Making Pests a Pleasure
Bird Life, Insects, Working Animals — by Justin Harrison
![]() Australian Honeyeater |
It’s an age-old struggle: ever since people gave up the hunter/gatherer lifestyle for a more settled agricultural age, food production has been subject to the ravages of creatures with appetites similar to our own. The ‘taming’ of our natural environment has come at a huge price, the only subject of debate is what our excesses will cost our children. Home food producers, not to mention an ever increasing contingent of commercial producers, are looking for new solutions to old dilemmas. Where the aim was to protect ourselves from the elements, we now seek to protect nature and ourselves from the many stresses of a ‘tamed’ wilderness.
Comments (0)Posted on: September 27, 2008
Which Came First - Pests, or Pesticides?
Insects, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton — by Craig Mackintosh
The Pest or Pesticide question is a lot more interesting and relevant than the whole chicken and egg argument - and one that’s easier to prove too! Whether you’re a farmer, gardener, or merely a consumer that’s not so keen on ingesting poisons, you might find the following of interest.
I know what you’re going to say - “pests must have come first, or they wouldn’t have created pesticides”. Well, as you’ll soon discover, it depends somewhat on your definition of ‘pest’, and your perspective on the world around you.
Comments (6)Posted on: August 12, 2008
Geoff Lawton to Launch Food Forest DVD
DVDs/Books, Food Forests, Insects, Soil Biology, Trees — by Craig Mackintosh
In the last half of August Geoff Lawton will be teaching a Permaculture Design Certificate course at Quail Springs in California. In addition to experiencing an excellent course, the lucky students will also view the world premiere of the latest instructional DVD to come out of the Permaculture Research Institute. Titled “Establishing a Food Forest”, this amazing multimedia experience walks you through the process of creating food systems that are not only sustainable, but self-sustaining. Stay tuned to this blog for actual release dates for when the DVD will be available for purchase (expected to be September).
In the meantime, the clip below is another sneak peek at what the DVD has to offer. You can view other promos here and here. “Establishing a Food Forest” will be an excellent companion DVD for the very popular Water Harvesting DVD.
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