Is it too late for our soils?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Rather than dwelling on the negative aspect of degradation, I would prefer to focus on the strategies and opportunities which are available to farmers in restoring the soil.
Author Archive for: Craig Galloway
Entries by Craig Galloway
To eat or not to eat (animal produce), that is the question
Reading Time: 4 minutes
I really do believe we should be focussing on improving the manner in which animal production is done, focussing on supporting farmers which implement positive practices, rather than just blanketing the whole industry as terrible for the environment and writing it off.
Alternative nitrogen sources equal money in the bank
Reading Time: 2 minutes
I am a strong advocate for the responsible use of natural resources for productive and efficient commercial agriculture. When it comes to nitrogen, this means exploring alternative sources to purely relying on chemical fertilisers.
Carbon – the key to storing more water in the soil
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Each percentage increase in soil carbon results in 230 818 more litres of water stored per hectare. That is a massive amount of water. Increasing soil carbon levels is therefore a key factor to improving water use efficiency on farms.
Changing the way we think about food
Reading Time: 3 minutes
I am not asking anyone to completely change their diet, but rather to consider making adjustments to the way we buy and eat.
Why care about all these little bugs in the soil?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
I think the concept of soil life can be challenging for some farmers, as it is not something that they can see. They can’t see the actual organisms we are speaking about, and they can’t see the direct benefit that they provide.
The actual cost of chemical nitrogen fertiliser
Reading Time: 3 minutes
We tend to focus on the localized environmental impact of nitrogen where it is applied, but what about the broader impact associated with its production?
Grass-fed beef in the winelands
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Jason’s main point of reference is learning from nature, and applying natural principles in managing his pasture and cattle herd. Their approach to agriculture at Boschendal is: “Working with nature, producing real food”.
The law of the minimum
Reading Time: 2 minutes
In order to gain anything from the law of the minimum, it is imperative that we know what the least available resource is.
A consciousness of where our food comes from
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Wendell Berry said: “A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one’s accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which the food comes.” I wonder how often we think about the journey which our food has taken to get to our plates.