Early April organic events: thinking, doing and no april foolin

Plato and Aristotle explore organic farming in Ireland

Plato looked to an ideal essence from which our understanding of reality is formed, Aristotle looked at things. Heaven and earth, the sky and the ground, the astral and terra firma.

From fundos to realos (see history here), the organic movement has alwys had both practical and philosophical dimensions. The beginning of April is a golden opportunity to engage in both.

The least apt day of the year for the now departed Merf � Dr. Charles Merfield � to give a talk in Ireland is April Fool's day, for he's far from a fool.

In fact, he's a classic brainbox, full of science, ideas, and inventions.

Merf, until recently an organic crop researcher with Teagasc and UCD, returns to Ireland to give a talk entitled 'Organics: Philosophy of Agriculture Science and Ethics' in UCD on April 1st at 1pm.

This talk is part of the UCD History and Philosophy of Science Lecture Series, and is being held in the Seminar Room of the Humanities Institute of Ireland at University College Dublin (UCD).

Merf's seminar will briefly review the history and context of organic agriculture from its beginnings in the early 1900s with its focus on soil nutrition and human health. It will then examine the 1960s anti synthetic biocide revolution and finally today's multiple organic systems will be considered.

This history will provide a foundation �to examine the fundamental differences between organic and industrial agriculture with a particular focus on ethics, and the role of science followed by and exploration of organic's critique of industrial agriculture� according to Merf.

The next day, April 2nd, features a perhaps more typical but nonetheless interesting organic farming day.

The Teagasc organic conference will be held in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone. It begins at 9am, and features a host of important speakers and topics.

The first session deals with a topic close to every farmers heart. It is entitled, very straightforwardly, 'Making Money from Organic Farming'. Two Teagasc organic advisors James McDonnell and Dan Clavin will present on profitability of organic farms and financial planning for farmers undergoing conversion.

The next sessions deals with market opportunities for organic milk, meat and grain. Perhaps suprizingly, there is no place at the table for the newly formed Irish Organic Milk Producers Company.

However, Glenisk's Vincent Cleary will be one of the chairs, along with chair of the National Organic Steering Committee John Duggan.

A highlight in this session will be the presentation by Dr. Nic Lampkin ofthe Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, Berkshire. Nic's 1990 book on organic farming is considered a bible while his work on developing the organic sector in wales has been considered integral to their strong recent growth. Nic' s presentation is on UK and EU markets.

Along with Nic, John Purcell of the Good Herdsman � the largest organic meat processor in either Ireland or the UK, John Flahavan of Flahavans who have capacity to talk in more Irish produce, and Anthony Murphy (Skettering Nutrition, Co. Mayo) will present.

The after lunch session gives a farmer's perspective.

Cavan's Richard Moeran has been described as a rare breed with a rare breed. He is chair of Cavan IFA, certified organic and stocks saddleback pigs. He also carries lamb and beef, and grows much of his own feed.

His produce is sold direct and through supermarkets, so he really can speak from and for a number of perspectives.

Also presenting the farmers' perspective is Noel Lynch of Macroom (beef, sheep, tillage)
and Fintan Rice, of Fethard, Co. Tipperary (dairying).

Following this, another session on profitabilty will be held. This time, the focus is on increasing profit margins outside the farm gate. This session is chaired by Peter Young, organic farmer and journalist.

His own Castlefarm enterprise is a great model for innovative ways to increase profitability. With his wife Jenny, they direct sell, make their own cheese, do school trips and a host range of courses. The next one is on making outdoor clay ovens.

Lorcan Burke (Bord Bia) will present on purchasing trends in the current climate, while Mark Winterbotham, (Gold River Farms, Co. Wicklow) will present on direct selling.

See here or ring 059 917 020

pesticides and EU regulations part 2: interview with Merf on alternatives

If the EU does indeed limit the use of pesticides in farming in Europe, as is currently being proposed, there will be a number of consequences.

The positives and negatives of these consequences depend upon where you are placed in the agri-food system.

The price differential between organic and conventional may decrease. This would have the effect of leveling the playing field between organic and conventional for the ultimate recipient of food, the consumer.

Consumer confidence in the food system in general may increase, as the consumer currently dislikes pesticides, and at the same time distrusts farmers, supermarkets and food manufacturers.

One consequence that may not begin to happen in Ireland, but which should as a matter of urgency, is the development of alternative approaches to pest and weed management.

This should include not just methods similar to those used in organic farming, but methods from the broader gamut integrated pest and weed management offer.

An expert on these options is UCD�s Dr. Charles Merfield. Merfield, or Merf as he�s more often known, is an organic cropping agronomist. He has helped develop a number of innovative approaches to weed and pest control, and has some interesting ideas on how we should go forward in this area.

�Up to now, the main way to control pests and weeds has been through the use of synthetic biocides, which are more commonly referred to as chemicals. However a more integrated approach is needed. All four sciences of the natural world should be utilized, that is physical, biological, ecological as well as chemical�.

He also points out the fact that �there is an immediate and looming problem for the industry. One set of controls are being taken away, but the replacements are not in place yet.�

He suggests that an integrated approach is more effective than a chemical only approach, while also have the bonus of being more sustainable.

Merf is concerned, however, that enough research into integrated approaches is not being done for the Irish situation. Worryingly he says that well functioning integrated management systems can take between 5 to 15 years to develop (similar to chemicals) �which for poses a major problem for Irish agriculture as chemicals are being lost right now, so integrated solutions are needed now�.

There are many lessons and techniques to be learned from organic farming: �organic weed management mostly uses physical and ecological techniques. Agro-ecological approaches such as cover crops are also viable options.�

Globally, according to Merf, those investigating alternative mechanisms for pest management have made more progress than those investigating weed management.

�Fifteen years ago, weed science journals were focused on chemical solutions. That�s changed in last ten years or so. There has been a rapid increase in herbicide resistance globally, which we haven�t seen as much here in Ireland�

He cites the case of the caterpillar in New Zealand. By simply providing the catterpillar�s parasitoids with extra food in the form of buckwheat flowers, a cheap, effective, safe and certainly image friendly option has been developed for the countries� wine industry.

Along with a business partner in his native New Zealand, Merf has developed a company promoting particular machines for physical weeding. These include direct fired steam weeders, flame weeders, the Four Wheel Hoe (pedestrian hoe), and false seed bed tillers (cultivators).

The business, called PhysicalWeeding, promotes what it calls the false and stale seedbed approach. This is done by creating a planting tilth but then delaying planting. The weeds germinate and/or emerge before the crop, to then be killed either by further tillage, thermal weeding or herbicides.

While there are solutions, problems remain. �even within organic approaches, there are pests and diseases that are difficult to control or the solutions are not so easy - carrot root fly crop covers are a pain. A biological control that could be applied by spraying would be much easier, but we need to look�.

Which prompts the inevitable question: will the agri-food sector in Ireland have the vision to look for this and other solutions, or will it try to continue down the ever more fraught path of business as usual?

(Pictured: Merf flogging a hoe at an organic conference. For more on the irrepressible merf, click here)

Beechlawn organic fruit and vegetable farm part 1: background

Here is an article on an organic vegetable and fruit farm in east Galway called Beechlawn. It is mostly an intro to their growth as a business. they held a farm walk last Saturday - details on the next one is at the end of this article.

Pictured on the right are the good folk from beechlawn: Una, Padraig and their two kids, Roisin and Maebh.

In the Irish Examiner next week (thur) I'll have a 'hard look at the economics of thier business' type of article. Links for IOFGA, NOTS and Merf are all over there on the left.

Of all the agricultural sectors that are underperforming in Ireland at present, organic horticulture is one of the most glaring. Rising consumer demand, trainees produced each year, and yet the numbers of full time commercial organic horticulturalists is low.

There are less than 200 licensed by the two certification bodies, and many of these have a mixed enterprise. It has been estimated that there are no more than 60 professional certified organic horticulturalists in Ireland at present.

Beechlawn Farm in east Galway, however, bucks the trend. Una Ni Bhroin and Padraig Fahy manage an ever expanding growing, wholesaling and retailing (box scheme and farmers� markets and wholesaling) enterprise.

Fresh from getting married (to each other) and Padraig�s chairing of IOFGA for two years, they have put another 8 acres into conversion, to add to their present four.

2001 was the year they started growing on half and acre, as fresh faced graduates from the Organic College in Drumcollagher, Limerick.

By 2003, their organic licence was granted, a 2nd polytunnel erected, heated propagator bought, grant received from Galway Rural Development and considerable other equipment was purchased, including a rotovator, tractor, two wheel rotovator, plough, and tiller.

2004 and 2005 saw more polytunnels, their box scheme grow, and more farmers markets be added to their repertoire.

Just last year they erected their latest polytunnel - 10,000 square feet in size � which brings their total to five, at 16,000 sq ft.

They continue to sell direct through a box scheme, and have been instrumental in not just selling at, but opening a range of regional farmers� markets. Their vegetables are now on sale at Loughrea, Athlone, Ballinasloe and Oranmore .There is also a small but increasing wholesale dimension to their business.

The couple have been full time since last year. Indeed the farm and food business has been employing people since 2005. They also take volunteers. Many organic operators do, but the scale at which they do at Beechlawn is quite something: 60 since starting and counting! They�ve had so many, in fact, that they have built a small wooden house on site for the volunteers and farm workers to stay in.

According to Una �Alex our Ukrainian farm worker is a marvellous addition to our workforce - he�s a university student with the Macra na Feirme seasonal horticultural farm worker scheme. He�s with us from March to October and at this stage he�s so well trained in he could nearly run the farm himself�.

�Eva is another gem. Eva is a volunteer who came to help us two months ago. She�s been running market stalls for us all alone giving us the space to catch up with paperwork, orders for seeds, pay the bills and whatever the hidden tasks are�.

She goes on: �We currently also have a Japaneze, German and French volunteers staying at the farm. The three of them are exceptionally helpful. Thank God for the WWOOFERS�Where would be without them?�

WWOOF is a volunteer scheme that enables people to contribute to the various activities on an organic farm.

Another great source of help arrived on their last farm walk, conducted on behalf of the National Organic training Skillsnet (NOTS). This came in the form of Merf, Dr. Charles Merfield, the affable Teagasc organic crop scientist.

�Merf spotted Red Spider Mite on the recent NOTS walk we held, and we had other pest problems too. We dealt with this and other crop issues through products from Fruit Hill Farm organic garden supplies and then a follow up of biological control� according to Una.

Beechlawn (click here for their site) Teagasc national demonstration farm walk for those interested in learning about organic horticulture. It is being held on Wednesday 17th September at 6 pm (admission free)

Science, farming and fossil fuels: An organic crop researcher talks about the science of farming

Dr. Charles Merfield, or �Merf� as the approachable New Zealander prefers to be called, is making waves across the Irish agricultural landscape at the moment. Merf works for Teagasc (Irish state's agri-advisory and research organisation) as an organic crop researcher, and is based in Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland. Merf's own site, which carries info on his research, letters published in the farming press etc is here

Oliver Moore: First thing first Merf, tell me a little bit about yourself and your background - hw did a New Zealander end up as a researcher in Ireland?

Merf: My partner is a soil microbiologist and nitrogen specialist and was working for Teagasc in 2006 - I heard about the job when I came to visit her. It�s also the only job in organic cropping research I found in the EU - something I find rather odd considering the general enthusiasm for organics at the moment, so I am very glad I got the position.

Oliver Moore: Do you have any practical experience in farming?

My background is in commercial horticulture - I studied at Writtle College in the UK. I then had jobs managing organic horticultural farms in the UK and New Zealand. This has given me a really solid grounding in real farming and business - which I feel is an invaluable asset now I am mostly on the research side of the fence. I only have to think back to standing in a cold wet field harvesting vegetables to remind myself of farmer�s priorities. I find agricultural scientists that have come from purely academic backgrounds without farm experience are missing something, and ag science is poorer as a result.

Oliver Moore: Your perspective on where agriculture is going has been attracting a lot of attention recently, in both the farming press and at various agricultural events. Firstly, can you give me a brief historical perspective.

Merf: Since the beginning of agriculture until the enlightenment and the industrial revolution, agriculture has been firmly embedded in the carrying capacity of the local ecosystem in which it operated. Human history in that time is riddled with endless examples of human societies that exceeded the ecological carrying capacity of the land, thereby destroying it and themselves. This is a key theme in Tim Flannery�s �The Future Eaters�. Indeed it is difficult to think of any large civilisation that has not destroyed its resource base and therefore itself. One exception held up in organic circles are the ancient Chinese who farmed the same lands for millennia without loss of fertility or productivity, due to the constant recycling of all nutrients from animal, including human, manures back to the land.

For me there are two key changes that fundamentally altered this situation - science and fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are not just fuel but are the �feed stock� for most of the materials on which our modern lives depend. Anything you see around you that you cannot clearly see is made from biological material, for example a solid wood table, is almost certainly made �from� fossil fuel, mainly oil. Unfortunately practically everything in the modern world is made �with� oil or other fossil energy, even if it is of biological origin and not made �from� oil. In other words, the energy from fossil fuel was used in its manufacture. Fossil fuel therefore provides nearly all of the energy and �feed stock� for the modem world, materials that were previously provided almost exclusively by agriculture. I therefore think the term �fossil land� is a far more accurate and useful term than fossil fuel.

Oliver Moore: So what�s the problem with fossil fuel or fossil land dependence then?

Merf: Peak oil is the problem. Fossil fuels having been in common use for about 300 years, nearly eight generations. Fossil fuels are so �normal� that most people cannot, or maybe until the last couple of years, could not conceive that they would not last for ever. However, its very basic maths that if you have a finite resource and progressively use it up then at some stage you will of used half of it up, that is, peak supply, at some time use all of it up, and at some point in-between its scarcity will drive its cost so high it will in effect preclude its use for most purposes. Once it is gone, it is gone forever - at least in geological time scales.

From my perspective science and fossil land make an unholy alliance. Without fossil fuels, science and technology would have been forced to work within the ecological carrying capacity of the land, and when they tried to exceed it they would be been utterly rebuffed. The carrying capacity of land is no different to the productivity of a cow, say. You can�t keep milking a cow without feeding it and expect to get milk forever, but that is often the belief about ecosystems: you can�t milk an ecosystem forever without feeding it, i.e., replacing that which you remove from it, and expect it to last forever. Had there not been fossil fuel and society had hit the ecological wall, after a few crashes �science� should have figured out what was going on and figured out how to stay within the ecological carrying capacity.

However, modernity has effectively ignored the carrying capacity of its ecosystems by consuming fossil land, in the form of oil and coal. These replaced the nutrients and energy that had previously been produced by agriculture. I hope the term �consuming fossil land� or just �consuming land� gives some insight into how insane this is. No farmer in his right mind would allow the destruction of part of his or her fields with each harvest, but this is what we are in effect doing when we consume fossil fuels, that is, fossil land. Both land and fossil fuels are finite resources and if we destroy them it takes a very long time, millennia for soil, tens of millions of year for fossil fuels, to replace them.

We have therefore used fossil land to both boost our current agricultural land area, increasing its productivity while also directly using fossil land to feed, clothe and house ourselves. Indeed, there has been so much fossil land available we have used it to have one �huge consumerist party� that far exceeds what our agricultural land would of supported on its own.

Oliver Moore: Give me a specific example, Merf

Merf: A key example using fossil land to directly boost the effective agricultural land area is nitrogen fertilisers. These are made from and with the natural gas methane, mostly as the feed sock / raw material but about 10% or so as the energy source to drive the Haber�Bosch process. By applying N fertilisers we can increase crop yield, which in the case of pasture, means we can increase stocking density. However, this is an illusion. If a farm had to produce all of the methane and energy required to produce the nitrogen fertiliser it uses then its stocking rate would be far lower, due to the land area needed. I have yet to see an analysis of this but I bet that it would be possible to get a far higher stocking rate using legumes to produce the nitrogen than the Haber�Bosch process using farm produced methane and energy.

Oliver Moore: What does this kind of analysis mean for society�s ability to feed itself?

Merf: We need ten times the amount of agricultural land we have in Europe to supply our current energy needs. On top of this about 15% of oil is used as �feed stock� to make plastic and all the other materials we have substituted for biological materials such as wool, cotton, wood and so on. So at a rough estimate we may need 15 times our existing agricultural land area to meet our current energy and synthetic material consumption, oh and one existing land area to produce our food, plus half as much again if it�s to be done within ecological constraints. Even if the figures I use are out by a power of ten we are still in serious trouble.

Oliver Moore: In the short term, what will this mean for agriculture in Ireland?

There will come a point when rotations will have to come back into mainstream farming, as clover will prove to be a cheaper source of nitrogen that the current oil-based sources.

Poultry, as a non-ruminant, needs quite a considerable quantity of grain to perform. Free-range poultry can be fed on some grass, but not completely on grass. The same goes for pigs. Now, they can be fed on various fodder crops, but you won�t get the growth rates.

In organics, the two organic meat products that cost far higher for the consumer are pigs and poultry, because organic producers can�t substitute pasture in for grain. Organic beef has the lowest price premium, especially in places like Ireland where the production differences are small.

The pig and poultry producers just don�t have the same sorts of pasture options. Their animals are indoors all the time and fed highly concentrated, high energy rations. But the whole system is based on cheep feed.

The dairy guys can look at places like New Zealand, which has similarities to Ireland, and see how to maximise the use of grass. The obvious easy one is to start to introduce clover. Clover increases quality, digestibility, protein, you get free nitrogen fixation - it�s a puzzle as to why more non-organic farmers aren�t doing it!