Eye opener

[grassfarmer]

I spent a day at the Western Grazing Conference in
Red Deer this week and wow it was an eye opener for
me. Excellent presentations that really challenged the
"conventional wisdom" of much of modern production
agriculture.
Dr Christine Jones, a renowned Australian soil
scientist did a presentation via satellite link. Take a
look at slides 16-20 if nothing else from this
previous presentation she gave to see what has
happened to the quality of our food.
http://www.slideshare.net/QuiviraCoalition/christine
-jones-revised

I've followed that up by watching a recent video of a
conference presentation by Don Huber the renowned
expert on soils and glyphosate. This is an hour well
spent for anyone that plans on remaining in
agriculture.
http://www.seedsofdoubtconference.com/videos-la-
oct-6-2012

My overwhelming thoughts at the moment are how
could we have got it so far wrong? It's time to make
some changes on my operation - how about you?

[wilagro]

The "Seeds of Doubt" conference lectures (although interesting) still leave everything up in the air. No results of independent continual studies but lots of implied blame on GMO technology for a multitude of ills.

Until there are long time studies by accredited researchers they will still be spinning their wheels twenty years from now. I'm no lover of Monsanto, its products or philosophy but unless these people get government to act on their cause, and soon, it may be too late to rectify.

[grassfarmer]

Oh there is peer reviewed science out there that
supports the claims made by Huber etc. Why have
"these people" got to get Government to act on "their"
cause? Isn't it a case where ALL OF US - the people -
should be insisting Government go back and do it's
due diligence on approval of some of these products
which they never did in the first instance?

What are "accredited researchers"?
Wouldn't Don Huber qualify? Here is a bio:
http://www.nvlv.nl/downloads/Dr_Huber_bio.pdf
Sounds highly qualified to me.

Would you prefer the accredited researchers come
from a university that receives funding from the likes
of Monsanto?

[sumdumguy]

Good point Grassfarmer! It is sad that everyone
can be bought.

[ALLFARMER]

Finally you see whats been odvious for a long
time, you need to change your operation.

Who couldn't see that coming?

[grassfarmer]

So what did you think of the information Allfarmer?

[ASRG]

Grassfarmer: So what would you do different?

[grassfarmer]

Move towards eliminating use of all fertilizer and
glyphosate (and other sprays) from land where we
graze cows or grow/purchase feed from.

[ASRG]

grassfarmer: That might be difficult? Glyphosfate use is actually going way up?
How much would it add to your overall costs to eliminate all chemical inputs...on your own land and bought in?
I have some "shirt tail" relatives at Eckville who do this (Hovens) and it seems to work for them.

[grassfarmer]

Couldn't give you that extra cost ASRG. We basically
have to replace fertilizer and occasional glyphosate
(like twice in my life so far) used where we grow
silage. We have already been experimenting with
adding legume content under the silage crop and
have been looking at cover crops, green manures
etc. We don't use sprays or fertilizer on the rest of
the land base.

[ASRG]

These relatives of mine were doing the organic thing on beef and chickens. They were paying a pretty high price for "organic grain" (from Camrose).
I don't know if glyphosate is really bad pre planting every few years but what really gets me is now so many are doing a pre harvest application? I mean spray it all down....and then harvest 10 days later? How can there not be residue in that grain?
The Hutterites bought some land right beside me that was in hay. They sprayed it all with Roundup and when it started to turn yellow they cut and baled. I think they cut it one day and baled the next! Hauled the bales two days later and broke it up as fast as the bales were coming off!

[smcgrath76]

GF - you might be surprised at how well
you do. We used fertilizer and glyphos
on 20 acres of corn 3 years ago and got
no more production than on our multi-
species swath grazing that has had no
fertilizer in 20 years and has not had
any spray in probably 10.
A bit apples to oranges, as I doubt the
corn would have done anything without
the weed control, and it was not a real
year for corn. If you seed thick with
decent seed you can get a lot of cow
days per acre for very little cost.
We do add nutrients through feed but it
is relatively little. Have a few weed
patches that we may spot spray. We also
use cultivation, although we are only
tilled for about a week a year before
something is growing again.
I don't know if it is perfect but it has
certainly been productive around here
and our soil is getting better.

[wd40]

You must remember the chemical companies have "regulatory capture" on their side. These beloved "stakeholders" help make the rules.
Hostage taking at its best.