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if interesed a quick follow up on this trial 1/ not much has happened - the seasons have been too dry to do much 2/ the half patch has had 100kg per hectare of worm poo - the balance none 3/ The whole has received 1 tonne Gypsum per hectare. The problems with the soil are the result of 100 years of ...

Bit of a conundrum Skippy; In order to get things done (in any lifestyle) we either need to use the energy sources or employ help - probably highly skilled (craftsmen) help that can do the things manually the the machines allow anybody to do today. The costs of hiring these days is beyond economical...

I've switched to YR for forecasts - the Norwegians forecast Australian weather better then Australians - but use the Australian radar network also.

Here's more food waste issues to kick around. Here in NSW the loss of food product before it gets to the market is around 30%; due mainly to insect, pathogen and disease etc.etc. This is in the modern, non-organic production systems using all the chemicals and pesticides, fumigants, sealed storage s...

"Her!"

I fly across Oz regularly for work and I agree that the airports get busier and slower every day. Flight windows (takeoff and landing times) are getting narrower as airports get busier and even a smalll delay with the palne can set you back hours while they wait for another window. I did charter a f...

Being time poor, I would hire a mini-loader. Here a mid-sized Dingo with 4 in 1 bucket will cost about $A 250 - 300 for a days hire and would move RC's 1 tonne Bulka of gravel in a couple of hours. Tee up a few other jobs for the critter while you have it. They will operate a rotary hoe, post hole d...

Great you all have heaps of bees - all the species you mention are actually feral here, including the common honey bee, but are now so essential to food production that farmers pay bee keepers to bring their hives in. Apparently it is now more profitable than the honey. Tomato growers have been tryi...

Weather is cooling so the ovens will be used much more often. My old Metters Canberra at the farm has to go - even the oven is filling with smoke now so the unit is obviously burnt out. For the time being though, it still heats water and the Sth end of the house and boils the kettle. I started to us...

The sunflowers this year are a total loss. Although they grew very well, most have only empty husks. Not enough bees to polinate sufficiently I guess.

The other trick is to try and find a barrow with a balance point that suits you. When loaded and picked up it should have as little weight as possible on your body (arms); The handles position should allow you to push it comfortable with nearly straight arms. The worst is to have one where you have ...

For me The Martian is a strange read - first up I thought it a boring litergy along the lines of Robinson Crusoe but this is the strange bit - I have now read it 3 or 4 times and it gets better each time. The film has little relationship to the book really.

Not here, nor has Autumn - still a dry as a deceased canids fifth appendage. In opposition to most, I have just finished planting early onions and brassicas, mulching the Rhubarb for winter and preparing the beds to receive spuds in September / October, Also building beds for green manure legumes to...

My other has been on a "mainenance diet" for a few months - the basis being that she only eats enough calories to maintain her physical state - most of the diet in millenian vego and super food. When she physically crashes from lack of nutrition I have to force feed her animal protein' This confirms...

Communication between plants is becoming well documented. I have seen time lapse video of invasive climbers showing them waving the tendrils around until they contact a suitable support.