Price Increases

The new Chinese export tax (see Urea Price Spikes) is going to affect a lot of agricultural products and Nutri-Tech Solutions are putting out advance notice that most of their prices will be rising in June (or before if old stock runs out). Because of the volatile price conditions they are warning that all prices will be subject to change without notice. They are strongly suggesting that growers consider stocking up with any goods that they know they are likely to need in the near future. Contact me.

Meat Under Fire

There have been scattered articles condemning meat consumption, and the pace is picking up - an international outcry is brewing about meat and its high methane (aka carbon) footprint, as well as the obvious inefficiencies of feeding grain to grow meat in a world now short of grain (supposedly). In this article they claim that the most climate friendly option is to house all livestock in sealed barns and strictly monitor their food intake!!! Imagine environmentalists demanding that animals be locked up - the world really is going topsy turvy.

The shame is that the argument has not separated out grass-fed animals from grain-fed. Grass-fed beef does not produce as much methane (due to healthy rumens), and they obviously do not require grain inputs, but the most important fact is that livestock can be the best landscape management tools. We need to start putting forward a loud voice for naturally grazed livestock - quickly!

As for factory raised livestock - this report certainly condemns the idea.

Beef vs Chicken

The beef industry is starting to kick back at suggestions that chickens provide 'greener' meat. "Anyone with any understanding of the Queensland cattle industry knows there is no more sound, logical and sustainable use of our extensive grasslands than to grow and finish beef cattle."

The Chicken Saga Continues

I recently reported under Labeling Wars a dispute between major chicken processors regarding labeling, and that ironically the process uncovered the fact that all of them were using chemical prophylactics. The company that claimed that their chickens were "raised without antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans," now admits that they do inject their eggs with antibiotics before they hatch.... BUT their counter claim is that customers understand that the term "raised" only covers the period between hatching and slaughter and not time spent in the egg!!! Gosh, don't believe all that you read!

Farmers Need to Prove Disparity

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has attacked farmers for failing to bring concrete, credible examples of market power abuses by supermarkets to its inquiry into grocery prices, and for relying instead on anecdotal accounts to argue farmers have been ripped off. I wonder though if farmers are reluctant to put their heads on the chopping block to provide evidence against the industry that has them so enslaved....

Vetch Rotation Boosts Cotton

There is more to this story than vetch simply providing a nitrogen boost. The nitrogen boost is obviously terrific, but this article also alludes to the building of soil carbon, and points to decomposing vetch stubble being the contributing factor. I would argue that most of the additional carbon benefit actually comes from the living plant - by using its green solar panels to pump carbon directly into the rootzone during the growing season. Having living roots in the soil all year round is what is providing many of the observed benefits.

NSW Hemp Bill Introduced

Those interested in growing industrial hemp in NSW will be heartened to hear that the Hemp Industry Bill 2008 was submitted last week. There is a wealth of information about what is involved and how to obtain a license in the Hansard. Hansard 7th May 09/05/2008,13:48 48.50 Kb

Trees Vs Food for Carbon Storage

Massive tree plantings, currently the only mainstream solution for landholders to offset the costs of their emissions, raise a completely new set of problems - not least a "trees-or-food" issue in a world already grappling with food shortages. In addition, CSIRO research has found a 55% decrease in water flows under forest compared to that under grassland - a substantial issue for already water-stressed catchments. Unfortunately soil carbon has missed the carbon trading boat for a few years due to reticence and bureaucratic delays...

Environmental Feedback Systems

Some climate modelers are now warning that feedback mechanisms in the natural environment which either accelerate or mitigate warming may be even more difficult to predict than previously assumed. Feedback systems are finally being talked about as if they were real and significant - YES! Unfortunately the focus is still dominated by CO2 thinking alone, but they interestingly they do admit that they don't know much about clouds - the water cycle factor I have been harping on for a while.

Weather in Greenland

This short video reinstates the natural fluctuations in climate, and puts forward a strong request that science be separated from politics and that scientists be able to work in an environment of open dialog - not shut out and vilified. As they admit, there is far too much still unknown, and forcing science down a myopic research stream can only serve to block the truth.

A Well Reasoned Arctic Explorer

While the author slowly moves you through assumptions based on data limitations - for example, has something disappeared, or was it always missing...he pops up again in paragraph 6 with some very pertinent comments about climate change and its complexities. It starts: The irony in all of this is that I do not subscribe to the theories of climate change when presented in a doctrinaire way.....To turn "global warming" into a fixed dogma is to subject it to the same sort of intellectual deterioration as we have seen with the various tenets of "political correctness." It is important to resist the temptation to press closure on this topic. It is important to listen to the critics.

Carbon Cap and Trade Explained

This is a succinct explanation of what it is all about, and why agriculture's inclusion will be important, particularly from a financial point of view.

Home Brew Ethanol and Biodiesel

A home ethanol refinery device was unveiled on Thursday that can produce up to 35 gallons (132 liters) of ethanol a week that consumers can pump directly into their cars and trucks. Interested drivers in the U.S. can put in their orders now for their own EFuel100 MicroFueler at the company's Web site with a $3,000 down payment toward the total $10,000 tab.

DIY diesel is seen by many as the revenge of the little man on the government, oil companies and the authorities. No one knows how many backroom refineries there are in Britain, but a government study suggested there were around 1,400 small scale plants producing a few thousand litres a year in 2005/6. Instead of paying £1.25p a litre at the local supermarket, one chap pays 15p to make his own biodiesel.

Future Water

It is refreshing to hear others admit that some of our so-called crises are not to do with shortages at all. To me the following is a refrain that can be equally applied to all natural resources - for example grain, food, soil - and in this case water... "I don't think the water crisis is the result of an overall lack of water or a lack of money or a lack of brains. And it is not a lack of infrastructure," said the Pacific Institute's Peter Gleick, adding the real challenge is "rethinking the way water is used and allocated".

Rethinking World Food

Around the world, governments are trying to stave off food riots. But many experts call these Band-Aid solutions, saying what's needed is a radical rethink of how the world gets its food. Some would in effect reverse the fundamentals by investing massively in small farmers, instead of letting them sink in a free-trade world. Others argue that the problem is not that trade is too free, but that it should be freer. Unfortunately no-one is talking about the financial system that drives us towards centralised accumulation of money and power...

Brave New Food World

The future of food marketing is getting more and more 'scientific' in its approach. The latest is a collaboration with Nestle and leading worldwide brain institutes. The project will explore the links between an individual's genetic profile and taste sensitivity - "This is a first step towards identifying the opportunity for personalised solutions that address sensory preferences."

GM Propaganda

The EU continues to delay GM approvals, but two pro-GM statements in this article particularly caught my attention. 1) Europe is already lagging behind worldwide competition when it comes to biotech crops - interestingly this is the same argument continually used in Australia (who is the rest of the world anyway??), and 2) The decision is also unlikely to be welcomed by some of Europe's top traders, such as the US, where the industry has been loosing millions because producers who use GM crops are restricted in exporting them to the European Union - so they have been losing money and they don't like it!

City Growing

For years, New Yorkers have grown basil, tomatoes and greens in window boxes, backyard plots and community gardens. But more and more New Yorkers are raising fruits and vegetables, not just to feed their families but to sell to people on their block and the habit is occurring in many big cities on vacant lands with one project grossing over $220,000 last year from the sale of lettuces, winter greens, sprouts and fish to local restaurants and consumers.

Bees Dying in Germany

Bees in the German state of Baden-Württemburg are dying by the hundreds of thousands. In some places more than half of hives have perished. Government officials say the causes are unclear - but beekeepers are blaming new pesticides.

Australian Ingenuity

Two Australian's have developed a generator that produces 5 times more energy than it consumes simply using magnets and a battery. It produces up to 24KW of power per day - more than enough to run a house....its certainly something to watch out for.

Gross Feed-In Solar Tariffs

There is a strong push for introducing gross feed-in solar tariffs, and even Woolworths is joining the lobbying. Rather than reducing your electricity bill by being paid for feeding your excess solar energy to the grid, you actually get paid for ALL the solar energy you generate whether you use it yourself or feed it back. Obviously this would provide incentive to install more solar panels, but I cant see how such a 'subsidy' can be in the best interests of energy companies...or perhaps our government is or has uncoupled profit from sales in the energy sector as outlined towards the bottom of this article.

More Farmers Needed

Would you like the opportunity to show city folk what life is really like on the farm? Well now you have the chance by taking part in National Farm Day on 24 & 25 May. The aim of the Day is to bridge the city-country divide by giving city families the chance to be matched with farming families and spend a day on the farm. Farm Day 2007 was the first-ever national Farm Day with 362 families enjoying a day of "fun, friendship and understanding". This year more urbanites than ever want to experience farm life and more farmers are needed to take part in the weekend. For more details on how to get involved visit www.farmday.com.au or call 1300 3670.

Graeme Sait Comes To Uralla

The NTS Certificate in Sustainable Farming is coming to Uralla between 2-5 June which could change the way you farm! Anyone who fails to take the opportunity of doing such a low cost (cheaper than doing it at NTS in Yandina Qld) and high powered course in their own back yard may well regret it in the future, as biological farming options gain more and more prominence. It is brilliant!

Agrifocus 2025

The AgriFocus 2025 National Convention will be held 18-19 June 2008 in Sydney. The Convention aims to take delegates into the future to understand how Agribusiness may look in 15 years time and ask the big questions; What does the future hold for the agribusiness sector?; What does the future hold for the family farm?; What does the future hold for farm & ecosystem management?; What are the global trends affecting agribusiness?; How do we deal with change and growth?

What's New...

Its one of my all time favourites, but Bionutrient Solutions have decided to give it a name change and a mineral analysis upgrade. For the last few years I have sung the praises of CaP Release which will now be called SolidSTART Compost. It has tinkered with to give it a typical N-P-Zn analysis when applied at 250kg/ha as MAP (1% zinc) applied at 50kg/ha - and at less cost! But that doesn't take into account all the other benefits of SolidSTART compost - the additional minerals, microbes and energy, and because of its solid humate base, the minimal leaching or mineral loss over the long-term. Not a bad choice.

The price has gone up only a fraction - from $155ex/tonne ex Moree to $160ex/tonne ex Moree bulk. Bionutrient Solutions are also happy to custom blend extra minerals in, e.g. potassium, calcium, zinc, molybdenum or copper and can give prices on application.

It can now be flown on by planes equipped for solid applications too. Contact me.

Sofenica - Part 43

We have finally set dates for our straw bale wall raising workshops - 13th September and 20th September. Both are 5-day hands-on intensive workshops that include interspersed lectures and a wonderful powerpoint presentation. We attended one of these courses a few years ago - and it truly was one of the most enjoyable fulfilling and fun family holidays we have had (see below), and well worth the cost of attending ($550 per adult) which included morning and afternoon teas and a simple lunch. Just recently friends attended one in southern NSW and gave it 10/10 and are about to embark on their own straw bale house.

We happened to have quite a few professional builders attending this course, and aim to have at least our builders on site for ours. The questions and ideas flowing from so many non-amateurs made the course even more exceptional.

We camped on site at this one - which we found incredibly convenient (and made it easier to look after Felicity who was only one at the time). We are offering camping at our workshop as well, but you are welcome to stay at motels in town too (approx. 20km). Our house block is 1/2 way between Inverell and Copeton Dam.

Numbers are limited to 20 per workshop, so I would encourage anyone with an interest to contact me for more details asap or place your booking with Huff 'n' Puff directly.

Health

Inherent Flaws in the FDA

This is a most remarkable testimony given by the Associate Director for Science and Medicine in FDA's Office of Drug Safety 2004. He is effectively a whistle blower of the bravest kind and provides a most sobering insight into how drug safety is just about non existent. While most of the testimony centres on Vioxx and the hundreds and thousands of deaths that it was responsible for, it also runs through an alarmingly long list of other killer drugs, some of which are still on the market.

Don't Call Me Nasty

The artificial sweetner industry is up in arms about aspartame being categorised as a 'nasty', but interestingly enough a US supermarket is defending it position and stating that it is being lead by consumer preferences. Aspartame is apparently being labeled nasty along with artificial colours, flavours and hydrogenated fats. Its a shame that MSG is not being included yet.

Harmonisation Logic

I find the idea of breaking foods down into individual components (euphemistically referred to as 'nutrients' in this article) alarming, but they are now looking to create regulations based on what so-called scientists determine as maximum or minimum levels for each of these 'nutrients' . I guess this is the result of having pieced-together processed food with disguised flavours and textures to a point that humans can no longer make their own assessments on what or how much they are eating. Surely this would be an obsolete exercise for those eating 'real' foods...

Medical Statistics

There's one medical statistic doctors don't much talk about despite its importance. It's called number needed to treat, or NNT. It's a measure developed in the past 20 years, and it's one of the best-kept statistical secrets in medicine. For example, if a drug had an NNT of 50 for heart attacks, then 50 people have to take the drug in order to prevent one heart attack. The NNT on some common drugs are ridiculously high...you have to question the sanity of taking them in the first place.

Gardasil

The injuries continue. While the FDA claims adverse reactions to Gardasil are rare, a review of the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) data shows that several thousands of adverse reactions have been reported in the United States alone. And hundreds of Australian girls have experienced side effects like paralysis, dizzy spells and seizures, but Australia's Department of Health and Ageing refuses to release any details.

NZ Increases Vaccine Schedule

This is a lovely commentary about New Zealand's increasing vaccination schedule which includes astute observations that NZ children's health is deteriorating spite all the vaccinations and is even more obvious in America where vaccines rule...lots of food for thought here.

New Alternative Cancer Treatmet

It certainly raises my suspicions when the conventional cancer industry suddenly supports an alternative cancer treatment and the comments raised below this article reflect my own thoughts - "Call me jaded, but the fact that a retired radio technician, without a shred of medical background, is given credit for finding "a possible cure to cancer," when esteemed doctors and scientists have been shunned, imprisoned, and driven out of business for finding alternative cancer cures that actually work, is so preposterous you'd have to be born yesterday to believe there's no hidden agenda." Interestingly this new cure involves nanoparticles....

Miscellaneous

How does one live 'green' when buying and using more "things" is all part of the problem. These six principles certainly fit beautifully with my own worldview - simplicity, fairness, community, sustainability, planning and transparency.

Perhaps I am part of the new generation of 'Yawns' - Young and Wealthy but Normal - they may have disposable income, but whatever they make, they live below their means in a conscious effort to tread lightly on the Earth. They are men and women in their 20s, 30s and 40s who want nothing less than to change the world and save the planet.

Events

For all May events

For all June events

* NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture - Uralla NSW 2nd - 5th June 2008.

* Agrifocus 2025 - Sydney NSW 18th - 19th June 2008.

Postscript

You better believe it - anything is possible.....elephants can draw (and perhaps pigs can fly), and not just splashes and splodges. This portrait is better than I could do in my wildest dreams!