Episode 320. AI, is it a thing?

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 26th of December 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

chatGPT

In this episode, we will be discussing the benefits and practices of regenerative agriculture for small-scale farmers.

But before we dive into the details, let’s start by defining what regenerative agriculture is. Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to farming that focuses on rebuilding and enhancing the health of the soil. It involves a set of practices that work with nature to regenerate and revitalise the land, rather than exploiting it. Continue reading →

Episode 319. Splitters!

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 19th of December 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

“Real” Organic Systems

We have a problem. I was listening to a podcast, no names, no pack drill, about the “Real” Organic movement. I can see the point. The USDA Organic Standards have been interrogated by corporate lawyers to find loopholes. So hydroponic growing, a thing laughably not organic, is included in the USDA system and relabelled as container growing, even if the containers only hold pebbles and the nutrients are coming from the fertigation. Clearly this has nothing to do with improving soil health over time, the actual point of organic growing. Other things like a concrete pad alongside a chook shed with doors for the chooks to go outside passes as “having access to fresh air, sunshine and soil”. 5000 head dairies milking three times a day with hay being trucked in and manures mechanically spread on the newly cut hay fields also can qualify as organic under the standard.  Continue reading →

Episode 316. Fukuoka Musings

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 28th of November 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

Fukuoka

The search for a Fukuoka friendly rotation suitable for a cool temperate climate with a bit of climate change variation thrown in continues. On top of this search is the refinement for minimal processing of any seeds. Spelt grew well, as do oats but both require hull removal. On a small scale that can be problematic. Apart from the need for some sort of mechanical process, energy is also required. Continue reading →

Episode 315. A Catch Up

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 21st of November 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

Errors Were Made

Apparently the last episodes failed to load through the interwebs, as I discovered this morning when I sat down to prepare today’s script. An error in the RSS feed, I think. So I’m combining the last few episodes into one, just for this episode. On top of that, COVID is bouncing around the community again, naturally the cruise ships are arriving again, mandates are gone and I’m RAT testing daily because of where I work. Five cases in our tiny part of the organisation in the last week and Mrs ChangeUnderground is three days into her third infection. Happy times indeed.  Continue reading →

Episode 314. Svalbard Drowning?

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 24th of October 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

Svalbard

Unfortunately the depressing news from last week continues. Back in episode 65, the ancient pre-covid days, I covered the Seedbank at Svalbard. There was an issue with rain in winter leading to flooding of the entrance foyer of the seedbank. All good at the time, the vaults themselves were sealed from the foyer and no damage occurred. But, and this is a big but, signs were evident. Continue reading →

Episode 313. More rain and a Good Sign

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 17th of October 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

During the last fortnight we had two major rain events. The first one brought 83 mm and the second 189mm both over the weekends. There’s another one due next weekend. Life under La Nina can be very predictable, up to a point. We know more than the usual rainfall fall is to be expected, especially if you throw in the Indian Ocean dipole being positive, it’ll be wet.  Continue reading →

Episode 312. Springtime!

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 3rd of October 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

Varroa update: 70% of hives in the exclusion zone have been euthanized. No new detections. Almost a textbook response to a biosecurity threat.

Spring

As we enter Spring in the southern hemisphere in general and in Tasmania in particular, things are ramping up on the ground.  Continue reading →

Episode 311. Doable Decarbonisation

This is The ChangeUnderground for the 26th of September 2022.

I’m your host, Jon Moore

Decarbonise the Air, Recarbonise the Soil!

Some good news!

The western world is about net zero by 2050. The question is how? A recent podcast from the ABC: Who’s Gonna Save Us which has run the gamut from legal actions against oil producers to household level changes focused thier last episode (Link in the show notes.) on the latter. Continue reading →