Agriculture: Agriculture Blog

Library Opening hours over Easter, some News and new Library resources

Welcome to 2022!

I hope everyone had a restful, relaxing and peaceful break over Summer and your 2022 is shaping up to be better than last year. Over the Summer break I did a lot of work on the Agriculture Subject Guides. I fleshed out some of the existing pages with much more content and relevant resources and created brand new ones on subject areas that were lacking. You can check out the new pages at the following link here. 

In particular I've added a new page on Sustainability in Agriculture covering topics such as Regenerative Agriculture (as practiced by Charles Massy and others), Natural Sequence Farming, No-Till Farming and farming with biodiversity in mind, among others. I've also updated and refreshed the Beekeeping (Apiculture) page which has some excellent resources and some great general interest information including diseases of hives. The new Wool page has lots of resources related to Australian Wool Production, wool classing and other information of interest to those studying in this area. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Of course if there is anything you'd like added to the pages, drop me a line here and I can add that content for you. The guides are there to support your learning and teaching so please reach out if there are resources or topics you'd like to see on these pages. 

Unfortunately with the New Year we are still suffering with COVID related restrictions, don't forget masks are still required to be worn in the Library. You'll receive notification and see the removal of the signs when masks are no longer required. Thank you for your patience and with any luck we'll all be enjoying maskless interactions in the very near future.

Will the library be closed over the Easter break? 

In short, yes. All TasTAFE Libraries will be closed from Friday 15th to Monday 25th April. The libraries will reopen on Tuesday 26th April. Please share this information with your colleagues, students, and other staff.

Our chat service will also be unavailable for the entire semester break (April 15th to 29th). If you require assistance during this period, you can click on the 'Ask the Library' button on the Library homepage and one of our staff will get back to you as soon as possible. 

New Library Resources:

The Library has a number of new titles available for loan with more on the way soon. Here are some of the newest titles available now to borrow:

Backyard bees : a complete guide for the beginner beekeeper or bee enthusiast by Doug Purdie

ISBN: 9781922351685

Publication Date: 2021

Bees need our help. Under threat from insecticides and habitat loss, they're in decline the world over. It's time to show some love to our favourite pollinators, whether by installing a hive in your garden or on your rooftop, or simply by adding more bee-friendly plants to your patch. Backyard Bees is the bestselling Australian bee guide to walk you through everything you need to know, now fully revised and updated. Author Doug Purdie offers friendly, expert advice on keeping happy, healthy bees and harvesting the liquid gold, including tips on choosing a hive and equipment, and an all-new chapter on the Flow Hive, the innovative beehive design that has taken beekeeping by storm. You'll also find case studies and anecdotes from beekeepers from all walks of life, and 20 delicious recipes for all that honey, from Toasted Honey Granola to Bees Knees Cocktails. Not ready to keep bees? This edition also includes new chapters on supporting your local bee population without a hive, with tips for planting bee-friendly gardens and creating habitats and homes for solitary bees.

 

Natural Asset Farming by David B. Lindenmayer; Suzannah M. Macbeth; David G. Smith; Michelle L. Young

ISBN: 9781486314836

Publication Date: 2022

Farm dams, creeklines, vegetation and rocky outcrops are natural assets that are essential for healthy, sustainable farms. Protecting and enhancing these elements of natural capital on farms not only supports biodiversity, but also contributes to farm productivity and to the well-being of farmers and farming communities. Natural Asset Farming: Creating Productive and Biodiverse Farms reveals seven key natural assets and why they are so valuable for biodiversity and productivity on farms. Drawing on two decades of long-term ecological monitoring and knowledge exchange with farmers, landcare groups, and natural resource management experts, this book is a tool for building and enhancing natural assets in agricultural landscapes. In bringing together ecological science and the experience of farmers in the wheat-sheep belt of south-eastern Australia, Natural Asset Farming will help foster ideas, boost resilience, and improve the sustainability of agricultural production.

Dung down under : dung beetles for Australia by Bernard Doube and Tim Marshall

ISBN: 9780992432904

Publication Date: 2014

This book examines the ecological, environmental and production benefits of dung beetles, and provides a non-technical analysis of their value and potential role in increasing soil carbon storage. An essential reference for farmers, Landcare groups and environmental organisations concerned with sustainable land management.

The Farming Game by Bill Malcolm; Jack Makeham; Vic Wright

ISBN: 9780521537551

Publication Date: 2005

The Farming Game is the agricultural management text for the twenty-first century. The central theme underpinning this text is that the farm management context is most usefully and reliably managed by the application of economic ways of thinking. In this text, the practice of farm management is approached in an integrated way, leaving no significant issues about management uncovered. Finance, investment, decision analysis, management, economic thinking, growth, risk and marketing are critical and exciting domains of interest that are brought together to give the reader a thorough and comprehensive understanding of how the farming situation is best analysed and managed. The text is essential reading for those who seek to manage agricultural businesses well and for those with interest throughout agricultural supply chains who need to understand the character of farms as the core of agribusiness systems.

News:

The drones watching over cattle where cowboys cannot reach - BBC

An example of technology assisting in the management of ranch cattle in the US. Researchers and ranchers are investigating the use of drones to monitor cattle when conditions or seasons make it difficult to accurately track them across the farm. Read more about this here on the BBC webpage.

Tasmania's poppy farmers ride booms and busts of global pharmaceutical industry - ABC News

Tasmanian Poppy producers are at the mercy of global demand for poppy products due to oversupply issues, reduced demand for opioid-based medications after controversy in the US and other market factors, however the future still looks bright for Tasmanian poppy producers. Read more about this here on the ABC News webpage.

NSW floods kill millions of bees, apiarists warn of flow-on effects to horticulture industry - ABC News

After devastating floods in northern NSW and southern Queensland, apiarists warn the loss of millions of bees and their hives will have flow on effects for production agriculture as they will be unable to honour pollination contracts with farmers, possibly leading to price rises on produce. Read more here on the ABC News webpage.

Collars keep track - Dairy News Australia

Another example of technology being used to improve efficiency and production in the farm sector, CowTraq collars have been developed to assist farmers in managing their dairy herds. The collars provide a precise and complete picture about the fertility, health, well-being and nutritional status of each cow in the herd. You can read more here on the Dairy News webpage.

Winegrapes dumped in Sunraysia - Daily Wine News

Vineyards in the Sunraysia region of Victoria have started dumping their grapes after failing to find a winery that will take them. Uncertainty due to the recent trade scuffle with China over Australian wines and increasing trade tariffs has led to wineries being more hesitant to bet on an uptake in wine sales. You can read more here on the Daily Wine News webpage.

Recycling in the Library

Did you know the Library is a collection point for many types of recyclable items? For example at the Alanvale Campus Library we can accept old mobile phones, depleted batteries of all types such as AA and button batteries, CDs and even old pens! Contact your nearest TasTAFE Library as to the items they can accept.

That's about it for this update. Wishing you all the very best with your continued studies and teaching this year. As always, if you need any help, require resources or have any suggestions for the page, get in contact with us and we will be more than happy to help you out.

Till next time,

Jeremy