Website Down

As well as not being able to send out my newsletter last week, many of you discovered you could not enter my website for the last 4-5 days. It appears that I have a certain amount of download available each month, and it was all used up before the end of the month was reached (ie the site was too busy!). I am in the process of correcting this problem with a new site host (Tim Lester of Nuganics!), so it should not happen again. Gosh, computers are good until they go wrong...

In the meantime I have been stacking up news articles in the background and will attempt to catch up on them this week both in this newsletter, and perhaps another a few days later.

Soil Health - Developing An Understanding

This report was written for the Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation with the aim to investigate and develop an understanding of the biological component of soil health and includes an extensive literature review to develop an understanding of soil health research relating to soil biology and viticulture. Subsequent trial results indicated that the fruit quality results in the compost treatment was improving vineyard water retention, and resulting in larger berry size. Elaine Ingham has been party to some of the trial work. [Want to know anything thing about soil biology, including testing - this is it!]

Benefits of Cover Crops

Research is showing that sacrificing some soil moisture by cover cropping with millet could be worthwhile, especially if the soil biology benefits of cover protection were to be built upon. Yield losses in a wheat crop sown after the millet, which was sprayed out once established, have been modest while soil erosion losses have been reduced significantly.

The Law is Killing Our Food

Australia's laws against the use of raw, unpasteurised raw milk are, in the eyes of Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini, symbolic of much that is wrong with modern food systems. "Pasteurising milk is like killing it. You can't make different types of cheese. You can't tell the difference in the cows, the pastures, the farming land. In pasteurised milk, the taste is standardised-it would be like pasteurising wine."

Food Inc

Apparently this movie has been released and I look forward to seeing it. The trailer gives a tantalizing hint to the story it tells. Joel Salatin has quite a say in it too. And I believe the US farming lobby is not happy.

Homegrown Food

Is your lawn perfectly manicured but only contains un-edible plants? Why not transform your backyard into an edible garden. Imagine never having to shop for salad or veggies again, how much would you save? Watch this video of an urban family in LA and discover how they are able to harvest 3 tons of organic food annually from their 1/10 acre garden. [Wow, I'm inspired]

Food Industry Bigger Than Mining

Australia's food and grocery industry turns over more each year than our automotive or housing sectors, and combined with pre-farm gate agriculture would outstrip mining too. [So why hasn't agriculture got more clout in the policy arena?]

Reward Farmers Who Fight Climate Change

A report by the Wentworth Group is calling on the Rudd Government to expand its emissions trading scheme to include more so-called "green carbon", allowing forests and agriculture to play a greater role in cutting greenhouse emissions. Countries like Australia will need to use the landscape to absorb emissions already in the atmosphere by storing carbon in new forests, grasslands, farms and enriched soils.

I have a copy of the report I can forward on if you are interested (the file size is too large to attach to the newsletter). Contact me. It seems well balanced and raises concerns with over focusing on trees. "Terrestrial carbon presents our generation with an opportunity
to not only help stabilise the world's climate system, but to also create an economic system that will improve the health of our farms and conserve the world's biodiversity, at a scale that would have been unimaginable even a few years ago."

The Carbon Coalition's optimistic outlook on the potential of soil carbon has often placed it on the other side of the fence from mainstream opinion, but increasingly, it seems the fence is shifting the Coalition's way. The Wentworth Group's report is seen as another big boost in that direction.

Cap And Trade Woes in America

Even though American farmers are exempt from the cap-and-trade, they are still not happy. This is a fascinating read on how powerful the ag lobby is in America. By throwing their considerable weight around, the US ag lobby can smash political crockery halfway across the world. [Gosh, Australian farmers only seem to squeak here! Though they may get some so-called concessions for the ETS in the end.]

Analog Forestry

By blending crops into natural environments, analog forestry produces products that go beyond the 'organic' label. This kind of restoration ecology has gained momentum in recent years because of a glaring biodiversity problem within many organic agriculture and sustainable forestry systems. Often produ­cers are simply replacing one monoculture - a field devoted to a single crop - with another. You can raise any food with analog forestry, and it's soon to appear on European store shelves: tea and chocolate marketed under analog forestry's certification, called Forest Garden Products.

Tracking Food

Anyone can change a label, but no-one can change the chemical composition of food itself - which is why isotope analysis could be the next front line in Australia's efforts to protect against international food crime. Work by Dr Andrew and colleagues has demonstrated that the process is sensitive enough to pinpoint which district Australian milk came from.

Micro Pig Update

The story in the last newsletter about micro pigs has a nastier side to it apparently. It might have more to do with diet than genetics. A pig producing friend forwarded these comments: "There is no such thing as miniature pigs in Australia because there are no pot bellied pigs. I had friends that were devastated because their miniature pig (very spoilt and well fed of course) grew as big as any of mine. Pigs are manipulated by diet all the time to take advantage of growth rates in the commercial market - it also works in opposite. If you don't feed them properly they don't grow. This whole mini pig thing started using runt piglets - those starved in the womb."

Who do the NFF Represent?

The National Senate leader, Barnaby Joyce has stated that The National Farmers Federation is "out of touch" and not listening to its core constituents. [Not sure how I sit in the overall argument of ETS (I just think the whole thing is alarming), but it leads me to reiterate - who does the NFF represent? Many 'big' policies really do seem to be at odds with all the small/medium farmers that I know at least....]

Couldn't agribusinesses put up personnel to be members of the NFF before? The forming of the Corporate Agricultural Group within NFF's membership is a little concerning, even if they can only represent up to 40% of the vote.

GM Found in Beehives

Honey samples were collected from hives near Geelong just metres away from a GE canola field and were found to contain Monsanto's Roundup Ready canola pollen. This means people buying honey from this hive will be eating GE food without knowing it, and before it's been properly assessed as safe to eat. The GE canola farmer is not obliged to inform his neighbours about what he is growing, so the beekeeper has been kept as much in the dark as everyone else.

Bionengineered Plants Gone Wild

Special genes inserted into crop plants have a way of leaking into the environment. That much scientists know for sure. What they're less certain about is what effect those genes have on plants growing in the wild. [I like the comment about the ‘healthy' transgene plants....are they really? Insects are the mop up squad, and I would suggest that the transgenes were calling them in with ‘I'm sick' signals]

Why Growth Hormones are Green...

Hormones are a necessary part of life and their use in the production of our food significantly reduces the carbon footprint associated with a steak or glass of milk. So before you pay the extra money for hormone-free (which really there aren't such products), make sure you know the facts, like how beef produced with the use of growth-promoting hormones is actually quite similar to beef produced with no such added technology and how the garden salad you eat before your steak and that soy latte you are sipping on have way more hormones than you will ever find in a piece of beef. Most foods have hormones you know. [My, you can't beat this logic! Thank goodness we are dealing with facts]

Funding Scientists on the Edge

The US federal Energy Department will make good on a pledge for a bolder technology strategy, awarding research grants for ideas like bacteria that will make gasoline, enzymes that will capture carbon dioxide to counter global warming and batteries so cheap that they will allow the use of solar power all night long. "We don't know which ones are going to work, but we'll try them, and if many of them fail but one works, that's great, we've solved the problem."

A Passive Sea Pump

It's an idea that Bill Gates is interested as it might reduce the severity of hurricanes. It's about creating a passive sea pump out of old tyres that would mix warm upper water with cold deep waters. It might even increase the biological productivity of the seas in which it's deployed, because it would mix nutrient-rich, deep water with warm, relatively nutrient-poor surface water. But there are many holes in the theory that need to be worked through first.

Eliminating Toilet Paper

You might find the idea of going without toilet paper a bit shocking, but lots of people around the world do it, and there are good technologies available now to replace your toilet or add on to it. It is cleaner and healthier, and saves a lot of water -- making a roll of toilet paper uses 1.5 pounds of wood, 37 gallons of water and 1.3 KWh of electricity. [An interesting idea!]

What's New...

It's a free Biological Farming e-Book! Receive your FREE e-book to kick-start or increase your biological farming knowledge. "Nutrition Rules!" is a best-seller in the field and retails at $41.00. The book is written by Graeme Sait of Nutri-Tech Solutions, a leader in biological farming around the world and covers in-depth interviews and guidelines from Master Consultants. All e-book registrations (received by 30-11-09) also go into the draw to win Triple Ten - the premium concentrated liquid fertiliser. Please sign up to their Nutrition Matters magazine first to receive the book.  Free e-book 01/11/2009,17:10 307.61 Kb

Hugh Lovel in Northern NSW

After Hugh's successful weekend workshop recently he has been inundated with requests for field broadcasters and farm consultations. Unable to meet the demands now, he is restocking and will be back in northern NSW in 2-3 weeks. If anyone else is interested in having Hugh visit please let This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it of Working with Nature know asap.

Rural Women's Conference 2009

The theme this year is 'Changing Climates - Empowering Women in Rural Industries' where you will discover new opportunities and develop your own personal action plan to take home and put into action and a chance to win a $500 shopping voucher. There will be workshops on carbon with Louisa and Michael Kiely providing lots of input, and many other guest speakers. But numbers are limited to 100. Toowoomba 28th - 29th November.  Rural Women's Conference 09 20/10/2009,21:00 772.22 Kb

Weeds Workshop

This workshop will look at some of the key issues in property management on the Granite Belt - identification and control of weeds, how to encourage wildlife to your property, ways to protect your wildflower values, and monitoring, why and how. Ballandean 28th November.  Weeds Workshop 01/11/2009,16:55 307.53 Kb

Rabbit Forum

"Rabbits the Science" - where are they and in what numbers. Recommended control methods. Effects on biodiversity due to habitat competition and harbour clearing. Guest speakers from Biosecurity Queensland, and Queensland Murray-Darling Committee. Eukey 7th November.  Rabbit Forum 01/11/2009,17:02 76.52 Kb

Climate Change and Vegetables

Climate Change is going to impact on growing vegetables in your local region. Knowing what these predicted impacts are, and how best to prepare your farm to deal with this is valuable information. This information session will provide growers with access to the latest research, tools and materials being developed. Stanthorpe 6th November.  Climate and Vegetables 01/11/2009,17:04 170.52 Kb

Health

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and their cousins like Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Myreth Sulfate produce a lot of foam very inexpensively. But SLS is so strong that it's also used to scrub garage floors. And it has been proven to cause cancer in the long run. SLS stays in the body up to five days. Other studies show it easily penetrates the skin and enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, the lungs, and the brain. Yet SLS is found in most cleansing, foaming products -- and even in some toothpastes.

Body pH and Health

Over-acidification of the body is the single underlying cause of all disease. When the body is in healthy alkaline balance, germs are unable to get a foothold. Over many years, Dr. Young has performed live and dry blood analysis on over 15,000 people repeatedly, while simultaneously adjusting nutrition to create a pH balanced Alkaline lifestyle. The stories continue to unfold [I was referred to this by a subscriber, and it is certainly a wonderful holistic resource]

Swine Flu Update

In response to a recent 60 Minutes (US) story on swine flu, more questions are raised as to its safety, but wonderfully has drawn out advocates from both sides of the debate, which is so sorely needed. So much information is simply being ignored in the mainstream media - they continue to use false numbers for deaths that can be attributed to flu death. The real number is so much lower and is clearly posted on the CDC's website. It is a fascinating expose about being truly informed by the best science has to offer before throwing stones.

Junk Food is Addictive

Junk food elicits addictive behavior in rats similar to the behaviors of rats addicted to heroin, a new study finds. Pleasure centers in the brains of rats addicted to high-fat, high-calorie diets became less responsive as the binging wore on, making the rats consume more and more food. The results may help explain the changes in the brain that lead people to overeat.

Medical Fraud Unpunished

Delfina Hernandez helped to carry out one of the most audacious drug research frauds in American history, but because federal drug regulators sent a legal notice years late and to the wrong address, she can legally continue to conduct research. And this is not the only case.

Government Editing Science

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform found that significant editing of science documents had occurred during the Bush Administration and the issue remains fraught with controversy: Just how much editing of government-funded science was done, and will it continue?

Making Healthcare About Health

Motivated by a growing sense that America's health care system is broken, doctors and public health experts are turning to preventive medicine for a potential fix. They want to deal with health, not sickness. But insurance policies pay doctors handsomely for performing medical interventions but not for counseling people about healthier lifestyles, e.g. covering stomach-reducing surgery for obese patients, but not weight loss programs or nutritional counseling. And most medical schools give short shrift to prevention.

Conventional Cancer Clinic

This is such a depressing story, and for me extraordinary. It is the biggest cancer hospital in America and the doctors are told to try anything and use their imaginations. I read and read thinking I would see some stories about real 'alternative' treatments....but not one - instead it is a read of death and destruction using toxic drugs and other treatments. Oh my! It leaves you wondering about the imagination of conventional doctors...if this is as far as their imaginations stretch you are left in a pool of hopelessness.

Stevia Extracts May Harm

The market for products made with stevia could reach $2-billion (U.S.) by the end of 2011 it has been estimated. But some studies have suggested Stevia extract can lead to male reproductive problems, interfere with metabolism and cause genetic mutations. [Note that the differentiation between natural stevia and extracted stevia is not made clear in any of this story - I am sure there is a huge difference as one is purified in the lab using chemical cocktails]

One Jab of Thimerosal Harms

A new study found that primates that received just ONE vaccination containing thimerosal, the mercury-preservative found in many vaccines including the new swine flu shot, had significant neurological impairment when compared with those who received a saline solution injection or no injection at all. [While I have posted a similar article before, the commentary below this article is well worth the read, particularly about the science]

No Actual Swine Flu Testing

The CDC (Centre for Disease Control) is claiming that swine flu numbers are escalating, but in late July 2009 the CDC advised States to STOP testing for H1N1 flu, and they also stopped counting individual cases. Their rationale for this, according to CBS News, was that it was a waste of resources to test for H1N1 flu because it was already confirmed as an epidemic. When the CDC was asked how much of the flu-like illness that occurs in America every year is actually due to the flu, the answer was about 20%, which corresponds with the CBS News data from 2009.

Aspirin A Killer in 1918

Barefoot Running

[Again nature has the answer, and always did. Man's technology is inferior] Your feet were actually brilliantly designed, and they work best without shoes. So when you surround your feet with the extra padding and protection that most athletic shoes offer, your foot muscles are not being used appropriately. Research has found that running barefoot decreases the likelihood of ankle sprains and chronic injuries, such as plantar fasciitis.

The Unraveling of the Pharmaceutical Web

It has been a particularly bad month for the pharmaceutical industrial complex in its ongoing litigations in American courts. The complex is a consortium, a spiders' web woven with financial attachments throughout the medical profession. And it's not surprising that after spending this year $2.6 trillion on healthcare, the US have such little health to show for it. There are second world countries where people live longer and healthier lives. [This is one good read about what is happening behind the scenes - the corruption, the deaths the poor science - the lot]

How Long in the Sun?

Vitamin D deficiency is quite common, and a growing list of diseases and conditions are being linked with it. Regular sun exposure, without sunscreen, causes your skin to produce vitamin D naturally. But how much sun do you need? Scientists at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research have devised a calculator that will take all those factors into consideration and estimate how many minutes of exposure you need for your skin to produce 25 mcg (the equivalent of 1,000 International Units) of vitamin D.

It's Not Just About Cholesterol

Preventing inflammation could be the key to avoiding heart disease. But the relentless focus on cholesterol could mean that we are missing out on the wider picture - and more effective, cheaper ways of protecting ourselves (without the risk of side-effects from drugs).

Cartoon

Miscellaneous

It's a distinction that many people simply miss - Capitalism is not Democracy, and we are not living in a democratic world by any stretch of the imagination. Michael Moore poignantly shows this in his new film "Capitalism - A Love Affair". Interestingly, he had started filming before the economic crash, of which events ended up vindicating the storyline. This interview is great.

Events

The calendar is playing up, so most of the links below are directed back to other websites where possible or to a contact email address. If there are no links, look to the related article above.    

* Climate Change and Vegetables - Stanthorpe Qld 6th November 2009.

* Rabbit Forum - Eukey Qld 7th November 2009.

* Weeds Workshop - Ballandean Qld 28th November 2009.

* Rural Women's Conference 2009 - Toowoomba Qld 28th - 29th November 2009.

Postscript

What a beautiful and clever message. Don't let your negative thoughts determine your future, turn it around (reverse it in this case) and see what thoughts you could be carrying into the future instead. Very clever.