Have humans lost the ability to choose nourishing diets or has it been hijacked? This question posed by emeritus professor Fred Provenza emerges after comparing findings from his 40 year career in livestock nutrition to human nutrition and is highlighted in his 2018 book Nourishment: What Animals can teach us about Rediscovering our Nutritional Wisdom. As New Zealand farming gets squeezed by...
How long can New Zealand rural leadership continue to ignore regenerative farming insights and techniques? Again, Australian farmers are proving how regenerative farming insights and techniques outperform traditional farming. Regenerative Australian grazers develop a different skill set allowing them to be profitable whilst enhancing biodiversity. These same skills also enhance farmer well-being...
The world of biological farming is not confined to what happens in soil. Biological products have been available for decades and provide strong competition for traditional chemical products. Unlike many reach-for-the-shelf chemicals, biological products require more preparation and strategic thinking in their use. The spray and walk away mentality falls short of the next level of agricultural...
The Net Zero in New Zealand report highlights ways and means of reducing GHG emissions later this century. Intensive land use, particularly pastoral farming highlights how solving this problem has become a race for technological solutions. Many of these technological solutions are fantastic, but do they address root causes? There is no mention of the role of agro-ecological methods as if such...
What do soil surfaces look like to absorb 200mm rainfall per hour? This question is not asked in New Zealand agriculture and is overlooked because no text book illustrates this essential principle. The photo shows what soil surfaces look like to maximise rainfall absorption – cottage cheese, not cheddar. Note the soil colour is black, not grey as many NZ farming soils are described. This colour...
Demonstrating How Grazing Enhances Plant/Soil Vitality and Ecosystem Health North American couple Tony and Jerrie Tipton do something really amazing. Mining companies call them as a last resort after substantial spending on seed and fertiliser to rejuvenate mining sites. They spread hay and straw around, graze their animals, and are gone in a matter of days. (Tipton & Heroism). These soils...
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