Website/blog of a guy in southern England trying living only on wild food...
Also, how mushrooms can save the world...
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Farming with terraces in Austria - very inspiring!
Hello all
Some of you may have become familiar with this guy through a video that Nick was sharing. I have only now got round to watching that video. This is most amazing. Have likewise been reading Fukuoka again. If you have never read 'One Straw Revolution', it is highly recommended. Reason I decided to do the course at Emerson was to learn about traditional European farming techniques. Nonetheless, I was always conscious throughout the course that little attention was given to newer, alternative approaches, which suggests to me that the Biodynamic 'movmenent' is operating in a bit of a limiting paradigm. There is no reason why the understanding of life forces got from BD cannot be combined with the understanding of ecosystems got from natural farming/permaculture. I for one would have liked more on insects in the course (of course no time blah blah). But anyway it's up to us to pioneer this territory. I have met up with some people that will be starting a project growing grains without machinery here in the west of Ireland. The real question is why not?
Anyway these links are much recommended...
Intro
Video 1 (Google Video)
Video 2 (Google Video)
Article by Sepp Holzer
Sepp Holzer's website
The Harmonious Wheatsmith (published by Mark Moodie)
Enjoy, comment, take action...!
Adam
Some of you may have become familiar with this guy through a video that Nick was sharing. I have only now got round to watching that video. This is most amazing. Have likewise been reading Fukuoka again. If you have never read 'One Straw Revolution', it is highly recommended. Reason I decided to do the course at Emerson was to learn about traditional European farming techniques. Nonetheless, I was always conscious throughout the course that little attention was given to newer, alternative approaches, which suggests to me that the Biodynamic 'movmenent' is operating in a bit of a limiting paradigm. There is no reason why the understanding of life forces got from BD cannot be combined with the understanding of ecosystems got from natural farming/permaculture. I for one would have liked more on insects in the course (of course no time blah blah). But anyway it's up to us to pioneer this territory. I have met up with some people that will be starting a project growing grains without machinery here in the west of Ireland. The real question is why not?
Anyway these links are much recommended...
Intro
Video 1 (Google Video)
Video 2 (Google Video)
Article by Sepp Holzer
Sepp Holzer's website
The Harmonious Wheatsmith (published by Mark Moodie)
Enjoy, comment, take action...!
Adam
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
greetings from wheat country
hi everyone.
just a quick note to tell you all i have found my home. i am so loving this place, the farm the community, the weather, the wine and cheese!
for being out in the sticks it is amazingly progressive, there are allot of young people doing innovative things in agriculture and allot of talk about localizing the food economy and organic conversion of the wheat fields.
for me, i have designed and installed a big market garden with every vegg, melon and flower you can imagine. i have endless amounts of the most delicious compost at my beck and call. i milks 100 sheep and goats 2 times per week, and they are a joy.
we are making 9 different cheeses for now, 3 fresh cheeses, 4 soft aged cheeses, 1 hard and 1 pure sheep's cheese as well as gillato ice cream and Popsicles, selling duck and chicken eggs and more.
and the best part is on sat. and sun. i run the cheese and wine tasting room. we are open to the public and people come to learn about what we are doing and why and sample all the goods. this, as you can imagine is so fun. i have my own personal bar and steer the conversation to bio dynamic and sustainable agriculture at every chance. i have perfected my what is bio dynamic spiel and i will be speaking about my training and what i see for my future in this community at the next sustainable blablaba something meeting in June.
yeah for bio dynamics, yeah for education and the confidence it gives one to take on the worlds challenges and yeah for people who actually want to listin and talk about this stuff!
also a big hiphip horrah for all of those who dream big and live it! with all of the challenges that brings, it is thease people who have so much to teach us, and it will be us living our biggest dreams soon.
keep dreaming, bigger and bigger. i know i am, i have 3 bissness plans in my head now i just have to get them on paper.
i am high on this life, so happy for all of the learning and challenges that have brought me to this amazing place in the world, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
sending you all all of my luck and love.
erin
ps, adam....thanks for visiting me in my dreams. i feel like we check in regularly, but drop a line in waking life and let me know where and how you are.
blessings to all,
xoxo
just a quick note to tell you all i have found my home. i am so loving this place, the farm the community, the weather, the wine and cheese!
for being out in the sticks it is amazingly progressive, there are allot of young people doing innovative things in agriculture and allot of talk about localizing the food economy and organic conversion of the wheat fields.
for me, i have designed and installed a big market garden with every vegg, melon and flower you can imagine. i have endless amounts of the most delicious compost at my beck and call. i milks 100 sheep and goats 2 times per week, and they are a joy.
we are making 9 different cheeses for now, 3 fresh cheeses, 4 soft aged cheeses, 1 hard and 1 pure sheep's cheese as well as gillato ice cream and Popsicles, selling duck and chicken eggs and more.
and the best part is on sat. and sun. i run the cheese and wine tasting room. we are open to the public and people come to learn about what we are doing and why and sample all the goods. this, as you can imagine is so fun. i have my own personal bar and steer the conversation to bio dynamic and sustainable agriculture at every chance. i have perfected my what is bio dynamic spiel and i will be speaking about my training and what i see for my future in this community at the next sustainable blablaba something meeting in June.
yeah for bio dynamics, yeah for education and the confidence it gives one to take on the worlds challenges and yeah for people who actually want to listin and talk about this stuff!
also a big hiphip horrah for all of those who dream big and live it! with all of the challenges that brings, it is thease people who have so much to teach us, and it will be us living our biggest dreams soon.
keep dreaming, bigger and bigger. i know i am, i have 3 bissness plans in my head now i just have to get them on paper.
i am high on this life, so happy for all of the learning and challenges that have brought me to this amazing place in the world, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
sending you all all of my luck and love.
erin
ps, adam....thanks for visiting me in my dreams. i feel like we check in regularly, but drop a line in waking life and let me know where and how you are.
blessings to all,
xoxo
Finaly the first cut is done! finished sillage making for now.... it s waiting for the grass to grow again xD
weather is good and the last few jungstock who are still inside are getting out to pasture today!
Went to Hamburg to the Oper yesterday... five hours of Wagner (Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg)....havy stuff.....
all is going good here..can milk the cows now on my own! still takes a bit longer, what ever... makes fun....
so nearly lunch time!
hope you are well!!!
theire are still too few posts here from all of you!
weather is good and the last few jungstock who are still inside are getting out to pasture today!
Went to Hamburg to the Oper yesterday... five hours of Wagner (Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg)....havy stuff.....
all is going good here..can milk the cows now on my own! still takes a bit longer, what ever... makes fun....
so nearly lunch time!
hope you are well!!!
theire are still too few posts here from all of you!
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
It's flower time again!!!
Oooh how I love my flowers! The sweet peas just keep going, making everybody happy, and now also the sweet William is really starting to take off. All sorts of different colours, and very, very scented... Hmmmm.... Unfortunately the wholesaler just wants the colour 'cerise' which I don't know whta that is, but since my sweet Williams have all sorts of colours I don't think they want them. So, I printed some nice leaflets, had a bath, a shave and a clean pair of underpants, and off I went on tour with two buckets of flowers, to visit 7 different farm and flower shops in the area. Alison, my WWOOFer, came along, and we made so many people happy with our free flower bunches! And now the orders keep streaming in, so much so that I am running out of flowers! It's now just picking picking picking, bunching bunching bunching, and off they go. Really flowers are fantastic! Flowers flowering everywhere - flowers in your hair! Flowers, flowers, flowers!!! Oh what beautiful flowers... Yeehaaaaaa
Monday, 25 May 2009
Bonjour Tous le Monde!
Hello everyone!
I just thought i'd check in with you wild biodynamic love cats! I hope all the BD2 lot are doing well out there and BD1's are learning lots on their placements. I'm working on a little family market garden here in the south of France and i'm really enjoying it! Its only 9 acres but next to a big river at the foothills of the Cevennes mountains, very pretty! Working in polytunnels in severe heat is a killer although I may be able to work off some of the lager that Sparky forced me to drink at college! I'm also starting to spray preps at our place (see website) we're turning it well Biodynamic init!
sending you all love....
Nick x
P.s. Contrats to Arjen with Marriage and baby!
I just thought i'd check in with you wild biodynamic love cats! I hope all the BD2 lot are doing well out there and BD1's are learning lots on their placements. I'm working on a little family market garden here in the south of France and i'm really enjoying it! Its only 9 acres but next to a big river at the foothills of the Cevennes mountains, very pretty! Working in polytunnels in severe heat is a killer although I may be able to work off some of the lager that Sparky forced me to drink at college! I'm also starting to spray preps at our place (see website) we're turning it well Biodynamic init!
sending you all love....
Nick x
P.s. Contrats to Arjen with Marriage and baby!
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Not even pretending to farm
Its raining, which is good. The grain needs rain. I have planted some lettuce, beans, carrots, sweetcorn and sunflowers in my raised beds after having gone to great expense and ringed the edges with copper tape in an attempt to inhibit slug action. All seems a bit low key compared with what everyone else is up to. The ulterior motive was partly met as someone made an offer on the house, low, but it's a start. The farm we are looking to rent is proving a hard nut to crack and so we might rent a small house for a few months while we look around and await the downward repricing of the next phase of the global economic contraction (this article is especially for Adam).
Just read Animal Pharm by Mark Purdey, extraordinary book, should be on the BD reading list. As Monbiot says, 'If Pudey is right he should get a Nobel prize for medicine'. Great exploration, research and analysis of BSE (globally) and TB. Does leave you feeling disgusted and saddened at central governments (how surprising) but also relieved that there are answers to the questions BSE raised about how we keep our animals. It's in the soil. However, I am now worried about grasssickness in the horses (found where there is low pH, CU & K deficiency and excess Fe, like our buttercup covered, iron clay fields, often triggering Clostridium botulinum of the TB family). Symptons, are severe gut paralysis and sudden death. Not much of a heads up there then. I could spread some lime on the fields and an Fe chelating compound. Or I could not worry about it. Maybe I'll spray some 501. I wonder what Glen would say? I shall go and study my charts.
Make sure you have read this regarding golden rice and its benefits (hhmmm), the proGMOers use it as their standard bearer for saving the world. It is always useful to be able to debunk that line of arguement.
Happy planting, prepping, parsing, picking and packing.
Just read Animal Pharm by Mark Purdey, extraordinary book, should be on the BD reading list. As Monbiot says, 'If Pudey is right he should get a Nobel prize for medicine'. Great exploration, research and analysis of BSE (globally) and TB. Does leave you feeling disgusted and saddened at central governments (how surprising) but also relieved that there are answers to the questions BSE raised about how we keep our animals. It's in the soil. However, I am now worried about grasssickness in the horses (found where there is low pH, CU & K deficiency and excess Fe, like our buttercup covered, iron clay fields, often triggering Clostridium botulinum of the TB family). Symptons, are severe gut paralysis and sudden death. Not much of a heads up there then. I could spread some lime on the fields and an Fe chelating compound. Or I could not worry about it. Maybe I'll spray some 501. I wonder what Glen would say? I shall go and study my charts.
Make sure you have read this regarding golden rice and its benefits (hhmmm), the proGMOers use it as their standard bearer for saving the world. It is always useful to be able to debunk that line of arguement.
Happy planting, prepping, parsing, picking and packing.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
First Job offer!
Got my first Job offer! my farmer asked if I want to stay after the placement, he needs someone xD not bad for me!
I' ve got a good time here milking and carring for the cows.
Mowing will start next week after the rain....
Got a few woodcutting etc to do after a huge storm last weekend.
Finally I know allmost all the 25 cows by name ;-)
have a good weekend and post, post, post!
michaela
Saturday, 9 May 2009
What's happening at emerson?
Things are thriving here as usual! The may fair has just passed (Arjen, Rob, and others dancing merrily before a very large crowd of people ranging from outsiders to ex-emersonians to scientlogists and even anthroposophists! The courses are well on their way and coming closer to their endings, and someone’s been rotivating up about a quarter of an acre behind carson!??
Well, it seems as though a lot is transpiring here at Emerson, in the garden and in the course. Im sure most of you already know the Neir (spelling?) has joined Arjen in carrying the course. I get the sense that they both have been working extremely hard since all of us began our placements and/or took our leave from Emerson, and I believe that there are a few things in the cooker for the course itself which is very good.
The lunches now include a few things from the garden! Amazing huh? After all that whining we did in october about Emerson not having a garden and now it is no longer only talk or planning but reality. Yes, there is plenty in the ground and it is only getting buisier.
Well, i send my blessings to you all and i hope your biodynamicing is going great!
Well, it seems as though a lot is transpiring here at Emerson, in the garden and in the course. Im sure most of you already know the Neir (spelling?) has joined Arjen in carrying the course. I get the sense that they both have been working extremely hard since all of us began our placements and/or took our leave from Emerson, and I believe that there are a few things in the cooker for the course itself which is very good.
The lunches now include a few things from the garden! Amazing huh? After all that whining we did in october about Emerson not having a garden and now it is no longer only talk or planning but reality. Yes, there is plenty in the ground and it is only getting buisier.
Well, i send my blessings to you all and i hope your biodynamicing is going great!
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Fix the Food Chain
Wandered into the fields of Plaw Hatch today to watch Richard and Tony roll out their latest gizzmos. After the (ancient) transplanter had been steamed back into life (with help from a couple of Findhorn groupies plus Claire) the latest watering contraption appeared. Fortunately it was strapped atop a tractor that was unable to exceed 5mph otherwise a little sideways sloshing might have had it aside (rather than astride) the newly planted celariac. Overall the garden looked great and the shop displayed almost an entire wall of farm grown produce.
Friends of the Earth started a campaign 'Fixing the Food Chain' earlier this year, very timely given the Swine Flu, sorry, novel human flu virus H1N1, outbreak. Read their 'Feeding the Beast' article. If you felt so inclined you could even write to your MEP (elections next month) - (European member of parliament - we all have one). And at the same time remind her/him that GM food should probably continue to be restricted until substantive, meaningful test are carried out to verify their safety.
If you haven't read it, find the time to take a look at the best commendation for ending intensive farming yet published. The UN FAOs 'Livestock's Long Shadow'. And, for those long winter nights (huh?, Ed.) the UNCTAD report on how organic agriculture is Africa's best hope. Or the IAASTD report from last year on how the world should look at agriculture, esp. Point 4 which includes the line 'Existing multifunctional systems that minimize these [environmental] problems have not been sufficiently prioritized for research.'
Sadly, Obama's new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced he will be pushing harder for bio-tech (read GM) than Bush was. Not a surprise but likely means heavy lobbying of Europe/Africa to buy Monsanto/Dow/Pioneer Hi-Bred/Syngenta products. Will there be a serious debate in the US about this? Will anyone point out that yields have not been increased, that the only success story are seeds that are herbicide resistant meaning guess what, yup, more Roundup? Oh, and this is Monsanto funded research saying their crops require a lot of work especially due to over-relience on herbicides and that super pigweed and ragweed is becoming a serious problem.
The US public don't appear to be completely fooled, despite a sharp economic downturn sales of organic food were up 16% in 2008. However, total organic meat sales are a paultry (there's a joke in there somewhere) 0.34% of total. That's $448mm vs $8.5bln on fruit & veg. Odd how people are happy eating non-organic meat but love their organic apples and lettuces. Having said that, I saw lots of very free-range, pasture-fed beef wandering around Arizona, the owners of which wore funny hats and boots, occasionally said 'yeeeha' and thought organics was for uptight, liberal citytypes (at least I think that's what they said).
Friends of the Earth started a campaign 'Fixing the Food Chain' earlier this year, very timely given the Swine Flu, sorry, novel human flu virus H1N1, outbreak. Read their 'Feeding the Beast' article. If you felt so inclined you could even write to your MEP (elections next month) - (European member of parliament - we all have one). And at the same time remind her/him that GM food should probably continue to be restricted until substantive, meaningful test are carried out to verify their safety.
If you haven't read it, find the time to take a look at the best commendation for ending intensive farming yet published. The UN FAOs 'Livestock's Long Shadow'. And, for those long winter nights (huh?, Ed.) the UNCTAD report on how organic agriculture is Africa's best hope. Or the IAASTD report from last year on how the world should look at agriculture, esp. Point 4 which includes the line 'Existing multifunctional systems that minimize these [environmental] problems have not been sufficiently prioritized for research.'
Sadly, Obama's new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced he will be pushing harder for bio-tech (read GM) than Bush was. Not a surprise but likely means heavy lobbying of Europe/Africa to buy Monsanto/Dow/Pioneer Hi-Bred/Syngenta products. Will there be a serious debate in the US about this? Will anyone point out that yields have not been increased, that the only success story are seeds that are herbicide resistant meaning guess what, yup, more Roundup? Oh, and this is Monsanto funded research saying their crops require a lot of work especially due to over-relience on herbicides and that super pigweed and ragweed is becoming a serious problem.
The US public don't appear to be completely fooled, despite a sharp economic downturn sales of organic food were up 16% in 2008. However, total organic meat sales are a paultry (there's a joke in there somewhere) 0.34% of total. That's $448mm vs $8.5bln on fruit & veg. Odd how people are happy eating non-organic meat but love their organic apples and lettuces. Having said that, I saw lots of very free-range, pasture-fed beef wandering around Arizona, the owners of which wore funny hats and boots, occasionally said 'yeeeha' and thought organics was for uptight, liberal citytypes (at least I think that's what they said).
Friday, 1 May 2009
fire
happy beltane. the goddess has been transformed into the flower maiden and united with the green man, don't you know? if not then wake up like...
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Swine Fever
Whaddya know....I finally decide to take a trip out to Arizona to see what all the fuss is about with these horses and find myself sandwiched between a Californian and Mexican biohazard.
Is this a result of the consolidation and concentration of pigs into 10,000 head units (esp. North Carolina)? Factory farming having deadly side effects? I cant believe it. Check out the link.
Is this a result of the consolidation and concentration of pigs into 10,000 head units (esp. North Carolina)? Factory farming having deadly side effects? I cant believe it. Check out the link.
Monday, 20 April 2009
hello all
i am greatly enjoying time off. my brain has officially shut down and i am in a beautiful place and the sun is shining. I have bought my first home, a 10 ft x 10 ft wall tent and will be moving to the farm in just over one week. i am excited and as good as the break has been i am so ready to get dirty, plant some seeds make some cheese and milk some goats/sheep.
funny story:
yesterday i was hunting for morel mushrooms with some friends in the woods. as i was face to face (literally, crawling) with the soil through the under story of the forest, looking at all the lovely critters and marveling at decomposing leafs, i began to think on fungi. (fitting, because i was looking for fungi) the mystery of it and the beauty of all mushrooms especally the morel! i then started wondering what roll gnomes may play in the mysterious growth habits of mushrooms....... when to my surprise every other crawl on my belly through the forest reveled yet another morel! larger than the last!!! so of course, i thanked the gnomes and continued to be amazed by the beauty and size of the mushrooms i was being gifted by said gnomes.... of course they would be gifting me what i sought out of appreciation for me recognizing their roll in the fungi world!
after 2 hours of crawling in the leaf litter i was called to lunch. i was so excited so show everyone how skilled i was and tell them my secret! (gnome appreciation) and suggest they try it too. my friend Dan was the first to tell me, all the mushrooms i had painfully and tediously gathered were false morels. he dumped them out onto the ground an showed me the difference so i wouldn't be fooled again.
Fooled i was. and you know i could almost hear all of the little gnomes laughing hysterically.
tricky bastards.
all the best of love and luck to all.
watch out for gnomes, bulls and pigs on your placements
erin
funny story:
yesterday i was hunting for morel mushrooms with some friends in the woods. as i was face to face (literally, crawling) with the soil through the under story of the forest, looking at all the lovely critters and marveling at decomposing leafs, i began to think on fungi. (fitting, because i was looking for fungi) the mystery of it and the beauty of all mushrooms especally the morel! i then started wondering what roll gnomes may play in the mysterious growth habits of mushrooms....... when to my surprise every other crawl on my belly through the forest reveled yet another morel! larger than the last!!! so of course, i thanked the gnomes and continued to be amazed by the beauty and size of the mushrooms i was being gifted by said gnomes.... of course they would be gifting me what i sought out of appreciation for me recognizing their roll in the fungi world!
after 2 hours of crawling in the leaf litter i was called to lunch. i was so excited so show everyone how skilled i was and tell them my secret! (gnome appreciation) and suggest they try it too. my friend Dan was the first to tell me, all the mushrooms i had painfully and tediously gathered were false morels. he dumped them out onto the ground an showed me the difference so i wouldn't be fooled again.
Fooled i was. and you know i could almost hear all of the little gnomes laughing hysterically.
tricky bastards.
all the best of love and luck to all.
watch out for gnomes, bulls and pigs on your placements
erin
Charlie's song
Hi everybody,
Nice to read from all of you... I am currently in Plawhatch and will be till the end of this week - don't know how I'll ever be able to leave, really... But there you go, crash course in milking, looking after the animals, feeding, fencing, counting eggs... Calving ! There were 4 birthes last night, including twins !! Oh how nice to be out there and part of life, it's hard to imagine ever sitting in a classroom again. Moving to Cherry Gardens next Saturday to immerse myself into vegetable life.
Graduates, as promised, here is your song ! Lyrics by Charlie Wannop (where are you by the way, Charlie, it would be good to hear from you !), melody as in the original song, chords G-G-C-G-G-D7-G and more G. Enjoy !
"Last year's students had a farm"
Young Katrina had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm she had a cow - E I E I Oh
With a great diet here and no vet bills there
Here a calf, there a calf, profits everywhere
Young Katrina...
Mid Mac Phil he had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm he had some preps - E I E I Oh
With a 501 to a 507
A bit of Maye Bruce and a shot of 08
Mid Mac Phil...
Banker Bob he had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm he had.. a HORSE ??? - E I E I Oh
With mini dairies here and a garden there
Another job elsewhere and a stress-free life
Banker Bob...
Young Mac Adam had a community farm - E I E I Oh
And on this farm he had some thoughts - E I E I Oh
With a rain gun here and a garden there
Here a house, there a house, people everywhere
Young Mac Adam...
Our Erin had a CSA farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm she had some veg - E I E I Oh
With courses here and boxes there
Here a yurt, there a yurt, happiness everywhere oh
Our Erin...
Mr Kristoff had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on this farm he had some goats - E I E I Oh
With cheeses here and cheeses there
Here a veggie plot, there a goat - oh hell !
Mr Kristoff...
Old McHall he had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on this farm he had a scheme - E I E I Oh
With boxes here and boxes there
Here a profit, there a loss, everywhere a balance
Old McHall...
Old McJeff he had a plan - E I E I Oh
And with this plan he had some fun - E I E I Oh
Tree crops here and ducklings there
Here a pond, there some duck pooh aaaaarghhhhhhh !
Old McJeff...
Mac Kaela had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm she had some grain - E I E I Oh
With tractors here and tractors there
Here a hen, there a cow, loads of work everywhere
Mac Kaela...
Well all these students got a farm - E I E I Oh
And we all hope they get some fun - E I E I Oh
With hard work here and enough money there
Here a laugh, there a giggle and lots of love everywhere...
...May all these students have a farm ! E I E I Ooooooooooooooooooh.
ANd BLESSINGS on YOUR JOurNeys !!!
Love,
Marie
Nice to read from all of you... I am currently in Plawhatch and will be till the end of this week - don't know how I'll ever be able to leave, really... But there you go, crash course in milking, looking after the animals, feeding, fencing, counting eggs... Calving ! There were 4 birthes last night, including twins !! Oh how nice to be out there and part of life, it's hard to imagine ever sitting in a classroom again. Moving to Cherry Gardens next Saturday to immerse myself into vegetable life.
Graduates, as promised, here is your song ! Lyrics by Charlie Wannop (where are you by the way, Charlie, it would be good to hear from you !), melody as in the original song, chords G-G-C-G-G-D7-G and more G. Enjoy !
"Last year's students had a farm"
Young Katrina had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm she had a cow - E I E I Oh
With a great diet here and no vet bills there
Here a calf, there a calf, profits everywhere
Young Katrina...
Mid Mac Phil he had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm he had some preps - E I E I Oh
With a 501 to a 507
A bit of Maye Bruce and a shot of 08
Mid Mac Phil...
Banker Bob he had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm he had.. a HORSE ??? - E I E I Oh
With mini dairies here and a garden there
Another job elsewhere and a stress-free life
Banker Bob...
Young Mac Adam had a community farm - E I E I Oh
And on this farm he had some thoughts - E I E I Oh
With a rain gun here and a garden there
Here a house, there a house, people everywhere
Young Mac Adam...
Our Erin had a CSA farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm she had some veg - E I E I Oh
With courses here and boxes there
Here a yurt, there a yurt, happiness everywhere oh
Our Erin...
Mr Kristoff had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on this farm he had some goats - E I E I Oh
With cheeses here and cheeses there
Here a veggie plot, there a goat - oh hell !
Mr Kristoff...
Old McHall he had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on this farm he had a scheme - E I E I Oh
With boxes here and boxes there
Here a profit, there a loss, everywhere a balance
Old McHall...
Old McJeff he had a plan - E I E I Oh
And with this plan he had some fun - E I E I Oh
Tree crops here and ducklings there
Here a pond, there some duck pooh aaaaarghhhhhhh !
Old McJeff...
Mac Kaela had a farm - E I E I Oh
And on that farm she had some grain - E I E I Oh
With tractors here and tractors there
Here a hen, there a cow, loads of work everywhere
Mac Kaela...
Well all these students got a farm - E I E I Oh
And we all hope they get some fun - E I E I Oh
With hard work here and enough money there
Here a laugh, there a giggle and lots of love everywhere...
...May all these students have a farm ! E I E I Ooooooooooooooooooh.
ANd BLESSINGS on YOUR JOurNeys !!!
Love,
Marie
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Be afraid, be very etc.....
War on terror (downgraded to central Asian excursions), war on want (huh?), war on drugs (failed miserably), war on poverty (5/10, could do better). War on food, coming to a field near you, soon.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Tescno go all hippy (even screw tops!)
Tescno (see link) have adopted the famous Maria Thun wine tasting calendar. I think its progress.
My agricultural involvement has extended to equine waste management and ditch digging so far this summer (and a couple of evenings lambing, ah, sweet). I hope at least to plant my newly constructed raised bed. I am also hoping, under the law of sod, that by doing so will accelerate the sale of our house. We looked at a farm house (surrounded by farmland but unconnected, in the modern English countryside way) that was very overpriced but with many facilities that would be useful (like fields, farm machinery and other accommodation units). We made them a cheeky offer and are waiting a reply. Otherwise we will keep hunting, hopeful that more unemployed City types (boo) will be looking to rent out their estates to err, unemployed City types, with BD diploma. Off to Waitrose then.
My agricultural involvement has extended to equine waste management and ditch digging so far this summer (and a couple of evenings lambing, ah, sweet). I hope at least to plant my newly constructed raised bed. I am also hoping, under the law of sod, that by doing so will accelerate the sale of our house. We looked at a farm house (surrounded by farmland but unconnected, in the modern English countryside way) that was very overpriced but with many facilities that would be useful (like fields, farm machinery and other accommodation units). We made them a cheeky offer and are waiting a reply. Otherwise we will keep hunting, hopeful that more unemployed City types (boo) will be looking to rent out their estates to err, unemployed City types, with BD diploma. Off to Waitrose then.
Friday, 17 April 2009
peat cutters
So folks chapter 1 of my Irish adventure has come suddenly to a close. It seems that I did not take the apocalypse seriously enough, or dig fast enough as part of their 10 hour/7 day a week working schedule (the father/fuhrer there is building a tower for a windmill, which is to serve likewise for defensive purposes), to be an acceptable helper on the Belgian family's survivalist farm that I came here to work on. So.. I have now been relocated to the closest organic enterprise, which is clearly the real reason that I came here for. It was nonetheless most worthwhile to have seen the setup that the first place had: they grow lots of exotic, particularly Andean crops (the idea being that when the collapse happens and the ransackers come, they will not be able to recognise many of the edible crops - they even eat guinea pigs!), lots of perennial crops, 2 polytunnels, cows (4), sheep(30), goats(7), pigs(4), hens(30), ducks(30), geese(15), turkeys(5), pigeons, guinea pigs, ferrets, dogs and honey bees. And building lots of new things. Some work ethic. But somewhat too much an atmosphere of doom and gloom to say the least. They are neo-Darwinists/Dawkinsists to top it all off. I got a bit bored by these things quite fast, which didn't help. Actually not afraid of death, which they clearly are. Anyway I am now working for guess what a Dutchman who is growing organic (but he doesn't certify due to getting crap from bureaucrats) who is a most helpful teacher. So I suspect that I shall remain here for some time. Over/out.
a.
a.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
BD on Radio4
Radio4 Food Programme visits Camphill Larchfield Community village, due for broadcast next Sunday 12.30pm.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Congratulations
Hey...congratulations Arjen & Margaretha. Fantastic news, we'll put the date in the diary.
Above is link to piece by Charlie's favourite author Joel Salatin (Everything I do is Illegal, amoungst others). It was writtin in '04 but worth a read and a reminder of why the esoteric perspective and the common sense approach are essential components of agriculture and life.
Above is link to piece by Charlie's favourite author Joel Salatin (Everything I do is Illegal, amoungst others). It was writtin in '04 but worth a read and a reminder of why the esoteric perspective and the common sense approach are essential components of agriculture and life.
Hi All,
Firstly a big congratulations Arjen to you and Margaretha and wishing you every happiness for the future. I was going to say peace but it will probably be noisy...
As far as placement goes I am being kept very busy and it is varied. The most scary aspect is that I am introduced as the biodynamic expert and they keep asking for advice. On the plus side, after a week I have realised that compared to almost all of them we BD1 ers do have quite an amount of BD knowledge squirreled away. There is a beautiful walled garden, amazing labs, many hectares of land and tea/coffee whenever you want. But hours are long - 9-6pm with half hour for lunch. The farm manager here is very supportive and will include me in various meetings. Next Monday I have a BD spray strategy meeting for the vineyard, then need to do an onsite assessment of trials set up last week in the walled garden. The afternoon will be an induction to the rapid compost method used here (they also have a large more traditional compost area that took me 1 and half hours to temperature probe the numerous windrows last week). I should be doing 2 days a week with the stockmen - that is even longer hours - they start at 7. - lambing hasn't started yet. I think de-thistling a field by hand and helping to transport buffalo and finishing the stags bladder preps are also next weeks agenda.
Hope you are all well - post news when you can. I'll try and take some pictures....in my free time!!
love
Margie
Firstly a big congratulations Arjen to you and Margaretha and wishing you every happiness for the future. I was going to say peace but it will probably be noisy...
As far as placement goes I am being kept very busy and it is varied. The most scary aspect is that I am introduced as the biodynamic expert and they keep asking for advice. On the plus side, after a week I have realised that compared to almost all of them we BD1 ers do have quite an amount of BD knowledge squirreled away. There is a beautiful walled garden, amazing labs, many hectares of land and tea/coffee whenever you want. But hours are long - 9-6pm with half hour for lunch. The farm manager here is very supportive and will include me in various meetings. Next Monday I have a BD spray strategy meeting for the vineyard, then need to do an onsite assessment of trials set up last week in the walled garden. The afternoon will be an induction to the rapid compost method used here (they also have a large more traditional compost area that took me 1 and half hours to temperature probe the numerous windrows last week). I should be doing 2 days a week with the stockmen - that is even longer hours - they start at 7. - lambing hasn't started yet. I think de-thistling a field by hand and helping to transport buffalo and finishing the stags bladder preps are also next weeks agenda.
Hope you are all well - post news when you can. I'll try and take some pictures....in my free time!!
love
Margie
Friday, 3 April 2009
A wedding and a baby...
Hello boppers,
I miss you all terribly but still... life goes on so I marked your market garden projects. Most were pretty good and I will send you an individual email with more details (but not today). I have just come back from Holland to drop off Ramon at his granny's, and I had a look at the biggest Dutch flower auction in Aalsmeer: pretty impressive stuff there. Then a good time in a big big horticulture shop and when I left without money but with my hands full of tools I went to Keukenhof, the biggest spring flower park in the world. They're open for just 2 months per year but the rest of the year they spend planting 7 million bulbs in different themes every year, quite impressive stuff again.
Now the big news: Margaretha and me are getting married! If you are around the 7th August please feel welcome to attend: our priest will be Werner Wecker!
And in November we will have a baby...
Well, if this isn't good news for a first post on the blog this year then I don't know what is. Enjoy your placements and have a look at the pictures that Begoña took during the graduation which you can find if you click on the link on the top right hand of the page.
Love from Arjen
I miss you all terribly but still... life goes on so I marked your market garden projects. Most were pretty good and I will send you an individual email with more details (but not today). I have just come back from Holland to drop off Ramon at his granny's, and I had a look at the biggest Dutch flower auction in Aalsmeer: pretty impressive stuff there. Then a good time in a big big horticulture shop and when I left without money but with my hands full of tools I went to Keukenhof, the biggest spring flower park in the world. They're open for just 2 months per year but the rest of the year they spend planting 7 million bulbs in different themes every year, quite impressive stuff again.
Now the big news: Margaretha and me are getting married! If you are around the 7th August please feel welcome to attend: our priest will be Werner Wecker!
And in November we will have a baby...
Well, if this isn't good news for a first post on the blog this year then I don't know what is. Enjoy your placements and have a look at the pictures that Begoña took during the graduation which you can find if you click on the link on the top right hand of the page.
Love from Arjen
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Hollidays
Hi everybody,
Graduates, where have you all gone ?
I'm enjoying much longed for hollidays in the beautiful plain of Lorraine... and never seem to get enough sleep :)
Where is everybody, how are you doing on this first week of placement ?
Lots of love,
Marie
Graduates, where have you all gone ?
I'm enjoying much longed for hollidays in the beautiful plain of Lorraine... and never seem to get enough sleep :)
Where is everybody, how are you doing on this first week of placement ?
Lots of love,
Marie
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Lambs Galore
Seems I missed most of the action, only about 50 sheep left to lamb, mainly singles. The barn was a delight last night with the central aisle full of leaping, exploring lambs, dashing hurriedly from one end to the other. Two good strong lambs born on my watch but there were four requiring much manual intervention; placing on teat, stomach tubing and the like, at least one of which didn't make it to this evening. Grumpy, sleepy farmers and apprentices abound as we enter the 4th week of lambing. David was so tired he didn't even notice that the tractor had been removed from the workshop and parked in River field in the middle of the night as an April fool's joke!
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
BD Viticulture Discussion
Not really my cup of tea, so to speak, but here's a BD discussion in which I participated on a California based wine website.
Monday, 16 March 2009
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Declining nutritional value of fruit & veg
US Journal of HortScience publishes University of Texas paper reviewing evidence of declining mineral content and poor taste of US fruit & veg.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Monday, 19 January 2009
Sonic bloom etc
Link to discussion on BD Now! Yahoo group about Sonic bloom and similar techniques. Very interesting. Not sure if you can read this without being signed up to the list, but if not then you should be on the list! See also the website linked in the title of this post and likewise the relevant chapter in Secrets of the Soil...
a.
#Edit: I have now posted the text onto my blog, since it is not accessible without a Yahoo account. I intend to document my research project on this blog...
a.
#Edit: I have now posted the text onto my blog, since it is not accessible without a Yahoo account. I intend to document my research project on this blog...
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Biochar - BD509?
Biochar was apparently a hot topic at the Soil Association get together last month. Have a look at their website - very interesting.
Also, here's a fellow agricultural blogger worth the occasional look.
Also, here's a fellow agricultural blogger worth the occasional look.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Car Parks to Veg Plots - The Demise of Detroit
Rob Hopkins talked about peak oil making car parks redundant and suggested digging them up to grow food. The collapse in debt financing may bring it about much quicker, in the US proximity to urban farms are even being muted to help raise the value of your house.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
More GM Propoganda
"Last year celebrity pig farmer Jimmy Doherty kept 1000 organically reared pigs, while this year apparently he's raised barely 200. But if Jimmy's farm is on the skids, the same cannot be said of his career as a media celeb. Watch him give the softlense, pin-up-sort-of-educated 'balanced' GM hype on BBC Horizons.
At the end of last month, a glittering star-studded ceremony in London saw Jimmy crowned "National Farmers' Union (NFU) Farming Champion", thanks to his recent TV series: Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes. The same series also got cited a couple of weeks later when the star of Jimmy's Farm, picked up an Honorary Doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University.
If, at times, the series seemed to resemble a paid advertisement for the National Farmers Union, there was good reason. Farmers Weekly quoted an NFU spokesperson as saying "mainstream TV ads cost millions of pounds and there is no way we are going to do that," but, "One approach the union has been taking is to work with TV and radio researchers and producers to feed into the production process. An example where this worked well is Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes."
The vested interests are trying to 'run' the debate.
At the end of last month, a glittering star-studded ceremony in London saw Jimmy crowned "National Farmers' Union (NFU) Farming Champion", thanks to his recent TV series: Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes. The same series also got cited a couple of weeks later when the star of Jimmy's Farm, picked up an Honorary Doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University.
If, at times, the series seemed to resemble a paid advertisement for the National Farmers Union, there was good reason. Farmers Weekly quoted an NFU spokesperson as saying "mainstream TV ads cost millions of pounds and there is no way we are going to do that," but, "One approach the union has been taking is to work with TV and radio researchers and producers to feed into the production process. An example where this worked well is Jimmy Doherty's Farming Heroes."
The vested interests are trying to 'run' the debate.
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
$ Addiction
Adam - this one's especially for you. Not BD specific but the ongoing collapse of the global monetary system is unlikely to leave any of us unaffected.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Petition to ensure encouragement of renewable energy
In the current economic crisis, the government is considering massive funding to protect jobs, our industry and economy. This is a golden opportunity to support technologies, and activity, that will help save our planet – particularly around energy use – moving towards a “zero carbon Britain”. It is vital that funding is targeted on areas which will actually help the quality of our lives – and to sustain our global environment – rather than just trying to keep up consumption.
Germany shows what could be achieved - having created 250,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector. In the UK, we have created a mere 2 to 3 thousand – even though we are pioneering research in some of the technologies – e.g. wave power, and we have industrial skills that could be readily applied (e.g. aerospace to wind power)
This is a golden opportunity to make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies, ensuring our future prosperity, as well as the future of our planet.
If you would like to support the petition, click on the link above!
Arjen
Germany shows what could be achieved - having created 250,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector. In the UK, we have created a mere 2 to 3 thousand – even though we are pioneering research in some of the technologies – e.g. wave power, and we have industrial skills that could be readily applied (e.g. aerospace to wind power)
This is a golden opportunity to make Britain a world leader in renewable technologies, ensuring our future prosperity, as well as the future of our planet.
If you would like to support the petition, click on the link above!
Arjen
Friday, 31 October 2008
Sunday, 26 October 2008
spaced
inspired by my reading of the remote viewer (us psychic spying programme) ingo swann's book Penetration: The Question Of Extraterrestrial And Human Telepathy, (review/pdf download), and in preparation for the astronomy course, i have been furthering my knowledge of lunar and other space anomalies; thought that some of you might be interested:
if you don't read anything else of these links, read this one. anecdotal, but supporting evidence may be found, especially in the above publication:
The NASA Moon Photos
addresses 'fake moon landing' claims
does the moon have atmosphere?
crater chains
square craters
moon images (from the site of john lear - son of bill lear, inventor of the lear jet, who was also doing research in the field of antigravity - a lot of interesting things there)
*
as a bonus,
life on mars
-adam
if you don't read anything else of these links, read this one. anecdotal, but supporting evidence may be found, especially in the above publication:
The NASA Moon Photos
addresses 'fake moon landing' claims
does the moon have atmosphere?
crater chains
square craters
moon images (from the site of john lear - son of bill lear, inventor of the lear jet, who was also doing research in the field of antigravity - a lot of interesting things there)
*
as a bonus,
life on mars
-adam
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Horn Silica to the Rescue
Open letter to US presidential candidates in this weeks NY Times magazine about food (link above). I liked this quote in particular:
"There are many moving parts to the new food agenda I’m urging you to adopt, but the core idea could not be simpler: we need to wean the American food system off its heavy 20th-century diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of contemporary sunshine."
"There are many moving parts to the new food agenda I’m urging you to adopt, but the core idea could not be simpler: we need to wean the American food system off its heavy 20th-century diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of contemporary sunshine."
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Michaelmas 2008
New pictures have been added to the web album - click on the link at the right for the latest pictures of Michaelmas at the college.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
soaking grains / antinutrients
Whole Grains
This information on Traditional Whole Grains comes, with permission, from “Nourishing Traditions”, by Sally Fallon, Revised Second Edition, New Trends Publishing, 2001, p 452-454.
“The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.”
The well-meaning advice of many nutritionist to consume whole grains as ancestors did and not refined flours and polished rice, is misleading and often harmful in its consequences, for while our ancestors ate whole grains, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas and other hastily prepared casseroles and concoctions. Our ancestors, and virtually all pre-industrialized peoples soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles. A quick review of grain recipes from around the world will prove our point. In India rice and lentils are fermented for at least two days before they are prepared as idli and dosas. In Africa the natives soak coarsely ground corn overnight before adding it to soups and stews, and they ferment corn or millet for several days to produce a porridge called ogi. A similar dish made from oats was traditional among the Welsh. In some Oriental and Latin American countries rice receives a long fermentation before it is prepared. Ethiopians make their distinctive injera bread by fermenting a grain called teff for several days. Mexican corn cakes, called pozol, are fermented for several days and for as long as two weeks in banana leaves. Before the introduction of commercial brewers yeast, Europeans made slow-rise breads from fermented starters; in America the pioneers were known for their sourdough breads, pancakes and biscuits, and throughout Europe grains were soaked overnight, and for a long as several days, in water or soured milk before they were cooked and serve as porridge or gruel. (Many of our senior citizens may remember that in earlier times the instructions on the oatmeal box called for an overnight soaking).
This is not the place to speculate on that mysterious instructive spirit that taught our ancestors to soak and ferment their grains before eating them, the important thing to realize is that these practices accord very well with what modern science has discovered about grains. All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects. Soaking allows enzyme, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.
Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes. The action of these enzymes also increases the amounts of many vitamins, especially B vitamins.
“A diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.”
Scientists have learned that the proteins in grains, especially gluten, are very difficult to digest. A diet high in unfermented whole grains, particularly high-gluten grains like wheat, puts an enormous strain on the whole digestive mechanism. When this mechanism breaks down with age or overuse, the results take the form of allergies, celiac disease, mental illness, chronic indigestion and candida albicans overgrowth. Recent research links gluten intolerance with multiple sclerosis. During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.
. . . . . . . .
Grains fall into two general categories. Those containing gluten, such as oats, rye, barley and especially wheat, should not be consumed unless they have been soaked or fermented; buckwheat, rice and millet do not contain gluten and are, on the whole, more easily digested. Whole rice and whole millet contain lower amounts of phytates than other grains so it is not absolutely necessary to soak them. However, they should be gently steamed for at least two hours in a high-mineral gelatinous broth. This will neutralize some of the phytates they do contain and provide additional minerals to compensate for those that are still bound; while the gelatin in the broth will greatly facilitate digestion. We do not recommend the pressure cooker for grains because it cooks them too quickly.
. . . . . . . .
Our readers will notice that our recipes for breakfast cereals are all porridges that have been soaked overnight before they are cooked. If you buy grains that have been rolled or cracked, they should be in packages and not taken form bins, where they have a tendency to go rancid. Even better, buy organic or biodynamic whole grains and roll or crack them yourself using a roller or a grain grinder (See sources.) You may also add a little ground flax seed to start your day with a ration of omega 3 fatty acids. (Flax seed is low in phytic acid and does not require soaking if it is eaten in small amounts.) These porridges marry very well with butter or cream, whose fat-soluble activators provide the necessary catalyst for mineral absorption. Those with milk allergies can usually tolerate a little cream on their breakfast cereal or can eat them with butter –a delicious combination. We do not recommend soy milk, which contains many antinutrients.
Nor we do recommend granola, a popular “health” food made from grains subjected only to dry heat and, therefore, extremely indigestible. Granola, like all processed breakfast cereals, should have no place on our cupboards shelves. Boxed breakfast cereals are made by the extrusion process, in which little flakes and shapes are formed at high temperatures and pressures. Extrusion processing destroys many nutrients in grains, causes fragile oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic. For a new generation of hardy children, we must return to the breakfast cereals of our ancestors –soaked gruels and porridges.
Another link: Weston A. Price Foundation
This information on Traditional Whole Grains comes, with permission, from “Nourishing Traditions”, by Sally Fallon, Revised Second Edition, New Trends Publishing, 2001, p 452-454.
“The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.”
The well-meaning advice of many nutritionist to consume whole grains as ancestors did and not refined flours and polished rice, is misleading and often harmful in its consequences, for while our ancestors ate whole grains, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas and other hastily prepared casseroles and concoctions. Our ancestors, and virtually all pre-industrialized peoples soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles. A quick review of grain recipes from around the world will prove our point. In India rice and lentils are fermented for at least two days before they are prepared as idli and dosas. In Africa the natives soak coarsely ground corn overnight before adding it to soups and stews, and they ferment corn or millet for several days to produce a porridge called ogi. A similar dish made from oats was traditional among the Welsh. In some Oriental and Latin American countries rice receives a long fermentation before it is prepared. Ethiopians make their distinctive injera bread by fermenting a grain called teff for several days. Mexican corn cakes, called pozol, are fermented for several days and for as long as two weeks in banana leaves. Before the introduction of commercial brewers yeast, Europeans made slow-rise breads from fermented starters; in America the pioneers were known for their sourdough breads, pancakes and biscuits, and throughout Europe grains were soaked overnight, and for a long as several days, in water or soured milk before they were cooked and serve as porridge or gruel. (Many of our senior citizens may remember that in earlier times the instructions on the oatmeal box called for an overnight soaking).
This is not the place to speculate on that mysterious instructive spirit that taught our ancestors to soak and ferment their grains before eating them, the important thing to realize is that these practices accord very well with what modern science has discovered about grains. All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects. Soaking allows enzyme, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits.
Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes. The action of these enzymes also increases the amounts of many vitamins, especially B vitamins.
“A diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.”
Scientists have learned that the proteins in grains, especially gluten, are very difficult to digest. A diet high in unfermented whole grains, particularly high-gluten grains like wheat, puts an enormous strain on the whole digestive mechanism. When this mechanism breaks down with age or overuse, the results take the form of allergies, celiac disease, mental illness, chronic indigestion and candida albicans overgrowth. Recent research links gluten intolerance with multiple sclerosis. During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.
. . . . . . . .
Grains fall into two general categories. Those containing gluten, such as oats, rye, barley and especially wheat, should not be consumed unless they have been soaked or fermented; buckwheat, rice and millet do not contain gluten and are, on the whole, more easily digested. Whole rice and whole millet contain lower amounts of phytates than other grains so it is not absolutely necessary to soak them. However, they should be gently steamed for at least two hours in a high-mineral gelatinous broth. This will neutralize some of the phytates they do contain and provide additional minerals to compensate for those that are still bound; while the gelatin in the broth will greatly facilitate digestion. We do not recommend the pressure cooker for grains because it cooks them too quickly.
. . . . . . . .
Our readers will notice that our recipes for breakfast cereals are all porridges that have been soaked overnight before they are cooked. If you buy grains that have been rolled or cracked, they should be in packages and not taken form bins, where they have a tendency to go rancid. Even better, buy organic or biodynamic whole grains and roll or crack them yourself using a roller or a grain grinder (See sources.) You may also add a little ground flax seed to start your day with a ration of omega 3 fatty acids. (Flax seed is low in phytic acid and does not require soaking if it is eaten in small amounts.) These porridges marry very well with butter or cream, whose fat-soluble activators provide the necessary catalyst for mineral absorption. Those with milk allergies can usually tolerate a little cream on their breakfast cereal or can eat them with butter –a delicious combination. We do not recommend soy milk, which contains many antinutrients.
Nor we do recommend granola, a popular “health” food made from grains subjected only to dry heat and, therefore, extremely indigestible. Granola, like all processed breakfast cereals, should have no place on our cupboards shelves. Boxed breakfast cereals are made by the extrusion process, in which little flakes and shapes are formed at high temperatures and pressures. Extrusion processing destroys many nutrients in grains, causes fragile oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic. For a new generation of hardy children, we must return to the breakfast cereals of our ancestors –soaked gruels and porridges.
Another link: Weston A. Price Foundation
Thursday, 25 September 2008
minimal tillage research review
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Rudolf Steiner mp3s!
Send yourself to sleep to the sounds of the Agriculture course! The bees lecture is there too...
also Celtic Legends here.
also Celtic Legends here.
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Horse weekend is happening!!!
Just a few days, then we'll all start again. The Working Horse Weekend is happening, - if we find enough cars to get us there! Here is the program:
The Working Horse
At Gables Farm 3rd – 5th October
Program
Friday 3rd Oct :
1pm lunch in Forest Shelter with Ruskin Mill students and tutors, meeting Stuart Cragg and Kai Lange
2pm – 3.30pm working with a team of horses with S or K
3.30 – 4.00pm break
4.00 – 5.oopm power point presentation: ‘Horse Work in
Ruskin Mill’ and ‘Horse Machinery’
in the Forest Shelter by Stuart
5.00 - ‘Camp preparation’
Saturday 4th Oct :
9am- 1pm introduction into harness and single horse work in two
groups with S & K
11am break
1 pm lunch
2 – 4pm work with tem of horses with Stuart
4 pm break
4.30 – 5pm horse machinery in RM
Sunday 5th Oct:
9.30am ‘history of breeds and horse work; feeding; housing;
benefit and future of horses; ‘its’ place in the biodynamic
organism’
11am break
11.30 – 1pm more horse work !? with S & K
1pm lunch and review
2pm leaving
See you later this week!!
Arjen
The Working Horse
At Gables Farm 3rd – 5th October
Program
Friday 3rd Oct :
1pm lunch in Forest Shelter with Ruskin Mill students and tutors, meeting Stuart Cragg and Kai Lange
2pm – 3.30pm working with a team of horses with S or K
3.30 – 4.00pm break
4.00 – 5.oopm power point presentation: ‘Horse Work in
Ruskin Mill’ and ‘Horse Machinery’
in the Forest Shelter by Stuart
5.00 - ‘Camp preparation’
Saturday 4th Oct :
9am- 1pm introduction into harness and single horse work in two
groups with S & K
11am break
1 pm lunch
2 – 4pm work with tem of horses with Stuart
4 pm break
4.30 – 5pm horse machinery in RM
Sunday 5th Oct:
9.30am ‘history of breeds and horse work; feeding; housing;
benefit and future of horses; ‘its’ place in the biodynamic
organism’
11am break
11.30 – 1pm more horse work !? with S & K
1pm lunch and review
2pm leaving
See you later this week!!
Arjen
Monday, 18 August 2008
oats and barly
Harvested all of the grains today with the help of some neighbors and their equipment. a 1940's crank start tractor and a 1930's cutter and bailer (i forget what its called). beautiful machines. really nice guys, they also have a steam engine thresher! i will be gone for the threshing in September but hope to go over and take some pictures of it before i go. after loading it all (4 acrs) into a big buggy we broke for lunch the clouds rolled in and thunder boomed over head. we all through down our lunches and ran back out to the field and got all of the grain into barns before the rains hit. wheew. something magic about grain. especally seeing it in the golden sun, then the growing dark black and purple clouds of the thunder storms green light. so magic. fun day.
i also went to a permaculture work shop on orcas island this weekend. it was so inspiring. beautiful land, solar energy ran the whole farm. amazing philosophy permaculture, the only things missing is livestock. i guess thats why im biodynamic. love that milking cow.
hope everyone is well.
erin
i also went to a permaculture work shop on orcas island this weekend. it was so inspiring. beautiful land, solar energy ran the whole farm. amazing philosophy permaculture, the only things missing is livestock. i guess thats why im biodynamic. love that milking cow.
hope everyone is well.
erin
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Working horses weekend
Hi everyone,
I am trying hard to organise a weekend at Ruskin Mill to learn and experience working with horses. It has to be a weekend (they can't do weekdays), and the sooner after we come back, the better. So please pencil in 3-5 Oct in your diary as the preliminary date for working with horses! No guarantee, but I'm doing my best.
Arjen
I am trying hard to organise a weekend at Ruskin Mill to learn and experience working with horses. It has to be a weekend (they can't do weekdays), and the sooner after we come back, the better. So please pencil in 3-5 Oct in your diary as the preliminary date for working with horses! No guarantee, but I'm doing my best.
Arjen
Friday, 15 August 2008
YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
;-D Got my driving licence (class T) for the Tractor today!!!!!!!!
and tomorrow I'm off for one week holiday....
have a nice time working everyone.
We had the combiners on the farm some eeks ago and started to harvest potatoes for storrage Yesterday.
two days ago it was raining 43ml in 24h more than ever bevore this somer and today they say it should be 50ml!
...so, nothing with harvesting...
michaela
and tomorrow I'm off for one week holiday....
have a nice time working everyone.
We had the combiners on the farm some eeks ago and started to harvest potatoes for storrage Yesterday.
two days ago it was raining 43ml in 24h more than ever bevore this somer and today they say it should be 50ml!
...so, nothing with harvesting...
michaela
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Katharina can milk
I went on one of my student-on-placement inspections last week, up in Scotland to see if Katharina is still in Loch Arthur and to see what she learned... And yes! Katharina was busy milking when we were there, all on her own without any farmer in sight: that is a Distinction!!! She was also harvesting broccoli and generally having a good time. The Johan van Wallenburg who was on your timetable pulled out last minute and I have been out there recruiting guest teachers all the way up in the Scottish highlands. I found some guys wanting to teach bagpiping and haggis-cooking but after a long search and a battle with the Loch Ness monster I found a biodynamic farmer deep down where it rains one-and-a-half metres a year who was willing to come to the South to teach animal husbandry: Charlie Wannop. He will be accompanied in spring by another Scotsman Timothy Brink who will also teach dairy farming. Timothy is currently the director of the Demeter Certification. Ramon and me climbed mount Screel and after that we got so soaked that we drove back to England fast and quick.
Bonkers
EU fishing quotas. Watch this (short) film. Who seriously votes for a policy that allows this sort of nonsense? Your MEP probably.
I'm back from holiday (a week's walking in the wet Yorkshire dales) and looking forward to some harvesting. Combines were out all over the country. Although it has been pouring with rain here most of the day, I am currently staring at a beautiful waxing gibbous moon.
Tablehurst should also have had their new minimum tillage machine thing whatsit delivered whilst I was lazing in the North England sunshine (huh?). Should be fun. Lots of head scratching, spanners, emails to suppliers etc initially, no doubt, but hopefully improved soil structure, less compaction and lower fuel bills to follow.
And finally, here's a little something for those who need an antiGM update.
I'm back from holiday (a week's walking in the wet Yorkshire dales) and looking forward to some harvesting. Combines were out all over the country. Although it has been pouring with rain here most of the day, I am currently staring at a beautiful waxing gibbous moon.
Tablehurst should also have had their new minimum tillage machine thing whatsit delivered whilst I was lazing in the North England sunshine (huh?). Should be fun. Lots of head scratching, spanners, emails to suppliers etc initially, no doubt, but hopefully improved soil structure, less compaction and lower fuel bills to follow.
And finally, here's a little something for those who need an antiGM update.
Saturday, 26 July 2008
and you thought you were a farmer huh?
Ha! now i know what it means to farm. to live, walk and dream your daily routine, your future plans and fantasy's, and your worst living nightmares.
sorry its been so long, i think of you all often and wish i could tell you all of the things that have happened, good and bad in my life on this farm in the last month.
short of it:
workshop- 40 people for 3 days on the farm. feeding 40 people (plus all the livestock) and keeping everyone watered during the hottest weekend of the year, learning, lectures, great conversation, networking with bio-community of the northwest....... exciting until......
mad cow- 2yr old bitch of a heifer gored the woman i work for twice then trampled her, not 3 feet from my horrified and helpless eyes. and the workshop must go on, people arrive not even an hour latter. the bad cow at this point in isolation in an upper Field, she proceeds to jump 4 fences and walk very near to innocent workshops twice, and scare the shit out of me completely.
slaughter- killing some of my animals i had come to be good friends with
haying- crazy fun, then the allergy's hit and my head felt like a football for a week, and im still blowing massive amounts of snot out my nose 3 weeks latter.
Farm sitting- last week my bosses had to leave for 5 days. leaving the farm in my care and responsibility. the very morning they left i woke to cows screaming all over the property and knew something was wrong. our 2000lb bull had literally squished a brood cow and in his exhaustion and her injured state the yearling males proceeded to jump her, trample her and injure her badly. i couldn't get one of them off of her at one point, had to run and get help. i fenced her off to no avail, the yearling males would run straight through electric fencing, must be all those hormones in the air. then had to move the whole herd to another pasture. this past week i have learned how to keep a down cow alive. homemade bloat cures, hip shifting massaging and stretching her legs. hauling five gallon buckets of watter and lettuce to her twice a day.
i haven't thought of anything other than keeping that cow alive for days. the boss man has returned and i can let go a little. trying to stay sane amid the insanities of the natural world. the brutality and rawness of it all is a little too much for me in my exhausted state.
oh, i also got chased by hungry big pigs, smart animals. they knew where i was running to and even going through a building to escape out the other side to go and get help they were waiting for me at the other dore. i was trapped. thank god for telephones.
extensive rambling. sorry.
hope some of it makes since. im so tired i feel like i could just die. but happy.
i am proud that i have risen to the challenges physically and mentally of the highest standards i have ever encountered, set upon me by my boss. and as tired as i may be i still sit down at sunset (if im lucky)knowing i worked as hard as i could. knowing that i did the best job that i could. and think how great my life is and how lucky i am to be learning more than i ever thought possible in one of the most beautiful places i have ever lived.
love you all and hope to have time this weekend to work on the assessment and read all of the posted blogs i have missed.
peace and farming, its what makes the world go round.
keep fighting the good fight.
erin
sorry its been so long, i think of you all often and wish i could tell you all of the things that have happened, good and bad in my life on this farm in the last month.
short of it:
workshop- 40 people for 3 days on the farm. feeding 40 people (plus all the livestock) and keeping everyone watered during the hottest weekend of the year, learning, lectures, great conversation, networking with bio-community of the northwest....... exciting until......
mad cow- 2yr old bitch of a heifer gored the woman i work for twice then trampled her, not 3 feet from my horrified and helpless eyes. and the workshop must go on, people arrive not even an hour latter. the bad cow at this point in isolation in an upper Field, she proceeds to jump 4 fences and walk very near to innocent workshops twice, and scare the shit out of me completely.
slaughter- killing some of my animals i had come to be good friends with
haying- crazy fun, then the allergy's hit and my head felt like a football for a week, and im still blowing massive amounts of snot out my nose 3 weeks latter.
Farm sitting- last week my bosses had to leave for 5 days. leaving the farm in my care and responsibility. the very morning they left i woke to cows screaming all over the property and knew something was wrong. our 2000lb bull had literally squished a brood cow and in his exhaustion and her injured state the yearling males proceeded to jump her, trample her and injure her badly. i couldn't get one of them off of her at one point, had to run and get help. i fenced her off to no avail, the yearling males would run straight through electric fencing, must be all those hormones in the air. then had to move the whole herd to another pasture. this past week i have learned how to keep a down cow alive. homemade bloat cures, hip shifting massaging and stretching her legs. hauling five gallon buckets of watter and lettuce to her twice a day.
i haven't thought of anything other than keeping that cow alive for days. the boss man has returned and i can let go a little. trying to stay sane amid the insanities of the natural world. the brutality and rawness of it all is a little too much for me in my exhausted state.
oh, i also got chased by hungry big pigs, smart animals. they knew where i was running to and even going through a building to escape out the other side to go and get help they were waiting for me at the other dore. i was trapped. thank god for telephones.
extensive rambling. sorry.
hope some of it makes since. im so tired i feel like i could just die. but happy.
i am proud that i have risen to the challenges physically and mentally of the highest standards i have ever encountered, set upon me by my boss. and as tired as i may be i still sit down at sunset (if im lucky)knowing i worked as hard as i could. knowing that i did the best job that i could. and think how great my life is and how lucky i am to be learning more than i ever thought possible in one of the most beautiful places i have ever lived.
love you all and hope to have time this weekend to work on the assessment and read all of the posted blogs i have missed.
peace and farming, its what makes the world go round.
keep fighting the good fight.
erin
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Ode to the strimmer
I love strimmers aka brushcutters. I bought my first strimmer when I had my market garden in Germany - a demo model Husqvarna: until then I had always associated the brand Husqvarna with sewing machines but the dealer convinced me that it was one of the best brands and this one was special with anti vibration handle so you wouldn't get the numb fingers syndrome which in the end leads to loss of sense of temperature. I loved it, I strimmed many an acre on my market garden in Germany and used it as a weeding machine, harvester and composter all-in-one. My Husqvarna lasted 3 years: until I had some volunteers working on the farm who didn't know that a strimmer has a 2-stroke engine and needs a petrol-oil mixture. So they filled it with straight petrol and the engine seized up: end of my lovely Husqvarna. That was in Holland and I went off to the mechanics (Ramon came along) and we had a choice between a cheap yellow one and a more expensive red one. Ramon wanted the yellow one but I decided on the red one because that was a Honda 4-stroke machine which meant there couldn't ever be a mistake any more in not mixing the oil in because it uses straight petrol. Sadly I sold the business soon afterwards and the Honda strimmer with it. At Emerson I bought a Husqvarna second hand: stupid. Never ever buy a second hand strimmer! If a strimmer is good the owner will use it until it dies, if a strimmer is bad or starts to have problems you sell it on eBay. The Husqvarna had some service on and off but has been composting for the last couple of years in the lorry body. In Brasil we bought a second hand Stihl - and of course Cabaclo got the mixture wrong and off I went in our Volkswagen beatle (lovely but hugely inpractical without a boot - strimmer peeping out through the window while I was making my way to the nearest Stihl repair shop) to get a new cylinder. Back in the UK I thought I had a clever idea and I bought the cheapest strimmer they had in the Homebase and took out the 3 year extended warrenty: I thought that would give as a sort of monthly subscription on new strimmers whenever the thing would die. And so it went: that year we went three times to Homebase for a new strimmer, but unfortunately we were obviously not the only ones whose strimmer died whenever we tried to use it for more than 5 minutes so they were out of stock most of the time. We still have the last specimen lying composting in the lorrybody next to the Husqvarna...
So - but now... I bought a Stihl.... The Rolls Royce among the strimmers. Expensive, made in Germany by real underground blacksmithing dwarfs, put together by Swiss elves with the knowhow of ancient watch makers - a shining example of excellence. So today I took delivery of my new coveted toy and went on strimming all those annoying nettles around my transplants - harbouring the worst mistake God ever created. The strimmer is my new weapon against people's enemy number one: these slimy, grey-black horrible disgusting little buggers, these all-devouring snotty intestines, these rampant jellyfish bogeys: SLUGS
Sometimes I have dreams of strimming my way through a whole avenue of slugs, their entrails splashing and slushing all about and me as the iron-clad hero saving humanity from this worst plague of all eternity...hmmm I like that vision
Anyway - bottom line: buy a strimmer, and if you do: buy a Stihl.
I'm off to Dartmoor for a few days (strimmer in my rucksack) and I wish you all a happy weekend!
Arjen
So - but now... I bought a Stihl.... The Rolls Royce among the strimmers. Expensive, made in Germany by real underground blacksmithing dwarfs, put together by Swiss elves with the knowhow of ancient watch makers - a shining example of excellence. So today I took delivery of my new coveted toy and went on strimming all those annoying nettles around my transplants - harbouring the worst mistake God ever created. The strimmer is my new weapon against people's enemy number one: these slimy, grey-black horrible disgusting little buggers, these all-devouring snotty intestines, these rampant jellyfish bogeys: SLUGS
Sometimes I have dreams of strimming my way through a whole avenue of slugs, their entrails splashing and slushing all about and me as the iron-clad hero saving humanity from this worst plague of all eternity...hmmm I like that vision
Anyway - bottom line: buy a strimmer, and if you do: buy a Stihl.
I'm off to Dartmoor for a few days (strimmer in my rucksack) and I wish you all a happy weekend!
Arjen
Locaturkeyvore
If it's not chickens, it seems, it's turkeys. The lovely little bundles of tweeting feathers have, till now, been housed just inside the sheep barn next to the farm dining room. They showed a disappointing tendency to attempt to experience reincarnation in the early stages of their journey to Christmas dinner. It was discovered by Raf & Stein that the special (and therefore expensive), turkey starter food we were buying in was too big. The turkeys obviously hadn't read the bag. So each morning we milled turkey food pellets into turkey food powder.
Today was turkey field day. So, scissors in hand, Raf and I set to cutting wings and putting turkeys in crates ready for transportation. New crates. Apparently turkeys can catch some fairly nasty things from chickens so we bought shiny new boxes for the single journey. I guess its not so important when they make the return trip, although I'm sure we'll at least power wash the crates.
Very hot day, but turkeys seemed to like their new home, immediately fnding the (deliberate) hole in the hurriedly constructed holding pen. They stay in the turkey field but penned up in up netting until they are big enough to have outgrown crow food.
Plucking good time to be had by all.
Today was turkey field day. So, scissors in hand, Raf and I set to cutting wings and putting turkeys in crates ready for transportation. New crates. Apparently turkeys can catch some fairly nasty things from chickens so we bought shiny new boxes for the single journey. I guess its not so important when they make the return trip, although I'm sure we'll at least power wash the crates.
Very hot day, but turkeys seemed to like their new home, immediately fnding the (deliberate) hole in the hurriedly constructed holding pen. They stay in the turkey field but penned up in up netting until they are big enough to have outgrown crow food.
Plucking good time to be had by all.
Monday, 21 July 2008
chlorine gas
thanks for your email robin... problem with chlorine is that one takes in most breathing it in whilst bathing since it vapourises so easily. it's actually very simple to get rid of chlorine since it vapourises if left to stand in an open container overnight. i'm no expert on plumbing so i have no idea how difficult it might be to do something with a water tank to allow this to occur. below i include an exchange of emails between me, matt and gregg re water. i will write to nik from water research to ask about how to do filtering/dechlorination on a whole house scale. if anyone is willing to offer advice or otherwise get involved in lobbying for this etc . then do let me know, i suppose the more people are on it the more likely it is to happen. equally from experience it can take half an eternity just to get someone to do a simple information gathering exercise, as i learned with steering group so sometimes better to do this oneself.. i suppose this was my main source of frustration.
2008/7/21 Gregg Davis:
Dear Adam;
Through the vision process the commitment was taken to address the food issue primarily through development of the integrated college garden, fundraising soon to begin and adverts for garderners out in the world. This is obviously more a middle term - longer term solution though i think a good one. Short term there hasnt been a specific call for all organic nor do we have funds for this at present. STudent reaction was pretty mixed on willingness to pay more for it. So with regret that will have to wait.
This is first time i am hearing this level of detail on water projects. I certainly dont have any problem with filters going in. Do you have a cost estimate for all houses and what kind of filters - i am pretty conversant with these issues from health point of view.
Longer term i think there is obviusly a great deal that we can and should be doing with a water research center right on our property!
Gregg Davis
2008/7/21 Gregg Davis:
Adam, additionally, the college is becoming more and more subject to UK legislation around Health and safety issues, or lets say the enforcement level is picking up so we'll want to ensure that any remedies we develop are harmonizing with those regs. I dont see an issue there but is something the college ignores at its peril.
----- Original Message -----
From: A Ortaa
To: gdavis@###ne.org
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:32 PM
Subject: Water and food
Greetings Gregg,
I have posed to Matt the question of whether anything had moved on with the questions of water and food quality, which I feel are of great importance and should not be neglected any further, the water in particular. This article outlines the effects of chlorine in one's water fairly succinctly:
http://www.netstarter.com.au/Content_Common/pg-chlorine-effects-in-water.seo
Below is our conversation, I have not heard anything more since:
[quote message:]
2008/6/17 A Ortaa:
All hail Matt,
A bit confused about the water question since Nick said that there was enough money in the student initiatives fund for a water filter for the kitchen and tearoom and John Wilkes said that he would be prepared to design a flowform for the tearoom. I told all this to Dave from Foundation who was going to find out more about which filter and talk more with the water folks etc, then get back to Steering Group. I take it this hasn't happened? The chlorine in the water is damn horrible, and this should not be put off any more, since it was clear to me in March that getting one filter was feasible. The short term action should be to put in at least one filter ASAP, I thought we had agreed on that, long term is installing proper filters in the houses, for which of course fundraising will be required.
About the food well no surprise, what you don't know doesn't hurt you say some, but did nothing become of the questionnaire q. asking if people would be prepared to pay more for all organic food? I want to know about this because I need to let the college know if I'm going to take meals next year. Not really sure if I want to continue with SG, since I intend to engage in various extra curricular things. Anyway thanks for replying to my message, perhaps now you wish you hadn't... but it seems crazy to me that people can go on drinking that bad water. Seems people will cease to notice even quite extreme things once they become accustomed to them. It's really not hard, the money is (or at least was) on the table! Speak to Nick again to confirm this, and if you would let me know how things progress.
Best,
A.
2008/6/15 Matt:
Hi Adam,
Sorry for the no reply, we've made some slow progress on the water front - the idea is currently that we will do the fundraising ourselves rather than relying on the college to pay for it, so a small group has been working on checking out the options and we will start a long-term fundraising campaign next year.. As for the food, not much has been done in Steering Group, but there is a VSG plan to bring back the garden in a big way and through that, supply the kitchen with BD veggies etc. Also it's hoped that a BD Nutrition course will be starting in the next couple of years, so that will no doubt be coupled with a greater consciousness of the nutritional value of the food we get in the college.. We'll mention both of these issues to the Management group when we meet them in the next week or two..
Just so you're aware, we've been talking about some changes to the format of SG and we're planning on meeting in the orientation week before term starts to discuss and formalize some of those ideas and plan for the term ahead, so it would be good if you can make it for that..
hope you're well, looking forward to seeing you in September,
take care,
Matt
[/end quote message]
Since the Steering Group was apparently unable to do anything more with this matter in my absence I ask whether you have any plans for improving the situation.
Warm Regards,
Adam
*********
have not yet read that article, but is it not the case that in praising what speculators do for markets necessitates remaining in the paradigm that a globalised market is a good thing?
if you ever find yourself with 90min to spare (yeah right... fortunately it's divided into 10 min sections here's a lecture on codex alimentarius.
2008/7/21 Gregg Davis
Dear Adam;
Through the vision process the commitment was taken to address the food issue primarily through development of the integrated college garden, fundraising soon to begin and adverts for garderners out in the world. This is obviously more a middle term - longer term solution though i think a good one. Short term there hasnt been a specific call for all organic nor do we have funds for this at present. STudent reaction was pretty mixed on willingness to pay more for it. So with regret that will have to wait.
This is first time i am hearing this level of detail on water projects. I certainly dont have any problem with filters going in. Do you have a cost estimate for all houses and what kind of filters - i am pretty conversant with these issues from health point of view.
Longer term i think there is obviusly a great deal that we can and should be doing with a water research center right on our property!
Gregg Davis
2008/7/21 Gregg Davis
Adam, additionally, the college is becoming more and more subject to UK legislation around Health and safety issues, or lets say the enforcement level is picking up so we'll want to ensure that any remedies we develop are harmonizing with those regs. I dont see an issue there but is something the college ignores at its peril.
----- Original Message -----
From: A Ortaa
To: gdavis@###ne.org
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:32 PM
Subject: Water and food
Greetings Gregg,
I have posed to Matt the question of whether anything had moved on with the questions of water and food quality, which I feel are of great importance and should not be neglected any further, the water in particular. This article outlines the effects of chlorine in one's water fairly succinctly:
http://www.netstarter.com.au/Content_Common/pg-chlorine-effects-in-water.seo
Below is our conversation, I have not heard anything more since:
[quote message:]
2008/6/17 A Ortaa
All hail Matt,
A bit confused about the water question since Nick said that there was enough money in the student initiatives fund for a water filter for the kitchen and tearoom and John Wilkes said that he would be prepared to design a flowform for the tearoom. I told all this to Dave from Foundation who was going to find out more about which filter and talk more with the water folks etc, then get back to Steering Group. I take it this hasn't happened? The chlorine in the water is damn horrible, and this should not be put off any more, since it was clear to me in March that getting one filter was feasible. The short term action should be to put in at least one filter ASAP, I thought we had agreed on that, long term is installing proper filters in the houses, for which of course fundraising will be required.
About the food well no surprise, what you don't know doesn't hurt you say some, but did nothing become of the questionnaire q. asking if people would be prepared to pay more for all organic food? I want to know about this because I need to let the college know if I'm going to take meals next year. Not really sure if I want to continue with SG, since I intend to engage in various extra curricular things. Anyway thanks for replying to my message, perhaps now you wish you hadn't... but it seems crazy to me that people can go on drinking that bad water. Seems people will cease to notice even quite extreme things once they become accustomed to them. It's really not hard, the money is (or at least was) on the table! Speak to Nick again to confirm this, and if you would let me know how things progress.
Best,
A.
2008/6/15 Matt
Hi Adam,
Sorry for the no reply, we've made some slow progress on the water front - the idea is currently that we will do the fundraising ourselves rather than relying on the college to pay for it, so a small group has been working on checking out the options and we will start a long-term fundraising campaign next year.. As for the food, not much has been done in Steering Group, but there is a VSG plan to bring back the garden in a big way and through that, supply the kitchen with BD veggies etc. Also it's hoped that a BD Nutrition course will be starting in the next couple of years, so that will no doubt be coupled with a greater consciousness of the nutritional value of the food we get in the college.. We'll mention both of these issues to the Management group when we meet them in the next week or two..
Just so you're aware, we've been talking about some changes to the format of SG and we're planning on meeting in the orientation week before term starts to discuss and formalize some of those ideas and plan for the term ahead, so it would be good if you can make it for that..
hope you're well, looking forward to seeing you in September,
take care,
Matt
[/end quote message]
Since the Steering Group was apparently unable to do anything more with this matter in my absence I ask whether you have any plans for improving the situation.
Warm Regards,
Adam
*********
have not yet read that article, but is it not the case that in praising what speculators do for markets necessitates remaining in the paradigm that a globalised market is a good thing?
if you ever find yourself with 90min to spare (yeah right... fortunately it's divided into 10 min sections here's a lecture on codex alimentarius.
Friday, 18 July 2008
Risk and Reward
Attached is a recent article from the Economist that gives a short and not totally convincing argument in favour of market speculators. However, it does give some key points regarding their activities. It discusses oil but the ideas are appilicable to soft commodities. Primarily, their involvement and effect is usually over exaggerated and they make a convenient scapegoat (especially where there is policy failure). Secondly, the benefits they provide, namely market liquidity, are usually ignored. The risks taken by speculators ensures price transparency and depth of market for those with something to sell. Without them, markets would tend to be fragmented and illiquid with prices guarded by the dominant buyers and sellers (in our case large landowners or farmers and supermarkets). This would increase profitability for those that can really manipulate markets: governments and cartels.
Thursday, 17 July 2008
codex alimentarius and other insignificant musings
hello to those reading (arjen, kristof, robin?)
my health is unfortunately rather poor at present, i am seriously considering whether spending another 6 months imbibing and bathing in forest row's heavily chlorinated water is the best thing for me.
nice to hear about your plant communications kristof, this had been my intention in persuing bd, however at the moment constant tiredness largely limits my attention to the required movements for the job i am being asked to perform, whilst in better periods i am able to becomeconscious of these movements and likewise remember breathing. this i think is the foundation of conscious work with plant energies. but it is perhaps the unconscious/passive element, which needs to be combined with conscious 'research', i.e. posing a question, or attuning oneself to a certain frequency. this is something that standard education has given us no tuition in; for we are trained to be passive absorbers of information. likewise nice to hear that you are doing something of that calls upon the use of inspiration. i fear that i cannot say the same about packing vegetables. quite often i feel like i'm working in a factory here; it takes great effort to prevent robotism. i suppose most people don't have this struggle so i should be grateful for the opportunity (gurdjieffian approach). or masochism?
remembering to do energetic diagnoses of plant energies with hands has also been forgotten in the rush of farm life (who'd have thought), though i did manage to do this over the prep barrel, however we have only sprayed about 4 times, apparently too busy to do more (i am quite disillusioned about this supposedly being a biodynamic farm - it seems that the demeter stamp is a requirement of the rent agreement. one worker was even complaining about being made to stir preps.) the times that i did stir i entered into an altered state through the process. regular energetic exercises seem necessary to be able to start to trust one's hands, in my case qi gong/chi gung. sadly my vision is not so great for whatever reason, and visual reading of plant forms is likewise quite important in communicating with them i would say. would be interested to know how you enter into communication kristof... don't be afraid to tell us will you now?
anyway, here some links to keep one going:
Sonic bloom
Flower clock
on the gm resistance front, if you are not familiar with the codex alimentarius, it is perhaps advisable to become so. linked to in the title of this post is an interview with a man named ian crane discussing this agenda, as well as some relevant videos and links. in the light of such things a btec seems rather frivolrous... methinks ensnaring us in a theoretical frame of mind, when it is action that is called for.
one more article about a leaked world bank report on gm and biofuels.
robin i believe you never replied to my request for elucidation of speculation in food after i posted the last batch of articles on this topic.
blessings,
a.
my health is unfortunately rather poor at present, i am seriously considering whether spending another 6 months imbibing and bathing in forest row's heavily chlorinated water is the best thing for me.
nice to hear about your plant communications kristof, this had been my intention in persuing bd, however at the moment constant tiredness largely limits my attention to the required movements for the job i am being asked to perform, whilst in better periods i am able to becomeconscious of these movements and likewise remember breathing. this i think is the foundation of conscious work with plant energies. but it is perhaps the unconscious/passive element, which needs to be combined with conscious 'research', i.e. posing a question, or attuning oneself to a certain frequency. this is something that standard education has given us no tuition in; for we are trained to be passive absorbers of information. likewise nice to hear that you are doing something of that calls upon the use of inspiration. i fear that i cannot say the same about packing vegetables. quite often i feel like i'm working in a factory here; it takes great effort to prevent robotism. i suppose most people don't have this struggle so i should be grateful for the opportunity (gurdjieffian approach). or masochism?
remembering to do energetic diagnoses of plant energies with hands has also been forgotten in the rush of farm life (who'd have thought), though i did manage to do this over the prep barrel, however we have only sprayed about 4 times, apparently too busy to do more (i am quite disillusioned about this supposedly being a biodynamic farm - it seems that the demeter stamp is a requirement of the rent agreement. one worker was even complaining about being made to stir preps.) the times that i did stir i entered into an altered state through the process. regular energetic exercises seem necessary to be able to start to trust one's hands, in my case qi gong/chi gung. sadly my vision is not so great for whatever reason, and visual reading of plant forms is likewise quite important in communicating with them i would say. would be interested to know how you enter into communication kristof... don't be afraid to tell us will you now?
anyway, here some links to keep one going:
Sonic bloom
Flower clock
on the gm resistance front, if you are not familiar with the codex alimentarius, it is perhaps advisable to become so. linked to in the title of this post is an interview with a man named ian crane discussing this agenda, as well as some relevant videos and links. in the light of such things a btec seems rather frivolrous... methinks ensnaring us in a theoretical frame of mind, when it is action that is called for.
one more article about a leaked world bank report on gm and biofuels.
robin i believe you never replied to my request for elucidation of speculation in food after i posted the last batch of articles on this topic.
blessings,
a.
Cherry Grower
ORGANIC GARDENER WANTED
Cherry Orchards Camphill Community, a residential therapeutic community in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, is looking for an Organic Gardener.
The vegetable garden at Cherry Orchards is part of a small farm, including livestock. The one acre garden provides nearly all of our own vegetables and fruit, grown to Soil Association organic standards. This feeds a community of around twenty adults year round.
We are seeking an Organic Gardener to help us in this work. An understanding of organic horticulture is necessary, along with enthusiasm and a willingness to carry on learning. This may suit an individual seeking to build on their existing knowledge and experience in such work, and offers the potential for future development of the position here.
The position is full time; 37.5 hours per week; starting salary £15,600 per annum.
For an informal chat and further information please contact Adam on 0781 7173233
For written details please write to: Adam Hesketh, Cherry Orchards Camphill Community, Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3PE , or e-mail: cherryorchards@camphill.org.uk
Closing date for applications 31st August 2008; interviews September 2008.
Cherry Orchards Camphill Community, a residential therapeutic community in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, is looking for an Organic Gardener.
The vegetable garden at Cherry Orchards is part of a small farm, including livestock. The one acre garden provides nearly all of our own vegetables and fruit, grown to Soil Association organic standards. This feeds a community of around twenty adults year round.
We are seeking an Organic Gardener to help us in this work. An understanding of organic horticulture is necessary, along with enthusiasm and a willingness to carry on learning. This may suit an individual seeking to build on their existing knowledge and experience in such work, and offers the potential for future development of the position here.
The position is full time; 37.5 hours per week; starting salary £15,600 per annum.
For an informal chat and further information please contact Adam on 0781 7173233
For written details please write to: Adam Hesketh, Cherry Orchards Camphill Community, Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3PE , or e-mail: cherryorchards@camphill.org.uk
Closing date for applications 31st August 2008; interviews September 2008.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Angelic Organics
Arjen and I both had a similar meeting today. Arjen has floweritis and is obviously affected so forgot to relive this encounter with you all. However, I know that Arjen had a guest weeder in his flower garden today. I know 'cos the guest weeder wandered down to the farm and helped me fix the topper and chase some sheep. Who was the mystery farm hand? Farmer John! THE farmer John, of real dirt fame. So we chewed the cud for a few hours as we yielded wrenches and hammers, discussing BD, IFOAM, anthroposophy, mintill, S&P500, toplinks etc. A most entertaining afternoon.
Course over
Soooo that was the week course - 11 folks from the UK, US, Argentina and Canada for a week course on etheric forces... Always nice but it takes me away from the flowers and I don't think I'll do it again next year. I like the flowers!! Flowers rule!! Give me more flowers!! A flower in the morning, a flower in the evening, all over this world - yeeeheeee
Monday, 14 July 2008
Jardineiro full on! (click here for Bernie Krause)
Dear Classmates,
As Planet influences are clearly experienced on the personal life, the educational garden is finally being planted after a lot of preparational soil work and planning.
At the moment I am planting hedges around, beds with kitchen herbs in hexagonical shapes (John Wilks would be proude!), Solonaceaes, Rootvegetables and medicinal herbs.
I will leave some beds to plant with the children of course!
I am reading a book ¨the magic of Findhorn¨for the second time and it gives me a very good view on working with elemental and natural kingdoms. I am more talking to plants then to people at the moment.
Besides that I would like to show you the work of this man Bernie Krause, who works with sound recordings and measurement on health of the natural habitat or ecosystem.
I will invest in a quality portable sound recorder and hope to do my own experiments soon.
I would especially recommend the article from 96 in the magazine, the wild duck!
And besides Robin E. isn´t there anyone doing someting interesting worth sharing???
Big Hug
Kristof
As Planet influences are clearly experienced on the personal life, the educational garden is finally being planted after a lot of preparational soil work and planning.
At the moment I am planting hedges around, beds with kitchen herbs in hexagonical shapes (John Wilks would be proude!), Solonaceaes, Rootvegetables and medicinal herbs.
I will leave some beds to plant with the children of course!
I am reading a book ¨the magic of Findhorn¨for the second time and it gives me a very good view on working with elemental and natural kingdoms. I am more talking to plants then to people at the moment.
Besides that I would like to show you the work of this man Bernie Krause, who works with sound recordings and measurement on health of the natural habitat or ecosystem.
I will invest in a quality portable sound recorder and hope to do my own experiments soon.
I would especially recommend the article from 96 in the magazine, the wild duck!
And besides Robin E. isn´t there anyone doing someting interesting worth sharing???
Big Hug
Kristof
Sunday, 13 July 2008
General Motors
I do have something else to do, honest....I heard this earlier:
Genetic engineering. Not really engineering is it? The engineering equivalent of what geneticists do would be to throw lumps of concrete and steel into a river and if someone manages to walk across, call it a bridge.
Time for bed.
Genetic engineering. Not really engineering is it? The engineering equivalent of what geneticists do would be to throw lumps of concrete and steel into a river and if someone manages to walk across, call it a bridge.
Time for bed.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Test Card
Topping and test match. Bliss.
All day in the tractor with wonderful views of rolling Sussex countryside creating beautiful patterns whilst listening to England play magnificently at Lords (rare) against the dear South Africans (of which we have a few on the farm). A proper summers day (rain included).
All day in the tractor with wonderful views of rolling Sussex countryside creating beautiful patterns whilst listening to England play magnificently at Lords (rare) against the dear South Africans (of which we have a few on the farm). A proper summers day (rain included).
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Manure or Monsanto
Yesterday was all about compost and preparations (in the pouring rain). Today was all about cow sh*t. Remember the 500 we made last September and dug up in March, and how wet it was? It is still wet, so today we took it out of the jar and put it on a board in the sheep barn to dry out (it still smells). We also cut nettles and buried them.
First thing after breakfast we took 2 wheel barrows all the way to the top of the farm, where the cows needed to be moved from, and collected as much cow sh*t as we could. This was then taken back down to (Blue) Peter's garden and deposited in a brick lined pit (here's one I made earlier). This was prepped with compost preps and Hey pre(p)sto, cow pat pit preparation. We covered with wood and will revisit every month or so to stir and add preps.
David instigated this as we do not have enough compost for all the fields. Which seems odd as the farm feels intensive from a livestock perspective so one would expect there to be enough compost. We don't produce all our own feed (buying in field beans [23t last May] and chicken feed). So a few imbalances to the farm organism .
Attached article from FT (click on title) is one of the better written giving the proGM argument. It is still blatantly corporate hype and all the sources are industry sponsored bodies. It gives no conclusive arguments and again, much of it is jam tomorrow (8-10yrs for GM wheat, thank goodness).
And what of herbicides? Check this out from The Observer for a great organic PR exercise by Dow Chemicals.
First thing after breakfast we took 2 wheel barrows all the way to the top of the farm, where the cows needed to be moved from, and collected as much cow sh*t as we could. This was then taken back down to (Blue) Peter's garden and deposited in a brick lined pit (here's one I made earlier). This was prepped with compost preps and Hey pre(p)sto, cow pat pit preparation. We covered with wood and will revisit every month or so to stir and add preps.
David instigated this as we do not have enough compost for all the fields. Which seems odd as the farm feels intensive from a livestock perspective so one would expect there to be enough compost. We don't produce all our own feed (buying in field beans [23t last May] and chicken feed). So a few imbalances to the farm organism .
Attached article from FT (click on title) is one of the better written giving the proGM argument. It is still blatantly corporate hype and all the sources are industry sponsored bodies. It gives no conclusive arguments and again, much of it is jam tomorrow (8-10yrs for GM wheat, thank goodness).
And what of herbicides? Check this out from The Observer for a great organic PR exercise by Dow Chemicals.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Another day, another chicken
Rain, cool, needed. Chickens, hmmmm.
We have too many chickens. How does that work? Surely there is a well thought out and designed system. Huge investment went into the field, houses and processing unit. Chicken is the in meat; four legs bad, two legs good (to completely misquote Orwell); red meat is 'bad' for you, white meat is 'good' for you; free range chicken is all over the press from J. Oliver to H. Fearnly -Whittingwhatever. And we have too many.
Well, we did. Since Max took over the chickens from Neil and we have recovered from the Feb break-in, the survival rate has shot up and so from 150ish we now have 200ish per week (as we should from a fortnightly 425 day olds delivery). However, Richard is out of here from friday (off to Devon with Melanie to work for a farm selling its meat online), Barry is on holiday until Monday and we just aren't getting the customer numbers in the shop (we still sell out of Sirloin and Fillet pretty quickly though).
Plaw Hatch is not really selling any meat at the moment, certainly none of Tablehursts, due to the lack of a shop manager (Alex has gone and a replacement has yet to be found).
So we had too many chickens. Fortunately, a call to a London butcher saw us lose 30 a week at the right price and, whilst rehanging their sign with the JCB, 12 were sold to The Chequers. Still, with the right marketing and a little more focus we should ideally be able to sell everything through the shop. Work in progress. Also of note, The Foresters now sells only organic food, including Tablehurst sausages. Trebles all round.
We have too many chickens. How does that work? Surely there is a well thought out and designed system. Huge investment went into the field, houses and processing unit. Chicken is the in meat; four legs bad, two legs good (to completely misquote Orwell); red meat is 'bad' for you, white meat is 'good' for you; free range chicken is all over the press from J. Oliver to H. Fearnly -Whittingwhatever. And we have too many.
Well, we did. Since Max took over the chickens from Neil and we have recovered from the Feb break-in, the survival rate has shot up and so from 150ish we now have 200ish per week (as we should from a fortnightly 425 day olds delivery). However, Richard is out of here from friday (off to Devon with Melanie to work for a farm selling its meat online), Barry is on holiday until Monday and we just aren't getting the customer numbers in the shop (we still sell out of Sirloin and Fillet pretty quickly though).
Plaw Hatch is not really selling any meat at the moment, certainly none of Tablehursts, due to the lack of a shop manager (Alex has gone and a replacement has yet to be found).
So we had too many chickens. Fortunately, a call to a London butcher saw us lose 30 a week at the right price and, whilst rehanging their sign with the JCB, 12 were sold to The Chequers. Still, with the right marketing and a little more focus we should ideally be able to sell everything through the shop. Work in progress. Also of note, The Foresters now sells only organic food, including Tablehurst sausages. Trebles all round.
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Tomoko
Dear students in BD agriculture training,
I am considering applying to Emerson Collage Biodynamic Agriculture Program for September 2008 and would very much like to hear current students’ voice on the program and a life in Emerson Collage. I understand that you are busy with your practicum now. If you can spare time with me talking over the phone, via email, or in person, it would be a great help for me in making this big (and expensive) decision. I am now in England and would like to visit Emerson Collage and a few other training centers in the third week of July between July 14th and 18th. If you are happy to provide me your honest feedback of the program, would you send me your contact information and best time to reach you if you do not mind me calling or visiting you?
My email address is:
tomokoku@hawaii.edu
Many thanks and enjoy your practicum,
Tomoko Kurokawa
I am considering applying to Emerson Collage Biodynamic Agriculture Program for September 2008 and would very much like to hear current students’ voice on the program and a life in Emerson Collage. I understand that you are busy with your practicum now. If you can spare time with me talking over the phone, via email, or in person, it would be a great help for me in making this big (and expensive) decision. I am now in England and would like to visit Emerson Collage and a few other training centers in the third week of July between July 14th and 18th. If you are happy to provide me your honest feedback of the program, would you send me your contact information and best time to reach you if you do not mind me calling or visiting you?
My email address is:
tomokoku@hawaii.edu
Many thanks and enjoy your practicum,
Tomoko Kurokawa
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Wheat from the chaff
Head of large agribusiness company, Syngenta, talks honestly about GM reality and prospects and it gets reported! That qualifies as a miracle in the current climate where US Agriculture secretary talks nonsense, UK Agriculture minister talks nonsense and most newspapers/media are reporting GM as a solution rather than giving a balanced analysis (click on title).
There are a few exceptions - the BBC science editor on Newsnight reported recently that Europe relaxing GM regulations will not infact help lower animal feedstock costs. In the year to May 08 the fastest rising price of animal feedstock was Argentine GM soya, +100%, which has full approval for import to EU.
Also, the Daily Mail (of all organs) published a more balanced view recently.
etc.
We have been bailing nonGM grass into silage. Good year for silage, not too much rain, dried quickly in bright sunshine and light breeze, bailed and wrapped in a couple of days. 800 bails so far. Barn dance friday so also unwrapping large round straw bails and making small bails (200) as the rats have chewed through the string of all the small bails made last year.
Barley is ok in some fields but well mown by rabbits, deer and geese in others. Preps are getting sprayed, fields are getting topped, animals have been vaccinated (Plaw Hatch chose not to interestingly). Generally going well. Had to worm the spring lambs and ewes saturday as 2 died from a worm picked up from deer. Clean grazing is tough when carrying the amount of animals we are at the moment and raises a question of intensity. More fencing is part of the solution.
A good spring and early summer so far, bit of rain would be nice especially for Stein's recently planted pear trees, they desperately need water.
There are a few exceptions - the BBC science editor on Newsnight reported recently that Europe relaxing GM regulations will not infact help lower animal feedstock costs. In the year to May 08 the fastest rising price of animal feedstock was Argentine GM soya, +100%, which has full approval for import to EU.
Also, the Daily Mail (of all organs) published a more balanced view recently.
etc.
We have been bailing nonGM grass into silage. Good year for silage, not too much rain, dried quickly in bright sunshine and light breeze, bailed and wrapped in a couple of days. 800 bails so far. Barn dance friday so also unwrapping large round straw bails and making small bails (200) as the rats have chewed through the string of all the small bails made last year.
Barley is ok in some fields but well mown by rabbits, deer and geese in others. Preps are getting sprayed, fields are getting topped, animals have been vaccinated (Plaw Hatch chose not to interestingly). Generally going well. Had to worm the spring lambs and ewes saturday as 2 died from a worm picked up from deer. Clean grazing is tough when carrying the amount of animals we are at the moment and raises a question of intensity. More fencing is part of the solution.
A good spring and early summer so far, bit of rain would be nice especially for Stein's recently planted pear trees, they desperately need water.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Job at Glencraig
Camphill was established to teach, train and care for those with learning disability and continues to do this after 60 years. From the beginning the intention was to do work not as a “job” in the usual sense, but as a way of life.
The Camphill Community at Glencraig, near Holywood in
Vacancy for Bio-Organic/Biodynamic Farmer
Camphill Community Glencraig urgently requires a trained Bio-Organic/Biodynamic Farmer with enthusiasm to join our community and develop our working farm.
We have a dairy and beef herd, pigs and crops, and willing hands to make farming a social endeavour. Glencraig has been farmed organically and biodynamically for over 50 years and is looking for new and dynamic ways of working into the future.
If you are interested please contact us and come for a visit – we would love to meet you. Families are very welcome. For further information please contact Anja in Co-worker Recruitment and Welfare Group:
Camphill Community Glencraig
4 Seahill road
Craigavad Email: office@glencraig.org.uk
Holywood Telephone: 02890423396
BT18 0DB Fax: 02890428199
Also Vacancy for a Young Farm Worker (Volunteer) Glencraig Farm warmly invites a young person looking for farm work. Little or no experience needed. For further information, please contact us using the details as above.
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO www.glencraig.org.uk
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Tablehurst 08 in pictures
Rather than send Arjen all my photos I have learnt how to publish them myself (click on title).
Saturday, 21 June 2008
They came from outer space
So... I had never heard of this until now. China has been sending seeds into space and then growing them, resulting plants are considerably larger than their earthbound brothers and sisters, and in some cases say the Chinese state scientists, higher in nutritional quality. Not necessarily something to be freaking out about as some doubtless will. Perhaps this was how the ancient astronaut Zarathustra got agriculture rolling, together with the use of potentised preps. Can anyone offer a biodynamic explanation?
Links:
http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/05/11/will-giant-vegetables-help-solve-world-food-shortage-98487-20413648/
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Space-Seed-Disaster.htm#seed
P.S. Good to hear that the proposal has been approved. Erin, if you're reading this please send me an email: ormr(at)mail2eris.com
Links:
http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/05/11/will-giant-vegetables-help-solve-world-food-shortage-98487-20413648/
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Space-Seed-Disaster.htm#seed
P.S. Good to hear that the proposal has been approved. Erin, if you're reading this please send me an email: ormr(at)mail2eris.com
Friday, 20 June 2008
GM Watch
Send this article to anyone who is not reading though the lines of the current extensive press campaign by the biotech industry to use the commodity price rise as an argument for the greater use of GM crops (click on title).
Doug Gurian-Sherman, as well as being a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, was formerly the EPA's biotech specialist and an advisor on biotech to the FDA.
Doug Gurian-Sherman, as well as being a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, was formerly the EPA's biotech specialist and an advisor on biotech to the FDA.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Couchgrass symphony
Ooo Couchgrass,
I have forked you out
for many days
from dawn till sunset
on my own on the field
As your roots break to easily
You make me dig like a pig
It is a mental exercise not to look
to you being outnumbered and I being alone
with only one fork to pick
Yet, as I find a rithm
of shoots of pain in my back
I smile in the burning sun and now that one day
I might be gone
(fragment of "poems for dying goats")
I have forked you out
for many days
from dawn till sunset
on my own on the field
As your roots break to easily
You make me dig like a pig
It is a mental exercise not to look
to you being outnumbered and I being alone
with only one fork to pick
Yet, as I find a rithm
of shoots of pain in my back
I smile in the burning sun and now that one day
I might be gone
(fragment of "poems for dying goats")
New pictures
I just uploaded new pictures from Robin at Tablehurst, Kristof in Brasil and from my flower garden. Please use the link on the right hand side of the page...
And yes, please do send me more pictures so we all get a flavour of your farm!
Arjen
And yes, please do send me more pictures so we all get a flavour of your farm!
Arjen
All proposals approved
Dear biodynamic students!
Just to let you know that all proposals that the Vision and Strategy Group has been developing have been approved in the meeting on the 1st June. The highlights are:
- extension of the 'Centre for Foundation Studies'
- big campus renovation
- strengthening of the BD department: establishment of the Rachel Carson Centre which includes the fulltime biodynamics course, CPD and short courses in biodynamics, anthroposophical nutrition courses with Wendy cook and the establishment of a college garden with a fulltime employed gardener.
We will move back to the green Carson building and we are in the process of hiring a fulltime gardener. The idea is to provide as much biodynamic college-grown food to the kitchen, possibly including eggs and fruit.
I am working hard at the moment to get the timetable filled with competent guest teachers - there is no prospect for a fulltime permanent colleague for me at the moment but there is someone who could start in 2009. As soon as I have a draft timetable I will email it to you all.
I hope you're all enjoying your placement and please keep posting your blogs here!
All the best
Arjen
Just to let you know that all proposals that the Vision and Strategy Group has been developing have been approved in the meeting on the 1st June. The highlights are:
- extension of the 'Centre for Foundation Studies'
- big campus renovation
- strengthening of the BD department: establishment of the Rachel Carson Centre which includes the fulltime biodynamics course, CPD and short courses in biodynamics, anthroposophical nutrition courses with Wendy cook and the establishment of a college garden with a fulltime employed gardener.
We will move back to the green Carson building and we are in the process of hiring a fulltime gardener. The idea is to provide as much biodynamic college-grown food to the kitchen, possibly including eggs and fruit.
I am working hard at the moment to get the timetable filled with competent guest teachers - there is no prospect for a fulltime permanent colleague for me at the moment but there is someone who could start in 2009. As soon as I have a draft timetable I will email it to you all.
I hope you're all enjoying your placement and please keep posting your blogs here!
All the best
Arjen
Monday, 16 June 2008
Strawberry Moon
Hello volks,
What to say... things are growing at an amazing rate (weeds included), we are harvesting lettuce (loads of it), parsley, chives, dill, kohlrabi, broccoli, and yesterday for the first time strawberries! How amazing to have them as the first fresh fruit of the year. Interestingly this coming full moon is known by Algonquin tribes as the strawberry moon (link). These last days we have had our first proper rain since Mayday, (all this time it has been hot and sunny, hot and sunny, hot and sunny...) nonetheless the irrigation remains in operation 24/7. Hayfever is quite a challenge, this next week I think will be the peak time for grass pollen, must remember to keep taking homeopathic tablets. Something will be going down here at Midsummer, not yet quite sure what, can hopefully infuse whatever happens with some pagan spirit, Anthro festivals can be so dull... anyway here are some photos, including our wicker man from the Beltane fire:
Over and out (in the cosmos),
A.
*********
“And now these peoples were pressed by urgent necessity to settle down in one place forever and to eat their bread from a tilled earth! Long they resisted. For it was one of their most fundamental beliefs that free, uncontrolled nature was more than man; and that it was sinful to impose great changes upon the earth. Yet large scale farming—plowing and sowing—was that not the greatest compulsion, the most dire control, men could exert over nature?…When the new nations tilled the soil, they did so with a bad conscience. The thousand customs that surrounded every act of plowing, sowing, harvesting, and baking were spells calculated to ward off the vengeance of the offended spirits of the earth.
“…the Germans considered the tempest the creator and changer of the world. They would have shaken their heads at the civilized, rationalistic explanation of Hippocrates (460-359 B.C.) : ‘Anemos rheuma kai scheuma aeros [wind is a flowing and pouring of air].’ The power that broke forest and rocks; the force that heaved the waves of the North Sea—this could not merely be ‘air’!
“It was necessary to pay close attention to the figures the wind stirred up in the waving fields of grain. The spirits of vegetation, foreseeing that their death was near, were bent on mischief.
“The yellow fields of waving grain—to modern man a symbol of peace—in those times concealed terrors. In the waving of the ears, in the low hissing of the tufts, dwelt offended spirits.…The northern peoples heard ‘riders hunting thru the corn’ or ‘a witch twisting.’ But above all animals seemed to be at home in the grainfield, animals with a cap of invisibility. The effect of their motion could always be felt.…When the wind descended a sharp curve, people said ‘the hares have run thru there.’ And when the ears, pack upon pack, with yellow hind quarters and flanks, pressed panting against the ground, it was said; ‘Now the wolves are running.’
“These grain fields had come from Asia and Africa. Only two or three hundred years before sacred forest had stood in this place, cool and richly watered. The murmur of the twigs had been familiar, not uncanny like this silence of the grain. The forest had always been been the friend of the Teutons; it had been hostile only for the Romans when the Germans slaughtered them in the Teutoburger Forest. The brightness of the noonday sun upon the fields was again the ’corn mother,’ going about her field and searing the Germans' hearts with her fiery breath.
“Shouting, he ran amid the grain, cutting and slaughtering the ears. He had no feeling of this as peaceful work; it was an act of war that he performed when the tufted stalks of rye sank before his blade. Thinner and thinner grew the ranks of his foe, and finally the entire strength of the field fled into the ‘last sheaf.’ The last sheaf was the subject of many rituals—rituals that were a compound of fear and triumph. Among some tribes it was not cut, but ‘taken prisoner,’ placed upon a wagon, dressed in clothes, and the women danced around it, mocking it. Among other tribes it was honored: it was brought to a barn, but not threshed like the others. A traveling stranger must be given it to take along—perhaps this wanderer was odin?—or the sheaf was untied and then strewn over the field to placate the earth.”
~ exerpted from Six Thousand Years of Bread; Its Holy and Unholy History by H.E. Jacob
What to say... things are growing at an amazing rate (weeds included), we are harvesting lettuce (loads of it), parsley, chives, dill, kohlrabi, broccoli, and yesterday for the first time strawberries! How amazing to have them as the first fresh fruit of the year. Interestingly this coming full moon is known by Algonquin tribes as the strawberry moon (link). These last days we have had our first proper rain since Mayday, (all this time it has been hot and sunny, hot and sunny, hot and sunny...) nonetheless the irrigation remains in operation 24/7. Hayfever is quite a challenge, this next week I think will be the peak time for grass pollen, must remember to keep taking homeopathic tablets. Something will be going down here at Midsummer, not yet quite sure what, can hopefully infuse whatever happens with some pagan spirit, Anthro festivals can be so dull... anyway here are some photos, including our wicker man from the Beltane fire:
Over and out (in the cosmos),
A.
*********
“And now these peoples were pressed by urgent necessity to settle down in one place forever and to eat their bread from a tilled earth! Long they resisted. For it was one of their most fundamental beliefs that free, uncontrolled nature was more than man; and that it was sinful to impose great changes upon the earth. Yet large scale farming—plowing and sowing—was that not the greatest compulsion, the most dire control, men could exert over nature?…When the new nations tilled the soil, they did so with a bad conscience. The thousand customs that surrounded every act of plowing, sowing, harvesting, and baking were spells calculated to ward off the vengeance of the offended spirits of the earth.
“…the Germans considered the tempest the creator and changer of the world. They would have shaken their heads at the civilized, rationalistic explanation of Hippocrates (460-359 B.C.) : ‘Anemos rheuma kai scheuma aeros [wind is a flowing and pouring of air].’ The power that broke forest and rocks; the force that heaved the waves of the North Sea—this could not merely be ‘air’!
“It was necessary to pay close attention to the figures the wind stirred up in the waving fields of grain. The spirits of vegetation, foreseeing that their death was near, were bent on mischief.
“The yellow fields of waving grain—to modern man a symbol of peace—in those times concealed terrors. In the waving of the ears, in the low hissing of the tufts, dwelt offended spirits.…The northern peoples heard ‘riders hunting thru the corn’ or ‘a witch twisting.’ But above all animals seemed to be at home in the grainfield, animals with a cap of invisibility. The effect of their motion could always be felt.…When the wind descended a sharp curve, people said ‘the hares have run thru there.’ And when the ears, pack upon pack, with yellow hind quarters and flanks, pressed panting against the ground, it was said; ‘Now the wolves are running.’
“These grain fields had come from Asia and Africa. Only two or three hundred years before sacred forest had stood in this place, cool and richly watered. The murmur of the twigs had been familiar, not uncanny like this silence of the grain. The forest had always been been the friend of the Teutons; it had been hostile only for the Romans when the Germans slaughtered them in the Teutoburger Forest. The brightness of the noonday sun upon the fields was again the ’corn mother,’ going about her field and searing the Germans' hearts with her fiery breath.
“Shouting, he ran amid the grain, cutting and slaughtering the ears. He had no feeling of this as peaceful work; it was an act of war that he performed when the tufted stalks of rye sank before his blade. Thinner and thinner grew the ranks of his foe, and finally the entire strength of the field fled into the ‘last sheaf.’ The last sheaf was the subject of many rituals—rituals that were a compound of fear and triumph. Among some tribes it was not cut, but ‘taken prisoner,’ placed upon a wagon, dressed in clothes, and the women danced around it, mocking it. Among other tribes it was honored: it was brought to a barn, but not threshed like the others. A traveling stranger must be given it to take along—perhaps this wanderer was odin?—or the sheaf was untied and then strewn over the field to placate the earth.”
~ exerpted from Six Thousand Years of Bread; Its Holy and Unholy History by H.E. Jacob
The Soul of the Farm
Stein & Nor will get married on Saturday, at Brambletye, in the barn (concrete floor laid last week, chestnut panelling the week before). Stein's brother Tom is working at the orchard along with Thomas and Daniel (from Holland). Regine (german agriculture student) and Joanne (from South Africa) have just left after a 6 week stay. Max II (german schoolboy) has just joined us for his 6 week draught. Terry, Clive and Stuart have been enthusiastic mucker outters (which I for one am grateful) and are all currently at their respective homes, making mealtimes very quiet affairs. Peter is taking all three of them to France in September for a week. David has committed to the farm and is very excited that the new minimum tillage system he has been enthusing about, the farm now has on order. Max I has collected 3 swarms and is becoming quite the resident apiarist; lectures for 2nd year BD students perhaps? Richard has taken a job in Devon and so we are looking for a new butcher to work with Barry. Duncan left for Sturts Farm in March and so when Peter finishes the new rooms we should have space for another apprentice. Gaia is 18 next month and is hoping to be allowed back into all the pubs in the village from which she is currently barred. Jors has bought himself a new landrover and is as happy as his pigs in sh*t. It was Raf's birthday today (31) so Steffi put out flowers for breakfast and we broke with our muesli & toast routine to have celebratory croissants. Nor cooked lunch, she takes it turns with Sandia and Lucy. We have started to eat lunch in the garden. Charlotte has yet to get into full swing in the cafe but is making chicken pies and doing a BBQ outside the shop on Saturdays. Gaye stopped by for a couple of weeks in her camper van and will be back for the barn dance. Mark is progressing with the accommodation and vegetables, ably aided by Rainer and Tom. The children, Hannah, Noah, Jacob, Jors & Birik are all really enjoying the sunshine, each other and exploring the mucked out barns.
Last week I visited an arable/suckler herd 1,500 acre farm in Hampshire. £1.5m worth of machinery and 2 men (both divorced). They were very proud of their gross margins but the conversation was short and a bit dull in comparison.
Last week I visited an arable/suckler herd 1,500 acre farm in Hampshire. £1.5m worth of machinery and 2 men (both divorced). They were very proud of their gross margins but the conversation was short and a bit dull in comparison.
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