Views: 245
Thursday, 20 May, was World Bee Day. The purpose of this international day is for acknowledging that bees and pollinators in general, are fundamental to our survival and that we are not taking care of them. As a result, half the number of insect species has fallen alarmingly and a third is already considered in danger of extinction. Continue reading Agriculture that embraces biodiversity
Views: 271
The approval of the Law of the Coast on 1988 (Ley de Costas) defined which areas of the shore would be a public domain. That is to say, public property, in this case, administered by the State. Within this definition are included the sand and the dune systems. In Menorca, the law saved some iconic areas that were seriously threatened by the extraction of sand for construction works. Continue reading Like Tirant sands
Views: 215
This Saturday, 22 May, a new workshop has been organized at the GOB garden centre, Es Viver. It is on how to prevent and treat pests and diseases in the garden naturally. Preventing and maintaining the gardens free of these problems is perfectly possible without the need of using chemical products that reduce the quality of the crops and the environmental balance of the garden. Continue reading Saturday 22 May, a new workshop at Es Viver the GOB garden centre
Views: 429
Between L’Agentina and Alcaidús there are 68 hectares of land managed by a young farmer full of hopes and dreams. Torralba d’en Salord has entered the Land Stewardship Scheme. This farm is run mainly for stock watered by rain, and its principal activity is for pasturing animals and sowing oats, both indigenous varieties of Menorca. With the intention of respecting the rhythm of the soil, the place is divided into two areas, one for grazing and one for sowing cereals, by rotation. Sowing legumes is one of the objectives, intended to be achieved soon, in order to improve the fertility of the soil. Continue reading A New Generation of farmers with the Land Stewardship Scheme
Views: 280
Recently, there has been some controversy, reported in the Menorcan press, concerning requirements for energy efficiency and water consumption in new buildings. The issue began with a memo from the College of Architects and the discussion continued at a meeting of the Mayors with the Island Council however, the information released by the press seems to be more of a complaint than a solution to the proposals. Continue reading Energy and Water for New Buildings
Views: 203
Spring has arrived and with it, the monitoring of bio indicators on farms signed up to the Land Stewardship Scheme. The object of this exercise is to demonstrate, through voluntary participation, the positive relationship between the practice of sustainable farms and biodiversity. We are looking for people who would like to help. Continue reading Participation on bio indicator monitoring in Land Stewardship Scheme
Views: 224
The network of those farms that are part of the Land Stewardship Scheme has increased with the incorporation of the Binibò Farm situated to the south of Ciutadella. With some 10 hectares of land, the principal production is from the orchard, a sector rather underrepresented in Menorca (the Island imports 90% of what is consumed from orchard and kitchen gardens). Some fruit trees and areas with flowers with a potential for honey production have been planted. Continue reading The Binibò Farm incorporated into the Land Stewardship Scheme
Views: 258
There are many ways to analyse data and news headlines. Sometimes, the data are analysed well, however, the headlines hardly do them justice. So it is with the Central Electricity Power station.
We have recently seen headlines announcing that the turbines of the Power Station have reduced their pollution by 83%, thanks to the injection of treated wastewater. Someone, who does not know the details of how the factory operates to generate energy for the island, would think that the whole of the Power Station has contributed to this air pollution reduction. This is not so. Continue reading The Central Electricity Power Station and Creative Headlines
Views: 229
Pests are indicators of an unbalanced soil. More than just dealing directly with the pests, it is fundamental to understand the causes and look for natural systems to make sure they do not recur. This type of working was explained to the professional farmers within the Land Stewardship Scheme promoted by GOB. Continue reading Control of pests by looking after the soil
Views: 234
At the same time that hundreds of people were presenting objections following the model made available by GOB, the association also submitted a large document with ideas for improving many of the provisions that appear in the texts of the PTI (Pla Territorial Insular, Territorial Planning for the next years) that have been available for public scrutiny for 40 business days. Continue reading Improving the PTI
