Pasture, Soil and Vegetarianism Info

ginger007

Member
@holwellcourtfarm I agree with you there, it's an absolute travesty that the rainforests are being destroyed. I wish we could all farm a mixture of crops and animals on the land that is most suitable for them. Such is life today we've gone beyond that point. I don't think the blame lies with either meat eaters farming beef or veggies eating soya, all these industries interlink and we're all to blame.
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
@holwellcourtfarm I agree with you there, it's an absolute travesty that the rainforests are being destroyed. I wish we could all farm a mixture of crops and animals on the land that is most suitable for them. Such is life today we've gone beyond that point. I don't think the blame lies with either meat eaters farming beef or veggies eating soya, all these industries interlink and we're all to blame.
Being a vegetarian beef farmer you must have fun. :sneaky:

Some of the evangelical veggie brigade would be SO conflicted about your life choices :D
 

Blaithin

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Alberta
I must disagree with the notion that we cannot sustain ourselves with solely the nutrients from plants. I've been a veggie my entire life and I'm still alive and healthy! (I'm also a beef farmer before anyone panics. Yes I am very much a contradiction). I do agree that gut flora is crucial and of course no creature on the planet can digest any sort of food without a colony of bacteria in their gut. But healthy gut flora can be built up from many many different sources.

From being on both sides (farming and veggie/veganism) I believe there's a problem with propaganda and lack of education. The two sides rarely meet. Vegan propaganda and scare tactics are almost always untrue and create a huge amount of offense and mistrust between the farming community. It's incredibly upsetting to be accused of abusing animals when your whole live revolves around them. Equally I've known many farmers who assume all veggies/vegans are raving militant hippies who wear hemp and live off kale. I show pedigree beef cattle and wear wellies and overalls so that's not always true.

I wish there was a constructive way of the two groups learning about each other without it descending into a battle between pitchforks and avocados.
Biologically we can sustain ourselves on plants, provided we have enough variety. However biology is not the only issue. The main one here, to me, is availability.

Availability leads itself into the issue of food transportation and it's linked issues. Fuel consumption, cost, freshness, etc. (Someone on another thread mentioned lettuce shipped to Kenya I believe, to be packed and sent back to the UK?!)

As an example, it has been cold here since October. Frosts, dormant plants, heavy snow cover. Currently it's -16, no sign of above 0 temps until at least next week, and another 10 cm of snow forecast for Saturday. And the frost is in deep, so it will be a while of warm temperatures before the soil is frost free and warm enough to germinate seeds. Who cares about the weather you may ask? Well that means we are into 7 months of winter. This is not including the poor growing conditions of September or May which is taking us up to 9 months of very little plant production.

9 out of 12 months are not suitable to grow produce out side here. Therefore large investments in infrastructure and heating would be required OR produce is shipped in from very, very far away. Personally I choose to support local buying vs world wide travelling food. I do not subscribe to the idea that farmers need to feed the world. Farmers need to feed their local population. As such, the local population here needs to take into account that for 9 months, unless you're growing lettuce in a pot on the counter, your vegetables are limited. (There is no large scale green houses or hydroponic systems here that can supply 9 months of vegetables and fruit to the entire population.)

I like to preserve foods. Canning is good as long as you aren't dying from heatstroke while doing it. But to subsist entirely on canned goods and the odd supplemental fresh produce from the supermarket? This is where you can apply the Vegan attitude of me eating what's convenient because I absolutely do. I have no desire to live on canned veggies, dried beans and products from various flours (despite my love for all things baked :hungry: Potatoes included!)

Livestock are convenient. They conveniently help my land. They conveniently keep themselves fresh even in the coldest months. They conveniently provide fresh food during the cold (eggs and milk). They conveniently eat food that I can grow and store in larger quantities than my own produce.

Like @holwellcourtfarm I have no issue with vegans or veggies that are respectful of my ideals and in return I have respect for theirs. And like you, I agree that propaganda is an absolute sh!t form of "education" that is too prevalent these days. Constructive conversations and broad, open minded education needs to take place. The hard core, militant type folks don't stop to think "where do people who have winter 9 months of the year get their veggies from and what issues can arise from that?" In too many instances meat eating and vegetarianism and veganism get too cut and dried, too black and white. In reality the edges are never straight, and there are many different colour shades.

It's never going to be just about humans biologic capabilities. There are many other factors involved.

As an aside, I have been looking more into foraging. While this also doesn't tend to be very practical in winter (I like the winter and being out in it, but finding something to eat under all that snow isn't exactly easy or worthwhile :LOL:) But it can add a nice variety to food selection in the growing months. For instance, dandelions or alfalfa in salads. Dandelions are one of the first things growing here, so they're easy to take advantage of and start the growing season off fast!
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
Biologically we can sustain ourselves on plants, provided we have enough variety. However biology is not the only issue. The main one here, to me, is availability.

Availability leads itself into the issue of food transportation and it's linked issues. Fuel consumption, cost, freshness, etc. (Someone on another thread mentioned lettuce shipped to Kenya I believe, to be packed and sent back to the UK?!)

As an example, it has been cold here since October. Frosts, dormant plants, heavy snow cover. Currently it's -16, no sign of above 0 temps until at least next week, and another 10 cm of snow forecast for Saturday. And the frost is in deep, so it will be a while of warm temperatures before the soil is frost free and warm enough to germinate seeds. Who cares about the weather you may ask? Well that means we are into 7 months of winter. This is not including the poor growing conditions of September or May which is taking us up to 9 months of very little plant production.

9 out of 12 months are not suitable to grow produce out side here. Therefore large investments in infrastructure and heating would be required OR produce is shipped in from very, very far away. Personally I choose to support local buying vs world wide travelling food. I do not subscribe to the idea that farmers need to feed the world. Farmers need to feed their local population. As such, the local population here needs to take into account that for 9 months, unless you're growing lettuce in a pot on the counter, your vegetables are limited. (There is no large scale green houses or hydroponic systems here that can supply 9 months of vegetables and fruit to the entire population.)

I like to preserve foods. Canning is good as long as you aren't dying from heatstroke while doing it. But to subsist entirely on canned goods and the odd supplemental fresh produce from the supermarket? This is where you can apply the Vegan attitude of me eating what's convenient because I absolutely do. I have no desire to live on canned veggies, dried beans and products from various flours (despite my love for all things baked :hungry: Potatoes included!)

Livestock are convenient. They conveniently help my land. They conveniently keep themselves fresh even in the coldest months. They conveniently provide fresh food during the cold (eggs and milk). They conveniently eat food that I can grow and store in larger quantities than my own produce.

Like @holwellcourtfarm I have no issue with vegans or veggies that are respectful of my ideals and in return I have respect for theirs. And like you, I agree that propaganda is an absolute sh!t form of "education" that is too prevalent these days. Constructive conversations and broad, open minded education needs to take place. The hard core, militant type folks don't stop to think "where do people who have winter 9 months of the year get their veggies from and what issues can arise from that?" In too many instances meat eating and vegetarianism and veganism get too cut and dried, too black and white. In reality the edges are never straight, and there are many different colour shades.

It's never going to be just about humans biologic capabilities. There are many other factors involved.

As an aside, I have been looking more into foraging. While this also doesn't tend to be very practical in winter (I like the winter and being out in it, but finding something to eat under all that snow isn't exactly easy or worthwhile :LOL:) But it can add a nice variety to food selection in the growing months. For instance, dandelions or alfalfa in salads. Dandelions are one of the first things growing here, so they're easy to take advantage of and start the growing season off fast!
An excellent post and attitude (y):cool:

Many of our current critical debates (food and energy being but 2) are badly compromised because so many folk just will not accept that others may have a valid point and that their own ideas may be faulty.

We all desperately need to start listening much more and shooting much less, especially those who shout loud and often. :rolleyes:
 
I must disagree with the notion that we cannot sustain ourselves with solely the nutrients from plants. I've been a veggie my entire life and I'm still alive and healthy!

I have no objection to anyone following whatever diet they choose, and have several acquaintances who do not eat meat. In fact I have a meeting with one in half an hour. This lady is unable (medical condition) to eat any mammalian product, fish or crustaceans, but I also know and get along well with people who do not consume animal products by choice.

Would you be willing to tell us why you are vegetarian? You say you have been one your "entire life" but this surely must only be from when you were old enough to make a choice. I presume you were not fed from birth on only vegetable foods.

I have read your subsequent posts that show your intelligent attitude towards the omnivores/veggies situation.
 

ginger007

Member
@Old McDonald That's a good point as people often forget that some people can't eat meat/fish/dairy etc due to health issues rather than through choice.

Thank you for saying I have an intelligent attitude towards this!

My parents are veggie so I've always been raised on a veggie diet. In my early twenties I tried to "experiment" and tried a few different meats but it just felt alien to me in the same way that most people eating chickens feet or koala testicles would find it bizarre. I've never felt uncomfortable being around meat and it doesn't bother me when people eat it at the same table as me. In fact, considering I've never eaten a steak in my entire life, I have beaten beef farmers at beef stock judging competitions...!
 

Crofter64

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Quebec, Canada
Biologically we can sustain ourselves on plants, provided we have enough variety. However biology is not the only issue. The main one here, to me, is availability.

Availability leads itself into the issue of food transportation and it's linked issues. Fuel consumption, cost, freshness, etc. (Someone on another thread mentioned lettuce shipped to Kenya I believe, to be packed and sent back to the UK?!)

As an example, it has been cold here since October. Frosts, dormant plants, heavy snow cover. Currently it's -16, no sign of above 0 temps until at least next week, and another 10 cm of snow forecast for Saturday. And the frost is in deep, so it will be a while of warm temperatures before the soil is frost free and warm enough to germinate seeds. Who cares about the weather you may ask? Well that means we are into 7 months of winter. This is not including the poor growing conditions of September or May which is taking us up to 9 months of very little plant production.

9 out of 12 months are not suitable to grow produce out side here. Therefore large investments in infrastructure and heating would be required OR produce is shipped in from very, very far away. Personally I choose to support local buying vs world wide travelling food. I do not subscribe to the idea that farmers need to feed the world. Farmers need to feed their local population. As such, the local population here needs to take into account that for 9 months, unless you're growing lettuce in a pot on the counter, your vegetables are limited. (There is no large scale green houses or hydroponic systems here that can supply 9 months of vegetables and fruit to the entire population.)

I like to preserve foods. Canning is good as long as you aren't dying from heatstroke while doing it. But to subsist entirely on canned goods and the odd supplemental fresh produce from the supermarket? This is where you can apply the Vegan attitude of me eating what's convenient because I absolutely do. I have no desire to live on canned veggies, dried beans and products from various flours (despite my love for all things baked :hungry: Potatoes included!)

Livestock are convenient. They conveniently help my land. They conveniently keep themselves fresh even in the coldest months. They conveniently provide fresh food during the cold (eggs and milk). They conveniently eat food that I can grow and store in larger quantities than my own produce.

Like @holwellcourtfarm I have no issue with vegans or veggies that are respectful of my ideals and in return I have respect for theirs. And like you, I agree that propaganda is an absolute sh!t form of "education" that is too prevalent these days. Constructive conversations and broad, open minded education needs to take place. The hard core, militant type folks don't stop to think "where do people who have winter 9 months of the year get their veggies from and what issues can arise from that?" In too many instances meat eating and vegetarianism and veganism get too cut and dried, too black and white. In reality the edges are never straight, and there are many different colour shades.

It's never going to be just about humans biologic capabilities. There are many other factors involved.

As an aside, I have been looking more into foraging. While this also doesn't tend to be very practical in winter (I like the winter and being out in it, but finding something to eat under all that snow isn't exactly easy or worthwhile :LOL:) But it can add a nice variety to food selection in the growing months. For instance, dandelions or alfalfa in salads. Dandelions are one of the first things growing here, so they're easy to take advantage of and start the growing season off fast!
Excellent post! I couldn’t have said it bestter myself.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,291
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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