Conventional farmers scoff at those who choose to use organic principles, mainly because they either do not understand or are appreciative of the monumental difficulties in place.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Invariably, yields are lower and viability centres on consumers paying premiums for the product.
This is the observation of a New Zealand farmer: "I know of three farmers that went organic and all sold up because they weren't making any money. The costs involved in being organic made the farms uneconomical. Another farm close to us has been trialling Regenerative Farming. Owned by a generational farmer, with very little debt, he is having to sell the farm off 100 acres at a time because he's not making enough money for the property to be viable."
Of course, the same could be said of farming operations across the board, however, any thoughts that organic production could feed the growing masses is far removed from reality.
GOOD FARMING
The Farmers for Climate Change website piqued my interest.
What an admirable pursuit.
However, on perusal, I saw nothing that suggested a lowering of carbon related inputs or outputs.
Instead, clearly laid out was a pathway to sensible management, stocking rates and fertilising rates.
They have adopted a planned grazing system, matching stocking rates with the last 12 months rolling rainfall.
This budgets feed for the next three months, to prepare for the possibility that you don't get any rain.
This is updated monthly and then decisions are made around stock numbers.
They destock early and aim to have at least 80 per cent groundcover at all times.
Additional strategies include:
- Using a financial consultant and a soil/pasture consultant to give an outside viewpoint.
- Utilising multispecies summer fodder crops to fill feed gaps and improve soil health.
- Introduce lots of perennials to give a more resilient pasture all year.
- Revegetating eight per cent of the property with shelter belts, agroforestry and conservation areas.
Surely, this is the stuff any progressive, productive farmer would be implementing.
Whilst many sheep and beef cattle enterprises are having an epiphany on climate change and regenerative agriculture, they should turn to dairy farmers for advice on how to grow productive pastures, crops and feed budgeting.
They are in Ferraris compared to the many in horse and carts of some traditional farming.
