An Inverell energy power-house has just released a new book, with the intention of "empowering people to take control of their health" and in the process, save the planet. The solution: soil.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dr Gundula Rhoades, owner of Gowrie Veterinary Clinic and until recently an organic farm owner, explained she'd been working on the book for "basically my whole life," even though the writing process itself took about three years.
'The Food Solution: Eating for Today to Save Tomorrow' is a culmination of her own research and personal experiences, which is not meant to be a negative portrayal of agricultural paradigms but a "positive" book about how we can take back the power to control our health.
READ ALSO
"The problem is not a small one. It's huge," she explained. "You name it - most diseases these days... have got everything to do with the food we are eating - and that has got everything to do with how we produce it."
Growing up in a heavily industrialised part of the world with "grey skies and cold steel", she said it was natural progression for her to love the environment.
With her mother diagnosed with cancer when Gundi was 20, her interest in nutrition bloomed further.
Biochemistry, chemistry, physiology, microbiology - being a vet gives me a lot of base knowledge and competence to judge what is happening.
- Gundula Rhoades
And since climate change became "very much real" and the region suffered through the terrible drought, she started thinking, "I have to write about this".
Studying veterinary medicine before working in the English countryside, she came over to the Inverell region - and her knowledge of soil grew.
"I was not a farmer then but I learned a lot about the organic standards, and started learning about the soil," she explained.
"And then I started learning about regenerative agriculture, and then the soil, and then collected the solution to climate change. It unfolded. I had thousands of little half-moments - soil is related to climate change in that is can absorb carbon and it loves doing it.
"And then I discovered how modern farming destroys the soils - instead of absorbing carbon, modern agricultural land emits carbon. And nitrous oxide - which is three hundred times as strong."
Gundi says this stems from using herbicides and fertilisers - which then comes full circle to affecting the health of the population and their pets.
"I went down some rabbit-holes and found out about using pesticides in general, and discovered the connection between the destruction of our health and the destruction of our soils," she explained.
"The connection resides in two things: nutrient deficiencies for various reasons, and the other is the direct poisoning of people through food, landscapes, rivers and ecosystems."
"As a vet, why do I feel competent enough to talk about this? Because we've got really broad knowledge, I have lots of broad knowledge about farming. Biochemistry, chemistry, physiology, microbiology - being a vet gives me a lot of base knowledge and competence to judge what is happening."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark inverelltimes.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @inverelltimes
- Follow us on Instagram @inverelltimes
- Follow us on Google New
