Rice is one of the most generally consumed food crops worldwide. This cereal foodstuff provides nourishment to over 1 / 2 of earth’s population. In reality, this staple food provides multiple fifth in the calories consumed worldwide by humans. India is the second largest producer of rice after China, accounting for about 90 million plenty of production in the world. Rice is cultivated during both summer and winter, and there are a lot more than 4000 varieties of rice being grown each year.
Rice is defined as a cereal grain belonging to the grass class of ‘Poaceae’. Rice is owned by two varieties of Poaceae crop, namely, ‘Oryza Sativa’ and ‘Oryza.’ The rice plant grows at 2-6 feet, having an upright stem and long, pointed and flat leaves. It has stalk bearing flowers from which the the rice grains are built. The rice plant needs both warmth and moisture due to the proper growth. Rice is typically grown being an annual plant, although in certain tropical regions, it is usually grown being a perennial plant. It really is regarded as mostly of the crops that is non-glutenous and non-allergic.
In under developed nations and developing countries, rice is probably the normally grown cash crops. In reality, rice is among the oldest cereal crops cultivated by humans. The earliest forms of rice were grown in China around 5000 in the past. As it is often a serious food supplement, it really is commercially cultivated as a cash crop in many areas of the entire world.
Rice is very nutritious possesses tons of nutrients to give energy and vitality to our body. Rice can be a rich method to obtain carbohydrates plus an important supply of storing the energy inside the body due to the proper growth. Rice can also be close to fat, salt and cholesterol, and therefore helps in keeping the heart healthy.
As pointed above, India may be the second largest producer of rice on the globe. The rich soil of India is known for producing some of the finest kinds of rice. Basmati rice is globally renowned for the unique smell and delicate flavour and Indian basmati rice is very demanded in the worldwide market.
Following include the main varieties of rice created in India:
Basmati Rice: Often termed as the king of rice, basmati rice is a perfect option for an every day meal. Its delicate flavour and distinctive aroma makes this long grain rice because the most wonderful rice for all varieties. The long grain rice is further classified as ‘Long Grain Brown Rice’ and ‘Long Grain White Rice’. India could be the largest cultivator and exporter on this rice.
Medium Grain Rice: This type of rice includes a creamy color plus a slightly chewy texture. The kernels on this sort of rice are shorter and wider in comparison with that of long grain rice and in addition do not invariably remain fluffy. It is also further viewed as ‘Medium Grain Brown Rice’ and ‘Medium Grain White Rice’.
Short Grain Rice: Belonging to the ‘Japonica’ (round grained) group of rice, the grains of this kind of rice have short and plump kernels. This rice is informed they have an even, creamy texture, well suited for making rice pudding and also other sweet dishes relating to the using rice.
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Barley grains are known only because it is the main ingredient of beer and other alcoholic beverages such as Whiskey. However, it is not simply a component of them, but also part of several dishes. Know what it is for and how the barley grains are consumed in the following article.
Characteristics of barley grains
It is a sweet-tasting grass, its ears are long and flexible, it is sown in autumn and spring in Western Asia and North-East Africa (places of origin). Along with wheat, corn and rice, it forms a group of “outstanding” cereals around the world. It can be planted in areas of low fertility and at different heights, which is why it is known in several countries, except humid, tropical and semitropical zones. Currently, the largest producers of barley grains are Canada and Russia.
Barley grains are a cereal of great nutritional value, rich in vitamins and minerals. It even beats wheat in some of its properties. The plant belongs to the family of grasses. It usually has a lighter green colour than that of wheat. Its leaves are narrow, light green. Although it can be eaten in some stews, such as the delicious soup of barley grains, this grain is mostly given an industrial use; the crop is mainly oriented to the production of beer. The malt extracted from barley grains is also used in the manufacture of products such as whiskey, syrups, coffee substitutes and some foods. For thousands of years, this cereal was used to make bread, something that wheat now took centre stage.
Those people looking for a healthier diet, for example, choose barley grains, which can be purchased in bags of peeled beans. It serves to prepare stews, soups, pasta, sautéed with vegetables, salad, etc. It is a good option to consume at breakfast with milk, yoghurt or orange juice like any other cereal. In many parts of the world, barley grains g is a substitute for coffee, using the germinated, roasted and then mixed with malt. The most popular use of barley grains is the manufacture of milkshakes (a kind of milkshake, very common in the United States, for example) and the production of musts. In certain countries, pregnant or lactating women are advised to consume barley grains. At the same time, they are the basis for the production of beer, syrup, vinegar, whiskey and gin.
Some curiosities about barley grains bread: the first vestiges of its consumption date back 12 thousand years; it is said that the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves of Jesus was barley grains bread. In addition, Pythagoras and Plato recommended their students to consume it because it was good to help them think, concentrate and understand the teachings. For his part, Galen and Hippocrates advised drinking barley grains water to cure acute diseases of all kinds. In Traditional Chinese medicine, this cereal is used to make liver cures and treat spring allergies.
Nutritional properties of barley grains
It is said that barley grains is the oldest cereal harvested and used by man. It has very good advantages in relation to the rest, with more protein than wheat but less gluten, so that barley grains bread is more compact and less spongy. In some regions, a mixture is made between both bowls of cereal to take advantage of the benefits as a whole. In turn, barley grains is a great source of vitamins of group B, avoiding the rigidity of capillaries, regulating cholesterol, preventing the accumulation of fats in the liver, acting as a cardiac tonic, protecting the nervous system and combating depression and the anxiety. It also offers vitamin K and folic acid. It is also known that barely contains beneficial minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as oligo-elements (copper, zinc, sulfur, iron, iodine). It is an ideal food for children who have growth problems.
Barley grains are the cereal that offers more soluble fibre (17% of its composition), this makes it a food that delays the absorption of glucose in the blood and reduces cholesterol. It has very good antioxidants that protect against cancer and free radicals. Some properties of barley grains: digestive, emollient, detoxifying, tonic, restorative, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, mineralizing, antiseptic, laxative, vasoconstrictor and galactagogue. It will digest without problems when it is well cooked. It is useful for physical and intellectual work, stimulates the neurovegetative system and protects the nervous and cardiac systems
- The barley grains has vitamins of group B, folic acid, choline and vitamin K, is good source of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, but its greatest virtue is the richness in trace elements: iron, sulfur, copper, zinc, manganese, chromium, selenium, iodine, molybdenum Contains lysine (limiting amino acid in wheat).
- Barley grains contain inhibitory substances (tocotrienols) that block the hepatic production of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. The anti-cholesterol effect of barley grains is enhanced by its soluble fibre content (beta glucans).
- Soluble fibre (beta glucans) protects irritated intestinal mucosa and is responsible for the hypoglycemic effect, in association with its good chromium content.
- In the germ has a substance (hordein) that acts as an intestinal antiseptic, being indicated in enteritis, colitis, diarrhoea, cholera and various infections.
- Contributes to the elimination of constipation. This is due to the good content of soluble fibre, essential for the balance of the intestinal microbiota.
- Favors good colon health. As an aid to good bowel function, it facilitates faecal movement and keeps the stomach clean, which reduces the risks of colon cancer and haemorrhoids.
- Barley grains is an emollient, restorative, digestive, diuretic, detoxifying, tonic, anti-inflammatory, laxative, alkalizing, and antiseptic,
- Ideal food for deficiency states of nutrients and for the growth process.
For your skin
- Selenium is found in barley grains in quantities, which favours the elasticity of the skin and protects it from damage caused by free radicals.
- The proteins it contains guarantee the good state of keratin, which is why its habitual consumption contributes to the growth and strengthening of hair.


Meet BotanyGPT – Your Personal AI-powered gardening Companion with Expert Insights from Master Gardener Brenda Harris
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Seasonal To-Do Lists: Stay ahead with customized lists that help you plan and execute timely gardening activities.
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I’ve come to regard our garden as an ongoing experiment; this is our first year in this house, with this yard, with this baby Frances. And so the limited time of a new parent and the limited gardening knowledge of a lax urbanite has given way to a throw-it-in-the-ground-see-if-it-grows approach, and though it does not yield any landscaping that a lush gardening magazine would touch with a ten-foot pole, it has produced some food, some fun, and a welcome reality check.
The garden plays host to many cathartic hours of slapdash effort. It’s an investment that has paid off in experience more than crop yield, or in gorgeous produce. Manny Howard wrote a book about the year he spent trying to convert his Brooklyn backyard into a micro-farm bountiful enough to sustain his family. (Spoiler: it wasn’t.) He had access to, and spent, thousands of dollars in creating this tiny farm, which strikes me as obnoxious even though I'm not happy to admit it does. But his heart was in the right place. "Green markets can be a kind of food pornography," he said once in a Time magazine article. "You buy a big bushel of beet greens without a wormhole in it, and that's just not what farm food looks like."
The wormhole, to me, is the entire point of growing your own food. It’s not hard work to stick some seeds and set-outs in the dirt and hope for the best, because a few plants most likely will survive and grow into something edible. But it is very hard work to grow enough food to make a well-rounded meal, or a bunch of meals for a family, or enough bushels to share with a neighborhood. In the process of navigating the territory between a weed patch and a Better Homes & Gardens-worthy backyard of beautiful food, I’ve come to realize that the wormhole in the Swiss chard is the stamp of something real and pure. The scattershot hours I’ve put into weeding and watering have showed me how precious and miraculous food is, and what a sin it is to waste it, and that the places food grows are not always pretty. They are dirt and mud and weeds and bugs, and so what? Before vast Central Valley acres of chemicals and brackish water and trucked-in bees, there were plots in backyards and modest family farms.
A single, misshapen cucumber was my garden’s afterthought. Of the entire packet of seeds I planted, one lonely seedling showed its face. I kept watering it, just to see what would happen, and lo and behold: it produced a gimpy, bulbous fruit, no bigger than a finger banana. Observing its progress (or lack thereof) over the summer months entertained me, because I never knew if the plant was going to suddenly give up the ghost. Finally I picked the thing, and it was inedibly bitter. Into the compost it went, and I bought a waxy, truck-farm cucumber from the grocery store. 99 cents, a little less than the packet of cucumber seeds had cost.
Other items we planted were not so fickle. Radishes, summer squash, parsley, Russian kale, butter lettuce, Swiss and rainbow chard, and sugar pumpkins have been very plentiful, if not photogenic. A stranger gave me a flat of strawberry plants, which I put in because hey, they were free! And I found out that strawberry plants are more or less garden pets, things you grown for fun, for the little morning ruby snacks they give you.
There’s some lamb’s ear growing in the garden, too, which I neglected to pull out because of its flocked, soft leaves. My garden is neither lovely nor lush, but it rejuvenates and centers me. Some people go to a pedi-spa for that kind of feeling. Me, I prefer callused hands and dirt lodged under my toenails. As for the wormholes, once those greens are cooked, no one is the wiser.
That’s what a garden is. Organic food with a lower-case “o,” and sweat, and whatever luck and labor partner up to give you.


Made in Maine
Healer produces our Hemp CBD products in small batches at our facility in Maine. We closely monitor, source and quality control every step of this process with industry-standard analytics, standard operating procedures and internal batch records for quality assurance.
First, we carefully select the highest quality hemp plants organically grown outdoors on a family-owned farm in Maine and “Certified Clean” by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). The plants, chosen for their levels of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other phytonutrients, are harvested by hand, hung to dry and shucked to maintain their valuable compounds. We source our other ingredients and packaging from the highest quality suppliers. Each shipment is checked to ensure it meets our standards.
Capturing all of the plant compounds
The Healer Spectrum patented process starts with cryogenically grinding the plants into tiny particles, breaking apart cell walls and unlocking the plant’s valuable compounds. Other processes often change, destroy, or even leave these important compounds behind.
We then extract the plant compounds into pure ethanol (ethyl alcohol) under controlled temperatures to capture the most complete spectrum of beneficial compounds possible. This solvent can extract more of the plant’s beneficial compounds while allowing us to remove and recycle it for future use. The small amounts of ethanol present in our final products are safe to consume and safer than other solvents often used in the cannabis and hemp industry. To greatly improve the taste and prevent indigestion, we intentionally remove the chlorophyll.
We use proprietary nano-filters, similar to those used in the water industry but specifically adapted for cannabis, to first remove any impurities and then to concentrate all the plant’s potentially therapeutic compounds. Our process removes impurities the plants can naturally accumulate in the growing and harvesting process, including molds, bacteria, yeast, viruses, metals and more.
Heating the hemp extract to convert acidic into neutral cannabinoids is often accompanied by significant evaporation of valuable terpenes and other undesirable changes. Our proprietary decarboxylation process (heating technology) for CBD formulas heats our extracts without losing or destroying terpenes and other beneficial components. Our CBDA extractions are never heated to maintain all the acidic cannabinoids, terpenes and raw complex phytonutrients.
Organic MCT coconut oil
We infuse our hemp extracts into organic medium chain triglyceride (MCT) coconut oil, which has little-to-no flavor and remains liquid at room temperature.
Our final products are third-party tested and verified to meet our highest standards for safety, consistency, and potency. We also conduct stability tests to make sure the product you purchase is the product we intend you to receive.
Because your health is our priority, we go to great lengths to ensure our products are safe, reliable, and consistent.


Gardens have been harvested for some time and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I still have time, I think, to sneak in a post about a great experience I had this summer growing a special heirloom corn called "Glass Gem" which provided not a huge crop of corn but certainly a bounteous amount of learning about the grand design of pollination and what beautiful variation that is nature.
I'd gotten excited about Glass Gem corn when I saw a photo of it on Facebook last spring. Native Seeds/SEARCH in Tucson, AZ had acquired a supply of heirloom seed for Glass Gem and was making the seed available to members who signed up to be on a waiting list. For a mere $7.50 I succeeded in scoring a 50 seed packet of Glass Gem, termed by some "the most beautiful corn in the world."
Since I didn't have a space big enough to grow corn, I asked around and Athena Sutton said she'd plant the seed out for me. There was one hitch--she'd be gone for the summer so I'd be responsible for "corn chores," which meant hand pollinating as many of the ears as I could.
As you well remember, it was a very wet, cold spring, and it took a very long time for the seed to poke its head out and begin to grow. On July 2, I got an email from Nancy, Athena's mom, letting me know that the corn was chest high and growing well. By July 23, tassles began to appear--I knew I better get busy ordering tassle and ear bags. Thankfully, Athena had shared a great video with me on hand pollinating that showed me that being a tassle/silk go between was definitely do-able!
By July 29, the good news was that some nascent ears had begun to form. I would soon be amazed at how quickly corn develops--when my shoot (ear) bags arrived on Aug. 5, the teenie 1" ears I'd seen the previous week were 5-6" and in full silk!
The next three weeks were busy--making regular trips over to the garden to 1) bag tassles the night before I planned to hand pollinate; 2) cover newly forming ears to protect them from errant pollen in the air and 3) snip the silks of previously bagged shoots for pollination before 11 a.m. the following morning!
Some interesting observations during this phase of my project: 1) The stalks were really tall! Not at all what I expected from growing sweet corn in the past! A 6-foot step ladder for bagging the flowering tassles was definitely a necessity. I would estimate most of the stalks were 7 to 8 feet tall! 2) The individual stalks were incredibly productive--it's common for sweet corn to have an ear per stalk--almost all the Glass Gem had three and a couple four or five ears on them. 3) Navigating through a tightly packed block of 50 corn plants (perhaps 1 foot apart) was an interesting exercise in the heat of August.
Each day that I would go to pollinate, I'd follow the method recommended on the video--slightly bending the tassle bag and tap-tap-tapping as much pollen as I could into the bag. I'd then carefully remove the bag and fold it in half to avoid losing any pollen. Next, I'd take the pollen to an adjacent stalk (called "chain pollination) carefully remove the shoot bag and then quickly put the folded portion of the top of the tassle bag over the shoot. I'd then fold and hold the tassel bag around the prepared ear and "snap!" the top of the bag up, releasing pollen onto the trimmed silks of the ear. The last step was to staple the bag around the stalk so that it would remain secure through the rest of the season.
Thankfully, I am not depending on the fruit of my harvest to survive the impending Iowa winter. My technique in hand pollination resulted in some spottily fertilized ears (e.g one silk per kernal, so if my "snap" didn't distribute the pollen equally, no resulting kernal!). The open pollinated corn (the ears not covered by shoot bags) filled out more uniformly. Nevertheless, I was thrilled with the result, mostly because I'd grown attached to this little plot of corn and its bounty. Athena and I split the crop--she kept both the open- and hand-pollinated corn to share in a seed exchange this winter. I came home with many beautiful ears of multi-colored corn, most of which I shared with close friends.
I am thankful the for the experience of hand-pollinating this beautiful crop, for the generosity of Athena and her folks who gave of their organic plot to plant it out and for a re-awakened wonder at Mother Nature's impeccable timing of flowering and silking to make this crop possible. If such a simple activity could rekindle the wonder of this 60 year old gardener, imagine what it might do for children in some grade school in Iowa. Now THAT is a thought to be grateful for!


He would take his tea with lemon every evening. I would watch as he poured the remnants and seeds down the drain. Some time after he left, I saw a green speck hiding under the drain one day. It grew taller every day. I pulled the sprout out of the sink and saw a lemon seed at the bottom of it. How it grew there, I don’t know. I took a picture and sent it to him. “When life gives you lemons…” he replied. I planted it in one of the flower pots he had left behind. He was right. When life gives you lemon seeds, plant a lemon tree.
I would take my tea with lemon every night. He would watch me pour the remnants down the drain. Some time after I left I got a message from him. It was a picture of a stalk with a lemon seed on the bottom. He told me it had grown up from the sink. “When life gives you lemon seeds, plant a lemon tree.” I replied. He planted it in one of the flower pots I had left behind. I wonder how it has grown and if it is still around.


Join us for Kids Day at the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market Saturday, December 15, 9am to 1pm. The farmers market features an extensive selection of locally grown, locally made food … Read More →
FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Farmers markets are important marketplaces for local growers and producers, but they can also be vital community gathering places — offering nourishment, enjoyment, and educational experiences. The organizations, government services, and small businesses that serve the community can play a role in bringing more value to farmers markets, offering workshops or providing information on relevant topics like composting and vermiculture.


Our beginnings: olive oil production in Provence
It is in France in the Alpilles in Baux de Provence that our story starts, with the acquisition in the 1990s of the olive grove of Bois Gentil. Seduced by Provençal cuisine, we take up the challenge of creating beautiful olive oil from the fruit of our land’s 900 olive trees. The project coincides with the arrival in the region of modern mills, which can transform recently harvested olives into oil within less than two hours.
With the support of olive grower Rémi Coste, later a major player in the establishment in 1997 of the protected designation of origin “Vallée des Baux de Provence”, we begin the exploitation of our olive grove and launch our brand, Domaine du Bois Gentil.
It is through our olive grove in Provence that we learn the complexity of producing outstanding olive oils and enter the universe of Grand cru olive oils, of which we are now an ambassador.
More or less fruity, intense, mild, bold or subtle – the taste of each olive oil is the result of a multitude of factors: the olive varieties that make up the blend, their quality and level of maturation, the geological profile of the olive grove, the method of extraction and of course, the talent of the master miller.
Producing exceptional olive oil: an on-going involvement
We work with a handful of olive oil mills to produce our range every year. They know of how exacting standards and are partners whose skills we call upon to compose our range every year. Every step of the way, we taste, select and analyse to find the most successful productions.
Our Grand Cru olive oils are from Provence, where we learnt our craft and where ancestral methods of production deliver a taste like no other.
Testament to their outstanding quality, our award-winning range is used by some of the world's most celebrated multi-starred Michelin chefs including Peter Goossens and Geert Van Hecke in Belgium.


|Jackson watering the seedlings|
'Tis the season to roll up your sleeves and start digging in the dirt. Spring is finally here, and that means it's gardening time! I've been sowing seeds indoors for a couple weeks now, based upon this seed starting chart found on yougrowgirl.com. Lettuce, pepper, eggplant, and tomato seedlings have already emerged in a combination of Jiffy peat pots and cardboard tubes from rolls of toilet paper. Last spring, I used only organic potting mix because I couldn't find organic seed starting mix. I had a lot left over, so this year I've planted some seeds in regular organic potting mix and some in the organic seed starting mix. I'm curious to see what difference, if any, it makes. I had very good success with the potting mix last year. This year, seeds planted in potting mix seem to be sprouting just as well as those in the seed starting mix. I think next year I will be brave and try making my own seed starting mix and see how that compares. Just as last year, I'm using mostly clementine crates to contain all my seedlings, and they are perfect for the job -- sturdy yet lightweight and easy to move as needed for watering and sunshine.
This week, we'll be starting basil seeds indoors and planting spinach seeds out in the garden. We seem to have everything we need -- compost, organic garden soil, good existing dirt, nice weather, seeds -- except the time to plant. Between everyday work tasks, potty training our son, OB appointments for my current pregnancy (our second baby), home projects, and more, we are keeping awfully busy these days. I'm hoping for a return to our normal, more relaxed schedule soon.
With Jackson turning 3 in a couple of months, he has become very interested in learning and helping and loves to be given small jobs that make him feel included. I try to find ways he can help me cook, clean, sort laundry, or whatever we're doing. Gardening has proved to be another great activity for him to learn, play, and help Mommy, and I'm so happy to be able to include him this year. He has helped me mix soil with water, fill up pots with dirt, plant seeds, and water them as needed. He talks to the "seedling babies" and delights in seeing how they've grown. He helped my husband rake and clean up the garden and discovered lots of wiggly earthworms in the dirt. We talked about how the worms help our garden grow, and we always talk about what types of vegetables will grow from which seedlings. I can't wait to go through the transition of indoor planting to outdoor planting and then harvesting with him. He may not remember these activities down the road, but they are so good for his development and so much fun, too.
Here's what my gardening schedule looks like for spring/summer 2012:
This week: Plant spinach seeds in garden and start basil seeds indoors
3/29-4/05: Transplant lettuce to garden
4/05-26: Start cucumber seeds indoors
4/12-19: Plant carrot seeds in garden, start watermelon seeds indoors
4/12-26: Start zucchini seeds indoors
5/3-10: Transplant cucumbers to garden
5/3: Transplant tomatoes to garden, move basil container outdoors
5/10: Plant green bean seeds in garden, transplant peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and watermelon to garden
These dates are approximate and will vary as needed. Also, I will likely stagger some of these plantings, such as the beans, this year to avoid an all-at-once harvest like we experienced last year.
I'll update on our garden progress as it unfolds. Stay tuned for more gardening adventures (and hopefully more adorable pictures of my toddler in the garden)!


With plenty of sugarcane, life is expected to be sweet but unfortunately for the people of Busoga Sub region, Eastern Uganda it is totally contradictory. Over the five years sugar production has taken a fold resulting into conversion of land at the expense of other crops grown. This can be accounted for by the many mushrooming sugar factories in the region calling for expansion of raw material sources.
The National Sugar Policy of 2010 clearly demands for a 25Km radius between two sugar producing factories as one way to decrease the localization of sugarcane growing to allow people use the land diversely for growing multiples of crops to combat food insecurity and hunger. The Sub region is located in close proximity to Lake Kyoga and Lake Victoria guaranteeing reliable and good rainfall patterns coupled with fertile soils making it absolutely viable enough to become Uganda’s food basket.
Years before manifestation of the many sugar producing factories in comparison with few producers predestined higher prices and favorable market for the out growers providing raw materials for the factories. The earlier growers ripped big profiting off the new-fangled trade hence luring other people to join devoting all the labor and land towards sugarcane growing.
However with time there was an exponential growth in the number of sugar cane farmers inferring that the supply surpassed the demand and by sheer will the laws of economics had to act accordingly, an inevitable decrease in prices followed. The most disturbing thing is whilst the prices of raw materials decreased the price of sugar didn’t and this is evident as the largest percentage of out growers can’t afford to buy sugar. The producers export sugar to major international market destinations at higher prices making lots of profits at the expense of small holder farmers and no move has been made to intervene into the ongoing exploitation.
Whereas other land owners argue that they are able to earn a living from the trade, the largest percentage of inhabitants of the Sub region are experiencing the reverse because now land owners rent land to sugar cane producing factories since they pay a slightly fair price per season. This has led to the increase in the pricing of rent by almost 100% for one acre per season.
Sugarcane is a perennial crop that takes almost 8 months to a full year to mature to harvesting stage so most land owners rent out their land for almost a period of five years, a move that rendered many landless hence giving up on agricultural activities. Since most people use up the money in a way to adapt with the changing situations, they have had to venture into trade, employment in sugar factories and other small businesses.
The incursion of COVID-19 global pandemic has also affected the inhabitants of the region colossally. Massive decline in production at the sugar factories led to laying off of some workers, inducing unemployment most especially affecting the casual laborers indirectly hired by the sugar industry.
With all the negatives that have come along with COVID-19 global pandemic, there is some positivity and hope as the tough times have exposed the masses in the region to food insecure situations and they are realizing the need to grow food for consumption. In previous years, an uproar by the local leaders urging people to grow variety of food crops has always been rendered inoperable by the locals. It’s so unfortunate that the lesson had to be learnt in such a hard way though we stand firm with the locals during the testing and trying times but I call upon those with capabilities to offer a helping hand to reach out to the people of Busoga Sub region.


Multifunction,not only cuts grass, but also works great on weeds , thicker bushes and branch. 3-IN-1 lawn care, mow, trim, and edge with one lightweight tool. Easy to control,Steady,low vibration,won’t shake or skip. Low noise drives technique, only 92 dB won’t disturb neighbors. Durability,metal blades are far more durable than spools. No spool , doesn’t requires spool pulling and won’t tangle.
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With interchangeable blades and adjustable head, you can use it for different yard clean-up work.
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The state of New Jersey comes alive with the heat of summer. Along with sunflower fields in Texas, Minnesota and Ohio, New Jersey has some of the most stunning sunflower fields in the United States.
To save you the time and effort of mindlessly driving around New Jersey in search of the dazzling sunflowers, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of 15 sunflower farms and fields.
Terhune is a family-run, 200-acre farm in Princeton, NJ. Being a large farm, you can expect to find over 1,000 sunflowers starting to bloom from the end of June.
From the beginning of July to the end of August, Happy Day Farm allows its visitors to pick and bring home their glorious sunflowers.
Happy Day Farm
With the sunflowers growing so tall, tractor rides lead you through the mazes and around all of Johnson’s Corner Farm. While seeing sunflowers is the main attraction, the farm is home to friendly cows and bleating goats.
Johnson’s Corner Farm
Brodhecker Farm is a livestock farm that has planted sunflowers to harvest black oil seeds. The flower fields stretch on for miles and a ride on the red tractor allows you to see the entire farm.
Lew’s Farm Market boasts a dreamy sunflower field for you to wander and pick your own flowers. For each stem picked, you’ll be charged $1.50, but if you opt for a bouquet, you can expect to be paying between $5 to $10.
Lew’s Farm Market
Open every day from 9 am – 6 pm, Melick’s Town Farm provides you with the opportunity to pick giant, fresh sunflowers. While there is no entrance fee, you’ll need to pay for the flowers you pick.
Melick’s Town Farm


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The Advantages of Grow Tents
Grow tents are a God-send for those of us who don’t have a greenhouse or grow room. They allow you to grow plants that you otherwise would not be able to, particularly if you live where the grow season is rather short. A good well-made tent will prove to be an inexpensive investment. Some major advantages are:
- Cultivate Plants Indoors- With a grow tent, anyone can grow whatever crops they want right inside. People who live in condos or apartments don’t usually have the luxury of being able to plant an outside garden. With a grow tent you can grow beautiful healthy plants in any room of your house. By using hydroponic technology, you don’t even need to deal with the mess of soil!
- Great for Beginners - For the beginner hydroponic grower, a grow tent provides an excellent option to get started. They are inexpensive, easy to assemble and use and the crop yields will amaze you. Even for experienced hydroponic growers, a tent is an excellent option for expanding your current garden.
- Expand your Options, Regardless of Where You Live -You are in complete control of the temperature and light level in the tent. This allows you to grow anything you want, regardless of your climate. Plants that normally can only be grown in the south, for example, can be successfully grown anywhere in the world.
- Save Energy - The design of grow tents is extremely efficient and provides optimal conditions for your plants. The interior walls are reflective and fire proof, allowing for maximum light. The walls are well-sealed so no light escapes, making the tent energy efficient and convenient for any room in the house.
- Light Control - Most models come with timers and controls that allow you to tailor the light in the tent to exactly what your crop needs. Different plants have different requirements for optimal growth and being able to control the light intensity and timing in the tent allows you to cater perfectly to your plants needs.
- Perfect Moisture Control - Hydroponic growing is the best way to control water and humidity levels for your plants, and using grow tents makes this even easier. Since the plants grow in water, there is no guesswork involved in making sure your plants are watered properly or that they have enough humidity to thrive.
- Easy Assembly - Most come packaged for quick and easy assembly. Everything you need to set up is included and the instructions make set up a breeze. Depending on the model you choose, some have several shelves that are adjustable and removable so your crop can progress right from propagation to maturity in the same tent.
- Portability - They come in a variety of sizes, but all are made of lightweight materials that make moving it around very easy if you need to. Even the larger models can be easily taken partially apart to fit through narrow halls or doors and then quickly put back together in its new location. They are very light and can be easily carried from room to room. Grow tents are available in a wide variety of sizes to meet your needs. Whether you just want to start out small with just a few plants or grow an entire crop, you will find a tent that is perfect for your needs.
Grow Tent Store registered address:
Divine Forest Limited


Wednesday, April 29, 2009
It's Strawberry Pickin' Time!
For local readers, it is strawberry picking time in North Georgia. This is where we will go to pick later this week. Hopefully, we will go three times before the season is over. We will pick several gallons each time... hopefully like 8 or 10 gallons each time! We load up our freezer when the berries are ripe, bursting with nutrients and flavor. Then we enjoy them all year round in our smoothies!


Atiak Sugar Seeks UGX 24Bn to Start Production
Members of parliament have resolved to carry out an onsite examination of the out grower farms that are reportedly growing sugarcane for Atiak Sugar factory.
The MPs sitting on the trade committee of parliament are in the process of scrutinizing an allocation of 24bn shs towards the operations of the factory which is run by a private business woman through Horyal enterprises.
Horyal Investment Company Holdings Limited is owned by a Somali, Amina Hirse Moghe, his son Mohamoud Abdi Mohammed, and Government of Uganda through Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) which owns 34 per cent of shares.
Government has already sunk in over 62bn shs in previous years into the factory to save it from undercapitalization and debt.
Mahmoud Abdi Mohammed a director with Horyal told MPs that the 24bn shs from government is required to kick start phase one of operations so that production can begin by August 2019.
Another 52bn shs is earmarked to run an out grower scheme through NAADS as a poverty alleviation project for households in the area.
Mahmoud told MPs that the 52bn from NAADS had a capacity to generate 317bn shs in five years for the community.
However the MP for Samwa Bugwe North Gideon Onyango and the Kumi woman MP Monica Amoding argued that the committee needed to ascertain for themselves the existence of these households.
They were also interested in confirming the ownership of the 28,000 acres that have been zoned out for sugarcane crop production under NAADS. The Aruu county MP Odonga Otto argued that as a local leader he was unaware of any households within the 28,000 acres identified by Atiak sugar factory.
Mohamoud allayed the fears of the MPs and stated that the 28,000 acres belongs to the community under communal ownership. He revealed that Horyal is working with local cooperative societies and the local district leadeership to ascertain household membership before land is parceled out to the growers.


Dezhou Yagang Import and Export Co., Ltd.
Dezhou Yagang Import and Export Co., Ltd is situated in
China-Dezhou city, is the main growing area of Chinese agriculture
with fertile land and suitable climate.
The company is mainly engaged in producing, processing and
exporting the local agricultural products, such as cookingOil,
starch food and industry grade, beans and nuts, dry foods, fruits
and vegetable. The company, "quality first-class for the purpose,
seeking common development, creates brilliant future.
The company insists "creating opportunity, creating win-win"
concept. Through our efforts with the services, high-quality
products and competitive market prices, we have established
long-term, stable business relationship with many foreign


Proprietary Cannabis Grow Pod Design Will Increase Production
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Based on our current standardized, hydroponic growing methodologies, using state-of-the-art, proprietary Grow Pods, we’re confident in our ability to produce consistent, top quality, cannabis in every single batch.
Delta 9 has a current growing rotation of approximately 20 different strains that are continuously available to our patients. As our growing capacity increases, we’ll introduce several new varieties from our genetics supply of over 60 unique strains.
We always strive to offer a good selection of Indica, Sativa and Hybrid strains to accommodate the diverse needs of our patients across Canada.
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Most local nurseries are only stocking a limited range of plants, and many of these plants are wilting and dying quickly if they are not watered for a few days . So many people who wish to grow plants in their home garden , shop or other place are looking for affordable plant suppliers online.Online sellers, ecommerce stores which wish to sell plants, without keeping them in stock can drop ship them.
Dropshipping plants offers the following easy to grow plants at the lowest rate in India
Portulaca grandiflora, moss rose,flowering plant
Ajwain, pan ova
Brahmi, bacopa monnieri
More plants will be added gradually to the list
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No Minimum Order Required.
No worries about plants being out of stock, since plants are produced on a large scale
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The no to GMOs remains, but Coldiretti opens up to Tea, the new genetic improvement technologies that allow the results of the mechanisms underlying natural biological evolution to be reproduced in a precise and targeted manner and which do not involve the insertion of DNA alien to the plant. This morning the president of the agricultural organization, Ettore Prandini, and that of the Italian agricultural genetics society (Siga), Mario Enrico Pè, signed a collaboration agreement to develop Assisted Evolution Technologies. The aim is “to protect the biodiversity of Italian agriculture and, at the same time, improve the efficiency of our production model through, for example, more resistant varieties, with less need for agrochemicals and positive implications in terms of environmental, economic and economic sustainability. social”.
Italy today boasts the European primacy in agricultural biodiversity both in the field of viticulture – 504 varieties entered in the register of vines against 278 in France – and as regards olive growing – 533 varieties of olives against the 70 in Spain – without forgetting the products Dop and Docg and the primacy in the organic sector. According to Coldiretti and Siga, this heritage is put at risk by the effects of climate change and by the invasion of insects and alien organisms, one above all: the Asian bedbug. This is why «an important change of step is needed towards greater integration between tradition and scientific and technological innovation to preserve the competitiveness of Italian agricultural enterprises».
Hence the decision to focus on Teas but “it is necessary to arrive at a regulation of agricultural products obtained from these methodologies which today – explains Prandini – do not find an adequate place at Community regulatory level”. And he adds: “This is a great challenge to bring back the protagonists of the research without the results ending up in the hands of a few multinational companies that own the patents”. According to Pè “in this scenario the role of public research is irreplaceable and the Italian agricultural geneticists are well equipped to contribute effectively and creatively to the creation of sustainable and innovative agriculture”. For this reason “a targeted plan for investment in research is needed as only national public research is able to develop tailor-made solutions for our agriculture and make them available to all producers”.


Thursday, December 19, 2013
- The residents of Pakistan’s arid south- eastern Thar region, who had not seen rain for nearly a year, were overjoyed when it poured briefly last month.
This was not nature answering the prayers of the Thar peasants. Over the past year, one of the country’s worst droughts in living memory, has parched their tiny rain-fed farm patches and killed their livestock.
The rain in Thar, like in some other parts of Pakistan’s southern Sindh and Baluchistan regions, was the result of a government initiative to make up for the acute scarcity of rainfall.
During six weeks ending late July, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) successfully carried out low-cost cloud seeding experiments, which brought artificial rain to some of the country’s most arid areas.
The success of the initiative has raised hopes of battling the current drought, which has killed thousands of livestock and forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their rural homes in Sindh and Baluchistan.
Announcing its success early August, the chief of the meteorological department, Qamaruzaman Chaudhry, said it was now possible to make it rain even during the summer months in the country’s arid areas.
Of the 24 experiments in the Thar and Cholistan deserts, and in parts of Baluchistan, 15 were successful. Between 30 to 45 mm of precipitation was recorded, which lasted between one to three hours.
Chaudhry told IPS that a second phase of the cloud seeding experiments would be held during the winter months from December to March.
For the last three years, these areas had not got any rain, which is the main source of water for drinking and irrigating farms for the people of Baluchistan and Sindh.
“All these years, either there was no rain, or if there was, then it could not benefit whole of the area. For example, last year, there was 100 mm of heavy rain in a short span of two days in the Thar desert. But all the water seeped into the sand,” said a PMD official.
“If the same amount of rain were spread over a whole month, like five to 10 mm every other day, the impact would have been much more beneficial,” he explained.
An estimated 21 million hectares of farm land in Baluchistan has been parched by the drought. The affected farms met 70 percent of the food needs of the province, which is Pakistan’s largest.
To add to the misery, the water table in these areas is also falling so fast that ground wells have to be sunk to a depth of 200 mt. Not long ago, water could be found just 30 mt below the ground surface.
In early June, the weather office gave a presentation of its cloud seeding plan to Pakistan’s military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who authorised the experiments. These were carried out using army aircraft. The cost of each experiment was a mere 100 U.S. dollars.
The weather office is optimistic, but also “cautious” about future plans. “We can consider using cloud seeding for rains in the catchment areas of dams and water reservoirs, ultimately enhancing drinking and irrigation water resources and the country’s hydel power generation capacity,” PMD chief Chaudhry said.
The idea is not new to Pakistan, which carried out its first cloud seeding experiment way back in the year 1953.
“The then meteorologists claimed 10 to 30 percent success in the experiments. But then the process discontinued apparently because Pakistan then had enough water resources,” said former PMD official, Ghulam Rasul.
Cloud seeding experiments were tried again, but unsuccessfully, in 1986, by the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, he said. The reason for failure was the “lack of expertise,” according to Rasul.
Weather experts say that success depends on the correct identification of suitable clouds and accurate seeding agents.
“Considering the type of clouds, we have used indigenous and cost- effective sodium chloride, calcium chloride, ammonium nitrate and urea,” PMD chief Chaudhry explained.
Dry ice and silver iodide are used for cloud seeding in the winter months. “When used in super-cooled clouds (composed of water droplets at temperatures below freezing point), they form nuclei around which rain-droplets coalesce,” he said.
The weather office chief says that artificial rain is environmentally safe and practiced in a number of countries to boost crop productivity. It has no effect on regional weather because only a negligible amount of moisture — between one to two percent — is extracted from the clouds.
South Africa, the United States, Thailand, Malaysia, China, some Arab countries and Israel are using the technology.


Want to start a garden? Never gardened before? No problem, here are the tips to start your garden like a pro.
As a beginner, the first step is to decide what you want your garden to look like. Do you want it to be a vegetable garden, a garden full of colorful blooms, or a glorious herbs garden? Regardless of what type of garden you want, there are some gardening tips for beginners.
1. Choose the Right location:
To start a garden, choosing the right location is one of the essential things that decide your garden's success.
When deciding where to put your garden plot, it’s necessary to know if the area is full shady or full sunny. Because it will help you to understand which plants to place in that area.
2. Choose the Right plant:
Now, move on to the amazing part; choosing the right plants. It’s important to choose plants that match your growing condition. This means putting sun-loving plants in the sunniest area and shade-loving plants in shady locations. One of the essential gardening tips for beginners is to avoid going to a local nursery and buying everything that catches their eye.
First, you should know the condition of your garden soil what if it’s able to grow these plants or flowers that are you picking.
You can check your soil by either digging some out to see whether it has a sandy or clay-like texture.
And buy everything accordingly to your soil condition.
3. Improve your soil condition:
The success of your garden depends on the soil for stability, drainage, and nutrients. To grow your garden best, start with the well-drained, sandy loan and organic matter as possible.
You have a few choices when it comes to improving your garden soil. You can take the easy path to buy peat moss, compost, or some other material to add them straight to your garden. Doing so will make your gardening easy but it will cost a lot.
4. Organizing the garden:
This is one of the most important tips for beginners to ensure their garden looks beautiful. You must analyze where each plant will be placed. If your younger plants are placed too close to each other, they won’t be able to grow sufficiently.
They may become prone to some disease or, in some cases, simply wither away. Therefore, to know where you have planted your plant, it’s good to label them. It’s a tedious process and takes a few minutes, but there is beauty in details.
It will help you to take care of your garden easily. Plants are just like children’s they need the same affection and love to grow.
5. Tools for gardening:
To make your gardening easy you need to use some essential gardening tools that will help throughout your gardening life.
A basic gardening toolkit should include a transplanter with measuring marks, a hand trowel, a cultivator, pruning shears, and a pair of gloves to protect your hand from thorns.
Using these tools will make your gardening life effortless.
6. Stay close to water:
One of the fine gardening tips you may get is to place your new garden near a water source.
Make sure you could run a hose to your garden area, so you don’t have to lug water into it whenever your plants get thirsty.
7. Feed and water plants: knowing how and when to water our plants is the difference between dying and living.
Generally, water the root ball rather than the leaves, as the roots soak up the water.
Feeding is also an important part generally you should be looking at feeding every fortnight throughout the whole season (that’s summer and spring).
Although you may feed extra if growing in containers.
Conclusion: plants are well grown in a suitable and proper environment. The importance of plants cannot be denied for a clean and healthy environment as it provides fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and fresh oxygen.
In last, Plants are just like children. They also need the same affection and love while growing. So keep growing your plants with extra care.


Assessing soil respiration by means of near-infrared diode laser spectroscopy
Authors: Gianfrani L., Rocco A., Battipaglia G., Castrillo A., Gagliardi G., Peressotti A., Cotrufo MF.
Autors Affiliation: Dipto. Sci. Ambientali della Seconda, Università di Napoli, INFM-Gruppo Coordinato Napoli 2, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta I-81100, Italy; Ist. Nazionale di Ottica Applicata, sezione di Napoli, Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy; Dipto. Prod. Veg./Tecnologie Agrarie, Università di Udine, Udine, Italy
Abstract: High-resolution diode laser spectroscopy in the near-infrared region is applied to the accurate measurement of soil respiration. In particular, the use of a diode-laser-based spectrometer has allowed the implementation, for the first time, of a static accumulation method capable of measuring soil respiration from continuous measurements of CO2 concentrations, with minor perturbation on soil respiration as well as on CO2 transport and emission. The system has been tested in a laboratory experiment by detection of CO2 production from sandy matrices, inoculated with active soil microbes and supplied with different amounts of decomposable plant material. Respiration rates of all samples were then retrieved using a diffusion model. The results of the laboratory tests are in agreement with those expected on the basis of sample composition. Examples of operation with real soil samples are also reported. We discuss the possible field application of the system, in conjunction with closed static soil chambers.
Journal/Review: APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY
Volume: 58 (9) Pages from: 1051 to: 1056
KeyWords: Carbon dioxide; Differential equations; Semiconductor lasers; Soils; Spectrometers; Carbon dioxide efflux measurements; High resolution diode laser spectroscopy; Soil respiration; Tunable laser diode spectroscopy; Molecular spectroscopy; Carbon dioxide; Article; Comparative study; Environmental monitoring; Equipment; Equipment design; Evaluation; Infrared spectrophotometry; Instrumentation; Laser; Methodology; Microbiology; Online system; Semiconductor; Soil; Soil pollutant; Validation study; Carbon Dioxide; Environmental Monitoring; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Lasers; Online Systems; Semiconductors; Soil; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants; Spectrophotometry, InfraredDOI: 10.1366/0003702041959514Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click here


Join friends and colleagues from our region and share what’s happening in North Carolina’s ag tech industry. The Ag Biotech Professional Forum is a series held throughout the year providing the opportunity to learn about N.C.’s diverse agricultural resources, while also offering a setting for networking and engagement outside of our normal work spaces. See the agenda below for the upcoming Forum topic and details.
Harnessing Plant Peptides and Metabolites as a Business Strategy
April's Forum will discuss natural crop protectants and how peptides and metabolites can be harnessed as a business strategy to protect plants against stress. Dr. Kopcinski of Plant Health Care will focus on plant signaling molecules and how they can enhance the performance of crop protection products. Dr. Kruse of PlantResponse Biotech will share information on how agronomic trials are the bridge between mode-of-action and a commercial product.
Mariola Kopcinski, Ph.D.
Director, Scientific Alliances, Plant Health Care
John Kruse, Ph.D.
Director, Global Agronomy, PlantResponse Biotech
View map and directions.
15 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709


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This isn’t super important, but the Tomato is in the vegetables section, at least in Icelandic. A tomato is a fruit: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/is-a-tomato-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable/
So they say. But this went into debate in the 90s about switching it from vegetable to fruit. So to many, it will always be a vegetable. Though, I am always curious to see under what listing someone would put it under.
Okay lookied it up. So officially, it is botanically classified as a fruit but culinarally classified as a vegetable. Hmmm, I guess this dual classification is why corn and peas fall under vegetable when they botanically are not.


Found this cute gift idea on National Geographic Kids website. Would make a cute gift! I think a lot of American's are creating their own gardens. This would make a great start!
Herb Garden Kit
Give a "green" gift to a friend or family member. These cool kits are great for every occasion!
YOU WILL NEED:
Small herb plants such as thyme, basil, and rosemary
Sandwich bag full of small stones
Trowel or large spoon
Homemade labels for herbs (we made them by gluing craft foam onto wooden skewers)
Large flower pot to display all the items
HOW TO PLANT YOUR HERB GARDEN
Cover the bottom of the flowerpot with stones for drainage.
Fill the pot partway with soil.
Carefully remove plants from their containers and position them in the larger pot, leaving some space between each plant.
Water until the soil is damp, then place the flowerpot in a sunny spot.
Water the herbs when the soil dries out—about once a week. Then watch your garden grow.


Mango pulp is not only known for its peculiar taste and smell, but it also contains good nutrients.
The juiciness of the pulp depends on the species, variety, season, and even the tree on which it grew. Mango Pulp is prepared from selected types of Fresh Mango Fruits.
We at Aphra have opted to make Mango pulp from Alphonso Mangoes. Fully matured Mangoes are harvested, inspected, and washed. Mango pulp is processed from good ripe Alphonso variety mangos, which are peeled, de-seeded, and run through a screen to retain the characteristic flavor and color of the whole fruit. The pulp is pasteurized to increase its shelf life. Fruit puree includes all the juice and a large proportion of the fibrous matter of the raw fruit.
The mango pulp is so sweet in taste that no sugar is added. 850 grams of the delicious pulp is then vacuum packed in Tin containers with a shelf life of two years.


The increasing uncertainty of our contemporary world may be attributed to a multitude of factors, including conflicts, natural catastrophes, escalating costs, population growth, and climate change. These challenges have significant implications for agricultural practices throughout many regions of the globe. The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent pandemic is an additional reason that warrants consideration. This global health crisis has prompted authorities and corporations across the globe to critically assess the existing gaps in the production and distribution of food supplies. Based on the 2021 assessment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it is evident that the decade spanning from 2010 to 2020 was characterized by a significant level of turbulence.
As the global population approaches 9 billion by 2050, 70% of the populace is projected to reside in urban areas. This alteration, in conjunction with a shifting climate, unforeseeable conflicts will place pressure on the planet’s resources, particularly the food supply chain. The issue of food security and supply is becoming increasingly prominent, and it is pertinent to assess the feasibility of supplying urban areas with produce in an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. Abandoned warehouses in our cities, newly constructed structures on environmentally degraded land, or even used shipping containers from ocean transports could provide a solution to our need for additional space in the form of vertical farming.
Vertical farming is a method of agriculture in which artificial illumination and support apparatus are installed in plant factories. Crop cultivation takes place in a controlled environment through the use of aeroponic, hydroponic, aquaponic, and climatic regulation systems. The utilization of an artificial environment ensures the effective production of fruits and vegetables, leading to the development of superior products with reduced environmental damage. The technology enables the cultivation of plants vertically, in contrast to the conventional horizontal farming approach that encompasses expansive land areas.
Vertical farms predominantly employ hydroponics, a method of cultivation that entails the use of nutrient solutions devoid of soil. In order to ensure that the correct chemical composition is maintained, the nutrient solution in which the plant roots are submerged is frequently monitored and circulated. Typically, the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is employed to cultivate short-lived plants, including verdant vegetables, as it is a true hydroponics system. NFT systems ensure that roots remain saturated without becoming drenched by subjecting them to a continuous, shallow discharge of nutrient solution. A centralized reservoir pumps the nutrient solution into the slightly inclined growing channels, where it passes over the plant’s roots before draining back into the reservoir. Nutrient concentrations, pH, and aeration can be effortlessly managed by contemporary automated dispensing systems.
Combining fish and plants within the same ecosystem, aquaponic systems surpass hydroponic systems. Vertical farms utilize nutrient-rich detritus generated from the cultivation of fish in indoor reservoirs as plant food. In turn, the vegetation filters and purifies the effluent before returning it to the fish reservoirs for recycling. While aquaponics is employed in vertical farming systems on a lesser scale, the vast majority of commercial vertical farm systems utilize aquaponics to cultivate a limited selection of fast-growing vegetable crops. Optimization of efficiency is achieved by simplifying economic and production concerns. New standardized aquaponic systems, on the other hand, may contribute to the increased popularity of this closed-cycle system. Another method of vertical farming is the aeroponic system. NASA, interested in developing efficient methods to cultivate plants in space, coined the term “aeroponics” in the 1990s to describe the process of “growing plants in an air/mist environment with minimal water and no soil.” Despite being an anomaly in the world of vertical cultivation, aeroponics systems are generating considerable interest. Vertical farms utilize aeroponic systems for plant growth because they consume up to 90 percent less water than even the most efficient hydroponic systems. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that plants cultivated using this aeroponic system acquire greater quantities of minerals and vitamins, potentially enhancing their overall health and nutritional value. AeroFarms, the preeminent provider of aeroponics vertical farming in the United States, is presently constructing the country’s largest vertical farm in New Jersey.
Vertical farming provides numerous environmental advantages, including the prevention of urban heat islands and the improvement of climate conditions; protection of crops from pesticides, climate change, and weather-related catastrophes; water purification; promotion of sustainability; conservation of natural resources; air quality optimization; and the establishment of an environment that is conducive to biodiversity. Social benefits include the provision of employment opportunities, the enhancement of food production capabilities, and the guarantee of access to organic and nutritious commodities.
To increase the efficiency of vertical farming and reduce its environmental impact, AI and IoT have been integrated into the agricultural system. Sensors are utilized by the system to gather data on plant physiology and growth within a controlled agricultural environment. Subsequently, artificial intelligence algorithms are applied to this data in order to monitor plant development through resource optimization. Vertical agricultural systems have already adopted and implemented IoT, and in recent years, AI has been integrated with IoT to monitor plant growth. The utilization of AI techniques offers several advantages, including the eradication of the unpredictability linked to human judgment regarding plant health and the more precise allocation of resources, thereby mitigating pollution and waste associated with production.
Although the benefits seem rewarding there are also downsides. Due to the limited availability of natural light within structures, vertical farms rely on artificial illumination, frequently supplied by LEDs. This situation is analogous to that of greenhouse farming. However, it is imperative to contemplate this additional expense. For instance, the implementation of a vertical approach in the agriculture sector of the United States would necessitate eight times the amount of electricity produced annually by all power facilities in the country for illumination purposes. An issue that is intricately connected to illumination is the temperature it generates. Lighting devices generate heat in excess of their lumen output, which could disrupt or interfere with the air conditioning system, particularly during the summer. Humidity regulation and air conditioning, both of which are energy-intensive and necessitate careful oversight, are additional critical factors for promoting healthy plant development indoors.
Notwithstanding the substantial energy expenditure associated with operating the vertical farm system, the recent advancements in renewable energy technologies, such as photovoltaics, wind, and pumped-storage hydroelectricity, present remarkable prospects. Not only because on a larger scale they might open doors for cheaper electricity but also because of their location. Since they are mostly located in areas unfit for agriculture, even a small fraction of their generating capacity might be used for the purpose of a VF. Therefore, more research and development are imperative to achieve a break-even point and then success in feeding the urban jungle.
Written by Binnu Jacob Eapen, Edited by Navina Hasper
Photo Credit: Dossier


Leaf vs Leaflet: Understanding the Difference
When it comes to plants, the terms “leaf” and “leaflet” are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion among enthusiasts and botany beginners. However, it’s important to understand that there is a distinct difference between the two. In this article, we’ll explore the characteristics of leaves and leaflets, highlighting their unique features and functions.
Leaf: The Fundamental Unit
A leaf is a vital part of a plant’s anatomy, serving as the primary site for photosynthesis. It is typically a flattened, green structure attached to the stem or branch of a plant. Leaves come in various shapes, sizes, and arrangements, depending on the species. They are composed of three main parts: the blade, the petiole, and the stipules.
The blade, also known as the lamina, is the broad, flat part of the leaf responsible for capturing sunlight. It is the most recognizable and essential component of a leaf. The shape and margins of the blade vary greatly among different plant species, with examples including ovate, lanceolate, and palmate.
The petiole is the slender stalk that connects the blade to the stem or branch of the plant. It acts as a conduit, transporting nutrients, water, and sugars between the leaf and the rest of the plant. In some species, the petiole may be absent, and the leaf is directly attached to the stem, a feature known as sessile leaves.
Stipules are small, leaf-like structures found at the base of the petiole. They often appear as paired appendages and serve various functions, such as protecting the developing leaf bud or acting as a defense mechanism against herbivores. However, not all leaves have stipules, as they are not present in every plant species.
Leaflet: The Leaf within a Leaf
While a leaf is a complete unit, a leaflet is a smaller division or segment of a compound leaf. Compound leaves are composed of multiple leaflets attached to a common petiole. Each leaflet resembles a miniature leaf, with its own blade, veins, and sometimes even stipules.
Characteristics of Leaflets
Leaflets are typically attached to the petiole through a specialized structure called a rachis. The rachis acts as an extension of the petiole and provides support to the leaflets. Unlike simple leaves, compound leaves have a more complex venation pattern, with veins branching out within each leaflet.
Types of Compound Leaves
Compound leaves can be further classified into different types based on the arrangement of their leaflets. Some common types include pinnate, palmate, bipinnate, and trifoliate leaves. These variations add to the diversity and beauty of plants, allowing for different adaptations and ecological advantages.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Functions and Adaptations
Leaves play a crucial role in a plant’s life, performing various functions beyond photosynthesis. They serve as the primary site for gas exchange, allowing plants to take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through tiny openings called stomata. Leaves also regulate water loss through transpiration, helping to maintain the plant’s hydration levels.
Leaves have evolved to adapt to different environmental conditions. For example, in arid regions, plants often have modified leaves to reduce water loss. These adaptations include thick waxy cuticles, small leaf sizes, or even spines instead of traditional flat blades. In contrast, plants in tropical rainforests may have large, broad leaves to capture as much sunlight as possible.
Leaflets, as part of compound leaves, offer several advantages to plants. One significant benefit is increased surface area for photosynthesis. By having multiple leaflets attached to a shared petiole, plants can maximize their ability to capture sunlight and produce energy. Compound leaves also provide flexibility, as individual leaflets can move independently to optimize light exposure.
Similar to leaves, leaflets exhibit adaptations based on the plant’s environment and ecological niche. Some plants have compound leaves with highly dissected leaflets, allowing them to thrive in windy areas by reducing wind resistance. Other plants have compound leaves with sensitive leaflets that can fold or close in response to touch or changes in light intensity, protecting the plant from potential harm.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Examples in Nature
Leaves come in an astonishing array of shapes, sizes, and colors. For instance, the needle-like leaves of coniferous trees, such as pine and spruce, are adapted to withstand harsh winters and minimize water loss. In contrast, the large, fan-shaped leaves of palm trees are designed to capture sunlight in tropical climates.
Compound leaves with leaflets are found in numerous plant families. Some well-known examples include the trifoliate leaves of clovers and the pinnate leaves of roses. The bipinnate leaves of acacias and mimosa trees are another fascinating example, with leaflets that divide further into smaller leaflets, creating a delicate and intricate appearance.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Reproduction and Growth
Leaves play a crucial role in the reproductive process of certain plants. Some species can reproduce through vegetative propagation, where new plants are generated from specialized structures on the leaf, such as buds or adventitious roots. This ability allows plants to reproduce asexually, creating genetically identical offspring.
While leaflets themselves do not typically participate directly in reproduction, they contribute to the overall reproductive success of the plant. By increasing the surface area available for photosynthesis, compound leaves with numerous leaflets can enhance the plant’s ability to produce energy and allocate resources towards reproductive structures like flowers and fruits.
Leaf growth occurs through the process of cell division and expansion. The meristem, a specialized tissue found at the tips of stems and roots, is responsible for generating new cells that differentiate into various leaf structures. As the leaf develops, cells elongate, and the leaf expands, reaching its mature size and shape. Growth is influenced by environmental factors such as light, temperature, and nutrient availability.
Leaflets, being part of compound leaves, follow a similar growth process. The meristem at the base of the leaflet’s petiole generates new cells that elongate and differentiate into leaflet structures. As the leaflet develops, it expands and contributes to the overall size and shape of the compound leaf. Leaflets may have their own distinct growth patterns and rates, depending on the specific plant species.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Uses and Significance
Leaves have various practical uses for humans and animals. They provide food sources for herbivores, ranging from insects to mammals, and are essential components of many food chains and ecosystems. Humans utilize leaves for culinary purposes, as ingredients in herbal medicines, and for aesthetic purposes in flower arrangements and landscaping.
Leaflets, as part of compound leaves, also have ecological and practical significance. They contribute to the overall structure and appearance of plants, enhancing their visual appeal. Additionally, compound leaves with leaflets can provide shade and shelter, creating microhabitats for small organisms and helping to regulate temperature and moisture levels in the surrounding environment.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Ecological Adaptations
Leaves have evolved a wide range of adaptations to suit different ecological niches. For example, desert plants often have small, thick leaves with reduced surface area to minimize water loss through evaporation. In contrast, plants in wet and shady environments may have larger leaves with a broad surface area to maximize light absorption.
Leaflets, as part of compound leaves, also exhibit various adaptations to optimize plant survival. Some plants have compound leaves with leaflets that fold or droop during periods of intense sunlight or heat, reducing exposure and conserving water. Others have compound leaves with leaflets that have specialized structures, such as spines or hairs, to deter herbivores or capture moisture.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Leaf Arrangement
Leaves and leaflets can be arranged on a plant’s stem in different patterns. The most common leaf arrangements include alternate, opposite, and whorled. In an alternate arrangement, leaves or leaflets emerge one at a time at different points along the stem. In an opposite arrangement, leaves or leaflets grow in pairs directly across from each other. Whorled arrangements consist of three or more leaves or leaflets emerging from the same point on the stem.
Leaf Arrangement Significance
Leaf arrangement plays a role in optimizing light exposure and resource distribution within the plant. Alternate leaf arrangement allows each leaf or leaflet to have maximum access to sunlight without shading neighboring leaves. Opposite leaf arrangement ensures that each pair of leaves or leaflets receives equal light exposure. Whorled leaf arrangement distributes leaves or leaflets evenly around the stem, maximizing overall photosynthetic capacity.
Leaf vs Leaflet: Examples in Plant Families
Leaves exhibit incredible diversity across plant families. For instance, the broad, flat leaves of maple trees are iconic and easily recognizable. The needle-like leaves of conifers, such as pine and spruce, are adapted to withstand cold temperatures and reduce water loss. The fleshy, succulent leaves of plants like aloe vera and jade plants store water for arid conditions.
Compound leaves with leaflets are found in many plant families, each with its own unique characteristics. Examples include the pinnate leaves of ferns, with leaflets arranged along a central rachis. The palmately compound leaves of the horse chestnut tree feature leaflets that radiate from a common point, resembling the fingers of a hand. The trifoliate leaves of clovers and the bipinnate leaves of acacias are additional examples of compound leaves with distinct leaflet arrangements.
Understanding the difference between a leaf and a leaflet allows us to appreciate the incredible diversity and adaptations within the plant world. Leaves serve as the fundamental unit for photosynthesis and come in various shapes and sizes. Leaflets, on the other hand, are smaller segments of compound leaves and offer advantages such as increased surface area and flexibility. By exploring the functions, adaptations, and examples of both leaves and leaflets, we gain a deeper understanding of plant anatomy and the remarkable ways in which plants have evolved to thrive in different environments.


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They’re little babies right now, ain’t they cute? This is from a week and a half ago, need to take pics today and get them up. Wanted y’all to meet my little guys and cheer them along, they need all the help they can get! This is with no fertilizer in the soil, it’s the sandy kind you find out here on the coast. There’s a compost pile we have started, but I wanted to see how they’d do by themselves at first so that i can get a good idea of what I’m working with.


Rain Sensor & Switch
This is a critical piece of equipment on any automatic irrigation system, the Rain Switch will make sure that your sprinklers and sprays do not operate when it is raining. Fantastic value and very easy to install !
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Once the Rain Switch® accumulates 1/8" to 1" of rainfall, it automatically shuts off your sprinkler system to conserve water.
This innovative conservation device shuts off sprinklers during rainfall. Just face the openings into rain and install with PVC and Bypass Switch.


I have always had a love of good old fashioned corn on the cob (also known as Maize). My grandfather would grow several rows of corn in his garden that I helped weed and harvest. Picking a fresh ear of corn was always a pleasure. Corn on the cob has a bit of a nostalgic feel to me and takes me back to those good old days of gardening with my grandfather. I am glad that this new Lego series 17 includes an awesome Corn Cob guy minifigure!
Fresh grown corn grilled on the BBQ is so delicious!
What makes it even better is adding a little bit of butter and salt…
Wrapped in tinfoil, Mr. Cooper Cobbs (as I affectionately started to call him since he arrived on my doorstep) had an unfortunate run-in with a half stick of somewhat melted butter.
I am just hoping they release a butter CMF (hint hint), to compliment this guy!
Butter and salt are not only for the corn cob but is a staple for popped corn as well. Sometimes the temperature in the desert southwest, where Mr. Cooper Cobbs resides, can reach well over 100 degrees (which is a good 38 Celsius for the Europeans under us). It gets so hot his popcorn kernels have been popping out in the open – no additional heat needed!
I’m not sure if this is actually possible but I’ve heard rumors of it happening.
Mr. Cobbs was very grateful for his umbrella.
Unfortunately, his Cob suit is not equipped with air conditioning…
Overall, I am very pleased with the detail of this awesome figure! It is a great addition to my collection and anyone else’s for that matter.
I love the optimism that Lego has applied to his corny face – he seems extremely happy to wear the cob suit and do whatever Corn Cob suit guys do with enthusiasm.
I hope he never shaves that bushy mustache. Not even when it is well above 100 degrees and things start popping.
I am glad I was able to shoot this one before they are officially released – Thanks again for the opportunity SiP.


Peas are so much fun to grow and are super beneficial to people, animals, and soil alike. This season, we’ve dedicated approximately 3 acres on the Pye Centre farm property to growing peas as a cover crop in an effort to enhance a large section of our market garden soil.
Though we have miles to go before we sleep, the fields have again been cultivated after three seasons laying fallow. During which, the weeds, alders, and willows had a chance to make themselves comfortably at home. We are happy now to bring you up to speed on the progress of our first official growing season as the Pye Centre for Northern Boreal Food Systems.


Organic and natural gardening can be incredibly daunting to anyone that has never ever performed it before. It can easily direct to a bit of information and facts overload for the reason that of all of the methods offered to new natural and organic gardeners. Beneath are some guidelines to help you in getting all of this facts organized to where you can start expanding natural and organic crops successfully.
If natural and organic gardening is one thing that you are interested in, make confident you do your investigate. There are so many assets obtainable in print and also on the net. Come across out what you want to get started out in your organic and natural gardening ventures. It can be enjoyable and rewarding in the stop.
If you abide by suitable organic rising circumstances you may perhaps obtain that you are better ready to marketplace your create at the nearby fruit stands and farmer s markets. Natural and organic deliver is quite popular now mainly because folks are commencing to see all the health and fitness rewards of feeding on an organic complete food items food plan.
Encourage earthworms in your soil. Earthworms make for nutritious soil by having the soil and therefore aerating it in the system. They also leave behind their castings, or vermicast, which is a excellent organic nutrient-loaded fertilizer. The vermicast also retains h2o and nutrition improved than soil without having worms.
The very best way to distribute mulch on your organic and natural backyard garden is with a flat-headed rake. A flat-headed rake is successfully two resources in a person. You can use the tined aspect to distribute mulch in excess of contemporary regions. When you flip the rake in excess of, its flat facet will make an efficient tool for smoothing your mulch and earning positive it is distributed evenly.
Use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map to decide your planting zone. When you analysis plants for your backyard garden, you will see zone information and facts that is most perfect for the hardiness of the plant. In picking vegetation for your backyard, this zone facts will tell you if the plant is suited for your geographic region.
Develop your very own develop. The increasing charge of greens and fruit currently is spurring folks on to commence their very own yard. Remember that when you improve your have generate, you are in charge of just how you develop it, and with an natural and organic garden you can be guaranteed that it is developed in the most all-natural condition.
Take treatment of your containers. You do not have to shell out a ton of revenue on containers: you can reuse frequent items as pots. Make certain you clean your containers extensively and disinfect them to stay away from ailments. Drill a couple of holes in the bottom so that the further drinking water can be drained.
Before you get started planting in an place of your organic and natural garden and in advance of you start off producing a mulch cover, you want to be certain to drinking water the spot quite comprehensively. Be absolutely sure to do this both equally ahead of and soon after you are done making use of a sturdy mulch protect in your back garden.
Use a soaker hose to h2o your backyard garden. A soaker hose permits the water to be absorbed instantly in to the soil, rather than disbursed in to the air. This allows to preserve water, a beneficial useful resource. Plant leaves also remain dry, which suggests you get to avoid pesky fungus complications.
The ideal way to weed your natural yard is the previous-fashioned way, pulling the weeds out by hand. Even however organic herbicides bought at the retail outlet are tempting, they aren t almost as effective as having on your fingers and knees and pulling the weeds out by hand. It s also incredibly invigorating to do it your self. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
In order to give your natural gardening the most accomplishment, mulch it with 3 inches of natural and organic material. By mulching your organic and natural backyard garden you will preserve water, insert vitamins to the soil and quit weeds from developing. As an added reward, mulching also provides your natural yard a bit of beauty.
A fantastic idea when starting your individual natural and organic backyard garden is to sprinkle milled sphagnum moss on your seeds in order to protect against damping-off. Damping-off is a fungal condition that will bring about your seeds and seedlings to rot. If your seeds require light, you ought to sprinkle this moss in advance of dropping your seeds in the moss.
It is crucial to rotate your organic and natural crops frequently when you are attempting to grow an indoor backyard garden. Plants bend toward where ever a gentle source is. If you do not rotate your crops there is a excellent likelihood that they will all bend toward a single aspect which will restrict the total of greens that grow on the vegetation.
Hire crop rotation approaches in your natural and organic back garden. Commonly imagined of for large-scale farms, crop rotation can be helpful even in a modest garden plot. Immediately after a period or two of expanding just one crop, change to a dissimilar crop the subsequent year. This will reduce soil depletion and pest construct-up triggered by growing a person plant and result in your gardening results.
When you are digging holes in your property in which to plant shrubs, bushes, or trees, do not make it best. Holes with perfect sides will actually operate against you by proscribing plant development. The roots can not penetrate the sheer confront made by a shovel.
In advance of you start off planting in your back garden, it s a excellent strategy to check your soil s acidity first. Residence testing kits are commonly offered. Your soil ought to have a pH close to six.5 for most vegetables. If the pH is as well reduced, you can boost it by spreading lime. If it s too higher, you can use powdered sulfur.
Use organic and natural mulch. Any material that is unfold above the soil is regarded as mulch. It aids to maintain weeds at bay, retains moisture in the soil, and keeps the floor amazing in summer and warm in winter. Illustrations of mulch include compost, shredded leaves, fantastic wood chips, straw and grass clippings.
Hopefully, these guidelines have delivered you with some really worthwhile facts, as effectively as offered you a way to manage all of the thoughts and facts you may perhaps have previously gathered about organic gardening. Maintaining these guidelines in intellect when you begin increasing your crops can assistance you turn into a quite profitable organic and natural gardener.
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It’s spring! FINALLY! Seems a bit rainy still (classic West Coast) but I caught the most remarkable sunset last night it left me feeling charged and anticipating many more nights spent on the beach, just taking in the beauty of spring & summer & oh ya THE OCEAN. That is why we moved here after all – to indulge as much as possible in the natural beauty of BC. What spring marks is the beginning of a fresh and new growing season. As the early crops, like rhubarb, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots (among others) begin to emerge, I’ve decided to share why eating seasonally is something we try to do as much as possible.
Nutrition – Eating something while its in season, at its peak ripeness is nature’s way of handing you perfectly packaged nutrients for your enjoyment. When you are in touch with seasonal foods and the cycles of nature, it’s incredible to realize how in tune our bodies really are to the natural world. Foods are presented to us at the exact right time that we need them. Cleansing greens, ripe apples, in the spring when it is important to detox and support liver health, antioxidant rich fruits bursting with flavor for light summer snacks when the heat is high and digestion slower. Root veggies and legumes to warm us through the fall harvest and winter months – it is not coincidence, but the intended way for us to eat.
Environmental Sustainability– Seasonal food is more likely to be produced locally, reducing food mileage (the distance food travels from where it is grown until it reaches our plates – on average it is 1500 miles). Buying local supports local farmers and encourages more sustainable farming practices. More small scale farms – less monocrops, more mindful farming practices – less erosion, pollution & harm – all leading to more biodiversity and therefore healthier ecosystems. Buying local not only ensures access to more nutritious foods for ourselves and our families, but it also helps farmers to stay in business. Purchasing local foods protects the farmland, support this generation of farmers and the next – ensuring food security for the future.
Community – Spending time at your local farmers market or food gardens allows you to meet your local farmers, create friendships and form a connection to your food & how it’s grown. There is something about spending a slow morning exploring the farmers market that is both grounding and so very exciting. It offers an opportunity to learn about local food systems, interact with people in your community as well as endless inspiration. There is something refreshing about the market – about celebrating two of life’s simplest pleasures – food & community that I will forever appreciate.
Variety – Seasonal food is the ULTIMATE source of culinary inspiration – discovering new treats every week, observing the cycles of nature will instill a whole new admiration & appreciation for your food. Not only is a varied whole foods diet essential for covering all the major food and nutrient groups, providing a well- rounded & balanced foundation to health BUT the variety of seasonal produce and foods will also open up your palate to flavors & dishes you might have otherwise not have experienced. Sample the untouchable freshness that only exists for a glimpse out of the year – it is a fleeting reminder of the diversity and loveliness in nature.