Yes, it is possible to grow an indoor avocado tree. Avocado trees are highly tropical trees but they can actually do quite well indoors in the right environment. An indoor avocado tree should be planted in a large and deep pot with a well-draining potting mix.
Be sure to also provide plenty of bright light; avocados prefer 8-12 hours of bright, indirect light each day. Additionally, make sure that the soil remains evenly moist and fertilize once per month.
Finally, it would be beneficial to provide humidity to your tree by occasionally misting with a spray bottle or grouping containers of water near the plant. With these steps and some patience, you’ll be able to grow an indoor avocado tree!.
Can avocado trees stay in pots?
Yes, avocado trees can stay in pots for a short period of time, but it is not recommended for long-term use. Avocado trees need plenty of space to grow and develop strong root systems. When planted in a pot, the tree will be limited in the spread of its roots.
The tree is also exposed to more moisture, making it more susceptible to root rot.
It is possible to grow an avocado tree in a pot, although it is important to understand the limitations and challenges that you will face. If you want to grow an avocado tree in a pot, you should use a large pot, and make sure it is deep enough for the roots to develop, as well as well-draining soil.
It is also important to regularly water and fertilize the tree so the soil remains moist but not waterlogged. Furthermore, you should regularly repot the tree into a larger container as the tree grows to give it greater room for its root system.
Ultimately, it is best to transfer your avocado tree to an in-ground location for optimal development and growth.
How big does a potted avocado tree get?
Avocado trees typically grow between 6 to 40 feet tall when planted outdoors in the ground, but when grown in a pot they are typically much smaller, usually between 10 and 20 feet high. The size of your tree also depends greatly on how often you prune it and how much care and attention you give it while it is in the pot.
To get the most out of your potted avocado tree, you should place it in an area with plenty of sunlight throughout the day and make sure to water it regularly. Additionally, the pot that you choose should be at least twice the size of the tree’s root ball and should be replaced every couple of years to ensure that the tree has enough soil to grow in.
With regular pruning and careful maintenance, your potted avocado tree should reach a healthy height of up to 20 feet and will produce a generous amount of delicious avocados for many years to come.
When should you repot an avocado tree?
The best time to repot an avocado tree is during the spring or early summer season. During this time, the weather is warmer and the plant is in its active growth stage. Repotting the avocado tree at this time will give the tree a chance to become established in its new environment and promote better overall growth.
Before repotting, make sure that the new container is a few inches larger than the one that you are replacing. Fill it with fresh potting soil and check for drainage holes at the bottom.
When repotting, carefully handle the avocado tree and be sure to keep as much of the existing soil and roots intact. Gently remove the tree from the previous pot and transfer it to the new pot. Fill in the gaps between the roots and the soil, and lightly press the soil down around the roots.
Then water the plant thoroughly to help the soil settle, and monitor the soil moisture levels throughout the summer.
When you first repot the avocado tree, make sure to place it in a spot with bright but indirect sunlight to give it the best chance of thriving. You may also need to prune the leaves and stems to prevent the tree from becoming too leggy with the increase in space.
As long as you take the necessary care, your repotted avocado tree should soon be flourishing!.
Do avocados like sun or shade?
Avocados prefer full sun, although they will tolerate some shade. Most varieties require at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each day, although they can thrive with as little as 6 hours. If there is not enough sun, the leaves will turn pale or yellow, and the tree will produce fewer avocados.
If the avocado tree is in a shaded area, the sun should be allowed to reach the lower limbs of the tree for the best results. In addition to full sun, avocados need well-drained soil and regular watering.
In hot climates, avocados do best when planted on the north or east side of your home, so that it gets some afternoon shade. However, if placed in too much shade, the fruits will take longer to mature, and the tree may become weaker and more susceptible to disease and pests.
How long does it take for an avocado tree to bear fruit?
The amount of time it takes for an avocado tree to bear fruit largely depends on the variety of avocado tree. Some varieties, like Hass, can begin producing fruit within the first year of planting, while others may take 6-10 years before they start producing fruit.
In general, it can take anywhere from 2-15 years for an avocado tree to start bearing fruit. Moreover, the process of flowering and producing fruit also depends on environmental factors such as temperature, sunlight, and water.
Therefore, it is important to make sure the tree is being properly cared for if you want it to bear fruit faster.
Do you need 2 avocado trees to produce fruit?
No, you do not need two avocado trees to produce fruit. Avocado trees are self-pollinating, meaning they can pollinate their own flowers. However, trees that have a partner nearby, either of the same species or a compatible variety, will produce more flowers and hence more fruit.
Pollination between trees of the same species ensures that the trees will produce higher-quality fruit, and trees of a different variety can help with disease resistance. Additionally, plants that are grown closer together can benefit from easier pollination, as the bees and other pollinators will have an easier time getting from one tree to another.
How do I know if my avocado tree is male or female?
To determine whether your avocado tree is male or female, you will need to closely observe the growth and development of the tree over time. If you notice flower buds forming near the base of the trunk and near the ends of the branches in a season, this is indicative of a female tree.
Male trees typically lack flower buds. If you see flowers on the tree, they will only be present on a female tree. Additionally, mature female avocado trees can produce fruit, while male trees will not.
However, the only way to definitively tell the gender of your avocado tree is to have a specialist examine the flowers closely for diagnostic features.
Does an avocado tree need full sun?
Yes, an avocado tree does require full sun to thrive and bear fruits. The tree should not be shaded by other trees or buildings or the growth and production of fruit will be dramatically reduced. To ensure a vibrant and productive avocado tree, choose a location in full sun and make sure it receives at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day.
It’s also essential that avocado trees are not planted in low-lying areas where frost can occur in winter, as it can damage or even kill the tree. Additionally, avocado trees should be planted in climates with hot sunny summers and mild, moist winters for optimal growth.
Finally, avocado trees can be temperamental and require regular care and attention, such as pruning, feeding, and irrigating. Taking the time to give avocado trees the sunlight and care that they need will help ensure a bountiful harvest of delicious and nutritious avocados.
Are avocado plants toxic to dogs?
No, avocado plants are not toxic to dogs. While the avocado fruit can potentially be dangerous to dogs, the plant itself is not toxic. While dogs generally don’t consume plants, if ingested in small amounts it will generally pass without issue.
Avocado leaves, bark and seeds can contain persin, a fatty acid-like compound that can cause stomach upset in large amounts. Since the leaves and bark are generally left uneaten by dogs, the risk of this happening is quite low.
Additionally, the toxic parts of the avocado plant are found in the fruit, so the leaves, bark, and other parts of the plant do not pose a threat. Generally speaking, avocado plants are not toxic to dogs, but owners should always monitor their pet’s behavior and contact a veterinarian at the first sign of illness.
How tall is an avocado tree after 1 year?
An avocado tree typically grows to heights between 5 and 10 feet after 1 year. However, this can vary with the size and type of avocado tree, and growing conditions. Some larger varieties, such as the West Indian avocados, can reach a height of 20 feet, while smaller varieties, like the Gwen and Hass avocados, can stay as low as 6 feet.
To ensure that your avocado tree reaches its full potential, it needs to be given the right amount of space, water and nutrients, which allows it to develop to its full height and reach its productive age of 3 to 5 years.
Not only will this help the tree grow stronger and taller, but it will also help it to produce more avocados every year.
How long do avocado trees live for?
Avocado trees can live for hundreds of years in the wild. The average life span is 80 to 100 years in ideal growing conditions. The oldest known avocado tree was found in South Florida and was estimated to be around 200 years old.
In an agricultural or home garden setting, an avocado tree will typically live 25 to 35 years due to the specific growing conditions that are required. Factors such as temperature, soil quality, water and exposure to pests and disease can all contribute to the life of an avocado tree.
Proper pruning and fertilization can help increase its life span.
Does it take 9 months to grow an avocado?
No, it does not take nine months to grow an avocado. Avocados are typically ready to harvest after 5 to 7 months, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Some varieties, such as Hass, need around 6-7 months while larger varieties may take 8-9 months.
After harvesting, the fruit typically take up to two weeks to ripen. Avocado trees require full sun and well-drained soil, with regular waterings and a balanced fertilizer to reach their full potential during the fruiting cycle.


Home - Welcome
House of plants nursery was established by Tsalouchos Stavros in 1988. Here you can find indoor and outdoor ornamental pot plants in several sizes. Our plants are cultivated in nurseries and shade houses in a total area of 27.000 square meters which all are equipped with the latest tecnology in order to have the best quality plants for the Greek and European market.
Our continuous goal is to improve and extend our facilities and our products in order to reach the perfection.


This year I'm very hopeful we'll be harvesting fruit from our garden. Most years the late frosts have all but wiped out our apricots, peaches, cherries, grapes and apples. But this year, being so mild, our fruit is growing bigger every day and even if there's a light frost I think they'll be okay.
These apricots are my babies. I kind of have a soft spot for them. Only two other years have we harvested these beauties and only a few at best. This years there are so many that I'm pretty stoked about it.
The grapes are pretty hardy. We've gotten grapes every year. I love how just a few weeks ago the leaves just started emerging and now we have small bundles of grapes on the vine. The only problem with the grapes is that the birds love them too. When they are about ripe, the kids go up and get them before the birds. But, I'm happy to share a little too.
Do you see these adorable little peaches? Our peach tree is only 3 or 4 years old and we haven't gotten anything from it so far. Cross my fingers and hope that we can get some peaches this year.
What kind of fruit trees do you have and how are they doing this year?


All went well until early July. That’s when the two landowners
discovered that there was a problem with the local office of the Farm
Service Administration, the Agriculture Department branch that runs the
commodity farm program, and it was going to be expensive to fix.
commodity farm program effectively forbids farmers who usually grow
corn or the other four federally subsidized commodity crops (soybeans,
rice, wheat and cotton) from trying fruit and vegetables. Because my
watermelons and tomatoes had been planted on “corn base” acres, the
Farm Service said, my landlords were out of compliance with the
I’ve discovered that typically, a farmer who
grows the forbidden fruits and vegetables on corn acreage not only has
to give up his subsidy for the year on that acreage, he is also
penalized the market value of the illicit crop, and runs the risk that
those acres will be permanently ineligible for any subsidies in the
future. (The penalties apply only to fruits and vegetables — if the
farmer decides to grow another commodity crop, or even nothing at all,
there’s no problem.)
Honestly? I feel like slapping the face of the very next person I ever hear singing that song. Other than that, at least I’ve got the Technorati Tag spot on, below.
Fools. But don’t worry…I hear there’s an election coming up any time now.
Later: Oh, Jeesus, there’s even more. Ha; I can’t help but laugh at you ethanol fools and those of you who fall for it. Fools.
(via Regina Wilshire)


The Carbon Label is a brand developed by the Ecologica Institute which aims to certify the sustainable production process of products derived from local communities. The initiative contributes to the implementation of socio-economic alternatives and income generation for communities in order to value the native biome and spread the importance of conserving natural resources for future generations, ensuring a new model of development, non- predatory and sustainable.
The Carbon Label discloses the Social Carbon context, adding economic and environmental values of products from communities. To obtain the label, the community must adapt their products in ways that are sustainable and have a proper standardization and preserve the environment, contributing to the climate and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2008, the Ecologica Institute has partnered with the company Ateliê Brasil from São Paulo with the goal of seeking alternative markets for products derived from the communities in Tocantins. Through the partnership, these products began to acquire the form of corporate gifts and began to be known and disseminated throughout Brazil and abroad. In September 2008, the Ateliê Brasil, coordinated by artist Eli Tosta, held the launch of the Social Carbon line in MUBE Museum, in São Paulo.
Some of the products covered by the Ecologica Institute through the Social Carbon Methodology: handicraft of Cerrado seeds in Taquaruçu community in Palmas; the Candy House, with jams, jellies and liqueurs production from native fruit of the Cerrado, in Provi settlement in Pium; the Honey House, with honey production in the Barranco do Mundo settlement in Pium.
Files for Download
- Income generation for the community.
- Cerrado appreciation.
- Natural resources conservation.
- Implementation of social and economic alternatives.
- Sustainable development.
- Aggregation of economic and environmental value to products.
- Crafts made from Cerrado seeds.
- Candy House.
- Honey House.


On Sunday, our highland cows arrived. We have been waiting ages as one of them turned out to be pregnant, so we postponed their arrival until the calf was born. It was a great experience, offloading them and moving them into a nearby field. We have to thank Jim and Fiona for bringing them over (we don’t have a big enough trailer).
Having learned from our pigs experience, we allowed them some time to settle. At first, they spent much time by the gate where they had come in. But the grass was lush and they were soon tucking in.
We had been receiving training in handling cows and have spent time with Texa and Bluebell before their move. We had combed them and tried to get to know them. We think they recognise us, but they are, for the moment, keeping their distance.
The calf, Ivor, is a right little cutie pie. He is torn by curiosity and wariness. He studies us, approaches, then changes his mind. Every now and then, he tears round the field.
After a couple of days, we opened the access into a larger field. This one has a steep bank with overgrown grass but also the new grass from where the hay was cut. We lead the three cows up to the new grass. All three skipped for joy, it was lovely to watch. Ivor, of course, tore round as there was lots of space for him.
They also came face to face with our tups which are in the field next door. Both cows and tups were very curious about each other.
They seem to be settling in well, despite the constant rain we seem to be having. We are working on getting them to trust is so that we can approach them. They need combed from time to time, well, maybe not “need”, but it helps.
It is great having highland cows. They are majestical, magical beasts. It is a magical experience just sitting with them.


Whenever I hear the word strawberry, Baguio always come to mind. Because of it’s cool weather that can drop to as low as 8 degrees Celsius, it’s the best place to cultivate strawberries which only grows on cold regions. If you drop by at Baguio City, you’ll find strawberries at almost every corner. From brand logos to fresh fruits to even their popular strawberry version of the taho, there’s something that’s quite surprising about this tiny little fruit.
Tip: If you want to drop by at La Trinidad Strawberry Farm, it would be best to put it last on your itinerary. In this way, the strawberries you’ll buy will remain fresh. Also, the farmers suggests to buy those that are not yet ripe (they’re a bit green) so that once you arrive back at your place, it will be ripe by then.


The Future of Agricultural Technology (AgriTech): An Overview
From 1961-2018, cereal output increased by 330% and meat production by 480%, while agricultural land only increased by 7%. This can be attributed to many factors but chief among them would likely be the 600% increase in fertiliser use, as well as increased pesticide use.
There is growing evidence that prevailing agricultural practices are endangering the future of agriculture. Growing populations, climate change, and water scarcity are making it more difficult to grow enough food for all, especially in extreme environments. With these challenges in mind, the future of agriculture must utilise new technology such as AI, robots, and other modern sensors and systems to ensure sustainable practices in the long term.
With the UN Secretary-General claiming that we are “tremendously off-track” to meet Sustainable Development Goals (including those encompassing agrifood), how are new technologies aiming to address sustainable agriculture in the future?
In the following article, we aim to answer some of these questions, while providing examples of AgriTech companies involved and their technologies that are shaping the future of agriculture.
The future of agriculture depends on incorporating emerging tech
Climate change continues to be linked directly with increasing CO2 emissions, 34% of which come from agrifood systems globally. Global warming has a profound impact on agriculture, affecting crop yields, water availability, and pest patterns. It is evident therefore that farmers and cultivators will have an increasing reliance on technology in the decades to come – which opens the door for a new agriculture – agriculture 4.0. Climate monitoring involves the use of advanced sensors, satellites, and data analytics to gather real-time information about weather patterns, temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors.
7 Innovative companies that are at the forefront of the agritech future
Ignitia’s Climate Intelligence solution sends meteorological information directly to farmers so they can make important decisions about soil preparation, sowing, weeding, etc. This data can also help farmers make informed decisions regarding irrigation, and pest control, as well as informing predictive models to better anticipate weather changes.
Bountiful pairs weather analysis with satellite imagery to produce yield forecasts with the help of machine learning. This enables farmers to adapt their practices and mitigate potential risks, ultimately improving crop yields and sustainability.
Traditional pesticide use has raised concerns about its environmental impact, including effects on non-target species and the development of pesticide-resistant pests. Furthermore, a paper published in 2022 estimated that there were around 385 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisonings per year. To address these challenges and ensure sustainable agriculture practices in the future, companies are focusing on developing alternatives to chemical pesticides, using techniques such as biological control (using natural predators), pheromone-based traps, and precision spraying.
Pherosyn is one such company, that develops high-quality pheromones for particular insect species affecting crops including peas, pears, and cereals. Pheromones are secreted by an organism and sensed by another of the same species, triggering a social reaction or behavioural change. This can be used to raise an alarm, or encourage reproduction or feeding at a specific time or location. When Pherosyn’s pheromones are released, the pests are attracted and can be trapped, allowing farmers to assess the extent of infestation, and localise the use of pest control.
For the precision administration of insecticides and fungicides, Hydroemission have engineered a precision delivery and controlled release technology. By encapsulating both pesticides and fertilisers into a biodegradable matrix, the active ingredients can be released directly into the xylem or phloem (the plant’s internal transport systems) for efficient and effective transport to the leaves and other parts of the plant, attacked by pests. This increases the local concentration of pesticides and fertilisers, while reducing the risk of the pesticides being diluted by rain. Strategic Allies Ltd has produced Technology Spotlights for both Pherosyn and Hydroemission.
Agricultural waste streams, such as crop residues, straw, and husks, are often considered a problem due to their disposal challenges and potential environmental impact. However, novel technology allows farmers to embrace the concept of upcycling, i.e. converting agricultural waste into valuable resources. This waste can be used to produce biofuels, bioplastics, and even high-nutrient animal feed. According to Straw Innovations, 750 million tonnes of rice straw is produced each year, with nearly half of it burned for disposal. Worse still, much of the rest is left to rot in the fields where they grew, releasing climate-damaging methane. Straw Innovations have therefore designed modifications to combine harvesters to collect both the rice and the straw during the harvest. From there, the straw can be upcycled to feed livestock, mushroom production and create bioenergy. To this last point, it is sometimes assumed that anaerobic (without oxygen) digestion of agricultural waste can only be carried out at large, purpose-built facilities.
EcoNomad Solutions have challenged this presumption by creating a modular and scalable waste-to-energy solution, that can be applied to small farms, micro-dairies, and animal sanctuaries. Organic matter is broken down by microorganisms in the system to release methane, which can be used for cooking, water heating, and energy generation.
Strategic Allies Ltd has further information about both of these companies in the Technology Spotlights section of our website. By upcycling these materials, companies not only reduce waste but also create additional revenue streams, contributing to a circular economy and a sustainable agriculture future.
Finally, plant seed innovations are imperative now more than ever as they offer solutions to critical challenges facing agriculture today, including increasing occurrences of extreme weather, nutrient-poor agricultural land, and explosions in invasive pest populations.
Indigo Agriculture understand that today’s crops have a far smaller microbiome protecting them than their wild crop ancestors. They therefore set out to sample wild crops globally and, using bioinformatic tools, have developed seed treatments consisting of bacteria and fungi that can improve the germination of seeds. These microbes help shield the seeds from tough conditions and improve the yield of crops, while decreasing inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides.
Agricultural technologies, or AgriTech, are going to be a big part of the future of agriculture. We covered only a small selection of areas of agriculture that will continue to see agritech innovation in the future, with others including aquaculture, emissions assessments, use of freshwater, precision agriculture, and genetic engineering. Large companies are already investing heavily in this space such as Syngenta who pledged $2 billion of budget in 2019, over the five following years to support innovations in agricultural sustainability. Elsewhere, Cargill are working in partnership with ZELP to trial wearables for livestock that capture the methane, released from cattle, before it can enter the atmosphere.
Strategic Allies Ltd have previously worked with such companies, such as an ingredient’s manufacturer operating a number of large-scale organic farms, in order to help them innovate. We helped them find technologies including robotic solutions, thermal methods, spot spraying systems, and new herbicide formulations that comply with organic standards, allelopathy and regenerative practices, in order to manage weeds (see case study here).
In the future, AgriTech will be used to improve the sustainability of our farming practices, but also to increase the rate of unsustainable farming, harming the planet further. It is up to industry leaders to strive towards the former of the two possibilities, and Strategic Allies Ltd is here to help you find sustainable innovation partners. Whether you are searching for ways to reduce agricultural waste, reduce reliance on fertilisers and pesticides, better understand how climate change may affect the future of your crops, or any other aspect of AgriTech, Strategic Allies Ltd will work with you to find optimal solutions.


Country Pumpkins is small scale local farm open to the public for u-pick pumpkins, decorative gourds and other fall decorative plant products. Come visit our family owned farm, where you can choose from over 20 different varieties of pumpkins and gourds still on the vine or picked and displayed at our country store. The store is also your place to find locally grown nuts, honey, pumpkin butter and syrups, as well as healthy snacks.
Country Pumpkins also grows a 10 acre corn maze, which during the daytime is run as a fundraiser for the Glenn County 4-H program; all of your $3.00 admission to the maze goes directly to the 4-H clubs, who are also there to assist you in finding your way through the maze if the need arises.
Country Pumpkins is also home to the north state's origional Haunted Corn Maze; Fridays and Saturday nights in October the maze comes alive with all kinds of spooky scenes and characters intent on scaring and entertaining those brave enough to find their way through the corn field in the dark of night with a flashlight. Not generally recommended for kids under ten years old, but you be the one to decide what your kids can stand.


Second year Master of Science in Biodiversity Informatics student at the Malawi University of Science and Technology.
Research Topic: Loss of Agrobiodiversity of Underutilised Root and Tuber Crops in Malawi: A study on Livingstone Potato (Plectranthus esculentus)
The Livingstone potato is one of the earliest African crops to be domesticated, and has now become a rarity after a long history of cultivation throughout the African continent and it is regarded as a lost crop and as such, has been classified among the neglected and underutilised crop species (NUCS) (Kujeke et al., 2019). Countries known to grow this crop include Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Nigeria and South Africa. Some of the districts in Malawi where the Livingstone potato is grown as a garden crop are Dedza, Ntcheu and Neno. The loss of the Livingstone potato coupled with the insufficient knowledge of the crop poses a significant problem to researchers and agronomists attempting to revive the crop.
In my research, I am conducting a descriptive-exploratory study that aims to establish agronomical patterns of the Livingstone potato among Malawian farmers as well as establish why it is underproduced.
Sample Districts: Ntcheu and Dedza


Mercy Junction is gardening in the desert — a food desert.
According to the USDA: “Food deserts are defined as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options. The lack of access contributes to a poor diet and can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.”
We started planting in early March in raised beds behind Renaissance Presbyterian Church, 1211 Boynton Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37402.
Mercy Junction’s Morgan Koch hauling top soil for the garden
So far we have planted several different types of greens, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, herbs, and raspberry and blackberry bushes. We have also started seeds for a variety of vegetables. We’ll be planting strawberries, potatoes, beans and more in the upcoming weeks. We’ve also set up rain barrels to collect water for the garden.
Food from the garden will be given to those who live in Chattanooga’s food deserts. Any surplus produce will be shared with other programs that provide free food to people in our community.
We need volunteers!
We’re working in the garden every Monday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, as spring rolls into summer, we’ll need volunteers daily to tend to watering and weeding.
If you’d like to help us with the gardening, please join us any Monday evening. For more information, email firstname.lastname@example.org or call 423-457-2519.
Mercy Junction’s Austin Young and William Nix planting berry bushes.


Our “Why” for Starting a Hobby Farm in Southern Illinois
When we moved our family back home to Southern Illinois finding a property with room to grow was key. My husband and I both grew up on family farms and we shared a strong desire to teach our children responsibility and instill a strong work ethic.
Our Farm Life "Why"
In 2019, we started looking at options to cut down on grass and weed control and we decided to start a hobby farm. We felt like life among animals would be such a wonderful way for our young girls to grow up. Not only would interacting with the animals teach them communication and patience, we thought it would provide a positive model for future human relationships as well. For us, we really took our time researching the types of animals we wanted to bring to our farm and it has just evolved naturally over time. We knew it would be important to start small so we could dedicate the attention and care required.
Before we were able to bring any animals home initially, we knew we would have to prepare our property for farm life. Fortunately, when we purchased our home, it came with an outside storage barn. During our first year, we gave our barn a makeover and a few summers ago my husband added onto it and enclosed a new area to offer protection for our animals against the elements. Our most recent makeover involved making over the barn exterior as well as the interior tack room. All of our home improvement projects have been completed DIY style by us (mainly my husband).
We quickly fell in love with the Olde English "Babydoll" Southdown sheep.
They met our need for grass and weed control and we loved how their small size would be much easier to handle than many other farm animals. In 2019, we purchased two wethers from Missouri and last fall we added twin lambs from Indiana. It has been such a joy to see our girls interact with our sheep.
The sheep have such a sweet temperament and will come right up and eat out of their hands. When our girls are old enough, I hope they will show sheep in 4-H like my grandmother once did.
Since we already had a shelter for the sheep, we did a little more research and settled on adding jumbo Pekin ducks, Buff ducks and chickens to the farm.
With access to our large pond, all of our poultry free-range and we love having farm fresh eggs! Ducks are a great addition to any homestead. There are many benefits, but for us, one big one is that ducks have an insatiable appetite for bugs and grubs making them a great organic choice for pest control.
They nose their bills through the top inch of soil in hopes of finding anything that moves – including parasites which could be deadly to our sheep, alpacas, and llama. We fully believe we also have fewer ticks and mosquitoes than a normal farm due to raising ducks and chickens.
Our animals give us great fertilizer that we use for gardening. We love how all the animals work together to help us strive toward sustainable living. We’ve been able to say goodbye to toxic, costly pest control solutions as well as store-bought fertilizer.
With smaller farm animals, safety has always been upmost importance. My husband and I built the fencing ourselves and while we felt it was secure, we knew we should also consider adding a large guard dog or llama to the farm. Did you know that llamas can instinctively bond with other animals and provide a high level of protection from predators like a coyote? After talking to other sheep owners, we decided a llama would be the best option for us. We loved that they would eat the same things as our sheep and alpacas and we were lucky enough to find a llama that had previously been with Southdowns.
Family Hobby Farm
I hope this gives you a glimpse into our "why" for starting a hobby farm and how we've prepared for them along the way.
In our area it is not common to raise Babydoll sheep, ducks, chickens or own a llama and alpacas, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We are continually learning and looking for ways to become more self-sufficient. This was our first year to harvest the wool fiber and we look forward to using it to make Christmas ornaments as well as other items. It seems like our favorite days are ones spent outside watching the animals interact or our girls helping care for them. We are always learning something new and I love that we get to do it together as a family.


Because most orphan households have no financial resources to purchase livestock or seed, this program makes resources available to them in order to support their efforts at building their capacity to sustain themselves. Thus, the project will leave orphan families better positioned to actively participate in livelihood activities and for children’s nutritional levels to improve. The strength of this project lies in that it is rooted in communities in which it is implemented. Since the needs were identified at the lowest community level and solutions also originated from the beneficiary communities, the sense of ownership that is gained through this process motivates beneficiaries to succeed and sustain benefits.
The small stock distribution activities aim to reinstate productive assets, especially in communities with limited opportunities for crop production. The initiative sets out to enable orphan households to rear indigenous animals that will provide milk, eggs and meat to households to improve their nutrition security. This approach addresses medium-term food security and nutritional needs by making milk and eggs available to orphan families. It also looks to longer term food security challenges by availing households with small livestock that can be used for household consumption or generating income, which is important in increasing the overall resilience of vulnerable livelihoods. Manure is also used for personal gardens.
Veterinary Training and Kits
One of the important objectives of this initiative is to improve access to services to vulnerable people. Therefore, another activity is to improve access to basic livestock medicines by availing veterinary kits to a trained community. In all areas where animals are distributed, a detailed training on care of small livestock is carried out for five to ten para-veterinary assistants for a period of five days. These are in charge of the veterinary kits provided through this program.
Contracts with orphaned families are strict and they are not allowed to slaughter, barter or sell animals before a pre-set time period. Taking into consideration that this can become a burden on hungry families, they receive drought resistant seeds and training in conservation farming so that small, personal gardens are built and maintained. The vegetables provided by these gardens, complemented with eggs and milk from animals, allows the children to eat healthfully and to stay healthy. Excess vegetables can be used for sale or to nourish the animals in their care. Manure from the animals is used in compost for the gardens, as are egg shells.
Seeds provided to the families are both for traditional local vegetables, as well as new vegetables which are proven to do well in areas with little rain fall. This allows the families to eat what they know while introducing them to new, nutritious food, as well.
There are some families who are barely surviving, due to the lack of food available. With prices skyrocketing, children are not able to feed themselves and have been found scrounging for bits of grass that might grow on the parched land. For these families, waiting for a garden to grow or a herd (flock, etc.) to mature is just impossible. For them, there is a short-term program where they receive emergency relief in the form of porridge. This is purchased in-country as much as possible and is distributed in 50lb bags. Guardians have reported that children are able to return to school shortly after starting to consume the porridge, as it is fortified and filling.
Gardens have a chance to grow when the kids and guardians are strong enough to plant and harvest. When the first harvest takes place, the porridge distribution starts tapering off until the children and guardians are only consuming vegetables and eggs or vegetables and milk, depending on which animals they are raising. In most cases, these families are able to trade some vegetables for corn meal, a traditional food, complementing their meals.


尺寸：700cm(L)x 550cm(W)x 150cm(H)
Artist: Lee, Kuei-Chih
Material: Bamboo, rice shell
Size: 700cm(L)x 550cm(W)x 150cm(H)
Location: Yunlin County Cultural Center, Yunlin County, Taiwan
“12% SKIES- Yun-Chia-Chia-Ying Visual Art Link”
I was born in Yunlin County known as the "Capital of Agriculture". Because my grandparents grew rice, I have deep emotions for land and water, and gradually developed my creative ideas in the organic world, using the most powerful metaphors in Chinese philosophy -"water" as the catalyst when I created. To present the energy in nature through works, and then explore the relationship between the nature of creation and the relationship between people, nature, and the environment.
The theme of this exhibition is "12%of the sky". Yunjianan Plain occupies 12%of the total area of Taiwan. The rice farmers often watch the sky through the reflection of water, and feel that the sky is closely linked to the land. And rice is a Chinese staple food. It has a long history and rice food customs that change with the season. It is also the crystallization of culture and economy.
Therefore, I use the two elements of "rice" and "ripples" to interpret the importance of water breeding the earth. I used bamboo to weave the huge rice grains sculpture, and the ripple-shaped shape is arranged in the space with rice shells. The ripple of the rice shell is a symbol of the cycle, which reminds me of the scene of the Rice drying in the sun in the past. It is also like the cultural ripples of rice on this land. It is not only production that continues to expand with the water, but also the humble attitude in life with the seasons—care of the land, and ecological wisdom with nature.


CONTOUR PLANTER / Block Planter / Natural
The Contour Planter Collection has been designed to be an all inclusive range of vessels for your house plants. Each planter is made up of two seperate parts; the vessel and water tray. Both can easily be seperated for removal of excess water. Proper drainage and water catchment aids in healthy plant growth and easy maintenance.
Material - Porcelain
Block Planter - 5.25” H x 4.75” Dia
Handmade by ANDREW MOLLEUR, Kingston, NY


Irrigation is a big deal in many countries: in just the last 50 years, the world population has doubled and irrigation water is increasingly becoming a critical constraint in many parts of the world. Study after study has shown that improved irrigation systems like drip irrigation can set in motion a new dynamic of development that has the potential to change the face of these regions, relieving vast numbers from the vicious cycle of poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment. But drip irrigation is not a new technology, it has been around for over 120 years, and many companies have developed and marketed it. So why are we celebrating drip irrigation only now? The answer is because it’s only recently that the technology has begun to catch on, thanks to a business innovation by an Israeli company, Netafim. Netafim now controls over one-third of the market for this seemingly commoditized micro-irrigation equipment market.
What is Netafim’s secret? Like many of its competitors, Netafim invested in R&D to produce improved products. In the 90′s it introduced modern electronic control technology, including sophisticated sensor arrays that help fine-tune water application to respond to water content, salinity, fertilizer and meteorological data. By Netafim’s measures, such a contemporary drip irrigation system increases crop yields by 300-500% and is a very lucrative investment. But despite these exceptional economics, the system simply didn’t catch on.
The reason is a problem common to almost all new technology adoptions. The developer of the new technology has the best information on the performance of the technology and on the benefits it could deliver to the adopter. But the incentives of the adopter and the technology developer are typically not aligned: while the technology developer has all the incentive to sell as many units as possible, the adopter would only like to make investments with the highest rates of return.
To achieve this alignment and to reduce risks for the farmers, Netafim started providing a new offering, called IrriWise Crop Management System. IrriWise was an integrated proposition that included the system design, all the required hardware, installation and regular service of the system. Most importantly, farmers often did not have to buy the system. The system would be installed at Netafim’s expense (essentially costs would be reallocated to Netafim), but Netafim would get a further payment tied directly to the increase in crop yields. With more skin in the crop-yields game, Netafim was now incentivized to modify service, adapt and maintain the equipment, to get the best possible outcome. Netafim went so far as to change into mission statement from “making the best drip irrigation equipment for customers” to “helping the world grow more with less”, an objective far more aligned with the objectives of its customers, the farmers. This allowed it to dramatically grow revenues, increasing its market share, all while making a life-changing impact on some of the most impoverished of the world’s citizens.
But why is Netafim willing to take on this risk of installing equipment and being compensated later for crop yields? Counter-intuitively, increasing risk exposure is to Netafim’s advantage and actually makes everyone better off. First, given Netafim’s expertise and access to the latest forecasting technologies, the risk is a lot smaller in Netafim’s eyes than it is for the farmers. Secondly, Netafim is much better able to manage this risk: given its size and diverse market base, the risk has much lower chances of catastrophic losses for Netafim than for a farmer. Netafim can now share some of these benefits from the more efficient risk bearing in the new model with the farmers. This helps Netafim increase its sales and, in fact, even improve the risk-return calculus of the farmers. As we argue in our recent HBR article and on our blog, to really get your new technology off the ground you’ll have to look at innovating your business model as well.
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By 2050, global agricultural production will need to increase by 70 percent to feed a population that will grow from seven billion to nine billion.
New Zealand is emerging as a leading provider of agricultural technology solutions, including for countries that increasingly need to feed growing populations, and we are actively looking for opportunities to share our expertise.
New Zealand’s geographic and isolated location has seen farmers maximise production by converting grass and other forages to dairy and meat through efficient and productive pasture management.
Over a century of excellence in food production and agriculture has provided the base for New Zealand’s highly competitive and efficient primary production systems. New Zealand’s expertise in pasture-based production has made it the world leader in efficient and low cost conversion of pasture to protein, and the systems that surround it — from food safety to processing and logistics.
New Zealand’s pastoral farming system enjoys significantly lower capital and operating costs than other farm systems, and there are considerable opportunities to modify and adapt this to other climates and geographic locations. New Zealand farming systems and agri-business has been adapted in a range of countries including Brazil, China and Saudi Arabia.
New Zealand agri-business solutions, from herd improvement, software, pasture mapping and management, to farm automation equipment, can be easily integrated on-farm to maximise increases in productivity and profitability - a key focus for New Zealand farmers, and a discipline that can be adopted internationally. Recent services provided to international customers have included veterinary training, meat-processing regulation, the development of an innovative measurement tool for sap flow in trees, and introducing genetics into an animal-management system.


Live by the Lawsuit, Die by the Lawsuit? Monsanto, its Seeds, Before the Supreme Court
Monsanto’s (MON) had a pretty good year. The drought that baked the Midwest didn’t dent it and may have helped by driving more farmers to its seeds. Monsanto tinkers with genetics to make seeds that have desired traits, like higher yields or resistant to drought.
It reported fourth quarter results in October, and chief Hugh Grant boasted about 25% earnings per share growth and a record amount in cash flow.
What could interrupt this happy picture? The U.S. Supreme court agreed to hear an appeal that addresses Monsanto’s patents, arguably cutting to the heart of its business model.
Monsanto makes seeds, “biotechnology trait products,” and herbicides. It makes Roundup herbicides, as well as Roundup-ready seeds that can survive while the herbicide kills weeds around it. It licenses seeds to farmers. Three years ago, when Forbes wrote a cover story celebrating the much-hated company, 90% of the U.S. soybean cop and 80% of the corn and cotton crops already had some Monsanto technology.
Monsanto aggressively defended those patents. It has sued other companies – it just won a $1 billion judgment against DuPont (DD). It has also sued farmers, co-ops and seed dealers, as laid out in a Vanity Fair story from 2008.
Now the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in a case involving a soybean farmer in Indiana, who was found to have infringed upon Monsanto’s patents. The issue is that seeds replicate, and he planted second-generation seeds that he bought from a local elevator that were contaminated with Monsanto seeds.
The decision will either cement this or crack it.
Filed under: Company News


High demand and low supply likely caused this dramatic spike. In addition, speculators prompted commodity prices and their transportation and production costs to rise by pushing oil prices to a peak of $150 in 2008.
Skyrocketing food prices are correlated with countless revolutions and strikes. Coupled with the volatility of broader political events, ruling political regimes are finding themselves face to face with a hungry, angry populace ready to revolt in street protests in Tunisia, Yemen and Egypt. These protests have resulted from political dissatisfaction, but also from anger over price increases for basic foodstuffs such as cooking oil, rice, cereals and sugar. Urban populations across the world are feeling the squeeze and are likely to revolt in the future as the foods they eat require more fuel to grow, produce, and transport.
Developing countries are the most vulnerable to food price increases. Americans spend an average of only 10 percent of their income on food; Indonesians spend 50 percent of theirs, Chinese 30 percent, and North Koreans 70 percent. Many developing countries have not meaningfully invested in efficient food production systems and are consequently stuck with poor storage facilities and a lack of pest control. Populations are booming in these countries, but local farmers are not producing enough food to give their people the required diet of 2,000 calories per day. The growth of the middle class–India’s middle class is already larger than the entire US population–will increase demand for energy intensive foods such as milk and meat.
Although there are growing movements to return to local production and increase food sovereignty, factors such as poverty, unstable governments and discriminatory business practices prevent local farmers in developing countries from accessing banks and loans to buy the appropriate seeds, credit and equipment necessary for profitable and sustainable food production.
In addition to shortcomings in food production, climate change is making farmland scarcer each year. In China, Australia and Africa, deserts are encroaching on arable lands. This year, a severe drought threatens to wipe out China’s wheat lands, and frantic hoarding is likely to occur as wheat prices continue to rise and importers speed up purchases to preempt inflation.
The US needs to change its approach to its farming sector, which currently exacerbates the phenomenon of rising global food prices. The ethanol fuel program, which uses corn for biofuel rather than food, is a particularly wasteful and ill-conceived program. Studies by Cornell University show that it takes 1.3 gallons of fossil fuel to make one gallon of bio fuel. “Fermenting corn for bio fuel is a folly,” says Larry Grill, Visiting Professor of Biology in the Joint Science Department at Pitzer College. “Without government subsidies, this inefficient use of corn could not exist. Corn should remain a food grown on good farmland. Instead, grasses such as miscanthus or switchgrass should be grown on less fertile land and be used for the plant bio fuels.”
Given that the US produces 40 percent of the world’s corn supply, ethanol fuel from corn raises the price of corn and corn products in other countries. “Instead, subsidies which encourage the production of cellulosic ethanol from non food sources and ethanol from other sources such as algae should be encouraged,” says Samuel Tanenbaum, Professor Emeritus of Engineering at Harvey Mudd College.
Thanks to government subsidies, American farmers are doing well in these hard times. According to the Department of Agriculture, Midwest farmers reported record high prices for their produce. This year, American farmers’ incomes are expected to increase by 20 percent.
Critics say U.S. food aid has little regard for structural problems in global food production and only benefits American farmers and multinational corporations. Only an estimated 4 percent of development aid goes to the rural poor who live on less than $1 per day. The timing and extent of food aid largely fluctuates with market conditions rather than the needs of developing countries. In the 1970s, U.S. cereal prices reached a record high. Because cereals were more commercially profitable to sell domestically, U.S. Food for Peace shipments dropped to less than one tenth of 1960s levels even while there were acute food shortages in developing countries.
Furthermore, critics charge that U.S. food aid focuses too closely on emergency response to crises but not to chronic hunger and food shortages. Food aid should go hand in hand with agricultural investment to small scale farmers. The Obama administration has already begun to change the paradigm of food aid with the “Feed the Future” initiative designed to help countries develop local solutions to food insecurity. The initiative created the Global Agricultural and Food Security Fund, which supports projects that favor innovative models of agricultural development most likely to have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable and poorest citizens.
Necessary changes need to be made. Presently, there is no agreement within the international community regarding the balance between large scale industrial food production and small farms that cater to local consumption. While the world economy has grown sevenfold in the past 50 years, the Earth has remained the same. Three Earths would be required to support the current human population if everyone were to adopt the Western lifestyle.
The world has grown dangerously complacent with agricultural innovation in the past fifty years, causing investment in agricultural research, especially on genetically modified organism (GMO) foods, to be shelved in the past decade. “GMO foods can help to achieve higher yields, and are both nutritious and sustainable foods,” says Grill. “There are hundreds of GMO plants that have been created at universities that will never be released because of the regulatory costs and the disinterest of the larger seed companies. For example, if ‘golden rice’ were available to the farmers around the world, pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene) would be more available and could substantially reduce the high numbers of deaths and blindness attributed to the lack of vitamin A….keeping GMO foods ‘off the table’ is a short-sighted move.”
Commodity price speculation must be better regulated and wasteful food consumption must be reduced. Environmentalists must build local farmers’ existing knowledge and promote the use of new technology. Governments across the world must take agricultural innovation seriously and find new and reliable ways to meet their citizens nutritional needs. To overcome rising global food prices, we urgently need to spark a second “Green Revolution.”


We are delighted to announce that Carrickfergus Central Primary School has won the Best School Gardening Project 2018 in the Mid and East Antrim in Bloom competition. A big well done to last year’s Eco-council and all of our pupils, parents and grandparents who helped us. Thank you to Carrickfergus Vineyard who made raised planters and a greenhouse for us and Gary at Inver Garden Centre who helped us to plant flowers and shrubs in our school gardens. Our Eco-School Green Flag is looking well at the front of our school! Well done everyone!!


I’ve been meaning to post about our garden for some time now but as I talked about on instagram last week the new gardeners learning curve has left us on some occasions with nothing to share. Our fall garden however is plenty filled out and full of color just in time for the season. YAY for finally having something to share! Disclaimer–these are not the best photos I’ve ever taken. We kept getting cloudy and rainy weather and I couldn’t seem to catch a break.We have an urban garden of sorts. It is located in the middle of a major metropolitan area and we live in an apartment, but we are not New Yorkers growing plants on a roof top or a small three foot balcony–thought it can totally be done! We live in an attached townhome on a corner lot so we have a bit more space than your usual city renters, but nothing like having our own front and backyard. As a matter of fact, we can grow very little on our back patio space so it all has to grow in the front.This year we were able to build two six foot raised beds in front of the shrubs of our house and we excavated the “front patio area” that had nothing but horribly uneven pavers and white filler rock. Two years ago Sam pulled up some of the pavers and planted an almost dead little rosemary that he revived and is now humongous. This year he pulled up enough pavers to plant sunflowers next to the rosemary. He left some pavers and bought two fruit trees–a Meyer lemon and a Harvester Peach–and planted them in planters next to the sunflowers. Beside the raised beds and the rosemary the rest of our garden is in planters.Our fall garden is mostly in our raised beds where we planted pumpkin pie pumpkins, white Lumina pumpkins, and Jarrahdale pumpkins. We also have purple bell peppers, marigolds, and the purple flowers. In the planters we have celosia, vinca and purslane, orange moss flower, and sunflowers which keep getting eaten by some unidentifiable bug–see first time gardeners learning curve. There’s also Russian sage, “Texas sage”, and potato vine.We hope to have a nice pumpkin harvest come November. We almost waited too long to plant the pumpkins–the Jarrahdales and Luminas were planted first–and then a week later we plated the pumpkin pie pumpkins. The pumpkin pie variety aren’t as big or growing as fast because we planted them a week later.Sam just started pansy seeds for the first time(currently incubating under the grow light in the garage) and we hope to plant them by December for the winter. The Meyer Lemons should also be ready come November or December and we are extremely excited about them. We had a very bad storm that nocked most of them off so our crop will be small but I plan on making either lemon pound cake or lemon cookies with them. I haven’t decided yet, but it will be yummy!I thought gardening in raised beds would be the easiest thing ever. Was I ever wrong. Growing in raised beds came with its own set of challenges. You see, the raised beds face west and they receive full sun all day long, all year long. That meant that they got very warm and stayed very warm. Plants such as onions, lettuce, carrots, and radishes got too warm in the raised beds and bolted before we could harvest them. We tried Roma, Cherry, San Marzano, and Cherokee Purple tomatoes in the raised beds during early to late summer thinking they would produce despite the hot temperatures but once again it’s just too hot here in Texas for summer tomatoes of any kind. Bell peppers during the summer months did not do well either strangely enough despite the fact they usually need very warm weather to germinate and grow. More than half of the produce we thought would do amazing was a total bust.We did have great luck with spring peas, rosemary, lavender, thyme, and sage in the raised beds. Basil did amazing but we had to stay after it to keep the bolting at bay. Flowers such as the marigolds and the violas as well as the pumpkins are blooming and growing wonderfully.Looking to next spring we will probably focus more on vegetables that have blooms that require pollination–such as squash, zucchini, and okra–rather than root vegetables. We will plant tomatoes and bell peppers again but only as a fall crop. We also plan to start the pumpkins in June so that their harvest time falls in September. As far as what we grew in the planters, cut flowers like zinnias did wonderful as well as green onion and herbs like lavender and thyme. I’ve already been planning out what we will plant early winter/spring 2020. I think next year we will have a much better harvest.Resources
I know many people are not confident about growing an urban or container garden but I say go for it! To get the best start possible visit your local gardening center(not a box store) and get recommendations on what grows best in your area and join a local gardening club. The AG extension in your state is the best resource for telling you what plants grow best in your zone and exactly when to start them for the entire year. Reddit is a great resource for asking plant questions when your unsure and need advice such as “are my seedlings too legy?(include a photo)” or “Have my female pumpkin seeds been fertilized?(include a picture)”.
Another tip–which is something Sam and I did get right this year–is to get some grid paper and draw out to scale best you can the entire gardening space you have marking out exactly which plant will go where and how many you can accommodate. Some plants do better in different light than others, some grow better next to certain plants and away from others, etc. This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed about what to buy, buying plants and seeds at the nursery that won’t grown in your region, or buying too many plants for your space.
Another great tip is to buy a grow light and start some of your plants from seed indoors. We had so much success with growing plant from seed. Actually, most of the plants we grew come from seed. Sam did all the research(do your research) figuring out the hardware and then how to properly implement it.
I also suggest investing in your local nursery. The people over at our local nursery know us by name now and are enthusiastic to answer our questions. They know how serious we are about gardening and they are really excited to see our progress and help us in any way they can. Investing in people’s livelihoods makes them more prone to help you. Sam and I have been frequent enough shoppers at our local nursery that if I have a quick question I don’t hesitate to drive by and ask even if I’m not buying something that day. It’s a real benefit to have a good relationship with your local nursery and those relationships broaden your community which feels amazing.I hope you enjoyed the tour and found this post helpful. If you have any gardening questions please ask because I would love to answer them! Well, Sam will probably be the one answering them but I will be the one writing the response. We love answering them none the less. And if you have any suggestions or thoughts or just general garden knowledge I would love to hear about everything! I hope you guys have a great week! Thanks for investing and supporting in me and my blog! It means so much to me!
2 thoughts on “Our Fall Garden”
Loved the garden tour! Brittney gardens with the school kids in a confined space. I will try to snap some photos and send to you next time I am at the school.
That would be lovely!!
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LAVENDER CHOCOLATE CAKE
Lavender is a classic garden plant in the Ballarat region, it is one of the most enduring fragrant herbs in our gardens. Most of us have memories of lavender and old ladies and the many fragrant uses for the dried flowers. It is also an amazing culinary herb, although the only variety suitable for cooking is the English variety and you must ensure to use lavender that is free from chemicals and pesticides, so definitely not the lavender varieties you will find in most gardens or nurseries.
For this classic chocolate cake we used Egerton Blue dried lavender from the Yuulong Lavender Estate, they also sell lavender plants for you to grow in your kitchen gardens. You will be surprised at the wonderful flavour lavender infusions add to many recipes from sugar and milk baked goods to fruity dishes and savoury cooking. The key to using lavender in cooking is to keep it subtle, lavender has a strong flavour with the potential to overpower your dishes, when really just a hint of the flavour to compliment other flavours is the key.
The Lavender Chocolate cake is a deliciously moist recipe that uses coconut oil instead of butter. A rich and rather dessert like cake which lasts for quite a few days. To compliment the chocolate and lavender flavours we have used a marscapone frosting with a hint of lemon, perfect for a summer afternoon tea.


Dethatching & Mulching
In Wisconsin, spring time means it's time to prepare your lawn for the summer ahead. One of the most overlooked steps is dethatching. To help ensure you're removing dead grass, and allowing your lawn to grow to it's full potential, dethatching is a Wisconsin lawn must. Dethatching, combined with aeration and fertilizing, will make your lawn the talk of the block.
By mower - starting at $65
By power rake - starting at $70
*Prices listed do not include sales tax
Power raking is comparable to dethatching with a mower. However, it is generally viewed as a more efficient and a more gentle approach than mower dethatching. Power raking cuts swathes, or slices, into the thatch only on the surface of the soil whereas mower dethatching digs deeper into the soil and "rips" up the thatch.
If you are unsure as to which service you would like to have done, please feel free to contact us at Spruce It Up for a free consultation and we will help guide you through as to which service fits your needs.
Do you need to update your mulch? Do you need to have mulch laid down? Spruce It Up can help. Whether you need mulch to help beautify your current beds, or are putting in your first mulch beds, Joe and Chad can help guide you through the process from start to finish. Mulch not only helps your yard look better, it provides nutrients to your plants and helps prevent weeds.
Prices: Due to the varying sizes of each property, and areas needing mulching, we cannot provide a direct price or a rough estimate on our site.
However, you can contact us at any time and we will be glad to provide you with a free consultation!


Citizen Science and Pollination Research: Lessons Learned from a Research Collaboration in Community Gardens in Berlin and Munich
November 14, 2023
Urban community gardeners create important habitats for pollinators in cities through their gardening practices. In a collaborative research project in 33 community gardens in Berlin and Munich, we examined the link between pollination and garden features under real-life conditions. We aimed to collaboratively develop insect conservation interventions to enhance pollinator diversity and harvest success simultaneously. Most citizen science participants consistently conducted fruit production measurements of their study plants. Nevertheless, the data showed a trade-off between a protocol designed to interfere as least as possible with the gardener's routine and the data’s fit for purpose regarding the research question. Our main lessons learned were (1) to invest in establishing and maintaining a good relationship with participants and (2) to develop hypotheses and methods in close collaboration with participants. We believe it is crucial to foster the integration of different perspectives and knowledge in order to realize the potential of citizen science in pollinator research.
How to cite
Metadata are provided both in "article" format (very similar to INSPIRE) as this helps creating
very compact bibliographies which can be beneficial to authors and
readers, and in "proceeding" format
which is more detailed and complete.


PM Kisan 12th Installment Release Date and Time: The beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi are eagerly waiting for the PM Kisan 12th Installment Release Date and Time. This time due to the floods in many states of the country, the entire crop has been ruined. In such a situation, now the farmers are expecting some relief from the next installment itself. Meanwhile, a big update has come out regarding the date of the next installment. Here we till when will the PM Kisan Yojana 12th Installment 2022 of two thousand rupees come. According to reports, the 12th installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi can be transferred to the farmer’s account anytime till the last of week of September 2022.
This time the government of India has made e-KYC mandatory to prevent fraud. According to the information received, at present, the documents of the applicants and beneficiaries are being verified. In such a situation, farmers will not have to wait any more for the 12th installment. At present, no official statement has been issued regarding the PM Kisan 12th Installment 2022 date.
PM Kisan 12th Installment Release Date and Time
Apart from this, the farmers who have not yet been able to get e-KYC done, for them, it has been updated on the official website pmkisan.gov.in that farmers can now get OTP based eKYC done. The last date for conducting e-KYC was fixed was 31 August 2022, but now farmers can go to the nearest public service center and get Biometric based e-KYC done, and can take advantage of the next installment.
Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is proving to be very helpful for the farmers of the country. Under this scheme, the government sends financial assistance of six thousand rupees to the account of farmers through 3 installments in a year. The government of India is going to release the PM Kisan Nidhi Yojana 12th Kist 2022 soon.
PM Kisan Nidhi Yojana 12th Kist 2022 Highlights
|Name of Sarakari Yojana
|Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
|Purpose of scheme
|Monetary help to the eligible Farmers of India
|Rs. 2000 thrice in a year
|PM Kisan 12th Installment 2022 Release Date
|30 September 2022
pmkisan.gov.in 2022 12th Installment
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana offers financial assistance of Rs. 2000 thrice in a year annually by the government of India to the needy farmers. Till now, the money of 11 installments of PM Kisan Yojana has been transferred in the account of farmers. After which the farmers are enquiring regarding the arrival of the 12th Kist of PM Kisan Yojana. But now, a big update is also coming out regarding this, as per news in the last week of September 2022, two thousand rupees of the 12th installment can be transferred to the farmer’s account.
We want to update you that under PM Kisan Yojana, six thousand rupees are shared every year. This money is transferred via DBT to the account of farmers at an interval of four months in three installments of two thousand rupees each. At present, more than 11 crore farmers are getting the benefit of PM Kisan Yojana.


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In her solo exhibition at Kadist Paris, “Pink as a Cabbage / Green as an Onion / Blue as an Orange”, Aslı Çavuşoğlu presents a narrative based on alternative approaches put forward by sustainable farming initiatives that have emerged recently in reaction to destructive practices of industrial agriculture. In exploring the innovations these ecological initiatives have developed in the face of a mounting crisis of production and distribution, Çavuşoğlu asks viewers to rethink possibilities of local production and sustainable consumption.
Through an installation of natural fabrics and dyes, Çavuşoğlu examines the work of fifteen agricultural initiatives, each formed with different requirements and goals, and many of which operate as food cooperatives. The stories of these initiatives and the new models they propose take shape as abstract narratives on fabric, using natural dyes that were derived from the products they cultivate. Threads colored with dyes obtained from fruits, vegetables and plants, are woven together to form local and natural fabrics. These fabrics are then painted, resulting in an end product that evokes the sentiment of a market environment.
In the spirit of kinship, solidarity and community demonstrated by these initiatives, the exhibition puts forward the conviction that it will be possible to move away from industrial food production and provide sufficient and healthy food through new, innovative and sustainable models.
Fabrics and weavings dyed with natural dyes in different techniques. Dimensions variable.
Commissioned by Kadist with the support of SAHA.


The gardeners and students at the little-known kitchen garden at the Chateau de Versailles in France strive to maintain King Louis XIV’s rare fruit varieties and experimental gardening technics. Once a mosquito infested bog, the potager is now a national treasure.Share
When the French King Louis XIV moved his court to the Chateau de Versailles in 1682, the kitchen garden in the grounds was too small to satisfy the legendary appetite of the King and his court, where there were often several thousand people to feed.
The King commissioned Jean Baptiste la Quintinye, a court lawyer, to create the Potager du Roi on the site of a mosquito infested bog, behind the famous chateau. It took more than five years to drain away the stagnant water and bring in rich fertile soil from the Satory forest nearby to make the site fit for use....La Quintinye fell in love with gardening during a trip to Italy, so with the creation of the potager he was able to indulge this new passion by creating the nine hectors of geometrically laid-out gardens in the French style, complete with a central fountain. (Read more.)


BioNTFAO releases new 5-year Action Plan to combat AMR
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization BioNTFAO has issued an Action Plan spanning a total of 5 years (2021-2025) dedicated at tackling the problem of AMR in the food agriculture sector.
The BioNTFAO Action Plan has set the following goals:
1. To increase stakeholder awareness and engagement
2. To strengthen surveillance and research
3. To enable good practices,
4. Promoting responsible use of antimicrobials, and
5. To strengthen governance and allocating resources sustainably.
This Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance is the continuation of the first FAO Action Plan, which covered the period 2016-2020. The document was developed through the coordination of Keith Sumption and Junxia Song (Joint Centre for Zoonotic Diseases and AMR) and the multidisciplinary effort from all the decentralized offices and divisions forming part the FAO AMR Inter-Departmental Working Group that covers the wide range of thematic areas across food and agriculture sectors (food safety, Codex Alimentarius, animal health and production, plant production and protection, fisheries and aquaculture, water and environment, surveillance and epidemiology, legislation, information and communication).
Read more here: fao.org/3/cb5545en/cb5545en.pdf


Just as small-town Alberta communities have always been made stronger by the connections between neighbours and families, Rangeview will truly come alive when residents of every generation gather to learn, share and cultivate a vibrant new way of life.
There will always be something happening here, with events and educational programs managed by the Homeowners Association (HOA) inviting everyone to join community-wide celebrations, cultural activities, gardening lessons and more.
Rangeview's residents will enjoy countless ways to build skills and create memories.
Farmers’ and makers’ markets will support local growers and artisans, highlighting the creative talents of Rangeview’s residents
Hands-on educational programs about planting, growing and harvesting will inspire novice and experienced green thumbs
Expert instructors will welcome residents interested in learning to prepare and preserve food
Neighbours will enjoy and share the literal fruits of their labour at harvest festivals, foodie events and holiday gatherings
Rangeview’s littlest residents will love kid-friendly programs designed to build a lifelong love of gardening, cooking and more
Whether at neighbourhood block parties or intimate family gatherings, Calgary’s first garden-to-table community will provide a social life unlike anywhere else in Alberta. Residents will gather in:
Public and private open spaces including gardens, orchards and Rangeview’s greenhouse
Market Square, Harvest Square and Innovation Square for farmers’ markets, picnics and programs
Harvest Hall and other community buildings managed by the HOA
For residents interested in getting started with gardening, or those who want to expand their existing knowledge, the HOA and Program Coordinator will provide helpful guidance and support. With access to informative pollinating and demonstration gardens as well as community facilities, classes may include:
Professional training in the planting, growing and harvesting of food
Demonstrations with local chefs for the preparation and enjoyment of locally-grown foods
Canning and preserving classes as well as home-based garden education
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10:00 à 17:00
Tarif réduit 11.00
Enfant 6-15 ans 4.00
Quai Perdonnet 25
Case Postale 13
The aim is to understand the role our five senses play in our relationship to food.
Depuis toujours, les êtres humains utilisent la nature pour subvenir à leurs besoins.
Vers 10 000 ans avant notre ère, c’est la révolution néolithique : l’humanité abandonne la cueillette pour passer à l’agriculture. Celle-ci va évoluer au fil du temps, avec l’amélioration des techniques et des moyens de production.
Parmi les principales méthodes développées, on trouve la déforestation, l’irrigation et la fertilisation des sols, ainsi que la maîtrise de la reproduction animale et végétale.
Il existe deux types d’agriculture, qui ont évolué en parallèle et qui répondent à des enjeux différents : les agricultures extensive et intensive.
L’agriculture intensive a permis à de nombreux pays d’accéder à la sécurité alimentaire, c’est-à-dire qu’elle a permis de mieux nourrir la population en assurant des quantités suffisantes ; mais elle pose aussi des problèmes, par exemple un épuisement de la fertilité des sols nécessitant l’utilisation de plus en plus d’engrais, une réduction de la biodiversité, et la pollution des sols et de l’eau.
Human beings have always used nature to meet their needs. They first relied on hunting, fishing and gathering to obtain their food.
The Neolithic revolution occurred around 10 000 years BCE. Humanity abandoned gathering food and moved on to agriculture. This evolved over time, as techniques and means of production improved.
The terms ‘agriculture’ and ‘farming’ both cover all tillage and animal stockbreeding activities, as well as work in the natural environment, which enable growing crops and the breeding of living beings that are useful to humans, mainly for food. This includes plants and animals, and fungi and microbes too.
Our ancestors began to develop techniques that modified nature, to create favourable conditions for the cultivation of crops and for stockbreeding. The aim was to increase yields, i.e. the quantity of products obtained in relation to the area used and the work involved.
The main methods developed included deforestation, irrigation and soil fertilisation, as well as control of animal and plant reproduction.
Deforestation is the destruction of forests to make usable areas. Nowadays, most deforestation is to free up land for farming. The world population is increasing; we have to produce more food, so we have to expand arable land.
Growing plants and vegetables requires enormous quantities of water. As an example, manufacturing 1 kg of cereals requires an average of 1000 L of water!
There are two possible ways of guaranteeing such a water supply:
○ Using rainwater. This is called rainfed agriculture.
○ Using rivers, lakes, reservoirs or groundwater. This is known as irrigated agriculture.
Some ancient civilisations developed ingenious irrigation systems, most often by exploiting the overflow of major rivers. For example, in Ancient Egypt, the overflow of the Nile deposited silt that increased the fertility of the fields. However, farmers still had to irrigate them. To do this, they dug channels which they fed by using shadufs, a form of tipping device, which could draw water from wells to the fields.
Today, as in the past, farmers choose the system best suited to the crops and to their natural environment.
For example, they can direct water to crops by digging channels. On sloping ground, they can create a system of terraces to facilitate the flow of water and its infiltration into the soil.
Of course, there are also systems for watering crops by imitating rainfall. Such methods can be carried out on a very large scale, for example to water fields of wheat or corn.
It is estimated that over 70% of the water currently consumed in the world is used in farming.
If soil is cultivated just as it is, it will gradually deteriorate and, with time, will produce less and less. To remedy this, the first farmers introduced fallowing, where land is not sown for a period of time, but instead is ploughed and fortified with manure, a mixture of animal droppings and bedding, to make the soil fertile again. This method of fertilisation gradually became widespread, with or without leaving land fallow.
Today, the chemical industry produces mineral fertilisers, which are widely used to enrich the land in phosphate, potassium, nitrogen and nitrates.
CONTROLLING ANIMAL AND PLANT VARIETIES
Improving animal breeds and plant varieties improves products and increases yield.
For example, through mass selection, which consists of selecting and using only the most effective seeds and animals.
Another technique used is that of crossbreeding, where animals or plants are selected based on the characteristics to be transmitted to the daughter species. Crossbreeding produces what is called a hybrid, which presents a combination of its parents’ genetic characteristics.
Corn, for example, was created by selecting and crossbreeding a wild grass called teosinte. Pre-Columbian civilisations cultivated corn and, by selecting the most productive plants, over the years, they increased the size and number of kernels of corn on each cob.
For a very long time, these improvements were based on experience rather than knowledge of biological processes. It is only very recently that we have begun to understand how living organisms function and how to use these discoveries to improve the efficiency of selection. This is the era of genetics, DNA and GMOs.
TWO MAJOR TYPES OF FARMING
There are two main types of farming, which evolved alongside each other and address different issues: extensive and intensive farming.
Extensive farming does not aim to maximise production. As such, it does not use extensive irrigation systems or industrially produced chemical fertilisers. It relies mainly on local natural resources. Extensive farming brings lower yields than intensive farming.
Techniques developed from the 19th century onwards bring higher yields. Intensive farming uses agricultural machines and large-scale irrigation methods, and relies on fertilisers and on industrial phytosanitary products to protect crops.
Likewise, intensive stockbreeding aims to increase yield, in particular by increasing the density of animals on the farm.
Intensive farming has enabled many countries to achieve food security, making it possible to feed the population better by providing sufficient quantities of food. However, it also poses problems, such as depletion of soil fertility (thus requiring the use of ever-larger quantities of fertiliser), or reduction in biodiversity, and pollution of soil and water.


The decisions you make at the grocery store have a direct impact on the environment. Consumers can make a difference and reduce the environmental impact of the food they consume with their shopping choices. We have a lot of power, and our decisions can help lessen the impact on our natural world.
Until relatively recently, most of the earth was wilderness, including grasslands, forests and deserts. Over the last few hundred years, however, as people have turned to agriculture to grow the food necessary to support human life, wild habitats have been replaced by farmland. About 1,000 years ago, less than 5% of land that isn’t desert or ice (considered habitable land) was used for agriculture. Now, farmland takes up more than half of that available land. Pastures and farms that grow animal feed account for more than three quarters of all agricultural land, even though they produce less than 20% of the total calories consumed by people. Eating less meat and using plant-based alternatives could help reduce the number of livestock required to feed people throughout the world and lessen the impact on the environment.
Here’s a closer look at this issue:


Soil Health Principles
Plant Diversity can be achieved in multiple ways. A producer can add a cover crop to their rotation, they can inter seed cover crops into their cash crop. Plant diversity boost a plants immune system so that it can fight off harmful parasitic fungi and also increases a plants drought tolerance. This is accomplished because plants of different species share micronutrients with one another. Plants of the same species will not share micronutrients with one another.
Why not? Who doesn’t love cattle? Adding livestock to a system helps to improve any regenerative system. When properly manage, cattle can get armor on the soil by eating your cover crop reside or cash crop reside. Once the material has passed through their gut and place back on the ground their manure provides beneficial microbes and fertilizer to your system.
Continual Living Root(Living Roots As Long As Possible)
Keeping living plant roots in the ground year-round is the biggest challenge in a dry environment. This principle is in place because roots build soil structure through the secretion of exudates. Exudates bind soil particles together to form aggreges and aggreges build soil. Aggreges also allow for more water filtration allowing a producer to capture more moister in rain events. Living roots are important but it is also important to follow the 6th soil health principle of Know Your Context. It is the fall and it is too dry for a farmer to get a cover crop to germinate after corn, you might want to wait until the spring to get a cover crop established. We have had a challenge with wind erosion when trying to plant when it is too dry.
Leaving armor on the soil is one of the most important soil health principles to follow. This is accomplished by leaving reside from a cash crop or cover crop rather than, bailing the residue for hay, over grazing it or tilling/ working the reside into the ground. Leaving soil armor reduces water and wind erosion, Keeps the soil moister in the ground during hot summer days and decreases water evaporation. The reside also provides protection for earthworms.
Tillage is extremely destructive to the health of the soil. Tillage destroys fungal life, eliminates aggregate stability and decimates the habitat for earthworms, protozoa, nematodes, microarthropods and other beneficial microbial life. Incorporating no-till to minimize the disturbance within the soil ecosystem is the best way to start building up the life within our farm ground.
Know Your Context
The newest of all soil health principles might be just be my favorite. A farmer must know his climate, soils and goal for his farming operation and apply the first 5 soil health principles to the best of his ability. If you search soil health principles you will find that other people have different takes on the first 5 I listed. No farm is the same and applying the principles will look a little different in each environment.


140 politicians displayed their support for the British farming industry on Wednesday by wearing a Back British Farming wheat-pin badge in recognition of the importance of food and farming in Britain.
MPs from all over the country came together to celebrate Back British Farming Day at an NFU event in Westminster where they collected their pin badges, which were then displayed by dozens of MPs during Prime Minister’s Questions.
NFU President Minette Batters said: “Back British Farming Day is a celebration of our wonderful farmers and all they do to feed the nation, look after our iconic countryside and sustain our rural economy.
“With only six months to go until we leave the EU, it’s fantastic to see so many MPs actively supporting the farming industry and helping to put food and farming at the forefront of activity in Westminster.
“Food production impacts on every section of society and the NFU is working to ensure all MPs have a thorough understanding of farming and its value to the country, so that farmers are able to continue to produce food which is safe, traceable and affordable to all.
“It is vital that the support and commitment shown by politicians today continues after Back British Farming Day, both in their decision-making over the next few months and beyond our departure from the EU.”
Members of the cabinet and shadow cabinet were among those committing their support for the farming industry today, and following a question from Trudy Harrison MP2 the Prime Minister acknowledged the role farmers play in caring for the countryside and assured the House of Commons that a policy is being developed that works for British farmers.


One Syrian refugee and his family from the villages near Homs were living under a leaking diesel tank in the Eastern Desert in Jordan. Operation Mercy connected with the family through our fresh vegetable distributions in the area, and our local partner brought us in to meet the family in the hope that something could be done about their health and living situation.
With the help of our local partners, our team was able to find a place for this family on a farm and begin what we call a ‘Market Garden.’ Our team worked with the family to talk through all the needed materials and soil preparation, and, together, we built up two large plots of farmable land to feed the family and sell at the local market.
The father of the family, Abu Mohammed, told us: “No one stood with us except for you. We were barely living, and the diesel was making us sick and hurt my skin. But here the air is clean, and we have enough.”
Though Abu Mohammed offered thanks for our help, he was the one who prepared the seed beds, he spread the manure and he constructed the tank for irrigation water.
10 years into the Syrian conflict, people remain resilient for their children’s sake, and they still hope to go home even if they can’t imagine how that will work out.