Hamish Mackay | Australian elder statesman of Biodynamics and Regenerative Farming

Charlie has interviewed Hamish Mackay many times for his Youtube channel and this interview is a poignant reminder that whilst the principles of regenerative agriculture, and specifically Biodynamics, remain the same, its application and adaption to landscapes and communities is ever changing and definitely on the rise. Hamish takes listeners for a ride into the world of Biodynamics, leaving us with very practical and compelling steps we can take to produce better food and improve the health of our planet.

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Episode Takeaways :

Hamish grew up near Braidwood, NSW on a family sheep and cattle farm | Andrew his brother is his major mentor | Travelled Australia before going home to the farm and Alex Poloinsky visited the farm in 1972. Alex showed him his farm through different eyes | Alex made Hamish aware of his farm in a physical sense, made him aware of soil health | Hamish was also involved in the wool industry and worked at the famous Demeter Bakery in Glebe, Sydney | Change in the agriculture world is slowly happening and now building momentum | The practice of Biodynamics is very easy and is a form of environmental and food security when inevitably we meet challenges in the food production and environment health space | It will be important to have people in the world who are practicing Biodynamics to ensure food security as conventional practices continue to fail | 1960s was the start of change in the dairy industry in Australia | Currently there are many people in agriculture as a result of obligation to their family, rather than because it’s their destiny and are passionate about it | Spiritual science uses scientific methodology to investigate ‘things we can’t see’ | People are becoming more aware of value in organic produce both economically and nutritionally | We need to collaborate, not be competitive, in the regenerative agriculture world | Consumers are ultimately in the position to ‘judge’ the success or otherwise of regenerative farming practices | Regenerative farming is not prescriptive agriculture. That is one if its defining characteristic that sets it apart from industrial farming | The diaries of early white explorers identified that indigenous peoples managed the landscape as a ‘parkland’ like landscape | Bill Gammage in ‘The Biggest Estate on Earth’, Bruce Pascoe in ‘Dark Emu’ and Joseph Jenkins in ‘The Diary of a Welsh Swagman’ highlighted this phenomena | Our landscape is now a bit like teenagers going through puberty - its chaotic, and the recent Summer bushfires were a reflection of this | The Australian landscape was once managed, prior to white settlement. Now it’s being pillaged. It is ‘managing’ us. Again, the ferocity and complete disruption and destruction of bushfires reflects this | Biodynamic food and pasture is more mineral dense and therefore harder to digest and makes organs work harder (which keeps them healthier) In addition, one needs to eat less of it (and it is also harder to burn which makes it potentially more fire resistant) | Healthy humic aerated soil retains moisture and biology even in a drought | All mental illness has a physiological basis | Current industrial medical system treats symptom, not the cause | Nutritionally dense food impacts positively the social fabric of individuals, families and communities

 

Episode Links : 

Hamish Mackay - Farming Secrets profile

Hamish Mackay & Charlie Arnott | Biodynamics Workshops  - 2021 workshop dates will be announced soon. Check back to www.charliearnott.com.au for dates.

Martin Royds - farmer and regenerative farming advocate

Mulloon institute - a research, education and advocacy not-for-profit organisation

Blackthorn Trust  - is a supportive therapeutic environment in which people can recover, grow and develop.

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