Farming First

This is a powerful, but simple presentation on how important farming is to everyone - globally. Sadly it is promoted by the high-tech end of business. While the core message is good, the means of achieving farming success are likely to be radically different to those working with nature.

Historical Limitations of Soil Analysis

What a delightful reflection into why and how we view soils - most specialists who study soil view it as a plant linked, land-only, and Earth-only entity whose character and properties are explained by a mix of four environmental factors - climate, organisms, relief, and parent material - that operate over time. But soil is the most complex and unparsimonious of all natural science entities, so is any model so conceptually endowed that it allows a deep understanding of the full range and nuances of soil-forming processes?  Reflections on Soil 07/07/2009,17:46 1.34 Mb

Food Security Japanese Style

Food security will be the highlight of the discussion when the heads of 27 countries and 11 organisations meet at the Group of Eight summit in L'Aquila. Japan, as the world's largest net food importer and a major donor in agricultural development, believes it has a role to play. Japan cites it's co-operation with Brazil over the past three decades to transform Cerrado, an arid semi-tropical region of Brazil, into one of the world's most productive farmland areas is a prescient milestone, and Japan believes a regulatory approach is not desirable, as it may suppress benign investment.

Pity the environmental damage being done to Brazil is not mentioned here, and not sure of the other claims...

Use Animals Not Machines

Grazing vineyards is just one application of a growing niche industry that is harnessing the eating power of animals to control invasive weeds, maintain lawns and clear fire-prone grasses. The animals are an alternative to using machinery that burns up fossil fuels or herbicides that, in some cases, can seep into groundwater.

Pastures Accumulate more Carbon Than Trees

Scientists have demonstrated that subtropical tree plantations store less carbon into long-term soil pools than rainforest or pasture, which seems to relate to intra-aggregate particulate organic matter where greater stabilisation of soil organic carbon occurs (via soil aggregation). The explanation as to why pastures and rainforests have more intra-aggregate particulate organic matter in the first place is not provided in this abstract.

Environmental Degradation to Disease

The alarmism in this article is a bit towards fever pitch, but the discussion about changes to ecological diversity and encroachment of zoonotic diseases is interesting. For example, the idea that malaria exploded across Africa only after trees were felled leaving stagnant pools of water exposed to sunlight - the perfect breeding ground for the Anopheles mosquito (ie, it was not always the number one killer historically).

Dying Crocodiles

Kruger National Park authorities and environmental scientists are racing against the clock to identify the cause of a disease killing the reserve's crocodiles. Researchers analysed water, sediments, and fish and crocodile tissue for potential toxins and chemical compounds. But the experts are also partially blaming the deaths on the raising of the Massingir dam wall in Mozambique, about 30km upstream, because it causes accumulation of sedimentation as a result of the river no longer flowing freely.

Climate Change or Something Else?

While scientists are more than a little astonished at the rate at which our planet's frozen frontiers are melting - some are unsurprisingly pointing to climate change, but is that the only factor at play? Recent research now suggests that lowly soot particles - black carbon - could be responsible for a large fraction of Arctic warming. In SE Asia, studies suggest that it is choking the moisture supply for the Indian monsoons and contributing to the retreat of mountain glaciers that provide fresh water for more than a billion people.

Kangaroo Meat to China

Kangaroo farmers are expecting a leap in demand for the national emblem after Chinese trade authorities approved protocols for the importation of roo meat for human consumption. Roo meat should fit well with Chinese cuisine, particularly with a style of game meat cooking known as yamae, or wild food, and with hot-pot dishes.

Fresh to Processed

The Indian Government has unveiled ambitious plans to help set up as many as 350 food processing units over the next 100 days as part of what it calls the country's Evergreen Revolution....The government declared it wanted to put promotion of the food processing industry at the heart of its plans to revitalise India's agricultural sector and drive the economy. Heavens above - what is wrong with fresh food??? Isn't it worth anything? Isn't it employing thousands of farmers?

Food Fashions

"In the 1970s, it was all about packaging. In the 1980s, it was about reduced fat, and cutting out artificial colours and flavours. In the 90s, it was about plus and minus foods (add this, less that). Now we seem to be entering an age of food integrity.  Research is pointing to a "stronger traction" on consumer demand for natural, free range or organic production.

Cured Meat Preservatives

Preservatives added to cured meats, bacon and ground beef have been linked to dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Sodium nitrite, which is added to meat and fish to destroy toxins, reacts with proteins in the meat, damaging human DNA cells similar to aging. The problem is compounded by an increase in human exposure to nitrogen-containing fertilisers from soil run-off and water contamination.

GM Rice for Allergies

Rice that could protect people against allergies such as hay fever has moved a stage closer to clinical trials, following a successful safety assessment in monkeys. It is genetically modified to contain the seven proteins within cedar pollen that provoke the most serious allergic reactions in people. The team is also working a second type of rice to treat allergy to house mites.

All Businesses to Compost

San Francisco is now ordering residents and businesses to compost food scraps and biodegradables, or risk fines for not properly sorting their garbage. Already San Francisco compostables produce more nutrients than suburban yard clippings or agricultural waste because of the food diversity and farmers want more. The process "is like feeding sugar to children and watching them run around. That's what happens to my microbes."

Human Pollution Monitors

Pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas are being transformed into mobile pollution sensors as part of a Government-backed scheme to monitor air quality in the UK. The sensors attached to pedestrians and cyclists are small enough to fit into a pocket and can detect car pollutants and other contaminants including carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke. They will transmit the data back via the wearer's mobile phone.

Infrasonic Waves from Wind Farms

Infrasonic waves caused by windmills are suspected of causing health problems for some people. More than 20% of about 100 neighbors to a wind farm have complained of stiff shoulders, headaches, insomnia, hand tremors that become less severe when the windmills stop due to mechanical troubles and other reasons. The sound waves from wind farms oscillate once to 20 times a second, a frequency too low to be heard by human ears.

The Other Side to Somali Pirates

Most of you have already heard about Somali pirates. Just recently they captured an American cargo ship and held the captain hostage. And many probably think it's just one more evil group of people trying to get rich quick. But there's another side of this story you haven't been told, and it involves the West, and of course money, pollution and power.

Ord River Expansion

Agricultural land in the Ord Expansion Project area will be released in stages following the construction of supporting infrastructure and the finalisation of Native Title, Aboriginal Heritage and environmental requirements. The first release of land is expected to occur in the Weaber Plains area by 2011. If you are an interested purchaser in the first release of land, they are interested in finding out more about your needs and they have released a survey which will help guide them on how the first release of land could be developed.

Compost and Humus Management Seminar

After their very successful seminar last year, Angela Luebke and her husband, Urs Hildebrandt are coming from Austria to lecture on composting again at Barraba and hosting a compost and compost tea workshop 17th July in Barraba.  Barraba 09 01/07/2009,02:55 55.00 Kb

GrazingforProfit Course

The final RCS Farming&GrazingforProfit school in northern NSW this year is fast approaching - Narrabri 22nd - 28th July 2009. A course will also be held in Forbes 5th - 11th August, Geralton 26th August - 1st September. Remember that it is an approved course under the FarmReady Reimbursement Grant program which is offering landholders, their immediate family and their managers $1500 per person towards course fees.

NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture - In Paradise!

What a way to do a course in sustainability - on one of the most naturally stunning islands in the world - Norfolk Island. Nutri-Tech Solutions will be presenting their 4-day certificate course there 24th - 27th September. This course is also FarmReady approved - simply book your ticket and combine learning with pleasure.

Health

Bacteria in Icecream

High counts of bacteria are being detected in icecream in Canada, and the problem seems to be linked to contamination occurring in the soft-serve machinery - perhaps leaky O-rings, though it could be the inputs - the source is still unknown. But the problem occurs across a number of outlets each summer. There is no reason why Australia would not be in the same boat.

Food Recalls in Australia

Australia is certainly seeing an increase in food contamination in the supermarket with 29 recalls in the last 6 months. Microbial contamination such as listeria and salmonella, failure to declare common allergens such as wheat and eggs, and foreign matter found in products were the main causes for the recalls, all of which were undertaken voluntarily.

Who Are the Health Advocates?

Some of the most influential and vocal health experts belong to advocacy organizations such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the American Council on Science and Health. These groups have well-oiled publicity machines, connections in Washington and a proven ability to show up in news stories. But who are they, and what do they stand for? Many, for example, are funded and generally side with industry on every health controversy.

Untested Chemicals

There are some 80,000 man-made chemicals in the industrial environment, but only a handful of them - lead, mercury manganese, acrylamide, organophosphates, heavy metals and organic solvents - have been fully tested for potential health risks. The realization that chemicals can damage the central nervous system is not very old, so there are not many specialists with extensive knowledge of both neurology and toxicology - but they are starting to speak out.

FoodLegal

This website seems to offer a wealth of legal information on the food industry that might interest some. While subscription to their bulletin comes at a cost, it covers some terrific topics - the June-July Bulletin for example, covers food labeling and its relationship to Court case law, the legal distinction between food ingredient and food additive, updates on many food laws including GM wheat, and questions on folic acid fortification.

Vaccines at Gunpoint

A member of the public who was concerned about a mandatory mass vaccination program in light of the swine flu pandemic called the Arkansas State Health Department for advice only to be told that mandatory vaccines were constitutional and could be enforced at gunpoint by the government if necessary. Gosh, can you imagine if that happened here?

Venezuela Bans Coke

The Venezuelan government has ordered Coca-Cola to withdraw its Coke Zero beverage from the South American nation, citing unspecified dangers to health.

Cartoon

Miscellaneous

In 1949, General Motors was convicted of criminally conspiring to replace electric mass transit with GM-manufactured diesel buses. The court fined GM $5,000 and forced H.C. Crossman, the GM executive responsible for carrying out GM's policy, to pay exactly $1. But that is not all the misdeeds they were involved in. History exposes oh so many crimes...

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.  

* Compost and Humus Management Seminar - Barraba NSW 17th July 2009.

* GrazingforProfit Course -  Narrabri NSW 22nd - 28th July 2009.

* GrazingforProfit Course - Forbes NSW 5th - 11th August 2009.

* GrazingforProfit Course - Geralton WA 26th August - 1st September.

* NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture - Norfolk Island 24th - 27th September 2009.

Postscript

School Bus in Japan...

School Bus in Pakistan...

Yours Sincerely,
Carolyn Ditchfield