DOCSLIB.ORG

Future Growers Said: “The Presence of This Aggressive Species Is Bad News

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Future Growers Said: “The Presence of This Aggressive Species Is Bad News The Spring 2013 No.22 ORGANICThe journal of the Organic GROWER Growers Alliance IN THIS ISSUE As hot as it got this THE AGE OF Schofield scribbles.....................................2 summer! OGA research ...........................................3 AGROECOLOGY? News .........................................................5 Oxford Real Farming Conference ............9 ORC Producer Conference ....................10 CSA vouchers .........................................16 Nature notes: Almost a vegetable ..........17 Interview with Lawrence Woodward ....18 Land Army training ..............................21 Mulching with wool ...............................22 Bats on your holding ..............................24 Grower profile: Sam Eglington ..............27 Stanhay seed drill ...................................28 Salad leaf growing ..................................30 Apprentice corner...................................33 Manifold green manures ........................34 Dr George Vivian Poore ........................36 Carbon footprint calculator ...................38 Hotbeds for propagation .........................40 Book reviews ...........................................41 Comment: Dumped! ..............................43 Events .....................................................44 Page 1 - The Organic Grower - No 22 Spring 2013 Schofield scribbles Let them eat horse Everything by the end of the decade. I joke of course but it is a good start. The difficult bit As I write this, the horsemeat scandal rumbles on and on. For all is getting the message over to people that the Assurance and Quality schemes created by the powers that business as usual is no longer an option. be, they seem unable to trace the source of this very embarrassing Again this year the OGA sponsored seven bursaries problem in our food chain. To me, it is nothing other than an for apprentices to attend the conference and to me it is wonderful inevitable consequence of the UK’s food policy and strategy these to see youthful faces at this event - the succession that we need. last few years of “leaving it to the market”. We have adverts on the We have learned a lot individually but the task is to pass that TV suggesting why bother cooking fresh ingredients that take so knowledge on to the next generation. It is so much easier to pass long, when in seconds we can zap one of the myriad offerings of pre- on information when you know that it is wanted. prepared brightly packaged ready meals instead. It does not take a genius to walk down any of our city streets to see that, as a society, Our next gathering after Sheffield is the AGM at Longmeadow we are not well. NHS statistics back this up and again the powers in Dorset on March 23rd. I hope as many of you as possible can that be struggle to find solutions to the nation’s ailing health. join us for the day and social evening. The amount of work done by all the committee this winter has made me think about trying As growers of course we all know the answer, eat more vegetables! to access funding for the OGA and this is the subject of our forum Vegetables that have been lovingly grown, close to where we live. session at the AGM and all your views will be welcome. We know this is so, so why is it so difficult for others to see this simple solution to a food system that delivers benefits to the local I will close now by wishing you all a productive and predominantly economy as well as health? If we leave it to the market we will dry season. reap only what we sow. That prognosis is not good. Alan Schofield, Chairman Organic Growers Alliance Returning from the producers’ conference in Birmingham this January, I felt both humble and apprehensive. Humble from the wonderful comments that I received from all corners of the room in praise of the work that the OGA is doing for which I thank our committee for their endless hours of hard work. Apprehensive, for although we seem to be getting somewhere with trying to change people’s attitudes toward food and its production I know there is still an incredible amount of work to be done. This is mainly against opposition to our views, coming from those with big business interests to protect and fuelled by the profits they generate. The growers’ sessions at the conference addressed some of these issues and as attendance at this event was the best to date, I really feel that growing organically, despite the challenges, is alive and well and the baton is being taken up by the next generation with their equally radical ideas on production and marketing. We have been very busy on the research front, which culminates in our Sheffield conference on March 6th. To me, this is an opportunity for growers to put forward our views to those who do the research and this is something we have been trying to do unsuccessfully for over 20 years. Yes, of course there has been useful work done, but now the whole future of production has to become more sustainable and we all know where that should lead. It is of course down to us to make our views heard at this critical time. Caption competition winner! There have been two meetings of the Farmer and Grower Board Congratulations to Laura Davis - winner of the caption since I last wrote and as the OGA we have been working closely competition in Organic Grower No.21. Laura wins a 15kg net with the Soil Association and Organic Research Centre on their of Carolus seed potatoes, courtesy of Leary’s organic seeds and research bids which are again led by growers and farmers. If all Bioselect! We hope they are slug as well as blight resistant!! goes to plan we should know the answers to Life, the Universe and Cover photo: Rocket and vetch at Cotesbach Gardens - Phil Sumption Page 2 - The Organic Grower - No 22 Spring 2013 OGA-led Research - why it matters Over the last twelve months the OGA research team have been working together to develop an R&D strategy for the OGA. This might seem like a grand plan – why is it important for an alliance of small growers to have an R&D strategy? Here are five good reasons why it is a good idea. Firstly, it makes good business sense. If you can identify order to do this. To best make use of these opportunities, and where within your business where you can make even small the limited funds that they have, we need a strategy to decide on improvements, such as yield, increased resource-use efficiency, priority applications. Applying to these funds without a proper increased labour efficiency, flavour, storage, better tool design strategy could lead to inefficient use of the opportunity and and so on, and then take measures to improve these, then you possibly waste funds. will see a real impact on your bottom line. Also, now is a time of Fifthly, OGA members are the embodiment of diversity and change: the weather is changing, seed availability is changing, the resilience, and are thus beacons of hope in an industry that is on market is changing. Things that worked before are not necessarily the one hand increasingly dominated by a few giants, and on the working as they used to. R&D, informed by a carefully thought- other has a supply chain that is ever longer and more fragile. We out strategy, is an excellent way of making the right improvements are the most vibrant point of new growth, and a source of potential and of coping with change. Few small businesses have time or new, innovative entrants into the industry. We are thus important resources to do this for themselves in all areas of their business – in the development of a resilient, sustainable food system. If we an alliance can help! have a clearly communicated R&D strategy, we become more Secondly, OGA growers have needs that differ in important ways visible to funders and decision makers, and the solution that we from large conventional growers: such as scale; use of machinery offer to the broken food system will be taken more seriously. and IT; crop protection; variety choices for organically managed So, we have R&D needs in order to protect, develop and grow soils; markets; timing and specification. Hence we need our own our businesses. We, in turn, are needed by the industry, by the R&D strategy that respects these differences and better reflects our researchers and also by ORC and the Soil Association. This priorities. Existing R&D for UK horticulture does not reflect our situation has great potential for win-win-win-win, to help all priorities and, unless we make our needs known, it never will. parties to achieve their goals – OGA members in particular, for Thirdly, food has risen to the top of Government’s agenda. Money whom the outputs of R&D programmes are most important. is available at the moment for food-related research, but researchers Devising a strategy that reflects the needs of OGA members, now need to show potential funders that their projects will be and using this to access funding, is a sensible move. We must of use in the real world. Researchers need growers to back their progress our ideas now, because the Government emphasis projects. Having a published R&D strategy that we communicate on food-related research will not last forever, nor will the Soil to the researchers, and which we involve them in, will help ensure Association programmes. that we can influence the decisions about what research is funded. The graphic shows how OGA’s R&D strategy fits into some of We need to encourage researchers to study areas that match our the main funding options. There are a variety of funding routes; priorities, and only give our support to projects that have real priorities from our strategy (OGA R&D) will be channelled through benefit for us.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Land.Qxd
    THE LAND Issue 1 Winter/Spring 2006 An occasional magazine about land-rights, incorporating The Land Is Ours Newsletter and Chapter 7 News. The Land Spring/Winter 2006 THE LAND: A MANIFESTO In all the hoo-hah surrounding the G8 summit last summer, did you hear anybody with access to a microphone mouth the word “land”? All the demands to “make poverty history”, and the responses from those in power, revolved around money: less debt, freer and fairer trade, more aid. That is because economists define wealth and justice in terms of access to the market. Politicians echo the economists because the more dependent that people become upon the market, the more securely they can be roped into the fiscal and political hierarchy. Access to land is not simply a threat to landowning elites - it is a threat to the religion of unlimited economic growth and the power structure that depends upon it. The market (however attractive it may appear) is built on promises: the only source of wealth is the earth. Anyone who has land has access to energy, water, nourishment, shelter, healing, wisdom, ancestors and a grave. Ivan Illich spoke of ‘a society of convivial tools that allows men to achieve purposes with energy fully under their control’. The ultimate convivial tool, the mother of all the others, is the earth. Yet the earth is more than a tool cupboard, for although the earth gives, it dictates its terms; and its terms alter from place to place. So it is that agriculture begets human culture; and cultural diversity, like biological diversity, flowers in obedience to the conditions that the earth imposes.
    [Show full text]
  • Rothamsted Repository Download
    Patron: Her Majesty The Queen Rothamsted Research Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ Telephone: +44 (0)1582 763133 WeB: http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/ Rothamsted Repository Download A - Papers appearing in refereed journals Dicks, L. V., Rose, D. C., Ang, F., Aston, S., Birch, A. N. E., Boatman, N., Bowles, E. L., Chadwick, D., Dinsdale, A., Durham S., Elliot, J., Firbank, L., Humphreys, S., Jarvis, P., Jones, D., Kindred, D., Knight, S. M., Lee, M. R. F., Leifert, C., Lobley, M., Matthews, K., Midmer, A., Moore, M., Morris, C., Mortimer, S., Murray, T. C., Norman, K., Ramsden, S., Roberts, D., Smith L. G., Soffe, R., Stoate, C., Taylor, B., Tinker, D., Topliff, M., Wallace, J., Williams, P., Wilson, P., Winter, M. and Sutherland, W. J. 2018. What agricultural practices are most likely to deliver sustainable intensification in the UK? Food and Energy Security. e00148, pp. 1-15. The publisher's version can be accessed at: • https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fes3.148 The output can be accessed at: https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/item/84v32. © 25 August 2018, Rothamsted Research. Licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY. 08/05/2019 10:32 repository.rothamsted.ac.uk [email protected] Rothamsted Research is a Company Limited by Guarantee Registered Office: as above. Registered in England No. 2393175. Registered Charity No. 802038. VAT No. 197 4201 51. Founded in 1843 by John Bennet Lawes. Received: 31 January 2018 | Revised: 30 July 2018 | Accepted: 30 July 2018 DOI: 10.1002/fes3.148 ORIGINAL RESEARCH What agricultural practices are most likely to deliver “sustainable intensification” in the UK? Lynn V.
    [Show full text]
  • Briefing Beyond 2020 New Farm Policy Photo: Flickr.Com/Photos/Tomaskohl Photo
    Briefing Beyond 2020 New farm policy Photo: flickr.com/photos/tomaskohl Photo: principle of public benefits for public would be extra capital and short term Summary investment. It should deliver diversity infrastructure support with specific in production and farming and be help for smaller businesses, and a Sustain presents principles and underpinned by effective regulatory new publicly funded programme of policies that would deliver better and enforcement systems, based low cost advice and support for a food and farming when we leave on the precautionary principle, to farmer-to-farmer advisory network. the European Common Agriculture protect people, the rural economy, Policy. We believe that a focus environment and livestock. UK The wider policy framework on high volume, low standard trade deals must not undermine needs to be reformed. This includes: production is wrong for the UK the delivery of this vision in each maintaining and enhancing land farming industry. Nor do we want devolved administration and should based regulations to prevent harm; a a relaxation in standards as the enable other countries to deliver strengthened and extended Groceries political trade-off for cuts in farm their own food sovereignty. Code Adjudicator to protect farmers support. from unfair trading practices and The policies we propose would policies to encourage retail diversity; Instead, new devolved farm policy include a new, universally available maintaining the organic legal should be based on a strong Land Management Support scheme standards; new labelling regulations commitment, supported by the with three elements: a menu of to ensure consumers drive up taxpayer and a well regulated outcomes; an organic scheme; and demand for food based on higher market, for sustainable, resilient, a whole-farm scheme.
    [Show full text]
  • Making Good Food the Easy Choice
    SCOTLAND Making good food the easy choice Food for Life Scotland Impact Report Food for Life Scotland Impact Report 1 ‘What we are realising is that food The Scottish Government has set – what we eat, how we get it, and out its ambition that Scotland where it comes from – can change becomes a Good Food Nation, a lives. It’s not just about the health country where people from every benefits of a good diet. Good food walk of life take pride and pleasure can help us deal with some of our in, and benefit from, the food they most pressing social, economic buy, serve, and eat day by day.Food and environmental concerns. It’s for Life Scotland provides us with a about social cohesion, improving framework for doing just that. Not life chances and tackling some of only transforming the food on our the great inequalities in our society. plates, but the places we spend our When we are talking about healthier time. This change takes time and people, a thriving economy, and a commitment, but evidence shows greener environment, we need look that Food for Life has potential to no further than the plates in help tackle the big issues. It can play front of us. its part in making Scotland a Good Food Nation.’ Dennis Overton, Chair of Soil Association 2 OUR MISSION We work to make good food the WHAT DOES ‘GOOD FOOD’ MEAN? easy choice for everyone. We % Food that’s good for your health make sure good food is not only Lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and wholegrains, less but on the menu, it is part of the better quality meat, and a lot less processed food.
    [Show full text]
  • A Resilience Route-Map for Post-Covid-19 Food, Farming and Land-Use
    Grow Back Better A resilience route-map for post-Covid-19 food, farming and land-use 1 Grow back better 1 Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................................3 Introduction .............................................................................................................................6 Taking stock .............................................................................................................................7 Ten years ahead ......................................................................................................................9 How we get there ....................................................................................................................12 Ten-Year Transition to Agroecology and Sustainable Land-Use 1. Transform livestock farming to dramatically reduce the risks of pandemics and antimicrobial resistance ............................................ 14 2. Exceed Europe’s ambition to halve pesticide use and grow organic farming to 25% farmed land by 2030 .............................. 15 3. Instigate a farmer-led tree planting revolution ...................................................... 16 4. Farmer-led innovation and professional development – from agrichemical to agroecological R&D and knowledge sharing ................................................................................................ 17 5. Turn soil from carbon source into carbon sink – for net zero and climate
    [Show full text]
  • Soils of North Wyke and Rowden
    THE SOILS OF NORTH WYKE AND ROWDEN By T.R.Harrod and D.V.Hogan (2008) Revised edition of original report by T.R. Harrod, Soil Survey of England and Wales (1981) CONTENTS Preface 1. Introduction 1.1 Situation, relief and drainage 1.2 Geology 1.3 Climate 1.3.1 Rainfall 1.3.2 Temperature 1.3.3 Sunshine 2. The Soils 2.1 Methods of survey and classification 2.2 Denbigh map unit 2.3 Halstow map unit 2.4 Hallsworth map unit 2.5 Teign map unit 2.6 Blithe map unit 2.7 Fladbury map unit 2.8 Water retention characteristics 3. Soils and land use 3.1 Soil suitability for grassland 3.2 Soil suitability for slurry acceptance 3.3 Ease of cultivation 3.4 Soil suitability for direct drilling 3.5 Soils and land drainage 4. Soil capacities and limitations 4.1 Explanation 4.2 Hydrology of Soil Types (HOST) 4.3 Ground movement potential 4.4 Flood vulnerability 4.5 Risk of corrosion to ferrous iron 4.6 Pesticide leaching risk 4.7 Pesticide runoff risk 4.8 Hydrogeological rock type 4.9 Groundwater Protection Policy (GWPP) leaching 5 National context of soils occurring at North Wyke and Rowden 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Halstow association (421b) 5.3 Crediton association (541e) 5.4 Denbigh 1 association (541j) 5.5 Alun association (561c) 5.6 Hallsworth 1 association (712d) 5.7 Fladbury 1 association (8.13b) Figures 1 Mean annual rainfall (mm) at North Wyke (2001-2007) 2 Mean annual temperatures (0C) at North Wyke (2001-2007) 3 Mean monthly hours of bright sunshine at North Wyke (2001-2007) 4 Soil map of North Wyke and Rowden 5a Water retention characteristics of the
    [Show full text]
  • Organic Farming and Growing Standards
    Soil Association Standards Farming and growing Version 18.6: Updated on 12th February 2021 Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4 Guide to using these standards ................................................................................................................ 5 1.0 General standards for organic farming and growing....................................................................... 8 1.1 Scope ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Principles ................................................................................................................................................. 9 1.3 Becoming Soil Association certified ................................................................................................ 11 1.4 Your obligations when certified....................................................................................................... 14 1.5 Inspections ............................................................................................................................................ 17 1.6 Non-compliance with the standards .............................................................................................. 19 1.7 Record keeping ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • SEVEN WAYS to SAVE OUR SOILS: SCOTLAND Introduction
    SEVEN WAYS TO SAVE OUR SOILS: SCOTLAND Introduction The state of Scottish and UK soils: Soils in Scotland and across the UK are degrading, and consequently so is the long-term ability of farmers to keep up food production1. Compaction and signs of surface run-off are visible in many fields, which can increase the risk of localised flooding2. Arable and horticultural soils are losing soil organic matter3, a crucial component for farm health. Research suggests that while allotment holders are managing to secure soil health, farmers in the same area are losing soil nutrients and organic matter4. Things need to change, and fast. Land capable of supporting arable agriculture comprises just 8% of Scotland’s land area5. All farmers and growers in Scotland should therefore have a common goal to protect, maintain and build soil which is a finite and precious resource. 1 What is holding farmers back from gaps remain – although new research is now What action is needed? looking after their own soils? being undertaken, for example the BBSRC Soil is a fundamental environmental The problem is partially cultural. Farmers SARISA programme6, The James Hutton resource and should be given the same level have come to see agrochemicals as the main Institute on effective soil function7, and of protection as water and air. An EU Soil source of fertility and control for pests and SRUC’s continuing soil research8. Directive would have helped achieve this, but disease. This is not only leading farmers for now at least, this is not an option. It is our to overlook the unintended consequences However, more than just cultural change is belief that the UK needs to act itself to save UK of agrochemicals damaging soils, it is also needed.
    [Show full text]
  • ORC Bulletin No
    In this issue: 2. News in brief 3. Editorial: A new era for ORC 4. Farmer-led innovation from the ground up 6. Ramial woodchip for soil health and fertility 8. Postgrad SRUC Organic Farming students: past and present 10. Sheep grazing within arable rotations 12. Reshaping the research agenda: 13. Soilwhere analysis do researchers and management fit in? for organic farming 14. Inspiring healthy farms 16. Events and announcements Cover photo Dominic Amos (ORC) and Alex Stephens (Riverford): Innovative Farmers Field Lab on hot water seed treatment of chard (pp4-5). Photo: Soil Association Subscribe to the Bulletin Organic Research Centre We aim to publish 3-4 issues per year for £25 in the UK (£30 overseas) from organicresearchcentre.com BulletinNo. 130 – Winter 2019 ORC Bulletin No. 130- Winter 2019 About us Editorial: A new era – and another 40 Years – begin for ORC ISSN 1367-6970 This coming January heralds a new era, with the Organic Research Centre taking up a Bulletin editor new home adjacent to the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Phil Sumption ORC will reach 40 years of age next year, and is currently emerging successfully from The Organic Research Centre is a leading, independent, our long-standing and much respected Chief Executive, Nic Lampkin, presented an research charity working for a challenging year which has seen significant change. The departure last January of better farming, food and health, opportunity to conduct a radical rethink of ORC’s business model, including the range promoting environmental of activities we engage in and our relationship with the other main players in the UK sustainability, quality food organic world.
    [Show full text]
  • BIOWASTE in a CIRCULAR ECONOMY Organics Recycling in a Circular Economy a Biowaste Strategy from ESA
    Foreword Exciting, yet challenging times lie ahead for the ESA believes that a large part of the solution biowaste treatment industry. We have recently lies in improved understanding of the value of seen a justified outcry over the scale of food biowaste-derived outputs. The biowaste sector waste generated both in the UK and beyond. needs to move beyond landfill diversion that is This is driving new efforts above all to achieved through blunt regulatory fixes, to prevent food waste but also to then a more product driven process that maximise the value from that truly values the outputs from which inevitably remains. biowaste treatments in line New proposals from with the biowaste hierarchy. Brussels are shaking up the Value and quality should regulatory framework and be the focus, driving accentuating the debate food and green waste over what we do with the out of landfills so it waste that is collected can be used to grow and diverted from food and plants in our landfills. fields and gardens more sustainably, as well At the same time, the as developing new and industry is faced with innovative products that a range of sometimes can help boost the so called overlapping challenges. These ‘bioeconomy’. This is the vision include inconsistent and quickly of ESA’s Biotreatment Strategy. changing regulations, a lack of suitable feedstock opportunities and a severe squeeze on local authority budgets, all of which make life increasingly difficult for operators. These David Palmer-Jones challenges should not be taken lightly. Chairman, ESA 2 CIRCULAR ORGANICS: BIOWASTE IN A CIRCULAR ECONOMY Organics Recycling in a Circular Economy A Biowaste Strategy from ESA Introduction How to achieve a more circular economy has recycling industry in unlocking the benefits of received considerable attention in waste and biowaste and moving towards a more circular resource management policy debate over economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Trustees' Report and Consolidated Financial
    Soil Association Limited Trustees’ Report and Consolidated Financial Statements For the year ending 31st March 2021 Contents Why we exist and our vision ................................................................................................................2 Chair’s introduction ................................................................................................................................3 Trustees’ report Chief Executive’s foreword ...................................................................................................................5 Charitable objects ....................................................................................................................................7 Overview of progress Highlights from 2020/2021 ...................................................................................................................8 Our path to 2030 ......................................................................................................................................9 Our achievements and performance this year Farming and land use transition ............................................................................................ ............11 Healthy and sustainable diets and reduced fashion and forest footprint ..............................17 Our fundraising .....................................................................................................................................22 Our people ...............................................................................................................................................24
    [Show full text]
  • Our Work Cut out Going Proud of the Way We Have Responded to Forward to Do Them All Justice
    Royal Patron Trustees HRH The Prince of Wales Matt Brown Neil Canetty-Clarke Chair of Trustees John Carson Dennis Overton OBE Oliver Dowding Rachel Martino Chief Executive Graeme Matravers Helen Browning OBE Dr Isabel Oliver Dennis Overton OBE Honorary Vice-Presidents Dr Gabriel Scally Jonathan Dimbleby Charles Weston Charlotte Mitchell Trudie Styler Our 2017 Soil Association Soil Association Scotland Spear House, 3rd Floor, Osborne House, 51 Victoria Street Osborne Terrace, Bristol, BS1 6AD Edinburgh, EH12 5HG T 0117 314 5000 T 0131 666 2474 F 0117 314 5001 F 0131 666 1684 Work www.soilassociation.org www.soilassociationscotland.org Registered charity no. 206862 Registered charity no. SC039168 Transforming the way we eat, farm and care for our natural world Introduction It has been an extraordinary year and I’m and we will have our work cut out going proud of the way we have responded to forward to do them all justice. the twists and turns of an ever-changing political environment. We have sought The additional support from donors to use this ‘unfrozen moment’ as an who have pledged funds for three opportunity to set out a compelling years as part of our 70th anniversary vision and to position the UK as leader appeal has allowed us to increase our in food, farming and environmental policy capacity at this crucial time. We policy making. As a charity with organic are overwhelmingly grateful for their principles at our core, our campaigning confidence and generosity. This was and delivery work spans food culture the year too, when the philanthropy and health, biodiversity, animal welfare, of the Spear Charitable Trust enabled farming, forestry and much more.
    [Show full text]