Category: Housekeeping

So, where’s all the agrobiodiversity news? Dunno. Maybe they’ve given up? Nah. Maybe they’re on holiday? Yeah, that’ll be it. So, when d’you suppose they’ll be back? Dunno. Better keep looking. …

Not to get too cute here, but in what has become an annual tradition, the bloggers of the Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog are taking a brief break. Two weeks, or thereabouts. Max.

Afore we go, though, we thought we’d share a last bit of news: Even in Christmas trees, diversity is important:

Choosing the right Christmas tree species must obviously be carefully considered prior to planting. The species must suit the site with respect to soil depth, drainage, fertility and texture. Investigate the potential market for each species that will suitably grow on the site and make decisions accordingly. Growing more than one species will permit some diversity and flexibility at market time. Remember, the first tree sales will be 7 to 10 years in the future and predictions of species preferences by consumers, e.g. Fraser fir versus Scots pine, will be important for marketing.

It must be true, I read it on the intertubes. Oh, and an afterthought: real trees are greener.

Flickr photo by Vanessa Pike-Russell, used under a Creative Commons Licence.

We’ve done a little much-needed upgrading, to the way the site works and the way it looks. A crack team of test elves swarmed all over the site, and didn’t report anything broken, but some of them are pretty slack. So if you find something that isn’t quite right, let us know.
Also, in response to a demand, we’ve put in a Category Cloud, which indicates what we write about. Personally, I find it a trifle misleading, but that’s a discussion we need to have among ourselves. Your thoughts, however, are most welcome. Thanks.

Throwing caution, and the principles of risk management, to the wind, agro.agro.biodiver.se bloggers gathered in a single location last week, and there’s the photograph to prove it. We won’t bother to name names, or to draw attention to the huge lack of diversity assembled. We will note that we all ate something different although we all drank the same stuff. And had a jolly good time.

UPDATE: The internet is a wonderful thing … thanks to Aaron Cummins, I have an answer … SPIN-Farming.

Ok, I admit it, I’ve failed, and I need your help. Some time ago I linked to some folks in the US who offer courses in intensive horticulture, the kind that can make a small urban vegetable farm a profitable enterprise. But now that I want to find them, I can’t, and every search I’ve tried doesn’t reveal any more. Are you those folks? Get in touch. Do you remember who they were? Give me a clue. Please. Thank you.

The more eagle-eyed among you may have noticed, looking at the byline of the previous post, that we have a new regular contributor. He’s Robert Hijmans, and he has in fact written for us before, most memorably his tour-de-force liveblogging from the recent Harlan II Symposium. Welcome to the team, Robert.