Sometimes it can be interesting to chart the birth of an idea. During the preliminaries to a seminar series with American author / consultant, Gary Zimmer, I inadvertently cast myself in the role of training provider, facilitating Farmbis refunds for seminar patrons. This seemingly simple process evolved into a marathon, comprising hundreds of working hours negotiating the difficult terrain surrounding six separate State Government agencies and satisfying their varying requirements. There are often unanticipated benefits from the most tedious of exercises, and in this case I was forced to consider our approach in a different light to help qualify for the subsidy. (more…)

The Nutrition Farming® approach is being developed as the industry standard for increased yield of nutrient-dense foods, obtaining longer shelf-life and achieving premium prices. Nutrition Farming® is all about working from the soil up and improving the natural balance – mineral and biological. (more…)

There has never been more reasons for soil, plant and stock improvement. The prices of fertilisers and farm chemicals have risen astronomically so reductions in chemical use and increases in fertiliser efficiency have never been so well rewarded. The Government’s push to reduce carbon emissions will affect agriculture and there is no doubt farmers will benefit from fixing carbon in their soils. (more…)

An increasing number of astute growers around the globe have recognised the potential in producing a product of superior quality, to service a rapidly growing market of discerning health enthusiasts. It’s not just about catering to the concerns about chemical residues on food, but rather a consumer-led movement to reclaim forgotten flavours and to seek nutrient-dense food, rich in protective phytonutrients. There is a tremendous marketing edge in differentiating your produce in the marketplace and in this context a comparative analysis of your product, vs. a typical analysis of other produce, can be a powerful tool. (more…)

The concept of increased sustainability in agriculture has traditionally evoked images of ‘sacrifice’. In this paradigm, recent converts to organics supposedly give up all their tools and the battle begins. Productivity drops dramatically but eventually you crawl back out of the hole, through lower inputs and higher organic premiums. This ‘sacrifice’ concept may seem absurd to any grower well-versed in the advanced agronomy involved in the biological approach, however, huge numbers of farmers around the globe still subscribe to this belief (albeit with billions of dollars of propaganda support from the chemical corporates). They genuinely believe that maximum productivity and profitability can only be achieved with an NPK punch, backed by chemical protection. (more…)