Urban Shepherd

12/11/2018

'You can't keep arguing this is just a cycle': Farmers struggling to manage impacts of climate change

'You can't keep arguing this is just a cycle': Farmers struggling to manage impacts of climate change

Peter Mailler is a third-generation farmer but if the effects of climate change continue on their current path, he doesn't expect anyone will be farming his 6,000 acres property in the future.

25/10/2018

Sustain: The Australian Food Network

Sustain: The Australian Food Network

"For example, Jeffery has urged governments to support farmers to embrace regenerative farming and cut back on agricultural chemical and non-organic fertiliser usage. He believes improving soil health could help draw down carbon to neutralise Australia’s emissions. He wants to see properly funded agricultural education for Australia’s farmers and agronomists as well as soil and water scientists – independent from companies with vested interests. He also wants farmers to be paid a fair price for food."

16/10/2018

Flash hail storm kills hundreds of kangaroos, goats

The future is here unless we act on climate change.

A flash storm that ripped through parts of drought-ravaged far-west New South Wales leaves a trail of death and destruction for two grazier families.

15/10/2018

Bottled water with 'incredible health benefits' found to be no healthier than tap water

NO! to bottled water!

Claims by the makers of Akuna Springs that their bottled water provides incredible health benefits have been called into question by an independent water analysis that shows it is no healthier than tap water.

14/10/2018

SBS INSIGHT

Good question.

322L of water for 1kg of 🥕
15,000L of water to produce 1kg of 🥓

11/10/2018

Farmers' climate denial begins to wane as reality bites

Farmers' climate denial begins to wane as reality bites

A decade ago, only a third of farmers accepted the science of climate change. But surveys show attitudes have shifted in recent years as the farming community begins to confront what the future holds.

16/09/2018

Drought-stricken farmers challenge Coalition's climate change stance in TV ad

Drought-stricken farmers challenge Coalition's climate change stance in TV ad

‘We need to stick to the Paris agreement, we need to stop burning coal and we need to commit to more renewable energy,’ Longreach farmer says

10/09/2018

How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other in the Forest

How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other in the Forest

What do trees talk about? In the Douglas fir forests of Canada, see how trees “talk” to each other by forming underground symbiotic relationships—called mycorrhizae—with fungi to relay stress signals and share resources with one another.

09/09/2018

Farmer's seven-day barley could have drought-proofing covered

The new face of farming?

A Jamberoo farmer has built an intensive indoor fodder system that he says can drought-proof properties.

27/08/2018

Our tap water is among the world's best, but Aussies still turn to the bottle

Bottle water is BS and terrible for the environment.

It's an industry worth more than $700 million annually, but it also contributes to a huge plastic waste problem.

25/08/2018

If you want to save the world, veganism isn’t the answer | Isabella Tree

Another view. What do you think?

Intensively farmed meat and dairy are a blight, but so are fields of soya and maize. There is another way, says the farmer Isabella Tree

14/08/2018

You can't help farmers if you won't tackle climate change, farmer tells government

Climate change affects so much about the way we grow our food. Have you noticed any changes over time in your garden? We have. Plants bolting to seed and apples lacking sufficiaent 'chill' over winter to set fruit are just two.

Peter Mailler, a third-generation grain and cattle grower, has a message from drought-stricken northern NSW to the Turnbull government.

11/08/2018

Monsanto ordered to pay $289m as jury rules w**dkiller caused man's cancer

Give w**d killers the flick!

Court finds in favor of DeWayne Johnson, ill man who was first to take Roundup maker to trial over allegations

08/08/2018

This native superfood is 8 times as nutritious as potato and tastes as sweet as coconut

A great vegetable, promoted by the legendary Bruce Pascoe. His book Dark Emu should be required reading.

Originally wiped out by pasturing animals, the murnong is now making a comeback that could upstage the common potato.

06/08/2018

Chart of the day: is this the most severe drought in history?

2018 has the lowest autumn rainfall in a century Water is the most vital of resources.

Australia just had its driest autumn since the beginning of last century. But how does this drought compare to others?

05/08/2018

The seedy business of preserving plant species for posterity

It all begins with seeds!

A small vault in the back of the Brisbane Botanical Gardens is under lock and key, keeping some of the world's rarest seeds safe and sound.

13/07/2018

Food forests take root in Australia, helping growers save water

Food forests at work.

Biodynamic farming is so last season, with a new regenerative cropping technique taking hold in Australia.

06/07/2018

Biosolids: Sewage turned organic fertiliser improves drought-hit soil

Adding organic fertiliser has reduced the need for chemical fertiliser and 'drought-proofed' some farms. Could this be the future?

When it comes to Sydney's sewage, the tide has turned. What was once a wasted resource causing pollution is now generating new prosperity.

05/07/2018

Hottest financial year on record says BOM

You may have noticed that you need to plant some annual vegies at different times than suggested by standard planting guides.

BOM data shows maximum temperatures were nearly 1.5 degrees above the long term average over the last year.

01/07/2018

Let's be responsible. Bring our own bags. Reducing waste is our responsibility. We're not entitled to free plastic bags for everything. It's not rocket science.

29/06/2018

It’s goodbye to all that

A gardening legend and true National treasure.

OCCASIONALLY I’m asked about my favourite garden jobs, which is an easy question to answer.

28/06/2018

Tasty nutritous apricots | Sustainable Gardening Australia

Urban shepherd's Robin Gale-Baker on growing apricots.

Growing apricots - planting, varieties, fertilising, watering, pruning, preventing pests and disease, companion plants and a recipe

27/06/2018

All single-use plastics should be banned by 2023 Senate inquiry recommends

All single-use plastics should be banned by 2023 Senate inquiry recommends

A national container deposit scheme should be established in response to the recycling crisis, the report says

27/06/2018

Meet the urban farmer who turned his backyard into a market garden

Better than lawn ... Urban farming is the go!

Marc Clapton has replaced his suburban lawn with a market garden and is now selling produce to local cafes.

22/06/2018

Looking forward to running a wicking bed workshop tomorrow at the Knox Community Gardens for Sustainable Gardening Australia.

22/06/2018

Can you spare a minute to help Paul Gale-Baker?

Beekeepers need our support!

Imported Honey to be banned or labelled with Country of Origin. Eg. China, Argentina...

20/06/2018

Strawberries destined for the dump get a second chance as farmer wages war on waste

Strawberries destined for the dump get a second chance as farmer wages war on waste

A strawberry grower wages a war on waste to stop tonnes of delicious fruit being dumped because they don't meet market 'standards'.

14/06/2018

Friday essay: Dark Emu and the blindness of Australian agriculture

Important reading, and Bruce Pascoe's Dark Emu should be on school syllabus.

The powerful ideological connection between Australia and agriculture is being increasingly scrutinised. A spate of recent books have recast basic assumptions about our relationship to the land.

11/06/2018

Beekeeper handfeeding hive in the grip of drought, pollen shortage

Feed the bees!

A beekeeper in western Queensland is handfeeding his bees, as the drought creates a pollen shortage.

04/06/2018

Should You Eat Bugs? Of Course! Says Robert Nathan Allen

How do you like your insects?

Robert Nathan Allen wants you to eat bugs. No really! Insects are part of a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle.

01/06/2018

Food sharing with a 21st-century twist – and Melbourne's a world leader

Food swaps are a great way to extend the range of vegies and fruit you are growing in your back (or front!) yard. They're also a terrific way to connect with your local community.

Research into food sharing in Melbourne shows these networks are highly productive and produce many benefits. But policy and the law have yet to catch up.

31/05/2018

Giving up beef will reduce carbon footprint more than cars, says expert

Time to make some different dietary choices.

Study shows red meat dwarfs others for environmental impact, using 28 times more land and 11 times water for pork or chicken

31/05/2018

Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth

Hard to swallow? Or can we change our diets dramatically? And what about that delicious piccolo latte?

Biggest analysis to date reveals huge footprint of livestock - it provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of farmland

24/05/2018

Monsanto loses right to patent seeds

Monsanto loses right to patent seeds

Delhi High Court’s ruling which forbids Monsanto from stopping supplies to seed companies is a boost to domestic seed companies, and will curb the ability of multinationals to establish a