It is a common misconception that any increase in sustainability will inevitably involve sacrifice, with the assumption that it will cost more or yields will fall! However thousands of farmers around the globe have proven that what is best for the planet is also best for the pocket. Cutting edge biological strategies are delivering the ultimate win/win. You can build humus and reduce chemical inputs while increasing production and profitability by working with nature rather than against her. (more…)

Ten years ago, author/consultant, Graeme Sait, researched and developed the first Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture course and, along with a team of highly credentialed Agronomists, presented the information to a group of fifty farmers. Since then this four day learning opportunity, supported by a 360 page manual, has gone on to become the leading course of its type in the world. Thousands of growers and consultants have now been trained in four continents and the accolades have been many. The former head of the USDA organic division has referred to it as “the best course I have ever attended” and the CEO of Woolworths in South Africa has called it “essential training for all food producers on the planet”. Attendees regularly rank it at 10/10 on their post course evaluation forms and this unique educational event is invariably sold out at every sitting. (more…)

1) Lift Your Quality – Organics has a reputation for idealism, which can be good motivation but bad business. Consumers should get more than chemical-free when they buy organic. They should get forgotten flavours and extended shelf life to justify the premium, and this is all about nutrition. If you are deficient in zinc or boron, all of the compost in the world won’t correct that deficiency. You need soil and tissue tests and good advice to sponsor a quality-driven, precision nutrition approach that will bring the customer back for more. NTS are world leaders in soil and plant nutrition. (more…)

An article by Sonja Burger. Weeds have suffered from a bad reputation for centuries, and often undeservedly so. Yes, they can reduce crop yields and quality, harbour pests and diseases, taint milk, contaminate wool and poison livestock. But, they are often not given credit for colonizing bare soil and preventing erosion, for loosening up hard soil and transporting nutrients from the sub-soil.  Their role in scavenging and conserving nutrients such as nitrogen and sulfur, which might otherwise leach away, is often ignored. (more…)

In this article we will look at practical implementation of biological farming principles focusing upon the strategies that are proven to deliver greater yield and quality while reducing the need for chemical intervention. The following summary can serve as a box ticking audit of your progress along the biological path.  (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…)

A system dominated by chemical solutions that treat symptoms rather than address root causes is destined to falter at some point. We are seeing this fatal flaw in the current health care crisis. More drugs are prescribed each year and yet degenerative disease continues to grow and our bulging hospitals are struggling to cope with the flood. The pharmaceutical “solution” is anything but. Last year, prescription drugs became our fourth largest killers. There is a similar bankruptcy in the management of plant and animal health. (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…)

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…)