Biodynamic treechange (homesteading)

Organic vs Local Food - Does it really matter to you?

This is somewhat of a confession. You see we're in a bind.

Before we left Sydney to embark on this exciting and challenging adventure, we were clear about a few key matters:- we would definitely obtain organic certification; and we would sell to the Sydney market.

I must say that since then, our anecdotal evidence on the first issue of organic certification has us questioning the validity of that course of action, certainly in the immediate future. Sure we'll always adhere to biodynamic and organic practices - that's a given - but it seems the return on the time and effort required for certification has some other growers not taking up that opportunity. We'll continue to grapple with the certification matter, and report on it in a later post.

Then there's the subject of travel and transport to Sydney, our biggest market, and location of our families and many friends. It's exactly 410 km (250 miles) to the centre of the city from our farm gate, a 4.5 hour drive that is continually being shortened time-wise as the Pacific Highway is upgraded. And it's not the matter of the rising cost of fuel that is paramount in our concerns, although that will increasingly become a larger issue.

What the big stumbling point is the moral issue of food miles and localism.

Put simply, 'food miles' is a measure of how far food travels – from paddock to plate, or farm to fork - and is an indication of how environmentally-friendly it is.

In March 2007, Time magazine ran a cover story Forget Organic. Eat Local. We were in the midst of searching for a piece of land to commence our dream on, so naturally it caught my attention. In the article, My Search For The Perfect Apple, journalist John Cloud details his dilemma, stating that "Eating organic has become a religion for some. But is it really worth it?" He followed an apple from farm to table, and discovered the pleasures of buying food from neighbours, and posed the questions "What's the most efficient way to grow food? How do our food choices affect the environment? and What tastes better?" The article raises matters like trucking food across the country giving consumers the choice of organic produce with additional food miles versus locally grown non-organic produce, and a myriad of other points including the validity of eating strawberries all year round. In the end, John ends up visiting and joining a 'local' CSA farm, 300 km from his apartment in Manhattan, where Ted, the farmer, grows his produce following organic principles but has not sought certification. The closing paragraph from John Cloud's article sums the matter up succinctly:

'Eating locally also seems safer.Ted's neighbours and customers can see how he farms. That transparency doesn't exist with, say, spinach bagged by a distant agribusiness. I help keep Ted in business, and he helps keep me fed - and the elegance and sustainability of that exchange makes more sense to me than gambling on faceless producers who stamp ORGANIC on a package thousands of kilometres from my home. I'm not a purist about these choices, but in general, I have decided that you are what you eat."

The concept of of local food really took hold when two Canadians in Vancouver, Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon commenced their experiment, a 100 Mile Diet on the first of spring in 2005. They declared that for the following year they would only eat produce that came from within 100 miles of their apartment - that's every ingredient in every product. It proved to be quite a challenge - to quote their book The 100 Mile Diet - A Year of Local Eating

It would be a year without ice-cream. A year without salad dressing. A year without all-purpose flour, soup mix, olives, olive oil. Without tomato sauce, peanut butter, Philadelphia cream cheese, Tabasco, ..."

It has become a worldwide phenomenon, with a dedicated website, and notoriety for Alisa and James. In Australia, local ABC reporter Kim Honan took on a similar challenge for the month of September 2007, causing publicity for many local producers and Farmers Markets.

You know the message is getting into the mainstream here in Australia when the likes of Sam de Brito post about it at his Sydney Morning Herald blog All Men Are Liars. Early in April this year, Sam raised the point in his post The New 'ism "Consider then another 'ism' ...that may well be the global trend of the future, 'localism'".

Sam contends "that globalism, though faceless, is largely about you: it is set up to give you what you want, when you want it and cater to the innumerable niche variations that exist in our population. Community, on the other hand, is about other people - and though you're not going to be able to get black cherry lime Powerade from a locally-stocked store or Prada or Ikea or Atlantic salmon - you do get a story - and that is that your tasty fruit juice is made from oranges grown down the road (or 50kms down the road) and bottled locally."

There are even new research studies from a Ohio State University Professor of agricultural, environmental and development economics that suggest that the average supermarket shopper is willing to pay a premium price for locally produced foods, and that shoppers at farmers markets are willing to pay almost twice as much extra as retail grocery shoppers for the same locally produced foods.

The dilemma we are grappling with here is "how local is local?"

How correct do we want to be?

What do you think about the matter of Food miles and Localism?

Does Eat Fresh Buy Local have meaning to you?

Or will you continue to purchase organic produce regardless of how far it has travelled?

Is food grown on a farm 400 km from you 'local'?

We'd love to see your comments on this issue - it's important to us, and you'll be influencing what we do with this enterprise. So jump on in to the Comment area below - the water's fine.

(If you receive these posts by email, you need to go to the Biodynamic Treechange website and click on this story to leave a comment. And thanks for reading.)

 

photo credit sarahivy

Real Food Real Fast

Last week we spent some time in the Big Smoke, travelling 5 hours down the Pacific Highway to Sydney, the dazzling Emerald City, to catch up with family and friends, do some work and visit a few exhibitions that we wanted to see. If you are the slightest bit interested in Aboriginal painting, I can strongly recommend the Papunya Painting - Out Of The Desert exhibition at the Australian Museum - a great display with excellent paintings and great supporting information that goes a long way to describing the background of this wondrous art.

One of the downsides of road travel is the distinct lack of healthy, nutritious food retailers at accessible points along the highways. And this problem is only getting worse as the highway is rerouted to bypass towns as it journeys up the coast. So for us what usually happens is that out of shear frustration, we end up eating a Scottish hamburger (big mac) with fries and a Coke, regretting every mouthful, and then wondering why we feel like c#*p the rest of the trip.

Well thankfully Jason Gunn, a successful publisher who retired in his late 30's, who was also sick of the lack of decent food on the road, has opened the first two outlets in what is sure to be an international business. Oliver's Real Food provide a healthy, fresh alternative to a lot of the other options available, whilst still being a 'fast food'. Having a wife, Paula, as a qualified nutrionalist assisted with the development of the menu, particularly with people becoming more food conscious and understanding the value of fresh food. All food at both the Oliver's sites is prepared on the premises each day, using fresh local ingredients, and, where possible, organically grown.

In addition to the general atmosphere and ambience that you would expect in an establishment such as Oliver's, is an information stand with relevant magazines and pamphlets. It was here that I came across two great resources:

 

Food Matters a new movie about food, health and nutrition.

You can view the 3 minute trailer here and find out how to become and remain healthy, ward off disease, and do so cheaply and efficiently simply by choosing what to eat.

It chronicles the connection between the slide in Western societies health and the corresponding reliance on processed foods, and then the impact of the pharmaceutical corporations. As Hippocrates said in 400 AD 'Let food be thy medicine, and medicine thy food', or the 21st century version 'You are what you eat'.

It is a very thought provoking documentary that I would urge you to view.

 

The second is what looks to be an excellent directory of green related information - The Green Pages both an online resource and a published magazine, full of solid information on a wide range of green, environmental, sustainable topics - check it out.

So the next time you are trucking up or down the Pacific Highway just north of Sydney, drop into Oliver's at the Caltex Service Centre near Wyong, open 7 days between 6 am and 10 pm. I know we will.

Who is Mary Washington anyway?

Subtitle: And now for some Asparagus.

We are regular visitors to the local Farmers market here in the Hastings Valley, particularly as we intend to be vendors there in the not too distant future. Last weekend was no exception, into town at an early hour to check out what was on offer, and chat with the producers about what had been happening for them that week.

It was the stand from Pembrooke Plants and Poultry that caught my eye - and to be honest it was their sign out the front - ASPARAGUS CROWNS - 10 for $26 - that really got my interest.

I love fresh asparagus.

And the thought of growing our own, for us and our CSA shareholders sends a tingle down my spine.

Now I knew that the planting bed for the asparagus needed special preparation, and given that these guys produce for 20 years once they are in place, it makes sense to put in a bit of extra effort. So after the markets, it was home and into the market garden, and start preparing the first section of the asparagus bed.

The area has been marked out for awhile now, and about a month ago, we hired a rotary hoe to knock out the grass cover. So my week was spent turning the area, adding a trailer load of aged cow manure and another of compost, and then a good serve of lime, as these guys prefer neutral (pH 7) soil.

Friday saw me visit the nursery at Pembrooke Plants and Poultry and collect the asparagus crowns, along with some day lilies (we'll use the flowers in our salad mix.) Which means that we spent Saturday planting the asparagus, and what an effort it took.

After adding all the material to the planting area, 'trenches' were dug with centres approx. 1.5 m (5 ft) apart. These were about 200 mm (8 ") deep. The crowns were set out in these trenches with 450 mm (18") spacing between each. The roots were then splayed out over the slight ridge that we'd formed in the middle of the trench, bedded down and then the trench was back filled. 

The rows were then given a good water before a thick layer of mulch was added. Now we just sit back and wait till spring .... next year - you see you don't harvest any spears in the first year, and not really that many in the second year either. So patiently we'll be waiting .... know that we'll tell you all about it here.

And now for some plant information.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to 100-150 cm (3-5 ft)tall. Asparagus has been used from very early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavour and diuretic properties. Eaten worldwide, green asparagus accompanies eggs in China and beef in Britain, and is not considered a delicacy as it is very cheap and easy to obtain. However, some other forms like the white and purple cultivars can demand a premium.

The crowns that we've planted are the favourite 'Mary Washington' which is one of the most popular of all heirloom varieties. The shoots (called "spears") on this cultivar are tender, thick, heavy and straight and are of a rich dark green colour with a purple tinge. It is known to produce uniform spears and a heavy yield, and was originally developed in California, then introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1949.

So who is Mary Washington? Well Oregon State University has the whole story, stating that: 

"Modern American rust resistant varieties trace back to breeding work done by  J. B. Morton at Concord, Massachusetts under heavy rust conditions. A male plant, A7-83, from a variety called 'New American', was found to be exceptional in transmitting rust resistance and vigour. When A7-83 was crossed with B32-39, a female selected from the English variety `Reading Giant', the resulting progeny was the best of many hundreds tested. From this progeny came the strain called 'Martha Washington' and the two original parents were known as `Martha' and `Washington'. Later, another female selection from `Reading Giant', called `Mary', was crossed with `Washington' resulting in the development of `Mary Washington' the most important U.S. variety to date. Currently a strain of the `Mary Washington' type, 'California 500', is the leading variety being planted."

So that's who Mary Washington is, and how this asparagus cultivar got it's name. Sounds much better than A7-83 or B32-39, don't you think?

Of course, in real life Mary Washington was the mother of the first US President, George Washington, and Martha was his wife.

Photo credits: Top to bottom - fresh asparagus vagabondblogger 2 x planting shots organic maven

Rhubarb and Nana's delicious crumble

Often what we do here at 'Near River' is very similar to what our grandparents did, following organic principles with composts, teas and the like, and increasingly, this is coming up in advice from Internet discussion groups, at field days and through various publications.

And I must confess that my green thumb can be tracked back to my grandfather, a consummate gardener and grower of great vegetables.

So it is with some reverence and joy that we planted our rhubarb bed out on the weekend, as while Pa grew the vegetables, Nana made a great rhubarb crumble, and always loved eating it too.

 

Rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum) is one of the most productive and easy to grow perennial food plants. It will tolerate total neglect, however any horticultural kindness by way of well rotted manure and moisture through the growing season will be repaid abundantly.

As with most perennial crops, good soil preparation is essential, and well rotted manure, compost and blood and bone can be dug in with abandon. In areas with acidic soil, the addition of lime would also prove beneficial.

While raising rhubarb seedlings at home is not a difficult matter, and is the most economical way to establish a bed, the planting of roots ensures larger plants will be obtained in less time. These are usually available for purchase through winter and early spring.

Winter is the best time to plant out rhubarb crowns, making sure that the root system is well spread out, with the crown just below the soil surface. Keep the bed well watered and add a good cover of mulch which will keep the moisture level high, and suppress weed growth from around the plants.

During the first year after planting it is advisable to resist the temptation and avoid harvesting all the stalks - this will allow the young plants to strengthen leading to increased yields in coming years. In the second year, pull the stems, don't cut them, ensuring that at least four stems are left on the plant. Rhubarb is it's tastiest when it's been harvested just when the huge leaf is fully expanded. Note that the leaves are extremely poisonous, containing high levels of oxalic acid, and no part of them should be eaten. That said, they can be used in a spray to rid woolly aphids from apple trees.

Each year in late autumn or winter, apply a liberal dressing of compost or manure to the rhubarb bed, and then in early spring, surround the crowns with a mulch of compost or manure. About every four or five years the roots can be lifted, separated, and then reset in the same ground. Alternatively, it may be more convenient to cut off the outer roots with a spade without disturbing the part to be left in the ground. If this is done in late autumn, these outer roots can then be reset.

Rhubarb is untroubled by serious insect pests, however may be susceptible to downy mildew and leaf spot particularly during warm wet periods.

Both the generic and common names for rhubarb are derived from the Greek name rha, and for hundreds of years rhubarb has had a reputation as a purgative. A multitude of medicinal uses abound, including a preparation of the root to strengthen nails, or distilled water of rhubarb used as a gargle for sore throats. Shakespeare's Macbeth refers to it when he speaks to his doctor about the English army, saying:

What rhubarb, senna or what purgative drug

Would scour these English hence?

Hear'st thou of them?

For us, we love planting 'em,

growing 'em,

harvesting 'em,

cooking 'em and eating 'em!

 

Sources:

The Australian Fruit & Vegetable Garden by Clive Blazey and Jane Varkulevicius

The Illustrated Plant Lore by Josephine Addison

Nana's Apple + Rhubarb Crumble

Great link:

The Rhubarb Compendium

Photo credits:

From top to bottom: Therese planting seedlings by organic maven; rhubarb plant by Fotoos Von Robin; rhubarb stalks by heniads; chopped rhubarb by donkey cart

New York finally sees the light while Australians get a dimmer view

One thing New York has lots of is roofs, and for many of them, not much happens on them. That could all be about to change.

The State has just passed legislation that will update its net metering standard, from the tiny and almost insignificant 10 kilo Watt cap for solar installations, limited to residential only, up to a gold-standard 2 Mega Watt, available to all customer classes. It is expected that this will have a critical impact on opening the market for large scale solar installations in New York, and is viewed as a significant step towards building a major solar market in the Big Apple. (Net metering allows a customer’s electricity meter to “spin backwards,” providing a credit on their utility bill when their on-site renewable energy systems send unused power to the grid.)

In addition to this move, on June 17th, the NY State Legislature passed a bill to provide a 35% property tax abatement for solar installed in New York City, an idea born out of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC. Further info can be found here.

And not to be left out, across the country in environmentally aware San Francisco, the cities Board of Supervisors has approved a 10 year $3 million incentive program that will help put upwards of 55 Mega Watts on 10,000 roofs. This will help put San Francisco on a path to greater energy independence, and lower carbon emissions. The idea came from City Assessor Phil Ting's Solar Task Force.

These types of initiatives are championed, supported and lobbied by Vote Solar , a grassroots organisation founded out of a successful effort to put solar on public buildings in San Francisco. Check their website at Vote Solar or subscribe to their newsletter here. The groups next step? Making good on the Renewable Energy Task Force's goal of 100 MW of solar by 2011, and the larger goal of 2000 MW by 2020 (pdf) as detailed in New York's Solar Roadmap - A plan for energy reliability, security, environmental responsibility and economic development in New York State. Looks as though the opening of the Vote Solar New York office was most timely.

Meanwhile, in the land downunder, where they have sunshine to spare, you'd think that we would be telling you of how Australians are continuing to lead the world with their solar technology through research and development, and how the provision of subsidies for home owners prepared to lead the way in the community on this front is having a dramatic impact.

Unfortunately, that's not the case.

The recently elected Government, who won office with a strong environmental message based on tackling climate change, has stunned many by placing a means test on the subsidy it provides for domestic solar installations. What is so surprising is that this subsidy has a direct benefit to the whole community at large, regardless of the incomes of the households concerned.

Even though the change in subsidy was buried in the fine print of the May Budget papers, the issue has now come to light and is causing some embarrassment for the Rudd Government as in the lead-up to the recent November election, the now Prime Minister was a champion of the solar industry.

James Woodford, one of the Australia's leading environmental reporters said it best in his Sydney Morning Herald piece, "Solar power, installers fear, will not be available, full-stop, to anyone except the most ideological of sustainable energy enthusiasts. And that is a very sad outcome because there is a lot more to living in a solar-powered house than economics. It is also about instilling in children that there is a more sustainable way of living and generating power. It is about taking some responsibility for a family’s own resources. But if you are in a house where the combined income is $100,001, it is unlikely that solar will now be a realistic choice pitted against mortgages, fuel and groceries."

A full copy of the article is available on James' website Real Dirt, which features stories, interviews and links to relevant environmental issues. I suggest you check it out here.

 

Photo credits - New York lights raindance Coastal solar panels reuvenim

Forums and Yahoo Groups - a fun way to tap a huge knowledge base

Regular readers here will know that I'm a member of quite a few internet groups and forums, and find them an excellent source of knowledge.

Whether it's just by 'lurking' and only viewing what's being commented on, or actively participating in the discussion by contributing comments, there's much to be gained by communicating with a whole range of people all over the world who are doing similar things to you. The format allows you to ask what you think are the most basic questions without fear of ridicule, knowing that someone out there has an answer.

You get to choose your level of engagement to, by either reading the posts on each groups website, or by being sent emails of the posts, either singularly or as a daily digest. (Isn't technology amazing?)

Following are the discussion groups and forums that I find useful; you might want to check them out.

Community Supported Agriculture networking list

Gardening Organically

Organic Chickens

Organic Homesteading + Gardening

Self Sufficient Farming and Living

Soil and Health

Spin Farmers

Also there's a whole new range of groups on social networking and blogging sites, and while I'm a newbie it that arena, some look promising.

Facebook groups Support Biodynamic Agriculture, Support Organic Farming, Students for Sustainable Agriculture

Flickr groups Local is Beautiful - Growing + Eating Local Food, Vegetables

What I really treasure are my favourite sites that weekly or monthly send out some of the best information available for what we are doing, and what we're interested in.

ATTRA Weekly Harvest newsletter

BFA Organic Advantage

From The Soil Up - newsletter

Grow Italian Vegetables news

Growing For Market

Jackie French news

Kitchen Gardens International

Organic Federation of Australia newsletter

Organic Trade Assn O'Mama Report

Rodale Institute - newsletter

Sunnyside Projects Sustainability newsletter

USDA Amber Waves

Lastly, a few blogs that I love to read before the days end ...

Tiny Farm blog

The Ladybug Letter

The Beginning Farmer

Small Farm Central - marketing small farms

Real Dirt Environmental news

No Impact Man

Love Apple Farm

Freshman Farmer

That's about all there is for me. It's far from exhaustive, although keeping up with it all can be tiring! 

Now I know you've got some favourite sites and groups. What are they? Share them by adding them to the comments below.

Photo by goatopolis

Thanks to the 350 Challenge, we've created a brighter planet

A quick post today, and it's on a cheerful note.

Four weeks ago, Brighter Planet launched the 350 Challenge to help bloggers raise awareness for the fight against global warming. The 350 Challenge ties in with Bill McKibben's 350.org campaign that I wrote about in this earlier post 350 - the new magic number we all need to know

In return for posting about the 350 Challenge and leaving a link on your site, just like the badge in the left column on the Biodynamic Treechange blog, Brighter Planet would offset 350 pounds of CO 2 for each blogger who joined the challenge.

Seems we quickly rose to the challenge.

Yesterday Adam Rubin from Brighter Planet proudly announced that "not only did we hit our goal, but we blew right past it. As of this morning, over 400 bloggers are participating in the challenge." Brighter Planet will now offset 140,000 pounds of CO 2 on behalf of everyone who participated.

Due to the campaign's success, they've decided to leave it open for now, and will continue to offset 350 pounds of CO 2 for each new blogger who joins the fight. If you'd like to contribute to raising awareness for the fight against global warming, check it out here.

They're now working on some new, creative ways to continue raising awareness. If you have any suggestions, Adam would love to hear them. 350challenge@brighterplanet.com

Thanks - an easy way to make a brighter planet.

The real deal with raw milk and the raw deal with unreal milk

For some time now, I've been keeping an eye on an on-going battle in America between dairy farmers who provide raw milk, and the various Government and industry bodies that are trying to shut them down, under the guise of what's best for the community and 'safe' food.  Then my friend Ann at Sunnyside Projects sent me a link for Herdshare Australia, a new movement to have raw milk available here in Australia, so I knew some research needed to be done.

What is raw milk?

Basically, it's milk straight from the cow, unprocessed (homogenised, pasteurised or contaminated in any way) and full of all it's original goodness.

What's the problem with that? If that's what you want to eat, and can source a dairy farmer willing to sell you their milk directly, more power to you, I say. Unfortunately it's not quite that simple, in fact in most parts of the 'developed' world, it's illegal.

The concern that the authorities have is that raw milk is full of bacteria. This is actually the way it's supposed to be - what do all mammal's feed their infants for the first few months? And do we call that 'raw' milk?

Mark McAfee is the owner of Organic Pastures Dairy Co., and he has been one of the people leading the charge in support of raw milk. At a recent lecture in a Seminar Series on Raw Milk hosted by Rutgers University Agriculture Experiment Station, Mark explained that pasteurisation of milk is used to immobilize certain bacteria and to extend shelf life, and public health authorities generally appear convinced that this process is highly desirable. However, many people believe that the bacteria in raw milk are what the human body needs to maintain healthy immune systems, with much anecdotal evidence reporting that chronic diseases such as arthritis, Crohn’s disease, asthma, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome or chronic ear infections are eliminated by a change to drinking raw milk. These diseases are lumped under the heading "autoimmune problems." The full report on Mark's lecture can be found in The Truth About Milk.

If raw milk is so great, full of all it's natural goodness, cream, wholesome flavour and bursting with enzymes, vitamins, minerals and good bacteria, why can't we buy it if that's what we want? Seems there's too much of a risk of infection; the authorities don't trust that we know what's best for ourselves.

The second lecture in a Seminar Series on Raw Milk hosted by Rutgers University Agriculture Experiment Station, featured attorney David G. 'Gary' Cox, who spoke of his disturbing experiences defending raw milk producers, forcing him to confront issues including clearly identifying the public interest and the role of government, and questions like 'Do we citizens have the right to produce and consume our own food?' and 'Who is government serving by its actions in the raw milk wars?'. Further notes on Gary's report with various examples from his case work can be found in Lactose Intolerance.

So what's the solution to this mess?

Well a few smart people have realised that if you own a cow, or even only own part of a cow, you are entitled to a portion of that animals' produce. Once you buy a portion of a cow you become a shareholder in that herd. Shareholders pay a manager (farmer) monthly fees for boarding, caring for and milking their cows. This arrangement is similar to owning a share in a crop, racehorse or a bull and is termed 'Herdshare', and is now gaining momentum here in Australia at herdshare.com.

Answers to a few other frequently asked questions include:

How will the cows be raised?  Biodynamic or organic farming?
Some herds may already be organic or biodynamic and some may be in conversion. Herdshare.com will encourage organic and biodynamic farming methods but will not limit its herds to only organic and biodynamic. The increase in income the managers enjoy will assist in their efforts to easily convert their farm to organic within 2 to 3 years. Thus, in the spirit of co-operative farming, herdshare owners will shoulder the responsibility of conversion with their manager.
Will the  milk be pasteurised or unhomogenised?
The milk will come to shareholders straight from the cow. Any processing is the responsibility of the owner.
Can I drink my milk raw?
Processing of milk is necessary when cows are not cared for in accordance with farming methods which support cows’ health. Herdshare.com herds will be farmed in accordance to raw milk certification requirements. Herdshare.com is working with RealMilkAustralia.com to create a raw milk certification in Australia. Our requirements will mirror those of Raw milk standards in US. You will know how your cows are farmed and be able to make an informed decision about how you process your milk.
How often would the milk be made available ?
The milk will be shared at your local farmer's market on a weekly basis.
How much does a share in a cow cost?
The cost of a share in a cow depends upon the value of the cow. If a dairy cow costs $1,500 a 5% share would be around $75 and will yield about 4 litres of milk per week. A share in a cow lasts until the shareholder redeems their share.

In short, own your own cows, support your local farmers and take back control of your food supply. Secure a source of local, organic, fresh milk. Join a herdshare and help create a sustainable future for all. The more consumer support we have the easier it will be to lobby the government for relaxation of laws stopping herdshares or raw milk consumption in Australia.

And the final words come from Mark McAfee at Organic Pastures Dairy Co., 'People can educate themselves directly and make health choices without the intervention of so-called “experts.” An informed consumer, he says, is always his best customer.'

What do you think? Is this important? Do we as citizens have the right to produce and consume our own food? I look forward to your comments.

 

Useful links for further details:

Herdshare Australia www.herdshare.com

Real Milk Australia www.realmilkaustralia.com

A Campaign for Real Milk www.realmilk.com/

Rodale Institute www.rodaleinstitute.org/nutrition

Weston A Price Foundation www.westonaprice.org/

Organic Pastures Dairy Co. www.organicpastures.com

"The Raw Milk Controversy: Fact & Fiction"
AKA "Raw Milk: The Whole Truth" See four video clips at:
www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=ChefJem33&p=r

Photo by Bert Werk

Australia's Climate Change Bill - What do we want and when do we want it?

Before my wife Therese and I left Sydney to commence our 'treechange' here on the Mid North Coast, Therese had been very active in the then fledgling Climate Action Coogee (CAC)group. We are now members of the local group here, Climate Change Australia - Hastings, one of many grassroots groups united under the Climate Change Australia banner.

So it is with some pride that I'm able to report what has been happening with Climate Change Australia, and where they are at.

Commencing in Coogee in November 2006, Climate Action Coogee has grown into a 200-strong group of climate activists, with a core who actively plan CAC events and campaigns.

The group's current crowning achievement is the Climate Protection Bill, written by it's members in February – March 2007 and now endorsed by 65 climate action groups nationwide as well as 1000 individuals including three climatologists. This document is now in the Australian Parliamentary drafters’ office being turned into a bill, and Independent Parliamentary Member Tony Windsor has agreed to table it in the Australian Parliament as a Private Member’s Bill. Penny Wong, the Federal Minister for Climate Change, has now agreed to meet with the group about the Bill, after previously rejecting a similar request for a meeting 6 months ago. 

The Bill sets out comprehensively the current consensus of what is Australia’s roadmap to preventing our continued contribution to catastrophic global climate change. A copy of the current 19 points can be found here. The group plan to enter another consultative process once the Bill emerges from the drafter's office, to ensure it meets the current wishes of its endorsers.

The draft Australian Bill has been inspired by the UK Climate Change Bill which was developed by Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where local climate groups lobbied their own MP's to sign their support for the Bill before the 2005 UK election. 130,000 people contacted their local MP, and 400 MP's voted for the Bill, which led to the development of a draft Climate Change Bill in early 2007 and set the UK in line to become the first country to propose legislation setting binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The complete Australian Bill in it's current form can be viewed here.

Prior to the Australian 2007 Federal election, Climate Action Groups met with their local members (and Climate Action Coogee met with Peter Garrett and Malcolm Turnbull, local candidates) to seek their support for the Bill. This push, whilst unsuccessful in introducing the Bill into parliament, was a huge step in raising awareness of the Bill and notifying politicians of the sort of actions the community was demanding on climate change. These actions were all occurring in a climate of denial by the incumbent government, namely the Prime Minister, who has since declared that he misread the community mood on this issue.

To publicise the Bill CAC has initiated an exciting new event being a “Climate Ride”, where climate action groups, bicycle user groups and individuals around the country can ride their bikes to Canberra, the national capital, on 1 September 2008. Called Cycle 4 Climate Protection, the intention is to deliver 10,000 signed postcards in support of the Climate Protection Bill into the hands of the Members of Parliament!

For details of how you can support this initiative, like starting a petition, contacting your local Member of Parliament and media, or indeed joining the 'Climate Ride' go to Support The Climate Bill. You can even download the postcard here.

WHAT DO WE WANT, AND WHEN DO WE WANT IT???

Healthy nutritious produce from Near River

This is a very important day for us here at 1466.

We had a working bee over the long weekend, and with dear friends prepared more beds in our market garden paddock, pulling out grass, and turning the soil. Now all there is to do is add some calcium by way of gypsum and lime, and some aged cow manure.

The seedlings will be underway this weekend in the shadehouse, so all appears to be set.

The weather has even been onside, with good rains and as yet no frost.

And just as well, as this week we've launched our Community Supported Agriculture project, Near River Produce.

Set to start delivering healthy nutritious vegetables to 25 families in the Hastings Valley from early October, Near River Produce is a model of food production and distribution that has become very popular in other parts of the world over the last couple of decades. We firmly believe that it is a worthy scheme to develop here in Australia.

You can find out further information about CSAs at an earlier post here or download the Near River Produce leaflet here. 
In short, CSAs are about developing ties between farmers who grow food and families who eat it; using sustainable and organic agricultural practices; sharing the risks and benefits that farming incurs; and building stronger ties in the local community. Add to this minimising greenhouse emissions and carbon footprints and it all sounds very impressive.

We understand that producing a wide range of up to 30 different vegetables and herbs at the right time, in sufficient quantity and regularity will be very challenging. Along the way there's sure to be some mishaps, but that's what we'll learn from.

What is pleasing is the growing amount of support that we continue to garner for this enterprise. It comes in many forms, some by way of comments and emails from readers of these posts; or friends and neighbours willing to lend a hand directly with labour or a supporting word to encourage us on our way; or media reporting on trends with food or buying patterns and the like.

Such was the case today when my friend from The Beginning Farmer wrote about results from a new US survey that declared Consumers Willing To Pay More For Locally Produced Food. You can see how this would grab my attention! Basically the researchers found that people are prepared to pay a small premium for locally produced food, and this would support anecdotal evidence that we have. The proliferation of Farmers Markets coupled with the explosion in regional foods would certainly support this here in Australia.

What do you think? Are you prepared to pay more for local food? Do we need to support our local farming families? Do you only buy food grown in your locality? And why do you do that? Or can't you be bothered?

Respond by adding a comment below, or if you receive this by email, log on to Biodynamic Treechange and scroll down to the bottom of the first post. Let's get a conversation started.

                                                                                                                                        Photo of our market garden paddock taking shape