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Homesteading can help you build the life of your dreams and provide fresh food for you and your family. Are you ready to homestead for real? Read tips for starting homesteading here.
I’m sharing more than 50 resources to help those who are learning to homestead. Perfect for beginners – the very basics & tips to help get you started.
Over the last few years, we have moved a few different times. So to say that we are adept at this beginning homestead thing, is a little bit of an understatement.
This post has been updated from its original publish date of May 19, 2019. It has been updated to provide better photos, additional helpful information, and step by step tips.
Long story short, we have started our homestead journey, got settled, built structures, created new gardens, set up fencing, etc. Just in time to move within a couple of short years.
We’ve had our share of building from scratch, trying different things. And then doing it all over again and yet again. It hasn’t been a bad experience, we have kind of gotten the hang of this.
However, it would be great to finally settle into one place for a bit longer term. And I believe this is our next journey. We have moved onto my husband’s family ranch and the process of building/moving a new home has begun.
It will be a long road ahead. We need to build all of the animal structures, fencing, and gardens over again. But it will be a joyous road for our family.
Homesteading for Beginners
Are you a beginner homesteader? Where do you begin when you need to start from scratch?I’m sharing some of my favorite resources for the beginner homesteader.
Homesteading is the practice of self-sufficiency. Homesteading is not just for farmers, but for anyone living in a rural community or even an urban community.
Of course, you don’t need to have a ton of acres to begin homesteading. I think one of the most important things about beginning any homestead journey is to start small.
To learn a variety of different skills.
Self-sufficiency takes time, a whole lot of effort, and a ton of diy projects.
And it really isn’t for the faint of heart.
Creating your ideal homestead lifestyle will look different from my ideal version and goals.
For us it may look like having an acreage on the ranch, raising animals, and growing a variety of foods on acres of land.
For you it could be totally different. Like growing a small patio garden or herb garden in the kitchen window and food preservation. Or backyard homesteading with bees, gardens, and raising chickens for eggs.
And then for the next person it could be living off-grid and focusing on fiber arts and other trades.
So, homesteading really is what you can do where you are and within your means, skill level, and ability. And varies so much for different people.
I think if you make a plan to learn a new skill a little at a time, you will really set yourself up to be successful.
Preparing to homestead
Let’s talk about some things you could do now if you’re preparing to build your dream homestead. Or maybe dreaming up the day when you can raise your own backyard chickens and grow more of your own food.
Before I started homesteading, I grew a few tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and herbs on the balcony of my apartment building.
I didn’t dream of raising my own food for self sufficiency. But I did believe in supporting our local farmers by shopping small and frequenting farmer’s markets.
DIY Natural Laundry Detergent
A simple DIY natural laundry detergent made without using bar soap! It is super simple, free of toxic chemicals, and only requires four ingredients!
Beginning Homestead Skills
Before I got married, I was a city girl very focused on my career in Human Resources Management and Business Operations.
I grew up in Los Angeles. And so I knew nothing about country living, or homesteading for that matter. I mean, I was born and raised deep in the heart of the city.
I never ever in my wildest dreams desired to learn how to milk a cow or help a goat during kidding. The closest that I was to homesteading was growing a small container garden on my apartment balcony.
My husband grew up on his family’s cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere Nebraska. So, definitely opposites attracted in this situation.
I literally married a real life cowboy.
The culture shock was real, but I quickly fell in love with the the country life. And when we got married and began raising children, I wanted a more natural & simple life for our children.
This is where I began to learn some of the basic homesteading skills and self-sufficient lifestyle. And over the last decade, we’ve grown to learn more.
So, I get it. I know where you’re coming from as a beginner and I want to share what I’ve learned with you.
Self Sufficiency on the Homestead
Being self sufficient is something that is very important to my family. But how do we make self sufficiency work on the homestead?
Annual Homestead Schedule
Creating an annual homestead schedule is helpful for the success of the yearly goals on the farm. It helps to keep focused and plan out month to month goals
I think that thereis a notion that modern homesteading is an old fashioned or pioneer type of life. Or often is confused with the homestead act. So what exactly is a modern homesteader anyway?
Around our family farm, I like to draw my homestead inspiration from two of my favorite TV series – either “The Waltons” or “Little House on the Prairie”. So many great life lessons on frugality, self-sufficiency and homesteading can be found while watching these series. I put together this list of some of the inspiration that I’ve drawn from them while running our homestead.
Having the Courage to Homestead
Are you dreaming of a homestead but don’t know how to change your life? Do you fear the outcome if you leave it all behind and try to make the transition? Find out what it really means to have the courage change your life.
My Top Five Homesteading Lessons
Over the past few years of our homesteading journey, I have learned many lessons. If I could narrow it all down, here’s my top five homesteading lessons.
10 Tools to Make Homestead Life Easier
Over the past several years we have found our favorite tools to make homestead life easier. We’ve narrowed our list down to our top ten favorite tools. 10 Tools to Make Homestead Life Easier
How to Prepare for Power Outages
Learn how to prepare for power outages that may arise during bad weather, blizzards, or during the winter months. Tips and tricks for items to stock up on before the outage.
Gardening tips for beginners
As homesteaders, we all want to rely less and less on the grocery store. Growing your own food has so many great benefits for healthy living.
In this section, we are sharing our favorite gardening tips to help you get started.
Vegetable Gardening for Beginners
Are you new to gardening? And looking for tips to get started? I’m sharing awesome tips for getting started with vegetable gardening for beginners.
Gardening to Feed Your Family
Can you grow enough food to feed your family? How about for a years worth? Learning how much to plant per person in the vegetable garden takes some planning.. learn those tips here.
Permaculture Basics: Getting Started
What are the Permaculture Basics? And how do you get started with permaculture?Sharing a beginner’s guide to permaculture basics.
Herb Gardening for Beginners
Starting an herb garden is a rewarding way to begin (or expand) your gardening knowledge. What are the basics of herb gardening for beginners?
How to Create a Potager Garden
How to create a potager garden. A potager is basically a French ornamental kitchen garden. It’s filled with practical things like fruits, veggies and herbs, but is also ascetically pleasing and filled with a variety of florals.
Creating a Kitchen Garden
When creating garden plans each year, I always start with the potager or kitchen garden and then move my way over to the larger gardens.
10 Fast Growing Vegetables
Grow your best garden and get veggies harvested quickly with these 10 fast growing vegetables. Learn how you can grow a garden in about 60 days.
Benefits of Companion Planting
Learn what plants grow well together and how to get started with companion planting. What are the benefits and tips to get started.
How we grew HUNDREDS of pounds of food without weeding or watering a single time!
Do you love growing your own food but hate all the labor that comes along with it? Check out how we spent 2 hours on bed prep and planting time and grew over 300lbs of food without weeding or watering at all!
How to Build a Greenhouse (free plans!)
How to build a greenhouse for a small farm or homestead. Plus, inside of this tutorial, there are free plans that can be printed out for reference!
What to Grow in a Greenhouse
There are many possibilities with starting greenhouse gardening. But you may be wondering what vegetables you should grow in a greenhouse.
Save Space with Vertical Gardening
Space is at a premium, and this is particularly important if you like to garden. If you’re limited on space, consider vertical gardening.
Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening
Like any garden method, there are both pros and cons. However there are also many benefits of raised bed gardening and I’m highlighting a few amazing benefits.
How-to Fill a Raised Garden Bed
Gardening in raised beds is a good way to save space, but filling it can become expensive. Learn how to fill a raised garden bed on a budget
5 Things I Wish I’d Done Before the Harvest
Find out how to prepare for the harvest with these 5 steps! We all dream of a huge garden that produces enough food for our family and animals… but if you’ve never had a garden
Preserving the harvest
In this section, we are sharing our favorite ways to preserve the garden bounty. So you can enjoy jars of beautifully preserved foods from the garden and fruits from the orchard.
From canning resources (both water bath canning & pressure canning), cold storage, and dehydrating — my favorite method!
Beginner’s Guide to Canning and Preserving
How do you get started with canning and preserving when you’re a complete beginner? I’ve found some really great tools and resources to aid in your journey!
Dehydrating Tomatoes: A Step By Step Guide
Preserving your own food can save you a lot of money. Dehydrating tomatoes is one great way to preserve food for later use.
Harvesting and Storing Pumpkins
Harvesting and storing pumpkins is a great way to preserve this fall vegetable. With step-by-step instructions on preserving for storage.
The Food Preservation Planner
Do you get overwhelmed during the harvest season? A wonderful tool for keeping track of all of your food preservation efforts – canning, freezing, and dehydrating. Plan, organize, and track your preserves & storage.
Quick Start Guide to Water Bath Canning (eBook)
This guide will get you set up for water bath canning success! An essential for every new home canner. Learn how to water bath can your own jams, jellies, salsa, pickles, and more!
Quick Start Guide to Pressure Canning (eBook)
This resource is perfect to keep in your kitchen after the garden harvest. You’ll find it full of useful information for beginning your pressure canning experience. Learn how to water bath can your own meats, vegetables, soups, and more!
Raising livestock for beginners
Do you have goals for raising your own livestock on the homestead, small farm, or family ranch? We’ve compiled our best tips for raising chickens, cattle, goats, ducks, and more to help you get started.
How to Raise Chickens for Beginners
The basic information you need to know when you get started with raising chickens. How to raise chickens for beginners, from chicks to hens.
Raising Chickens – Resources to Get Started
Are you new to raising chickens on your small farm? Or maybe you are just looking for a bit of a refresher when it comes to raising chickens.
Why Not Free Range Chickens
When raising chickens, you may want to free range chickens. But often times it isn’t the safest option to keep the flock safe. Here are many pros & cons.
How to Protect Chickens from Predators
I’m sharing a few awesome solutions on how to protect chickens from predators.This guide is helpful for anyone who wants new ideas to keep chickens safe.
9 Best Chickens for Colorful Eggs
What are the best chickens for colorful eggs? In this post we will review the top 9 breeds that will give you a multi-colored egg basket.
How to Introduce New Chickens to the Current Flock
Now, I’m sure that there’s folks out there who will tell you the right and wrong ways on how to introduce new chickens to the current flock.
Guide to Raising Chickens in the Winter
Keeping chickens during the winter time can be tricky business. I’m sharing some tips for raising chickens in the winter.
How to Keep Chickens Cool
No one wants their chickens to get ill from heat exhaustion. That’s why learning how to keep chickens cool in the summer heat is important.
Raising Ducks and Chickens Together
There are several benefits of keeping a variety of fowl on the homestead. But what about raising ducks and chickens together?
How to Hatch Duck Eggs
Have you ever wanted to add little ducklings to the homestead? Learn just how to hatch duck eggs using an incubator at home.
Cow Calving Stages – What to Expect When Your Cows Expecting
What are some of the signs to watch for when your cow is expecting? Sharing some of the cow calving stages to keep an eye on when checking cattle.
Livestock Safe from Poisonous Plants
Yes, goats are pretty incredible at clearing land. But how do we ensure we are keeping all of our livestock safe from poisonous plants?
10 Awesome Benefits of Goats
Goats are just plain awesome. I’m going to share my reasons why we find them so fascinating and why every homestead needs goats.
How to Raise Goats on a Small Farm
For a homesteader or small land owner, goats make an excellent livestock option. And maybe you’re wondering, how to raise goats?
Raising Goats for Beginners
Raising goats can be quite rewarding and pretty entertaining. Here are a few things that are necessary for keeping goats healthy and happy.
Best Dairy Goats for Beginners
Goats are a great animal of choice for most small farm owners. If you have a small amount of land to work with, here’s the best dairy goats breeds to start.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Goat Care
New to raising goats? Or maybe looking for info on how to care for pregnant goats. I’m sharing some lessons I’ve learned over the years in postpartum goat care
Guide to Baby Goat Care
Are you new to kidding and raising goats? Here is the essential information needed for baby goat care. And tips for taking care of goat kids.
Using Goats for Grazing & Land Clean Up
Goats are amazing at clearing up unwanted brush and weeds. In this post you’ll learn more about the benefits of using goats for grazing and land clean up.
How To Build A Hay Feeder For Goats: A Step By Step Guide
Want to learn how to build a hay feeder for goats? Discover how here. Hay feeders keep hay clean and prevent wasted hay!
Are you a busy goat keeper?? Learn skills you need for managing your flock and stay organized with this goat management binder.
More homestead book recommendations:
These are just a few of my favorite books to help the beginner get started with homesteading.


The farmer’s markets around the country are back in full swing and I am loving it! I go at least once a week, sometimes twice just to have the opportunity to buy super fresh greens and veggies picked that morning! Even though many of the growers at our main market in Minneapolis are not certified organic (a very tough certification to get), many of the growers practice sustainable methods and do not use chemicals. You just need to ask.
Sunday morning, I was on the hunt for Kale. It is still a little early in our growing season so, my best hopes were for baby kale. Well, I quickly found out the baby kale was at the market last week. And the grown up kale will not be in for a few weeks. Even though I was unsuccessful in my bid for kale, there were all kinds of interesting greens, everywhere I looked. I kept seeing these lovely bunches (above). Turns out they are pea sprouts greens or pea vines.
I asked about the taste and was told that they are like spinach only without the bitter taste. Score! I bought a huge bunch for a dollar thinking, green drinks!
Turns out that pea greens are pretty amazing greens. 1 cup has 7.9 grams of protein. They are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, Folate and Potassium. It is always a great idea to mix up your greens so you are getting a full compliment of vitamins and minerals. I threw a couple of handfuls into the vitamix this morning along with some blueberries and grapes (my favorite) and had a great, inexpensive dose of fresh greens!
If you are not already visiting your local farmer’s market, you are missing out on a great opportunity to support local farmers, and get beautiful, fresh produce at great prices. Plus it is just plain fun. For information on the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market click here: MFM.


Kasko Cattle Co. Ltd. is a family owned custom cattle feeding and farming business. In 1979, Les Kasko began a cattle order buying business. He bought feeder cattle for customers in southern Alberta, and later focused on exporting finished cattle to the U.S. In the 1990’s, his sons Ryan and Greg, and son-in-law Todd joined the business. In 1997, Kasko’s purchased Hwy 52 Beef Producers feedlot located east of Raymond Alberta. Hwy 52 was one of the first large scale feedlot operations in Canada. It was built in 1967, and over the years its capacity has grown to over 15,000 head of cattle. Since 1997 it has undergone significant renovations to bring it up to the highest standards of feedlot operation.
KCC has since expanded the business and purchased three additional feedlots in southern Alberta. Two are located near Coaldale, and the other east of Taber. Today, the four feedlots have a standing capacity of 45,000 head of cattle and employ over 60 people.
The operation includes mainly irrigated farmland. Barley and corn are grown for silage, and some alfalfa is raised to start new cattle on feed. The feedlot buys silage and a significant amount of barley from southern Alberta and across the western Canadian prairies. In 2003 the Kasko family was proud to be recognized as the Calgary Stampede Farm Family of the year. We strive to continue to improve our operations, and we take pride in helping lead the Alberta beef industry.
Our Core Values:
- Positive Attitude
Our Core Purpose: Growing food better, and enriching the lives of our people.


The C-Dax Eliminator trailed weed wiper dramatically reduces damage to your pasture by putting chemical on the weeds rather than the whole pasture. Quality C-Dax construction is means an extremely robust, trailed weed wiper designed to control weeds while preserving pasture. The electronic chemical flow controller allows operators to quickly adjust the amount of chemical being pumped to the wiping carpets to suit the level of infestation. A pressurised feed system ensures equal amounts of chemical are pumped to either side of the wiper regardless of the angle of operation.
The C-Dax Winged Eliminator gives an impressive overall width of 4.30m with self-angling wings that will save you even more time and allows easy control of weeds on banks and edges of waterways without the risk of runoff or spray drift.
The Eliminator + has a massive 6.0m wiping width, centre section spool height adjustment, and outer section manual heaight adjustment.
It's got a bruise bar to maximise chemical uptake for the weeds and angled woolen wiper arms for maximum contact and efficiency.
It's got a liquid feed system for even chemical distribution on the roughest terrain.
The electronic controller allows you to adjust the flow of chemical to suit the infestation level.
It's ideal behind the RTV or Ute.
There is an optional onboard tank, or you can have an additional tank on the back of the towing vehicle.
Disclaimer: While we make every effort to keep the information on this website up
to date, it is provided on a "best endeavour" basis. We reserve the
right to amend specifications without notice and add or remove products
Phone: +64 6 354 6060
Fax: + 64 6 355 3199
PO Box 1010
145 Harts Road, Turitea


Soluble Fresh Organic Seaweed Fertilizer Agricultura Liquid CAS NO.
1. Quick Detail :
Seaweed extract powder on the marine natural seaweed as raw
material, supplemented by a small amount of marine microalgae and
fine processing. Trace elements in natural seaweed powder rich in
seaweed polysaccharide, Gan Luchun, amino acid and protein,
vitamins and potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, iodine,
2. Description :
soluble seaweed extract powder is a soluble extract of Ascophyllum
Nodosum seaweed. It is a supplement to a well-balanced nutrition
program for crops.
It is a natural product with no preservatives. It should be stored
in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight. Dilute only as much
powder as needed for each use.
It is 100% water-soluble and is suitable for conventional foliar
and irrigation applications.
3. Applications :
• Enhances yield and quality of crops, vegetables, and fruits
• Reduces disease, improve production, and increase stress
• Contains plant growth regulators which, like traditional rooting
stimulate root growth in cuttings and transplants
• Increases fertilizer efficiency and fertilizer chelation
.4. Specifications :
Light green powder
100% pass 80 mesh
Loss on Drying
Total Plate Count
Yeast & Mold
Conform with specification
Store in cool & dry place,Keep away from strong light and heat
2 years when properly stored
5. Competitive Advantage :


The 2024 Double R Strawberry Season will begin soon.
Stay tuned for updates.
Our address is 701 Ollie Lane, Hillsborough. Get map directions here.
When is strawberry season?
Traditionally, strawberry season in this area is the month of May. Depending on weather, we may pick earlier or pick into June.
What variety do you grow?
We have Ruby June strawberries. Make sure you pick the really red ones for the best flavor.
What kinds of payment do you take?
We accept cash, good checks, and major credit cards. If you do not want change handed back because of coronavirus concerns, please plan for exact cash or a check. Cards still have to be swiped.
Double R Strawberries glistening on the vine in the sun.


There are four vineyards established on the 78 acre site. These are Rebecca, Robyn, Longfield, and Falconridge. Each vineyard was established in different years, beginning in 1995 with the entire property completed in Spring, 2000. Currently, there are 42 acres of mature vines growing within the 60 acres occupied by the fenced and cultivated vineyards.
The stunning vista of the Ocean, Pender Island and the San Juan Islands can be seen from here. The vineyards are situated at the base of a majestic sandstone cliff, upon which a great number of birds of prey, Peregrine Falcons predominant among them, make their nests. These amazing creatures can often be seen soaring in the breeze above the vineyards.


Rockaway Waterfront Alliance’s (RWA) Rockaway Farm Share is off to a great start. For the last month, members have converged each week on Wednesdays to pick up their share of organic produce from Rockaway’s own Edgemere Farm and Sang Lee Farms, a seventy-year-old family farm on the North Fork of Long Island. So far, produce has varied; amongst others, members have received zucchini, romaine lettuce, carrots, bok choy, and even strawberries.
Each week, members also have a chance to try a sample dish from local Rockaway chef Oprah Davidson as they are picking up their vegetables. Davidson’s weekly recipe features produce from the share to give members ideas of what to do with less well-known items like bok choy and leeks.
The farm share gets even more exciting in July when the fruit share begins. Grown at Briermere Farms, also located on Long Island, members can expect a variety of fruits including apples, pears, peaches, plums, and berries.
RWA decided to create the farm share to increase access to affordable, organic produce. As part of that mission, RWA led a trip of about 40 people (a mix of members and potential members) in May to visit both farms on Long Island. At Briermere Farm, the group took a hayride through the orchards and sampled baked goods using the farm’s fruit. At Sang Lee Farms, the group had a delicious organic lunch and walked through the fields.


How To Get Rid Of Black Spots On Roses
Noticing a small black spot on the leaves of your roses may frighten you at first. But the treatment of this disease is no different from the treatment of any other flower illness. There are three keys to it: disinfection, cutting damaged parts off, and proper aftercare. For experienced gardeners, such disease is unpleasant but not fatal.
Of course, roses require a lot of attention. Not in vain, they are considered one of the most demanding plants, aside from orchids. And when you see black spots on rose bush leaves, well, that may be as frustrating as frightening. We should say in advance: preventing this disease is much easier than treating it. But you shouldn’t worry! Though the treatment may turn into a full war, you still have chances to win it.
Fortunately, if you take some preventive actions, you can easily avoid the sight of your rose’s leaves turning yellow with black spots. And gladly, these actions are not that difficult to do. Now, let’s find out what exactly this disease is, the reasons for it and how to save your roses from it!
What are these black spots?
These black spots are the result of fungal disease. It has two life stages:
- asexual, which is known as Marssonina rosae. You can say it is Marssonina rosae when your roses have small black spots on leaves. But they are usually very small (less than a millimeter) and have no other color in or around them.
- sexual, which is also the most common: Diplocarpon rosae. This is also the final stage. That’s when the spots get larger, so you can even distinguish different colors in them. Usually, brown, white and yellow.
The disease starts from the bottom leaves. The first dots appear on the edges of the leaf and slowly progress to the cane and stem. The illness may affect even stems and buds. So, you will see large purple blisters and spots. That’s why you have to treat your rose bush leaves as soon as you have seen the black spots on them.
The further the disease goes, the more yellow your leaves get. In the end, they simply rot and fall off.
How to guess that it is Diplocarpon rosae and not another fungus?
You can guess it’s Diplocarpon by its spots. Commonly, these are circular dots with black fringed edges. Depending on the stage of the disease, the center of it may be brownish if it’s only beginning, or white, if it is the final stage.
Anyway, roses with black spots on leaves require immediate treatment. But you have to know the reasons for it to treat them right.
Reasons for black spot disease
Well, the reasons for a black spot disease appearing on the leaves of your roses are common to all fungal diseases. There are several of them:
Excess moisture. Most funguses love humidity and cool weather. Diplocarpon is one of such funguses, and that’s why your roses are at great risk at the beginning of spring. A lot of inexperienced gardeners think that watering their plants a lot will not only be safe, but useful. Unfortunately, this is the main reason for black spot disease to affect roses.
Excess fertilizing is another common mistake among beginners. Feeding your roses with too much fertilizer can be as bad as giving none at all. Feeding your flowers with inappropriate fertilizer may be harmful too. The excess amount of useful minerals and vitamins will simply cause the rotting of the plants. Or it may weaken the resistance of your roses, making them a perfect victim for black spot disease.
Stuffiness of the air. The third reason is the lack of fresh air for your roses. Too hot and stuffy air has no benefits for flowers at all, especially roses. These flowers are like sunny and well-ventilated places, with a constant flow of fresh air. Fresh air is crucial when you are searching for a cure for the black spot on your roses.
As you can guess, these three reasons working all together can do great harm to your roses. But, actually, they are the key ones in treating black spots on roses.
Rose black spot disease treatment
Treatment of black spot on roses is a long and difficult process, but still possible to bring you good results. First of all, you should remember the main key to every good treatment: it is a combination of specialized treatment and domestic one.
- Professional treatment implies the usage of specific medications and drugs. In this case, you may use fungicides, like neem oil, or products that include copper and sulfur. These are sure to assist in a long fight against a fungus disease.
- Domestic. If using a specialized treatment seems not enough, there are a lot of home recipes from proficient gardeners that will make a great company for professional products. For instance, you can mix 2 tablespoons of soda in 4L of water. Spray the foliage with it once a day, especially after the rain.
So, the best treatment of rose with black spot illness includes:
- Using only disinfected shears and other gardening tools. Before the cutting, wash your hands and wear gloves.
- Cutting off all the damaged leaves. Don’t use them as soil, as the fungus may jump to other flowers.
- Transplantation of the diseased flower separately from other plants. In this way, you will prevent a massive infection. This is an emergency point, which should be done, only if your rose has a harsh stage of illness.
- Applying specialized professional products. Treating black spot disease on roses is impossible without specialized products.
- Provide your plants with enough sunlight and fresh air. Also, keep in mind that the place shouldn’t be too wet.
- Don’t over-water or -feed your plant. Pay attention to feeding it right, as it is key for the cure of black spot on roses.
How to prevent roses’ black spot disease
Of course, preventing the disease is much better than fighting with its results. So, let’s find out what are the keys to your rose garden wellbeing!
Right watering. Fungus disease usually affects roses at the beginning of spring, when in the day the weather is warm, but the nights are still cold. That’s why it is so important to not overwater your plants, as wet roots will definitely freeze and rot. Also, watch out for the foliage to stay dry, when you water the plant. Most roses have black spots on leaves for this reason. Water your plants in the morning, so the drops have some time to dry by the night.
Provide the plants with nice air circulation. The constant stream of fresh air plays a great part in your roses’ health and resistance to illnesses. You can do it not only by planting them wisely, to leave some interval between the plants. But, also weed out the ground, to let the air pass between the roots. Fresh air is also essential in the treatment of black spot illness on roses.
Give your roses sunlight. Roses are known to like sunny and light places. Thereby, when planting your flowers, consider some nice place, with enough light. But watch out to plant it under the shadow. Roses don’t like straight sun rays, so avoid them from getting there, or they will be burned.
All in all, though black spot disease on roses is quite an unpleasant thing to face, there’s a cure for it. Anyway, mind that preventing the illness is much easier and better than even the best treatment.
- Can roses recover from black spot disease?
Unfortunately, the black spot is the hardest illness for roses to overcome. Even after a cure, most plants don’t live for too long. Especially if the treatment was given too late. In such cases, there is 90% the plant is going to die.
- Should I remove rose leaves with black spots?
Of course, you should. Actually, you have to do it as soon as you have noticed it, to slow down the spread of the illness.
- When should you spray roses for black spots?
To avert the black spots disease, you have to apply the spray to the flower every two weeks from the start of the growing season.
- Is vinegar bad for roses?
While a lot of gardeners recommend using a bit of vinegar in curing the black spot, you should do it very carefully. Using too much of it will simply kill your roses.


What Is Hemp?
Hemp is a plant in the Cannabis family with long, star-like leaves and tall stalks that grow taller than people. While they are technically the same species as marijuana, Cannabis sativa L., the two have some key differences. Unlike its psychoactive brethren, hemp contains very little THC, so it is not psychoactive.
Hemp produces incredibly strong fibers that have a wide variety of industrial uses, such as textile manufacturing, ropes, bioplastics, and more. You can also consume parts of the hemp plant without worrying about feeling high. Modern technology has also come a long way to make hemp in all its various uses more accessible.
Legal to Illegal and Back Again
Because of its many applications, hemp has been a common crop throughout much of human history. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington grew it on their estates to make rope, nets, and other fiber goods for their estates, and it was fully legal up until the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 put such incredible penalties on its sale that it ground most of its production to a startling halt. Reasoning behind the Tax Act varied from the competition hemp posed to other crops like cotton and lumber, as well as anti-jazz and anti-black sentiment (which has its own complicated history).
The actions against both marijuana and hemp continued throughout the 20th century but culminated in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This Act made any plant containing any amount of THC (no matter how minuscule) a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This ended nearly all hemp farming in the United States until a concerted push by advocates included its decriminalization and reauthorization in the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp from the federal list of controlled substances.
As a result of hemp being legalized once more, you once again have the right to purchase hemp products. With this legalization came the advent of many new products, including items made with hemp hearts and seeds.
What Are Hemp Hearts?
Hemp hearts are the unshelled seeds of the hemp plant. While hemp seeds are edible on their own, they have a grassy taste that not everyone loves in every dish. However, if you remove the shell, the nut inside is light white to pale silver and has a very bright and clean nutty flavor that some have described as delicate.
Each heart is about the size of a small bead and crunches very gently. They’re extremely good additions to oatmeal or other baked goods where you’d traditionally like a little bit of nutty flavor.
Are Hemp Hearts a Good Protein Source?
There are many health benefits of hemp seeds as part of your daily diet. In about three tablespoons of hemp hearts, you have about ten percent of your daily protein requirements right there. That’s an incredibly concentrated hit of protein.
Keep in mind that not all protein is made equal. Different proteins are made up of different amino acids, and there are some that we can’t make ourselves, which are known as the nine essential amino acids. All nine of the essential amino acids are present at high levels in hemp hearts, making them an incredibly valuable source of these aminos. This is particularly remarkable in light of the fact that compared to other protein sources, hemp takes less land and less water to produce than similar protein sources.
Hemp Hearts as a Vitamin Source
Hemp hearts are also rich in a set of minerals and vitamins that are essential to human health. They’re great sources of iron, magnesium, and manganese which are involved in the maintenance of bones and muscles. They also boast a strong suite of B vitamins, which help to maintain our energy levels.
What Are the Advantages of Growing Hemp?
Hemp can be cultivated simultaneously for food and industrial products, making it a truly remarkable product. The same plant that produces a complete protein can also simultaneously produce fiber more efficiently than comparable crops. In comparison to cotton, hemp requires approximately three times less land to produce the same amount of fiber. So, how in the world does hemp do so much work so efficiently? It has several key advantages in growth.
Hemp grows very densely and incredibly quickly, covering the ground and stretching up to the sun simultaneously with its broad leaf fronds. This means that, unlike other crops, it rapidly outlasts weeds without our help. Other crops need constant tending and weeding because their canopies do not block light from reaching the ground or do not establish themselves fast enough.
Eliminating competitors without help means that we don’t have to add any herbicide to grow hemp, eliminating chemicals from the soil and water and reducing costs. Weeds soak up the nutrients and water that you intended for your crops, which means that even if you get rid of them after they sprout, you still need to add more fertilizer and water. With properly planted hemp, you don’t have this problem.
The density and speed of its growth also give it a very high yield. This means less land investment and quicker turnaround. It also means that you’ll need to move your farm equipment shorter distances to get the same yield, which turns into carbon emission savings very quickly.
Hemp also has very few insect, fungal, or bacterial predators in the wild. This means that while other crops require pesticides to prevent bugs or disease, effective hemp growers need to do very little spraying on a yearly basis. This is a huge cost savings, but it also helps to protect our water sources and human health. In addition, it eliminates the emissions involved in making those pesticides in the first place.
Low Water Requirements
Hemp has roots that dwarf its prodigious height, penetrating deep into the soil to seek the water table beneath. This means that even when the soil is quite dry on top, hemp can stay hydrated by accessing water that many crops cannot. While every plant needs water to survive, when you add water to the surface of an area, much of it evaporates. Even water trickled into the first few inches of soil loses some to the air above. By tapping deeper resources that are already present, hemp prevents those losses for growers.
While many people don’t think about this part of growing plants, farmers certainly do. Soil will deplete over time if it is used for an extractive crop, as the plants take away certain nutrients to grow. Certain plants return more or less of their nutrients to the soil on harvest and depending on how they are processed and how the field is tilled. Hemp is one of the best plants at returning its nutrients to the soil.
Soil also gradually becomes compacted as heavy equipment drives over it repeatedly, leading to fewer gaps in the soil. As there are few gaps in the soil, plants have a harder time with respiration, and there is less space for water to seep through. Both of these are significant problems for growers in the long run if they go unaddressed. Hemp’s deep taproots open up the soil structure at very deep levels that are nearly impossible to reach otherwise. This helps to restore soil structure and keep fields productive for longer.
Those same qualities that make hemp an excellent grower also sequester carbon every time the plant eats carbon dioxide out of the air to grow. Those deep tap roots and returned nutrients trap carbon deep inside the soil, where it’s very hard to get it out. The durability of its fibers also traps carbon for a long time.
How Else Is Hemp Used?
It’s worth remembering that the same hemp plant that you get your hemp hearts from will also go on to be used in other products. This continues to multiply the immense efficiency of hemp. Every piece of the plant, from root to bloom, can be used for some purpose or another.
The root of the hemp plant, along with other pieces, can be used to make biofuels that are greener than fossil fuels. Biofuels recycle existing atmospheric carbon rather than sending new carbon dioxide up into the atmosphere.
The stem of the hemp plant can be used in all sorts of fiber products, easily replacing cotton or polyester in clothing. Cotton is less durable than hemp, and hemp is also more water-wicking and thermoregulating than cotton.
The woody hurd of the hemp plant can also be used to make paper, taking pressure off forests, which take longer to grow and are harder to replace. While hemp paper is more costly than wood pulp paper right now, the process continues to be refined.
Hemp can be used as part of board and concrete composites in construction, replacing wood or stone in certain applications.
The oil of the hemp plant has a wide variety of applications. The most common applications for hemp oil are in soaps and moisturizers, where the amino-acid-rich profile gives it a luxurious texture. Hemp oil is also excellent as a high-temperature oil in lots of cooking applications.
Less well-known is the fact that those same oils can be used to make biodegradable plastics for everything from water bottles to even car parts. As early as the 1940s, Ford made plastic car parts out of soybean and hemp composite oils, and since 2008, the trend has started to resurface.
Leaf & Flower
Lastly, while there is extremely little THC in the flowers and leaves of hemp, there can be varying amounts of CBD. CBD has potential applications for pain and other conditions.
The Future of Hemp
Since its re-emergence as a legal crop in 2018, hemp and new applications for hemp have been booming. As the future progresses, more and more of the crop will be able to be used as the infrastructure for it continues to develop.
Best of all, you won’t have to worry about hemp hearts’ effect on the planet since Manitoba Harvest is carbon-neutral certified.
From clothes to construction, hemp has a key role to play in the future of our planet. Learn more about hemp by subscribing to The Boon Room newsletter.
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.


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Last Updated: 2021-09-20 by Melissa Gusikowski


Today I planted some Echinacea seeds from Ferry Morse, in a 70 pellet Jiffy Seed Starter tray I got from Lowe’s. The tray is super easy to use, just pour water in the empty spaces on each side, and let the pellets plump up. Then, you might need to tear back some of the netting, to plant each seed, but after that, set the tray outdoors for sun, and keep the pellets watered.
These seeds should sprout in about 10-12 days. Hoping.
I’m hoping to get all of these plants into the ground this week, and get the garden weeded and mulched. Here in the South it’s spring, and pollen time, and time to plant your gardens. Flowers for the garden:
Athena Sun Euryops
Silky Deep Red Milkweed
Belleza Dark Pink Gaura
Dianthus and Dusty Miller


Leadership Change at the St. Peter’s Community Garden (also known as the 8th Street Garden) and Call for Volunteers
Our Community Garden is one of the largest gardens in the Friendship Garden Network, which is a network of gardens in Charlotte all raising fresh, healthy produce for Friendship Trays, our local meals on wheels program. The garden typically contributes at least 1200 pounds of food annually to this cause of providing nutritious food to those who can’t feed themselves, and raises produce throughout the year. Located on the campus of Trinity Episcopal School quite near the church, the garden is a partnership effort between St Peter’s and Trinity Episcopal School. It serves as an outdoor classroom for students and an outreach opportunity for both communities.
Started in 2012 by parishioners Ann Bass and Nancy Duncan, the garden in recent years has been led by Nancy, parishioner Sean Casey, and Margaret Rudisill, a member of Christ Church. Sean and Margaret are the teachers who run the middle school science program at Trinity. Together with Nancy, they have integrated the garden into the science and service learning programs at the school. Volunteers from St Peter’s, working together with the students and teachers, have been absolutely critical for making this enterprise a success.
The moment has come for a change in leadership at the community garden, and now, more than ever, our volunteer support is needed as the garden goes through this transition. Both Margaret and Nancy will retire by Friday June 9th, and Sean will assume the central leadership role. Margaret’s family is moving to Charleston, SC and Nancy must take care of some personal matters and make a new chapter in her life. The new teacher taking Margaret’s place is a gardening enthusiast and eager to learn, but she will not arrive until August.
Sean really needs our help, especially this summer. He has received a “Light the Fire” grant from Trinity enabling him to study the intersection of social justice and environmental justice as it plays out in access to water. Leaving on June 11th, he will travel through June and July to Standing Rock, North Dakota, Flint, Michigan, Washington, DC, and Entebbe, Uganda to listen to various stakeholders in these communities and then bring back all he has learned to us.
Since Sean will be gone, we cannot plan to grow any food other than sweet potatoes this summer unless a committed team of volunteers can be created to plant, harvest, and tend the garden. The significant contribution our garden makes during the summer season will be missed at Friendship Trays if we do not grow. We can plant only if enough people can commit to these several areas of responsibility: preparing soil and seed flats Friday 5/26 starting at 9:00 a.m. and Saturday 5/27 starting at 10:00 a.m.; growing flats of seedlings at home from 5/31-6/7; planting on Thursday 6/8 starting at 9:00 a.m.; joining the summer gardening team so that there are enough people to tend the garden two days a week with at least two people working each day. Sign Up Genius would be used to organize the group. There will be an orientation meeting on June 8th at a time that best suits most people if the team is created. If you can commit to the summer team, please send dates that work best for you. Please contact Nancy Duncan at firstname.lastname@example.org by noon on Friday May 26th if you will join the team. We will determine whether to plant at that time. Please let Nancy know if you can help Friday morning 5/26 by Thursday 5/25 at 8:00 p.m. There is work to be done to prepare for planting the sweet potatoes regardless of whether the rest of the garden is planted, and the weather this week is compressing the work schedule terribly.
Sean, Margaret, and Nancy send many thanks for all of your good work and cheerful company over the years and through the seasons, and hope that the garden continues to be a place for all ages to commune and enjoy the blessing of growing food from God’s green earth. Please consider seriously this opportunity to make a difference and enjoy each other’s fellowship this summer.


Formulate a strategic decision
During the analysis of the data obtained from the study, the team realized that it was necessary to create a community. Moreover, such a request has already matured in society.
Therefore, in the future, the market plans to unite the country's farmers who will be able to sell their products in streaming mode. Farmers do not need to come to the market by themselves, they can sell products from their plots and vegetable gardens. An analog of such a large and global association already exists in China and has proven its effectiveness.
The company is required to organize the logistics of fresh products from farmers' gardens throughout the country and deliver it to customers as soon as possible.
We plan to hold gastronomic festivals on the territory of the market itself. Restaurants with local farm delicacies and cuisine are opening there. It will be a great place of rest for citizens and a point of attraction for tourists.
Organize the delivery of goods from the market in different cities and districts of the capital so that people can pick up their products themselves. Such pick-up points already exist at large marketplaces and are in great demand.


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Tasting Profile: Dried orange, berry, chocolate
Grower: Smallholder farmers from Medellin
Variety: Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, & Typica
Region: Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
Altitude: 1300-1500 M
Soil Type: Volcanic Loam
Process: Fully washed and dried in solar dryers to protect the coffee from rain.
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Search found 1 match
Search found 1 match • Page 1 of 1
- Tue Dec 15, 2009 2:29 am
- Forum: TrackIR Enhanced Game Discussions
- Topic: TRACK IR support request for Farming Simulator 2009
- Replies: 1
- Views: 3301
<r>Hello,

 I am playing Farming simulator 2009 since a few month.
 During PC Flying with FS2004 I use TRACKIR.

 So actual no enhancement for Farming Simulator exists.
 Would be great for this game.

 <URL url="http://www.landwirtschafts-simulator.de/demo.php">htt...


Tuscan White Bean Appetizer 12.7 oz.
Tuscan White Bean Appetizer - 12.7 oz/360 gr Radici of Tuscany, Italy.
Heirloom Cannellini beans from the province of Lucca cooked until tender and flavored with extra virgin olive oil and sage.
Limited production, indigenous bean variety. A meal in a jar.
Made without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Ingredients: Cannellino beans, extra virgin olive oil, salt, sage.
Refrigerate after opening.
||Radici of Tuscany


AWB is a leading diversified agricultural supply chain business specialising in the storage and handling, origination, trading and processing of grain and oilseeds. We have an extensive network of local and state representatives across the Australian grain belt that partner with Australian farmers to provide access to a range of tools and services to help them thrive.
Discover smarter solutions for the Australian farmer.
06 Jul. 2020
After a month of declining US futures, the market finally awoke on the last day of June sparked by the USDA’s acreage and stocks report.
01 Jul. 2020
At Cargill we have been actively managing our business to continue operating as usual to avoid disruption to our customers whilst also managing the safety, health and wellbeing of our workforce. Our customers are one of our major priorities and we want to ensure we continue to keep you informed.
03 Jul. 2020
This update is coming to you from the Eyre Peninsula (EP) in South Australia where timely opening rains got seeding underway early for the majority around mid-April.
01 Jul. 2020
Most farms across the East Coast cropping regions won’t be too disheartened to hear that we are in for a relatively dry fortnight ahead.
23 Jun. 2020
For the second consecutive weekend the cropping belt from Central New South Wales through to South Australia has received welcome rainfall providing additional opportunity for farmers to capitalise on the season, boosting yield potential with an added nitrogen application.
16 Jun. 2020
Last week bought about the first official national crop forecast from ABAREs for the 20/21 crop and generally, the numbers were in line with expectations
01 Jun. 2020
The overall rainfall outlook as a percentage has declined, the forecast is very much in favour for the cropping season which is in addition to much of the South Australian, Victorian, and New South Wales grain growing belts already positioned on close to full sub soil moisture profiles.
02 Jun. 2020
The past two months has been a whirlwind ride moving grain markets $50-60mt for the 20/21 season with several different factors influencing markets.
26 May. 2020
Well what a week we have had. Life is starting to get back to normal again. Kids back to school, pubs and restaurants opening up, footy just about to kick off and most growers have a grin from ear to ear and full of optimism. Life just doesn’t get much better than this.
12 May. 2020
The big news this week is the increasing tensions between Australia and China over the alleged anti-dumping investigation of Australian barley, which looks set to come to a head after 18 months of uncertainty.
05 May. 2020
There is growing optimism as this year’s sowing program advances with the arrival of rainfall across the traditional ANZAC day period and widespread follow up of 30-70mm throughout NSW and VIC cropping belts accumulated at the beginning of May.
28 Apr. 2020
With Anzac Day historically being the ‘go to’ date to start the winter sowing program just past, we have seen the majority of growers already well and truly into this season’s sowing program due to the terrific early autumn break we have experienced.
16 Apr. 2020
World markets are changing rapidly in reaction to the COVID-19 virus and its impact on all global markets over the next few months is anyone’s guess.
14 Apr. 2020
As we wade through the current uncertainty in global food markets, it looks almost certain that the volatility in commodities will continue as we head towards winter conditions in Australia.
07 Apr. 2020
Another wild week down with what is shaping as many more to come as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to command headlines across the globe. Heightened levels of volatility are becoming the new norm across all equity, commodity and currency markets as the degree of uncertainty climbs.
24 Mar. 2020
We wanted to let you know that we are continuing to manage all services for our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
24 Mar. 2020
A week is a long time in grain markets. This couldn’t be any truer than the week we’ve just experienced. The uncertainty the world is facing today has created some market moves that are truly mind-boggling. To think that in the last couple of days of 2019 the Aussie dollar was trading at 70c to where it fell to last week at around 55c is certainly not unprecedented, though it is astounding. Many markets around the world have been impacted by this, and our grain market is no exception.
18 Mar. 2020
Our customers are one of our major priorities and we want to ensure you are informed at this time.
10 Mar. 2020
The Autumn break has been welcomed with open arms from east coast farmers with totals throughout Southern New South Wales ranging from two to six inches on top of a similar break a fortnight earlier where much larger and variable rainfall accumulated in the northern cropping and pastoral zones. Previously absent from these events, areas south of the Murrumbidgee River received upwards of two inches providing much needed relief to the region.


Ferme Butte & Bine Farm
Sourdough bakery, fresh organic produce, farmstay BnB
5857 Glen Brook Road
Bonjour! Ferme Butte & Bine Farm is a labour of love by Sylviane, originally from eastern Ottawa, and Emeric, a Frenchman from Corsica. Located in the quaint historical town of Williamstown, Ontario, the farm has a farmstay, an organic market garden and a micro-bakery, where we produce vegetables in season, and an array of sourdough loaves, sourdough pastries, canistrelli cookies, and granola.
Our children’s future, and that of the future generations, is very dear to our hearts. Not only that, the relation that one has with food, where it is sourced, who it’s produced for, how it’s produced and how it feeds your body is very important to us. This is why we strive to combine permaculture, bio-intensive market gardening, regenerative, and organic practices to cultivate rich soil that then feeds all the nutrients to our produce. Our bakery aims to source organic ingredients closest to us as possible, transforming them into authentic sourdough bakery products..
On the Web: buttebinefarm.com
On Facebook: facebook.com/fermebuttebine
On Instagram: instagram.com/fermebuttebine


This year we've collaborated with Treedom to plant our very own forest and make a small contribution to the health of this beautiful planet we live on.
What is Treedom?
Treedom is a platform that allows users to plant a tree from afar then follow the story of the project where it is planted online. It was founded in 2010 in Florence, and since then over 2.000.000 trees have been planted across Africa, South America, and Italy. All of their trees are planted by local farmers and bring environmental, social, and financial benefits to the local community.
Why a tree? Why Treedom?
Treedom's "trees are planted in agroforestry projects that promote virtuous interaction among different species and sustainable use of resources and land.
All trees are good for the environment: they absorb CO2, emit oxygen, promote biodiversity, counteract soil erosion and much more.
Rural communities involved in our projects receive training and financial support. They are the ones who take care of the trees and enjoy their fruits."
Treedom's "philosophy is to create sustainable ecosystems and allow farmers to meet the initial costs of planting trees, ensuring food sovereignty and income opportunities."
To learn more details about what Treedom does and how the project works, check their website out here.
Why partner with Treedom?
If this past year has taught us anything, it has taught us the importance of nature - both for the health of our planet and for the health of OURSELVES. There is no doubt that many of us have increased the amount of time spent walking outside, in parks, along the seaside, in the forest. Our connection to the environment around us is a constant, and it's our job to give as much as we receive from Mother Earth.
Treedom has provided us with an easy way for us to make a difference both digitally and on site at the festival. As a Soul Setter, you can follow this link to purchase a tree, then watch your tree AND the Soul Circus forest grow. If you're coming to the festival, you'll also have an opportunity to purchase on site and join this wonderful community.
The Soul Circus Forest is something we'll build together to make a lifetime of change for the planet and the people who benefit from this planet.
BONUS: We have a discount code that will get 15% off your tree. It can be used once per person and expires at the end of 2021. The code is: SOULCIRCUS
“Treedom - Let’s Green the Planet.” Treedom | Let’s Green the Planet, 2021,
www.treedom.net/en/. Accessed 20 June 2021.


My first year of growing vegetables and I love to look at the way evening light falls through the leaves. My leeks have suffered from my laziness with watering. Next year I will have two more beds, which will have organic matter dug well in to beautiful top soil. I will grow onions and beans, leeks and lambs lettice, beetroot and carrots, spinach and rocket and swiss chard and maybe even artichokes. And I will water them more and chant incantations by the light of the full moon to keep off the slugs and I will search for toads and put down things that snakes can hide under, to do battle with slugs.
For now I am just so entranced by courgettes.
And I wonder if next year I might have bees also.


Root Cause Farm is a nonprofit farm growing on 1 acre in Fairview, NC. We donate everything we grow. We are hiring a farm manager to oversee vegetable production and land maintenance. This could be a great chance for an experienced manager to grow without market pressure or for a farm worker to step-up and get management experience. This is an incredible opportunity to work somewhere with history and infrastructure, operating independently on a flexible schedule with a supportive team behind you.
For more information about this position and how to apply, click here. The rate of pay for this position is $20/hour.
The deadline to apply is February 11, 2023.


UBL boasts an experienced board and CEO with decades of experience spanning corporate agriculture, financial markets across Asia and Australia and technology and innovation.
The company is backed by world renowned biosecurity experts Professor Simon McKirdy and Professor Yong Lin Ren.
UBL Non-Executive Chairman Prof Simon McKirdy PHD, BSCI (AGRIC) is an Internationally recognised biosecurity expert with particular expertise in plant biosecurity.
Professor Yong Lin Ren PHD BSCI (Chem) is chairman of the Advisory Board and is an internationally recognised scientist with expertise in management and commercialisation strategies for grain pest technology.
For further information click the following link.


Agricultural insurance in India
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Agriculture in India is highly susceptible to risks like droughts and floods. It is necessary to protect the farmers from natural calamities and ensure their credit eligibility for the next season. For this purpose, the Government of India introduced many agricultural schemes throughout the country.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme) was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 13 February 2016. It envisages a uniform premium of only 2 per cent to be paid by farmers for Kharif crops, and 1.5 per cent for Rabi crops. The premium for annual commercial and horticultural crops will be 5 per cent.
Farm Income Insurance Scheme
The Central Government formulated the Farm Income Insurance Scheme (FIIS) during 2003-04. The two critical components of a farmer’s income are yield and price. FIIS targeted these two components through a single insurance policy so that the insured farmer could get a guaranteed income.
The scheme provided income protection to the farmers by insuring production and market risks. The insured farmers were ensured minimum guaranteed income (that is, average yield multiplied by the minimum support price). If the actual income was less than the guaranteed income, the insured would be compensated to the extent of the shortfall by the Agriculture Insurance Company of India. Initially, the scheme would cover only wheat and rice and would be compulsory for farmers availing crop loans. NAIS (explained in the section below) would be withdrawn for the crops covered under FIIS, but would continue to be applicable for other crops.
The FIIS was withdrawn in 2004. The recent attempt by the Gujarat government to reintroduce the Farm Income Insurance Scheme (FIIS) can reform agricultural insurance and prevent farm-level distress.
National Agriculture Insurance Scheme(NAIS)
The Government of India experimented with a comprehensive crop insurance scheme which failed. The Government then introduced in 1999-2000, a new scheme titled “National Agricultural Insurance Scheme” (NAIS) or “Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana” (RKBY). NAIS envisages coverage of all food crops (cereals and pulses), oilseeds, horticultural and commercial crops. It covers all farmers, both loanees and non-loanees, under the scheme.
The premium rates vary from 1.5 percent to 3.5 percent of sum assured for food crops. In the case of horticultural and commercial crops, actuarial rates are charged. Small and marginal farmers are entitled to a subsidy of 50 percent of the premium charged- the subsidy is shared equally between the Government of India and the States. The subsidy is to be phased out over a period of 5 years.
NAIS operates on the basis of
- Area approach- defined areas for each notified crop for widespread calamities.
- On individual basis- for localized calamities such as hailstorms, landslides, cyclones and floods.
Under the scheme, each state is required to reach the level Gram Panchayat as the unit of insurance in a maximum period of 3 years. Agriculture Insurance Corporation of India is implementing the scheme.
- "Fasal Bima Yojana will solve farmers' problems: PM Modi", The Times of India, 18 February 2016
- "Crop insurance scheme will benefit farmers: Modi", Business Standard, 18 February 2016
- "Farm Income Insurance Scheme withdrawn". The Hindu Business Line. 11 June 2004. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- NationalAgriculturalInsuranceScheme (NAIS) / Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana (RKBY) Archived 4 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine


You can tell spring is just around the corner. The birds have started tweeting, the shoots are coming through and the mercury has started to go in the right direction.
If you are a keen gardener, now is the time to dust off your tools and get to work transforming your patch into something glorious!
Table of Contents
Throughout the fall and winter, your garden can be exposed to the elements and what’s left behind from storms. “You want to first start by clearing all of your garden beds and lawn of broken branches, leaves, and other debris that have collected,” says Chris Lambton, professional landscaper, and host of DIY Network’s Yard Crashers. “It’s important to start these chores quickly, as your spring bulbs and plants should be popping out of the ground any day now. The sooner you clean out the beds, the less chance you have of stepping on the growing plants and damaging them.”
The same cleanup method applies to your trees and bushes. “To prep for spring, trim off any broken or dead branches,” he says. “Now is also a good time to prune and shape the tree.”
Prep Your Garden Tools
Pull out those tools that have been sitting around all winter. “It’s almost time to use your tools again, so you want to make sure they are ready for the job,” says Lambton. “Clean off the tools with soap and water, and use mineral spirits on wood handles. The mineral spirits will help prevent the wood from splintering. I clean my tools every spring and fall, or if they are especially dirty.”
Give Your Soil Some TLC
Make sure your soil is ready for planting. “To start, turn the soil over with a pitchfork and rake it out, clearing any weeds that may have grown,” he says. “I then add fresh compost from my compost bin—if you don’t have one, use store-bought compost or manure to add nutrients to the soil.” You’ll want to add compost or manure a couple of weeks before planting something, so it has time to mix well with your soil and won’t burn the roots of your new plants.
Make a Plan
Consult your zone to see which flowers and vegetables are best for your location. You can also head to your local nursery to get planting recommendations from local experts. “Planning your garden is the most important part,” says Lambton. “I like to plant so that you get color blooming throughout the season—so mix perennial flowers with some annuals as this will help keep color in your yard longer. It’s also good to plant according to height, making sure that taller plants don’t block the sun from shorter ones.”
And Don’t Forget to Maintain It
Upkeep during the whole season is key. “Once your flowers start blooming you will have to deadhead to promote more flowers (depending on the species), and it’s a good time to plant annuals to supplement your perennial flowers,” says Lambton. Deadheading is when you cut off the drooping or fading flowers from the rest of the green, healthy stem. “The late spring is also a good time to put down a nice layer of mulch on the garden,” he says. “This will help hold down weeds while keeping in water for those long hot summer days ahead. It also will break down over the fall and winter and help add nutrients to the soil.”


Potatoes are one of the most popular types of foods in the world. Because potatoes exist in a wide variety and have a high rate of human consumption, it fits well with a lot of farmers. Most people consume it in various forms such as crisps, French fries and even as the potato itself. Other than planting potatoes for domestic use, they can be planted and sold directly to local consumers and hotels as well as on a large scale where they are sold in bulk to large companies. There are various factors that you should consider during the planning stage for the potatoes to ensure the success of your potato production. These factors should be considered to guarantee successful potato production.
Proper site selection
It is important to select the best site for planting your potatoes to ensure you get the highest level of produce at the end of the day. This is really important, especially if you are an organic farmer. When considering the best site, you should check the topography of the land and examine the air and water drainage, contours, and nearby vegetation. These factors greatly influence potato management and production. You should also examine the quality and type of soil contained in the land to be used for potato production. Remember, not all types of soil will support and produce a high number of potatoes.
Crop quality selection
The quantity and quality of potatoes you harvest at the end of the day depends on the quality and variety you had chosen before you began planting them. You should ensure you select the best quality and variety of potatoes to guarantee you a high harvest as well as to avoid and resist pest and disease outbreaks.
Market research and development
Because potatoes are considered as perishable goods, it is important to have a ready market after you harvest them. Therefore, you conduct proper market research and development to ensure your potatoes have a ready market. In this way, you will deliver fresh potatoes and avoid cases of storing potatoes for long periods as they could go bad.
Water quality and supply
Lastly, you should ensure that you have sufficient water supply for your potato plants to last you the entire planting period. This will ensure the potatoes have the required amount of water to sustain their growth and life as well. Irrigation water should contain the correct number of soluble salts to facilitate maximum growth and productivity of the potato plants.


Joel is preaching the good word.
Polyface Farm — Permaculture in Action
First cattle graze a section of grass pasture then three days later free range chickens are brought in to eat the maggots from the cow manure, distributing it across the pasture in the process and leaving their own feces as well. Hens come in next, followed by pigs. By the end of the cycle the grass is composted by the worms and microorganisms in the soil into rich topsoil that will support more plant life.
Working with nature is a beautiful thing – and it only requires that we sit back and observe what nature wants to do and how we can steer it using its own processes.


Crops and cropping in Pakistan
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Higher Education Commission , Islamabad
|Statement||by Iqtidar Ahmed Khalil.|
|Contributions||Pakistan. Higher Education Commission.|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||xxi, 348 p. :|
|LC Control Number||2010340251|
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Emerging Trends in Agricultural Practices in Pakistan Cropping Patterns Study of cropping patterns indicate an increasing stress on food crops mainly wheat & Rice and cash crop 'the cotton'. Proportion of wheat in total cropped area was 34% in36% in and 38% in and LAHORE – Pakistan’s rice sector is lagging behind in productivity and facing high cost of production as compared to other Team Pakissan Apam Ap Comments Off on Pakistan’s rice sector lagging behind in productivity.
Neuware - This book primarily focuses the consumptive along with the non-consumptive uses of water for some selected crops of South Asian region concerning to Pakistan.
The study included some of the major cereals, also taking into the account the minor crops and cash crops. Vegetables constitute an integral component of our cropping pattern but the increasing pressure on food and cash crops has limited the area under vegetables to about % of the total cropped area.
J.S. Mishra, in Biotic Stress Resistance in Millets, Sequence Cropping/Double Cropping. Weed management in sequential cropping is a little different from those in intercropping systems. The continuous presence of the crop-cover, the residual toxicity of the herbicides applied to the previous crops on the succeeding crops, and the changing weed flora with the season—all these need.
Define crop. crop synonyms, crop pronunciation, crop translation, English dictionary definition of crop. Cultivated plants or agricultural produce, such as grain, vegetables, or fruit, considered as a group: Wheat is a common crop.
In pakistan, farm production is dominated by a few crops which account for almost 60 percent of GDP from agriculture. Cropping systems vary widely because of variations in agro-climatic and soil conditions.
Wheat is the major winter crop in all regions of the country. In Pakistan, area under major crops is situated in Indus basin.
There are some established cropping systems based on farm major crops i.e. wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane. Among these wheat is a rabi crop and rice, cotton and sugarcane are kharif crops.
Harvesting of kharif crops generally delay wheat planting resulting in low yield. Oilseed. The total cropped area in Pakistan is about million ha. The share of food grain crops is 54 percent, followed by cotton and sugar cane 20 percent; pulses 6 percent; oilseed crops 3 percent; fruit/vegetables 4 percent and other crops about 13 percent.
Figure 9 shows that wheat is the main food crop. Additional Physical Format: Print version: Afzal, Mohammad, Green revolution and the optimal cropping patterns in West Pakistan. Karachi, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, 2.
Current scenario of major field crops of Pakistan Wheat. Wheat is an important cereal crop for many countries, where it is consumed as a staple food. It is an admitted fact that nothing is more important than the needs of human beings. Sustainability and reliability in food production are very important for sustainable crop production.
Description Crops and cropping in Pakistan FB2
Small farmers grow crops for subsistence under a fixed cropping pattern and a holistic approach is required to develop agriculture to improve the livelihoods of the rural populace. This book presents an exhaustive look at agriculture in Pakistan.
Farm sizes and areas in Pakistan 8 2. Crop production regions in Pakistan 9 3. Provincial crop areas and fertilizer deliveries 13 4. Fertilizer recommendations for crops 17 5. Yields of major crops in Pakistan 24 6. Fertilizer use by crop in the CPRs 26 7.
Download Crops and cropping in Pakistan PDF
Relative fertilizer and crop prices 28 8. Retail prices of fertilizer products 28 9. The Package of Practices for the Crops of Punjab Kharif contains the latest recommendations and readily-usable information provided by the specialists of various departments of PAU through the coordination of the Director of Research.
These improved farming techniques for stepping up productivity of cereals, pulses, cotton, sugarcane. Find agronomy advice on multiple crops, including corn, soybeans, and wheat, as well as best practices for using fertilizers and pesticides.
In this section, you’ll also learn about conservation practices and cover crops. Healthy crops need to feed on N-P-and-K, but micronutrients are the key to unlocking hidden hunger and deficiencies in the. Alternative Crops and Cropping Systems. Crop diversity is a key tenet of sustainable agriculture.
Having multiple crops that fill distinct niches in an agro eco system improves the ability to manage weeds, diseases and insect pests as well as potentially improving. Farmer’s Handbook on Basic Agriculture Contents 1. General Conditions for Cultivation of Crops and Plant Nutrition Protection 4.
Categories of Pesticides and Precautions Management tional Health and Safety Trap cropping is a knowledge-intensive practice and the relative attractiveness of the plant species may be influenced by the various factors such as the type of trap plant species (Badenes-Perez et al.
), the area covered by trap crops (Shelton and Badenes-Perez ), the planting time of both the main crop and trap crops (Hokkanen Maize is one of the most important crops in Pakistan, placed third among cereal crops, behind wheat and rice.
However, despite its remarkable rise in recent years, maize is often relegated to a peripheral crop when it comes to agriculture policy discourse in the country. Cropping Patterns and Production. In the early s, most crops were grown for food.
Wheat is by far the most important crop in Pakistan and is the staple food for the majority of the population. Wheat is eaten most frequently in unleavened bread called chapati. Pakistan is basically an agricultural country, where 70 % of the population depends direct and 16 % indirectly in agriculture.
To feed a hundred million people, about four million farmers grow on million hectares of wheat every year, representing 37 %, of the total cropping area. A Resource Book heat and rice are the main staples of Pakistan, yet the food legumes are of strategic Importance of Legumes in the Cropping Systems in Pakistan it is difficult to fit these crops into prevailing cropping systems without disturbing a remunerative spring crop (e.g., spring maize and fodder crops).
Details Crops and cropping in Pakistan FB2
A good plant. crops from the same field in one year. This is a case of multiple cropping, which requires a season long enough and crops that mature quickly enough to allow two harvests in one year.
l Intercropping is the presence of two or more crops in the same field at the same time, planted in an ar-5 Cropping Systems Emerson Nafziger Department of Crop. VARIABILITY IN WATER USE, CROP WATER PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY OF RICE AND WHEAT IN RECHNA DOAB, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN M.
Usman, I. Kazmi*, T. Khaliq**, A. Ahmad**, M. Saleem** and A. Shabbir Department of Irrigation and Drainage, ** Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad *KPK Agriculture University, Peshawar Corresponding author’s. Agriculture Pakistan’s agriculture sector plays a central role in the economy as it contributes percent to GDP and absorbs percent of labour force.
It is also an important source of foreign exchange earnings and stimulates growth in other sectors. The government is focusing on. The main crops of Pakistan are classified into food crops and non-food crops.
The food crops include wheat, rice, maize, coarse grains, grams and other pulses. The cash crops are cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, mustard and sesame. The total area, yield and production of each crop is now discussed under separate heads. (A) FOODS CROPS. Major Crops Produced In Pakistan Pakistan is blessed with plenty of sunshine, water and fertile soil; the three main factors needed for good crops.
Irrigation system in this region was developed back in old world civilizations. Since these ages, agriculture has been the main occupation of the population in plains, plateaus and even the hilly areas. Pakistan Crop Surveys Analysis. Our team performs different kinds of surveys according to the crop situation throughout the year in which a large number of farmers, throughout Pakistan, are contacted either by telephonic medium or by physically visiting the farmers and their fields to gather all kind of information regarding the crop.
Table I provides data on per hectare yields of seven major crops of Pakistan for – period, along with the world average yields of respective crops for the same period. Even a visual examination of these data and the averages worked out, reflects that almost all of the crops have lower-than-world average yields, yet it does not.
Agriculture is a vital sector of Pakistan's economy and accounted for percent of GDP inaccording to government estimates. The sector directly supports three-quarters of the country's population, employs half the labor force, and contributes a large share of foreign exchange earnings.
Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan: From To Provincial Area Under Crops () Statistical Cultivated Area Data of all the crops in all four provinces of Pakistan from to Provincial Crop Production ().Cropping Systems: Trends and Advances is a comprehensive review of past and present research efforts in North America and other parts of the world.
It brings together biological, economic, sociological, and technical aspects of cropping systems in a single source to provide a reference unlike any other on the subject that is available today.semi-arid and arid zones. Crop yield per unit of water consumed, or “ water productivity”, is a key element in successful water resource management.
Although agricultural census data for Pakistan provide crop production statistics, they do not include information on crop water consumption. Therefore, water productivity of the crops has.
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Often more commonly called the Dragon Fruit, the delectable and nutritious strawberrypear fruit is the fruit of the vine like strawberrypear cactus. The strawberrypear cactus blooms only at night with beautiful huge fragrant blooms. Pollination of the cactus plant blooms is by nocturnal creatures such as moths and bats rather than the more common pollinators of the day such as bees. Since the strawberrypear cactus only comes to a productive fruiting after a successful pollination has taken place - even self pollinating strawberrypear plants can fail to create strawberrypear fruits when they don't get the help of these nocturnal creatures to enable them to pollinate properly during the night.
Wherever may live, you will likely find that the strawberrypear fruit name is interchangeable with Dragon Fruit or also Pitaya Fruit (also Pitajaya and Pitahaya). Dragonfruit is probably the most common name for strawberrypear, but pitahaya and pitaya are both common as well in English speaking countries. The fact that you are here means that you know it by the strawberrypear name!
Growing strawberrypear cactus plants commercially is common in places like Thailand and Vietnam where the climate is right for growing strawberrypear cactus plants successfully to fruit. There are three commonly cultivated varieties of strawberrypear cactus plants and each has a different variation on the fruit, strawberrypear fruit with red flesh and red skin, strawberrypear fruit with yellow skin and white flesh, and strawberrypear fruit with red skin and white flesh. All fruit varieties have the flesh or strawberrypear pulp filled with lots of tiny black seeds which are edible with the fruit and add extra nutritional benefits of strawberrypear.
Strawberrypear nutrition benefits make it popular all over the world. The health benefits of strawberrypear fruit are many and varied, including strawberrypear health benefits helping to lower blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes. Strawberrypear vitamin C and dietary fiber are both positive nutritional benefits of strawberrypear among others. The amount of vitamin C in strawberrypear fruit is substantial, and you can see up to 10 times the amount of vitamin C in strawberrypear fruit which has been dried vs. the fresh strawberrypear fruit. Of course the dried strawberrypear fruit nutrients are much more dense than in the fresh fruit!
The dragonfruit pages at Foodlywise.com will introduce you to all aspects of the dragonfruit including health benefits of dragonfruit and where to buy dragonfruit and tips on how to grow dragonfruit cactus (growing dragonfruit cactus can be very rewarding). You can also learn how to eat dragonfruit both dried dragonfruit and fresh dragonfruit.


As of yesterday, the only thing that remains in our vegetable gardens is a lemon drop (read: HOT!) pepper plant. I cleared out the last of the green beans and kale plants last week, and Kyle collected the last haul of squash and other peppers. I also cleared out the cherry tomatoes this weekend (pictured above) – some of them still green, because we had cool weather moving in and I didn’t think they’d survive. I was hoping that they would continue ripening on my kitchen counter, which some have, but now I need to actually DO something with them before they go bad.
I had high hopes of officially putting the gardens “to bed” for the winter this last weekend, but that did not happen, so I’m trying to carve out time one evening this week. This job mainly consists of us pulling any remaining plant material, hand-tilling the beds, and then piling them with compost (our backyard compost bin is almost full).
I think I’ll consider 2017, “The Year of the Bumper Crop” on account of the surprising excess of certain vegetables we’ve had.
Spaghetti squash was by far our best performer. I think we harvested 15 of these puppies, and some were NOT small. One weighed in at 13 pounds! I don’t recall how many squash seeds I planted, but because these grew in our community garden, they quickly got out of control because we didn’t check on them every day like we are able to with our yard beds. They took over the two beds that abut ours in the garden as well as the footpath – we had to do a fair amount of “rerouting” to keep them contained into our 20×10 foot plot.
I’m most delighted that our butternut squash also did great this year – coming in a close second to the spaghetti squash. I didn’t count, but I think we probably harvested a dozen butternuts. We’ve given many away, eaten one already, and are curing the rest in hopes that they will last for a good bit. Kyle and I have differing preferences on how we like to eat our butternut (give me all the butter and brown sugar, I say! While he prefers the savory variety), but Eamon seems to enjoy butternut any old way, so I trust we will have no trouble consuming it all.
The kale was also prolific – it literally started producing in late June and continued giving me weekly basketfuls until I called it quits this first week of October. Much of it we ate in real-time, so to speak, and a good portion of it went straight into the freezer. I simply rinse, de-stem, and pack into gallon-sized ziplock bags. I also tried dehydrating kale for the first time this year because Pinterest told me to, so I have about two quarts of dried Kale flakes that I have yet to use, but I’ve heard are good in soups, eggs, casseroles, etc.
Finally, I must mention the basil. My best year ever, by far! I’m wishing that I had made a little more pesto than I did (I only made five half-pints), but I had neither time nor motivation to do any more pesto-making a few weeks ago when I needed to harvest the basil (lest it succumb to the cold), so I gave the last of it away. However, I transplanted a few stems of basil into a pot in hopes that it will survive the winter on my kitchen counter. I’ve had terrible luck with indoor basil in the past, but nevertheless, the investment in this seemed to outweigh the potential loss, so here’s hoping.
This may be my last mention of our dear gardens until spring, which is a bit sad, but as is usually the case, I’m finding myself pleased with the changing seasons and already turning my focus and energy on indoor endeavors. Though, I had a middle-of-the-night moment of inspiration last night where I thought I’d best hustle over to a farmer’s market this weekend in hopes of securing some late (and cheap!) season tomatoes since I just used up my last jar of marinara sauce. We shall see if my tomato dreams come true…


I sip coffee at the Dangerous Kitchen
While science guy gives me Te Waikoropupu 101
Which sweeps away the fog
So I see the imminent threat to Pupu Springs
If nitrate levels continue to rise
& dairy farmers dump tons & tons of nitrate fertiliser
& cows piss tons & tons of nitrate piss
Directly above the Arthur Marble Aquifer system
Which leaches down to the good guy stygofauna
Who hate nitrate – & I feel red lights flashing
& fear we’re sitting on a giant ticking toilet
& the scary, scary thing, is it takes 10 years
For the pollution to reach Te Waikoropupu
& we just don’t know what’s cooking down there!
‘Dangerous Kitchen;’ cafe & coffee bar in Takaka
‘Stygofauna;’ tiny creatures that live underwater in cave
& aquifer systems
‘Nitrate;’ if nitrate levels rise too high in the Arthur Marble Aquifer
They will kill the stygofauna which clean the water which eventually rises
At Te Waikoropupu Springs. At present, the nitrate level at Pupu Springs
Is 0.4 mg/l which is the maximum level Niwa considers safe.
Approximately 350 tonnes of Nitrate-N flowed into the aquifer & other Golden Bay waterways, from the effects of agricultural activity per year. (120 tonnes of Nitrate-N Flowed out of Te Waikoropupu last year.) This pollution is mostly from cows & the applied urea on which intensive dairy farming depends.