If you did you would have been blown away with the work of
Dr Christine Jones from Amazing Carbon.

We realise that many of you may have missed Landline as our PM
took the airwaves to talk about
the proposed Carbon Tax.

What a pity! Because the real carbon talk was on Landline.
If only what Christine had to say was listened to by
those proposing the tax!

Did you know that Australian farmers farming biologically
and increasing carbon in the soil can reverse global warming
caused by carbon dioxide worldwide? You’ll be astounded by how
little is needed to achieve this.

Hear what Christine has to say.

The great part is that she does have the proof to show
what she is saying is fact.

Go to: http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2008/s2490568.htm”>
Like to hear from you when you have listened!

Keep on creating those healthy soils

Helen and Hugo

As The Weekly Times reported (Mar 30th 2011, page 16) it took only 41 potato growers to deliver a winning message to food giant McCain.

And how did they do it?

It started when the growers rejected McCain’s contract offer which was $26.50 less a tonne than last year. Then the growers in 50 tractors drove in to town to block any deliveries to the factory. Within a day the factory had run out of potatoes and by the 4th day were ready to negotiate.

By this time McCain’s were also keen to avoid the growing media attention which had been organised by the farmers. Support of several public figures including independent MP Bob Katter and Senator Nick Xenophon and pressure from Tasmanian company Simplot, who had actually raised the buying price for potatoes to more than $40 per tonne, was welcomed by the farmers.

The outcome was victory to the growers as McCain agreed to the grower demands.

This is a great example that by good strategic planning and collaboration the little man can win. Farming Secrets applaud the farmers involved.

Here’s a quick preview of our featured “DVD of the Month” DIRT the Movie

You can read what Celia thinks about it in our latest Farming Secrets Digest at: www.farmingsecrets.com/fs

This DVD is available for purchase from our store at: www.farmingsecrets.com/fs/store IMMEDIATELY.

Priced at $27 plus $3 postage but due to a miscalculation is available for the next 7 visitors for only $17 plus $3 postage (Australia only)

Email:helen@farmingsecrets.com to place your order straight away. It is essential viewing.

Maree Nutt is the national manager of the anti-poverty group, RESULTS. She says alleviating poverty is not just about access to clean water, food and shelter, it can also involve access to finance.

MAREE NUTT: If you have access to affordable credit and if you have access to a safe place to put your money, that makes an enormous difference. It makes an enormous difference to our lives, why should it be any different for people who are in poorer countries?

LEXI METHERELL: But how does it work, because I guess most financial institutions wouldn’t want to lend to someone whose cash flow might be quite minimal and they might not have much collateral behind them. How does it all work?

MAREE NUTT: The specialist microfinance institutions were set up where people were able to borrow money. One of the things about microfinance is the repayments are usually very small but very regular.

LEXI METHERELL: The microcredit summit campaign is made up of hundreds of organisations and is tracking the expansion of microfinance around the world. It’s released a report showing that a record 128 million of the world’s poorest families received a microloan in 2009.

That compares to 7.6 million in 1997.

The loans allow people to invest in capital that they may not have otherwise been able to afford so they can start at small business - tools for a gardening business or scissors and mirrors for hairdressing, for example.

The Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, one of the most high profile microfinance organisations, has more than 8 million clients and most of them are women. But now developed countries are getting on board too.

For more on today’s interview go to: http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3158106.htm?site=brisbane

For more on the Grameen bank go to: www.grameen-info.org

For more on RESULTS a group that lobbies the media and politicians to end hunger and poverty go to: www.results.org

Farming Secrets supports the Grameen bank and the ending of poverty and hunger.