Recent content by martian

  1. martian

    Worms and lead shot

    We've got some in the house I live in too, but the chalk in the water here soon creates a layer of limescale so it's safe enough. Yes, really toxic in petrol fumes, it made people much more violent, which is why we spent all our spare time fighting way back in the 1970's. As soon as unleaded...
  2. martian

    Worms and lead shot

    Does anyone know whether having copious amounts of lead shot lying around is harmful to worms? I've eaten plenty of shot embedded in game and vermin in my time, but my guts are rather less abrasive than a worm's. Just pondering this as I wandered over our pastures this pm, in places the...
  3. martian

    "Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

    Looks like one of those idea-proof fences
  4. martian

    Direct Driller Issue 24 - Digital Tech Edition

    Very interesting, nicely done. The question that always pops up in my mind when hearing about all this exciting tech is: what's in it for farmers? Too much of this fancy stuff seems to be geared towards making a packet for the developers rather than the growers. There's a lot of stuff about...
  5. martian

    "Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

    I wouldn't make lanes if you can avoid it...just a high-tensile single strand along the line of footpath and then divert walkers to opposite side to where the cattle are by short polywire section (or gate, if you are rich) where your land begins/ends. You will find you'll have to mow the lanes...
  6. martian

    International speakers

    Jussi Knappi
  7. martian

    Oats as a cover crop ?

    If the oats get away well now, they'll probably be flowering by the time frosts come along and the cold should kill them...there shouldn't be much left by the time you get there with the powerharrow, with no allelopathic worries. If it's a mild winter, bets are off, but at 6kg/ha sowing rate it...
  8. martian

    Self drilling seeds

    We love a bit of bio-mimicry. Wild oats do something similar, the seeds are very clever at planting themselves. I hope I'm wrong, but I can't help thinking this is another technical solution to a problem that can be rather better sorted by nature herself. Good fun though and I love the presenter...
  9. martian

    Groundswell 28/29th June 2023

    A lot of the videos of the talks are up on You Tube now, better than anything on the telly. I particularly enjoyed this one...nothing about farming, but a really interesting look at cars and why they are so rubbish. That's not what it's about, just watch it and marvel!
  10. martian

    Electric car

    Really interesting talk, he's picked the stick up at the other end when it comes to batteries
  11. martian

    "Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

    Thanks for asking...I too was worried, thought I'd read every word of this brilliant thread over the last five years or so. I was too worried that I was losing the plot to ask the question!
  12. martian

    John Hawkins Broadcasting wheat into cover crop

    This is the session where John talks about his system (and three others from TFF describe theirs): We have rather too many pigeons, jackdaws, rooks etc round here to leave the seed on the surface and hope it makes it. The demo field has been black with them since Groundswell, clearing up any...
  13. martian

    Groundswell 28/29th June 2023

    We've got a few objects in the lost property box: if anyone is missing a Jimny key or an i-phone charging case or notebook then get in touch and we can return them. Also there's a backpack with a load of soil-sampling equipment in it
  14. martian

    Groundswell 28/29th June 2023

    Yes...school bus broke down on the hill yesterday...which cocked up getting in. Should be OK today. Sorry about campsite blues. Enjoy today
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