- 1 Mission to make healthy India with organic farming
- 1.1 These farmers are taking organic produce in 918 hectares.
- 1.2 Organic Family is getting distri butors. So we have opened customer service department and sales team is in touch with them.
- 1.3 Now good prices are available sitting at home through organic family brand.
- 1.4 We have the freedom to set our own rates. All the goods are sold through the com pany and we get the price for our hard work.
- 1.5 He explains that – The market for organic products is growing now.
- 1.6 Mr. Shukla explains that – The company has made its own quality standards.
- 2 We work on the policy of quality.
- 2.1 Gives them good quality seeds. From organic pest control to cold storage facilities are also provided. Facility to transport products from farm to market and to customers is also available. The company has also been honored by NABARD for doing remarkable work in the field of agriculture and bringing a positive change in the lives of small farmers. read more
Mission to make healthy India with organic farming
The organic family brand of Khandwa district has reached the market
500 small farmers of Khandwa district, who are carrying out the mission of making a healthy India from organic farming have attracted the attention of the whole country.
These farmers are taking organic produce in 918 hectares.
The “Organic Family” brand of their products is reaching every household. The farmers associated with Satpura Organic Producer Company want the citizens of the country to get pure food grains, fruits and vegetables. He stayed away from medicines and our earth remained poison free.
Dara Singh Dharve of Bodrania village of Jhirnya tehsil associated with the company completely agrees with the thinking of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan that organic farming is the most concrete way to save the earth and man. Dara Singh Dharve is getting good price for organic wheat. 2500 per quintal will be available this year. He says – “Now more and more farmers want to join organic farming. Chemical fertilizers also increase the cost of farming and also harm health.
The company’s CEO Mr. Vishal Shukla says that the company is going on its third year of formation. In such a short span of time, the company’s organic products have made a good mark in the market. Because of the “organic family” brand, the seed of the farm and the consumer has become a strong relationship. They say that in the next three years, 65 cities will add 1.25 million consumers of organic products. Delivery partners like Zomato, Swiggy, Nimbus, E-kart, Meesho, GetIt have joined us and work has also started in Indore. Thus, with the help of modern marketing and technology, efforts are on to increase the reach of organic products.
Organic Family is getting distri butors. So we have opened customer service department and sales team is in touch with them.
Shri Shukla says that – “We will always be ahead in realizing the dream of the Chief Minister to start economic entrepreneur ship in the field of agriculture by bringing together Farmer Produce Organizations.” They say – “That the Chief Minister’s thinking is progressive. He thinks like a visionary.”
Regarding the coming into existence of Satpura Organic Producer Company, Mr. Shukla says that- “It started with village-to-village chaupal meetings. It was necessary to unite the small farmers doing farming and marketing together. The rounds of discussions started on the benefits of
It started with ten farmers. Initially, make groups among themselves for wheat, soybean and onion.
Committees were formed from these groups and in this way gradually the farmers got involved and this process is going on. Meanwhile, the Corona period came but the farmers did not face any problem. Wheat procurement continued. Their organic produce vegetable started reaching the customers’ doorsteps directly.
Describing the reason for joining the company, Mr. Rajesh Tirole a farmer from Singote village, says that – Coming together in the name of one brand increases the price and benefits all the farmers. Mr. Rajesh is a small farmer of two hectares. They plant wheat and vegetables. Purely use organic manure. He explains that – “By joining the company, we have started getting good prices for organic vegetables. Earlier vegetables were sold at very low prices.
Now good prices are available sitting at home through organic family brand.
Because of the company, we have had a direct relationship with the customer.
We have the freedom to set our own rates. All the goods are sold through the com pany and we get the price for our hard work.
In Rajpuragaon of Punasa Tehsil, Shri Manoj Pandey is growing wheat and vegetables through organic method in three acres.
He explains that – The market for organic products is growing now.
Our organic wheat is also selling at a good price. Organic vegetables are also being preferred. Direct access to the market has also increased with the profit in farming alone and farming in collaboration with the company. According to him, this company is a platform that is promoting organic products with a mission. Acting as a bridge between the consumers and the producer farmers. Consumers get pure organic grains and vegetables and we get our price. Mr. Pandey says that our mission is poison-free farming and drug-free routine. Neither the body will be healthy nor the mind will get happiness by eating chemicals mixed with it.
Expressing concern about the challenges faced by the organic family brand, Mr. Pandey says that – In the absence of knowledge and knowledge, it is not possible to identify the real and the counterfeit. Hence, counterfeit goods are sold and the original cannot be identified. The solution is to He says that the only way is to raise awareness about organic products.
Mr. Shukla explains that – The company has made its own quality standards.
We work on the policy of quality.
Agricultural experts have been included in this. The quality norms laid down in the National Organic Production Program are taken care of.


The lie of the land is another unique feature of the Ribera del Duero region and influences how the weather conditions affect the vineyard each year. In the west of the Designation of Origin, which is where Bodegas Comenge is located, there is a wide variety of terrains ranging from moors, hills, slopes, terraces and open countryside; the orientation of the estates is also important. The 32 hectares of the Bodegas Comenge vineyard are positioned on the slopes of Curiel and Pesquera de Duero, between 780 and 880 metres above sea level, making it the best site for the vineyard thanks to its excellent capacity for retaining soil moisture and the reduced risk of suffering the dreaded frosts.
Another unique feature of the soil in the Ribera del Duero region is the wide variety of materials involved. On the same estate, it is common to distinguish four or five different soils: areas with a predominance of limestone, sandy strips, soils of greyish tones or reddish soils. This diversity of materials can be seen in the characteristics of the grapes, combining to create a unique wine.


About Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association
The Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association (FVOPA) was established in March, 2001 as an Incorporated Society in the Province of British Columbia. FVOPA is a self-sustaining organic certifier.
FVOPA provides certification services in all provinces and territories of Canada. FVOPA operators may ship products out of BC to any province in Canada, and to the USA, Europe and Asia, thus having access to the global marketplace. FVOPA certifies all types of organic production: farm crops (including land in transition to organic), all livestock (including dairy & poultry), greenhouses, mushroom farms, single and multi-ingredient processing facilities, packers, custom processors, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and restaurateurs.


Remember all those stories about mysteriously dying honeybee populations? Looks like we’ve got the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder all figured out, kiddies. Or at least, one very unsurprising chief suspect:
Germany has banned a family of pesticides that are blamed for the deaths of millions of honeybees. The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has suspended the registration for eight pesticide seed treatment products used in rapeseed oil and sweetcorn.
The move follows reports from German beekeepers in the Baden-Württemberg region that two thirds of their bees died earlier this month following the application of a pesticide called clothianidin.
“It’s a real bee emergency,” said Manfred Hederer, president of the German Professional Beekeepers’ Association. “50-60% of the bees have died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives.”
Tests on dead bees showed that 99% of those examined had a build-up of clothianidin. The chemical, produced by Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of the German chemical giant Bayer, is sold in Europe under the trade name Poncho. It was applied to the seeds of sweetcorn planted along the Rhine this spring. The seeds are treated in advance of being planted or are sprayed while in the field.
Well, there’s a shocker. Pesticides kill bees! Even if they’re used on a crop, like sweet corn, that isn’t pollinated by insects (corn is wind-pollinated), the pesticides still end up devastating a lot more insects than those they were aimed at in the first place. The pesticides have a nasty way of getting into the air, the air has a nasty way of getting into the bees, the bees have a nasty way of getting into the hive, and the entire hive has a nasty way of ending up dead as a result.
But guess what, kiddies? The makers of the pesticides refuse to take responsibility for what happens when their product produces something other than the intended result:
The company says an application error by the seed company which failed to use the glue-like substance that sticks the pesticide to the seed, led to the chemical getting into the air.
Bayer spokesman Dr Julian Little told the BBC’s Farming Today that misapplication is highly unusual. “It is an extremely rare event and has not been seen anywhere else in Europe,” he said.
I find that hard to believe. If anyone hasn’t seen it happening, I humbly submit that the just haven’t been looking. Why limit one’s scrutiny to Europe? All of North America has been suffering from declines in bee populations, both domestic and wild, and the local beekeeper from whom my mom buys her honey has complained about it here, too. And yes, the crops in this region are heavily pesticided. The beekeeper’s apiary is right near some local apple orchards, and of course, they spray their apples!
But hey, why take my word for it? I’m just one little resident of Southern Ontario. The scientists know more about it than I do.
Clothianidin, like the other neonicotinoid pesticides that have been temporarily suspended in Germany, is a systemic chemical that works its way through a plant and attacks the nervous system of any insect it comes into contact with. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency it is “highly toxic” to honeybees.
This is not the first time that Bayer, one of the world’s leading pesticide manufacturers with sales of ¤5.8bn (£4.6bn) in 2007, has been blamed for killing honeybees.
In the United States, a group of beekeepers from North Dakota is taking the company to court after losing thousands of honeybee colonies in 1995, during a period when oilseed rape in the area was treated with imidacloprid. A third of honeybees were killed by what has since been dubbed colony collapse disorder.
Bayer’s best selling pesticide, imidacloprid, sold under the name Gaucho in France, has been banned as a seed dressing for sunflowers in that country since 1999, after a third of French honeybees died following its widespread use. Five years later it was also banned as a sweetcorn treatment in France. A few months ago, the company’s application for clothianidin was rejected by French authorities.
So much for it “not having been seen elsewhere in Europe”. France, last time I looked, was still in Europe. Right next to Germany, as luck would have it. Zut alors!
But still the company protesteth too much:
Bayer has always maintained that imidacloprid is safe for bees if correctly applied. “Extensive internal and international scientific studies have confirmed that Gaucho does not present a hazard to bees,” said Utz Klages, a spokesman for Bayer CropScience.
Hey Bayer, I have some international scientific studies that call you a liar.
How about a French government report? Is that international enough for you? Or how about this one, conducted in the US, that finds no significant increase in crop yields for farmers using this expensive toxin? How about what an international beekeepers’ publication has to say (again, about what happened in France)?
I could go on, but you get the idea: When only the company producing this stuff says it’s actually safe, you really have to wonder if you’re not being lied to.
In this case, the lie’s been stung. Hopefully, it will get stung to death before the bees die out altogether.


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EVENTS ON THE FARM
Shelton Valley Farm holds annual events at our location. Events listed are happening soon, and check out our calendar below to see what's coming up in future months!
Saturday, May 12th 2024 | 10am - 5pm
Sunday, May 13th 2024 | 11am - 2pm
Join us on the farm for a special Mother's Day Celebration! Spoil your Mother (or yourself) with fresh flowers, gifts, farm apparel, mimosas and explore our greenhouse for the perfect potted plants and flowers.
Space is limited!
SHELTON VALLEY FARM EVENT CALENDAR
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Spending our formative years within the Agri-Food sector ignited our passion for the food industry and enthused us to challenge the status quo. However, launching our careers in the corporate world, we were exposed to innovation that tended to be conservative and risk averse. Controlled innovation is better than no innovation at all, but we believe that the industry can do better.
We transitioned to the startup realm, where running our own startup allowed us to question the disciplines and norms we had conformed to for so long. However, we realised that to bring real change to the industry we have to work with it, not outside of it. There, Naked Innovations was born.
At Naked Innovations we are passionate about pushing the boundaries and asking the challenging questions. We have lived the frustrations that you are facing firsthand, and our unique perspective allows us to co-create sustainable and conscious innovation together.
Trained and coached to scale and have impact with the support of our Venture Building and Innovation Hubs services.
Successfully completed challenge-driven startup pilots, disruptive innovation programmes and built long-lasting expert communities.
In our network across the agrifood supply chain. Supporting with ecosystem building, startup development and challenge-based research.
Dynamic and fun events. Focused on transforming agriculture, food, water and tech. Connecting to diverse stakeholders to collaborate for impact.


We planted this famous (at least in botanical circles) tree in our front yard to celebrate the birth of our middle child, Benjamin. The small tree had a few flowers the next season, but none the following year. We kept hoping for our tree to come into its own and take off - but it never did grow, and lived up to its name as a finnicky tree in our garden. Every year, the leaf buds that formed in fall didn't survive the winter - new growth (bright red!) sprouted from the bare branches. Finally, it gave up altogether. I've tried growing new plants from seed several times now - getting seedlings to grow isn't too much of a problem, but I've not managed to keep them alive through a year in the garden. I'll probably try again...
||white (late summer)
||moist garden soil
This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away...
About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Franklinia alatamaha
Visitors to this page have left the following comments
|rick||Sep 23, 2009||I have some franklinia seed and want to try and start them, can you give me some input on what to do for best success? Did you start them in greenhouse or outside or in a pot inside? do I need to store seed in refrigerator to get things going?
Given that I haven't managed to grow my seedlings on beyond a year's life, I might not be the best person to ask! But yes, you'll need to start with a cold stage - I'd say at least two months in cold moist conditions. You could provide that by placing the seeds in a pot outside, but you'll have more control if you condition them inside.
- Seed from HPS/MAG '06/'07 exchange. Seed had been stored moist and cold. Upon receiving: baggy 70F (22%G, 6-20d)
- Seed from HPS/MAG '07/'08 exchange, cold moist stored. Baggy 70F (14%G, 15-18d). Set pot out with rest of seed, 4/1/08. Also set out pot immediately upon receiving, 2/2/08
- Seed from HPS/MAG '09/'10 exchange. Baggy 35F (8w) - 70F (28%G, 9-28d)
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July 13, 2010


With the aim to put aside stereotypes around this plant, on 13th, 14th and 15th of October the cannabis exhibition Spannabis, the largest in this sector, took place for the first time in Madrid to show to its visitors the future of the hemp industry in Spain.
The spokesman of Spannabis, Raul del Pino, has assured that the vision on the consumption of marijuana has changed and we are proving that marijuana can be used beyond the ludic consumption; one of the main objectives of this exhibition.
At the same time the V World Cannabis Conference took place during the exhibition, a series of lectures given by professionals from the sector and focused on medicinal therapies, on how the procedures for regularization are moving along at the moment, on sex and cannabis, or on the best way to cultivate it for own consumption.
The spokesman of the exhibition assured that in Europe there is still a lot of work in order to advance in the regulation of cannabis and he highlighted the open-minded vision of other countries such as the United States, where five states have legalized their consumption. "Spain is still far away to enact legal measures but surely over the years the legalization of cannabis will be achieved", insisted Del Pino and asked to take Italy and Germany as exemple, two countries where the progress in this matter has advanced considerably.
Many of the visitors on the exhibition assured that the consumption of marijuana "is not harmful" to their lives and emphasized that the main thing to enjoy a responsible consumption of this substance is being informed. For this reason, many of them have come to this exhibition in Madrid for the first time, as in the past it was celebrated in Barcelona because they need new tools for their homemade cultivation.
Another of the novelties of the exhibition is the 'Showroom', a space where to transmit "the quality and authenticity" of products derived from hemp, where various types of activities will be carried out, ranging from a tasting of beers or the elaboration of dermoesthetic products based on cannabis.


FÓRMULA EMPRESARIAL YERA, S.L. (FEMYE, S.L.) owned by the Yera Family, is an innovative company dedicated to Extra Virgin Olive Oil production and marketing.
The Yera Family, originally from Mancha Real (Jaén, Andalusia), has been taking care of olive trees for generations. These tradition lives inside each bottle produced by SABOR D’ORO. True to their roots, they produce the best oils with effort and passion.
On the olive grove cultivation, the Yera Family uses innovative and environmentally friendly techniques, thanks to the experience of generations of farmers producing olive oil in Jaén.
At SABOR D’ORO we believe that excellence and leadership are not only achieved with the quality of our products, but also being committed to the world in which we live. For this reason, our company works to ensure equal opportunities and a more just society. Our principles are based on human, labour and environmental rights.
Para su actividad FÓRMULA EMPRESARIAL YERA, S.L. (FEMYE, S.L.) performs its activity in the traditional centenary olive trees from the family state. The olive grove is located inside an exclusive habitat highly suitable for the cultivation in the best possible conditions. The olive trees grow in the natural environment of “La Laguna Grande”, between the limits of Baeza and Mancha Real (Jaén), and by the shore of the Guadalquivir River, a highly ecological value area for its wildlife.
This property is exceptional not only for its natural beauty but also for its interesting historical background. Since XVII century this land has been part of the ancient “Hacienda La Laguna”, and has been carefully cultivated. During XVIII and XIX centuries, outstanding figures from the Spanish royalty, like the “Marquisate of Laguna and Viana”, have owned of the state. They came to create such a relevant olive grove complex that was visited in 1926 by King Alfonso XIII to inaugurate one of the mills.
Set in this unique landscape there is a Cortijo (farmhouse) that has been restored and adapted for the Yera Family, and is used for the reception of friends and customers.
The Yera Family is a shareholder of the Almazara or oil mill LA LOMA, S.L., which is also located in the natural area of La Laguna Grande, surrounded by olive trees and very close to the family state.
LA LOMA, S.L., where our EVOOs are produced and bottled, is without any doubt one of the best mills of Spain as has been mentioned by the famous guide FLOS OLEI. It has been awarded by the quality certificates: ISO 9001, IFS Food Certificate, BRC Food Certificate and has FDA register.
The Mill is fitted with the latest equipment and production systems. which allows that the olive grinding process is performed in the optimum technical conditions. All this is monitored by an expert team, that controls all the steps of the process, supervising and ensuring the quality of the obtained EVOOs, that made them unique in the world, with the aromas and tastings so characteristic of Jaén, worldwide capital of the oil.
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Rose is one type of flower that is very popular and is known by many people. With a variety of colors and distinctive aromas by roses, this flower is very popular with many people san angel. In addition to the beautiful rose color and the distinctive aroma produced by the rose, it is preferred because it is easy to plant to maintain it. Roses can grow in various regions with hot or cold temperatures. Aside from being a symbol of love for this one plant, it can also be used as an ornamental plant in the room or on the yard. Here are tips on how to keep the condition and growth of roses awake. If you want to buy a flower bouquet, you can visit floristerias medellin.
The following is how to treat a rose:
– Choosing the Right Pot
The right pot to plant and treat roses is a type of clay. Because clay pots have a lot of pores that can make water flow out and make the plant roots not rotten. This is because water does not expand in the pot.
– Right Watering
Do not water too much until the water becomes a puddle in the pot. This inhibits and makes the plant rot because of most water. Flush the roses through the ground, because the flowers and leaves of roses are very susceptible to drought. Water once a day during the rainy season and every other day every morning and evening in the summer. If the rain does not stop, then stop watering because it has been replaced with rainwater. It’s just better to rinse the leaves by spraying water smoothly and softly. This is done so that the texture of the leaves does not become damaged.
– Check and Prune Routine
Check the leaves and branches regularly so that no rotten parts are still attached to the plant’s body. And if there are parts that dry / rot immediately prune using sharp scissors so that the plant is not damaged. And don’t cut with a diagonal / drag pattern, try cutting straight.
– Rose Cultivation
To cultivate these plants there are many ways. Among the many methods used by cuttings is the most effective way to increase the number of plants.


Mother of All Wheat
Galvanized iron, polycarbonate, Perspex, LED tubes, wheat, photopolymer 3D prints, epoxy, pigments, cement, salt, soil, latex, seeds, and grains
230 x 210 x 230 cm
The work was made for the occasion of Agro-Art: Contemporary Agriculture in Israeli Art at the Petach Tikva Museum of Art.
Curator: Tali Tamir
Photos: Elad Sarig
Thanks to Prof. Avraham Levy, Prof. Yuval Eshed, and Yifat Tishler, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot; Drorit Gur-Arie, Petach Tikva Museum of Art; Yivsam Azgad, spokesman and curator, Weizmann Institute of Science; Dr. Ilan Paran, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization; Avi Lubin, Omri Ben Artzi
Supported by Outset
Review at 7 Leilot, Yediot Aharonot, Dana Gillerman (Hebrew), 1.5.15
Interview for IBA, National TV (Hebrew), 30.5.15
The installation Mother of All Wheat, located outdoors, was constructed as a cross between a greenhouse, a bunker for seed preservation, and a biological research lab; it simulates a vegetal gene pool which (metaphorically) preserves the "evolutionary intelligence" assimilated in the grain over millennia of agriculture. Tomer Sapir operates in an evolutionary range whose limits he himself sets, based on the architecture of the mother of wheat: an ancient, durable plant discovered in the area of Rosh Pina (in 1906) by agronomist Aaron Aaronsohn, regarded as a genetic point of origin from which mutations crucial to the nutrition of Western man have developed. From this archetype Sapir generates artificial mutations, invents unknown configurations, mixes three-dimensional prints with manual work, and juxtaposes the organic source with synthetic details to create a broad spectrum of variations.
Lighting in the greenhouse is based on a combination of natural sunlight penetrating through stained glass windows, as it were, and artificial light produced by blue and red LED tubes. Violet light (its entire range) is considered optimal for growth in artificial indoor agriculture, but in Sapir's greenhouse-laboratory, the lighting changes according to the hours of the day and the weather conditions outdoors. Despite the greenhouse conditions and balanced lighting, all the products and exhibits of the greenhouse are static and lifeless, fossil-like.
As in Noah's Ark, this apparatus conceals a genetic archive for rebooting in case the existing reservoir is destroyed or damaged irreversibly. This indicates the dimension of risk and anxiety associated with agriculture, and its crucial significance to the future survival of mankind in the 3rd millennium, whose uncontrolled reproduction poses a potential threat of starvation. Sapir's installation, which focuses on one of the three traditional staples feeding mankind (wheat, corn, and rice), reinstates the traditional status of agriculture as "common knowledge," which is in the public domain, vis-à-vis current trends of multinational corporations, which grant themselves license for technological intervention in the genetic structure of seeds, claiming their ownership.
© 2015 Tomer Sapir


«Growing Assets Collateral Management»
Empowering Tanzanian Farmers: FARIP’s Innovative Credit Experiment Unleashes Agricultural Potential
Zurich, 2024-01-23. Small-scale farmers in Tanzania could produce much more, but they lack access to operational loans. Banks are too distant, and they demand land as collateral. Yesterday in Zurich, Ueli Scheuermeier, the CEO of farip, explained a new credit mechanism. This mechanism was devised by Tanzanian farming families. The core idea is this: Farmers offer only the valuable trees on their plots as collateral for loans. Losing their land to the bank in the event of a crop failure is not an option for anyone.
On a handwritten sheet, the owner and all neighbors confirm who owns the plot with the trees. Signed by the community leader, the sheet serves as collateral for the loan.
It’s an experiment. In a first attempt last year, farip acted as the bank, providing loans for seeds and payment of harvest helpers. The loans could be repaid from the harvest yield. Now, the experiment is gaining momentum, with the second round of trials set to begin soon.
Innovative Loan Mechanism: Trees as Collateral
Magunguli, November 2023. Tanzanian smallholder farming families could significantly increase their production if they had access to money at the right time for labor in the fields, for seeds, and fertilizers. However, money is always tight in the village. Loans? A master’s thesis from the University of St. Gallen has recently shown that there are no loans that smallholder farming families can afford. The interest rates are too high, and the risk of losing land and houses, which must be used as collateral, is too great. «But we are rich, just look at all the growing trees we have planted on our land. We just have to wait too long until we can sell the logs,» says Bahat Tweve. Why not offer their growing trees as collateral for loans?
Bahat developed «GRACOMA» from this idea. After careful consideration of how credit security could be organized with trees, farip financed a small-scale pilot project for the first time in 2023: 10 families registered their trees and received a loan from farip to plant beans and potatoes on 1/3 hectare each. Secured by the registration, farip, in the role of a «bank,» granted loans for potatoes worth 715 CHF each and beans worth 305 CHF each. It worked: The loans were repaid with interest after a successful harvest, and thanks to the marketing by the trading company TBM, which operates with the fair TSS trading mechanism, the families also earned decent money.
With the first successful attempt in the fields, a crucial milestone has now been achieved: On a village level, GRACOMA is practicable!
In the next agricultural cycle, starting in December, the initiators plan to: Extend new loans to the 10 existing farming families, but at twice the amount. Expand the recipient group from 10 to 100 smallholder farming families.
A FIRST GRACOMA TRIAL PASSES THE FIELD TEST
Magunguli, 2023-09-15. Ten farming families received a GRACOMA loan a few months ago. They used it to grow potatoes and beans on plots of land equivalent to about 2/5 of a hectare each (one acre). The harvest has been successfully collected and sold in Mabibo, a suburb of Dar es Salaam. The loans have been repaid with interest.
It wasn’t certain whether the GRACOMA credit system would work in practice. Until now, it was mainly theoretical discussions that were carefully considered by our project partners in Tanzania. With the success of this first trial in the fields, we have now achieved a significant milestone.
The trial worked in five steps:
- Elibariki Tweve, the GRACOMA agent chosen by farip, registered forest trees of the farming families on plots up to 1 hectare as a promise for loans.
- With this registration, farip gave loans for seeds, acting like a “bank”. For potatoes, each loan was about CHF 715, and for beans, about CHF 305.
- The GRACOMA agent on the ground made sure that the loans were used to grow potatoes and beans.
- After the harvest, the trading company TBM organized the sale of the potatoes and beans and paid the farming families a fair price in cash. The TSS trading system requires that all expenses and earnings are shown and explained clearly.
- This way, the farip loans could be paid back with interest (1% per month). And the producers made good money.
After the successful first round of loans, the farming families in Magunguli want to grow this GRACOMA credit system to produce more. farip will want to carefully study the detailed results of the trial before moving forward with a gradual expansion.
Then, this approach will be shown to local banks and sustainability funds in Switzerland that are interested in supporting this initiative.
Magunguli, summer 2023. Ten farming families in Magunguli are in the middle of an experiment: they use their growing forests as collateral for loans to expand their bean and potato production. TBM will organise the marketing. This represents the first realistic test run of their idea with GRowing Assets COllateral MAnagement (GRACOMA): using trees as collateral to enable investments in expanding food production.
TESTING THE SUITABILITY OF THE GRACOMA IDEA
Magunguli, spring 2023. Our local partner and trustee Elibariki Tweve visits a forest plot of farmers in Magunguli. He is about to register the trees growing there as loan collateral. Five farmers intend to use the loan to invest in seeds and work force. Each of them intends to cultivate one acre (just under half a hectare) of beans. With this small-scale test run, farip is testing the suitability of the GRACOMA idea, which was developed by the farmers themselves: GRACOMA (Growing Assets Collateral Management) is designed to enable farmers who previously had no access to credit to offer growing trees as collateral for loans. “If this experiment succeeds as the farmers envision, we will have made an important breakthrough for the independent financing of projects in rural areas,” Ueli Scheuermeier, CEO of farip, is pleased to say.
THE FOREST RANGER WITH HIS TREE NURSERY
Magunguli, 2022-06-09. Ragpa lives with his young family in the remote village of Magunguli on the edge of Udizungwa National Park. Almost every family there also grows their own Pinus and Eucalyptus trees on their own land. Ragpa started a tree nursery in 2018 with loans from farip. He is now growing Pinus and Eucalyptus, but also indigenous trees such as the Mikusu.
One day, the trees will bring in good money for the wood – but the farmers have to wait 15-20 years. To bridge the gap, they came up with a great idea: using their still growing trees as “collateral” – security for much-needed loans. Understandably, lenders want to be sure the trees are protected until the credit is repaid. The association of tree planters in Magunguli therefore set up GRACOMA «Growing Assets Collateral Management ». The organisation documents tree growth and reports to the lenders. The Swiss-based Ithaka Institute also got interested. As a CO2-certifier, they demand strict registration and careful checking.
HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
2019-12-09. While the tree nursery makes a lot of sense on its own, the project has to be seen in the context of the ideas around “GRACOMA”. A loose group of 60 farming families, the “Mgololo Tree Planter Association”, has been exploring forestry loan collateral for years.
The idea is to be able to offer their own growing trees as security for credits. It quickly became clear that there is huge economic and also ecological potential in planted trees. Active implementation, however, remained a challenge.
The central requirement is that lenders who accept trees as collateral have to be able to prove over many years that the trees are still there, being nurtured, and owned by the people who took the loans.
The farmers soon realised that this would require an independent organization for supervision, monitoring and control of the forest plots on behalf of the lenders. This led to the idea of setting up a company called Growing Assets Collateral Management (GRACOMA). This company would train people from the village to inspect specially registered forest plots, and also empower the farmers to make the most of their forests in a sustainable way. They would then call such forest wardens “Watunza Misitu” (singular Mtunza misitu).
To help with the early phase of this business idea, farip volunteered to temporarily simulate a “GRACOMA” company and cover the risk. This allowed Ragpa to launch his tree nursery and experiment with forest registration as the first regularly paid Mtunza Misitu. He is starting with his own forest plots to secure his farip loan. Other initiators have also offered to secure future farip loans with trees for their own projects.
HOW CAN GRACOMA EARN INCOME?
The farmers do not have spare cash available. The model is therefore that they allocate trees per hectare of registered forest to GRACOMA every year. When the trees are harvested in a few years, they would earn GRACOMA’s credit sum plus a profit. But it takes up to 20 years for GRACOMA to get any money at all … so GRACOMA itself would have to get long-term loans, which in turn would also be covered by the signed-over trees, and so on. It is complex.
Which financial institution would actually be willing to give short-term production loans on such long-term – but interestingly, rapidly more valueable – collateral? For example, to invest in vehicles, pumps, seeds, mills, irrigation equipment, cows, fruit plants, metal silos, etc.?
farip is strongly challenged here to follow the thought processes and considerations of the tree planters of Mgololo. When we asked how they could make it simpler, the now deceased old Kandidussi replied: “If it is simple, it cannot work. It is complex, many things have to interlock”. An important lesson learned for farip. The whole GRACOMA experiment still needs to be thought through in detail. It turns out that it is better to make progress with concrete small implementations.
The basic idea of the farmers in the Mgololo area is captivating! From farip‘s point of view, this is a highly interesting environment because it has potential leverage effects for financing many projects in rural areas. And most importantly, it also allows poor people to use their labour and attention to nature (e.g. forest fire protection) as their own resource to access much-needed capital for their investments. They can put well-supervised trees on the line as assets. They thus avoid being mere aid recipients, and become real business partners. This is the main idea driving the project.
Detailed elaboration and testing of the mechanisms takes a lot of time. The current bottleneck is that farming families do not yet see the point of registering a forest plot with GRACOMA without getting a suitable loan for it within a short time. Ragpa, on the other hand, has already demonstrated the feasibility. He got a loan from farip for a motorbike, using his own forest plots as security.
How can these tree planters from Mgololo convince credit institutions of the viability of this long-term model? And how can the main problem of credit institutions, namely the unacceptably high transaction costs for small loans in these remote areas, be solved? farip is looking to simulate a credit institution with its own loans. This gives people a chance to show that it works – or at least to be able to make mistakes until they see how it can work.
What will happen to Ragpa and his tree nursery? Action can be taken quickly. First and foremost, Ragpa needs production orders for the tree nursery. farip, acting as GRACOMA, has taken on a sales guarantee for seedlings of indigenous trees, for the tree nursery to get into production.


Goroka (Outgrower Lot), Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. Coffee in the Eastern Highlands District centers around the city of Goroka. This coffee is what is known as an “outgrower lot” because it is comprised of the best lots of smallholder producers surrounding Goroka. Papua New Guinea does not have many true coffee estates, so outgrower lots are quite common. This Goroka lot is heavy bodied with tons of molasses and cloves and an under sweetness of black raisins. Fantastic as espresso and for cooler weather. Papua New Guinea’s coffee growing regions are situated on a rare highland plateau, which aids in more consistent growing and harvesting. (10 oz / 282g bag)
Variety: Typica varieties; Arusha; some Mundo Novo.


December 28th, 2012
Meezan Bank has become the first Islamic bank in Pakistan to provide Shariah-compliant Agricultural financing by extending a Shariah-compliant financing facility in the agriculturally rich Central region of Pakistan.
Under the financing arrangement, Meezan Bank will sell DAP, urea, pesticides and seeds to its clients on a Murabaha basis. The Bank is planning to expand the scope of this facility to other geographical areas and has developed a comprehensive Agricultural Financing Policy and detailed procedural manuals for this initiative. The Bank has launched this initiative in order to make the benefits of Islamic financing available to the agriculture industry of Pakistan.


ORIVA participated in the fifth session of the University Expert Course on Agrifood Communications, created by the Association of Agrifood Journalists of Spain (APAE) and the Universidad San Jorge.
The event was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment in Madrid. Also participating were the General Director for the Food Industry at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, Fernando Burgaz; the General Director of the Foro Interalimentario food processing and distribution coalition, Víctor Yuste; and the head of the agrifood chain of the Spanish Association of Distributors, Markets and Supermarkets (Asedas), Felipe Medina.
The General Director of the trade association, Alicia Vives, gave a presentation focusing on ORIVA’s communications, emphasising the importance of creating strategies adjusted to the public, and the challenge of dispelling false beliefs about Olive Pomace Oil. With reference to journalistic activity, she cited the need to raise awareness of the agrifood sphere.


Placer Grown. It's interesting to learn more about all the items grown in Placer County, once one of the top grape (yes, that means wine) and stone fruit agriculture regions in the world. Now the biggest export is actually rice, but walnuts, grapes (for wine), fruits, vegetables and hops (for beer) are all making a resurgence.
I started my afternoon off with the official event at Wise Villa Winery, where I, along with a few other bloggers and members of the media enjoyed a fabulous lunch with wine pairing. The farm fresh arugula and beet salad was a highlight, but the steak, pork chop, pasta, tuna and wines were all spectacular and enjoyed by all. I even bought a bottle of Wisdom of Wise (their red wine blend) for "Wine Fridays" at my office.
While at lunch a few people had mentioned Goat House Brewing Company just down the road, so ... not being one to miss out on opportunity ... I decided to make the three minute drive to enjoy their beer flight. It was a good decision, eight beers for $18, while talking to great people, including the husband and wife brewery proprietors. I'm looking forward to going back with my dad so he can taste the beers too.
Placer Grown Week is October 11-18, 2014. It includes a variety of events, including a Crop to Tabletop Dinner (I already bought my tickets ... limited quantity available and it's only $35/pp), family fun, farm tours and much more (see below).
Photos for those with iPads.
MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND CELEBRATE PLACERGROWN WEEK—OCT. 11-18
Family-Friendly Events Offer Farm-to-Fork Fun and Award-winning Wines
AUBURN, Calif.—The third annual Celebrate PlacerGROWN Week, October 11th through the 18th, will showcase the more than 100 family farms, 20 Placer County Wine Trail wineries and 9 farmers’ markets in the Placer County region. Families should mark their calendars for family-friendly activities, farm-fresh eats and award-winning wines.
“This is the best opportunity throughout the year to experience the Placer County region’s abundance of farm-fresh food and wine,” notes PlacerGROWN Executive Director Carol Arnold. “It’s a great way to meet local farmers and ranchers, and experience unique Placer County activities firsthand.”
“The Placer County Board of Supervisors proclaimed Celebrate PlacerGROWN Week in 2012 and the commemorative week has since grown in scope and popularity,” said Placer County Agricultural Commissioner Josh Huntsinger. “We look forward to welcoming back families and friends to join in the celebration.”
The 2014 “Celebrate PlacerGROWN Week” includes four, fun events:
Auburn Wine & Food Festival: Saturday, Oct. 11th from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Enjoy Placer County wines and dishes sure to delight the palate. Tickets are available at auburnwineandfood.com at $45 each; designated driver and food-only tickets are $20 each.
PlacerGROWN Farm & Barn Tour: Sunday, Oct. 12th from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Take part in a free, self-guided tour that includes farms, ranches and vineyards, all spanning the beautiful Placer County countryside. Visit placergrown.org for details.
PlacerGROWN Harvest Festival: Saturday, Oct. 18th from 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 19th from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Johnson-Springview Park in Rocklin.
This family-friendly fest includes a pumpkin patch, scarecrow-building contest, farmers’ market, free family movie at dusk and more. Visit placerharvestfestival.com for details.
Placer County Farm Bureau Hoe Down: Saturday, Oct. 18th with dinner held at 6:30 p.m.
The 25th annual event includes dinner and a live auction benefiting agricultural students. Call 916-663-2929 for tickets and more information.
Supported by Placer County, PlacerGROWN is the information source dedicated to educating residents about the freshest agricultural products the region has to offer. Through its website, social media channels, and other outreach programs, PlacerGROWN connects community members with the farms, orchards, ranches, wineries, nurseries, farmers’ markets and specialty food stores in one of the most diverse growing areas in Northern California. To discover the bounty of agricultural products produced by farmers who call Placer County home, or for more information about PlacerGROWN, visit www.placergrown.org.
Lunch and wine tasting was provided by Wise Villa Winery and PlacerGROWN. I purchased my own bottle of wine to take home and beer tasting. All thoughts are my own.


Patch is a neighbourhood kitchen garden where you can get involved in growing, nurturing and making things for free.
The first series of workshops will cover everything from preparing the ground and learning about the basics of composting, to planting vegetables which will be ready to harvest in winter. These will take place at Angel Square between 12-3pm on Thursdays for six weeks:
MAKE YOUR BED AND EAT IT
The first workshop! Preparing the ground for the kitchen garden.
BRASSIC PARK: THE FROST WORLD
Join the team to plant veg to be harvested in winter.
LONG TIME NO SEE
Allium? Ally yum! This week we show you how to plant onion, garlic - and that's shallot.
MEET THE HERBS
DIRTY ROTTEN GROUND RULES
Composting for beginners.
WATER, BUTT HOW?
Learn how to make a water butt.


California’s most famous national parks – Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia – are each a day trip for the residents of Fresno County. Yosemite is home to several breathtaking rock formations like the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome, while the rushing Kings River runs through Kings Canyon with its majestic waterfalls and pristine lakes. Sequoia, of course, is beloved for its famous giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman, the largest (by volume) tree in the world.
Fresno Farms grows more than 120 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables
A journey to our agricultural treasures will take you through the Fresno region, known as the Agricultural Capital of the world! Fill your basket as you go, fresh from the fields where they grow. Come experience our local farmers markets, wineries, and farm to table cafes.


The Spring 2020 Science in Our Valley seminar series kicks off on February 5th featuring the research of WSU Center for Impact economist, Dr. Tim Nadreau. Dr. Nadreau has done research on the projected impact of automation in agricultural practices on the local labor and workforce needs in the near future.
The science seminars are free to attend, open to the community, and great opportunity to learn about the incredible research in our own backyard. The content is intended for a ‘science-based’ audience, including researchers, postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, undergraduate scientists, K-12 educators and science enthusiasts. This spring’s line-up is quite diverse, and features topics from: reproductive health, forestry and environment, technology in agriculture, and even native bees.
The full list of presenters and details can be found: https://applestemnetwork.org/science-in-our-valley/
K-12 Educators are also encouraged to attend the seminars to learn about local career connections and research efforts that they can bring back to their students. Ten STEM clock hours are available through the North Central Educational Service District for educators who attend the series. Educators can register for clock-hours here: https://www.pdenroller.org/catalog/event/101582
The Science in Our Valley seminar series began in October 2017 as a way for local scientists and science educators to bring their research to the community and as a way to engage and connect with one another. The series features presentations by local scientists and science educators as well as guests from outside the region.
Host organizations include the Apple STEM Network, the North Central Educational Service District, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Station, WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center, Wenatchee Valley College and the Bridge Research and Innovation District.
All events are open to the public, and run from 4 to 5 p.m. and will be held at the WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center on Wednesdays from 4-5 P.M. (1100 N. Western Ave., Wenatchee).
Dr. Nadreau’s seminar, “Tree Fruit Automation and the Regional Labor Market,” will begin at 4 p.m. at the WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center. As almost anyone in north central Washington can observe, automation and robotics have been moving in on the local tree fruit operations. Across the nation, and right here in our own backyard, the industry is changing the way tree fruit laborers are utilized in everyday operations, from harvest, to packing and inspection, to distribution. Dr. Nadreau’s research evaluated the projected timelines and relative impacts of this transformation on the tree fruit agricultural workforce in North Central Washington.
Other speakers in the series include:
2/12/2020 Sarah Kostick Graduate Student, WSU-Tree Fruit Research & Extension
“Enabling more efficient development of fire blight resistant apple varieties”
Fire blight, an economically damaging bacterial disease that impacts Washington apple production, is currently partially controlled through chemical applications. Breeding resistant apple varieties offers a potential sustainable, long-term solution. This presentation will cover (1) phenotypic evaluation of resistance/susceptibility to fire blight in apple, (2) discovery of genetic regions associated with observed resistance levels, and (3) how this information can be used to more efficiently develop new apple varieties resistant to fire blight.
2/19/2020 Dr. Audrey Huerta, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Geology, Central Washington University
“Geology of Antarctica: Hot Science on a cold Continent”
Professor Huerta has been studying the Geology of Antarctica for the past 15 years. Her primary interests is understanding the Geologic Evolution of the southern-most continent. More recently, the potential sea-level rise from the loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheets has motivated Dr. Huerta to study the impact of the geology of Antarctica on the stability of the Antarctic Ice Sheets. In this talk, Prof Huerta will discuss the results of the 10-year international project POLENET, and share the challenges and rewards of Antarctic field work.
2/26/2020 Dr. Jenny Bolivar-Medina, Tree Fruit Specialist, WSU-Tree Fruit Research & Extension
“From Cranberries to Tree fruits: a fruitful plant science path”
Native from Colombia, my academic formation has been related to the study of plants from physiological and genetic perspectives. I have had the opportunity to live in Puerto Rico and then in Madison, Wisconsin to complete my master and PhD studies, respectively. In cranberry, little was known about the formation and differentiation of reproductive buds, especially from varieties recently released. Thus, my studies not only contributed to basic science, but to highlight how the management of the current crop will affect the following one. Now in my position as tree fruit specialist, I will use my experience in plant sciences in order to make the knowledge and technologies produced at the TFREC, accessible to the apple, pear and cherry producers. I will transfer technologies specially related to rootstocks and environmental stress aspects. During this talk, I will share my path through plant sciences as well as my main goals in my extension program.
3/4/2020 Adrian Marshall, Doctoral Candidate, WSU-Tree Fruit Research & Extension
“Netting Applications for Insect Management in Apple Orchards”
Washington orchardists have begun employing shade netting structures to protect their fruit from sunburn. Certain shade netting structures can create a barrier to insect pests, such as codling moth and stink bugs in apple orchards. We conducted field trials to test the ability of commercial shade netting to prevent codling moth and stink bug damage at the WSU research orchard and commercial apple blocks in Manson, WA. These trials indicated that direct pest densities and damage were lower in netted plots than in the conventional plots and the untreated plots. However, non-target effects were apparent and need to be carefully considered in future management programs.
3/11/2020 Dr. Claudio O. Stockle WSU Professor and Department Chair, Biological Systems Engineering, WSU
“Technology for trade: new tools and new rules for water use efficiency in agriculture and beyond”
Dr. Claudio Stöckle’s research is in the Land, Air, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (LAWREE) research emphasis area. His focus is on the development and application of analytical tools to study, understand and manage the interaction between soil, weather, and crops. He is particularly interested in modeling the environmental impact of agricultural production at the field and water shed levels and in further enhancement and support of the Agricultural Crop Systems Modeling Software (CROPSYST) he developed.
4/8/2020 Dr. Jessica Waite, Postdoctoral Researcher, WSU-Tree Fruit Research & Extension
“Physiological and molecular changes associated with acclimation to heat stress in apple fruit”
Extreme climate events, such as heatwaves and freezes, can have large negative impacts on fruit production. Sunburn, a physiological skin disorder caused by heat and light stress, causes loss of up to 10% of Washington state apple crops. Current prevention methods include evaporative cooling, shade netting, or protectant sprays, each with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. We are interested in understanding the physiology and molecular mechanisms underlying sunburn and plant fruit acclimation to heat, so that we can improve the use of tools to avoid sun injury. Here I’ll talk about experiments designed to study apple fruit acclimation to high heat and light stresses experienced during a typical growing season, with the goal of informing and developing strategies to minimize losses due to sunburn.
4/15/2020 Dr. Don Rolfs, Lifelong Naturalist, Retired Periodontist, Community Member
“Native Bees of Washington State”
Formally trained in Native Bee biology, Dr. Don Rolfs has, for more than a decade, focused his field work, laboratory work and photographic skills on the 600+ species of Native Bees of Washington State. While Honey Bees have a place in agriculture, it is our Native Bees who are the primary pollinators, responsible for the flowers of our mountain meadows and remote wild places. Dr. Rolfs’ profusely illustrated lecture is an introduction to the variety and to the stunning beauty of these essential pollinators.
4/22/2020 Dr. April Binder, Professor, CWU
“Estrogen, Testosterone and Fats, Oh My!”
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of infertility in women of reproductive age. It is a hormonal disorder characterized by increased testosterone in women and is often associated with metabolic dysfunction. In the Binder lab, we study how altered concentrations of estrogen and testosterone affect the ovary and fat tissues, which may contribute to the symptoms observed in PCOS. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of what is happening within specific tissues that could lead to improved treatments in the future.
4/29/2020 Dr. Tara Barrett, Research Forester, USDA Forest Service
“Forest at the fringes: projecting climate-related tree species shifts in western forests”
Climate is changing, and that is altering which tree species can grow where. But predicting how habitat for different species will alter in future decades is complicated given uncertainty in both future climate and imperfect knowledge about impacts on disturbance, competition, migration, and basic biophysical processes. This talk focuses on a research project that combines modelling (to predict current and future tree species habitat) and forest inventory data (to monitor how tree species are currently changing).


Busy Days have filled my world lately. The sunshine is beautiful and the temperatures near perfect. It’s May and the season for gardening is here. From enjoying perennial flowers that make their way into a fabulous array of beauty, to planting the annuals that we must work harder to enjoy each year. It’s been a busy month already! Roxi & Ivy are always curious to find out what is going to be the activity for the day. When I’m in the yard, they are content as long as they see me. Once I slip out of their view, EVERYBODY knows I’ve left their eyesight for their cries for me to come back are constant until I return.
After the long, cold winter we just had it is so refreshing that Spring is finally here and in full swing. Grass is growing, as well as WEEDS!! Since Roxi & Ivy love weeds better than grass, I want to stick them here and there and everywhere I see a little patch of weeds!
As you may have seen in prior posts, I have different pens for different needs concerning my two little pygmy goats. Their “bedroom” (of which they are standing in the doorway of in the above photo) is their main stay. It is their safe place, located in the back of the Cackleberry Inn chicken house. A hanging dining table that holds a bale of hay keeps constant food available, especially when a couple of rainy, stormy days keeps them there more than out in one of their other pens.
Roxi & Ivy love to romp and play. so, they have their own play pen. I constructed it out of PVC pipe and wire. Their “mobile home” as well as their toys of barrels and crates keep them entertained. You will find my snapshots with this “corral” in several locations around the yard. I usually move it a few inches at a time, maneuvering it along easily. Roxi & Ivy have come to be very content in the corral and feel that is “their’ space. They LOVE to observe activity on the farm from their blue barrels!
With weeds popping up here and there and everywhere, and with Roxi & Ivy loving them so much, I wanted a way to move them around to little patches of weeds easier than in the corral. I mean let’s face it, the corral is for the large parts of the yard. So, the Weedeater’s Cube was created. Yes, they enjoy having free reign within the little cube and the bonnet gives them brief relief from the sun or a mid-day shower.
Our wood pile is always full of grass and weeds. They tend to find an easy place to grow around and through the chunks of wood. I built a temporary fence around the pile and let the girls have it. Their delight! Also, since they, as goats, are a cousin to deer, they need nutrition that they find in twigs, bark, and wooded leaves. The wood pile is one of their fun places since they can jump and climb all over the logs.
Lately I’ve been enjoying some time in the yard, cleaning out flower beds and pulling weeds. Sometimes, I’ll tie the girls to the area I’m working in and let them help me clean out the weeds. As I pull weeds and they pull weeds, I wondered if they think I, too eat the green leafy plants, or if they wonder why I DON’T eat such luscious greens. 🙂
Incorporating herbs into the lives of my goats and poultry has become rather important to me. I want to take as any measures for their health as I can. The more I read, the more I learn and become more fascinated in the benefits of herbs. Poultry and Goats both really benefit from adding fresh herbs like garlic and oregano into their diet. So, I planted lavender, oregano, basil, rosemary, sage and lemon balm around the Cackleberry Inn. I also created the Climb & Dine which puts a vertical twist to offering herbs to my little flocks day.
We love home grown tomatoes. a few years ago I began canning tomatoes and it’s a sad day when I go to my pantry and there’s no canned tomatoes to cook with. We also like a jalapeño relish I began making and canning a while back. The pantry bounty has about run out so, growing tomatoes and peppers are a priority for us this year. Then I learned about companion planting. How one plant assists another if planted near each other. Well, how cool!! Roses love garlic (who knew?!)
As I continued nestling plants and seedlings into soil, I came across a great idea on Pinterest. I now call it my Italian basket. An upside down tomato in the bottom with Italian herbs on top.
Rest assured the tomato plants look tiny and weird hanging upside down, but let’s give the little things a chance in their new environment. Now, the rest of my “Crop” is strategically placed within our old Mercury garden. It is surrounded by old tires which are awesome “homes” for plants since the tires hold water like a well during dry times. Originally, this area was the chicken lot to the old chicken house. Then it became the Mercury garden. As my love of chickens was renewed, I fenced it in again for chickens, using the old Mercury as a shelter. Later, I used this area as a place to keep Roxi & Ivy. Now, the fencing has come down, Roxi & Ivy helped me remove the weeds, and now tomatoes, peppers and herbs adorned this little garden.
My Blackberry bushes are planted just to the side of this vintage garden. My blackberry bushes, *sigh… well, I got a little too excited about pruning a while back and I think I may have pruned too much. This did not kill my blackberries, however, we may not have much of a berry harvest this year. See, i’ve learned that Blackberries grow “canes” one year and then berries grow on those canes the next year. When pruning, one should only cut off old canes, and leave the new canes since they are the ones that will bare the fruit. Lesson learned a bit to late for this season. However, in preparing for said new canes to grow (for possibly next year’s berries) I have started a wooden fence that would provide a strong resting place for the upcoming cane filled bushes. With the help of my fella and his grandsons posts were set properly with the intention of wooden rails to follow in the future. Well, this weekend the future became present. It was time to install the rails. Always eager to use my handy, dandy screw gun, I jumped to the challenge. In my excitement of getting the board positioned at the height I wanted it, and then assuring it was level, I incorporated the assistance of some old saw horses. As I stood back for a view of my handiwork, I suddenly realized, something was wrong.
Before panicking, I sighed and put my screw gun in reverse mode, removed the screws on one end of the board and released the saw horse from it’s captivity.
As you can see in these photos, the reclaimed, rustic garden in the background is ready for sunshine and rain as it prepares to produce wonderful veggies and herbs to delight our taste buds.
Meanwhile, the Coffee Cats hang out with the chickens as they enjoy a perfect evening of free range pecking and scratching before it’s time to turn in to the roost for the evening.
No, not all mulching is done, not all garden grooming is complete, Roxi found a way out of the corral so it now must be reinforced, and we won’t even think of the chores that await inside the Cackleberry Inn, much less inside our own home. But today, all is calm and I love Spring.


Image via Pexels
Living in an apartment doesn’t have to stop you from growing your own fresh and delicious vegetables! If you are lucky enough to have a balcony or patio, some direct sunlight, and a way to provide the plants with water, growing your own assortment of vegetables is pretty simple, even if you don’t have a green thumb.
Almost any vegetable you can think of to grow in a backyard garden will also thrive in your balcony vegetable garden under the right conditions, including: tomatoes, peppers, beans, and eggplant, just to name a few! Below are some tips for getting started.
What to Grow
The first step is figuring out what kind of vegetables you want to grow! While there are a variety of vegetable options that can be grown in an apartment, there are limitations depending on your location and season. If you live near local farmers markets, consider this when deciding what you’re going to plant.
Timing is an important thing to keep in mind when deciding what to plant. If you like radishes, lettuce, spinach and peas, these are all considered cool-weather crops, so you will grow and harvest them earlier than you would grow or harvest tomatoes. Radishes and other root vegetables don’t require much sun, but do need deep enough containers to enough to allow the plants to create a good root.
If you want to grow lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, radishes, peas or beans, you can grow all of these from seed without having to start the seeds inside in advance. If you want to grow other vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, or eggplant, you may want to consider buying starter plants.
Find the Right Containers
Finding the right vessel for planting is key to getting the biggest harvest. If you have a patio, consider using the railing to hold some window boxes or other planters. Be on the lookout for window boxes that have built in water reservoirs because these keep your vegetables from drying out so quickly.
If you have the space, larger containers provide your plants with more room to grow, while allowing you to plant them far enough apart that the entire plant gets sufficient sun exposure and air circulation. Try to use recycled plastic containers, not clay pots, as they soak up water very quickly.
What to Plant With
When planting your new vegetables, make sure to use synthetic soils, which are best suited for container plants. Synthetic soils are made of wood chips, peat moss, sawdust, vermiculite, or perlite, and can be found at any home improvement store or garden center. You can fill the bottom of the container with coarse gravel before putting the soil in, which will also improve water drainage for your plants.
Once you’ve planted your vegetables, don’t forget to water regularly! Water your plants early in the morning so that the leaves and soil can dry out during the day. Water each container until you can see water leaking out of the bottom, or water building up in the reservoir. By watering this deeply, you won’t need to water as often.
Be careful not to over fertilize your vegetable plants, and use a water-soluble fertilizer so that it goes to your plants faster. While you may need to research for specific vegetables, a general guideline is an inch of water per week; in dry climates, it is double that. In hot weather, vegetables need even more water, up to about ½ inch extra per week for every 10 degrees that the average temperature is above 60 degrees.
After patiently waiting and taking care of your veggie babies, it will finally be time to harvest! Most vegetables are at their peak of tenderness and flavor when they are relatively small, but each one has unique characteristics. If you’ve planted root vegetables, loosen the soil gently and pull one up to see how big it is. For peas, pick a test pod and open it when the seeds have begun to swell inside, and look for peas that are round but still tender. Pick peas just before you are ready to shell and cook them. Peppers are mature and ready to eat when full-sized but still green.
Once you have successfully grown and harvested your vegetables, you can start cooking delicious and healthy meals for you and your family to enjoy!
Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden in Your Metuchen, NJ Apartment
Starting your own vegetable garden is easier than ever at Woodmont Metro! Our luxury apartment community offers modern and elegant one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans that boast an extensive list of features and amenities, including terraces and balconies! Contact us today to learn more about making Woodmont Metro your home.


Land is the part of the surface of the earth that is dry, without any water covering the surface, and this may also be called the lithosphere. Land quotes show that this word can also refer to a country, such as the land of Tibet. Since land is dry it can be used to cultivate plants and raise animals, and there are many types of this surface. You will find hills, valleys, mountains, highly fertile plains, and many other varieties. The earth is covered with land that is mixed with bodies of water, such as lakes, springs, oceans, and other water areas. If there was no dry land on earth then the human species and other terrestrial animals would have difficulty surviving because we are not suited to live in water.


St. John's Mission Garden
On a recent Monday morning, six volunteers from St. John’s Methodist Church showed up at the Mission Garden at 7 a.m. and picked over 750 pounds of vegetables, including 500 pounds of tomatoes.
That’s a lot of tomatoes.
The fruits of their labor in this, the garden’s 5th year, are due to the vision, organization and hard work of many people. In 2011, St. John’s resolved to use their considerable land resources to help the community, and they pledged to do it in a very visible and tangible way: by growing food to supply area food pantries and soup kitchens.
Since that time, the Mission Garden has blessed thousands of people with a total of 30 tons of vegetables over its first four years. This has required a lot of planting, weeding, and watering, as well as a logistical jigsaw puzzle of schedules for picking vegetables to coincide with the schedules and needs of multiple pantries. This has truly become a community effort, as St. John’s has reached out to other churches for help, including New Song and Mt. Joy in Edwardsville. In addition, the Boy Scouts, fraternities/sororities and others have welcomed an opportunity to help in this meaningful and effective ministry to fight hunger. Vegetable selection has been modified through some trial-and-error, and the garden has persevered through rainy and dry seasons, enduring cutworms and “blossom end rot,” as a witness to the optimism, resilience and compassion of the human heart in our troubled world.
But back to that 500 pounds of tomatoes…
That took just under two hours, with six volunteers. The garden is now producing that amount Every. Two. Days.
Volunteers currently harvest 1500 pounds of vegetables per week, and the garden is on track to EXCEED its record harvest of 2014. This is a strain on the few people who work regularly, and yet we know that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. St. John’s continues to reach out to other churches and community groups. There are MANY TASKS required in this effort. We need people who can pick, people who can drive produce to pantries, people who can weed, prune and thin plants(on their own schedule), and people who can help with communications, reaching out to pantries and other groups of workers.
If you have been thinking of helping in the Mission Garden, now is the time. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Call the church office at 618-656-1853, or email firstname.lastname@example.org to find out how you can be a part of this great blessing to the hungry in our area.


It would seem a semantic distinction were the same story not being repeated the world over. The planet’s capacity to provide the food stuffs that keep us alive are under strain. Warmer temperatures and changing rain patterns are altering farming conditions and impacting agricultural productivity. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported on how Colombia’s coffee harvest is faltering because of higher temperatures and above average rainfall. That’s not just a worry for the country’s producers (many of whom are small farmers with diminutive incomes). It’s a concern for coffee drinkers too. Less supply means higher prices. Global brands such as Maxwell and Folgers have upped their prices by 25% since the middle of last year.
Global agriculture is coming under threat just as demands on farmers are on the increase. Another jump-into-action fact: the world will have an extra two billion mouths to feed by 2050. And another: demand for agricultural products is expected to double over the same period. Without action, the prospect of food shortages looms large. Food price crises point to what could be around the corner. Over the last three years alone, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation calculates that around 40 million people have been pushed into hunger due to food inflation.
The business world is beginning to respond. At this year’s World Economic Forum, a heavyweight coalition of seventeen multinational food and beverage companies took the podium to call for a “New Vision” for the world’s farming and food communities. Their goal? Sure future access to affordable and nutritious food. Their ‘roadmap’? To be decided.
In the search for possible answers, Ethical Corporation’s latest issue includes a Special Briefing about how large food companies are responding to the pending agricultural crisis. Walmart, Pepsico, Unilever Coca Cola, Cargill and Nestlé are just a few of the enormous players in the food and beverage industry to have recently come out with big commitments around ‘sustainable agriculture’. Strategies range from improving farmer productivity through crop science to introducing environmentally friendly growing techniques (reducing soil loss, cutting back excessive nutrient use, minimising pesticides) and increasing the capacity of food processors (as in the case of General Mills' new 'Partners in Food Solutions' programme).
So far, no one solution has won out. That’s not surprising. Early experiments in sustainable agriculture demonstrate that the right answers depend on a host of factors (geography, soil type, crop variety etc). Nor are the solutions in the hands of private sector alone. World farming requires a complete ‘redesign’, according to the authoritative Foresight Project report ('Global Food and Farming Futures'). For that to happen, it will require no less than an overhaul in public policy, market and trade systems, and consumer behaviour. A fact to act on if there ever was one.


Have you tried Purple potatoes?
image source: flickr.com
I love potatoes! So when I saw purple potatoes I knew I need to try them!
They have eye-catching dark purple colour of skin and flesh. Depending on the specific variety, their coloring can be opaque or marble throughout the flesh. There are several different types of purple potatoes such as Purple Peruvian, All Blue, Congo, Lion’s Paw, Vitilette, Purple Viking and Purple Majesty (deepest purple colour).
image source: flickr.com
Where they came from?
Purple potatoes are cultivated in potato growing regions of Europe, South and North America . The diversity of Purple potato varieties, their resistance to disease and ability to withstand harsh conditions has allowed them to evolve for thousands of years into a 21st century food crop. The Purple potato is native to the Lake Titicaca within the high plains and mountain slopes of Peru and Bolivia. They are among thousands of varieties that have been cultivated for nearly 8000 years in the Andean regions of Peru, Boliva, and Ecuador.
Purple potatoes can be can be used like regular potatoes; roasted, braised, boiled, baked, fried for chips, and even confit’d. They can become a little mushy when overcooked. They pair well with savory herbs, garlic, pork, poultry, artichokes, both rich and mild cheese, other starchy vegetables such as corn and shelled beans and of course, salad greens. Purple potatoes are available year-round.
Purple potatoes have a delicate skin which contains many of the beneficial nutrients. This skin should be kept on when cooking to gain the maximum nutritional benefit.
What makes them so special?
The colour is the obvious reason, but the presence of colour is not only eye-appealing, but it also has health benefits!
The purple colour is the antioxidant, called anthocyanin. This flavonoid is most often found in blue, red and purple produce such as berries and pomegranates and has been shown to be an immune system booster and aid in the prevention of certain cancers.
All potatoes are naturally high in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. But the extra antioxidants in purple potatoes make them even more effective than other potato varieties. According to a study published in 2012 in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,” the antioxidant content of purple potatoes helps lower blood pressure levels.
They are also used as healthy food – colouring alternative to chemical ones.
I cooked purple potatoes and served it with grilled camembert cheese and salad.
photo credit: Mike Gardner
I would like to try soup, that could look crazy!
Have you tried purple potatoes? Do you like them?


Skipley Farm 2015
organic pick your own fruit-berries and apples, nursery, classes
We are conveniently located just North of Seattle, Washington, near the historic village of Snohomish.
To contact us please temporarily use firstname.lastname@example.org
Taste the sweet crispness of apples grown in the cool Cascadian foothills. Fruits are tree ripened for freshness and flavor! Our boutique orchard of over 1900 trees has a selection of 170 choice apple varieties that Gil Schieber has carefully selected from around the globe. These include a menagerie of colors and flavors, heritage and modern. We pick apples from Early August to the end of November. Other tree fruits include Pear, Serviceberry, Nashi, Sweet Cherry, Quince, Shipova, and Hawthorne
We also grow a diverse selection of berries, and nuts for all seasons, including Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Huckleberry, Marionberry, Loganberries, Tayberry, Blackberries, Table Grapes, Aronia/Chokeberry, Elderberry, Black Currant, Red Currant, Gooseberry, Jostaberry, Kiwi, Goumi, Autumn Olive, Cranberry, Hazelnut, and Chestnuts. And we are proud to offer many of the above through our nursery, classes, and exchanges.
Though we are not certified organic, we follow current organic best practices by integrating nectary plantings, building our own compost and compost teas and including animals into our agricultural systems to reduce pest pressure. We also use mulching-enhancing the soil flora and suppressing the weed pressure.
Soil and fertility management are key to not only healthy plants and environment, but for healthy vibrant people. We take fertilization very seriously and carefully choose mineral sources that have least impact and the most locally sourced whenever possible. We also recycle on-farm fertility by working with animals to recapture minerals, composting and worm-wrangling, using plants that “bio-accumulate” nutrients over time, and recapturing clean bio-resources from local communities – like vegetable scraps, sawdust, and leaves.
Seeds are humanities’ collective heritage bequeathed to us to steward for future generations. In the last 200 years, we have lost approximately 90% of all agricultural varieties that have ever existed. Providing a year-around diverse diet means sourcing, preserving, trialing, adapting and breeding plant varieties and species from around the world. Some of these are common fruits and vegetables, some are obscure or rare vegetables that are worthy of better recognition.
We have a broad selection of plants available in our nursery well-priced for both the farmer and the backyard grower or homeowner.
Skipley Farm was founded by Gil Schieber in 2008. A transplant 30 years ago from Pennsylvania where he trained in all aspects of horticulture and has since been involved in Seattle Tilth introducing many unique and special plants to the Pacific NW.
Come join us for monthly events where we have small seasonal gatherings, planting, tending, harvesting, tasting, laughing, and loving life. Crisp mountain air and good tilth brings out some of the best in Pacific NW country fruit and vegetables. If you seek good food offered fresh each week, then please consider our awesome year-long CSA or come out and visit us>>we’ll put you to work if it’s a Monday!
7228 Skipley Rd
Snohomish, Wa 98290


Ireny Roman, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics, has worked for three years on rural agricultural development projects with the Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), which is funded by USAID. She is a member of the ACDI/VOCA gender community task force.
After returning to Egypt, Roman started a new initiative at ACDI/VOCA to ensure the integration of female farmers in Egyptian communities. She also launched a program in her workplace to encourage recycling.
In addition, Roman is helping Amany Eid conduct a survey for her book on the role of women in the Egyptian revolution.


If cooking is an art, then herbs are the paint, turning a plain bowl of noodles or a boring old chicken into a study in color and flavor. While dried herbs are just fine and, in fact, necessary at times, there is nothing like a sprig of fresh rosemary or strips of fresh-cut basil to add flavor to a variety of dishes.
Unfortunately, fresh herbs can be expensive, and growing them indoors can be challenging. But if you're dedicated enough, you can have a year-round supply of fresh herbs for all your culinary masterpieces. Here's how to get started growing herbs indoors.
- Choose Your Herbs. The first thing you want to consider in choosing your herbs is what will you use the most. The easiest plants to start with are chives, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. If you aren't known for having a green thumb, start simple, and start small. Choose your two most-used herbs, and buy starter plants from a reputable greenhouse. If you're old hat at gardening, you may want to consider starting from seeds, which is less expensive, and you'll have plenty more seeds on hand when you want to grow more. The best benefit of starting with seeds is being able to acquire heirloom varieties or herbs that aren't normally carried at a greenhouse.
- Choose Your Grow Space. Plants require a wide variety of growing conditions. Fortunately, most herbs require similar amounts of sunlight and water. Plenty of sun is key, as is watering whenever the soil is dry. You will also want to make sure the area isn't often disturbed by pets and is out of reach of small, curious hands.
- Choose the Right Container. Start with simple terra cotta pots and saucers, which offers optimal drainage. If a plant has too much water at the roots for too long, it can cause root rot, a disease that's nearly impossible to recover from. Even with full drainage, you should still dump any excess water left in the saucer an hour after watering.
- Choose a Schedule. It's not easy to add another item to your to-do list, especially if it's a new habit, but watering your herbs is crucial for success. If you have small plants, check the soil every other day, and water when the soil is dry. As time goes along, you may find that your herbs only need watering on Sundays and Wednesdays, or you may find that your home is so dry they need water almost daily. Set a reminder in your phone so that you don't forget to check and end up losing your culinary investment.
- Read Up on Herb Tricks. Basil will sprout more leaves for a longer season if you prune the flowers, and rosemary hates being over-trimmed. Every plant has a temperament, and you'll do well to Google more info about your herbs of choice to make sure you have the best tips for optimal growth and longevity.
No matter what herbs you choose to grow, you'll enjoy more green in the house, more relaxation from tending to your plants, and definitely more money in your pocket.


STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE SURYADATTA RURAL SOCIO INITIATIVE, RICE CROP PLANTATION VANRAI PROJECT
As a part of Suryadatta Edu Socio Initiative, this time Suryadatta Group of Institutes students of Management, IT and Hotel Management executed a very unique program of Rice Crop plantation, in association with leading Organization; Vanraiâ
Vanrai is implementing various social initiatives especially for farmers and social development since last 25 years. And their contribution is very valuable. Vanrai is implementing various projects for supporting farmers and soling their problems.
Suryadatta Group of Institutes, leading institution always ahead in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility through Edu Socio connect, joined hands for offering support to the farmers based in Vinzar, Dist : Velhe, a place about 60 km away from Pune.
This initiative was planned with an objective to inculcate the social responsibility amongst students. This program was scheduled on Thursday, 9th August, 2012. Almost 400 Suryadatta students of Management, IT, Hotel Management visited the place on 9th August, 2012. During the journey, Organizers explained the objective of these imitative and other details. A group of about 5-7 students were allcated one farmer and the students were guided and explained details of their day to day activities. The students divided in about 30-40 farms also worked in consultation with farmers for Trans plantation of RICE throughout the day
The environment is very supportive in this area for RICE Crop; the major issue faced by the people there is the shortage of labor, due to which farmers were unable to cover the entire area available for plantation. Participation from students during their visit, helped the farmers complete about 80 % of their work. The farmers, villagers and the organizers appreciated the effort put in by the students and faculty and thanked them for their contribution.


Organic food research essay
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Belimo Releases New Dual Channel CO2 / Temperature Sensors
Belimo Americas is excited to release the new dual channel CO2/temperature sensors with an increased range to 5000 ppm. The dual channel technology measures two-wave lengths split from a single light source.
The sensor automatically takes a reading using the reference channel. Any change in the measurement indicates a change in the optics of the sensor. The sensors automatically adjusts the CO2 measurement when a change is detected to prevent drift. Manual calibration is not needed. High accuracy is maintained even in busy applications such as retail stores or hospitals. The CO2/temperature sensors features accurate, reliable readings available in degrees Fahrenheit (model 22DTC-5105) or Celsius (model 22DTC-1105). The new CO2/temperature dual channel sensors are ideally suited for applications requiring 24/7 hours of operation such as hospitals, retail stores, manufacturing, and indoor farming.
“Greenhouses, indoor farming, and hydroponic growers have expressed their need to monitor CO2 and temperature levels accurately. CO2 levels are essential for maximizing plant growth. Our high accuracy CO2/temperature sensors provide the opportunity for grow farmers to really boost their profit while increasing plant yields and reducing cropping time,” states Eddie Kelley, Belimo Sensors Product Specialist.
Belimo is the global market leader in the development, production, and marketing of field device solutions for controlling heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Actuators, control valves, and sensors make up the company’s core business. Known for its direct-coupled actuator and innovations in pressure independent control valve technology, Belimo has solutions to maintain an efficient building environment. For 40 years, Belimo has provided innovations in comfort, energy efficiency, and safety solutions to customers through the world, all of which are backed by Belimo’s unsurpassed five-year warranty. For more information, contact Belimo at 1-800-543-9038 or visit the website at www.belimo.us.
For additional information, contact Lisa Hickey at 203.749.3341 or email at Lisa.Hickey@us.belimo.com.


My first ficus salicaria I bought back from Jason Schley in 2012 has had a nice white buildup on the trunk for a while now. I need to sort out the base. I haven’t decided between ground layering or girdling the trunk yet. I do know that I don’t like the way it looks like it has two fat legs spread out.
Anyway. Today while contemplating future work I decided to clean off the trunk. I love the red trunk on these plants.
Here is a shot of the whole tree:
It’s very scraggly right now and needs wired again. It’s getting progressively better each year. I’m thinking of letting the branch on the left grow longer and thicker and maybe eventually eliminating the right branch. They both need cut back for taper, especially the left one. And I have my nebari fixing to do. I just have to keep at it.
I took these from my itoigawa Shimpaku I got from Evergreen Gardenworks last year. It’s sitting in a pond basket growing out. It has a secondary trunk that needed to slowly be reduced while letting the main trunk line grow. It seemed like a good opportunity for cuttings. These are mostly shorter cuttings. I took another batch of slightly longer ones. All the cuttings were from strongly growing branch ends. I dipped them all in rooting hormone then watered them in. Assuming they take, they should make for a good supply of future material.
A couple years ago I bought a couple s shaped ficus from Walmart. I tinkered around and did some experimenting on them. One has been pruned and wired for some initial branching. This is the other one that was allowed to grow last year.
There were two sacrifice branches left coming from the base along with all the other growth. I’m hoping that these low sacrifices will create a very fat base. I also would like some aerial roots to form around the lower trunk and branches to start a banyan style progression.
There are several ways I have been advised to grow aerial roots.
- Let the plant become pot bound.
- Keep the plant in a humid environment, such as above a humidity tray.
- Share the area where roots are desired either with wet sphagnum moss or some kind of cling wrap.
I have let it grow without pruning or repotting in an effort to get it pot bound.
I sat the plant pot and all in this three gallon nursery pot. I can slip it out easily if needed. The top growth will stick out collecting light while also shading that bottom growth near the base. Hopefully encouraging aerial roots. When fall rolls around I can pull it out of this big can and slip it back on the shelf to overwinter. I’ll post an update further along with the results.
Last year I bought a couple privet “Golden Vicary” on the cheap. They put out a little growth but nothing like I heard privet were apt to do. So about a week or two after they started putting new out new buds this year I repotted them into slightly larger containers.
Container size comparison:
Good mass of roots. Wouldn’t say it was exactly root bound but it seems like a good idea to up the container size:
Combed out the roots a little so they’d grow into the new soil surrounding the outside of the rootball:
For those wondering the freshly worked in soil was 3 parts pine bark, 2 parts perlite, and 1 part Turface. I put some Miracle Grow shake and feed on the surface. It has trace elements in it. I also put a nice dusting of Plant Tone into the upper layer of soil. Beside the NPK values, It has mycorrhizae in it which will hopefully help create a good chemistry.
The end goal here is lots of growth. Hopefully in a couple years these privets will have bulked up to the point I can chop them down and start making shohin.
There are four small Japanese black pine seedlings that I got last summer from my friend Jason. They didn’t push out any candles. I think the soil particle size was too small and they stayed too wet. I took the time to repot them today in a mix of half chunky perlite half akadama.
Think I put enough fertilizer on them? It’s Alaska brand pelletized fish emulsion. I also sprinkled a few spoonfuls of Holly Tone on them too to help add some mycorrhizal fungi to the soil.
Next up a set of three Japanese red pines.