Customer Reviews

Sustainable Dryland Farming: Combining Farmer Innovation and Medic Pasture in a Mediterranean Climate

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Nobody else has reviewed this, so here goes. I obtained a good copy at a reasonable price as part of my research into dry land farming. Written by a couple originally from South Australia, where dry land farming is widely practiced. To me, "medic" is something you need in a war zone if you get injured. To them, "medic" is a slang term for the plant genus "Medicago", which includes alfalfa (lucerne) and 82 other species, most of which are native to the Mediterranean region. This book is a scholarly review of the many attempts, successful in some places (like Australia), unsuccessful in other areas, to use Medicago pastures (grazed by sheep) in rotation with "cereal" (grain) crops. Even if you are not interested in this aspect of dry land farming, this book provides a detailed and interesting historical review of various agricultural development programs throughout Australia and the Middle East. The primary purpose of some trade programs is apparently to sell farm equipment, whether appropriate or not, with no lasting results expected. Example after example of how NOT to do things, along with a few inspiring success stories. Anybody interested in the relationships between agricultural "experts" and farmers, exporting agricultural practices to other countries, and evaluating agricultural export programs must read this book.