Colin Hamilton and his partner, Beverley, have embarked on a journey of discovery. They farm 3000 acres near Narromine, in the central west of NSW. They have cropped cereals, cotton and legumes on the farm for the past fifteen years using the standard range of farm chemicals and acid fertilisers. After attending seminars by some of the leaders in the burgeoning biological agriculture movement, Col decided to initiate changes on his farm. (more…)

John Norton heads the groundbreaking South Australian company, Bio-Tech Organics. This company was the very first NTS distributor in Australia and for the past fifteen years they have carved out a role as leaders in biological horticulture. John is now one of the World’s leading potato consultants and he has been responsible for record yields of this crop, achieving both quantity and quality. He is also a gifted consultant in viticulture and small crops. Recently, I delivered a one day course in South Australia and I took the opportunity to question John about his strategies and successes. (more…)

Heinz and Angela Gugger proved to be perfect candidates to embrace and benefit from the biological approach. They had not farmed prior to their current enterprise so the had no  pre-existing paradigms to shift. They attended the NTS four day Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture course several years ago, liked what they heard and applied the principles to their farm. Mary Valley Orchards has gone on to become a showpiece of biological orchard management and this week they won the Sunshine Coast Environmental Council award for sustainable agriculture at a ceremony affectionately called “The Froggies”. (more…)

At a recent Acres USA conference I was particularly impressed with a keynote presentation by the International, bestselling author, Jeffrey Smith. His integrity shone through and his research was exceptional. He agreed to the following interview and we spent a fascinating afternoon together. Jeffrey is the world’s foremost expert on the dangers of GM food. He has consulted with world leaders on this issue and has been often quoted in leading media outlets including the New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine. (more…)

There is a very special NTS event scheduled for 27^th Sep – 1^st October.  Some of you may be familiar with my love affair with a little volcanic island called Norfolk, located 150 minutes from Brisbane in the emerald blue pacific. I was originally sponsored by the Norfolk Island government to educate local growers about sustainable agriculture and I have returned several times for seminars over the past two years. Then, last year we decided to conduct one of our four day certificate courses on the island and that proved a resounding success. (more…)

NTS is a pioneer in biological golf course management and there are now many leading clubs around the globe working with these principles. I found it hard to become excited about recreational turf initially, as it seemed a frivolous digression from my work in improving animal and human health via the soil. Teaching new turf tools to green keepers seemed a paltry achievement in comparison to training food producers to lift their game. Then, I thought beyond a better playing surface and realised that there were changes we could encourage that would also reduce environmental impact while minimising chemical contamination of course workers, surrounding estates and the golfers themselves. (more…)

Norfolk Island is a 10,000 hectare patch of Pacific paradise with rich volcanic soils, idyllic national parks and glorious beaches. The people of this island share the strong sense of community that is so sadly missing elsewhere in this trouble world. There is no imported fresh produce permitted here so the food producers on the island literally become stewards of their community’s health and many of the local growers have recognised the significance of their role. I have visited Norfolk Island several times over the last two years to educate the local producers about the benefits of biological agriculture. (more…)

I recently spent a week consulting and lecturing in Malaysia on behalf of our new distributors in that region, a company called PanelTek. Michael Cheong, the CEO of this company is a fine example of why retirement is such a ridiculous concept if you are passionate in what you do. I shudder to think of the masses of wasted brains frittering away their lives on a bowling green when they should be at a productive and creative peak in terms of a worthwhile contribution to society. Anyway, enough of my outrage. Michael, a dynamo in his eighties, has decided to be a (more…)

The greatest pleasure I have found during my 16 year involvement with biological agriculture is to witness a re-awakening of a passion in growers who have embraced this approach. Our work comprises the biggest part of our allotted time on this planet and it is one of life’s essentials that we thoroughly enjoy our chosen profession. If you are not having fun in your work then find something that moves you, because life is simply too short to compromise! The “sparking” process, where growers are inspired to make a change, can happen at any stage in your life. The only limitation is a closed mind. In a world of rapid change the only thing certain is change and, in this flux, an open mind becomes a prerequisite to survive and thrive. (more…)

Two years ago, during one of my seminar tours to South Africa, a group from the Woolworths supermarket chain attended our four day Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture Course. Immediately following the course the principal of this privately owned organisation (not the Australian Woolworths) decided that all of his growers should learn to grow biologically, whether they liked it or not, and so began a revolution in large scale food production. It was a unique experience, over the next couple of years, to train growers who had not necessarily chosen to attend the course, but we managed to win all of them over and inspire some enthusiasm for this new, sustainable approach. (more…)