The Global Focus Program came to an end for us after almost 7 weeks of travelling around the world together. It’s funny sometimes how something can be over before it ends. Yesterday we left India and flew home via Bangkok. As we rose above the smog of New Delhi the Himalayas stood magnificently in the distance for miles and miles, absolutely unbelievable how long and high that mountain range is. After the absolute awe of seeing the mountains we were blown away again as we flew in over the delta to Bangkok. We saw the highest mountains and the biggest valley that we had ever seen all in one day, sometimes life’s like that I guess. I’m writing this on my flight from Sydney to Broken Hill and from this height the crops look fantastic and all the water storages are full.
The GFP pushed me out of my comfort zone with 7weeks of conversations and intellectual stimulation, something I haven’t been familiar with since I left school. Of the 6 countries we visited the USA was the only one in which English was the first language spoken so it was difficult to understand and be understood and things often got lost in translation. Culturally we were thrown from the crassness of the US into French style, from there to the sombre Ukraine, the hubbub of Turkey, the Bahrainian experience of Islam to incredible India where 30% of the population are starving.
tumeric crop
verandah conversations
I’m very grateful for the telephone and internet connection to the world, my travelling companions were a lot of fun and I’ll miss them, but it’s home to get a bit of work done and plan out the next stage of my Nuffield tour which I hope will involve the kids. Really want to share this adventure with them. It’s a big world out there.
From a goat industry point of view, Australia still has the best goats I’ve seen and I believe it will be a solid industry to be in well into the future.
goat herders
I might be able to find a goat in Scotland, if that helps for the next leg. Good luck with the adjustment, I can imagine it will be a bit weird for a while. But in the meantime ….. get some work done!!
Would do TS if it would only stop raining! Greener than Scotland here! Hope all is good in your world.
Tennessee has lots of timber covered with kudzu.
1. Goats can eat kudzu and poison oak guarded by dogs in forests surrounded by temporary electric fences.
2. Chickens also guarded by dogs can eat the tics and Chiggers.
3. Loggers using horses thin and select trees for harvest.
(5 species logging!)
Results:
1. Land owner makes money right away with thinnings and logs from selected trees.
2. Goat, chicken and horse wranglers, and loggers get paid.
3. land owner will have a money maker in perpetuity with limber every few years and useful forest again.
Needed:
1. We come up with a text for email and local advertising pamphlets to distribute to kudsu threatened land owners in your area.
2. perhaps we can create a website “Kudsu Solutions” or something where we can send pictures and techniques.
Hey! We are waiting for the next episode.