Ear to the ground

endainoz

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Mcsweeney is very much an organic is best vegan type

Just because you support regenerative farming dosent make you a vegan for gods sake. Ella McSweeney has often supported Irish beef and rare breed meats on her social media pages, not something a vegan would do.

And McCullough is a conventional farmer, that might have had his eyes opened a bit from attending bio farm last year. He wrote an interesting article on it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/business/farming/agri-business/darragh-mccullough-ground-up-instead-of-round-up-inspires-me-to-think-more-like-an-environmentalist-38682511.html

Open-mindedness is a good thing, plenty here could benefit from it.

GrasstoMilk

Water John wrote: »

Tillage ground with shallow soil depth overlaying limestone is the biggest leacher.
Wells can change quite quickly and go over 25 which then becomes a concern.

No green cover to hold nutrients aswell

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

Tillage ground with shallow soil depth overlaying limestone is the biggest leacher.
Wells can change quite quickly and go over 25 which then becomes a concern.

Tillage is a problem the world over with nitrate leaching. Quite literally there's little life in the soil to hold onto nutrients and above there's times there's no plant life to mop it up either.
I'd include maize as tillage. It's up there as the worst for nitrate leaching over winter and after harvest.
It's probably included in this country as livestock farming though..

There's a definite anti bias against livestock in this country from the epa, the greens, rte, ear to the ground.
I won't change my mind on that opinion till I hear it acknowledged that tillage (breaking open the soil) and lack of ground cover is a problem in this country.
It's acknowledged in other parts of the world but here it's not with the continuing attacks on livestock to reduce numbers for accounting emissions, the anti livestock farming brigade, the pro renewable energy sectors and the wilder groups.

Darragh McCullagh can tweet about ploughing fields on Twitter and not one word against it.
A farmer from Cork puts up a field of cows grazing and they're called an environmental terrorist.

NcdJd

Having a ham and cheese toasty while reading this thread. Would not be possible without tillage, dairy and livestock.

I thank you all for this magical food experience

Panch18

Say my name wrote: »

Tillage is a problem the world over with nitrate leaching. Quite literally there's little life in the soil to hold onto nutrients and above there's times there's no plant life to mop it up either.
I'd include maize as tillage. It's up there as the worst for nitrate leaching over winter and after harvest.
It's probably included in this country as livestock farming though..

There's a definite anti bias against livestock in this country from the epa, the greens, rte, ear to the ground.
I won't change my mind on that opinion till I hear it acknowledged that tillage (breaking open the soil) and lack of ground cover is a problem in this country.
It's acknowledged in other parts of the world but here it's not with the continuing attacks on livestock to reduce numbers for accounting emissions, the anti livestock farming brigade, the pro renewable energy sectors and the wilder groups.

Darragh McCullagh can tweet about ploughing fields on Twitter and not one word against it.
A farmer from Cork puts up a field of cows grazing and they're called an environmental terrorist.

You’ve nailed it there Say

Say my name

Panch18 wrote: »

You’ve nailed it there Say

I probably should have worded maize ground as intensive livestock production.
Just because I bet that's what the epa labels it as such.
When in the future it'll be grown for A.D. digesters then it will be called nitrates from maize ground but then a compulsory grown understorey will have to be included.
But for now no understorey. Nitrates leaching. Intensive livestock production.

_Brian

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Mcsweeney is very much an organic is best vegan type

Pretty sure she ate a live organism on the program last night so she’s no vegan anyway.

It will be interesting to see how this article plays out.

Appears they have a correlation between dairy farming and the algae but any good scientist knows that correlation doesn’t equal causation but rather means more research is required.

Water John

In fairness farmers have tightened up their use of nutrients on soil bug time. 30 years ago we were all lashing out too much. It was relatively cheap and we were told to.
If their is more room to take more value using less nutrient input we should avail of it. Min and zero till options should be researched more.

Say my name

Say my name wrote: »

There's a definite anti bias against livestock in this country

100%

Any measure that see's a reduction in livestock is like a God to be worshipped.

alps

_Brian wrote: »

Pretty sure she ate a live organism on the program last night so she’s no vegan anyway.

It will be interesting to see how this article plays out.

Appears they have a correlation between dairy farming and the algae but any good scientist knows that correlation doesn’t equal causation but rather means more research is required.

https://www.water.ie/news/completion-of-new-courtma/

"Decades long of untreated sewage discharges in the harbour"

_Brian

alps wrote: »

https://www.water.ie/news/completion-of-new-courtma/

"Decades long of untreated sewage discharges in the harbour"

Yes I’ve often criticised the poor sewage treatment destroying our waterways. But that doesn’t deter me from the possibility that the recent expansion of dairy in the area isn’t a problem.

We can’t say, but look that’s bad too so it’s ok if dairy pollutes even more on top. Truth is all sources of pollution need addressing. This being a farming forum we need to know if there is a farming aspect to the pollution and own that.

JohnnyKq

_Brian wrote: »

Yes I’ve often criticised the poor sewage treatment destroying our waterways. But that doesn’t deter me from the possibility that the recent expansion of dairy in the area isn’t a problem.

We can’t say, but look that’s bad too so it’s ok if dairy pollutes even more on top. Truth is all sources of pollution need addressing. This being a farming forum we need to know if there is a farming aspect to the pollution and own that.

Farming is overblamed for pollution. Im sure some multinational waste in some areas have a significantly higher impact on the environment that most natural farming waste does

Say my name

_Brian wrote: »

Yes I’ve often criticised the poor sewage treatment destroying our waterways. But that doesn’t deter me from the possibility that the recent expansion of dairy in the area isn’t a problem.

We can’t say, but look that’s bad too so it’s ok if dairy pollutes even more on top. Truth is all sources of pollution need addressing. This being a farming forum we need to know if there is a farming aspect to the pollution and own that.

All sources are not being addressed.
Only the bovines are being blamed.
How can you own that when there's zero accountability on other parts in agriculture let alone outside it.

There's a graph above that shows a tillage area being the highest nitrate leacher into waterway in Ireland. Bring that up when someone tells you your cattle are the cause of damage to the waterways and that you should be tilling your land and producing oat milk. Tell them to own that.

Any book by David R Montgomery is a good read.

JohnnyKq

Say my name wrote: »

All sources are not being addressed.
Only the bovines are being blamed.
How can you own that when there's zero accountability on other parts in agriculture let alone outside it.

There's a graph above that shows a tillage area being the highest nitrate leacher into waterway in Ireland. Bring that up when someone tells you your cattle are the cause of damage to the waterways and that you should be tilling your land and producing oat milk. Tell them to own that.

Any book by David R Montgomery is a good read.

Cattle are being blamed for a lot of environmental damage in Ireland which is unfair. Brazil eco policy does not agree with this. Some small China factories produce more environmental harm that all of the Irish herd per week.

Say my name

JohnnyKq wrote: »

Cattle are being blamed for a lot of environmental damage in Ireland which is unfair. Brazil eco policy does not agree with this. Some small China factories produce more environmental harm that all of the Irish herd per week.

Can I ask...Are you Brazilian?

I'm not bothered either way just curious.

JohnnyKq

Say my name wrote: »

Can I ask...Are you Brazilian?

I'm not bothered either way just curious.

No. My point refers to Environmental policy and how its dictated by country exports.

Birdnuts

Water John wrote: »

Tillage ground with shallow soil depth overlaying limestone is the biggest leacher.
Wells can change quite quickly and go over 25 which then becomes a concern.

Its vulnereable to intensive livestock farming too - in the 80's on my mother place near Ballinrobe, serious pollution of the River Robe and Lough Carra was caused when slatted sheds etc. came in as its all Turlough/Limstone land in that area. In fairness things have improved since via various Farm pollution schemes but there are still issues with poor slurry handling and excessive chem fert use on some farms.

ruwithme

Bit late now but anyway,slatted sheds should have being encouraged to be built on dry blocks off land where by cattle would come into the shed to feed and lie down in bad weather and back out then at their leisure.

This would have suited many with drystock in particular and a few dry acres. Yes poaching would be nasty,but on drier land only ,yes it would take time in the spring to recover,but recover it would with time.

This wasn't really allowed when cheques in the post became a bigger part of income .doesn't mean it would have being wrong though in my opinion.

Results being less slurry needing to be spread annually across the country and indeed less diesel being burned. But i suppose you mightened tell them this.

Water John

The sheltered field by the shed had a lot going for it. Nowadays my one produces some amount of grass.

_Brian

Say my name wrote: »

All sources are not being addressed.
Only the bovines are being blamed.
How can you own that when there's zero accountability on other parts in agriculture let alone outside it.

There's a graph above that shows a tillage area being the highest nitrate leacher into waterway in Ireland. Bring that up when someone tells you your cattle are the cause of damage to the waterways and that you should be tilling your land and producing oat milk. Tell them to own that.

Any book by David R Montgomery is a good read.

Each individual source of pollution needs to be addressed. There can be no exemptions for either sewage nor farming. And because one isn’t being addressed correctly doesn’t give the others a free hand.

And yes livestock farming is being scrutinised for every slip it makes. All the more reason not to be making mistakes.

Say my name

_Brian wrote: »

Each individual source of pollution needs to be addressed. There can be no exemptions for either sewage nor farming. And because one isn’t being addressed correctly doesn’t give the others a free hand.

And yes livestock farming is being scrutinised for every slip it makes. All the more reason not to be making mistakes.

Can I hear an Amen that tilled ground releases a lot more nitrates to waterways than non tilled ground with continuous cover?

jaymla627

_Brian wrote: »

Each individual source of pollution needs to be addressed. There can be no exemptions for either sewage nor farming. And because one isn’t being addressed correctly doesn’t give the others a free hand.

And yes livestock farming is being scrutinised for every slip it makes. All the more reason not to be making mistakes.

I'd say the Irish water budget for the next few years will maybe stretch to a few rolls of half inch piping and straight joiners, its wishful thinking they will go on a multi billion euro spending spree to tackle sewage and waste water plants that are not up to standard

_Brian

Say my name wrote: »

Can I hear an Amen that tilled ground releases a lot more nitrates to waterways than non tilled ground with continuous cover?

Of course.
But your straying into whataboutery regarding the ETTG article.

Each industry and indeed sector within each industry need to do their bit without pointing fingers elsewjere. That’s all I’m saying.

Say my name

_Brian wrote: »

Of course.
But your straying into whataboutery regarding the ETTG article.

Each industry and indeed sector within each industry need to do their bit without pointing fingers elsewjere. That’s all I’m saying.

But every sector is not doing their bit.
They do of course need to do their bit.

But we've just had a government incentivise ploughing of tillage ground for next year. Releasing more nitrates to waterways than if they were min tilled or had plant cover.
This is from a Green government.
With not one word from the epa or even the farm orgs against it.

In the U.S. they banned tillage farmers in parts from ploughing and implemented mintill with mandatory green cover because of nitrate release.
Here we promote it.
Are you getting the hypocrisy.

Gawddawggonnit

https://youtu.be/MRnmWPWHVYM


This is a perfect example of the gravity given by the powers that be to the nitrate crisis.

alps

jaymla627 wrote: »

I'd say the Irish water budget for the next few years will maybe stretch to a few rolls of half inch piping and straight joiners, its wishful thinking they will go on a multi billion euro spending spree to tackle sewage and waste water plants that are not up to standard

https://westcorkpeople.ie/environment/holly-cairns-td-and-councillor-paul-hayes-seek-clarification-on-disgraceful-situation-for-shannonvale-residents/

1.2 million bill looming to solve the issue for 9 houses that currently send their untreated muck to Courtmacsherry bay..

zf0wqv9oemuasj

I must say I really enjoy ear to the ground and always watch it, I don’t get the hate toward it we have no other farming program which is a shame we don’t have more. I think it’s too much for a 30 min slot though and would like to see an hour long more comprehensive show.

To be honest the most thing I dislike about the program is that I get jealous of all the farms with added value farm businesses that support the family and maybe even a few families all from the home farm.

foxy farmer

alps wrote: »

https://westcorkpeople.ie/environment/holly-cairns-td-and-councillor-paul-hayes-seek-clarification-on-disgraceful-situation-for-shannonvale-residents/

1.2 million bill looming to solve the issue for 9 houses that currently send their untreated muck to Courtmacsherry bay..

That's only just one source of pollution above the water treatment plant at Jones Bridge providing mains water for a large area around Clonakilty.

Nadia Unsightly Fiddle

Nadia Unsightly Fiddle wrote: »

I must say I really enjoy ear to the ground and always watch it, I don’t get the hate toward it we have no other farming program which is a shame we don’t have more. I think it’s too much for a 30 min slot though and would like to see an hour long more comprehensive show.

To be honest the most thing I dislike about the program is that I get jealous of all the farms with added value farm businesses that support the family and maybe even a few families all from the home farm.

I don't hate it but there certainly is a bias. It's a magazine show so won't say anything controversial - that is controversial against the tide or accepted belief by our betters. Everything will be run through the lawyers.

That is it's biggest failing.

wrangler

Nadia Unsightly Fiddle wrote: »

I must say I really enjoy ear to the ground and always watch it, I don’t get the hate toward it we have no other farming program which is a shame we don’t have more. I think it’s too much for a 30 min slot though and would like to see an hour long more comprehensive show.

To be honest the most thing I dislike about the program is that I get jealous of all the farms with added value farm businesses that support the family and maybe even a few families all from the home farm.

I always watch it too, it seems to get a good audience, I watch a lot of farming programs, it's good entertainment.
Channel 5 has good farming programs, a new one now at 7pm on sundays, started ast sunday, I haven't seen it yet