Climate Bolloxolgy.

I can see the logic of multi variety crops , (wether it's grass or cereals ) ,but even more the idea of multi- species crops ,

So field beans and peas , or wheat- red clover, especially if it's going to be used for crimping or alkalage it makes the harvesting timing a bit easier ...

Is there anything in the development of different varieties that is linked to the increase in the numbers of people who are gluten intolerant. Even 20 years ago you'd very rarely hear of anyone who was coeliac, I'd never even heard of the word gluten. Then it seemed like every second person you met couldn't eat gluten. Is there anything in the actual crop that could cause it, or was it a fad?

I’ve tried companion cropping. The best results were from wheat/lucerne, but due to disease problems I can’t grow lucerne any more.

I’ve yet to see two crops at the same time to be any good. You’ll have 2 or 3 poor crops, whereas one crop on its own could be excellent.

I joined a regenerative forum years ago on another forum. Went to Nots talks too.

I'm from the so called conventional side of agriculture but with a lean I suppose towards what is called regenerative. I aspire to the techniques.

However at the start I could see maybe a little self praise from some in the movement that they thought they were immune from what I could see was vegan warfare disquised as environmental awareness on farmers. The movement thought they were safe and had it made for a quiet life.

Fast forward five years and now George Monbiot has taken the environmental campaign by storm with his attacks on regenerative farming with livestock. You've even got John Gibbons who was a chair of Biofarm for the last two years attacking regenerative farmers and backing Monbiot. Ye've failed Nots, in having him as a chair. He took your money and laughed in your face.

It's the movement of Veganism now ingrained in environmentalism and now Irish environmental speakers.

The war is lost imo.

And all because Monbiot said he ate a petri dish of bacteria made from hydrogen. No question of it from our esteemed campaigners bar it's the excuse and rallying point to attack regenerative farming with livestock.

My friend is a chef and reckons it's a fad. He says the size of the arse tells whether the person is actually a coeliac or not.

I must measure me arse. Does your mate reckon that smaller arses are proportional or inversely proportional to the susceptibility to coeliac disease?

I have to know.

I think he meant broad beams/wide loads result from devouring too much gluten

Small arse for coeliac. He says that the amount of them that are coeliac until the dessert serving appears and then they forget it is substantial.

Thing is how do you control the weeds.

Plant the lucerne year one. Nirvana will control the weeds. Take whatever cuts that the lucerne produces. Year two, when the lucerne is well established, cut to 4 inches, and direct drill the wwheat into the lucerne. The lucerne will not interfere with the wheat because it stays low. Once the combine has taken the wheat the lucerne takes off. Because of the root in lucerne it’s almost impossible to kill. Glyphosate at 9L/ha won’t kill it. In fact if weeds do creep into the lucerne a squib of glyphosate during winter dormancy works a treat.

I am no expert but the one coeliac that I know has a horrendous time with it. Any gluten slips in at all and he really feels it. He was the one guest at my sisters wedding with it. He has 11 kids, and 31 grandchildren and not one of that cohort is affected thankfully.

Just heard a coeliac interview on BBC re GF shopping. Guaranteed gluten free cost 3 times more with GF label for products with same ingredients not listed as being GF. Companies put it down cost of testing the product. eg porridge oats which can have traces of gluten included in production process. The interviewers were both coeliac - diagnosed by a blood test

There is a gluten free app for Supermarkets