Finding info on Organic farming

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by britishwhitesrock, Feb 1, 2006.

  1. britishwhitesrock

    britishwhitesrock Junior Member

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    The plan is to start a self-sufficent organic farm,

    My main problem at the moment has been in finding useful information on organic farming in Australian conditions.

    My wish list for the farm is to run cattle (british white (heratige))
    as well as have some pigs, chickens, sheep and maybe a goat or two. Finding info on reliable organic feed, or even ideas of which crops to grow for the livestock has got me going in circles, I suppose what I'm asking is what govt bodies should I speak with for organic farming information, books to look at, sites anything.

    I'm trying to do the costing for the livestock at the moment but the lack of information makes it impossible. Any info any of you guys could point me to would be extreamely helpful.

    You get the idea that the govt. is all talk about wanting farmers to go organic while at the same time making as hard as possible for people to actully establish the farms! Exasperated.
     
  2. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    In my experience, you have to take government info (any government) with a healthy dose of salt. If you depend on them for all your info, you’re going to get into trouble.

    If you can find someone within reach who is actually doing what you want to do, ask if you could follow them around their place for a day or two (at your expense, not theirs), then listen to what they say. Take notes. Keep your mouth mostly closed -- you're not there to tell them YOUR plans. People who are doing it now probably made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, and can point you in the right direction and save you lots of money. Ask what they still need to change.

    If you don’t read the first book below, you’re wasting your money on anything else. Oz has too many mineral deficiencies to just start sowing forage willy-nilly, as other farmers have found, to the detriment of their bank accounts.

    Natural Farming & Land Care by Pat Coleby

    Healthy Cattle Naturally by Pat Coleby

    Natural Treatments for the Top Ten Cattle Ailments. Common Ailments and Remedies by Pat Coleby's

    Consider subscribing to Acres USA – A Voice for Eco-Agriculture at https://www.acresusa.com

    Try to grow as much of your own stock feed as you can, rather than buying it. Even if it's organic, if it came from soil that was mineral deficient, your stock are going to be deficient in that mineral, too.

    Good luck!

    Sue
     
  3. britishwhitesrock

    britishwhitesrock Junior Member

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    Thank-you for the tips,

    Looks like i'll have to stop puttig off the WWOOFing and get some research done

    The book looks to be exactly what I was looking for, and the web site, all I had to do was go on it to find an article on best use of pasture
    Thank-you for the help
     
  4. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    Try the DPI

    https://www.dpi.qld.gov.au

    I second that about Pat Coleby.

    Re: Cattle, are those the best cattle to run in the area you want to live? ask people around you which breeds are best of the area you live in, some breeds do not do well in the hot areas of QLD.

    Before buying cattle look at getting advice on how to setup your property, a few people from this list make a living from it.

    Plant tree stock that can support your cattle in the dry season, things like Carob and Tree Lucerne (Tagasaste)

    Talk to people like BFA https://www.bfa.com.au/ about becoming organically certified, this costs $4000 a year last I heard, don't quote me on that.

    If you don't have land, take your time when looking, buy in the dry season so you get an idea of what the place will look like in it's worst condition, cheap land is often just that.

    Water on the land will make or break you here, so do your home work.

    Getting organic feed for cattle would be a nightmare, think about developing your plan around growing your own organic feed. Organic feed can be double the price of normal feed, when get gets real dry that price just keeps going up and up.

    Talk to BFA about which cattle farmers are certified and go do some woofer work for them, that way you will learn for free the ins and outs first hand and that would be 1000 times better than reading it some where. Ask them questions let them know what you want to do and listen to their advice.
     
  5. Ichsani

    Ichsani Junior Member

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    Hi,

    I'll third that on Pat Colby! Just finished reading 'Natural Farming' and it has connected several dots on soil health and subsequent animal and plant health......more thumbs than I have up!

    Ichy
     
  6. Stacm

    Stacm Junior Member

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    I'm not sure that this will help but the Commonwealth Department of Ag has a great FarmBis Scheme for new proposals to do with farming
    https://www.daff.gov.au/farmbis
    It may help to pay for training etc
    Stacm
     
  7. britishwhitesrock

    britishwhitesrock Junior Member

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    At the moment I am thoughly researching the livestock while I establish veggie plots and trees. I'm hoping to be established enough before I get any livestock. (I don't think chickens count coz you can have them just about anywhere)

    At the moment I'm looking at improved pasture, growing my own feed....

    There is so much info on different animals' dietary needs and info on how the organic diets given to them have deficiencies but no information on how to overcome them

    i'm making myself glum....
     
  8. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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  9. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    "There is so much info on different animals' dietary needs and info on how the organic diets given to them have deficiencies but no information on how to overcome them."

    You MUST read Pat Coleby's Natural Farming and Land Care book! It goes into that HEAVILY! She tells you how to find out what deficiencies you've got, and what to do.

    Sue
     
  10. Ichsani

    Ichsani Junior Member

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    Hi britishwhitesrock,

    Once again I'll second Sue regarding Pat Colby.......I'm a uni student studying land and water science in Sydney and of all the texts I've had to read it is the best by FAR! (regarding plant and animal health). There is a recipe for a 'basic stock lick' (in the book) that will take care of deficiences in stock while the soil is improved.........nothing that I have learnt thus far contradicts what she has written..........

    :D :D good luck, and remember that stock were kept well before the modern chem-heads were at it!

    Ichsani
     
  11. spritegal

    spritegal Junior Member

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    With all farming, organic and otherwise, its wise to take baby steps.

    For example if you are planning to raise cattle, then start off with a couple of poddy calves that you resell at 15 months, they are cheap and give you the quickest return on your investment. By contrast, starting off with 4,000 a head stud 4 yo cows with second calves at foot, whilst giving you excellent genetics, is too expensive a risk for a first timer. I managed to spend $80,000 in my first 18 months on livestock and improvements and had very little to show for it. The Australian Taxation Office won't be expecting me to pay them a red cent for at least the next 5 years...even if I earned in the top tax bracket (wishful thinking!!)

    Take it from someone who bit off more than they could chew first up....little steps....read up lots but don't let yourself get swamped....pay attention to those farmers in your area that regularly get the best prices for their stock - they can teach you heaps...and ignore the figurative loudmouth bloke in the pub who has done everything bigger and better than everyone else....he will cost you money.

    spritegal :)
     
  12. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    Try to get a copy of Newsleaf journal of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia.
    enquiries 02 6655 056
    https://www.biodynamics.net.au
    They have heaps stuff on commercial farming as well as the household vegie grower.
    Hope all goes well for you...keep us updated on progress
    Cheers
    Cathy
     
  13. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    and where in Nth QLD are you....I'm originally from Cairns...heaps relo's still there.
    Cathy
     
  14. britishwhitesrock

    britishwhitesrock Junior Member

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    Sorry for not saying eairlier- Inner Central near Emerald (there whole area is practically mines and cattle)

    for those who don't know central (the reason I put north is because it's past bunderburg) it's sort of daiagonal-ish from Rockhamption

    Me.....................................................................Rockhamption.Sea

    ^ Best way to explain it. If we weren't going to give it a go organically we know alot of people in the area as well as friends that have a wealth of information (it's amasing how much is done organically "just because") There in lies the problem. If I was going to try a conventional cattle ranch I have the people who know how, heck I'd even have willing farmhands. There a bit skittish (warrented) about the whole project because they are used to doing it the "normal" way. Hence why I really want to research and establish before I get any stock. I don't think I could bear an I told you so. Plus if I could prove it works, well who knows some of my mates own vast cattle properties.....
     
  15. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    :lol: Well Emerald is a bloody long way from Nth QLD...lol
    Was up through your way at Christmas...went home to Cairns for couple weeks. Emerald is certainly good cattle country so hope all goes well for your plans....you got heaps of reading ahead of you. How do the British Whites go in hot dry country?? and have you thought of Dexter's ??
    Cathy
     
  16. britishwhitesrock

    britishwhitesrock Junior Member

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    The cattle

    The Dexters look promising and if I'm willing to rest my morals a bit I may opt for them instead.
    I chose The British White as they looked really promising and are an endanged breed. One of the closest breeders happens to be in Bundy so I figure thats a good enough test of there suitability for living "up north". There association is really good too. They have bluilt in tick tolerance, docile, easy calving (even a high incidence of twins), good maternal instincts, natrally polled, very few if any adverse reactions to the sun (their skin is dark) high conversion of feed. It used to be a milking cow

    I may just use them to cross but with such good features it is hard to understand why the breed could be so unpopular. I could go on for ages about the breed but the breeds australian society could do it all for me. I loved this breed from the moment I first saw it.
     
  17. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    Wow...what a write up.....I'll look up their website and see if it will win me over from the dexter's :D
    Cheers
    Cathy
     
  18. spritegal

    spritegal Junior Member

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    It sure looks pretty good to me....and yes its a bit bewildering how its not a popular breed....I might consider changing myself..

    How well to they market as vealers, BW? Thats primarily what I produce, and the whitefaces (Hereford x Angus) always sell well in comparison to other breeds and breed crosses.

    Do they really have black skin?
     
  19. spritegal

    spritegal Junior Member

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    After doing a bit of reading the only thing which concerns me about British Whites is cancer eye, which is rife amongst white faced cattle in this country, particularly Poll Herefords. It will only get worse with time as UV levels increase. That is why I breed Angus-Angus and Angus crosses.

    I know that eye structure contributes a lot to the predisposition of cancer eye but there is also a genetic link (most of my Hereford cattle of a certain bloodline have developed it by the age of 8, regardless of their eye structure, and I had to cull fairly heavily and endured financial losses because of it).

    So is there any info about cancer eye in British Whites?
     
  20. britishwhitesrock

    britishwhitesrock Junior Member

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    I love cows

    Thats were the breed gets better, the breed actually has black markings around it's eyes, ears and ankles. This means that eye cancer is very very rare in the breed. The breed has been around since 400AD and lots of information is known about it. It's also a very lean meat and as a one time dairy cow has more than enough milk for 500 pound weaners (I've seen pictures where the calves are nearly as big as their mothers and still drinking milk!)
    It takes two years to reach calving age (one of the reasons for unpopularity), but from then on expect a calf (maybe a twin) every year for quite some time because the breed is long lived, and whats more both new mothers and last time mothers should have problem free delieveries.


    I love the breed becaue of it's disese resistance and independance. For most of it's exsistance it has been a wild forager meaning it naturally became disease resistant, easy calving and adaptable just to survive. Without getting the gamey taste!

    Like I said I could go on forever. I have no idea why a breed proven this good could be so close to extinction. Oh did I mention that It has an average of 90% prime cut meat. (in america this can mean a 27% increase in profit, which can only translate well in australia)

    I pesonally take this as a great example of companies trying to create a type of animal that already exists, at the expense of an already great animal

    this is what they look like V
    [​IMG]

    beautiful huh

    edit: I do have to add another one of the pitfalls of the breed. The dark skin which helps so much against sundamage is also a let down in that the fat of the animal ends up dark as well. Theres nothing wrong but the public has not seen dark meat in a long time. The breed is best for those servicing niche markets. Not that there are faults with the meat but more because the public has less choice.
     

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