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• Less Dependency
• Don’t Violate the Principles of the Cow
• MBA Working with Organic Valley on Transition Plot Research
• Tibetan farmers face challenges
• 2009 Winter Meeting Schedule

It looks like Gary has a very busy Winter schedule.  To view this newsletter click on the link below or right click on the link and choose “Save as” to put a copy on your computer.

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• New Remote Consulting Program
• Biofumigant crop
• Understanding Magnesium
• From CRP to Organic
• MBA Two Day Conference
• Trading Post
• Energy sources for dairy cattle

To view this newsletter click on the link below or right click on the link and choose “Save as” to put a copy on your computer.

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• Cover Crops With a Purpose
• Other Field Days
• Guest Speakers for 2008
• Field Day booths list
• Avoiding eye problems
• Midwest Pastures seeks producers
• Feeding High Quality Forages

Please right click on the link below and pick save to your PC to read this issue.

Midwestern Bio-Ag Bio-News Vol 13 Issue 3

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In this issue:

• Fellers farm the biological program
• Gary Zimmer’s Spring Letter
• Tests
• Flies Be Gone (by Jerry Brunetti)
• 38″Rows, part two
• Small things, BIG differences
• How did forages overwinter
• Trading Post
• Feed Home Grown Quality

To view this newsletter click on the link below or right click on the link and choose “Save as” to put a copy on your computer.

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Composting – Making soil improver from rubbish
Rubbish is one product our society makes very well. We make mountains and oceans of it. We dump it in holes and in the sea, bury it and burn it. But when we run out of holes, when the sea can not take any more, and when we get sick of smoke in our eyes, what do we do then?
One answer given by those who are concerned about our soils and food production system is: “Compost it and return it to the soil”. They are, of course, referring to the many organic materials that we throw away or burn – lawn clippings, leaves, weeds, sawdust, paper, kitchen scraps, seaweed, etc. The compost heap can convert this bulky “rubbish” into a soil improver and fertiliser. This booklet is about the science and art of making compost, and has a bit of philosophy too.

To view this booklet below you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed from www.adobe.com

Composting – Making Soil Improver from Rubbish

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In this issue:
Brunetti’s philosophy
Winter is prime time to plan
Manage N to protect OM
Why plant 38″ rows in May?
Transitioning off rBGH/BST
Little things, BIG difference
2008 Winter Meeting Schedule

To view this newsletter click on the link below or right click on the link and choose “Save as” to put a copy on your computer.
Midwestern Bio-Ag Bio-News Vol 13 Issue 1

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JOBS TO DO NOW
• Deep watering once a week with a garden sprinkler is essential if the eather is hot and dry. Pay particular attention to trees, which are often forgotten in dry weather.
• Fertilise the garden, especially roses, hibiscus and leaf vegetables- use any complete fertiliser with trace elements,
well-matured cow pats.
• Lightly prune fuchsias and roses, trim off any dead flowers and generally tidy them up. Hydrangeas can also be lightly
pruned if they have finished flowering cut back old flowering heads to a plump set of buds but leave non-flowering stems alone .
• Get the lawn mower serviced.
• Continue treatments on all plants for scale insects where necessary.

INDOOR PLANTS
• Throw out all your old, sick or dying indoor plants and replace them with new ones. A good range of indoor plants
is available now; select one or two big plants rather than lots of tiny plant which look messy and require loads of maintenance.
• Give indoor plants an occasional stint outside in the rain, but be careful that they don’t sit in full sun as this will burn their leaves. Under a shade tree is a safe spot for them. Also, keep an eye on indoor plants that are outside as they are sitting targets for snails and slugs. Before you bring the pots back inside, check the rims thoroughly for snails that may be lurking around.

HOLIDAY HINTS
• Massive root damage can occur to trees and shrubs left unwatered at this time of year, so be sure to give the garden a
soaking with a sprinkler before you go on holidays.
• Indoor plants will survive unattended for weeks in self-watering pots such as or Water-well model.
• Indoor plants can be watered well then encolsed, pot and all, inside large, clear plastic bags and left in a cool, not too
brightly lit room.
• Pay on of your neighbour’s kids to come in to water all your plants, bring in the newspapers and feed the pets.  Give them careful instructions about special plants and also give them a good idea about how long the hose needs to water thoroughly.
• Install a watering system. It’s a good way to save water and makes the task pf looking after your garden a bit easier, especially when you go away.

TIME TO PLANT
• Try planting a small area of annuals in strategic place in the garden-one or perhaps two colours will suffice. Slightly yellowish, older seedlings from the nursery may establish faster and better than lush, green, younger ones. Choose from petunias, marigolds, salvia, ageratum, delphiniums and poppies.
• Plant some vegetables-beans, beetroot, brussels sprouts (not in the tropics), broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, radishes, silver beet, sweet corn, spring onions and zucchini.

From Burke’s Backyard

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The objective of sustainability lies at the heart of organic farming. It is one of the major factors determining the acceptability or otherwise of specific production practices. The term ‘sustainable’ is used in its general sense to encompass not just conservation of non-renewable resources(soil, water, energy, minerals) but also issues of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The term ‘organic’ is best described as referring to the concept of the farm as an whole organism in which all the component parts – the soil minerals, insects, organic matter, microorganisms, plants, animals and man interact to create a workable and stable whole.

The key characteristics of organic farming are:

• Protecting the long term fertility of soils by increasing organic matter levels, encouraging soil microbe activity.
• Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble(natural) nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by soil microorganisms.
• Nitrogen is provided through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation. I is also provided by recycling of organic materials incorporating crop residues and livestock manure.
• Weed, disease and pest control relying primarily on crop rotations, organic manuring, plant health, natural predators, bio-diversity, resistant varieties(conventional plant breeding) and only natural biological and chemical intervention.
• The management of livestock involved considering behavioural needs and animal welfare issues with respect to health, nutrition, housing, breeding and rearing.
• Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the larger environment and the conservation of native wildlife and natural habitats also need to be considered.
  
  

  

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