How do you manage soils that are afraid of water?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Hydrophobic soils are the results of a waxy organic compound which forms around soil particles. This substance coats the particles, resulting in water repellency.
Thriving soil ecosystems
Reading Time: 4 minutes
What if we could build healthy, thriving soil ecosystems? Soil which allows plants to grow well, without excessive and expensive inputs.
Are cities healthier than farms?
Reading Time: 2 minutes
I realised again that there is still a lot of work for us, as the sustainable agriculture community, to do. We need to continue improving the health of agricultural land.
The “too much of a good thing” effect of nitrogen
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Nitrogen is a nutrient that is crucial for the optimal growth of plants. Its role in plant health may very well be unparalleled, but what happens when it becomes excessive in the soil? Is it “the more the better”, or rather a case of “too much of a good thing”?
Farming sector: The backbone of society
Reading Time: 4 minutes
There is no time like the present when it comes to educating the public about agriculture and the role it plays in our lives. It cannot be overstated how crucial it is for more people to understand agriculture and not be influenced by common misconceptions.
How much water does it take to produce a litre of milk?
Reading Time: 5 minutes
The average water use across farms is therefore 911 litres of water per litre of milk. The main point I would like to make though is that the water use efficiency varies between the different farm systems.
Where animals are happy, the food is healthy
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Trace and Save’s sustainability measures ensure the consumer that the box of milk they buy is sourced from a farm that treats animals and the environment well.
Carbon neutral cows
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Did you know that dairy cows can be carbon neutral? Yes, I am talking about greenhouse gas emissions neutral. I know it seems crazy.
The vexing question of animal welfare
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Animal welfare is certainly a subject about which most people will have something to say. Most people’s opinions are firmly held and are based on their beliefs, culture and traditions, rather than on factual evidence. The broader community needs to understand that animal welfare is a very complex and multifaceted subject which cannot be reduced to one box.
Case study: The journey to sustainability
Reading Time: 9 minutes
The SWAN system is composed of soil, water, atmosphere and nutrient components. The best way to show how these integrated and interrelated measures reflect the journey of improving agricultural sustainability is to show a case study of a farm which has become more sustainable over the past five years.