chicob

This is revealing. I'm glad my tractor GPS/guiding system does not run Android.

Bullshit is the word. Some examples:

- Farmer #1 uses a plethora of organic pesticides on every crop. Can label produce as Certified Organic.

- Farmer #2 uses no pesticides whatsoever, with the exception of glyphosate once a year for weed control. Not Organic.

- Farmer #3 applies B. thuringiensis (Bt) innoculate for fighting fungal infections in corn. Compatible with Organic.

- Farmer #4 sows GM Bt corn that already has B. thuringiensis, with the added benefit of avoiding carbon emissions for using a tractor. Not Organic.

- Farmer #5 gives his free-ranging animals no antibiotics. In line with Organic practice.

- Farmer #6 gets paid regular visits by a certified veterinary, that prescribes antibiotics when strictly necessary. Not Organic.

The difference is that there are no restrictions regarding the use of 1) synthetic pesticides 2) man-made fertilizers, 3) GMOs and 4) antibiotics.

So Integrated Farming is just like Organic Farming, but without the bullshit.

And central pivot irrigation increases total production, and average yields as well, when the alternative is rainfall.

Many central pivots near me have permanent crops in most of the corners, usually with drip irrigation. Also worthy of notice is not all land lots are neat squares, and some corners end up being quite small.

Farmers have poor leverage on produce retail prices, and depending on the soil and climate they have, the local markets and distributors, a limited range of crops is available. Once chosen, they simply maximize yield.

As for permanent crops, farmers simply maximize yield.

My interpretation comes from this kind of phrasing, were it is assumed that the shift towards organic farming was a move towards sustainability.

Organic farming resorts only to non-synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Unless these are provably bad, in which case some synthetic substances are allowed.

It feels awkward having to state, in the most technological age mankind has seen, that the divide between organic and synthetic is not the same as the one between sustainable and unsustainable, nor between safe and unsafe for human beings.

I suspect one of the Portuguese wineries mentioned in the article to be Esporão, that has recently converted to Organic Farming. This was not, coincidently, done in a inconspicuous way, but rather publicized by corporate PR in sustainable farming venues, rather disingenuously I should say.[1][2]

On one occasion, and for lack of time for QnA, I didn't get the opportunity to ask a very simple question:

- Once engaged in Organic Farming, a farmer is limited in the range of permissible practices, and synthetic pesticides are off limits. On the other hand, if engaged in Integrated Farming, a well known farming standard in the EU, a farmer can still proceed according to the precepts of Organic Farming if one so chooses. Why, then, is that company committed to Organic Farming?

I suspect the reason is the possibility of labelling their products as such.[3] Marketing - not love for the environment - is behind the move.

So regarding the headline question, soft PR avoids the accusation of greenwashing in a world of corporate virtue signalling.

[1] https://www.esporao.com/en/

[2] Search results for organic farming: https://www.esporao.com/en/?s=organic+farming

[3] Example of label: https://www.esporao.com/en/olive-oil/organic-olive-oil-2017/

Feels good to read this.

As a liberal-leaning farmer, I feel myself in between two worlds: many farmers around me see me as a depressing doomsayer, and insist in business as usual and are not really interested in adapting farming practices or leveraging conditions for long-term insurance; "city people" see me as a bunny killing, biodiversity ravaging agro-capitalist.

The cubic phase of LaH10 is synthesized around 170 GPa and 1000 K.[2] The SC properties arise ~10 centigrade below the freezing point of water, but still under enormous pressure (190 GPa).

So if a sample of graphite were cooked aside during the synthesis of cubic LaH10, it would have become a diamond by the end of the experiment.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond#Thermodynamics

[2] https://sci-hub.se/10.1002%2Fanie.201709970 (This paper shares some authors with the paper to which this post links.)

Good heavens.

He got he invoice by email, printed it, scanned it, and then attached the thing in a new email.

The weird part is that he's been using computers for years, even before the Internet. I can't imagine the trouble he had finding out how to scan, where to find the file and how to attach it.

Actually he still doesn't understand the difference between email and a browser.

1. Smaller containers have some advantages, which is correct measurement, washing and disposal. I still use 200 l barrels of herbicide, because I require more of it. Everything else comes in 5-10 l containers. Preferably in liquid/gel form to avoid spillage or drift.

2. Absolutely. I'd add that depending on the pesticide, different droplet size mean different effectiveness. Normally, 3-5 bar for herbicides (larger droplets), 10-15 bar for insecticides, and 15-20 bar for fungicides (smaller droplets). There are also different rate anti-drifting beaks one should choose.

3. I apply my pesticides myself. I had training, but coming from STEM helps a lot. Many farmers do not do well with measurements, simple proportions or pH scales.

I wonder how it is being branded here and whether there will be some kind of confusion, or mandatory differentiation.

But before this, one needs to put them in water that is changed every now and then - this gets rid of the bitterness. If one wants them ready for Christmas, slicing them slightly is necessary to speed up the process.

There are naturally black olives: the Galega variety is usually black, with shades of dark green. They're the best in my opinion, but only for eating. They have lower levels of oil than most varieties.

Mathematica had sound outputs for the logistic map. I remember one could distinctly hear the octaves progression, then noise, then a fifth. I remember making a video overlapping the sound and the cobweb plot to "see" what I was hearing.

Instead of studying calculus, I fell for the trap of trying neverending, eardrum busting, iteratibly non-converging functions.

My study method was pretty chaotic.

So I propose the following very simple definition:

Up - The direction defined by the position vector of Polaris with reference to the center of the Earth (not to be confused with North).

Down - The direction opposite of Up (See also: South).

Manufacturers don't trust users, but ask users to completely trust them. This is what we're asked to do post diesel emissions scandal.

Obviously, and sarcasm apart, the difference is nuanced. Organic Farming revolves around what is apparently natural, and in practice there is just a list farmers must respect.

I've been paraphrasing myself a lot these days, only to avoid saying the same thing many times. But in my humble opinion as a farmer, Organic Farming is a secular kosher for urban people. It has nothing to do with better farming practices, and everything to do with a sense of control over purity - purity in terms of what is closer to the urban conception of what constitutes True Nature.

Better farming practices involves the rational use of pesticides, synthetic or otherwise, used only as a last resort and having always in mind the effects to Nature (soil, water and wildlife) and human beings (farmers and consumers). In Europe all of these considerations are contemplated under an official standard called Integrated Farming - Organic Farming's big sister, as I call it.

I have no doubts that normalization and lack of diversity are a problem. It is being observed today, for example, in the decreasing quality of tomatoes, that have lost flavour in favour of appearance.

But normalization of food production often goes in hand with normalization of feeding habits, and that is a whole different problem. For example, potato producers know that washing potatoes decreases shelf life, but they still do it because otherwise consumers wouldn't buy them.

Modern convenience has a lot to do with this, and I think that the solution lies with consumer habits as well. I am all in favour of a more conscientious approach in the consumer-side, but this should be done without resorting to simplifications and emotional responses. It will also take some time.

On the other hand, convenience is a rather early feature of our lives, so I hope adapting to new ways of producing and consuming could be at least half as quick.

In the end, I hope we will be able to use land efficiently, respecting biodiversity and allowing for a reasonable amount of natural harm, without sacrificing quality and, more importantly, food security.

As for Integrated Farming, the Wikipedia article is not as thorough as the Organic Farming article, perhaps because IF is still not a thing in the US.[1]

Integrated Farming is an extension of Integrated Pest Management, Soil management and Efficient Water Usage practices, along with other schemes. It was largely subsidized in the EU for farmers wanting to adapt their methods. From 2020 onwards, it will become the standard for EU farming practices and subsidies will stop, as far as I know.

Integrated Farming is certified by local agencies, in the same way organic farming is: checking farming logs, pesticide invoices, warehouses, equipments and such. A local agent visits my farm every year.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_farming

In some rare cases, synthetic mineral solutions are allowed, like copper sulfate.

It is possible that some farmers would abuse it, but that would be expensive and unnecessary, since the target weed would die with a regular dosage.

Abuse of glyphosate spraying is also counter-productive. Low volume sprayings are generally more effective.

And by the way, glyphosate-resistant does not mean glyphosate-impervious. Non-targets can still be harmed.

The risk of over-usage of glyphosate is re-enforcing naturally occurring resistance in target weeds. Glyphosate should always be used at intervals, with different herbicides filling in the gaps.