Agriculture and Farming policy discussion

From Pirate Party "Right Wing" ideas thread

I think farmers should get free bullets (bloody kangaroos).

Have at it.

edit: policy link
https://pirateparty.org.au/wiki/Platform#Land_management_and_ecology

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fwiw most farmers I know are small, family owned and run. The rest are gigantic employing fewer people and buying more machinery. Much of it is monoculture (orchards) or rotating crops (think wheat, canola and barley). I have beef cattle.

What concerns me is land management. What grows above the ground depends on the ground below. Many years ago I was seduced by Permaculture and despite the cooky offshoots I learnt a few things. I now approach all aspects of my farming from a regenerative perspective. What can I do to make the ground better.

If I was to pursue any policy it would be regeneration. Plant trees, repair land and increase the biodiversity. Simply, good land management.

wait … free trees would be nice. I’ve got a few kilometers of ripped and fenced tree lanes ready for planting. If you like to help I can pay in kangaroos …

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Sustainability is a core part of futurist principles and it’s a point that several of our policies turn on (primarily in an economic sense, but also an environmental one). A landholder grant for reforesting ground could actually tie in with our land tax policy, but also seems to be to be relevant to a state level platform.

I’ve been following the furor over the Murray Darling Basin recently regarding the irrigation water buybacks which large cotton growers have apparently been illegally siphoning regardless. What kind of issues surround water supply and pricing for livestock farmers as opposed to crop farmers? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-28/federal-auditor-general-to-investigate-four-corners-allegations/8753010

Also, is there a way for the fruit picking programs for visa workers to be extended to livestock farmers or do those work programs already cover livestock? Are there ways we can look at reforming or expanding the program? I read another article recently about a contractor for the work program who didn’t pay the workers and treated them to inhumane conditions www.smh.com.au/national/he-sacked-them-for-pleading-for-water-20100312-q45l.html

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Sustainability isn’t enough. Improvement is vital if humans wish to continue breeding unchecked.

We don’t have a river, we have dams. What falls from the sky into dams is our water. Although I think I’m only allowed to collect 1meg per 10hectares iirc. Buying in water (by truck) is expensive. I’m a dryland farmer (no irrigation) so I don’t really have a position.

Probably, but I wouldn’t do it. Big skill, experience and safety difference between picking fruit and working livestock. Ever been kicked in the fork by an angry apple?

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My family (grandparents, uncles and aunts) farmed apple and cattle side by side for generations. As I understand it the biggest danger from the apples was getting in the way of the harvester when it was going, whereas everyone knew pretty clearly which paddock the bull was in at all times. The christmases I spend there I still strap on a pair of wellies though and go help count the herd if it’s needed, poor city slicker that I am :slight_smile: Batlow in Tumutshire if it counts

Batlow Apples. Some of the best.

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But have you tried the cider? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQr2oGWNE8c

gawd I’m getting flashbacks to the screechers installed in the paddocks from rewatching this trailer

Musical apple picking! AWESOME!

… it’s been a long time since I had cider

I don’t drink much cider because normally it is a bit sweet for me, but their cloudy has a really nice taste. Too bad almost no-one stocks it… I ask at almost every bar I go to :frowning:

Farm the roos. Makes a hell of a lot more sense in certain areas than cattle and sheep :wink:

You come and catch the bastards :wink:

edit: I’ll sell tickets.

Heh. Fair point :wink:

Internet is telling me at the moment that farming roos really is just point-and-shoot. Along with the required training, licensing, quota adhering and such, I mean.

I’m a city slicker so twisty may want to call me out. But in my limited understanding, money isn’t the biggest obstacle when it comes to revegetating land. Seeds and saplings don’t cost much. The constraint is time and daylight hours. Clearing and planting and upkeep during a land regeneration project is a massive draw on time and effort.

If we are supporting job garauntee trials there might be a two birds/one stone deal here.

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yep, money isn’t the problem. Time and materials are. Tubestock costs as little as $0.50 ea, sometimes free. For ground preparation, weed control, planting and plant protection add a zero, so ~$5 per plant is my guess.

One thing to consider when creating a policy is to create a frame work that removes red tape for general farming practices. A national approach rather than Local Government, one that uses National/International standards rather than legislation. Farmers want to get on with the business of farming not having to get DA’s all the time. Maybe a framework (Standards) to work with and a simple lodgement system of their activities that then could be inspected if needed to check compliance???

What “red tape” are you referring too? DA’s for what? We are largely left alone to manage our farm as we see fit. Weeds and dwellings are the only areas local council watch closely in my experience. fwiw NLIS tags cost about $4ea.

All sorts of things - Water tanks, bores, pumps, building/structures, fencing, shared roads, tree felling… Local councils around here use LiDAR and watch every thing. Farmers are getting pinged for not lodging DA’s for very basic things and even being sued by councils for chopping the odd tree down because the farmer wants to put up a new boundary fence and there is a tree in the path. Its petty, time waster and costly.

An example of sillyness - I got an order from council to Slash all vegetation on a part of my property as a neighbor complained (Unhealthy). It also came with a 12 month maintenance plan that I was meant to comply with. The irony here was the vegetation was on a riparian zone and was all native. Part of it was bush regenerated by council! Went through a time wasting episode, pulled the Environment ACT on them - never heard back.

Habitable buildings, septic systems, bores, pumps and shared roads should be council monitored imho. The rest? I think your council are being dicks.

I’ve noticed over the decades that our local community has become more “lifestyle” focused. Lifestyle’rs tend to be wealthy “townies” who want the “Good Life” but know little about land management, let alone what Serrated Tussock looks like. On the flip side, I make a bit of drinking silver poisoning for townies after the council slaps a non-compliance on them. lol

that’ll do it.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/nebraska-farmers-right-to-repair-john-deere-apple is this a thing in Australia? This has us written all over it

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