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Regenerative Agriculture and Direct Drilling
Holistic Farming
"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..
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<blockquote data-quote="Farmer Roy" data-source="post: 5373374" data-attributes="member: 71668"><p>I have been a zero till & synthetic input user all of my farming career, since the early 90's.</p><p>However, the basis behind that was ALWAYS with a focus on the soil, conserving moisture, preserving groundcover, growing legumes & having a diverse rotation - so none of that is new . . .</p><p></p><p>however, I am having a real crisis of faith in 'modern industrial' agriculture & the fact my whole system is so dependent on one chemical group. In our dry environment it is very difficult to see how any cropping system other than zero till can be viable, it is also very difficult to see how this can be possible without glyphosate. These are the paradigms I work within</p><p></p><p>however, I am also increasingly concerned about possible negative impacts on my soils & their biology ( & therefore their 'resilience'. Resilience is a BIG theme for me ) from the use of pesticides & synthetic fertilisers. I have virtually eliminated fungicides ( even though I grow chickpeas. 2 seasons ago most growers had 6 or 7 fungicide applications - I had none <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /> ), have really cut back on artificial N in particular & am very wary about any insecticide applications, although to be fair I always was.</p><p></p><p>however, glypho is the big one. Even if you disregard any potential negative health or environmental impacts ( which I think are still open to debate ), I was already becoming increasingly uncomfortable with such a high reliance on a single chemistry, the potential for resistance ( we have big issues with glypho resistance in Australia, as we've had a 30 + year history of use & zero till is the default farming system in most areas. I'm not going to bother to explain our cropping systems here, how diverse they can be & how they differ so extraordinarily from the UK ), the fact it is an external $$ input & is reliant on petro chemical & energy inputs which may not always be available in the future</p><p></p><p>im maybe sounding like an old hippy here & like the above post, I probably don't understand my own views on agriculture anymore either</p><p></p><p>at times I feel like a priest who after 30 years of devotion starts allowing that tiny nagging doubt in the back of the mind to suddenly come out & ask ' does God even exist ? ' <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek! :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /> <img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/scratchhead.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":scratchhead:" title="Scratchead :scratchhead:" data-shortname=":scratchhead:" /></p><p></p><p>I do know however, the answer is in the soil, in the biology & within nature - not within agri industrial synthetic reductionist prescription thinking</p><p></p><p>I never said it was easy <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite11" alt=":rolleyes:" title="Roll Eyes :rolleyes:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":rolleyes:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite11" alt=":rolleyes:" title="Roll Eyes :rolleyes:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":rolleyes:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite27" alt=":whistle:" title="Whistling :whistle:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":whistle:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite24" alt="(y)" title="Thumbs Up (y)" loading="lazy" data-shortname="(y)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Farmer Roy, post: 5373374, member: 71668"] I have been a zero till & synthetic input user all of my farming career, since the early 90's. However, the basis behind that was ALWAYS with a focus on the soil, conserving moisture, preserving groundcover, growing legumes & having a diverse rotation - so none of that is new . . . however, I am having a real crisis of faith in 'modern industrial' agriculture & the fact my whole system is so dependent on one chemical group. In our dry environment it is very difficult to see how any cropping system other than zero till can be viable, it is also very difficult to see how this can be possible without glyphosate. These are the paradigms I work within however, I am also increasingly concerned about possible negative impacts on my soils & their biology ( & therefore their 'resilience'. Resilience is a BIG theme for me ) from the use of pesticides & synthetic fertilisers. I have virtually eliminated fungicides ( even though I grow chickpeas. 2 seasons ago most growers had 6 or 7 fungicide applications - I had none :eek: ), have really cut back on artificial N in particular & am very wary about any insecticide applications, although to be fair I always was. however, glypho is the big one. Even if you disregard any potential negative health or environmental impacts ( which I think are still open to debate ), I was already becoming increasingly uncomfortable with such a high reliance on a single chemistry, the potential for resistance ( we have big issues with glypho resistance in Australia, as we've had a 30 + year history of use & zero till is the default farming system in most areas. I'm not going to bother to explain our cropping systems here, how diverse they can be & how they differ so extraordinarily from the UK ), the fact it is an external $$ input & is reliant on petro chemical & energy inputs which may not always be available in the future im maybe sounding like an old hippy here & like the above post, I probably don't understand my own views on agriculture anymore either at times I feel like a priest who after 30 years of devotion starts allowing that tiny nagging doubt in the back of the mind to suddenly come out & ask ' does God even exist ? ' :eek: :scratchhead: I do know however, the answer is in the soil, in the biology & within nature - not within agri industrial synthetic reductionist prescription thinking I never said it was easy :rolleyes::rolleyes:;):cool::whistle:(y) [/QUOTE]
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"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..
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