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Category: Growers – Farmers – Dairies

Published on Leave a comment on Bartering Successfully Brings Ancient Grain Seeds To Riverina Farm Beralla NSW

ABC Rural / By Cara Jeffery and David Claughton 2021

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ARTICLE FROM THE ABC 2 YRS AGO PRESERVED HERE ON OURS AUSTRALIA BECAUSE I DISCOVERED THIS COUPLE'S STORY ON THEIR WEBSITE A YEAR AGO AND BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING - GROWING THE ANCIENT GRAINS SPELT and KHORASAN, THAT ARE MUCH HEALTHIER THAN MODERN WHEAT, AND TASTY TOO. VERY NUTRITIOUS.

Riverina organic grain-grower Bettina Walker has gone back in time to secure the future of an ancient grain variety.

The southern New South Wales grower bartered her rye grain for some hard-to-come-by Khorasan wheat seed to grow on her farm at Barellan in Southern NSW.

Ancient grains are a rarity on Riverina farms, where modern varieties of wheat, canola and barley dominate paddocks.

This season Mrs Walker and her husband, Robert, were growing two ancient grain varieties — Khorasan wheat and spelt — alongside a mix of traditional rye, oats and modern wheat.

A different-looking grain
But it was the addition of Khorasan wheat that was a standout.

Bettina Walker showing her Flour Mill at Beralla in NSW

"We've always liked heritage grains, and it's very hard to get them," Mrs Walker said.…

Published on Leave a comment on ‘Open Source’ Seeds Loosen Big Ag’s Grip on Farmers

A handful of companies own the patents on virtually every seed planted in the US. Now, a new crop of unowned seeds is bringing biodiversity back to farming.

When Jack Kloppenburg looks out over his sprawling vegetable garden in rural Wisconsin, he sees half a dozen arm-thick green-striped squash called Candystick Dessert Delicata, and a gaggle of bright yellow Goldini squash among the lush green. “These are so delicious!” he exclaims with all the enthusiasm only a lifelong gardener can muster. But what’s special about the vegetables is not just their taste: They have all been grown from open source seeds developed by Oregon farmer Carol Deppe, a Harvard-trained geneticist and board chair of the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI).

Most people have heard of open source software, maybe also of open source beer (Free beer for all!) or open source pharmaceutical research. The principle is the same: Someone developed the seeds — for cowpeas, corn, rye and more — and now offers the resource for everybody to share. 

Just like software development has been co-opted by a few global companies like Microsoft and Apple, the international seed development and trade, too, is controlled by a few big giants like Bayer (Monsanto), Corteva (DuPont) and ChemChina (Syngenta).…

Published on Leave a comment on Nature Knows Best: Practicing Agrobiodiversity For More Plant Varieties Which Restores The Ecosytem

Modern Agriculture has done us no favors, with it's unnatural methods of Farming.
And bombardment of Chemicals - from NPK Fertilisers to Weedicides and Pesticides, which only become necessary when the Laws of Nature have been violated. Modern Agriculture works against Nature instead of with it. Big Monocrops are bad for the Soil and disruptive to our Ecosystem. believe it or not

This is not Old School Methods which rely on Crop Rotation, preserving Goodness in the Soil by planting different Crops alternately that complement each-other; allowing Crops to be plowed into the Soil after harvest, which
Enriches the Soil with Vital Nutrients instead of stripping it of it's own Nutrition.

YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS POST, IN TIMES GONE BY, THERE WAS A VAST ARRAY OF EDIBLE PLANTS
(much more variety) growing than we have available today. the absence of them has really restricted our food choices and also affected the Ecosystem.

Excerpts from 50 Foods For Healthier People And A Healthier Planet

Globally we rely on a small range of foods. This negatively impacts our health and the health of the planet. Seventy-five percent of the global food supply comes from only 12 plant and five animal species.…

Published on Leave a comment on Australian Lychee Season Extends Further Into Summer Due To Unseasonal Weather

ABC Rural / By Megan Hughes and Katrina Beavan 28 Jan 2023

Consumers can expect to see more lychees on supermarket shelves for longer this year as cooler and wetter conditions result in a later harvest than usual.

And despite a bumper crop being picked, prices have stayed steady, meaning the delay is also good news for growers such as Lush Lychees in central Queensland.

Lychee Berries Growing In Queensland Now!

Owners Krystal and Paul Caton have processed more than 120 tonnes of fruit since December at their 5,000 tree orchard, 30 kilometres north-west of Rockhampton.

"This year we've had the greatest season that we could have asked for in the last seven years of owning our orchard," Ms Caton said.

"This really expands our market having a number of varieties that have all produced really well this year."

About 280km south, near Bundaberg, Australian Lychees Association president Derek Foley's orchard had produced a record crop.

"[The crop is] 40 per cent up on what I've ever done before," he said.

Mr Foley said the volume of fruit was up on last year across the industry but prices had stayed steady despite the increased supply.…

Published on Leave a comment on A Grass Native To Africa Could Transform The Continent Dairy Yields. Here’s How

The cows kept by small-scale farmers in Africa are notoriously unproductive. The average dairy cow, for example, produces about 540 litres of milk per lactation. By contrast, dairy cows in North America that belong to commercial or intensive farmers can produce up to 10,479 litres of milk per lactation.

Grass-Fed Is Always Better Than Grain-Fed
Brachiaria Is The Best For Dairy Farms

One of the main differences between the two animals lies in the quality of their feeds and forage. Simply put, the more nutritious cows’ diets are, the more and better quality milk they produce. And small-scale farms – of which there are about 33 million in Africa, contributing up to 70% of the continent’s food supply – usually cannot afford more nutritious feed.

Brachiaria – the genus name of Urochloa – consists of about 100 documented species of grass of which seven species used as fodder plants are of African origin. This grass may hold the key to improving milk yields from cows kept by small-scale farmers. Why is this an important goal?

First, it will help to meet rising demand for animal-sourced foods – like cow milk – as the continent becomes more urbanised and its population grows.…

Published on

By Janet Vargas - Owner Of This Website

DID YOU KNOW THAT 75% OF FOOD WORLDWIDE IS LIMITED TO 12 PLANT CROPS (and 5 animal foods) AND THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES......... MORE INTERESTING FACTS IN THIS POST, PLUS WHICH FRUITS AND VEGGIES THE AFORE MENTIONED ARE AND SOME INSIGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENCOURAGING BIODIVERSITY HERE IN AUSTRALIA. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I WILL ALSO MENTION SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE HAD IN OUR FOOD CULTURE IN RECENT DECADES AND RECENT TIMES, TO WHAT WE HAD YEARS AGO. I HOPE YOU READ THIS POST.

According to TheFutureMarket.Com  we only grow a small percentage of Plant Food Crops in Western Countries that does not allow for much Food Diversity in our Diet or our Health. As mentioned, they state that 75% of the World’s Food comes from 12 Plants (and 5 Animals).

In this order, the highest turnover of Plant Foods produced are 1. Sugar, 2. Corn, 3. Rice, 4. Wheat, 5. Potatoes,  6. Soya Beans, 7. Cassava, 8.Tomatoes, 9. Bananas, 10. Onions, 11. Apples and 12. Grapes. We eat only 150 out of 30,000 edible plant species (worldwide). For example, the USA has lost 90% of it’s Fruit and Veg varieties since 1900.…

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Published on 2 Comments on Mulberries Make It Back To Popularity In South Australia – Mulberry Lover Becomes Pioneer!

ANYONE FOR MULBERRIES? COUNT ME IN! HAVE YOU EVER COMPARED THEM TO BLACKBERRIES? THEY REALLY ARE PACKED WITH TASTE AND THEY MAKE A DELICIOUS JUICE TOO. ASK YOUR SUPERMARKET OR SPECIALTY FRUIT & VEG STORE TO BUY SOME IN!

Mulberry Farmer Pioneers Growing Techniques To Revive Ancient Fruit's Popularity

Landline By Jessica Schremmer  14 Aug 2021

Peter Szabo's Innovative Mulberry Harvester

Viticulturist Peter Szabo invented his own mulberry farming model to machine harvest the fruit.

A South Australian farmer is pioneering new methods of growing an "almost forgotten" fruit, to bring mulberries to new generations to enjoy their unique flavours.

A viticulturist by trade, Peter Szabo started growing mulberries at his farm in Kingston on Murray in South Australia's Riverland region from a single backyard tree six years ago.

"All our investments were in vineyards and that posed a real problem when we had a downturn in the viticulture industry and to improve my risk we decided to diversify," Mr Szabo said.

Mulberries have become a forgotten fruit in Australia

After running into trouble selling fresh mulberries, which are prone to grey mould issues, have a short shelf life and a need for handpicking, he decided to invent his own farming model.

"I have taken the mulberry tree and espaliered it onto a trellis system where I can machine-harvest the berries."…

Published on Leave a comment on Wonders Of Khorasan – Nutritional Ancient Grain We Can Use Instead Of Modern Wheat

Khorasan is an ancient wheat also known as Kamut and is thought to have originated in Egypt. Khorasan is a much larger grain than wheat and is higher in minerals, vitamins and fats and has up to 40% more protein.  This makes it a super energy source plus this gives it it’s unique rich and nutty flavour. Khorasan flour with its gluten ratio is ideal for any kind of baking and along with wheat, it doesn’t lose its texture with freezing. By Jesabe Warner – Naturopath

Khorasan: A Tasty Nutritious Ancient Grain With Benefits To Our Health

A variety of whole grain wheat, kamut (a brand name for khorasan) contains about 250 calories per cup with 7 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. Compared to modern wheat, it is much richer in polyphenols and fatty acids as well as minerals like selenium, which support a healthy immune system. Kamut also offers antioxidant benefits, helping to reduce gut inflammation and reducing pain associated with IBS.

By Natures Path – Pioneers Of The Organic Movement HERE

David Wolfe, A Leading Natural Health Expert And Advocate Has This Information On His Website:

KAMUT: 8 BENEFITS and USES

Kamut (say “ka-moot”) is an ancient grain rich in nutrients and high in energy.…

Published on Leave a comment on WHY Do People On The PALEO DIET Avoid Grains? The REASONS Are A Real DISCOVERY!

Hi Folks, Letting You See This Article I Found On The PaleoLeap.Com Website Today. I Think It Makes A Lot Of Sense. As A Researcher In Natural Health 33 Years (self-funded) I Thought I’d Read Their INFO When Researching Ancient Grains Further For Myself, Due To A Real Interest In Them And This Link Came Up In My Google Search.

To Eat Grains Or Not To Eat Grains -
That Was The Question

In my opinion, the KETO DIET and the PALEO DIET are somewhat Unbalanced And Extreme and Some Of The Alternative Foods Are Quite Expensive. However, Their Reasons For Not Having Grains Is More Revealing Than I Anticipated. I knew It Had To Do With Modern Wheat Etc But Read This:

What Is Wrong With Eating Grains? Paleo View

There are modern misconceptions about the role of genes and how they express are difficult to break. It’s now known that diseases that result from errors in the sequence of a gene are extremely uncommon, with less than 1% of diseases falling into this category. Contrary to what you may believe, Celiac is not one of them. (2)

Disease is not written in our Genetic Code.…

Published on Leave a comment on Bakers Revive Ancient Grains And Wheat From Australian Genebank To Produce Better Bread

THIS IS A REALLY GREAT STORY. I CAME ACCROSS IT SOME TIME AGO AND AGAIN ON MY MOBILE, SO THIS TIME I'M SHARING IT, SO YOU CAN ENJOY IT TOO. TO ME, IT IS ONE OF THOSE 'EVERGREENS' THAT CAN BE ENJOYED AT ANY TIME - SO INTERESTING, I FOUND IT AND YOU WILL TOO. I'VE JUST COMMENCED MAKING HOMEMADE BREAD WITH SPELT AND KHORASAN FLOUR TWO WEEKS AGO AND IT'S REALLY NICE - SO HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS, UNLIKE MODERN WHEAT WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE.

By Kerry Staight Landline 2018  

In the middle of a vineyard at Langhorne Creek in South Australia is an unusual sight in a territory known for its red wine — a patch of unfamiliar mixed grains.

The trial plot is home to 15 varieties of old wheat and ancient grains.

It was planted by local bakers Emily Salkeld and Chris Duffy, who are on a mission to add more flavour to bread.

"We were interested to see whether there was something that could perform really well in our fields, but we could bring it into the bakery and see what kind of wildness can be there in those flavours," Ms Salkeld said.…