Rural: Healthy debate on biological farming

Aloe vera and seaweed were among the topics at the second annual Biological Farming Conference in Rotorua, which also discussed a biological farming standard.

Aloe vera concoctions for calves, seaweed brews for soil and lysimeters to measure leachate - biological farmers and their suppliers were subjected to a barrage of new information at their national conference last week.

The second national conference on biological farming systems was held in Rotorua, with 150 attendees, and was run by the Te Arawa Federation of Maori Authorities.

Most of those at the conference were researchers or suppliers of advice or products, and they gave 34 different quick-fire presentations.

There were a smaller number of actual farmers present - perhaps 40, including one from Wanganui.

The instigator of the conference, Guna Magesan, hoped it would consolidate the movement and start new ventures such as a research centre and regular workshops.

But difficulties arose over the definition of biological farming. It falls somewhere between conventional farming and the organic and biodynamic movements, and places a lot of emphasis on soil health.

"Farming systems that grow the depth and quality of soil and bring life back to it" was one suggestion.

Advocates said biological systems held more carbon in the soil and let less nitrogen and phosphorous leach through to pollute water. Farmers and advisers said they put smaller amounts of different products into their systems, and took out the same or greater returns.

They reported deeper soils, deeper plant roots, more diversity and more worms.

That was all nonsense, according to one speaker. Doug Edmeades, of agKnowledge in Hamilton, said organic farming didn't produce better quality food, better quality soil or a better environment as claimed.

Studies had shown organic food was no better than conventional food, and most nitrogen leaching was from cattle urine. Dr Edmeades rubbished one study that showed an organic farm leached less nitrogen per hectare.

"The reason was that there were less cows and production was much lower."

Countering that, biological farming advocates produced picture after picture of lush mixed pasture, healthy animals and soils full of bugs and worms. There were many stories of farms converted to biological methods. Owners were well satisfied with the result.

One of the possibilities for the movement was a biological farming standard, similar to the Biogro standard for organic farmers.

But Organics New Zealand Aotearoa chairman Brendan Hoare, who talked up the opportunities for organics, didn't favour a standard.

He said standards would be "a costly quagmire", because they were complex and had to be aligned with other countries.

It was a whirlwind conference of many short and passionate presentations.

Among them were:

-At least four businesses selling biological soil additives and advice

-Two others selling animal health products

-Dr Michael Quintern, who is using worms to compost sewage and forestry waste

-Christopher Littlejohn, who advocates using a gigantic grass species for dairy shelterbelts and biofuel

-Dr Robin Janson, who wants to get fresh grapes grown in New Zealand

-Jeff Graham, who works 90 hour weeks on his dairy goat farm and pays $120,000 a year in tax