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

[holwellcourtfarm]

If you get the chance go and see him live. Better than the book. I did, and as I read the book I hear his voice and the emotion in him.......

I fully intend to make his acquaintance one day. He was very polite and friendly in reply to my email.

 

[Sharpy]

I fully intend to make his acquaintance one day. He was very polite and friendly in reply to my email.

I think he is doing an English tour soon.

 

[Tassie Farmer]

View attachment 800718
@Tassie Farmer Think you cursed my drill . First tine I've snapped on it. Sure enough, it was the footings of an old stone wall long since removed.

Oh shite! My humble apologies onesiedale, I’m not usually into cursing but I must admit that every time I break one of those crappy Tboots I do resort to many curses however I thought I was just directing them at Mr Aitchison, I promise I will bite my tongue next time [emoji104] [emoji120]

 

[texas pete]

I think he is doing an English tour soon.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I fully intend to make his acquaintance one day. He was very polite and friendly in reply to my email.

I feel for him in some ways, because he's just an ordinary bloke with some extraordinary pressure and schedules.. but thriving on it, and the opportunity to make a real difference

I told him point blank that he saved me, got me on a proper heading as I really did feel I'd lost my way last summer

The quote in his book, for those of you who haven't read it yet I won't spoil it, but:

"he isn't looking at the problem the right way"

..and although I thought we simply needed rainfall, I actually simply needed to be a better water farmer!
More rainfall would be a disaster, here..

The problem I had was that I thought "proper HM" only applied to drought-prone or otherwise extremely challenging climates, I had all the tools that I ever needed but I was shooting blind.. and putting my cattle and income from those before my landscape - and trying to justify my actions by starting the blame game, cursing the bright sky, day after day.

Last summer caught a lot of people out, down here, and this one has reinforced that even though farmgate prices helped people pull through, nothing is "a given" and we were very lucky to learn a hard lesson without loss (pride, though).

Grazing chart, and knowing that things would only get better

faith is all-powerful

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I feel for him in some ways, because he's just an ordinary bloke with some extraordinary pressure and schedules.. but thriving on it, and the opportunity to make a real difference

I told him point blank that he saved me, got me on a proper heading as I really did feel I'd lost my way last summer

The quote in his book, for those of you who haven't read it yet I won't spoil it, but:

"he isn't looking at the problem the right way"

..and although I thought we simply needed rainfall, I actually simply needed to be a better water farmer!
More rainfall would be a disaster, here..

The problem I had was that I thought "proper HM" only applied to drought-prone or otherwise extremely challenging climates, I had all the tools that I ever needed but I was shooting blind.. and putting my cattle and income from those before my landscape - and trying to justify my actions by starting the blame game, cursing the bright sky, day after day.

Last summer caught a lot of people out, down here, and this one has reinforced that even though farmgate prices helped people pull through, nothing is "a given" and we were very lucky to learn a hard lesson without loss (pride, though).

Grazing chart, and knowing that things would only get better

faith is all-powerful

"Holistic Management", the clue is in the title . It's taking me quite a bit of mental gymnastics to actually fully assimilate it too!

My neighbours who own 10 acres of our grazing insisted on topping the long grass clumps around the cowpats on their bits yesterday. I found myself resisting saying "later in summer we might need that longer grass" then kicked myself and backed down: it IS THEIR land which I pay nothing for and if their paradigm is that they want to see it look "tidy" then that must be part of my holistic approach.

 

[texas pete]

I feel for him in some ways, because he's just an ordinary bloke with some extraordinary pressure and schedules.. but thriving on it, and the opportunity to make a real difference

I told him point blank that he saved me, got me on a proper heading as I really did feel I'd lost my way last summer

The quote in his book, for those of you who haven't read it yet I won't spoil it, but:

"he isn't looking at the problem the right way"

..and although I thought we simply needed rainfall, I actually simply needed to be a better water farmer!
More rainfall would be a disaster, here..

The problem I had was that I thought "proper HM" only applied to drought-prone or otherwise extremely challenging climates, I had all the tools that I ever needed but I was shooting blind.. and putting my cattle and income from those before my landscape - and trying to justify my actions by starting the blame game, cursing the bright sky, day after day.

Last summer caught a lot of people out, down here, and this one has reinforced that even though farmgate prices helped people pull through, nothing is "a given" and we were very lucky to learn a hard lesson without loss (pride, though).

Grazing chart, and knowing that things would only get better

faith is all-powerful

It's his "give" I suppose.

You get the impression that he is so damn grateful to have found answers to problems, that he has to share, to make a difference. Doesn't seem the type to do things by halves either...

I loved the tale of when he joined the squash club and non farming folk would say "what a cracker of a day it was" when it was hot and dry, so he had to concede that they were right and it probably was.

Farmgate prices, like sub's, can carry you through at times, and they can be a damn useful cushion to have, last years cereal harvest was similar for us. You tend to learn more from those years too, if your eyes are open.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I feel for him in some ways, because he's just an ordinary bloke with some extraordinary pressure and schedules.. but thriving on it, and the opportunity to make a real difference

I told him point blank that he saved me, got me on a proper heading as I really did feel I'd lost my way last summer

The quote in his book, for those of you who haven't read it yet I won't spoil it, but:

"he isn't looking at the problem the right way"

..and although I thought we simply needed rainfall, I actually simply needed to be a better water farmer!
More rainfall would be a disaster, here..

I think he needs that pressure and the satisfaction he gets from helping others.

I knew you were unhappy last year but not that it was that bad.

You can always call for some support (as can anyone else in this thread). Sharing it often helps, even if I can't offer solutions.

 

[jonnyjon]

You really have to watch "your circle" and keep those who pull you up, closer than the dreamstealers that want to drag you down

However when it comes to TFF I struggle to look away, it's like a bad chainsaw wound under a dressing that lost its stick!

I am just a sadist, I openly admit this; yet it's helpful to see how badly things can go wrong in order to make better life choices.

Doug is a great guy, if you think his book is good, spend an afternoon speaking with him and you'll leave feeling like a giant - he's a bloody good bloke, with a great view on life .

I have passed on info on this forum that I've learned elsewhere and on my farm, have unsprayed cereals this year that have no disease etc etc , I'm regarded as a radical nut job as a result, just because it doesn't fit in with what people believe. How sad

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I have passed on info on this forum that I've learned elsewhere and on my farm, have unsprayed cereals this year that have no disease etc etc , I'm regarded as a radical nut job as a result, just because it doesn't fit in with what people believe. How sad

Fantastic. It won't always work but it opens your eyes to what costs can be dropped out of the system. Even if the yield falls a bit think of all the cost, time, machine wear and tear, fuel etc that you save.

Being the local "radical nut job" is good

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I think he needs that pressure and the satisfaction he gets from helping others.

I knew you were unhappy last year but not that it was that bad.

You can always call for some support (as can anyone else in this thread). Sharing it often helps, even if I can't offer solutions.

I wasn't depressed (by my own standards, depressed to most, but I know where rock bottom is) but simply pee'd off at myself for thinking the laws of the jungle didn't apply to us!

But cheers believe me, you would be on my list.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I have passed on info on this forum that I've learned elsewhere and on my farm, have unsprayed cereals this year that have no disease etc etc , I'm regarded as a radical nut job as a result, just because it doesn't fit in with what people believe. How sad

It is.
Of course, holistic management isn't a set of rules that you cannot do certain things, even if those things do involve minimising risks via means that you don't want to resort to.
But good on you for having the nads to experiment on your own, too many are waiting for evidence or bulletins or regulations to tell them that half of the crap they put on is no good for the end consumer's future - I personally have never felt better since avoiding foodstuffs full of flour, something I did well over a decade ago.

All the same, I don't believe glyphosate etc will give me cancer .
I do believe my grandchildren will die at a younger age than myself, though.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

It is.
Of course, holistic management isn't a set of rules that you cannot do certain things, even if those things do involve minimising risks via means that you don't want to resort to.
But good on you for having the nads to experiment on your own, too many are waiting for evidence or bulletins or regulations to tell them that half of the crap they put on is no good for the end consumer's future - I personally have never felt better since avoiding foodstuffs full of flour, something I did well over a decade ago.

All the same, I don't believe glyphosate etc will give me cancer .
I do believe my grandchildren will die at a younger age than myself, though.

The evidence emerging is more that Glyphosate may give your great grandkids cancer

 

[Blaithin]

Dear Great Grandkids,

Remember not to go outside, the sun can give you cancer. Don’t forget to wear your face mask, the air can give you cancer. Always drink filtered water from a trusted source or it could give you cancer.

Love Granny

PS watch out for glyphosate. It might give you cancer.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Dear Great Grandkids,

Remember not to go outside, the sun can give you cancer. Don’t forget to wear your face mask, the air can give you cancer. Always drink filtered water from a trusted source or it could give you cancer.

Love Granny

PS watch out for glyphosate. It might give you cancer.

PPS: We all used to hold mobile phones to our ear but had to stop in case it gave us cancer....

 

[Kiwi Pete]

The evidence emerging is more that Glyphosate may give your great grandkids cancer

Or diabetes, or birth issues, or simply too obese to mate.

It would make you wonder just how desperately you needed to kill stuff cheaply, to kill people you don't know - but it can't be proven, so it doesn't exist (the risk)

Last time I said this Will tried to rip me a new one, hey ho.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Dear Great Grandkids,

Remember not to go outside, the sun can give you cancer. Don’t forget to wear your face mask, the air can give you cancer. Always drink filtered water from a trusted source or it could give you cancer.

Love Granny

PS watch out for glyphosate. It might give you cancer.

They won't get cancer if you don't breed 'em to begin with....

 

[Blaithin]

They won't get cancer if you don't breed 'em to begin with....

That’s my plan

 

[Kiwi Pete]

That’s my plan

Cancer is just a symptom of diversity loss.

Little old grannies saying "so, when are you having another one?" are just as much a part of the problem as the organic ploughers and the pesticide loving no-tillers, in reality... unless they actively manage diversity

Just as well nobody deals with reality, til it suits them to do so.

 

[Crofter64]

Very true....and is the case with life in general really, isn't it.

I have recently finished reading Doug Avery's book, following yours and @Bury the Trash 's recommendation in another thread.

I have never read (and probably never will again) such a thought provoking book. The guy is incredible and shows where you can end up, from where you currently are....He is seemingly flying now, but was anything but, before.

Made me realise I have been spending too much time on this forum too..

Based on your recommendation I have purchased the kindle version.