Gilroy Farms, NSW, Australia (5000 acres; dryland broadacre cropping)

Ben Boughton helps run his family's dryland broadacre farm in northern New South Wales, Australia.

My wife being Australian (in fact she's off to extend our European summer by taking our two boys for three weeks to see family and friends in Australia late October) it's always a pleasure to feature Aussie farmers.

Especially from NSW, because she's a Wagga girl - a big farming town in NSW. (Called Wagga Wagga, it's so good they named it twice, but beyond the joke it means 'place of many crows' in the local aboroginal language.)

But back to Ben. He's been updating a page for each crop with photos as it grows.

Here's the link to Ben's Gilory Farms about 50 km of Moree in Northern NSW.

They have 5,000 acres of dryland cropping, including Faba beans, barley, wheat and chickpeas.

It's a simple blog, but gives one a good impression of dryland farming and the vagaries of the Australian weather.

Fr. Peter's Environmental Notes

I have such a back log of correspondence concerning Farm Blogs from Around the World, I am embarrassed at how rude I've been to the many people who have written to me, bringing my attention to wonderful new farming blogs.

In my defense I have been writing a rather large novel over the last nine months, which is now with my literary agent and should be about to go out to publishers. (For more information please visit www.ianwalthew.com)

OK, following on from my last post I've been pleased to be introduced to a terrifically well-written, well researched blog called Fr. Peter's Environmental Notes

Based in the U.K it's

"a resource for moral & environmental thoughts from a Christian viewpoint"

Father Pete's hope is that this blog "!will be of use to anyone who is concerned about the present situation of Climate Chaos and wants to do whatever they can in order to help to ease the problem."

You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy this blog - it's well written, well-researched and thoroughly deserving of a visit.

"ALL OF CREATION GOD GIVES HUMANKIND TO USE. IF THIS PRIVILEGE IS MISUSED, GOD'S JUSTICE PERMITS CREATION TO PUNISH HUMANITY". Hildegarde von Bingen (1098-1179)

Father Pete also has another blog of simple money saving D.I.Y ideas that cover projects from cooking to gardening, and which he adds to a regular basis.

Fr. Peter's DIY Environmental Ideas

"TO INVENT, YOU NEED A GOOD IMAGINATION AND A PILE OF JUNK," so said Thomas Edison. I am sure that God did not intend us to sit at a desk for eight hours a day, to eat refined food and ready meals and never stretch our creative potential. God is a creator, we are made in His image, therefore we are also creators. The important thing when using our creative ability, in garden, kitchen or workshop is not to expect success every time but only once in a blue moon!

Agchat.org (recommended by me)

This is great; found it on Twitter.


The goal of the AgChat Foundation is simple: help farmers and ranchers use social media to tell their stories to the 98.5 percent of the population not engaged in the production of food, feed, fuel and fiber.

AGVOCACY 2.0 TRAINING:
Educate farmers through basic, mid-level & expert training to move mindsets up the technology ladder.

STRATEGIC AGVOCACY CAMPAIGNS:
Empower agriculture's voice through coordinated industrywide efforts.

DATA ANALYSIS:
Provide tools to assist agvocates with targeted agvocacy.

TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIPS:
Equip farmers with technology to enable full use of Socal Media.