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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people hold their own seasonal descriptions. It has been imbedded in their culture for 60 thousand years, influenced by ocean, land plants and animals.
For modern agriculture there are multiple resources, advising people when to sow and harvest. The technological advances in energy, with access to readily available water, means western culture can industrially and scientifically produce crops in one location. This removes deep connection from the land, instead of feeling a breathing organism that produces food from its natural movements. The need for mobility across a landscape that can be highly variable is vital. Just as farmers de-stock and move cattle around this vast landscape, to feed ourselves. Since colonisation there have been many communication breakdowns leading to misunderstandings between cultures. In the strict sense did the indigenous practice the fenced European way of agriculture, no. They practiced feeding populations of people from one large land mass with many interconnected seasonal patterns. Into the future we will see where climate change takes our current practices, will we adapt in the same way as 20000 years ago, during ‘Australia’s ice age’, which lasted 5000 years. We need to integrate indigenous land practice with European farming, or will we once again be practicing a ‘form’ of agriculture unknown to us.
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As more and more towns are declaring climate emergencies its about time governments begin to push harder for changes in industry. NSW and QLD towns are nearing day zero with farms trucking in large quantities of water to supply crops and animals. Not only are vulnerable food bowls, which support the larger cities ,at risk of below average yields the increases in costs directly effect farmers and the community as the price of food rises. Are we doing enough to push new sustainable practices? I believe we have a long way to go to not only curbing emissions but reducing runoff and damage to the Barrier Reef. Its a complex topic with far reaching discussions and deserves a lot more then a short blog. Though, raising awareness goes some way to improving the publics knowledge and assists those to make good choices, buy local and buy fresh.
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