Varroa update: 70% of hives in the exclusion zone have been euthanized. No new detections. Almost a textbook response to a biosecurity threat.
As we enter Spring in the southern hemisphere in general and in Tasmania in particular, things are ramping up on the ground. Continue reading →
From RTE in Ireland, Quote:
World food prices jumped nearly 13% in March to a new record high as the war in Ukraine caused turmoil in markets for staple grains and edible oils, the UN food agency said today.
The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities ,averaged 159.3 points last month from an upwardly revised 141.4 for February.
End Quote Continue reading →
There’s a link in the show notes and an embedded version over on the website transcript of this episode that I would urge everyone to look at. It shows millions of tonnes of topsoil pouring from the Tweed River, the border between Qld and NSW on Australia’s east coast. This is following the recent flooding. It is worth remembering the Tweed is one of more than fifteen rivers in such a state. Continue reading →
This episode is about what’s going on here at Highclere, Tasmania. If you have any questions or feedback, leave a comment on the transcript over at https://worldorganicnews.com/280. And big shout out to Vicky who did just that this last week. I hope the answer helped and thanks for asking!
To the home front! Continue reading →
From a seed all things are possible. The magic that is a seed still amazes and surprises me, every time I plant. Equally, every time I plant seeds I feel a frisson of panic and anxiety. What’s going on down there? Are things “working”? But once the seeds break ground, I feel like a new parent. It really is remarkable that this still happens every time but there you go. I also worry and pace while chook is broody so maybe it’s just the expectation of new life. Continue reading →
A moment to pause, just for a minute, as the wheel of the year continues to turn. Last monday my weather app reported the sunrise would be at 06:10 and the sunset 18:10. Twelve hours of daylight following twelve hours of night time. The equinox was upon us. Harvests in the northern hemisphere and thoughts of planting in the southern. Those to the north of us in Australia have been planting for some time. Unless they live in the ranges or here in Van Diemen’s Land. The soil is yet to fully warm for that sort of thing but it is definitely on the mind. Continue reading →
At first sight this small scale grains seems a non-starter but bear with me.
Now the Fertile Crescent grains and their relatives were selected for with the technology the early farmers had to hand. As their technology developed the seeds were selected to fit the technology. This basically means wheeled vehicles and draught animals. From sowing to harvesting this technology suite affected every aspect of grain production. Seed drills, to combine harvesters and silos all reflect this. Continue reading →