Agriculture: Agriculture Blog

Season's greetings and the last of the years Library News

Season's Greetings

As another tumultuous year draws to a close and we look ahead to a more optimistic 2023, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a safe, happy and relaxing Christmas/New Year break. We all very much look forward to welcoming you back to the Library in the new year.

It's been a particularly difficult year weather-wise, with floods still impacting many regions and extreme weather events severely impacting on crops, vineyards and agricultural production across the country. Combine this with the war in Ukraine and the skyrocketing costs of fuels, fertiliser, agricultural chemicals and other essential supplies required for primary industry and it has certainly been one of the most difficult years on record. With any luck conditions will start to improve moving forward into the new year and beyond. 

Image credit: Ole Bertelsen from Pixabay

Library News

The move of the TasTAFE Clarence Library from the existing building into the Café pending the redevelopment of the Clarence Campus has now been completed. You can still see Library staff for all your enquiries however some items from the collection may not be available during this period. Clarence Library staff will be able to provide you more information on this should you require help finding items or resources.

All libraries will reopen on the 9th January after the break and the Library online Chat service will resume on Monday 23rd January. More information is available on the Library webpage here: Library website

Subject Guide Updates

Over the past several months I have been continually updating and adding to the Agriculture Subject Guide on the Library webpage. Several of the pages have been updated and two new pages on Mental Health and Pests & Diseases have been created. This is a continual process and you will recognise any new content by the labels '*UPDATED*' and '*NEW*'. Teachers, if you have any suggestions for additions to the page feel free to get in touch with me via email here: email. You can see the results of these efforts at the following link: Agriculture Home

New Library Resources

Here are some new arrivals to the Library collection, now available for loan:

Goat agskills : a practical guide to farm skills by Jennifer Laffan

ISBN: 9780731305902

Publication Date: 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biodynamic Wine Growing by Jean-Michel Florin (Editor); Bernard Jarman (Translator)

ISBN: 9781782506690

Publication Date: 2021

Many wine growers have converted to biodynamic viniculture, often to combat the overuse of chemicals and help vulnerable vines. The quality of biodynamic wine is increasingly recognised around the world. In this fascinating book, Jean-Michel Florin, coordinator of the French biodynamic movement, offers practical advice for both biodynamic wine growers and anyone considering converting to biodynamic methods. Beautifully illustrated with color photographs throughout, this unique resource explores the nature of the vine, reveals the conditions required for healthy vine cultivation and looks to the future of vine research. It includes: an introduction to the theory of biodynamic viniculture and the Goethean method of observation in relation to vines; practical articles on all aspects of wine growing, including biodiversity, pruning, treating and preventing disease; case studies of biodynamic vineyards from around the world, from the USA to France to New Zealand. US vineyards featured include Eco Terreno, Sonoma County, California and Littorai Wines, Sonoma County, California Drawing on contributions from worldwide biodynamic viniculture experts, this presents a positive global vision for the future of vine cultivation.

 

 

Products of the hive by Doug Somerville & Elizabeth Frost

ISBN: 9781760584900

Publication Date: 2021

Don’t forget you can see all the new items arriving in the Library collection by checking out the Featured New Books page here: Featured New Books

 

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Take care, stay safe and enjoy all that the season has to offer.

Till next time,

Jeremy