Dick
That is a hard one. What Vaughan says is true the farmer has lost
control of his own destiny (so to speak). We are reliant on chemical ,
fertilizer, "professionals" to tell us how to farm, when in reality we
do know, we have just lost the ability to read the signs for ourselves.
It is only lists like this (egos kept in check !!!), where farmers from
vastly different systems can share their experience and allow us to
question our own systems.
Personally I believe that you and I will not see any improvement in the
farmers lot, worldwide, but we have sown the seed and tilled the fields
(metaphorically speaking) for future generations to build on.
So to bring it back into an agriculture discussion (before we all get
thrown off the list), I think your two examples below (semen, corn seed)
are a perfect example of where we can start. I was unable to import your
bulls semen and you can't send seed to Moldova. With the semen issue I
said ok, perhaps it is not the semen that I need to adapt, but the whole
system. Look at bull size, milk volumes etc from existing semen
suppliers. Look at how and what I feed my cows. We do not crop (other
than grass) and do not see any reason too over the foreseeable future,
but that does not mean I cannot use many of the things that I have
learned on this list. Feed balancing using things available on farm such
as hay / grass silage (assorted quality for different purposes).
With the seed I believe it is the same issue. Perhaps it is their system
that needs reviewing first. Some quality control over existing sources.
Was always told that when buying fruit trees one should always buy from
a nursery that is in slightly harsher conditions that your own farm. The
thinking being that the trees will do better in your environment. That
has always been true.
To try and explain this better perhaps a few lines on why we went
biodynamic. For many years we were the typical high input / high output
(NZ style) dairy farm. At first things went well and then little things
began creeping in. Cows not getting in calf so easily, more calving
mastitis, more metabolic cases (regularly treating over 25% of the
herd), more scour in the calves. The list goes on. The vet was out here
more and more. We were having to use more assorted product to maintain
animal health. And then are biggest nemesis really began to strike
(bloat) and we found ourselves chasing this problem in all classes of
stock calves right through to the pensioners.
Finally said enough and began looking for answers. It was not until I
read that for every 100Kg of potassic super phosphate we applied, we
were locking up 4kg of magnesium that the bell started ringing.
So cutting a long story short we began on the road of organics and then
biodynamics, and now find ourselves virtually free of all the above
problems and no routine preventative measures of any product, chemical
or alternative. It was the whole system (the big picture) that needed
reviewing and not just the grass, cows etc.
The biggest thing I learned was that what is inside the farm gate is far
more critical then anything I import.
Keep writing Dick and the rest of you, let us share and continue the
trickle that becomes the mightiest river and ocean.
Viva la revolution !!!
Ian Buckingham
Maungatawhiri
New Zealand
> Ian, Were I able to get down there, you'd be faced with a farmer
comitted to
> international cooperation, but legislatively 'stuffed' at every turn!
You
> may remember attempts to get one of our AI bull's semen to you(he's
now #10
> on the active AI sire list), and then Moldova.Their corn seed has no
quality
> requirement, so they have 5 acres of good corn, then 2 acres of zero
> germination. I've got 3 US companies happy to supply our seed, BUT...!
Same
> with semen. Ian, how do farmers break out of this negative, political
> control? Dick Conklin
