Weeds continue to be a significant challenge for may organic arable producers and was a subject under discussion at our Crop Storage event last week.
Weed management has been a real challenge this season for many producers with wet conditions preventing many weed cultivations through this Spring. For both inter-row and spring tine cultivation systems weeds have "got away" from many farmers and are being reported at high levels. This problematic Spring followed the dry autumn which probably reduced pre-cultivation weed germination.
With greater viable seeds being left in the soil entering the cropping season and little opportunity to control weeds in the crop the resulting weed burden is higher.
So perhaps the weaknesses in the approach many producers are taking has been exposed this season due to climatic conditions. Thinking about this I did some internet hunting and came across this great video from Canadian Organic Science Conference which has put videos of its presentations online. One speaker Eric Gallandt introduced the idea of "Many Little Hammers" to weed control. The idea being that we need several different approaches to weed control within our farming systems in order to manage weeds effectively.
The video of his presentation is available at www.cerebralfocus.com/cosc/webcast/, look for the link on the right-hand side- its at the bottom of the first block "Keynotes & Panel". It is 45 mins long but is well worth taking the time to watch as he introduces his topic well and will challenge your approach to weed control and make you think about how you might do things differently.
Back to the discussions at the Crop Storage event. The most problematic weed being discussed was Wild Oat and so Organic Arable will be organising an event (probably next Spring) to explore Wild Oat management.
Monday 25 June 2012
Wednesday 23 May 2012
And the Winners Are .........
Thank you to all those of you who entered our Weed Identification Competition to win tickets to National Organic Cereals 2012. We have now closed the competition and and drawn the 10 lucky winners who have been notified.
If you didn't win you may like to see the answers below. Tickets are still available from Organic Farmers & Growers
We look forward to seeing you all at National Organic Cereals 2012 where we are holding a Moisture Meter Clinic so please make sure you bring your moisture meter with you to get it calibrated ahead of harvest.
If you didn't win you may like to see the answers below. Tickets are still available from Organic Farmers & Growers
We look forward to seeing you all at National Organic Cereals 2012 where we are holding a Moisture Meter Clinic so please make sure you bring your moisture meter with you to get it calibrated ahead of harvest.
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| Wild Carrot |
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| Field Horsetail |
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| Dandelion |
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| Barren Brome |
Friday 18 May 2012
Find Out What Your Customers Think About Organic Food
The Why I Love Organic campaign has just entered it's second year and has changed the thrust of it's approach. Whether the new strategy adopted will prove more successful than the first time will tell.
However, as part of the PR campaign they have launched a competition on Mumsnet, the social media site aimed at parents. Mumsnet has become something of a phenomenon and is a certainly a very active online community and a good way of tapping into the thoughts and concerns of parents (particularly of younger children).
For all involved in the organic sector these pages provide an insight into the thinking of 221 (at last count) consumers most of whom buy some organic products. As a snapshot of the thinking of the buyers of your products they provide some very interesting reading. The pages can be found here
However, as part of the PR campaign they have launched a competition on Mumsnet, the social media site aimed at parents. Mumsnet has become something of a phenomenon and is a certainly a very active online community and a good way of tapping into the thoughts and concerns of parents (particularly of younger children).
For all involved in the organic sector these pages provide an insight into the thinking of 221 (at last count) consumers most of whom buy some organic products. As a snapshot of the thinking of the buyers of your products they provide some very interesting reading. The pages can be found here
Friday 4 May 2012
You need a comfy armchair to farm organically
Organic Arable members have been gathering for a couple of farm walks this week. The first on Wednesday 2nd and then one yesterday 3rd May. Fears about the weather were misguided and on neither date did we get wet which was miraculous given recent rains!
On 2nd May we met at Hammonds End Farm, Harpenden, a specialist arable unit with a small beef unit. Cropping is the main enterprise with wheat, spelt wheat, rye oats and beans grown in the rotation. Much of the discussion was about weed control with charlock and blackgrass being the weeds of concern this season. Discussion revolved around the options (and costs) of different weed management strategies. There were different strategies being tried. One farmer was moving to more winter cropping to try and reduce his charlock whilst another grows on wide rows and inter-row hoes and uses a weed surfer to cut charlock and later wild oats to reduce them seeding. The timing of harrow combing was also discussed as was the cost of hand-roguing which was a strategy used by all.
There was also some yellow rust apparent on some of the wheat although at present this was not at concerning levels and hopefully drier weather will help. There was a good stand of winter beans and further discussions arose about the best way to establish the crop. Drilled beans provide a smoother field and allow harrowing which can help with weed control but all concluded that beans area difficult crop and the profitability of them was questioned. One farmer indicating he'd given up after several attempts.
The visit to Farnicombe Farm, Warminster on Wednesday was to a predominantly livestock farm. Our host indicated his cereals were bottom of his priority list and needed to fit around his sheep and beef.
That said the crops looked well. Crops of winter barley and triticale which had been grazed hard until January looked very well. They were thick and had tillered well because of the grazing and showed no disease. Again Charlock was present and had recovered despite the sheep grazing. Also grown were some Spring oats and a Barley/Pea crop to be wholecropped.
Both walks were enthusiastically received and there was good discussion about the various things seen and challenges everyone faces in managing their organic crops. Whether any answers were found I don't know but as our host in Harpenden commented "It feels better that I'm not the only one with charlock and blackgrass. It won't make it go away but it somehow seems less of a problem."
And so why the "comfy chair"? Because our host on Wednesday told us, "you can't do much about the weeds or disease so you may as well sit in a comfy chair and try and forget about them."
These farm walks are part of Organic Arable's ongoing active support of the organic arable sector. There has been a decline in the opportunities for farmers to meet and network and we wanted to fill this gap and the move has been very much welcomed by our members. We'd be delighted to be joined by other organic arable producers and if you'd like more information please contact Andrew on 08456 521 706. The next walk is in Warwickshire on 10th May.
On 2nd May we met at Hammonds End Farm, Harpenden, a specialist arable unit with a small beef unit. Cropping is the main enterprise with wheat, spelt wheat, rye oats and beans grown in the rotation. Much of the discussion was about weed control with charlock and blackgrass being the weeds of concern this season. Discussion revolved around the options (and costs) of different weed management strategies. There were different strategies being tried. One farmer was moving to more winter cropping to try and reduce his charlock whilst another grows on wide rows and inter-row hoes and uses a weed surfer to cut charlock and later wild oats to reduce them seeding. The timing of harrow combing was also discussed as was the cost of hand-roguing which was a strategy used by all.
There was also some yellow rust apparent on some of the wheat although at present this was not at concerning levels and hopefully drier weather will help. There was a good stand of winter beans and further discussions arose about the best way to establish the crop. Drilled beans provide a smoother field and allow harrowing which can help with weed control but all concluded that beans area difficult crop and the profitability of them was questioned. One farmer indicating he'd given up after several attempts.
The visit to Farnicombe Farm, Warminster on Wednesday was to a predominantly livestock farm. Our host indicated his cereals were bottom of his priority list and needed to fit around his sheep and beef.
That said the crops looked well. Crops of winter barley and triticale which had been grazed hard until January looked very well. They were thick and had tillered well because of the grazing and showed no disease. Again Charlock was present and had recovered despite the sheep grazing. Also grown were some Spring oats and a Barley/Pea crop to be wholecropped.
Both walks were enthusiastically received and there was good discussion about the various things seen and challenges everyone faces in managing their organic crops. Whether any answers were found I don't know but as our host in Harpenden commented "It feels better that I'm not the only one with charlock and blackgrass. It won't make it go away but it somehow seems less of a problem."
And so why the "comfy chair"? Because our host on Wednesday told us, "you can't do much about the weeds or disease so you may as well sit in a comfy chair and try and forget about them."
These farm walks are part of Organic Arable's ongoing active support of the organic arable sector. There has been a decline in the opportunities for farmers to meet and network and we wanted to fill this gap and the move has been very much welcomed by our members. We'd be delighted to be joined by other organic arable producers and if you'd like more information please contact Andrew on 08456 521 706. The next walk is in Warwickshire on 10th May.
Monday 26 March 2012
Organic Cereals 2012
Win tickets to Organic Cereals 2012
Organic Arable are once again supporting Organic Cereals 2012 and are offering 10 tickets as prizes. To win a free ticket please complete our quiz and test your arable weed identification.Winners will be informed by 15th May 2012 so please get on and have a go at winning.
Charlotte's tip : I saw Andrew looking at the HGCA weed identification website a lot this week! But don't tell him I said so.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Drought in Kazakhstan Could Well Result in Lower Wheat Production.
Following our blog piece New Climate Show the Need for New Marketing Models it seems that drought may effect production in eastern Europe. Reports coming out of Kazakhstan indicate dry conditions for spring planting that will reduce yields.
Agricultural meteorologist Bryce Anderson.commented "Considering that Kazakhstan is already down on soil moisture, I think planting will quite likely be done with less than desirable soil moisture." This comment was backed up by specialist consultants IKAR which tracks grain output in the former Soviet Union. “There are many indirect signs that Kazakhstan will have a problematic crop in the next season,” said Dmitry Rylko, their general director, "exports will most likely decline in the next season."
It could be beneficial for UK livestock producers to seek to secure supplies of UK grain for at least a proportion of their requirements to protect themselves from possible price spikes should exports from eastern Europe become unreliable.
Let us know what you requirements might be and using our web-form. We can then contact you with an offer.
Agricultural meteorologist Bryce Anderson.commented "Considering that Kazakhstan is already down on soil moisture, I think planting will quite likely be done with less than desirable soil moisture." This comment was backed up by specialist consultants IKAR which tracks grain output in the former Soviet Union. “There are many indirect signs that Kazakhstan will have a problematic crop in the next season,” said Dmitry Rylko, their general director, "exports will most likely decline in the next season."
It could be beneficial for UK livestock producers to seek to secure supplies of UK grain for at least a proportion of their requirements to protect themselves from possible price spikes should exports from eastern Europe become unreliable.
Let us know what you requirements might be and using our web-form. We can then contact you with an offer.
Friday 24 February 2012
Organic Research Centre Conference Proceedings
Proceedings of Organic Research Centre's excellent Producer conference now available on their website.
This was an excellent event and one for all producers to put in their diary for next year.
Organic Arable proud to be part of it!
This was an excellent event and one for all producers to put in their diary for next year.
Organic Arable proud to be part of it!
Wednesday 22 February 2012
New Climate Show the Need for New Marketing Models
Research by the Environmental Change Institute of Oxford University and reported by the American Geophysical Union has shown that whilst the 2010 Russian wheat harvest failure was not due to man-made climate change the naturally occurring climatic conditions that led to the drought and fires are 3 times more likely to happen. Previous studies had been contradictory in that some concluded that the occurrence was within the expected severity of climate for the region whilst others indicated that the cause was man-made climate change. This study concludes both views are correct. The severity of the weather is not outside the expected limits for the region but the liklihood of these conditions occurring has trebled due to man-made climate change.
Whilst the niceties of these arguments bare little relevance to the grain markets the result of the weather seen in Russia in 2010 had significant consequences with organic wheat prices rising by £100 per tonne in 6 months. This causes disruption to the market as both buyers and sellers seem uncertain how to proceed and the results of this are still seen in the market today with demand down due to high feed costs and buyer uncertainty resulting in significant spot buying rather than forward cover being bought.
However there is a more significant underlying issue that requires consideration by the whole organic sector. Germany the largest organic market in Europe and one of the largest producers has reported that in 2009 (when it had a larger than average harvest) imported approximately 15% of its cereal demand. For the UK this figure is closer to 50%. Other Northern European countries are also importers of cereals as their markets continue to grow.
This demand has largely been satisfied by imports from Central and Eastern European states particularly Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Khazakstan. All of these are likely to be effected by the conditions seen in Russia in 2010 which will impact upon their production. If this production is likely to be effected 3 times more often than has previously been the case this is likely to put severe supply pressure Western and Northern European states that have a reliance upon these supplies.
There are also proposals from the EU to require that organic animal feeds have a minimum 20% sourced from the region in which they are consumed. Whilst the definition of region is unclear it will possibly be the members state which would place additional demand on UK production.
For livestock farming businesses or livestock feed companies should be seeking to secure their grain supplies going forward by developing links with cereal producers to ensure they have supply available to them. This would help to buffer them against the potential shock to their supplies of grain imported from these states were the potential for damaging weather events is reported to be increasing.
Cereal producers should be seek to link into these opportunities if and when they emerge and work with their customers. See example here.
However there is a more significant underlying issue that requires consideration by the whole organic sector. Germany the largest organic market in Europe and one of the largest producers has reported that in 2009 (when it had a larger than average harvest) imported approximately 15% of its cereal demand. For the UK this figure is closer to 50%. Other Northern European countries are also importers of cereals as their markets continue to grow.
This demand has largely been satisfied by imports from Central and Eastern European states particularly Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Khazakstan. All of these are likely to be effected by the conditions seen in Russia in 2010 which will impact upon their production. If this production is likely to be effected 3 times more often than has previously been the case this is likely to put severe supply pressure Western and Northern European states that have a reliance upon these supplies.
There are also proposals from the EU to require that organic animal feeds have a minimum 20% sourced from the region in which they are consumed. Whilst the definition of region is unclear it will possibly be the members state which would place additional demand on UK production.
For livestock farming businesses or livestock feed companies should be seeking to secure their grain supplies going forward by developing links with cereal producers to ensure they have supply available to them. This would help to buffer them against the potential shock to their supplies of grain imported from these states were the potential for damaging weather events is reported to be increasing.
Cereal producers should be seek to link into these opportunities if and when they emerge and work with their customers. See example here.
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Come on Defra take a lead from other governments
Juern Sanders reported the feeble support UK organic producers receive compared to other EU states at the ORC conference and the Soil Association's report "The Lazy Man of Europe" highlights how Defra lag behind in giving a lead to industry to help develop the sector. Not just Europe it seems. The Canadians are at it too and supporting their organic sector. Not through direct payments but through investment in the supply chain. Government of Canada Supports the Organic Grain Industry in Quebec.
Come on Defra you have an industry which is delivering sustainable food production, environmental benefit and a high animal welfare and yet you don't seem to want to nurture its development.
Tuesday 7 February 2012
IOTA, ORC & TILLMAN_ORG
Hurrah to IOTA and Organic Research Centre! And thanks to both for their interest in non-inversion tillage.
The session at the ORC conference recently was both interesting and challenging and brought together some organic non-inversion tillage researchers and practitioners to give us some insight into their work. We were also introduced to TILLMAN-ORG a new EU project on the subject.
There is focus on non-inversion tillage systems at present and it is great to see that new projects like TILLMAN-ORG and others in the USA are starting and will I'm sure help inform farmers about the technique.
It feels as if this is a confluence of the farming community with the research world and producers coming together to explore and learn more about the topic with neither side either leading or pushing the other. Organically it is a topic about which there is little knowledge or experience and so we set out (to a greater extent) on a journey of discovery together. IOTA and now TILLMAN-ORG are seeking to draw on and learn from farmer experience both to share with other farmers and to help influence and develop research.
And you can help. TILLMAN-ORG are asking for your experience and would like to hear from you if you have undertaken any non-inversion tillage establishment on your farm. Yes, we've heard of Richard Gantlett's fantastic work at Yatesbury and David Wilson's new Ecodyn project at Duchy Home Farm. But there are many others out there doing bits that need to be learned from too.
You probably have some nuggets of golden information that can help everyone learn and hopefully as you've not ploughed them down they're on the surface waiting to be discovered.
Find out more about the TILLMAN-ORG project and please complete the TILLMAN-ORG questionnaire CLICK HERE and let them and hopefully the world know of your ground breaking work. [That's enough puns -Ed.]
The session at the ORC conference recently was both interesting and challenging and brought together some organic non-inversion tillage researchers and practitioners to give us some insight into their work. We were also introduced to TILLMAN-ORG a new EU project on the subject.
There is focus on non-inversion tillage systems at present and it is great to see that new projects like TILLMAN-ORG and others in the USA are starting and will I'm sure help inform farmers about the technique.
It feels as if this is a confluence of the farming community with the research world and producers coming together to explore and learn more about the topic with neither side either leading or pushing the other. Organically it is a topic about which there is little knowledge or experience and so we set out (to a greater extent) on a journey of discovery together. IOTA and now TILLMAN-ORG are seeking to draw on and learn from farmer experience both to share with other farmers and to help influence and develop research.
And you can help. TILLMAN-ORG are asking for your experience and would like to hear from you if you have undertaken any non-inversion tillage establishment on your farm. Yes, we've heard of Richard Gantlett's fantastic work at Yatesbury and David Wilson's new Ecodyn project at Duchy Home Farm. But there are many others out there doing bits that need to be learned from too.
You probably have some nuggets of golden information that can help everyone learn and hopefully as you've not ploughed them down they're on the surface waiting to be discovered.
Find out more about the TILLMAN-ORG project and please complete the TILLMAN-ORG questionnaire CLICK HERE and let them and hopefully the world know of your ground breaking work. [That's enough puns -Ed.]
BBC Countryfile - The Organic Sector 20 Years On
Countryfile presented a fair reflection on the organic market on Sunday evening but unfortunately missed an opportunity to explore some of the fundamental benefits that the organic sector can provide.
The programme seemed to highlight that single issue branding was gaining popularity at the expense of the multi-faceted appeal and benefits that organic food can provide. This is nothing new and has been reported widely within the organic sector. Indeed much thought has been given to how these multiple benefits can be promoted to consumers in a simple message that can be understood and appreciated. This is the main thrust of the Why I love Organic campaign.
There was a very interesting comment made as part of the piece by the dairy farmer, Richard Park. He indicated he "has taken a lot of what I've learned into how I farm now".
20 years ago (when Countryfile first featured organic systems on the programme) to find a conventional farmer who admitted using organic techniques on national TV would have been newsworthy and here is an acknowledgement that organic farming systems work and indeed can improve conventional farming. For Mr Park it is the organic market that has not performed not the method of production.
So the opportunity missed by Countryfile was to look at how organic farming has influenced the conventional sector. To explore how some organic farming techniques can be used to improve soil health, reduce use of scarce resources and focus on holistic, systems based approaches rather than reductive interventions.
The programme seemed to highlight that single issue branding was gaining popularity at the expense of the multi-faceted appeal and benefits that organic food can provide. This is nothing new and has been reported widely within the organic sector. Indeed much thought has been given to how these multiple benefits can be promoted to consumers in a simple message that can be understood and appreciated. This is the main thrust of the Why I love Organic campaign.
There was a very interesting comment made as part of the piece by the dairy farmer, Richard Park. He indicated he "has taken a lot of what I've learned into how I farm now".
20 years ago (when Countryfile first featured organic systems on the programme) to find a conventional farmer who admitted using organic techniques on national TV would have been newsworthy and here is an acknowledgement that organic farming systems work and indeed can improve conventional farming. For Mr Park it is the organic market that has not performed not the method of production.
So the opportunity missed by Countryfile was to look at how organic farming has influenced the conventional sector. To explore how some organic farming techniques can be used to improve soil health, reduce use of scarce resources and focus on holistic, systems based approaches rather than reductive interventions.
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