 'solves' the problem elegantly - GM saves us from our immoral ways!]

Censored CSIRO Scientist to Speak Out

Censored former Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) economist Clive Spash spoke in Melbourne on Tuesday to talk to climate activists about why he resigned from the CSIRO late last year. Spash has recently returned to Australia for the first time since his paper was publicly released in December after Senator Christine Milne raised the issue in federal parliament, prompting the government to make his work public. “Anyone concerned about climate change needs to understand why carbon trading won’t work,” he says.

Outside Scientists to Scrutinise IPCC

A Netherlands-based group has agreed to the U.N.’s request to review the IPCCs work. They “will definitely not go over all the data, the vast amount of data in climate science,” but will instead focus on how the panel does its job, in light of the unsettling errors that have surfaced recently. The group claims it will operate independently of the UN and the IPCC, but as pointed out, it will be difficult to find any climate scientist who have not had connections with the IPCC. Some sceptics are cheering the outside review, though cautious that it will end up being ' ..just the usual members of the establishment defending to themselves what’s been done.”

Hollywood to Help Climate Scientists

Politicians and the public question global climate change evidence, so scientists look to Hollywood and websites for a new voice. Lights, camera, science!

Biomimicry

What if we could solve big environmental problems simply by shifting our approach -- from relying on human cleverness to mimicking nature? What if architects studied how bees build hives to design sturdier, lighter skyscrapers, and chemists figured out how mussels attach to rocks to create stronger, nontoxic adhesives? This is the premise of biomimicry: Solutions to our most intractable problems already exist in nature and are waiting to be copied.

Nanosafety and the Environment

CSIRO has established a research program to investigate the effects of nanomaterials on human health and the environment, and says there is currently not enough known about the properties of many nanomaterials to inform their risk assessment. ‘We need to have the same respect for nanotubes as for asbestos, even though not all nanotubes will turn out to be dangerous.’ CSIRO researchers have found that silver nanoparticles – used in products for their antibacterial properties – can release silver ions, which are potentially highly toxic to soil organisms and aquatic life.

New Non-Stick Surfaces

Scientists have obtained the first glimpse of miniscule air bubbles that keep water from wetting a super non-stick surface. The non-stick material was created by “pock-marking” a smooth material with cavities measuring mere billionths of a metre. Non-stick surfaces are usually created by applying coatings, such as Teflon, to smooth surfaces. But recently, by taking the lead from observations in nature, notably the lotus leaf and some varieties of insects, scientists have realized that a bit of texture can help. [Wonderful - all without toxins, and the applications are remarkable - faster boats, more water repellency, cleaner surfaces]

The Other Somali Piracy Story

In recent times, the world has witnessed a growing phenomenon in the Horn of Africa: Piracy which is mobilizing governments, navies, and security companies determined to fight without reserve. It is very striking that Project Censored, an academic program at the University of Sonoma in San Francisco, which produces an annual listing of the most censored news, has in third place this year, a story that shows the flip side of Somali pirates. This report, reveals that many pirates are actually bankrupt, outraged local fishermen who have rebelled against the continued abuse of their fishing grounds by large foreign vessels illegally fishing and infecting their waters and coasts with radioactive and toxic discharges, in front of a passive Mogadishu government.

What's New...

Nutri-Tech Solutions have found that a regular application of foliar fertilisers that contain a balanced formulation of all minerals, along with a suite of bio‐stimulants and natural plant growth promoters is particularly productive. Unfortunately, this cannot be achieved in a single formulation, as some minerals are incompatible with others. Consequently, they have designed a twin pack solution. The two products involved must be applied separately, but together they supply full package nutrition. The two largest selling NTS liquid fertilisers in 42 countries areTriple Ten and Trio (CMB) as they represent complete nutrition when they are applied separately, but in conjunction with each other.

International Composting Awareness Week

The Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises (CORE) is hosting and promoting International Composting Awareness Week (ICAW) 2010 in May. Activities, events and publicity will fill a full week and are designed to raise awareness of the benefits of composting and compost use at all levels. Events are held throughout Australia, and you are welcomed to register your event now.

Canada's Organic Newsletter

The March issue is now posted up and includes: compost suppressiveness against Fusarium oxysporum; earthworm effects on plant growth; effects of fertilizer and spatial heterogeneity in soil pH on microbial biomass indices;  long-term effects of organic farming on fungal and bacterial residues; profitability of cropping systems featuring tillage and compost; response of common wheat varieties to organic and conventional production systems; characterizing soil phosphorus dynamics and availability under organic crop production; predictive tools for characterizing mycorrhizal contributions to phosphorus uptake by organic crops; and much more...

Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture

An international four day course educating farmers and consultants on strategies for sustainable farming - a key component for farming for the future. The Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture features the Nutri-Tech Solutions Management Approach where biological agronomists cover every aspect of microbe, soil and plant nutrition (and  protection). The four days feature Mineral Management, Microbe Management, Plant Management and Pest Management with Human Health Management interspersed throughout.The next course dates are in: 19th - 22nd July in Yandina. They are FarmReady approved leaving no excuses! It's a brilliant way to kick-start your transition from chemical farming to biological farming.

Women Under a Blue Moon

The Full Moon on March 30th represents the second in the month, as well as the second Blue Moon for 2010. Blue Moons are known for their strong energy and are an ideal time for setting goals and changing habitual behaviours. Using Equine Facilitated Therapy; Meditation; Mindfulness, Resilience and Positive Self-Talk techniques; dance and creative arts, we will help you celebrate the magic of Women and embrace the Goddess within. Inverell 3rd - 4th April.

Soil Food Web Interactions & Benefits to Plant Production

This 2-week university course is a must for anyone interested in the life of their soils. Taught by Dr Elaine Ingham and Dr Mary Cole, it covers the functions of each group of soil organisms, soil organism interactions and how that affects disease, nutrient retention, nutrient cycling, residue decomposition, soil structure. It also includes soil/plant chemistry, microscope techniques and two days in the field. This year it is being held in Lismore 24th May - 4th June and Central Victoria 7th - 18th June.

BFA Organic Roadshows

The BFA Organic Roadshows, which will be held throughout Vic, Qld, SA, NSW, WA and TAS are one-day events featuring trade displays and presentations by a selection of speakers with expertise in various aspects of organic production. Speakers confirmed for the 2010 Roadshows include such notables as soil scientist and consultant Dr. Maarten Stapper, rural impacts researcher Dr. Liz Hanna, standards and certification advisor Dr Andrew Monk and compost tea specialist Mr Paul Taylor. Find a venue and date near you - they really are worthwhile events.

Climate Change Workshops for Organic Producers

Thirty-six workshops will be hosted across Australia in 2010 under the Government’s FarmReady program to help producers better understand how to mitigate climate change risks. The workshops are specifically designed for producers thinking ‘organic’ and will include information regarding farm methods that maintain production and sequester carbon, including managing vegetative cover; use of green manures; cover crops; living mulches; crop rotations; native and improved pasture; and managing water resources.

Health

BPA Affects DNA

Exposing a female fetus to a chemical found in plastics causes permanent changes in a daughter’s uterus that might result in cancer — and a research team led by a Yale doctor has figured out why. BPA strips off a part of the DNA, which permanently alters the genetic structure. The genes then become permanently altered to be supersensitive to estrogen, which can lead to cancer and other consequences.

Vitamin D and Renal Cancer

Research shows vitamin D, produced by skin when exposed to ultraviolet light, associated with reduced rate of renal cancer. Men who work outdoors, enabling their bodies to create vitamins through exposure to sunlight, have a reduced risk of kidney cancer. [By now you are probably getting the message that a little sunlight is rather healthy! Except remember that you can wash it off in a shower, so wait at least a few hours to let the vitamin in]

Milk Reduces Tea's Antioxidants

Addition of milk of any kind reduced the antioxidant potential of black tea by between 7 and 25% than unmilked tea. However, addition of skimmed milk decreased the total antioxidant capacity of black tea much more than whole or semi-skimmed milk. [I wonder what happens when raw milk is used, and whether above milk effect is because of pasteurisation and homogenisation changes in milk, which would no doubt keep working in the body after consumption?]

Silver Bullet for Cancer?

Doctors have known that low levels of vitamin D are linked to certain kinds of cancers as well as to diabetes and asthma, but new research also shows that the vitamin can kill human cancer cells. Further, middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers. [Just add a little bit of sunshine]

CCR instead of CPR

Cardiocerebral resuscitation or “CCR” is the most important advance in the care of patients in cardiac arrest since cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was first described. Some physicians refer to CCR as the new form of CPR, whereas others refer to it simply as the replacement for traditional CPR. When a person is stricken with cardiac arrest, what you do in those first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death - and CCR is easier all round - to do and remember.

Gardasil Risk

Girls given the Gardasil HPV vaccine are at least 16 times more likely to have a serious adverse reaction to it than to develop terminal cervical cancer. Information obtained by the Timaru Herald under the Official Information Act shows the death rate for cervical cancer between 2002 and 2005 was 1.95 deaths per 100,000 women. This compares with 31 serious adverse reactions for the 90,000 girls who have been vaccinated with Gardasil so far.

In New Zealand a school has refused access for the Gardasil vaccine on its premises.

It's Not Always Dose Related

Among scientists, the notion that harm escalates as the exposure to something harmful increases seems so commonsensical that it's gone unchallenged since first postulated in the 16th century by Paracelsus, the Swiss alchemist considered the father of toxicology. Immortalized as “the dose makes the poison,” the concept is used by regulators around the world to determine the safety of compounds. But some now argue that in at least one chemical category, toxicology has it all wrong. When it comes to synthetic substances able to mimic the hormones in our endocrine system, low doses only seem insignificant.

The Obesity-Hunger Paradox

The hungriest people in America today, statistically speaking, may well be not sickly skinny, but excessively fat. Some officials see hunger and obesity as linked problems that can be addressed in part by making healthful food more affordable. [Alternative health advocates have been seeing this link for decades, maybe they will be vindicated and real solutions found]

Aluminum in Vaccines

The practice of using aluminum as an adjuvant in vaccines may be far more toxic than thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines. Parents of autistic children kept pointing out the fact that their children’s heavy metal toxicity profiles showed high amounts of aluminum, and they wanted to know what that means. While mercury use has decreased in vaccines, the use of aluminum additives has increased! Aluminum is not only toxic in and of itself, but it also impairs your body’s ability to excrete mercury, and it impairs glutathione synthesis. As a consequence, aluminum will make whatever amount of mercury you have in your system even more toxic.

Quote

"Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." - James R. Cook

Cartoon

Miscellaneous

Caño Cristales is in the northern part of Colombia, in "Sierra de la Macarena". The bed and rocks of this river are covered with mosses and algae which for much of the year appear as dull green and brown water plants. At certain times of the year depending on the water level the mosses 'bloom' and has been called "the river that ran away to paradise", "the most beautiful river in the world" and "the river of five colors." [What a remote 'pristine' river of incredible beauty!]

Events

* Women Under a Blue Moon - Inverell NSW 3rd -4th April 2010.

* Soil Food Web Interactions & Benefits to Plant Production, Lismore NSW 24th May - 4th June 2010.

* Soil Food Web Interactions & Benefits to Plant Production, Central Victoria 7th -18th June 2010.

* Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture - Yandina Qld 19th - 22nd July 2010.

Postscript