drought
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Report of the Drought Group
headed by Jude McMillan
Strategies
The following strategies were suggested by the Drought Group
- Water Management
- Drought resistant produce
- Energy Readiness
- Garden input changes
- Soil Management
- Adapting Outputs to Situational Issues
- Multipurposing
Water Management
Incorporating more dams and/or bores were considered a part of this strategy. In addition water retention was also considered important,
including the practice of sealing - greening the edges of natural water flow based on the topography of the land.
A good video/DVD one of the group suggested was "Greening the Desert" which illustrates these water retention practices.
Drought Resistant Produce
Finding produce that is drought resistant could improve the viability of properties during drought.
Having stores of seed and of food was also discussed, along with having contingencies, such as preserves to see people and livestock through the drought.
Energy Ready
In the context of this discussion preparing the land to minimise the impact of drought, included preparation and storing of organic fertilisers.
Other energy production such as solar energy, hydro energy etc were also suggested.
Garden Input Changes
Making changes to farming that meant less reliance on inputs for the farm e.g. having own store of seed collected from plants grown on the farm.
Generating own organic fertilisers, reducing energy demands.
Soil Management
Planting relevant to the topography of the land; greening and making productive the natural water flow areas of the land.
Slowing water through swaling techniques and retaining the water within the soil for as long a possible.
Livestocking the property to enrich the soil e.g. where swaling techniques are used, the introduction of chickens as an example where their poo enriches the soil.
Adapting Outputs to Situation
One of the group had heard a recent radio discussion about a farmer who had a large part of his property that was affected by salination.
After years of avoiding the issue he decided to confront it and excavated a whole in the affected area and built a dam in which he now grows salt water fish.
Structures
Having structure and infrastructure ready for the possibility of a drought.
The use of shade cloth was discussed.
Multipurposing
The example used earlier of having chickens to enrich the soil, also helps with pest management e.g. hens are great at feeding on snails, slugs etc.,
but also they can provide income through the sale of their eggs. This is the concept the group were trying to introduce with this strategy.
HOWEVER
All these strategies were only going to work if the farmer was convinced that this be the way forward.
As inspiration for our group, the poem about Hanrahan had been used and to our group Hanrahan would have been very sceptical
about using any of these strategies without a conceptual change.
Conceptual Change
Strategies suggested included
- Sending Hanrahan to a PC Course and having however long it took him to be persuaded
- Leading Hanrahan to examples of the strategies used above
- Planting the seed of PC with Hanrahan and seeing where he took it
- Understanding Hanrahan's situation and looking for what he could do with what he has e.g. his time, his labour, his land, his equipment
and prioritising effort relevant to his immediate needs and planning the rest. The aim being to optimise Hanrahan's patch over time.
