The brush turkey’s are very common around here and yesterday I saw two very young ones following an adult bird to the takeaway outlet which is the hen house. The turkey’s eat all the sorghum grain that the hen’s reject. The hens accept them with-out any aggression.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-17/five-reasons-to-love-brush-turkeys/7199724
My open letter regarding the public meeting proposed for March/April in Mullumbimby.
Please forward to any-one who might like to contribute.
After spending time with the young members of the Green Army before they are disbanded for good, I am asking for feed back and support for a public meeting from February on in Mullumbimby. Most of the GA group were very knowledgeable on environmental issues, herbicide use and their limited prospects for future employment.
We need discussion and ideas for paid herbicide free conservation and enhancement work. After our 3 months working on the Huonbrook road side verges, sensible plantings around drain inlets, causeways ect would contribute enormously to proper erosion control, silt build up and eventually to sustainable and economical road side management. Would also mean better drainage for the roads therefor eliminating some pot hole formation. Transplanting of the many indigenous seedlings on the verges, into better positions and away from the Contract mowers that mow once a year. Surely here alone is a viable reason to create hands on real jobs.
Perhaps what Council still spends on herbicides could be diverted to real part time conservation work ?
Our second big issue, for long term certified organic growers like myself and others, who counter spray drift from non organic neighbours ( I don’t but many others do ) and various schemes that under sell certified organic growers, is to find a dedicated person to set up and administer a affordable local certifying body. Not only would it guarantee growers adhering to organic standards, it could promote and tutor new growers and those who mow hectares of grass- to evolve into certified growing for the LOCAL market. With our present certifying fees at 700 dollars for small growers, there are NO foliar or soil tests undertaken anymore therefore making a mockery of growers who adhere to the very strict rules.
Food is going to be a real issue in a not too distant future, now that climate change is changing growing patterns. GM and monoculture will be the biggest losers.