What protective mineral fell free from the skies for many decades until legislation shut down supply? Ironically, this “pollutant” counters toxicity in humans and animals and helps to neutralise the negatives associated with excess nitrates in the food chain and environment. This pungent nutrient is also one of the best ways you can protect your pets from fleas! This often-neglected nutrient is sulfur and it is a keystone tool in biological farming. (more…)

Which often-neglected trace mineral can seriously reduce your fertiliser costs, decrease insect pressure and increase shelf-life of your produce (even though it is applied at just handfuls per hectare)? This same micronutrient, often ignored in soil tests, has also been shown to increase yield by as much as 600%! (more…)

Replanting offers a valuable opportunity to create ideal soil conditions for the re-establishment of healthy productive fruit trees, while reducing the financial risks of tree establishment failures. Old orchard soils are often minerally imbalanced and low in organic matter and could contain serious disease organisms. In addition to considerations such as variety selection, planting density and grass/weed control, growers should take advantage at this time to adopt an holistic soil health program. (more…)

In this fascinating presentation, author and educator, Graeme Sait, chronicles the decline in human nutrition over the past three generations and the powerful link to the current plague of degenerative diseases. He offers a game plan to reclaim this lost vitality utilising cutting-edge soil science research combined with strategies for home gardeners to use food as medicine. (more…)

If you are aware of the research relating to the efficacy of foliar fertilising, then you will understand that this method of nutrient delivery is 12 to 15 times more efficient than soil-based fertilising. Not only do you bypass soil-based lock-ups and mineral antagonism (where excesses of one mineral limit the uptake of another), but you also achieve a secondary effect, which can sometimes deliver more than the primary effect. The primary effect, of course, is the super efficient delivery of the mineral you have applied to the leaves. (more…)

Recent climatic conditions have led researchers on a quest for products with drought-mitigation potential. Studies have focussed on solutions involving anti-transpirants, water crystals, evaporation reducing products, wetting agents, and even genetically modified water-efficient crops. In reality, long-term drought mitigation, particularly in the case of commercial farming, lies not in a one-step solution but ultimately in an holistic approach. The first step in this approach is soil testing which gives an overview of the organic matter levels and nutrient profile of any given soil. (more…)

We are often asked why it is necessary to invest in chelated products rather than simple sulphate-based trace elements so we finally decide to invest some research funds in a comparison. We decided to use manganese as an example as this is a deficiency we see so often when analysing dairy pasture. It is also a common deficiency in many horticultural crops, particularly strawberries, where several of the more recent hybrids seem to struggle with manganese uptake. (more…)

Theory is fine but results are the bottom line so I have focused upon the achievements of a variety of biological farmers in this issue. I have just returned from a ten day visit to New Zealand where we conducted our 4 day Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, a one day Human Health seminar and I spoke at a new Festival celebrating all things organic. All of the events were well attended and there was tremendous enthusiasm everywhere, in spite of the fact that NZ has been much harder hit by the recession than Australia. (more…)

It is amazing the positive impact one group can have on an industry. Recently we have seen a flood of interest from the Tasmanian and Victorian dairy industries. In fact we have recently conducted two, well subscribed, four day Certificate Courses, specifically for the dairy industry and a third one is planned in the New Year. Why have these large-scale professionals suddenly recognised the potential of the biological approach in the face of an industry meltdown which is usually the least conducive environment for change. (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…)