Hi Guys,
Welcome to the latest email update.
Grazing Best Practice and Farming Best Practice
Agriculture is an extremely exciting field at the moment with so much wonderful work going on around the regions.
We must always remember that agriculture (grazing/ farming) is the most important field of work in the world and always has been. Without the food production communities, we would soon run out of food and have to import from other countries. So, even though the year of the farmer is finished, it is always year of the farmer. Now the one thing that makes our farmers the best in the world is the continuous innovation that happens every day. I have spoken to many people in past months about innovation and its importance to agriculture and the general consensus is that farmers need to drive change as only they can truly understand how to make it better – more efficient, more effective.
GBP and several other rural businesses are establishing an innovation prize to award to a number of special primary producers in Queensland and Northern NSW who are achieving levels of Best Practice. The guidelines are being developed over coming weeks. So, if you know of any innovative farmers who deserve being nominated for a Best Practice award, please let us know in coming weeks. These will be in the areas of grazing innovation, farming innovation, natural resource innovation, horticultural innovation, best practice award.
Grazing BestPrac is proud to be presenting the “NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture” course to be held on the Capricorn Coast on the 25th - 28th February. This is the must do course for all primary producers, consultants and educators in Qld. Please book early to ensure you get a seat.

NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture at Emu Park, Cap Coast.

Healthy Soils Inc
The Healthy Soils Inc group based in Central Queensland is hosting the NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture being held at Emu Park on the 25th - 28th February. If you want to attend one absolutely essential course for 2013, make it this one.
The course will cover 5 key areas of Minerals, Chemistry, soils, plants, animals and a big section throughout the course on human health.

GRAEME SAIT – and the  “NTS Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture” – at Yeppoon on the 25th – 28th February
Yes, we have been very lucky to get Graeme and Julie Sutherland to come to the Capricorn Coast to present the four day course this year. The program will be run at the Seaspray Resort, Zilzie.
Cost of the program is $699 per person (incl gst)
The program is being supported by the Healthy Soils Inc group at Rockhampton.
Bookings essential. Phone Cathe on 07 4938 3919

Latest GM Rat Study -
Some recent information has just been published in the Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology and available on the Internet relating to the safety of Roundup herbicide and a particular genetically modified Maize variety NK603. The highly credentialed research team ran a  two year rat feeding study to compare the reaction between several control groups of rats to groups fed the GM corn variety and other groups watered using various levels of Roundup Herbicide. According to the review, the protocols followed the 90 day feeding study conducted by Monsanto in previous 90 day trials more than a decade ago and show similar results up until the 90 days and then things go wrong. There was a high incidence of tumours on treated rats. The results are extremely interesting and worth reviewing on this link. Click here to read more.
And even more important – the scientists wrote a follow up paper. Click here to read more.

Who’s behind the scenes with GM – A group called Spinwatch has found the media to have been manipulated into running several stories criticising the latest GM Rat Study. It was found that a large group (300 scientists) of people criticising the study were connected to organisations who have “conflict of interest” and are connected to GM organisations and or have no knowledge in the research field. This is an interesting summary of the corporate controlling/ manipulating the media and not the first time. This is one of the best researched articles we have found.
Click here to read more. Very important for everyone to read ASAP.

QUEENSLAND TELEGRAPH Newspaper  - supported by Grazing BestPrac
In the past year, a brand new newspaper has been established in Central Queensland. The Queensland Telegraph has an exciting new face with enthusiastic staff and a commitment to supporting the community. We have been asked to compile a column for the newspaper every week looking at issues in the rural scene. The column is titled – “What’s on in AG”. Please ask your newsagent to source it for you as it is a refreshing read and not simply full of advertising. If you have time, drop an email to the editor – Darryn Nufer darryn.nufer@queenslandtelegraph.com or call him on 07 4927 7223.