Soft Rock Phosphate Price Increase

Nutri-Tech's Soft Rock Phosphate prices have been forced up again with the new price taking effect on 28th August. It is now $371inc/tonne bulk loose.

Small is Bountiful

There is an inverse relationship between the size of farms and the amount of crops they produce per hectare. The smaller they are, the greater the yield. It appears to hold almost everywhere. The finding would be surprising in any industry, as we have come to associate efficiency with scale. If governments are serious about feeding the world, they should be breaking up large landholdings and redistributing them.

Grazing To Protect the Arctic

While the conclusions don't seem to have be reached using Holistic Management or Grazing for Profit knowledge, the idea of using grazing animals to preserve Arctic ecosystems no doubt has merit for those very reasons. The idea is that native grazers will feast on the woody weeds which would otherwise 'darken' and heat up the landscape. Researchers admit that "Until now, these animals seem to have been regarded more as background noise than as an active component of the ecosystem's response to warming." They admit that the grazing could be a negative feedback loop for climate change - another one of my soapbox topics!

New Glyphosate Resistant Weed

Liverseed grass is the third weed to become officially resistant to glyphosate prompting weed scientists from across Australia to issue an appeal to farmers to decrease their reliance on herbicides and adopt an Integrated Weed Management system. One researcher even makes this wonderful statement - "Weeds can be managed without relying solely on herbicides..."

Bunnings Sells Noxious Weed to Public

Retail giant Bunnings may have unwittingly sold 4800 pots of one of the state's most threatening weeds to Victorian customers since January. It raise serious questions about the ability of sections of the nursery industry to know, trace and properly label what it sells.

Ecosystem Collapse

Man's interference, even with noble intent, is devastating the whole ecosystem of the Great Lakes. In an attempt to counter declining native fish numbers, salmon farms were introduced and now years later bird populations are being affected - the clue being trans-fat in the diet of Herring Gulls. I wonder if the solution will be further intervention?

Ecosystem Resilience

This is a lovely summary of complexity science with it observations of patterns and self-organisation vs the traditional hierarchical approach to ecosystem. Obviously a science well worth tracking and understanding!

Kickstart for GM Labeling

A motion 'that the Association support fully transparent labeling of GM ingredients in all imported and domestic [food] products including livestock' was passed at the recent NSW Farmers Federation Conference! The wonderful team from Molonglo District introduced the motion by stating that if farmers are happy enough to grow it, then they should be happy enough to show it, on a label....brilliant!! Lets hope this starts to travel the distance into fully fledged GM labeling in Australia.

New GM Food

Unfortunately the labeling is unlikely to happen before these GM foods come on the market.

• Avocado - A new GMO avocado variety is scheduled to be introduced this year that is immune to "stress" and pests, per an Indian state report published in March, 2008.
  
• Bananas - The first GMO banana with extra genes that increase its levels of pro-vitamin A and iron is being unleashed in Australian field trials this year. At Cornell University, researchers are also working to develop a banana that carries the hepatitis B vaccine.
  
• Pineapple -- GMO pineapples, designed to produce greater levels of proteins, vitamins and sugars may already be on the market. Australia applied for pineapple into environment all the way back in 2002. The pineapple is called "Smooth Cayenne," which has delayed flowering and herbicide resistance. It also contains the tobacco acetolactate synthase gene (suRB) from Nicotiana tabacum.
  
• Kiwi -- The transgenic variety of kiwi fruit is the Actinidia deliciosa from Italy.

I am not sure how much confidence I would have in the claims of this article that some fruit and vegetables have less chemical applied during growing - some of the items on that list certainly have lots applied on them here in Australia.

GM Track Record

After 20 years of GM research and 13 years of commercialisation, GM crops have a track record that allows us to evaluate their future prospects. And so far, they have shown little progress on the biggest food production issues. As of this year, there are no commercialized GM crops that inherently increase yield. Similarly, there are no GM crops on the market that were engineered to resist drought, reduce fertiliser pollution or save soil. And environmental benefits have been modest at best. In many cases we can accomplish the same or better results at less expense by applying the science of agroecology.

GM Refuge Concern

Each season the CSIRO monitors potential resistance build-up by Helicoverpa (Heliothis) sp. to GM cotton. All appears to be holding in the 07/08 season (though one resistance gene might be up 6x higher than initially thought). But an interesting observation is the seemingly high parasitism rates (19% Feb, 24% end of season) and other egg deaths (29% Feb, 26% end of season) occurring in refuge crops. Refuge crops are designed to build up populations of susceptible Helicoverpa sp....but if they are actually dying at such high rates instead, the effectiveness of refuges may need to be questioned. At least it speaks volumes about the effectiveness of natural predators.

GM Crop Insurance Break

In the words of Elaine Ingham when she forwarded this information on: 'Here's an outrageous development! Growers who use GMO seed get a break on their insurance?' The USDA's Federal Crop Insurance Corporation extends biotechnology pilot coverage areas and qualifying hybrids.

WA Still Rejects GM

Western Australia has extended its ban on GM crops for another 4 years. In the meantime the Australian marketplace continues to respond with Meadowlea canola spread being labeled as GM-free, and Woolworths guaranteeing that its canola oil is grown in WA therefore GM-free.

Nano Argues the Same Way as GM

There is a distinct similarity in the GM argument line here - 'Nervousness about nanotechnology in food in Britain may see the UK food industry left behind, warns an expert...' No doubt it will soon turn into 'people have been using it for a long time and no ill effect has been reported.' Which of course ignores the fact that consumers were unaware they have ever been using it, and no-one is out there able to report on it.

Nanofoods

Food produced by using nanotechnology is quietly coming onto the market, and consumer groups want U.S. authorities to force manufacturers to identify them. Companies using nanotechnology say it can enhance the flavor or nutritional effectiveness of food. Most nanofoods are unknown, but these three foods definitely have them: 1) Canola Active Oil, 2) Nanotea and Nanoceuticals Slim Shake Chocolate.

Irradiated Food Debate

The FDA is set to allow irradiation of lettuce and spinach in the US, but has triggered a debate over whether the agency's penchant for prescribing such technical fixes to biological problems makes sense. The FDA and supporters claim that opposition to a proven, safe technology that enhances food safety is misguided.

Agriculture's Carbon Too Hard

Big business is much easier to administer when it comes to carbon emissions apparently. Carbon emissions are produced on an estimated 150,000 farm businesses, which collectively account for 15.6% of total Australian emissions. In contrast, just 1000 businesses ... collectively account for an estimated 75% of national emissions. Pity they are not using the same idea to weigh up the merits of carbon sequestration percentages between agriculture and big business...

Carbon Sequestration Woes

Collecting and burying CO₂ - a process called carbon sequestration - requires additional energy, new equipment and new chemical reactions at the plants. And using current technology, meeting all of these requirements releases extra pollutants. And this does not include the concerns about CO2 affecting ground water (see Too Much CO2 in Water?) where it acidifies and leaches heavy metals and eventually oozes back to the surface anyway. Give me soil carbon sequestration any day!

Japan's Carbon Labels

Japan is to carry carbon footprint labels on food packaging and other products in an ambitious scheme to persuade companies and consumers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. They will appear on dozens of items including food and drink, detergents and electrical appliances from next spring. No doubt this will start to have an impact on countries importing to Japan too.

2008 Coolest in a Century

This year appears set to be the coolest globally this century. The principal reason is La Nina, part of the natural cycle that also includes El Nino, which cools the globe.

Australian Hot Rocks

Barely 1% of Australia's untapped geothermal energy could produce 26,000 years worth of clean electricity. The first commercially viable geothermal power plants could be in place within four to five years.

Microbes to Mop Up Nuclear Sites

One day we will all 'get it' - work with microbes and anything can be achieved! Molasses and vegetable oil has been poured into a nuclear contamination site to increase the food supply for natural microbes that remove oxygen from the groundwater, thereby enabling the chromium to convert to the nontoxic form. So far, the results have been good.

Food for Money

I was really taken with the commentary below the top article on inhumane animal farming - especially the idea that 'farming practices like these emerged when people stopped farming for the sake of raising food and started doing it for the sole purpose of making money.' I have heard of many farmers producing mass food for sale off the farm using every intervention under the sun, yet keep their own chemical free vegetable garden or shop for chemical free food...

Bee Colony Disorder

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to disclose records about a new class of pesticides that could be playing a role in the disappearance of millions of honeybees in the United States, a lawsuit filed Monday charges. The same class of pesticides were withdrawn from the European market due to bee death concerns.

Green Chemistry - An Oxymoron?

Chemists and chemical engineers will be providing the thousands of technologies needed to achieve a more sustainable world.... REALLY? Or are they just trying to sell their credentials to a technology weary world? Aren't they the reason we are in this predicament in the first place, haven't they proved themselves to be the poorest imitators of nature. Only natural systems, or working in harmony with them, can achieve a more sustainable world, and chemists and engineers are still way way off the mark. For example, compare underground carbon sequestration (see above) and soil carbon sequestration.....I rest my case.

Nutrition Matters

Nutri-Tech Solutions have just released their latest Nutrition Matters Magazine which includes information on microwaves, margarine and soy milk; the Shuttle chelation system; oils and fats; plant tissue testing; Part 3 of a Jerry Brunetti interview and other miscellaneous treats. The file size is too big to attach, so email me for a copy.

Soil Foodweb Institute Newsletter

SFI's August Newsletter has been released and covers a recent Landline story on compost; microbes of the future; compost for disease prevention; George Washington; Lady Balfour and Merline Olsen. SFI August 21/08/2008,00:07 325.73 Kb

Public Comment on Raw Milk

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has commenced an assessment of the requirements in the Food Standards Code for the sale of raw milk products in Australia and is inviting public comment. The Discussion Paper can be downloaded. The deadline for submissions is 17 September 2008. Raw Milk Invitation 20/08/2008,23:23 59.88 Kb
Nourished Magazine has started a blogging project to submit to the FSANZ raw milk committee - perhaps you could make your contribution this way.

FarmReady Program

The Australian Government has allocated $26.5 million over four years to boost training opportunities for primary producers. 1) Reimbursement grants of up to $1500 per financial year will be available to primary producers to attend approved training courses, and 2) eligible industry, farming and natural resource management groups will be able to apply for a grant of up to $80 000 per financial year to undertake projects that will assist in the development of strategies to manage the impacts of climate change.

The only disconcerting part of this announcement is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's comment about the need "to ensure the best research makes it from the lab to the farm". Why from the lab? Why not from one successful farm to another?

ETS and Agriculture Forums

Regional forums to discuss agriculture and forestry's place in Australia's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme are being held nationally with Mr. Burke flagging 2015 as a possible date for agriculture's inclusion in the scheme. "We want to hear what farmers and their industry organisations have to say about resolving those issues." 27 August in Tamworth, 29 August in Bendigo and 2 September in Roma.

Carbon Information Workshop

I have an insider's tip that the line up for this workshop in Griffith on 2nd September is set to catalyse the future of farming, and soil carbon sequestering in Australia. Guest speakers include: James White (NSW DECC) about the Kyoto Agreement and what it means for us, Carbon Reduction Abatement Scheme Green paper; Dr Christine Jones (Australian Soil Carbon Accreditiation Scheme) about researching soil carbon and measuring its build-up; Scott McCalman (2005 NSW Farmer of the Year) about practical challenges of building soil carbon in a cropping system; and Aaron Soanes (CO2 Australia) about carbon bio-sequestration.

NTS Human Health Seminar

Nutri-Tech Solutions are holding the next human health seminar on Friday 5th September on the Sunshine Coast. This seminar focuses on several key strategies for optimum health and guidelines to maintain a healthy brain. Graeme Sait will present two presentations while also covering some relaxation techniques. Pathways to Perfect Health 21/08/2008,20:12 180.41 Kb

Sustainable Living Expo

Now that our strawbale house workshops have had to be canceled I'll be attending the Armidale Sustainable Living Expo 19-21 September. I will be giving a talk and setting up a stall, but I am incredibly excited with the line up of other speakers - all in the healthy agriculture/food industry. It is going to be fabulous fun with some fantastic stalls. Come along! SLEX 08 19/08/2008,17:33 854.57 Kb

In addition to the Expo many of Armidale's sustainable houses are on show between 13-14th September as well as 19th-21st September. This is where you come to experience strawbale houses, mud brick houses and other wonderful creations. And on 20th September there is a bus tour of three grazing properties that are achieving biodiversity conservation and profitable production. Then.....there is more.....between 19-21 September three outstanding gardens are open for inspection.

Mental Health First Aid Course

A Mental Health First Aid course will be held on the 16th and 30th September at Deepwater. The course teaches first aid skills for mental health crisis situations and the early stages of mental health problems.

Coonamble Women's Gathering

The Women's Gatherings are an annual weekend event organized by local committees with support from the Rural Women's Network State Advisory Committee. This year it is in Coonamble 17-19 October. Gatherings provide opportunities for rural women to have a direct voice to decision-makers through government Ministers and other decision-makers.

NSW DPI have provided special funding for bus travel to this years Women's Gathering in order to support drought affected women to attend. One bus will be picking up from Glen Innes/ Inverell/ Warialda/ Moree/ Narrabri & Wee Waa. Contact Kim Deans on 02 6721 0030.

What's New...

Pat Coleby extols the virtues of kelp meal and includes it in all her dry lick recommendations, and so I have stocked Nutri-Tech Solution's kelp meal (Sea-Change Stock-Booster) to meet the demands of an increasing number of growers following her advice or who are interested in using more natural livestock mineral supplements. While there are lots of good kelp meal products on the market I liked the fact that this kelp meal is Australian and manufactured using a natural process that does not involve heat or alkalies so that all the ingredients remain in their natural state. The price is also competitive.

Factory Houses Greener

A group of US architect's are trying to revamp the perception of modular factory-built homes claiming they are far more environmentally friendly. Building each home on site is "like asking for your car to be built in your driveway for you. It just doesn't make any sense.... " It's estimated that building a home module by module in a controlled factory environment results in 50 to 75% less waste of materials.

Green Roofs

Over 30 million square metres of green roofs have been installed in Germany since 2000. But many 'green roof' schemes around the world, which aim to make buildings more eco-friendly by turning rooftops into gardens, are failing because of a lack of basic research on their efficient installation and maintenance.

Health

Food Scientists Should be Chefs

The alarm bells are tolling - the number of food science graduates is falling across the globe, and the industry's future is looking grim. To help entice graduates into jobs the president of the Institute of Food Technologists firmly states that "Food scientists are not chefs: Food science is a scientific discipline." I would suggest that what's wrong with the industry as a whole is that food scientists are not chefs who enjoy playing with food, instead they are lab rats playing with chemicals cocktails and numbers!!

Cell Phone Questions

The wireless industry adamantly denies the association, and many scientists agree: the literature shows little evidence of a link between cell phones and brain cancers. But what if the published science doesn't reflect what's really happening out there? The stories of what goes on behind the scenes is extraordinary. For example, one scientist was called in by Motorola specifically to discredit a study that cell phone frequencies damaged rats' brain cells, breaking their DNA structures after just two hours of exposure... he refused and blew the whistle. Since cancer often takes decades to develop, other scientists wonder whether these findings are the first faint whispers of a public health crisis.

Skin Creams Cause Tumours

Certain commonly available skin creams may cause skin tumours, at least in mice, and experts should be checking to see if they might cause growths in people as well, researchers have reported. They are not sure why, but they suspect two ingredients already - mineral oil and sodium laurel sulphate.

Toxic Lipsticks

Following on from last week's comments of lead in lipstick I was forwarded these lipstick comments. I was taken with the claim that autopsies done on cancerous tumours have shown residues present of propyl parabens, methyl and ethyl.

Codex Conspiracy

I found this great video while hunting down some information for a friend. Apart from being a wonderful clear and articulate speaker, Eve Hillary has unearthed some amazing information about the Codex, particularly about natural medicine. It is admittedly a few years old - but the facts presented remain facts. It also alludes to the events surrounding Pan Pharmaceutical - which we now know has been vindicated by a huge payout recently.

Fluoride Problems

Dr. Howard is a medical toxico-pathologist who specializes in the impact of toxins on fetal and infant health. In this video, Dr. Howard discusses his concerns about fluoride's impact on infant health. Afterall, it is a developmental toxin and a neurotoxin...

Trans-Fats in Australia

Our authorities are just not getting the message, or are being paid too much not to take on the message - while the rest of the world bans trans-fats and artificial flavours etc, our own ANSFA continues to do nothing and even comes out with the absurd statement that there should be more concern about saturated fats than trans-fats!! And they have just released a statement warning parents against using complementary or alternative treatments - like changing diet for ADD and ADHD kids.

Interestification

The worrying solution to trans-fats though is interestifying a combination of liquid oils, a process that already has hints of negative health implications. I just hope that the new oils are labeled clearly so people can choose to avoid them.

Natural Fats

This is a wonderful follow on from the previous unnatural fat conversations - the benefits of saturated fats naturally, historically and scientifically is discussed in a new book from Sally Fallon and Mary Enig - Eat Fat Lose Fat. And in addition there is an article discussing the dubious connection between saturated fats and obesity.

Stevia Approval Stalled

In a recent newsletter I gave the impression that stevia extract had been given approval to be used as a sweetener in the US market - but in fact it is still being worked though by a number of companies, and the race to get it onto the market is itself rather interesting.

Forced Vaccinations in Australia!

A NSW couple are in hiding after hospital doctors and the Department of Community Services (DoCS) took out a court order insisting that their baby, who is was only 48 hours old at the time of writing, be vaccinated against Hep B.

Interesting Food Labeling Process

As part of the harmonisation process, all health claims for foods are being assessed - and what an interesting mess. Many claims have already been rejected and as one commentator points out, if it continues this way even fruit and vegetables will not be able to say they are good for you! In addition, to be able to make any claims lots of scientific data is required - an expense that small businesses cannot make.

Measle Myths

Oh the misinformation and scare tactics....Measles is hitting the headlines at the moment, and truly it leaves you wondering what motivation drives the PR machine. This article has a wealth of information about measles, including historical data. Get informed, then make your choices.

Masking Off Food

While most of this article talks about enhancing flavours of often bitter ingredients (which is still a form of food manipulation in my eyes), there is a section at the bottom about disguising off tastes....now that really is becoming deceptive and certainly not aimed at good health!

Miscellaneous

Beijing's propaganda mandarins have issued a 21-point edict on Olympic coverage for domestic media that goes some way to explaining the different perception of the games within and without China - Ignore protests. Be positive about security. No dissing of the Olympic opening ceremony. And whatever you do, don't mention the carcinogenic mineral water.

Events

For all August events

For all September events

* Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Forum - Tamworth NSW 27th August 2008.

* Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Forum - Bendigo Vic 29th August 2008.

* Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Forum - Roma Qld 2nd September 2008.

* Carbon Information Workshop - Griffith NSW 2nd September 2008.

* NTS Human Health Seminar - Sunshine Coast Qld 5th September 2008.

* Mental Health First Aid Course - Deepwater NSW 16th September 2008.

* Sustainable Living Expo - Armidale NSW 19th - 21st September 2008.

* Mental Health First Aid Course - Deepwater NSW 30th September 2008.

* Coonamble Women's Gathering - Coonamble NSW 17th - 19th October 2008.

Postscript

What a clever ad - you really feel for the person's predicament and fully appreciate the sentiment that wintersucks!