Author Archives: Michael Burlace

Animal-made laneway

If you find Working or driving animals hard increases stress, lowers production and lowers the eating quality of the resulting meat OR Animals want to go in different directions to where you want them to go Then, Animals don’t need … Continue reading

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A woman’s place

If you find Women are often excluded or think they are excluded from farm decision making. AND People who marry into the family may find it difficult to become fully accepted members Then, It used to be said that a … Continue reading

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Survival first

If you find It can be tempting to focus on the expansion of the business side of farming without looking adequately at the survival of the family and the environmental underpinnings of that same business AND Without a solid base … Continue reading

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Kitchen garden

If you find Many farmers earn a farmer income and pay a city dweller’s shopping bill AND Modern farming is a far cry from the old mixed farming. We tend towards monocultures or highly specialized farms Then, Grow food for … Continue reading

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Rising plane of nutrition

If you find Fertility and fecundity are significant drivers of profitability in many livestock enterprises AND Feed conditions are not always ideal in the lead-up to mating season Then, When animals are on a diet that is steadily improving, it … Continue reading

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Cash crop

If you find Long-term ventures are necessary and so is short-term income and it can be hard to combine them sometimes Then, This is a crop produced for a quick cash return. Some examples: Growing a crop of melons between … Continue reading

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Ready for opportunity

If you find Being unprepared leaves you with fewer options when situations change OR Not knowing ahead of time what is happening means you are disadvantaged Then, You might as well exploit your advantages, everything else in nature does including … Continue reading

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Sperm bank

If you find It’s not always convenient to keep a stock of frozen sperm on the farm so you can join your animals whenever you want to OR It would be handy to be ready to breed more animals if … Continue reading

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Litter

If you find Soils are fragile AND Bare ground is ripe for weed invasion and soil erosion AND Bare ground loses more moisture than ground covered by living or dead plant matter Then, Any living or dead material lying on … Continue reading

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Top mob

If you find There are good genes in most collections of animals or plants but they are not evenly distributed and some individuals make better seedstock as a result AND Keeping the best genes to breed with the best genes … Continue reading

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