News and Workshops

GM contaminated crop issues in Western Australia

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:13:28 GMT

Monsanto versus Steve Marsh: First GM legal battle in Oz

20 January 2011

One of the biggest legal battles in Australian GM history is brewing in Western Australia, following organic farmer Steve Marsh's loss of his organic certification because of GM contamination.

For the first time in Australia, an organic farmer has lost their organic status because of contamination by GM canola. Kojonup farmer, Steve Marsh, confirmed in January that his oat and wheat crops have been downgraded to conventional crops because 70 per cent of his property has been contaminated with Monsanto's Roundup Ready Canola.

Considering that organic wheat sells for $500 to $800 a tonne more than conventional wheat and GM seeds can remain viable for a number of years, Mr Marsh is facing massive financial losses. He has confirmed he will take legal action. In response, Monsanto has announced that it will bank-roll it's GM farmers legal defence.

Meanwhile, the Western Australian Government has done nothing to assist Mr Marsh. Agriculture Minister Terry Redman has taken the same position as Monsanto regarding Mr Marsh's decertification. In October, Redman wrote to Mr Marsh blaming organic standards for not allowing GM contamination. "The threshold for accidental presence in organic crops is an important issue which needs to be addressed to enable coexistence," Minister Redman wrote, stating that zero tolerance for GM in organic crops is "unrealistic".

2011 October: Upcoming Workshops

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:20:38 GMT

Dr. Mary Cole is hosting and facilitating our one day introduction and three day courses in Victoria the end of November.

An Introduction to Soil Foodweb International, their Methodology & Approach to Soil Health

Admission: $TBD
Date: 24th November 2010
Location: Education Centre Gippsland McMillan Campus, 71 Korumburra-Warragul Road, Warragul, Vic 3822
Duration: One day
Enquiries: Dr. Mary Cole - +61 (0)3 5629 1253

Applying SFI Methodology to Create Compost, Compost Tea and Analysing the Tea Created

Admission: $TBD
Date: 25-27 November 2010
Location: St Paul's Angilican Grammar School Science laboratory, 150 Bowen St, Warragul, Vic 3822
Duration: Three days
Enquiries: Dr. Mary Cole - +61 (0)3 5629 1253

Soil Foodweb Institute will also be hosing a workshop in early December in Lismore, NSW

Applying SFI Methodology to Create Compost, Compost Tea and Analysing the Tea Created

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Admission: $650.00 + GST
Date: 6 - 8 December, 2011
Location: Soil Foodweb Institute, Unit 138 Rifle range rd. Southern Cross University, East Lismore, NSW, 2480
Duration: Three days
Enquiries: Merline Olson - +61 (0)2 6622 5150

Our courses are FarmReady approved!

2010 October: Tech Tips

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:54:28 GMT

The importance of cleaning equipment.

Cleaning the brewing equipment is of the utmost importance, and cannot be stressed enough. We are multiplying biology here and we certainly don’t want to encourage or breed biology that we don’t want. And just like making a beer brew or culturing yogurt, failure to clean your equipment can have devastating effects on the quality of subsequent brews.

It is best to clean your equipment as soon as possible, before liquids have a chance to dry and biofilms develop. A biofilm is a way that biology attempts to preserve itself – it is a mixture of the liquid (compost tea) and bacterial slimes and glues, which form a tough leathery surface coat or film. This is a shelter for biology under it- but oxygen is excluded and anaerobic organisms can multiply. When the surface film is removed in the next brew, anaerobes and their nasty metabolites (such as alcohols, aldehydes, and strong organic acids) are released into the brew with often devastating effects. If you clean brewers as soon as emptied, then biofilms don’t get a chance to form. When biofilms form, the job becomes more difficult and time consuming.

I use kitchen detergent with a soft sponge, and this easily removes any visible grime. Avoid the use of harsh scourers such as steel wool – they can etch equipment and provide further hiding places for biology to hide. I’m not too fussy about cleaning agents as long as they work well. Detergents and soaps work well – I have used truck wash, many types of dish washing liquid, hand soaps and crème cleansers. If the job requires sterilizing, I have used bleach, peroxide, and vinegar. For stubborn greasy or gummy resides I have used Ajax effectively and for impossible to remove stains I have used caustic soda (beware- safety precautions apply) The GOLDEN RULE is rinse thoroughly at least three times to remove residues.

Careful attention should be given to “ hiding “ spots such as inside lids, around bung holes, in corners, in aeration holes, and any areas which can’t be seen. Hoses and spray tanks should be well flushed and inspected for cleanliness. A bottle brush is essential for cleaning pipes and aeration holes- I attach a baby bottle brush to a length of 20mm conduit for quick and easy cleaning of pipes. Dairy cleaning brushes are also available.

If I get onto it immediately, I can clean a 1000litre simple brewer in 10- 15 minutes – If I let biofilms develop and “set’, then the same job can take me 2 hours or longer. When shopping for a brewer system, make sure you consider the cleaning aspect – at SFI we have seen many brewers which perform well for the first brew, but quality goes downhill after that. 95% of the time the problem is a cleaning issue. If you want to design a brewer yourself, remember, it must be cleaned after use, so keep it simple!

Happy Brewing,

Jack Waterman

2010 October: Improving the Biology in Waste Management

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:32:53 GMT

by Michael Rost

Dr. Elaine Ingham is president of Soil Foodweb Inc. and author of the popular Compost Tea Brewing Manual. She has contributed to many other publications and has been researching and teaching about biological growing methods for over 25 years.

Soil Foodweb Insights: What have you been up to? You do a fair amount of traveling; where have you been lately?

Elaine: Most recently I was down in Texas working with a company restoring river banks. I worked with them to try to improve the reduced waste material that is available to them. It is called compost, but it’s not compost by any means. It’s reduced waste material. This stuff is about 50% bio solids and contains a great deal of salts. We were trying to figure out how to use that material mixed with green waste and make a compost that can meet the specifications and grow native grasses and native flowers. I helped them come up with a plan to make some compost material so native plants and flowers can come back up.

SFI: When you say waste you mean composted material? And you are working with them to improve the quality of that material?

Elaine: I’m helping them turn the reduced waste material they buy into compost. If you go back to how we’ve treated waste material in this country, people with waste material from cities and their gardens and garbage were sending it to a landfill. Landfills were filling up and we needed more places to store waste. Nobody wants a landfill in their backyard. So, instead of putting all this organic matter into a landfill, you could divert that. The organic material started being separated from the rest of the waste. The organics were supposed to be composted with the goal of reducing the waste. By composting it you would release the CO2, process it and end up with 30%-40% of the volume of waste you had.

SFI: So they’re composting just to reduce volume of waste? Not for any biological benefit?

Elaine: That’s right. That’s why it’s called reduced waste material.

SFI: This company in Texas was trying to utilize this reduced waste material restoring river banks?

Elaine: In America’s general lack of knowledge of composting, we have certain instances when reduced waste material is being called compost. It is not compost, and yet these commercial groups are selling ‘compost’ when in reality it is reduced waste. These municipal composting operations take in material at an initial fee. The quality of it is of no concern when they process it, they already have their money up front. They just charge a small price to get rid of it. When people buy this material and put it on their yard, it kills everything. I have scientists who call me and say ‘Compost is horrible stuff, it kills plants!” It does not, you just need to go back and-

SFI: Make sure what you’re getting?

Elaine: Exactly. Realize that what they’re using is reduced waste. What I’m talking about is compost that is made properly that has all the biology and has eliminated the pathogens and weed seeds. Huge difference. Nobody seems to be paying attention to what compost is in these reduced waste systems. We’re trying to raise awareness. Some states have begun to write specifications for the biological requirements for compost, and these people in Texas are having some trouble meeting them. They run a number of composting operations in Texas and had biological and chemistry tests performed on their material. There was no way they can use that material. It did not meet specifications for chemistry or biology. It met the requirements set by the U.S. Composting Council, but these regulations need to change to start to include more rigorous and specific criteria.

SFI: Would you say that these municipal waste facilities are a group that are becoming more interested in utilizing biological methods of processing waste? I attended one of your workshops last year and you mentioned that the material they’re selling was unusable. Is this something that you see changing? Maybe in terms of more state regulations?

Elaine: It depends on where the biological movement is strong. For example New York state has regulations for compost. Much of New England has regulations. Texas and California are starting to move in that direction. Are we going to see that take off and go around the world? I’m sure it will. How long though? It won’t happen this year. Maybe in 20 years, maybe in 50. The world doesn’t really have a choice though if human beings want to stay healthy. If we want to remain a viable population on this planet we have to do this.

SFI: So these facilities have an opportunity to make quality, localized compost that would benefit everybody.

Elaine: We’ve worked hard trying to convince them that they should be doing a better job managing their waste. If they made real compost it would be less expensive and they could potentially sell it for more. Unfortunately there is resistance to learning new methods and changing practices. They believe it would be more complicated utilizing biologically responsible methods. That’s not really the case. They need to control their inputs better.

SFI: Thank you for your time Dr. Ingham.

2010 October: 30% off

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:21:03 GMT

Print and mail in the coupon with your samples to receive your discount!

2010 October: Letter from the GM

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:12:09 GMT

Hello everyone,

First, let me say it is an honour to be in Australia leading the way and paving the path for Soil Foodweb. I would like to specifically acknowledge Dr. Elaine Ingham and the rest of the Board for placing their trust in my experience, education, and judgment. There is a lot of work to do moving the company forward and unfortunately, it is impossible to address all areas of the business and operations at once.

In an effort to begin the process of making the company and its operations transparent, allow me to give you a bit of background and how I got started with Soil Foodweb.

Eight years ago, I was contracted to write the operational software used to run the sample processing systems in the Soil Foodweb laboratories. Over the years, the software had undergone several minor and major changes and I became the very part time contractor responsible for database architecture and administration as well as technical support for the Soil Foodweb labs around the world. Several things happened during this time. First, I completed my Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA). I also honed my leadership and management skills as the General Manager for several small and profitable technology companies in the United States. And lastly, Soil Foodweb and Earth Fortifications Supplies Company had me working as a strategic business consultant to help shape the direction of the global Soil Foodweb initiative. With this background, I am intimately familiar with the principles, direction, and vision of Soil Foodweb.

The future of Soil Foodweb in Australia looks very good. From a strategic perspective, the Australian government is generating legislation encouraging primary growers to move to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. The company has been here for 10 years and is firmly established in the agricultural industry. We have several large research projects in conjunction with government agencies. And we are fine tuning our grower programs and starting to see great results from our growers. From my perspective, there are also some areas that need significant improvement on our part and I will be addressing these areas as time permits.

As Soil Foodweb moves into the future, I am happy to talk to anyone about their perception of the company and what people would like to see changed. My philosophy on business is that a business needs to be sustainable and meet a real need in the marketplace. What that translates to is: we are here for you, the growers, landscapers, arborists, consultants, agronomists, scientists, and anyone else that might need a biological assessment undertaken. Without you, we would not exist and the tools Soil Foodweb brings to market will never have an impact on healing the soil of the planet. And if you are not into saving the planet, you can always look at it from a pragmatic point of view, utilizing Soil Foodweb will save valuable resources like water; and there is always the financial implications which, if implemented properly, the Soil Foodweb approach to agriculture will not only save the primary producer money, but they will make more money in the end.

I am open to feedback, suggestions, complaints and compliments about the organization. Feel free to email me or call me any time. Thank you for supporting the company and doing your part in shifting the focus to sustainable practices in your profession.

Sincerely,

Christopher L. Slaughter, MBA

chris@soilfoodweb.com.au

+61 (02) 6622 5150

2010 October: Under New Management

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:52:59 GMT

There have been a few changes at Soil Foodweb. The first change is that Soil Foodweb has a new General Manager, Chris Slaughter. Chris has taken the reigns of the company and is in the process of evaluating the existing systems and infrastructures to make some changes that will strengthen the relationships with our customers, advisers and stakeholders. Chris has written a brief letter that has been included in this newsletter.

· Soil Foodweb has a new Board of Directors and management:

o Directors:

§ Dr. Elaine Ingham (President)

§ Merline Olson

§ Dr. Mary Cole

§ Graham Lancaster

§ David Kuester

o General Manager:

§ Chris Slaughter, MBA

We are excited about the "new blood" on the Board and extend a heart felt thank you. In due course we will be posting a short biography of each director on our web site.

2010_Sep SFI Happenings

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:24:45 GMT

QUOTE:

People in cities may forget the soil for as long as a hundred years, but Mother Nature's memory is long and she will not let them forget indefinitely.

Henry Cantwell Wallace - US Secretary of Agriculture 1921 - 24

2010_Sep Blast from the past

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:49:28 GMT

2010_Sep Soil pathogens and biodiversity

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:08:15 GMT

2010_Sep Plant strategies for finding food

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:36:55 GMT

2010_Sep World Congress of Soil Science Brisbane

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:24:10 GMT

2010_Sep Trees farm bacteria

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:38:50 GMT

2010_Sep Soil Foodweb and Compost Tea in Mexico

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:02:52 GMT

2010_Sep Bacteria can smell

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:52:04 GMT

2010_Aug This month at SFI

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:31:51 GMT

2010_Aug Organic agriculture leads to better pest control

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:57:42 GMT

2010_Aug How fungi attack cells in plants and humans

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:31:53 GMT

2010_Aug Water Imploder

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:58:18 GMT

2010_Aug Fungi and the nitrogen cycle

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:29:47 GMT

Research from the University of York indicates that arbuscular mycorrhizae play an important role in the cycling of nitrogen. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) are fungi that form a relationship with the roots of plants and obtain their supply of sugars (C) from the plant. These sugars are used to provide the energy for growth of the fungi. AM are unable to obtain sugars from organic decomposition, unlike other fungi and are therefore dependent upon the plant.

This new finding suggests that the hyphae (fungal strands) of AM are able to assimilate nitrogen (N) from decomposing organic matter, passing some of it on to the plant in return for carbon (in the form of sugars). The fungi were found to be much richer in nitrogen than the roots of the host plant. On this basis, it has been estimated that there could be as much nitrogen globally in AM as in plant roots. Plant roots generally live longer than fungal hyphae, which implies that nitrogen is cycled faster by fungi than by plants.

The techniques required to discover this are beyond the scope of this article (and this writer) but can be read in a little more detail at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715130159.htm

The academic article behind this announcement is available at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/07/13/1005874107

2010_Aug More on biochar

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:12:38 GMT

2010_Aug Tassie farms as carbon sinks

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:38:16 GMT

2010_Aug Water availability affects photosynthesis

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:29:00 GMT

Academic papers released in July 2010 have indicated that previous assumptions about the impact of increased temperatures (due to climate change/global warming) on the rate of photosynthesis may not be the full story. Rather, it appears that for many plants, water availability is much more important than temperature in determining how photosynthesis in plants changes in a changing environment.

FLUXNET is a "network of regional networks" coordinating observations of the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. In Australia, the CSIRO is a participant through its OzFlux network - see http://www.cmar.csiro.au/ozflux/ The Australian ecosystems covered by observation stations include wet/dry savanna, rainforest, wet sclerophyll eucalyptus forest, pasture and sugar cane.

2010_July SFI Tick of Approval - OzTurners

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:50:58 GMT

The SFI Tick of Approval indicates that the product or service offered by the supplier meets the exacting standards established by SFI. Buyers and clients can be assured that companies holding the SFI TOA provide products or services in accordance with the latest in soil science, and at levels superior to standard regulations relating to agricultural inputs and their management. Companies interested in obtaining this prestigious SFI accreditation can read more about it on our website at http://www.soilfoodweb.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84&Itemid=116

2010_July What's new at SFI

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:31:41 GMT

QUOTE:

The earth neither grows old nor wears out if it is dunged.

- Columella, circa 45 A.D.

See the articles on manure and composts later in this newsletter.

The Month That Was

It has been a very hectic period of workshops and presentations around the country,from North Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Southern NSW and back to our home base in Lismore, Northern NSW. The team in the Lismore lab have kept the processes running smoothly during our absences, so there was not too much of a backlog when we returned. But, to rub salt into the wound, we are back in time to face all the end of financial year hassles! We met lots of new people and very many old friends during our travels and look forward to keeping in touch in future.

Electronic Manuals

SFI continue to improve service availability, options and delivery. A number of SFI audio materials are now available as downloadable MP3 files. Titles available are:

A Plant Production Overview
Actively Aerated Compost Tea
Grass Systems
Introduction to the Soil Foodweb
Row Crops and Vegies
The Compost Foodweb

These are presentations by Dr Elaine Ingham and each consists of a set of downloadable MP3 files (up to 19 files).

To purchase any of these products, please just click on "Electronic Manuals" from the list on the left hand side of the SFI homepage. Select the item(s) that you require and when your shopping is complete, proceed to the checkout. After your payment has cleared, you will be sent an email containing the link to your files. You will have 24 hours in which to download your files.

TIP OF THE MONTH

This month's tip comes from Dr Ingham and relates to compost tea brewers: I'd suggest the simple brewers, where cone tanks are used, with a valve in the cone so you can close the tank, put the air pump on the cone, turn the air pump on, open the valve, and allow aeration. When finished with the brewing, you close the valve, remove the pipe to the air pump, and drain the tea into the tank for spraying. Simple, easy, with nothing but the walls of the cone tank to clean. High pressure washers are all that is needed, no other surfaces to scrub.

QUOTE:

Most of all one discovers that the soil does not stay the same, but, like anything alive, is always changing and telling its own story. Soil is the substance of transformation.

- Carol Williams

2010_July Manure gives better returns than chemical fertilisers

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:14:47 GMT

2010_July Measuring soil moisture from space

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:12:20 GMT

2010_July Testing for nematodes

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:44:49 GMT

2010_July NFF National Congress

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:11:22 GMT

2010_July New SFI Certified Advisor

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:17:36 GMT

2010_July Compost preparation

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:52:12 GMT

2010_July Frankenfood

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:13:07 GMT

2010_June What's happening at SFI

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:40:43 GMT

As always, readers are encouraged to email or otherwise advise of any topics that they would specifically like covered in future newsletters. Suggestions can be emailed to me, Peter Pond (peter@soilfoodweb.com.au )

QUOTE:

"There be three things which make a nation great and prosperous: a fertile soil, busy workshops, easy conveyance for men and goods from place to place."

Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), philosopher, lawyer, scientist, author

2010_June Miscellanea

Mon, 31 May 2010 04:21:30 GMT

2010_June Deep organics

Mon, 31 May 2010 01:29:20 GMT

2010_June Interconnectedness

Mon, 31 May 2010 00:51:11 GMT

To demonstrate that what we don't know still far exceeds what we do - Professor David Changnon of Northern Illinois University has theorised that marked changes (cooling) in local climates in the US MidWest could be caused by changes in cropping densities.

2010_June Toxic crops

Sun, 30 May 2010 23:40:55 GMT

2010_June The Climate-Friendly Gardener

Sun, 30 May 2010 22:44:03 GMT

2010_June Soil biology - carbon increase due to no-till

Sun, 30 May 2010 02:22:00 GMT

2010_June Hugh Bennett, Soil Conservator

Sun, 30 May 2010 01:16:18 GMT

2010_May Latest SFI News

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:46:29 GMT

2010_May Worms eat my garbage

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:58:53 GMT

NEW FROM THE SFI STORE

2010_May Back to basics in dairy

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:48:18 GMT

From our friends at Farming Secrets, we have a story about a young dairy farmer from Finley, NSW. In the April 2010 edition of "Dairy News Australia" there is an item on Andy Ibbott, and his experience with switching to natural farming systems.

2010_May Phytoliths and carbon sequestration

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:37:52 GMT

Global concerns with climate change, possibly due to increasing CO₂ in the atmosphere, is leading to some interesting research into methods for sequestering carbon in the soil. Southern Cross University, based here in Lismore NSW, has a project looking at the potential for plants to sequester carbon.

The project has the wonderful name of "Phytolith Occluded Carbon Project" (PhytOC). It is being conducted by Professor Leigh Sullivan and Dr Jeff Parr. The project has considered the capacity of dfferent plants to sequester carbon in phytoliths in different soils. An important aspect of this is that PhytOC has been shown to be highly resistant to decomposition over long time periods. (Phytolith is also known as "plant stone" - more details on plant stones can be found on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantstone .)

2010_May MOSES

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:38:04 GMT

2010_May Regional food - US style

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:47:07 GMT

2010_May Soil carbon response to warming

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:16:08 GMT

In late April 2010, US researchers led by Steven Allison of the University of California at Irvine, released a study into the effects of warming on microbial activity in the soil. This research, published in Nature Geoscience, has reversed earlier thoughts on this topic.

2010_May Liebig's Law of the Minimum

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:53:34 GMT

In 1828, the German botanist, Carl Sprengel, developed one of the principles of agriculture, later popularised by Justus von Liebig, a German chemist. This principle is known as "Liebig's Law of the Minimum".

Liebig's Law suggests that plant growth is controlled, not by the total amount of nutrients or resources available, but by the availability of the scarcest resource. Simplistically, water can be seen as one of those resources and we know that it doesn't matter how many other resources there are in the soil for our crops, without any water those crops ain't gonna grow. Liebig's Law is often described as being like a wooden barrel with different length staves, where each stave represents a different resource. The amount of water able to be held in the barrel (an analogy for plant growth) is quite obviously determined by the length of the shortest stave (the availability of the scarcest resource). See the diagram below.

2010_Apr_J Online soil sample submission

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:27:46 GMT

2010_Apr_B Norwegian visitor

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:40:55 GMT