- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Or overnight train (if the rail strike is over by then)
Tres civilised, but sooo expensive.Or overnight train (if the rail strike is over by then)
I think some of the policy stuff is important especially when you have a farmer (Ian) on stage with the politicians who is happy giving their opinion, no point having a bunch of nodding heads on stage.Many thanks for kind comments and thanks for coming. Also thanks for constructive criticism, I agree our vetting process was a bit lax in regard to some exhibitors and that there were a few other irritating things we got wrong. I also feel that we gave too much attention to policy stuff, but we're open to suggestions. The core of the event is you lot, so what you think matters. Let rip!
Sounded brilliantAnyone know how Carbon Calling went?
The Caledonian sleeper is excellent, except you arrive in Euston...martianess and I took it from Dundee last year, comfortable double bed. Expensive, but bliss.Or overnight train (if the rail strike is over by then)
To add to my waffle further back...Many thanks for kind comments and thanks for coming. Also thanks for constructive criticism, I agree our vetting process was a bit lax in regard to some exhibitors and that there were a few other irritating things we got wrong. I also feel that we gave too much attention to policy stuff, but we're open to suggestions. The core of the event is you lot, so what you think matters. Let rip!
Many thanks for kind comments and thanks for coming. Also thanks for constructive criticism, I agree our vetting process was a bit lax in regard to some exhibitors and that there were a few other irritating things we got wrong. I also feel that we gave too much attention to policy stuff, but we're open to suggestions. The core of the event is you lot, so what you think matters. Let rip!
Don't beat yourself up about the policy stuff. after-all, it is all topical and very relevant currently.Many thanks for kind comments and thanks for coming. Also thanks for constructive criticism, I agree our vetting process was a bit lax in regard to some exhibitors and that there were a few other irritating things we got wrong. I also feel that we gave too much attention to policy stuff, but we're open to suggestions. The core of the event is you lot, so what you think matters. Let rip!
Seth Itzkan was good I’d agree there. It’s good to have someone like Monbiot there and have the opposite Point of view presented and at least make people think about it maybe slightly differently.I don't think you had too much policy stuff, it bores the hell out of me but some people such as the press and people who look to politics to guide them get a lot out of it so I actually think the policy stuff is very important from a promotional point of view. So keep that side of things up I say, those who are interested can attend and for those who aren't there is plenty of other stuff. Besides you have no idea what policy may lead to where in the future so you need to keep a position as a place in which policy could be launched or feed back to.
I didn't have a problem with the exhibitors really. At the end of the day its horses for courses. There wasn't a lack of content in the speaking tents if you are prepared to look for it. I don't see how the exhibitors took that much away but probably feel the event is big enough.
I suppose the only area that feels a shame is that after the massive pee up on wednesday night some of thursday morning can feel a little bit unloved. I went to a great talk at 9am with Seth Itzkan on thursday but he should have had a bigger audience because he was a great speaker and I went to another one later on with a small audience due to a bit of lethargy. I don't think you can or should change that at all.
I saw on twitter someone said the drill area was full of blackgrass and oats as a negative - I didn't really see it mattered. Some also felt that there was a lack of technical no till knowledge but then as others have said Dwayne had a small audience once or twice and Jussi Knappi had a technical no till talk and that also had a small audience - so you can't win sometimes!
I'm glad you got Monbiot. I think he's a bit one trick on agriculture to be honest.
Not sure Monbiot was really holding an opposing view. A lot of his sentiments on food security and other looming disasters were echoed by other, more farmer friendly speakers elsewhere.Seth Itzkan was good I’d agree there. It’s good to have someone like Monbiot there and have the opposite Point of view presented and at least make people think about it maybe slightly differently.
Im really sorry but although your techniques are excellent.. your rotation and system is a bit like claiming to be organic whilst using glyphosate twice a year for example..I've never had the chance to go yet but would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on growing root crops within a regen system in Perthshire.
I try to follow regen principles;
1) Keep soil covered as much as possible (does sowing wheat after spuds in november count?, any fields that we don't get into winter crop are either left as stubble, sown with a cover or if after spuds roughly cultivated across the slope and left)
2) Incorporate cover crops (my aim is that everything that is a spring crop gets something even if it is just rye broadcast and worked in)
3) Incorporate animals (I've started getting some covers grazed by a local sheep guy, but it's easier said than done, getting enough biomass to make it interesting for him with a september sowing date is the difficult bit)
4) grow a diverse range of crops (wheat, barley, rye, potatoes, carrots, does using legumes and radish etc in the cover crop count as diversity?)
5) Reduce soil disturbance( this is where the wheels fall of the wagon, with stoney soils separation is the only way and TBH because we have predominantly light soils we bed till very little, usual method is plough, deep cultivate, ridge, destone, plant). For cereals we plough and press then drill, this helps with weed control and burying ergot which is a big thing with rye.
To improve things I could;
Diversify crops by growing a legume for harvest (beans most likely but late harvest is a pain after we have spent the autumn at spuds)
Try sowing some vetch with rye this backend to provide some diversity and possibly some N, my idea is to not use an autumn herbicide and kill the vetch at the T1 timing maybe, would that work?
Direct drill some crops, this is a tricky one, the rotation doesn't lend itself to this really, I don't grow rape because of clubroot and oats don't seem to do well on the light land, we need straw for covering carrots but at least it means I'm keeping carbon and nutrients on the farm.
Any other thoughts.
Anyone who is thinking about protecting their soil at all times is on a positive journey even if it is not economically possible during a whole rotation or decadeIm really sorry but although your techniques are excellent.. your rotation and system is a bit like claiming to be organic whilst using glyphosate twice a year for example..
Real Regenerative systems try to add more SOM and biology and Carbon to soils than is taken away.. If you can put hand on heart and say you do that over 5 to 10 yrs then you have earned the badge... If you dont then Industrial farming will remain your activity and thats fine too
I got back last night. I thought it was brilliant. Lots of good speakers, well organised.Anyone know how Carbon Calling went?