Indigenous Microorganisms

A year and a half ago, the Prells were introduced to Natural Farming with indigenous microorganisms (IMO), and are now seeing amazing improvements in their soil structure and plant health. Natural Farming with IMO is a distinctive approach to organic farming practiced successfully in more than 30 countries, in home gardens and on a commercial scale. Natural Farming is unique in that
it is not meant to be commercialized, but rather practiced by individual farmers,
with cheap, easily available ingredients, and microbes or mycorrhizae
indigenous to each locale or farm. [This is fabulous]

The details on how to cultivate indigenous microorganisms is provided by the University of Hawaii.

Cropping Super-Sequestration Options

A new group of agriculturists are exploring the addition of soil carbon as a primary goal rather than just an interesting bonus of improving yields and biological health. They are looking at innovative ways to achieve significant net carbon gains by adding a pasture-livestock “crop” to extended rotations, mixing trees with various crops or grazing, and remediating badly deteriorated soils.

Soil Carbon Warning

In signing over carbon offsets to other businesses, farmers take on an unacceptable level of risk. If the carbon disappears in drought or fire, the farmer is liable, not the polluter. using agricultural offsets is a "soft option" that allows big business to transfer risk to farmers, and drag out the bottom-line changes necessary to actually lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Old Man Saltbush Saviour

A spate of eight dry seasons had one grazier scrounging for a productive summer feed supplement. He agreed to be one of a network of 1200 producers Australia-wide who took part in an Oldman saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) grazing trial. Seven years on, the decision has proved to be a master stroke for him, with the 19 hectares now planted capable of supplementary feeding 1000 Merinos through summer. But other researchers aren't convinced and need data as observations are not good enough...

Peak Phosphorus

Various analyses suggest "peak phosphorus" - the point at which supply falls behind demand - will occur around 2040, with all currently known reserves potentially exhausted within 50 to 100 years. Each year humans eat about three million tonnes of phosphorus, and excrete close to 100 per cent of it. In some countries, that has led to serious investigation of recycled urine as a source of agricultural phosphorus.

Protecting Farmland from Forestry

The Opposition has ruled out any expansion or incentives to the forestry industry at the expense of prime agricultural land ahead of its release of a revamped policy for dealing with climate change without an emissions trading scheme.

Organic Yield Myths

Supporters of the big agribusiness status quo routinely attack organic foods by trotting out old arguments that they couldn't possibly feed the whole world. But the critics are more about making money for their business and they ignore the real on-the-ground researched statistics of organic production yields.

Resurrecting Salmon Runs

The rivers of the South Wales coalfield once ran black with mining waste and were so polluted in places that no life could survive. But, in one of the most remarkable environmental turnarounds Britain has ever seen, a 20-year effort to clean them up has paid off – salmon have returned to all of them.

Pollen Diversity Creates Healthy Bees

The decline of honeybees seen in many countries may be caused by reduced plant diversity, research suggests. Bees fed pollen from a range of plants showed signs of having a healthier immune system than those eating pollen from a single type. One conclusion is that bees need to eat a variety of proteins in order to synthesise their various chemical defences; without their varied diet, they are more open to disease.

Organic Feed Changes Chook DNA

According to a new study, organic feed produces measurably different gene expression in chickens compared to normal feed, even if the ingredients are the same. This study seems to be one of the first to show a biological difference on the (chicken) consumer end, based solely on whether the feed ingredients were grown organically or not -- we're not even talking about genetically modified organisms here. What this all means remains to be seen.

Treating Meat

Recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses in the US linked to contaminated meat — followed by massive recalls and pledges of cleaner processing — have proved eye-opening for many consumers. They have become more and more interested in what manufacturers do to meat and poultry, to keep it safe, to make it appear more appetizing or simply to make it taste better. [Let's start with ammonia and chlorine dips and move to carbon monoxide gasing - mmmm!]

Chemical Castration Fears

Meat from pigs that have been "chemically castrated" could soon be on sale in Britain, with no label to warn shoppers that it contains a controversial drug. Improvac, which has been used in Australia for a decade and is now approved in 53 countries, is marketed as a "vaccine… for the reduction of boar taint" and an alternative to physical castration of pigs.

What is Healthy Food?

US Federal nutrition guidelines require subsidized school lunches to meet benchmarks on calories and fat, but they do not require that foods be whole, local, truly nutritious or good to eat. As a result, the standard cafeteria fare is doing little to curb the nation’s rising rate of childhood obesity and might even be contributing to it. [The same in Australia]

The Five Pillars of Food Safety

Five of the most offending substances in the food supply are antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, pesticides and slaughterhouse waste. “If we demand to take these five substances out of the food system automatically, all food becomes natural. We don’t have to fight for it as organic; we don’t have to label. We don’t have to do anything. Three of those five are already banned in the European Union. The fourth, GMOs, have not yet been approved. With the fifth, Sweden has already banned some 80 pesticides. And so they’re on their way to do that."

Australia's Wollemi Pines

How had Wollemi pine, which was thought to have perished more than 35 million years ago, managed to survive? And did you know the fungus that is intimately associated with Wollemi pine roots in a life sustaining symbiotic process produces taxol (previously only known from the North American Pacific yew tree), an efficacious cancer-fighting drug used to combat ovarian, breast and lung cancers, cardiovascular disease and AIDS. [A great factual journey]

Global Warming Is Real!

This global warming video diary by Professor Callum Frost - founder of Global Warming LTD - explains all. Of course it's warming...anyone who denies it is barking mad.

Climate Change - So What?

This presentation by Mr. Schreuder a member of Mensa and an analytical chemist points out a few facts about gases and energy transfers that may interest some people. It certainly adds to the questionability of CO2 being the climate villian.

Using Religious Fear

If the case for tackling climate change is backed by science, why do so many green campaigners rely on the language of religion? "Environmentalists have stolen fear, guilt and sin from religion, but they have left behind celebration, hope and redemption." Instead, "We need to start selling people a vision of low-carbon heaven...If we did everything necessary to prevent climate change, what would the world look like? When you start talking about that, most people decide it would be a nicer place to live. So we need to concentrate on getting people excited about creating that low-carbon heaven." [Exactly, focus on what you do want, not on what you don't want]

Copenhagen Accord Money

Rich nations are pledging almost $30 billion in aid from 2010-12 to help the poor combat climate change in an early test of last month's "Copenhagen Accord" that is vague about conditions and who gets cash. Donors will probably have to decide for themselves how to spend money in 2010 since there is no mechanism to guide handouts.

Bogus Glacier Claim

The scientist behind the bogus claim in a Nobel Prize-winning UN report that Himalayan glaciers will have melted by 2035 admitted it was included purely to put political pressure on world leaders. According to the IPCC’s statement of principles, its role is ‘to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis, scientific, technical and socio-economic information – IPCC reports should be neutral with respect to policy’. [Of course the IPCC has a scientific focus and is not political...]

Regaining Climate Change Momentum

The climate surrounding climate change has changed, and not for the better for those seeking to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. First there's public perception. Hurricane activity in every ocean last year was below normal. Global temperatures remain no warmer now than a decade ago. The Arctic Sea ice, at least temporarily, has modestly recovered. And the United States is having one of its coldest winters in a long time. [Perception!!!! These are facts aren't they?]

Less Smog Could Heat the World

The US Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to tighten the ozone standard for smog will have an unfortunate side effect: Because of a quirk of atmospheric chemistry, those measures will hasten global warming. But when you reduce nitrous oxides, you don't just reduce ozone; you change the chemistry of the atmosphere in such a way that you end up increasing the amount of methane in the air. And methane is a potent gas when it comes to global warming. To make the story even a little more twisted, methane actually reacts in the air to make ozone. The net result, then, is less ozone in urban areas, where it's worse, but a little bit more ozone spread around the world.

Coal Power Station Frustrations

This is a letter to the editor where the author starts with: "I have sat by for a number of years frustrated at the rubbish being put forth about carbon dioxide emissions, thermal coal fired power stations and renewable energy and the ridiculous Emissions Trading Scheme." [I still like the idea of microgrids which minimise the need for such large centralised facilities despite the debate] 

And another subscriber has calculated the CO2 exhaled from humans... 

Standing Up to Mining Companies

After months of doing battle with the oil and gas industry, the typically cautious Salazar, US Interior Secretary, lost his cool in a media call Jan. 6, blasting companies for acting like they were "kings of the world" and treating the country's public lands as their own personal "candy store." If energy companies didn't know it already, the Bush era of free-wheeling oil and gas drilling across the West was officially over.

Coke's New Packaging 

Coca-Cola Co., under fire from environmentalists for using plastic bottles, has introduced a new packaging material made partly from plants. The container has "the same weight, the same feel, the same chemistry, and functions exactly the same way" as a regular plastic bottle. They call it plantbottle. [But boy, when you read about how it's made - its a pretty big stretch to call it plant derived! And it's still 70% petroleum based. Greenwashing at its best me thinks!]

Germany's Reducing Solar Tariff

Germany became a solar panel leader through a feed-in-tariff (FIT) program but things may be changing. The FIT program is cut by a modest rate every year but the government is looking to go even further. They cut the FIT rate by 10% on the first of the year but are looking for another cut in 2010 of 17% to 18%. Other conservatives are pushing for a massive 30% cut. German solar firms are flipping out over the proposed cuts. [The future on this project will be interesting as Australia starts to head down the same FIT route]

What's New...

The GRain-Maker Biological Agronomy Group offers coordinated support for all crop & soil nutrition decisions, backed up by timely and accurate testing, seminars and group discussions. The group aims to stay at the forefront of bio-nutritional crop and soil health in order to maximise profit for grain growers. GRain-Maker Membership includes: 1 x soil test, 3 x sap tests, 1 x microbial test, 2 information seminars, 1x bus tour, unlimited access to two qualified local biological agronomists as well as being part of a larger information sharing network spanning the Eastern Aust. wheat belt. [Wow, get this all for FREE!]

Organic News from Canada

This month's organic newsletter from Canada includes articles on the herbicidal effects of vinegar and clove oil, the difference in weed-crop competition between organic and conventional cropping systems, and other interesting insights to organic production.

Sacred Geometry of Flowers and Crystals

There is a 2-hour introductory lecture on the living mathematics of nature 17th February; and a weekend course 20-21st February at Taren Point (south of Sydney). These events are being hosted by Jain Mathematics who teaches both sacred geometry and vedic mathematics. [Absolutely fascinating]

GRain-Maker Seminar

Hosted by Gaia Consultancy and featuring talks by Tim Watts of Biosys Agribusiness, Bart Davidson of Bionutrient Solutions, Guy Webb of Gaia Consultancy, Tom Redfern of Gaia Consultancy, Hartley Wilson a biological farmer, Dr Ash Martin of Creation Innovation Agriculture & Forestry. The day covers a wide range of biological farming techniques being used to grow cereal crops including liquid injection options and soil life testing. Forbes 5th February.

Keyline & Carbon Farming Workshop

2010 Living Soils Seminars

Advanced Soil Fertility Seminar and Field Trip, Young 23rd - 24th February. Speakers include Dr Petra Marschner, Edwin Blosser of MidWest Bio-Systems, Prof. Ron Leng and Rhonda Daly of Ylad Living Soils covering nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient cycling and reactions after addition of organic residues; soil microbial ecology and nutrient availability; the rhizosphere: how and why it differs from bulk soil; 2010 cropping program and liquid injection systems (BioTX500); humus compost agronomy - building soil carbon (humus) and fertility; animal protein production in a resource depleted world; the truth about methane production by livestock and its impact on global warming.

Humus Compost Production and Agronomy, Young 25th - 26th February, presented by Edwin Blosser and covering humus compost production using Advanced Composting System (ACS); the value of humus compost in sustainable farming systems; humus compost agronomy vs conventional agronomy; humus compost and microbiology; Aeromaster compost owner testimonial; humus compost trial and compost tea (BioTX500) results; compost site visit and tea extraction demonstration; marketing strategies.

Health

Before Your Time

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was a German philosopher known for his philosophical clarity and made one of the most valuable observations on the shifting of human views on truth as he stated that all truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed; second, it is violently opposed; thirdly, it is accepted as self-evident. See how it continues to happen in health [and also, from personal experience, in agriculture...]

The High Cost of Plastic

Opening a can for dinner may have saved Americans time and money over the years, but according to recent research, we're now paying severely for that convenience with our health. That's because of a ubiquitous chemical, Bisphenol A, an estrogen-mimicking synthetic hormone found in polycarbonate plastics that has been found to disrupt the endocrine system.

Dangerous Vitamins

A tongue in cheek take on how to destroy public confidence in vitamins. For example, 1) always demand 100% safety and 100% efficacy from nutritional therapy. This is particularly effective when you, at the very same time, continually remind the public that they have to expect and accept a reasonable amount of dangerous, even fatal, side effects with drug therapy. And, if one drug does not work, there is always another, still more expensive drug that might. [This is a creative way to explain what is truly happening]

New Zealand to Ban Aspartame?

New Zealand is leading the world in efforts to dump approval for neurotoxic and carcinogenic aspartame, in diet colas, sugarless gum, table sweeteners, etc., made by Ajinomoto of Japan, world's largest maker of neurotoxic food additives (also MSG).

1% Milk Option!

Well established in Canada and the US, one per cent milk is a relatively new concept in the UK. It sits in between skimmed and semi-skimmed options in terms of fat content and is seen by the FSA as an effective tool in the fight to reduce consumption of saturated fats. [I am assuming that the remaining 99% is water...]

Tinned Tomatoes to Cartoned Tomatoes

UK supermarket Sainsbury's said a move to sell basic tomatoes in cartons rather than cans will save half a million kilos of packaging a year and could pose a future threat to the supremacy of the metal container. [I guess it should also remove the problem of BPA linings] 

Cell Phone Warnings Continue

Witnesses before a US Senate Committee testified about research into cell phone use and its potential impact on human health, as well as the potential side effects such as brain and salivary gland tumors. There is also an explanation given that explains how wireless radiation creates cognitive problems, damages DNA, diminishes fertility, causes disorientation and navigation difficulties for birds, bees and other wildlife, and may contribute to Bee Colony Collapse, which, if not reversed, will jeopardize the future of life on earth.

Energy Medicine and Genes

You ARE changing your genetics daily and perhaps even hourly from the foods you eat, the air you breathe, and even by the thoughts you think. You are the "caretaker" of your genetic roadmap. "The code imprinted in our DNA, the one thing we thought was for certain, is just waiting for direction by us to change, creating a civilization that brings health, happiness, and vibrancy in ways in which the current medical establishment only dreams of."

Quote

There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen

Cartoon

Miscellaneous

Diana Cooper is the best selling author of numerous books on angels, orbs and 2012. This interview has some beautifully described forecasts on world events, even country by country. Predictions for Australia are intriguing to say the least - the extreme weather events we are experiencing seem to all be part of it, then there are the Olymic games in London in 2012. A beautiful exciting future is portrayed though and everything has its place and reason.

Events

* GRain Maker Seminar - Forbes NSW 5th February 2010.

* Sacred Geometry of Flowers and Crystals Lecture - Taren Point NSW 17th February 2010.

* Sacred Geometry of Flowers and Crystals Workshop - Taren Point NSW 20th - 21st February 2010.

* Advanced Soil Fertility Seminar and Field Trip - Young NSW 23rd - 24th February 2010.

* Humus Compost Production and Agronomy - Young NSW 25th - 26th February 2010.

* Keyline and Carbon Farming Workshop - Taranaki Farm Vic 12th - 14th April 2010.

Postscript

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think..

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
It's time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Airline surcharge tax
Airline Fuel Tax
Airport Maintenance Tax
Building Permit Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Death Tax
Dog License Tax
Driving Permit Tax
Environmental Tax (Fee)
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment (UI)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Gasoline Tax (too much per litre)
Gross Receipts Tax
Health Tax
Hunting License Tax
Hydro Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest Tax
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Mortgage Tax
Personal Income Tax
Property Tax
Poverty Tax
Prescription Drug Tax
Provincial Income and sales tax
Real Estate Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Retail Sales Tax
Service Charge Tax
School Tax
Telephone Federal Tax
Telephone Federal, Provincial and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Water Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
--- and in 2010 

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Many of these taxes when injected into the first price

compound the end price!  Just as a dollar at compound interest

will be worth a million some time in the future!

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was one of the most prosperous and freest in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had a large middle class, and Mum stayed home to raise the kids.

Yours Sincerely,
Carolyn Ditchfield