He founded an ethical dairying company that would allow calves to stay with their mothers. Last week, Glenn Herud had to admit that his enterprise had failed. I’m a third generation dairy farmer. The milk business is the only business I know. Four years ago I decided to find a way to do dairy in a more sustainable way. I know New Zealanders want this. They want the land … [Read more...]
Hope and mourning in the Anthropocene era
We are living in a time of extraordinary ecological loss. Not only are human actions destabilising the very conditions that sustain life, but it is also increasingly clear that we are pushing the Earth into an entirely new geological era, often described as the Anthropocene. Research shows that people increasingly feel the effects of these planetary changes and associated … [Read more...]
34000 Acres to be converted into organic farmland in American Midwest
Standing in an organic farm field covered in old crop stalks and cow manure, biological farming expert Gary Zimmer stuck a spade about 3 inches into the ground and pulled up some agricultural dessert. “That’s what healthy soil looks like — chocolate cake,” said Zimmer as the moist, crumbly dirt fell off the spade last week at his Iowa County farm just a few miles south of … [Read more...]
How to stop pesticide spraying in your area
The spraying of agricultural chemicals is widespread, not just on farmlands, vineyards and fruit orchards, but also in towns, public parks and gardens, playgrounds, schools, sportsfields and on verges. These notes may help you, should you find yourself exposed to spray drift. There are a few laws in South Africa that protect people and the environment: Fertilizers, farm … [Read more...]
UK government’s hypocrisy over ‘nerve agent’ spy poisoning
Anyone seeing the sight of the specialists investigating the nerve agent attack in Salisbury totally cocooned from head to toe in the most advanced chemical protective equipment and gas mask style respirators, will have raised an eyebrow or two. Not only because of the spaceman style appearance, but most strikingly because of the sight of innocent members of the public, with no … [Read more...]
‘Catastrophe’ as France’s bird population collapses due to pesticides
Bird populations across the French countryside have fallen by a third over the last decade and a half, researchers have said. Dozens of species have seen their numbers decline, in some cases by two-thirds, the scientists said in a pair of studies – one national in scope and the other covering a large agricultural region in central France. “The situation is catastrophic,” … [Read more...]
Leading pesticide destroys healthy microbes in humans and soil
We're only beginning to learn the importance of healthy gut bacteria to our overall health—and the relationship between healthy soil and the human microbiome. We know that the human microbiome, often referred to as our "second brain," plays a key role in our health, from helping us digest the food we eat, to boosting our brain function and regulating our immune … [Read more...]
The battle for the Philippi Horticultural Area rages on
Prolonged drought hits farmers hard. But in Philippi in Cape Town lies an oasis of land with abundant access to groundwater. South Africa’s most productive horticultural area per hectare, it has nonetheless shrunk considerably – over the same period that South Africa in general, and the Western Cape in particular, have become progressively drier and less food secure. After … [Read more...]
Karoo farmers battle for survival amid punishing drought
To anyone passing through Beaufort West, the town seems like a typical, quiet Karoo “dorpie”. But its problems run deep. The “capital of the Karoo” proudly states that it is the country’s oldest municipality, but it also holds another, more undesirable title – that of the driest town. Its main water source, the Gamka Dam, dried up completely in November, leaving the … [Read more...]
Scale of ‘nitrate timebomb’ revealed
Huge quantities of nitrate chemicals from farm fertilisers are polluting the rocks beneath our feet, a study says. Researchers at the British Geological Survey say it could have severe global-scale consequences for rivers, water supplies, human health and the economy. They say the nitrate will be released from the rocks into rivers via springs. That will cause toxic … [Read more...]
Cape stone fruit farmers develop water wise strategy
There has been very little relief from the drought that has been plaguing the Western Cape for the majority of 2017. South African producers have been forced to implement drastic, and sometimes ingenious plans, to counter climatic conditions and ensure that they will be able to see the season through, in some cases, with very limited irrigation water. However, they have … [Read more...]
Fresh bounty in demand at New Zealand eco farm
For Frank van Steensel and Josje Neerincx, the biggest milestone in 20 years of developing their eco farm is the interest their four children have in their steadily expanding business, Wairarapa Eco Farms. After buying an 8ha bare piece of land on the Tauherenikau Plains in 1996, the couple have called Wairarapa home ever since. They moved from The Netherlands to New … [Read more...]
Livestock methane emissions underestimated according to new study
Emissions of the greenhouse gas methane from livestock are larger than previously thought, posing an additional challenge in the fight to curb global warming, scientists said Friday. Revised calculations of methane produced per head of cattle show that global livestock emissions in 2011 were 11 percent higher than estimates based on data from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel … [Read more...]
