How and When to Be Your Own Doctor

The Soil Learning Center is a hub of resources for farmers & growers who are on the regenerative journey. A platform created by soil lovers at Farming Secrets Media Group.

The goal of Soil Learning Center is just that: creating a central online space bringing together resources, education, content and inspiration, to better your growing practices, boost profits and product quality with an emphasis on sustainability and promote freedom from climate change.

For today’s modern farmers, you can’t afford to not know about regenerative farming and how these practices can help you succeed. 

We’ll also discuss successful stories from other farmers and growers who have found their unique solutions using nature’s tools with this new form of agriculture. 

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Diversity is King

The Soil Learning Center is a hub of resources for farmers & growers who are on the regenerative journey. A platform created by soil lovers at Farming Secrets Media Group.

The goal of Soil Learning Center is just that: creating a central online space bringing together resources, education, content and inspiration, to better your growing practices, boost profits and product quality with an emphasis on sustainability and promote freedom from climate change.

For today’s modern farmers, you can’t afford to not know about regenerative farming and how these practices can help you succeed. 

We’ll also discuss successful stories from other farmers and growers who have found their unique solutions using nature’s tools with this new form of agriculture. 

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Self Herding

The Soil Learning Center is a hub of resources for farmers & growers who are on the regenerative journey. A platform created by soil lovers at Farming Secrets Media Group.

The goal of Soil Learning Center is just that: creating a central online space bringing together resources, education, content and inspiration, to better your growing practices, boost profits and product quality with an emphasis on sustainability and promote freedom from climate change.

For today’s modern farmers, you can’t afford to not know about regenerative farming and how these practices can help you succeed. 

We’ll also discuss successful stories from other farmers and growers who have found their unique solutions using nature’s tools with this new form of agriculture. 

Continue reading

Are You Feeding Your Pet Commercial Pet Food?

The Soil Learning Center is a hub of resources for farmers & growers who are on the regenerative journey. A platform created by soil lovers at Farming Secrets Media Group.

The goal of Soil Learning Center is just that: creating a central online space bringing together resources, education, content and inspiration, to better your growing practices, boost profits and product quality with an emphasis on sustainability and promote freedom from climate change.

For today’s modern farmers, you can’t afford to not know about regenerative farming and how these practices can help you succeed. 

We’ll also discuss successful stories from other farmers and growers who have found their unique solutions using nature’s tools with this new form of agriculture. 

Continue reading

Alpha Dog Training Information Booklet

The Soil Learning Center is a hub of resources for farmers & growers who are on the regenerative journey. A platform created by soil lovers at Farming Secrets Media Group.

The goal of Soil Learning Center is just that: creating a central online space bringing together resources, education, content and inspiration, to better your growing practices, boost profits and product quality with an emphasis on sustainability and promote freedom from climate change.

For today’s modern farmers, you can’t afford to not know about regenerative farming and how these practices can help you succeed. 

We’ll also discuss successful stories from other farmers and growers who have found their unique solutions using nature’s tools with this new form of agriculture. 

Continue reading

Regenerative Agriculture Can Help Alleviate Climate Change

To support and maintain diverse soil micoorganisms, regenerative farmers are turning away from synthetic
fertilisers (standard purchased NPK plus trace element fertilisers having soluble and insoluble components), or at least very much reducing their use, and are switching to biostimulants. Examples of biostimulants are worm juice,
compost tea (carefully prepared), fish emulsion and seaweed-based liquids, etc. Many are available commercially, but you can make your own.

By applying synthetic fertilisers farmers are interfering with the communication between plants and soil, and soil microbes are being killed. If you pull up a plant and the main root can be seen clearly, then your soil is not healthy. The roots should be surrounded by soil called rhizosheaths containing mycelium (microscopic filaments of myccorhizal fungi). Rhizosheaths help the soil to stick to the roots.

Plants will send signals into the soil to get whatever nutrients they need (nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil as organic N, and organic P, calcium, boron, silicon etc.), and specialised bacteria working in a symbiotic manner with the plant will bring the required nutrients into the plant through the plant root tips. There is a bi-directional flow – carbon going out of the plant, supplying energy to the bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, etc. to source what is needed from the plant root exudates and the soil – and water and nutrients going into the plant. Of all the mineral nutrients, nitrogen contributes most to plant and crop growth. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria get nitrogen from the atmosphere and from the breakdown of organic material. In agriculture, the most important and efficient symbioses of nitrogen-fixing bacteria and plants occur in the legume family where the bacteria live in nodules along with the plant roots. The symbiotic activities of several nitrogen-fixing bacteria allow Acacias to live in some of the most nutrient-poor soils on the planet. An Acacias’ nitrogen-fixing contribution helps to regenerate soils.

Inorganic nitrogen fertilisers destroy soil carbon and inorganic soluble phosphorus suppresses the activity of soil microbes. Plant root exudates are influenced poorly by nutrient deprivation (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus). Similarly, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides interfere with a healthy soil microbiome and can destroy many soil microbes. Once the plant’s natural resistance to pests and diseases has been interfered with, poisons continually need to be applied to defend the plant, and fertiliser needs to be applied because the plant will not be supported by mycorrhizal fungi.

On a Montana ranch, 80 acres were sprayed with a biostimulant (fish-oil emollient, molasses, and a small amount of sea salt) and several things happened. “Horses in another pasture smelled the spray and broke through a barbed-wire fence to get to the site and graze the grasses. Then a squadron of dung beetles flew in and went to work so that the horse dung, instead of drying into hard pellets, was buried in the ground by the next day. This typically doesn’t happen in a climate that averages [250 to 300 mm] of precipitation per
year”. (See Dung Beetle article in this edition

Biostimulants support seed germination, plant…

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40 Uses and Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar  is derived from the French term meaning “sour wine,” Apple cider is made by exposing crushed apples to yeast and fermenting the sugars to create a substance close to alcohol

It has one of the most well-rounded uses. Considered as nature’s medicine for a variety of ailments, apple cider vinegar’s uses are numerous with no real risks. Its popularity is caused by claims that it can treat or even cure various conditions such as diabetes, acne, and many more.

Key Takeaways:

The differentiation between types of apple cider vinegar depends upon the processing of the substance.

The use of apple cider vinegar in dietary, medical, and cosmetic practices is considered to be part of the “holistic” living practice.

Apple cider vinegar has many uses and amazing health benefits. There is scientific proof that it can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and fight infections. It also has great cosmetic properties. All you have to do is look at this post to learn more about its uses and how to make the most out of it.

 

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The Biodynamic Gardening Journey of Keith & Kay Jeffrey

Compost tea is made and sprayed out generally every 2 weeks in-between the Biodynamic preparations. I can say the Biodynamic Preps are done every month according to the BD Calendar. Compost tea has times when we might be making dandelion, or comfrey, or stinging nettle, or yarrow drenches or teas. It is all dependant on weather and seasonal plantings.

Keith’s worm farm is a hands-down favourite, we get approximately 8-10 litres per month on average of leachate (worm wee) this is mixed at various rates of 50% – 10% ratio to water dependant on the plant and delivered either as a spray or drench. There is nothing else that compares to this for plant food especially veggies. The castings supply depends on the season, summer is about 60 litres and in winter it’s about 25% of that amount. The castings are mixed in the compost and spread as needed and available.

Amazing Bees, we have one very active hive with approximately 40,000 bees in spring/summer less in winter although some natives flower in winter so the numbers are subject to the seasonal food supply.
The bees pollinate our garden (and our neighbours) and they add something to the property like our Penda Tree Xanthostemon Chrysanthus that has grown but never flowered for 7 years. The Beehive is located near the tree and this year it was ablaze with the most magnificent display of yellow balls. We believe the bees have made a massive change in the energy of the garden. We have more birds, native bees, insects, and flowers than ever before. Plus we have beautiful fresh honey yum!

Our next-door neighbour sells firewood at this time of year and we get the bark and small chips – his rubbish by the wheelbarrow full and it’s great as it’s come from properties that are cleaning up usually from cyclones or summer storms and is full of mycelium spores. We use it everywhere even as edges which make whipper snipping easy.

Belonging to garden clubs or any club associated with gardening is an excellent source of cuttings and plants they always have exchange tables or rolling raffles where you can get some excellent plants for a 5 cent ticket. The best way of receiving free plants are the birds, although they often bring in unwanted fast-growing undetected vines.

All this sounds like a lot of trouble and some days it is but we wouldn’t have it any other way, to personally know the food you eat and the trees and plants living on your property that shade you in summer and willingly supply you with fresh juicy orange, or strawberry when you take a break, how can that be called too hard?

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How a new global addressing system can help Australian farmers to operate safely and more efficiently

The Australian countryside boasts an incredible diversity of natural landscapes and is home to a thriving agricultural industry worth over A$66 billion. However, poor addressing can be a daily frustration for many people living and working here. Places like fields, barns, and forests have no addresses at all, while rural postcodes cover broad areas and are not accurate enough to direct deliveries, visitors, and vehicles to specific locations, costing precious time and resources.

Chris Sheldrick, CEO of what3words grew up on a farm and developed a new global addressing system by building on his deep understanding of poor addressing and the challenges faced by rural communities around the world. He says:

“When it comes to describing where things are in the middle of a field things can get really complicated. Growing up, I would often spend time waiting by the roadside to flag down incoming delivery vehicles that would otherwise miss our entrance by miles and frequently get stuck down narrow lanes, typical of the British countryside.”

Chris went on to co-found what3words in 2013.

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Regen Ray Reflects: the Future of Agriculture and Food Security

While the above improvements are exciting, they also raised concerns. I would like to see improvements in the following areas: 

  • Uninspiring Farming—although the article in question revolved around the positive aspects of agriculture’s future, many of the photos used are uninspiring. We saw drab, brownfields, and pastures suffering from erosion. Get with it, in 2021 there are loads of Regen Ag Stock Photos!

It would be encouraging to see photos that inspire potential farmers—lush green pastures that yield their bounty to the animals they feed. 

  • Getting Students Interested Before University—most of the students studying agriculture have some family background in farming. 

We’d like to see an increase in attempts to reach students before they reach university age—imagine the innovation that could come from new recruits with no agricultural background. 

“When I grow up I want to be a farmer,” says no child nowadays! We need more of this and to normalise being a farmer for the future!

  • Yield-Focused Farming—many of the agricultural technologies that manufacturers create focuses on crop yields. This focus doesn’t align with natural farming techniques. I believe that we need to focus on growing quality crops with a high nutritional density instead of large quantities of nutritionally deficient produce.

    It’s like eating cardboard, because you can produce a lot, when a steak is much tastier and more nutritious!

  • Soilless Food Production—we can all agree that systems like hydroponics and aquaponics have a place in society. However, I don’t believe that should be the main thrust of our efforts.

    Raising food without soil is like asking a human to surrender a full life and live in a bare cell. Plants’ basic requirements get met, but they have none of the joy of a natural experience.

With so much life in our soil, why wouldn’t you want your food grown in soil that is connected to the earth and nourishes the human body?

Research shows that the soil food web is vast. Mycorrhizal fungi spread their nets far to gain food for the plants we grow and offer micronutrients. Plants grown in soilless media don’t have access to the natural soil food web. Therefore, while this type of food production is useful, it doesn’t align with our values. 

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