Biofarm 2020

Markcheese

Water John wrote: »

Here is an interesting article on Greg Judy and his Polled South cattle. These he has bred suitable for his climate. We have a number of breeds that fulfil that grass only diet.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/25/south-poll-cow-naturally-raised-cattle-grass

Are they polled south Devon's ?

Water John

Not sure what breeds are in them. They are bred to deal with his extreme conditions, from flies to high and low temps. Our moderate climate and long grass growing season allows many of the beef breeds that we have fit into a complete non cereal diet if that is what one wants to pursue.
I suppose crimp counts as cereal but you have that and red clover silage as winter finishing feeds.

Water John

The Hill Farmers Association putting forward a very interesting idea of planting native trees;
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/hill-farmers-propose-legacy-project-to-plant-10-million-trees/

It requires a good bit more discussion but it's a good starting point in discussing silviculture and its future role.

Water John

Water John wrote: »

John Kempf was very interesting.
https://johnkempf.com/#book
Quality Agriculture is the book.
https://johnkempf.com/the-challenges-of-managing-nutrition-with-brix-readings/




The talk on KNF was a general introduction to it, I would go to Chris Trump's youtube, these were put up by a poster on the livestream;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N2PXBKf_GE

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCus0ZO165qzh

I haven't even finished his presentation but John Kempf, mind blown :eek: Raising the brix/photosynthesis efficiency baseline using foliar applications, then it becoming self sustaining, wow

Say my name

I'll blow your mind even more.

Paramagnetic stone dust applied to soil is said to give it's own light/energy to soil and soil life. This in itself can raise the brix of plants even in the depts of winter.

Maybe that's too far down the rabbit hole bordering on insanity..

Say my name

And if you don't test, you won't know any better.

Sample from silage today.



I tested the first of this year's and it was just about 10.



They were going through that too quick that I was getting worried about fodder so I bought hay bales to slow it down and draw the silage out. But they went on this batch of silage from a different field just after I bought the hay and slowed themselves down eating anyway. It seems they don't need as much high brix silage to fill themselves as not.

Tested the hay with a little bit of rain juice on it.
Came back 2.

Pinsnbushings

Finally got to finish all the videos last night..no doubt I'm going to have to start at the beginning and watch again, so much information to take in most if it new to me.really enjoyed it though and only for this forum I wouldn't have signed up , so big thanks ha.

The talks that engaged me most I suppose would have been around working farms, purely because I could understand them better. Greg Judy, Richard Perkins, Hamish bielska, the base and danu group talks etc John kempf and John geragthy very good on the last day too.

Now 2 weeks to come up with some excuses to explain to the father why I intend spending the Christmas walking the farm digging holes, Burning biomass in whatever old vessel I can come up with, buying a sprayer that I have no intention of putting herbicides in, putting skids on an old rotavator, lining out in rows turning and covering the dung heap, building some mobile housing for the pastured poultry and getting the haggard lined up for our no dig garden. And if he's ok with that I might even get going on signing up for the organics scheme opening up this year......
Whatever about lockdown in January, I could be locked up I think haha.

Say my name

Pinsnbushings wrote: »

Finally got to finish all the videos last night..no doubt I'm going to have to start at the beginning and watch again, so much information to take in most if it new to me.really enjoyed it though and only for this forum I wouldn't have signed up , so big thanks ha.

The talks that engaged me most I suppose would have been around working farms, purely because I could understand them better. Greg Judy, Richard Perkins, Hamish bielska, the base and danu group talks etc John kempf and John geragthy very good on the last day too.

Buying a sprayer that I have no intention of putting herbicides in.
Whatever about lockdown in January, I could be locked up I think haha.

It's a slippery slope. Your Sundays will never be the same again.. :pac:

Water John

SMN, do you bathe if the tub first?

Pinsnbushings

Say my name wrote: »

It's a slippery slope. Your Sundays will never be the same again.. :pac:

ha very good and the forklift is a handy tool for the job too.

What are you applying?

Pinsnbushings

Water John wrote: »

SMN, do you bathe if the tub first?

Would that upset the fungal bacterial balance too much I wonder?

Say my name

Pinsnbushings wrote: »

ha very good and the forklift is a handy tool for the job too.

What are you applying?

I'm applying Jadam Microbial Solution (JMS). It was thought up by a son of originator of Korean natural farming. What Chris Trump gave the talk on.
This is anaerobic whereas Knf is mostly aerobic.
Truth be told I didn't watch the weather forecast so I was a little caught out by today. I made a previous batch which went into the slurry tanks as bugs and this today went out to be washed into the soil.
It takes three days to when it foams a ring in the round water trough and then it must be used as any longer and the microbes will die.

(Just as an aside I watched a clip on fb of someone TB testing and it brought back how the test must be read on the third day as the lump goes down after..just like the foam ring disappearing on the solution surface with the JMS. All bacteria/biology.)

Haven't the foggiest if it'll make a difference. But it smells nice.

Made from deciduous forest soil, estuary water, mashed potatoes and kept at 19 - 20c.

I'll start off another batch tomorrow and spray Thursday afternoon.

The water trough was made redundant so it's enjoying getting used again.

White Clover

Say my name wrote: »

I'm applying Jadam Microbial Solution (JMS). It was thought up by a son of originator of Korean natural farming. What Chris Trump gave the talk on.
This is anaerobic whereas Knf is mostly aerobic.
Truth be told I didn't watch the weather forecast so I was a little caught out by today. I made a previous batch which went into the slurry tanks as bugs and this today went out to be washed into the soil.
It takes three days to when it foams a ring in the round water trough and then it must be used as any longer and the microbes will die.

(Just as an aside I watched a clip on fb of someone TB testing and it brought back how the test must be read on the third day as the lump goes down after..just like the foam ring disappearing on the solution surface with the JMS. All bacteria/biology.)

Haven't the foggiest if it'll make a difference. But it smells nice.

Made from deciduous forest soil, estuary water, mashed potatoes and kept at 19 - 20c.

I'll start off another batch tomorrow and spray Thursday afternoon.

The water trough was made redundant so it's enjoying getting used again.

Do you use the forklift around the farm?

Say my name

White Clover wrote: »

Do you use the forklift around the farm?

Ah I only got it it the last few weeks.

It has sideshift so I'll get hydraulics plumbed from there and also put channel iron on a few other tractor implements.

Me small yards are looking bigger again.

Water John

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/herbal-leys-can-make-a-significant-contribution-to-beef-output/

'Results from a five-year trial, carried out by scientists at Reading University, confirms that dry matter output from diversified swards will out-perform that achieved by a perennial ryegrass (PRG) leys – receiving 250kg of nitrogen (N) per annum – three years after all the swards were established.'

“Research trials have also confirmed that certain forms of silvo pasture will act to improve soil health further still,” Lukac concluded.

Two elements of Biofarm 2020 get further scientific endorsement.

Chisler2

Pinsnbushings wrote: »

Finally got to finish all the videos last night..no doubt I'm going to have to start at the beginning and watch again, so much information to take in most if it new to me.really enjoyed it though and only for this forum I wouldn't have signed up , so big thanks ha.

The talks that engaged me most I suppose would have been around working farms, purely because I could understand them better. Greg Judy, Richard Perkins, Hamish bielska, the base and danu group talks etc John kempf and John geragthy very good on the last day too.

Now 2 weeks to come up with some excuses to explain to the father why I intend spending the Christmas walking the farm digging holes, Burning biomass in whatever old vessel I can come up with, buying a sprayer that I have no intention of putting herbicides in, putting skids on an old rotavator, lining out in rows turning and covering the dung heap, building some mobile housing for the pastured poultry and getting the haggard lined up for our no dig garden. And if he's ok with that I might even get going on signing up for the organics scheme opening up this year......
Whatever about lockdown in January, I could be locked up I think haha.

Maith Thu!!

Chisler2

Say my name wrote: »

I'm applying Jadam Microbial Solution (JMS). It was thought up by a son of originator of Korean natural farming. What Chris Trump gave the talk on.
This is anaerobic whereas Knf is mostly aerobic.
Truth be told I didn't watch the weather forecast so I was a little caught out by today. I made a previous batch which went into the slurry tanks as bugs and this today went out to be washed into the soil.
It takes three days to when it foams a ring in the round water trough and then it must be used as any longer and the microbes will die.

(Just as an aside I watched a clip on fb of someone TB testing and it brought back how the test must be read on the third day as the lump goes down after..just like the foam ring disappearing on the solution surface with the JMS. All bacteria/biology.)

Haven't the foggiest if it'll make a difference. But it smells nice.

Made from deciduous forest soil, estuary water, mashed potatoes and kept at 19 - 20c.

I'll start off another batch tomorrow and spray Thursday afternoon.

The water trough was made redundant so it's enjoying getting used again.

Did you do Chris Trump's online course? I'm thinking of signing up and wondered if its worthwhile?

Chisler2

Say my name wrote: »

I'll blow your mind even more.

Paramagnetic stone dust applied to soil is said to give it's own light/energy to soil and soil life. This in itself can raise the brix of plants even in the depts of winter.

Maybe that's too far down the rabbit hole bordering on insanity..

Would this help my 3 hectares of newly-planted native woodland on the Atlantic coast?

Say my name

Chisler2 wrote: »

Did you do Chris Trump's online course? I'm thinking of signing up and wondered if its worthwhile?

No i haven't done it.
So can't comment on it.

Say my name

Chisler2 wrote: »

Would this help my 3 hectares of newly-planted native woodland on the Atlantic coast?

Someone takes me seriously?

I've heard it said in basalt. Felsic for fruit trees, Mafic for agri crops.
There's a guy in Kerry I believe used basalt dust on his farm and he had purposely grown silvopasture. Looked like was getting on well. He was on Ear to the Ground I think.

For what you're wanting though farm yard manure would help. And the above Korean natural or jadam microbes wouldn't harm either. You'll get a better understanding of microbes by giving it a go anyway so no loss.

Edit: have you a nurse crop of evergreens around the natives to get them established on the Atlantic coast?

Capercaillie

Chisler2 wrote: »

Would this help my 3 hectares of newly-planted native woodland on the Atlantic coast?

what did you plant, sounds brilliant?

Pinsnbushings

Chisler2 wrote: »

Maith Thu!![/QUOTE

I achieved the lockdown and I dug plenty of holes around the place but im afraid I didnt make much progress on the rest of that list.

Chisler2

Say my name wrote: »

No i haven't done it.
So can't comment on it.

I've decided to sign up to the David Trump for the practical, hands-on detailed info.......though there is so much to process from the BioFarm presentations. Will post here when I've completed it.

Chisler2

Capercaillie wrote: »

what did you plant, sounds brilliant?

Hi Capercaillie - alder, birch, pedunculate oak, hawthorn, Scots' Pine, rowan and hazel. It was planted November 2019 on steep south-facing mountainside behind The Reek. It is doing well despite the inevitable hare nipping-off of growing tips. I have around 100 holly plants ready to go in and plan to introduce more fruit and nut as time and money allows.

No shelter-belt and elevated site but my dry-stone walls gave some protection.

Aside from those hectares I planted 50 whips of the above species into a green manure (one of Fruithill Farm's organic mixes) end-December as an experiment. The result is spectacular in size, health and strength of the young trees.

Birdnuts

Chisler2 wrote: »

Hi Capercaillie - alder, birch, pedunculate oak, hawthorn, Scots' Pine, rowan and hazel. It was planted November 2019 on steep south-facing mountainside behind The Reek. It is doing well despite the inevitable hare nipping-off of growing tips. I have around 100 holly plants ready to go in and plan to introduce more fruit and nut as time and money allows.

No shelter-belt and elevated site but my dry-stone walls gave some protection.

Aside from those hectares I planted 50 whips of the above species into a green manure (one of Fruithill Farm's organic mixes) end-December as an experiment. The result is spectacular in size, health and strength of the young trees.

Good stuff - I went on a hedge laying course on Tommy Earley's organic place in Leitrim back in late 2019 and was well impressed with the growth rate and stature of his native woodland plot planted just 10 years previous. Its such a pity our state forestry service hasn't done a tap in this area for the past 70 years or so:rolleyes:

Capercaillie

Chisler2 wrote: »

Hi Capercaillie - alder, birch, pedunculate oak, hawthorn, Scots' Pine, rowan and hazel. It was planted November 2019 on steep south-facing mountainside behind The Reek. It is doing well despite the inevitable hare nipping-off of growing tips. I have around 100 holly plants ready to go in and plan to introduce more fruit and nut as time and money allows.

No shelter-belt and elevated site but my dry-stone walls gave some protection.

Aside from those hectares I planted 50 whips of the above species into a green manure (one of Fruithill Farm's organic mixes) end-December as an experiment. The result is spectacular in size, health and strength of the young trees.

Excellent work!

Say my name

I'm reading lots of pontificating about ryegrass and biodiversity.
Mostly done by those with ms swards or tillage or mixed farming or non farmers.

When will the day come when ryegrass and soil biodiversity gets talked about in the same breath and recognized favourably?

And interesting tweet.

https://twitter.com/niels_corfield/status/1360654574709784580?s=20

Take a look at the nitrogen available after that application too. Life is nitrogen. The higher numbers of life in the soil the more nitrogen available to the plant.
Perhaps we'll get to a stage of being graded for the amount of life in per square inch of soil.

Water John

The guy that Christine Jones showed getting the first carbon payment in Australia had made the machine that stitched in about 23% diverse plants but it left the rest 77% of the strip which I presume was ryegrass.
That looks a more realistic model for the next move on commercial farms. Would suggest for example that a dairy farmer would initially do that in the paddocks grazed by the replacement calves. They certainly would benefit from it.

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

The guy that Christine Jones showed getting the first carbon payment in Australia had made the machine that stitched in about 23% diverse plants but it left the rest 77% of the strip which I presume was ryegrass.
That looks a more realistic model for the next move on commercial farms. Would suggest for example that a dairy farmer would initially do that in the paddocks grazed by the replacement calves. They certainly would benefit from it.

Nothing personal WJ but this is what gets my goat.

People here always have to look to ms swards and they're always considered the panacea.
Maybe it's because I haven't got them but I feel the ryegrass is being overlooked needlessly.

You can have the low worm burden, full of minerals, low nitrogen growing ryegrass.

It seems it's too much of a hard work for farmers to go that route than the simple buy the bag of seed and sow.
I've seen ms swards only last two years so it's not the whole panacea either. The whole shebang should be looked at which would include the soil fungal bacterial soil management that the ryegrass would need too.

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

The guy that Christine Jones showed getting the first carbon payment in Australia had made the machine that stitched in about 23% diverse plants but it left the rest 77% of the strip which I presume was ryegrass.
That looks a more realistic model for the next move on commercial farms. Would suggest for example that a dairy farmer would initially do that in the paddocks grazed by the replacement calves. They certainly would benefit from it.

Do you not have ms sward planted Water John?

How is that doing and grazing since planted?