Myotonic goats have a very distinctive breed type that is based mostly on head and body conformation. They also have a muscle condition called myotonia congenita. This inherited trait leads to an overall increase in muscle mass so that the goats are very muscular when compared to other breeds of similar size. This trait is so distinctive that it is easy to confuse the trait with the breed. However, the Myotonic goat is much more than just a myotonic condition; it has a host of other consistent traits that are very important and need to be conserved for future generations.
Several important characteristics are typical of the breed:
Docile temperament
Myotonia congenita leading to stiffness and muscularity
Abundance of high quality muscle
Good adaptation to low-input forage-based feeding systems
Genetic distance from other breeds such that crossbreeding yields great hybrid vigor.
FREE mentoring package included with your goat purchase
Signed copy of The Energetic Goat by Carrie Eastman
Downloadable alternative + conventional first aid kit checklist
Downloadable basic supplies list
Weekly live Skype support call
Skype video evaluation of your goat setup
Our kids typically sell out fast! Ask us about our priority reservations.
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Breeding bonus!
Free breeding for your Oak Hill doeling(s)!
No need to maintain a stinky buck in separate housing. If you keep a closed and tested herd (ask us how) you may bring your doeling back annually to be bred to a buck of your choice.
Contact us today to reserve your doeling and secure free breedings
A tour of Limestone Permaculture Farm in New South Wales, Australia. Brett Cooper manages the 1-acre property as a productive farm helping to feed around 50 families. The tour includes a look at the orchard, caravan farm gate, chicken and duck areas, and shade house, and Brett talks about what brought him and his family to this complete change of lifestyle – in which they are thriving.
In our continuing quest to experiment with a multitude of permaculture techniques, this time we decided to construct a Back to Eden style garden bed… and in doing so, also prevented desertification!
What if you don’t have money for your own homestead right now? Paul has created multiple programs and levels to allow people to experience homesteading and permaculture…some donate time and labor while others buy or rent their plot. What can you offer? The terms for those programs are ‘boots’, ‘ants’, ‘gappers’, and ‘deep roots’. If you are curious about those programs they are at http://www.permies.com. If you want to know more about permaculture go to the link below for the live PDC event.
Val and Eli take us on a tour of their magical permagarden in Jacksonville FL. They have created a wonderful, natural space filled with self-sustaining fruits, vegetables, herbs, medicines, colors, water, fragrances, and wildlife. This is the very best fast food!
Andrew Martin once worked in the finance industry in Australia, but after learning about the true state of the world as peak oil and climate change begin to take effect, he knew he had to leave that unsustainable lifestyle behind and do something useful to help heal the earth and to be more resilient in the face of change. He and his wife Beth moved to New Zealand, where they’re in the process of turning green-desert farmland into a productive and bountiful forest of food.
It’s incredible to see how much they’re harvesting after just three years. Andrew researches extensively about the big interconnected issues in the realms of economy, environment and energy and offers his skills and knowledge to city and regional councils that need to build their own resilience (that would be pretty much all of them!). Find out more about Andrew’s work on his website Rethink Enterprises.
This film was made as part of our Living the Change series. For this series we’re traveling around New Zealand making short documentary films about permaculture farms, tiny houses, and sustainability.
Peter McCoy explores some of the cutting edge ideas that mycologists and permaculturalists are taking to stack a fungal function into every zone and aspect of resilient design.
See hundreds of presentations like this in the Voices Vault member area – http://bit.ly/2exM020
In depth podcast episodes with Peter:
The Rise of the Mushroom – A Look at the Future of the “Artificial” Intelligence of Fungi – Exploring Fungi’s Roles in Pollution Remediation, Medicine, and Soils with Peter McCoy: http://bit.ly/2gu5O3g
We have heard about the potential for integrating mushrooms and other fungi into permaculture design, but what would a complete integration of the fungal kingdom in our systems actually look like?
From efficiently utilizing waste streams, to feeding livestock, to supporting nursery stocks and adding another layer to food forests all while producing high quality whole foods and potent natural medicine, the fungi offer incredible solutions to some of the remaining gaps in permaculture design.
This presentation will provide both existing examples as well as theoretical models that the crowd will be encouraged to help refine as we create new possibilities for this exciting and growing field.
This presentation was recorded live at PV2 in March 2015.
See hundreds of presentations like this in the Voices Vault member area – http://bit.ly/2exM020
Editor’s note: This is a summary of the article “Agriculture Is Being Left In The Digital Dust”, authored by Steve Cubbage, president of Record Harvest, and contributing writer to Farm Journal Ag Tech, published March 27, 2018. Read it here.
Over the past two decades, agriculture has seen major advancements in big data, self-driving tractors and combine yield monitor technology. However, according to the McKinsey Global Institute’s Digitization Index, agriculture currently is in single digits for realizing the digital potential in the U.S. economy.
Cubbage explores the index research and questions why, agriculture, with it’s focus on precision agriculture ended up in the “rear view mirror” regarding digital data. The good news is that agriculture has a lot of potential to grow. But who will drive the change?
Talking about tools with the creator of the Quick Cut Greens Harvester, Jonathan Dysinger.
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Adam and Sarah Mancino work exclusively with hand tools, using hoop houses to raise greens and root vegetables in the colder months and sustainable practices to grow heirloom tomatoes and sweet peppers in the summer. All this at Farm Beach Bethel.
Editor’s note: This is a summary of the article “Collect. Organize. Use.,” authored by Katie Humphreys, managing editor for Farm Journal, published Jan. 5, 2018. Read it here.
Growers across the U.S. — like Angela and Kerry Knuth, Mead, NE — are building a digital strategy despite an industry filled with conflicting technology, services and software that lack interoperability. Farm Journal tackles the complexities facing farmers and tell how the Knuth’s have made huge strides with real-time collection across a mixed fleet and the ability to ingest and use a uniform set of agronomic and machine data into software to drive greater efficiencies.
Now you did not need to go village in only holidays you will be getting experience village plantation, farming and real tractor driving. You will use different tractor farming tools and enjoy farming anytime. In this real tractor drive and farming simulator game you will see the life of a simple farmer and enjoy day and night time farming. You can play many tractor simulator games but this modern farmer tractor simulator game is the super one.
In this farmer tractor driving game 2017 different and crazy level would be added. Heavy duty modern farmer tractor game will give you best opportunity to driving in the offroad city area with modern farmer tractor simulator. In the first level, you will planation with farming tools tractor simulator and each level is different to each other having a wonderful idea and amazing chance to enjoying a village farming experience.
This tractor driving & farming tools simulator game include every level a new game experience like drive real tractor simulator game, heavy duty cargo tractor game simulator, big tractor drive 3d and in offroad sim farming game and Real tractor farming with harvester and so more. You will get all of these game experience in one mode and enjoy many environment on one platform.
Mostly in offroad mission games problem is that to unknown direction of player and you don’t know how to complete the level and also waste your time with boring but in this heavy duty modern tractor game you will choose the GPS Navigation option to aware the direction of finishing point and also have option at the start of level to view the level completion alertness. You will drive easily and complete the level with wonderful trick also want to play next level.
This farmer tractor driving 2017 game is different from some other tractor games like uphill tractor racing climb, tractor racing with cars, Real tractor hill driver 3d and tractor parking. This tractor simulator and harvester driving game includes wonderful 3D graphics and heavy horsepower engine. You will enjoy overall farming with tractor drives like sprayer, transport from farm to bazar or city area.
Wonderful tractor game and best simulator control can make easier. You can handle transportation farming tractor simulator and also show your wheel steering for easier to control in offroad and city area. When you will use cargo farming purpose tractor you will handle a big tractor with trailer and control with wheel steering for hill driving game. The amazing environment can create more interest.
Show your skills extreme farming tractor to drive heavy duty transport carrying cargo like vegetables, rice, cotton, and wheat. We will go to make it perfect when you will suggest feature in the comment section and we will try to resolve the issue in an update.
Tractor drive & farming tools simulator game feature:
⎫ Wonderful 3D graphics
⎫ Modern tractor driving game with all farming tools
⎫ Real farming and thrilling experience
⎫ Easy to control and drive hilly area
⎫ Real-time farming experience
⎫ Choose wheel steering make easy to drive and control
⎫ Free to play on play store
⎫ Turbo sound effect is amazing
The Clip bender is a hand tool used for securing T-Post Fence Clips.
Not only can you secure one side of the clip, you can easily secure
the other side with the hole provided in the bit. With it’s unique design,
the Clip Bender is without a doubt the best tool for the job.
Over 51,000 have been sold in the U.S.
Saves time and money!
It is made of 100% steel and has a comfortable rubber handle grip.
Complete instructions are listed on the back of the package.
Handle length – 6.5″
Bit length – 2.5″
It’s quick and very easy to use!
To find a dealer, get pricing or for more information please visit our website:
www.clipbender.com
SXSW Interactive, taking place March 10–19 this year, will bring together tech leaders, VCs, journalists, government, artists and musicians for compelling discussions, presentations, and panels on what’s next in innovation.
What does this have to do with ag? Well, food and ag are making a significant appearance at this year’s conference. The Dirt will be on the ground, scouting out the most interesting and impactful conversations, people, and events in food and ag.
The biggest trend we’re seeing this year is that of data: how can the industry as a whole better leverage the power of data to improve food supply chains, farming, and how consumers eat and get information about their food? How can we capture and harness all the data the food and ag industry throws off? How do we make it structured, useful, and actionable?
While there is a lot of ground covered at SXSW this year in topics of food and ag, there are some key conversations missing when it comes to the future of agriculture. Below, we’ve collected some of the most interesting panels we’ve found covering food and ag from a variety of angles. If you were in charge, what else do you want to see?
Caleb Harper of MIT’s Media Lab, Tyne Morgan at Farm Journal, and Teddy Bekele at Land O’Lakes will discuss how food producers are leveraging tech and data to create long-term solutions to the growing water scarcity crisis that impacts farmers across the country.
Jason Tatge at Farmobile and Maria Fernandez-Guajardo at Clear Labs will discuss the need for a data standard in food and agriculture for greater traceability and transparency. They’ll discuss the challenges we face to get to an intelligent future in food an ag, and some of the solutions emerging today.
Microbes are a hot topic right now, and this panel will look at how synthetic biology and microbes can enhance food to increase nutrition, improve flavor, and satisfy hunger.
….The Dirt will be in Austin from March 10–12th. If you’ll be there too, drop us a line. We’d love to meet up!
Q&A with Lawrence Biyika Songa, COP representative for Uganda
At the COP22 conference on climate change, held in Marrakech in November, the spotlight fell squarely on Africa and the impact of global warming on agriculture. Farming First caught up with Lawrence Biyika Songa, Uganda’s representative at the talks, to delve deeper into the issues facing farmers in the country.
FF: How is climate change affecting farmers in Uganda?
LBS: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) summarises climate change as any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity. This is equally true in Uganda. Unsustainable utilisation of natural resources and poor technological use has increased incidences of greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, 90 per cent of energy consumption in Uganda is met by firewood, amounting to 18 million tonnes of emissions a year.
The impact of such activity has been increased weather variability, with greater frequency and intensity of weather extremes, including high temperatures leading to prolonged drought and erratic rainfall patterns. These incidences are threatening Uganda’s environmental, social and economic development, including agriculture.
Changing weather patterns in Uganda are making it difficult for farmers in the country to plan using the traditional two planting seasons, which used to be much easier to predict. Previously the weather pattern indicated two good planting seasons, March to May and September to November. Now, however, rainfall sometimes continues during the dry seasons, and prolonged dry spells during rainy seasons make it difficult for farmers to plan ahead.
Other challenges related to climate change include tropical storms, wildfire, siltation, soil erosion, pests and diseases which are causing devastating loss to farmer’s yields.
So there are five main ways that climate change is impacting farming in Uganda: (i) the area suitable for agriculture is becoming unpredictable (ii) the length of the growing season is more difficult to forecast (iii) yield potentials are varying and decreasing (iv) the frequency and severity of extreme events (in particular droughts and floods) are extreme (v) the incidence of plant diseases are high. And, in the case of livestock climate change may affect production through: (i) impacts on the quantity and quality of feed (ii) increasing heat stress (iii) changes to and spread of livestock diseases and (iv) changes in water availability.
Kate Holt / AfricaPractice
FF: Is climate change affecting Uganda’s economy?
LBS: Yes. The National Development Plan 2010–2015 on climatic projections indicates that Uganda’s temperatures are likely to increase in the range of 0.70 C to 1.50 C by 2020. As a consequence, it has placed Uganda in a more vulnerable position. The 2nd UN World Water Development Report 2006 shows that 70 per cent of the disasters in the country are linked to climate change. On average these disasters destroy about 800,000 hectares of crops, with an economic loss in excess of Ushs 120 billion (US$ 63.2million) per year.
Climate change and associated extreme weather incidents have also impacted public health. The 1994 El Niño floods resulted in sharp rises in lakes, wide spread flooding, and extensive soil erosion and landslides in Eastern parts of the country. It’s believed that more than 1,000 lives were lost and 11,000 hospitalised due to cholera and related illness, and about 150,000 people were displaced from their homes.
Meanwhile, the 2010–2011 droughts caused an estimated US$470 million losses in food crops, cash crops and livestock as a whole. This equates to about 16 per cent of the total value of these items in GDP for 2011. The current and future increased risks from flooding and droughts are in areas of existing poverty and therefore these events have serious consequences for local economies and food security.
FF: Are there any tools and technologies that are helping Ugandan farmers to adapt to climate change?
LBS: Yes, they are using more efficient water-management technologies such as advanced drip irrigation and solar irrigation. Agricultural research is also developing other new and effective approaches to adapt to climate change. For example, scientists are studying and using beneficial microbes from soil to strengthen plant resilience to increased drought, diseases and pests brought on by climate change.
Farmers are also actively participating in the collection of climate-related data. The information from millions of smallholders farmers monitoring daily weather changes, rainfall levels and patterns and soil health are shedding light on general climate trends and guiding farming practices.
Lastly, farmers are being advised not to plant on farm land with clogged water and for farmers living in mountainous areas, they are advised to practice terracing and lay farrows to reduce run offs from heavy rains.
FF: What are the barriers preventing farmers from accessing these tools and technologies?
LBS: The ability of farmers’ to adapt varies enormously depending on the region and its wealth. Uganda’s farmers often lack basic resources and choices such as money as the adoption of these methods is difficult without access to credit and readily available funds. Millions of farmers in Uganda also lack access to information about the scope of climate level changes they are experiencing. Without such information, they are unable to plan and adjust their farming practices to be sustainable for the long term with new tools and technologies. Social networks among rural farmers always help spread the use of new technology, given the prevelant communal sense among Ugandan farmers. Finally, differences in expected returns from a new technology also affect individual’s adaptation decisions.
FF: Have you met many farmers that are struggling with successfully adapting to climate change?
LBS: In many Ugandan villages, smallholder farmers are struggling to use simple technologies to monitor extreme weather and its impacts on their families and community. They are finding it difficult to detect early indications of changing rainfall patterns that would likely effect the growing season. Secondly, farmers are struggling with how to identify and manage the planting of drought-tolerant crop varieties, exotic breeds and using low cost, simple drip irrigation due to illiteracy and cost management practices.
FF: How is the Ugandan government supporting farmers to adapt to climate change?
LBS: The government of Uganda has come up with priorities for adaptation options. In the National Climate Change Costed Implementation Strategy, the government of Uganda has identified eight strategic interventions for adaptation in the agricultural sector, with a proposed budget over the next 15 years of about US$297 million (MWE, 2012). Among these interventions are the promotion of adaptive crop varieties and livestock breeds, sustainable land management and agricultural diversification.
The government’s meteorological agency, UNMA, has provided and disseminated weather information and forecasts. Farmers are therefore advised to rely on expert advice as to when they should plant for the most favourable climate conditions. The government has also embarked on farmer sensitization and awareness campaigns. For example, experts have promoted the planting of grass on the steps of mountains among farmers living on the slopes of Mountain Elgon in Eastern Uganda and those from Mountain Rwenzori to stop run-offs from heavy rains.
Finally, farmers are being advised to grow quick maturing crops such as vegetables when there is a prediction of prolonged dry spells, and they are further advised to grow cereal crops which are tolerant to drought. NGOs are also helping the government through promotion of new agricultural technologies such as agricultural extension services, which provide farmers with information about agricultural practises, including sowing, adoption of improved seeds and chicken breeds.
FF: Do you think COP2 was indeed a ‘’COP of Action’’?
LBS: Yes, thanks to the Marrakech Proclamation of Climate Action and the Partnership for Global Climate Action as the conference’s main outcomes. The political commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement has been revived in the most ardent fashion with the Marrakech Proclamation.
Writing the rule book, or operational manual, of the Paris Agreement calls for a significant boost of transparency of action, including measuring and accounting emissions reductions, the provision of climate finance, and technology development and transfer. It also includes work to design the adaptation communications, which is the primary vehicle under the Paris Agreement to share individual adaptation efforts and support needs.
FF: What action do you think the global community should be taking?
LBS: Governments should initiate powerful coalitions of public and private partners in technology initiatives for weather. About two thirds of Africans now have mobile phones, including many in rural areas, and these could play an integral part in the collection of weather and soil data. Data collected by farmers on their phones could then be aggregated and analysed by designated research institutions and shared with farmers.
Local governments could also adjust disaster response plans to accommodate changes in weather patterns. For example, the city of Philadelphia recently implemented an emergency response plan to limit the health impact of increasingly frequent heat waves on its population. Philadelphia officials estimate that their heat response plan has already reduced heat-related deaths.
For individuals, governments, and businesses, adapting to climate change requires understanding and accepting the risks of regional climate change, assessing the immediate and long-term costs and benefits of adaptation strategies, and implementing adaptations that bring the most benefits relative to the cost and risk.
