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Aug 13, 2019 · On the soybean side, a price adjustment is made to reflect a 2019/20 higher soybean price forecast than current USDA figures. The out-years then adjust as well. The adverse scenario is $8.30 for 2019/20, $7.90 for 2021/21 and $7.56 in 2021/22.
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The President of Extremadura, Mr. José Antonio Monago, holds a meeting with Mr. Ramón Aguirre with the aim of assessing the impact which Grupo SEPI has on the regional economy
The President of the state-owned industrial holding company Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), Mr. Ramón Aguirre, held this morning a work meeting with the President of the regional Government of Extremadura, Mr. José Antonio Monago at the Conventual Santiaguista in Mérida, the head offices of the regional Government.
During this meeting, Mr. Ramón Aguirre informed Mr. José Antonio Monago about the important role played by Grupo SEPI in Extremadura and the impact which its investments and operations have on the economy of this region, thanks to its activities and the work carried out by a total of 2,270 employees from such companies as CORREOS, TRAGSA, RTVE, MERCASA, SODIEX, Agencia EFE, ENUSA or the Compañía Española de Tabaco en Rama (CETARSA) itself.
It is precisely regarding this last company which was the focus of the meeting, as the Chairpersons analyzed the future impact which the European norm and the tobacco multinationals on CETARSA and on the tobacco growers themselves, as well as the activity of the workplaces which the Company has in this region, and specifically, in the municipalities of Navalmoral de la Mata, Talayuela, Jaraiz de la Vera, Jarandilla de la Vera and Coria.
At the same time, and in a detailed way, Mr. Aguirre informed the regional President about the problems which might generate the review of the aids generated by the Common Agricultural Policy and its potential impact on tobacco growers’ income, studying the set up of measures for setting off paid by the chapter on agrarian and environmental aids included in the Rural Development Regulation.
Another of the issues seen with Mr. José Antonio Monago was the historical series which shows the evolution of the volumes and average prices during the last 3-year period 2011-2013 (more information). Mr. Aguirre has highlighted the reality of the prices which set the multinationals’ buyers and their key influence on the maximum recommended price, in order to avoid the negative effects which result from the Dollar/Euro exchange rate and from the market share of the sales of cigarettes which multinationals have in Spain, which in the case of Italy and Greece has translated into an unwanted equation of raising prices and lowering volumes.
Furthermore, he made a detailed review about the fall in consumption and of the restrictive norms which deepen even more the downward trend of the cigarette market, without forgetting the effects of the tax system and the tensions brought about by tobacco contraband.
Finally, both Chairpersons gave a detailed breakdown about the activity carried out by Grupo SEPI in Extremadura, pointing out the projects which MERCASA has in Badajoz, and the significant role which companies such as SODIEX and TRAGSA play in the region.
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De atHOME is the perfect combination between attraction, presentation & conversion. The atHome offers you the integrated solution for an attractive and challenging presentation in which the product you want to sell will stand out well.
Plants can be presented in many different ways. The question, however, is how to present them in the most attractive way for selling purposes? Our answer to this question is the launch of a new and wide range of plant tables for green plants.
The Farm Shop
A trend we are watching for some time now; selling fresh and local products in your garden centre. It fits the profile of the garden centre of being an organic, lively store where flowers and plants are treated and cared for day in day out!


Irrigation system maintenance is necessary to ensure the most efficient use of water and prevent minor and major damage to the irrigation equipment. Proscape FM offers maintenance programs for all residential, commercial and industrial projects.
Proscape FM coordinates, diagnoses and (as required) repairs the client’s irrigation system/s to preserve the landscaping all year round. Specialists ensure adequate supply of irrigation water through drip lines, sprinklers and spray heads to planting beds and turfs. Regular maintenance reduces the occurrence of leaks and preventative maintenance of pump stations eliminates expensive breakdowns. The company’s maintenance services include: multi-electrical and mechanical inspections, parts replacement and prompt provision of a detailed report with any recommendations required, whilst maintaining the system in operation at all times.


S.A.R.E - USDA Sponsored and financed Study Results
GARLIC DEWORMING OF SHEEP
SARE is an abbreviation for Sustainable Agriculture Research, Education and is an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Background: Organic and non organic sheep are having increasing difficulty with eliminating worms because the pharmaceuticals used for deworming are becoming less and less effective due to worms developing immunity.
Today, more and more sheepmen are discovering the all natural application of garlic juice. In the attached study only 1/6 of an ounce of garlic juice (with water added to make one ounce dose) was used 6 times during the year to bring worms in sheep under control.
The garlic juice used was Garlic Barrier and is available to sheep and goat owners through our web site.
Please click here to read the entire SARE study.


Hemp and Marjiuana – What’s the Difference?
Updated: Dec 5, 2019
Due to the federal government classifying both hemp and marijuana in the same category of drugs, many people confuse these two things as being the same. There are many differences between the two plants in the way that they grow, their chemical makeup and their uses. Getting a better understanding of the difference between these two plants will open our minds up to a world of possibilities for their uses both medically and at home.
Hemp is high in CBD and low in THC so it is not designed to get you high, but it can still have significant health benefits for people with various disorders like seizures or others that can be controlled with CBD. It is still calming so many people have begun to smoke it recreationally since the federal government allowed hemp to have its Schedule 1 drug classification removed. Marijuana has CBD in it as well, so it also can positively contribute to patients of various disorders. However, it is high in THC and with the way that grow operations manipulate and enhance the plant, the levels can get pretty high these days. THC is a psychoactive chemical and that is what makes you feel high. Since hemp only maintains high levels of CBD, it will not have the same impact on your mental states that marijuana would have.
The chemical makeup of hemp and marijuana is not where these differences end. Marijuana is a plant that requires a lot of care and attention to grow. It will need to cultivated in a controlled environment, which is why grow operations have enclosed spaces for their plants rather than large farms in rural areas as you would have for normal crops. Hemp does not require that same level of control and it is a crop that can survive in many different climates. This means that hemp is a versatile plant and since it is so easy to grow, its benefits can be realized by a wider range of people. Marijuana’s need for close control means that it is more expensive and technical to cultivate and the number of people able to produce it is limited.
Not only do these plants grow differently and impact our bodies differently, but they also look different when they mature. Marijuana has a distinctive shape to its leaves and the buds are dense and covered in crystals, if you grow it the right way. Hemp has skinnier leaves and the buds and leaves are heavy at the top of the plant with very few branches growing below it. When the plants are grown, marijuana needs a lot of attention per plant, so they need to be spaced out in some way so that each plant can have that unique focus of the grower and the lights in the room. Hemp can grow on its own like a weed would, so these plants can be cultivated much closer together so that a larger number of plants can grow at the
same time. This is, again, why hemp can be grown out in a field in mass quantities and marijuana needs to be indoors in a well-ordered space.
The differences in use are also stark between hemp and marijuana, although both have been extensively researched for their medical benefits. Given the drug classification, it has taken time for sufficient research to be done on the medical benefits, but in recent years there has been overwhelming evidence that marijuana and hemp can be used to treat various disorders with seizures. Marijuana’s THC also has the effect of making people hungry which has been used by cancer patients who lose their appetite during chemotherapy treatments. Many patients have said that the marijuana is the only thing that helps them eat and actually keep their meals down without any nausea. The ability to eat during chemotherapy helps the body gain more strength to fight the disease so the benefit is holistic.
Hemp has been used in many nonmedical ways as well, and marijuana does not have this same type of reach. Hemp as a fiber has incredible strength and durability so it can be used to make clothes or bags or luggage that last much longer than cotton or other fibers that may be more common. Given how durable it is, it can be used to reduce the amount of plastic that we use as well. Hemp seeds have also been proven to be great for a healthy diet. It can add protein without red meat, the seeds have healthy fats and are also high in vitamin E and various minerals like zinc and iron. Hemp can also benefit us in oil form and be used to cook in a healthy way. The same oil can be used in lotions and soaps and other cleaning items without the need for as many harsh chemicals. Since hemp is so high in vitamin E, it will
have a much better effect on the skin of our hands when we use it to clean.
Not all plants are created equally, but they all have their own pluses and minuses. Given the
dependence on medications in today’s world and the amount of pollution in the world from plastic, we are in serious need of more plants that will have a healthier impact on our daily lives. In order for us to fully realize the potential of both hemp and marijuana, we have to understand what exactly they are. Once we lay that foundation then we can begin removing the stigma involved with both plants and get to building a greener and better functioning world with the help of both hemp and marijuana.


Is it okay to use pesticide on cannabis plants when growing?
There are micro-organism that help the environment maintain balance, but there are some which can prove harmful. Look for organic pesticides instead that won’t harm the plant.
It really depends on your local regulation. Some areas like Oregon cannot use certain pesticides and must use organic methods.
No, don’t use pesticide.
Use pesticides = lose crop. You must follow local protocal. If you use the wrong agents, come testing time you’ll have a crop you can’t sell due to how you grew it.
Yes, but always remember to take the necessary precaution.


News + Trends
Interior trend: these home accessories are colourful
by Pia Seidel
The right pot for every plant. The right flower pot is crucial for your plants. Not only for thriving, but also as a visual eye-catcher and decoration. Because with the plant pots you can give both in your home and in the garden or the terrace a visual splendor. At Galaxus you can buy online your desired flower pot.
Between our flower pots you will find many different products. If you want to plant your plant directly in a pot, you must make sure that it is perforated. This will allow excess water to drain directly and not accumulate in the pot. You can find such plant pots in many different designs and sizes. If your plant is already in a perforated plant pot or growing pot, you can also find visually appealing planters. With a planter you can play wonderfully with color and shapes and give your plant an additional decorative touch. In addition, many other planters are available with us, with which you can set your plant in scene. For example, you will also find a large assortment of planters, planter baskets or balcony boxes.
When buying a flower pot, it is essential to consider the size of the plant. Pots that are too small will leave too little room for the roots of the plant and it will not be able to thrive well. If the pot is used outdoors, whether garden or balcony, it should be made of durable frost-resistant material. You can filter the materials and the diameter of the planters and find your suitable flower pot. For those without a green thumb, there are also smart flower pots with integrated watering systems, such as those from Prêt à Pousser or Click and Grow. These electric flower pots with a growing function are particularly popular. So you can grow your own herbs right in the kitchen, without much effort.
In addition to the variety of materials and shapes, you can also filter the desired application: we have the right offer whether for outdoor or indoor. Especially for indoor use, you can easily choose between containers for growing herbs, decorative table pots or pots especially for orchids. You can find suitable coasters, pot rollers and box holders using the filter planter accessory type.


Fresh Hydroponic Lettuce In Alaska
- 775 Views
- June 28th, 2013
- in Food Tips
Alaska is a very cold state as it is near the polar region of the northern hemisphere. The cold climate cannot allow for all year growing of crops. The inhabitants of this region find it hard to cope with the situation of having to go through seasons which they cannot produce vegetables of their own. Recent fresh hydroponic lettuce in Alaska developments have seen elimination of this problem since now there is a new way of doing things, hydroponic.
Hydroponic is a new development in agriculture and can also be referred to as aquiculture. It is the practice of growing plants especially vegetables on water whereby the water acts as a reservoir of the nutrients used by the plant hence acting like the soil. This is a scientific practice since mineral requirements of the plant are dissolved in the right quantity and the plants absorbs them as if they were in the soil without drying up.
With this production, the region does not buy from outside any more since it produces their own. There are many factors which made it possible for the practice to be successful. The need to have used this practice and the importance of the same are discussed herein as below.
The region was is not conducive for the normal growing of crops for many reasons. The topography of the extensive areas in this state cannot allow for fresh hydroponic lettuce in Alaska growth of these crops. The weather also is usually very cold making it impossible for luctuca sativa to mature. Due to this reason no production of this vegetable which is consumed by many would be produced.
The best part of this practice is that since it had raised issues over the quality of the plants produced, there was an answer to that. Researchers took an interest to compare the terrestrial produce with the soil-less one. It revealed that the quality of both these plants is the same. This even made more to be on demand since this type of agricultural production is the same regardless of whether the soil is used or not.
The plants grown under the greenhouse environment and those that are under the normal conditions all are up to standard and fine with human body. Many people tend to have a mentality that crops grown in the greenhouse are harmful for human consumption. This is a myth to the society that they should do away with. Greenhouse should be encouraged by all the governments because their products are much healthier than those growing in an open natural environment.
Since the region can produce its own, it is able to meet the consumers while the plant is still fresh. If they were to buy from other states, the vegetables could spoil on the way and lose the quality they have. Keep in mind the plant is perishable, and so it would lose freshness even during transportation.
Fresh hydroponic lettuce in Alaska is therefore important. It is making of a possibility where there is impossibility. Without it, it would have not been possible to produce what the state is able to produce. Fortunately researchers have resolved the question whether this production is quality enough to be consumed. The result is that both produce from soil and aquiculture are of same quality.
You can visit the website www.jffalaska.com for more helpful information about Fresh Hydroponic Lettuce In Alaska


Roots Down Organic FarmWebsite Icon
Job Listing #383
Farm Worker-Organic Vegetable Farm • Full Time / À Temps Plein
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2018
Application Deadline: 01 Apr 2018
Location: Town of Gananoque
Category: Production Work/Manufacturing / Production/Fabrication
Hours Per Week: 40-50
Pay Rate: Hourly Wage / Rémunération Horaire14 (neg depending on experience)
Language Requirements: English / Anglais
Terms of Employment: Pay: $14.00 per hour (negotiable depending on experience) May 1 to November 15, 2018, 40-50 hours/week, Mon-Fri, Sat. occasionally.
Primary Duties: – Planting (mechanical transplanting on a water wheel transplanter, hand transplanting, as well as some greenhouse seeding) – Irrigation set-up and maintenance – Application and removal of row cover – Cultivation (hand weeding, hoeing, crop thinning, trellising of tomatoes, peas etc.) – Greenhouse construction and maintenance
Secondary Duties: – Post-harvest processing of vegetable crops (cleaning, sorting, bunching, bagging, as well any other process required to prepare our crops for delivery) – Cleaning and organization of work areas, loading of delivery vehicles
General Requirements: – Reliable transportation to and from the farm (carpooling may be available from Kingston). There is no on-farm housing. – Arrive on time, ready for work, at 5:30-6:00 A.M., able to work 10+ hours a day when needed, outdoors during all weather conditions. – Ability to lift 40-50 pounds, bend over for long periods of time, work on knees and in crouch positions. – Ability to work well as part of a team, as well as independently for long periods of time – Must be hard-working, reliable and enthusiastic; able to follow directions and communicate directions to others; and have strong attention to detail – Comfortable working around tractors/machinery and potentially driving large vehicles
Assets: – Previous farming experience, or other experience working under physically demanding conditions – Interest in multi-year employment
Please forward resume to firstname.lastname@example.org.
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The Loire Valley
We produce our asparagus and rhubarb in the center of France, in the department of the Indre and Loire, the region of the Loire Valley Chateaux. King Louis XIV adored asparagus. It was his gardener in Versailles who perfected a system of growing aspargus under shelter in order to harvest asparagus all year round, inventing the technique of mounding to obtain white asparagus. Our fields are situated in the ancient bed of the Loire river: a deep, sandy soil suitable for the production of asparagus.
A specialized production
All our efforts are concentrated on the search for optimal quality and freshness. Our asparagus is harvested by hand at the beginning of the day and immediately washed, cooled and sorted. We recognize the importance of a quality harvest and calibration of the produce. All our asparagus is sorted individually by hand and peeled for the categories Extra and Category 1. 17 hectares of asparagus, of which 5 hectares are covered.
The 60 production employees are trained and motivated to offer you the best produce.
Our premium quality is intended for demanding clients looking for exceptional asparagus and rhubarb. . A great part of our production is destined for restaurants and high-end food distribution in Asia (notably Japan) and in Europe.


At the Vino Flower farm, the passion for the land is a tradition to be “grafted” from generation to generation.
Vino company starts its journey in the world of floriculture in search of solutions that can continuously improve production and supply:
- Optimization of all agronomic and commercial aspects.
- Targeted and careful evaluations of the specificity of each crop
- Analytical and continuous study of crop complexity
- Continuous contact with the best testing centers for hybridization in Europe and abroad
- Observation and analysis of tastes and trends
- Creation of new products and cultivation systems


Greenhouse automation is reinventing the method plants are expanded by combining innovation as well as sustainable farming practices. With the enhancing need for food manufacturing, the agriculture sector is constantly looking for innovative options to improve performance while reducing the ecological impact. Greenhouse automation offers an encouraging strategy to achieve these objectives.
One of the crucial advantages of greenhouse automation is the specific control it offers over ecological aspects such as temperature level, humidity, and also illumination. Automated systems make use of sensing units, actuators, and also computer system formulas to check and change these variables in real-time. This degree of precision guarantees ideal expanding problems for plants, leading to greater returns and also remarkable crop high quality.
Moreover, greenhouse automation lowers the dependence on manual work, making it a cost-effective option for growers. Hand-operated jobs such as watering, fertilizing, as well as bug control can be automated, liberating labor resources and also allowing farmers to focus on more critical elements of crop management. This not only boosts effectiveness but additionally reduces the risk of human error.
Another considerable advantage of greenhouse automation is its possible to save sources as well as advertise sustainability. By carefully regulating water as well as nutrient use, automated systems assist to reduce waste as well as protect against overconsumption. In addition, progressed tracking systems can find early signs of plant stress or illness, allowing prompt treatment and minimizing the need for chemical therapies.
Along with these benefits, greenhouse automation additionally makes it possible for farmers to accumulate as well as analyze large quantities of data relating to plant development as well as environmental conditions. This information can be made use of to optimize farming practices, make notified choices, as well as even predict future returns. With the arrival of artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence, automated systems are coming to be increasingly innovative and capable of supplying workable insights.
In conclusion, greenhouse automation is forming the future of sustainable agriculture. By giving exact control over ecological conditions, reducing labor needs, preserving sources, and allowing data-driven decision-making, automated systems use countless advantages to farmers. As the need for food continues to increase, implementing greenhouse automation becomes not simply a choice yet a need to fulfill global farming difficulties while guaranteeing a lasting future for generations to find.


Throughout history, humans have constantly battled the scarcity of food. The development of nutritional abundance for so many of us in recent years is so extraordinary that we haven’t yet learned to deal with it. We are geared to scarcity and still harbour the myth of abundance and ecological balance, as described in the biblical stories of Paradise. That is why it is so difficult for us to keep our consumption in check. And that is also why we feel so guilty for the damage we are doing to our planet.
Hamburgers in Paradise is Louise O. Fresco’s magnum opus about the management of the earth in a time of unprecedented growth and globalisation. She takes the reader on a unique cultural journey through history and into the future of our food. With a pen which is both elucidating and delicate, she writes about the most diverse subjects, from the first loaf of bread to gen technology, from climate change to mass agriculture, from the hamburger to ‘slow food’. Hamburgers in Paradise is an educative, fascinating and richly illustrated story about food and nutrition, agriculture and the earth, and is accessible for the general reading public.
WINNER OF THE COMENIUS PRIZE 2014
Louise O. Fresco is one of the biggest experts worldwide in the field of agriculture and nutrition. She has been appointed as President of Wageningen University and Research Center in July last year, recently praised as number one university of the Netherlands. She is a columnist for NRC Handelsblad after years of experience with the United Nations, where she was director of research at the Agriculture Department of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome. Fresco has published both essays and fiction, including The New Food Laws and the novel The Utopians, which was shortlisted for the Libris Literature Prize in 2008.
English sample translation available
Rights sold: France (Éd. Robert Laffont), US (Princeton University Press)
‘A cultural journey through the history and future of our food.’ Reformatorisch Dagblad
‘Louise Fresco constantly builds bridges between different areas of science; all with a view to a more sustainable society, particularly in the area of food production.’ Jury Comenius Prize


“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”
― Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture
A couple of summers ago, I spent three weeks on Holy Isle, a small Scottish island owned entirely by a Buddhist community. Some people visit for a short course or retreat, normally for a week, while there are also long-term volunteers running the kitchens, gardens, and housekeeping. I was somewhere in between – a short term volunteer donating three hours a day to working in the gardens in exchange for a discount on my board and lodging.
There were many jobs that needed to be done in the several acres of garden, which would be shared out each day amongst the volunteers. I quickly became a specialist…. in shovelling pony poo. Ah, the glamour!
There is a small group of wild Eriskay ponies living on the island, descended from domestic animals, and their daily offerings are a rich source of nourishment for the vegetable beds. So each morning I would collect a wheelbarrow and a spade, and set out in search of manurish goodness. It’s really not as gross as it sounds – really just recycled grass, and not at all offensive. Once I’d exhausted the supply of poo within wheelbarrowing distance of the gardens, I’d collect seaweed from the rocky shore, or bracken from the hillsides. There were also separate compost heaps for the garden scraps, encased in chicken wire cages to keep rats away.
The end result of these various additions, suitably rotted down, was a rich, nutritious soil supplement, perfect for growing delicious vegetables. What we tend to rather disrespectfully call soil (UK), or dirt (US), is actually a complex ecosystem unto itself. It is estimated that a single teaspoon (1 gram) of rich garden soil can hold up to one billion bacteria, several yards of fungal filaments, several thousand protozoa, and scores of nematodes. Look out at your back garden, and marvel!
For many centuries, farmers knew that soil health was vital. Crop rotation ensured that nutrients were returned to the soil, and mitigated the build-up of pathogens and pests (see last week’s blog post on pesticides). But then we entered the modern era, and farming, like so many other areas of human activity, became about more, more, more, and faster, faster, faster. Cue artificial fertilisers.
Artificial fertilisers are not all bad. I’d like to make that clear at the start. The Haber process led to the Green Revolution, which increased the number of humans that could be fed from 1 hectare of land (2.47 acres) from 1.9 to 4.3. Millions have been lifted out of starvation over the last 40 years. Farmers working the poor soils in parts of Africa wouldn’t be able to feed their families without artificial fertilisers.
But there is a price to pay. Only 17% of the nitrogen used in fertilisers ends up in our food; the rest ends up in soil and water. And unfortunately nitrogen is also a great fertiliser for algae and bacteria. Fertiliser that ends up in lakes and the ocean causes massive blooms of algae, which use up the oxygen dissolved in the water, suffocating other species and creating dead zones. Right now, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is hitting the headlines, expected to expand to over 8,000 square miles this summer, fuelled by the Midwest floods that washed fertilizer into the Mississippi River, which then disgorged it into the Gulf. Chesapeake Bay has another large dead zone. Around the world, 405 dead zones have been identified, affecting an area of 95,000 square miles, about the size of New Zealand.
Further, producing fertilisers pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. The Haber reaction requires burning fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide. And other potent greenhouse gases, including nitrous oxide, are also released while making and using fertiliser.
So, can we have the best of both worlds – feed all the human mouths without damaging the soil and killing the oceans?
According to this BBC article:
“The truth is that it would be impossible to feed a growing global population using purely organic farming methods. And because organic farming is relatively inefficient (yields are on average 25% lower) compared to modern technological methods, vast new tracts of land would need to be used, which would further impact our forests and other ecological spaces.”
It turns out that different parts of the world need different solutions. African farmers need access to synthetic fertilisers if they are going to catch up with the rest of the world in crop production, as the soil they work with is so poor. But in Africa, as everywhere else, farmers should be encouraged to “micro-dose” their crops with exactly the right amount of fertilizer, which is more efficient financially, and minimises the problem of agricultural run-off creating dead zones.
In the US, Department of Agriculture (USDA) researcher Rick Haney advocates natural methods such as ploughing less, growing cover crops, and using biological controls to keep pests in check. He says:
“We were applying fertilizers and getting these big yields, so that system seemed to be working — until we began seeing, for example, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico [created by algal blooms triggered by high nitrogen levels from fertilizer], and we started wondering if this was really working right. Are we putting on too much fertilizer? And the answer is, “Yes we are.” It’s like instead of feeding your children a balanced diet, let’s just feed them vitamins. That’s not going to work, is it?”
He also sees a win-win in using cover crops, old-style, to not only enrich the soil but also to sequester carbon as stipulated in the Paris Accord:
“We should never have soil bare — ever. Right now, farmers leave their fields bare for much of the year. If they would only plant a diverse, multi-species cover crop, just think of the carbon that we could sequester out of the atmosphere and put into the soil on the 150 million acres of corn and wheat land in this country. We could pull a phenomenal amount of carbon back into the soil, which is where it is supposed to be.”
At the domestic, individual level, what can we do?
We can buy organic. The UK’s Soil Association, in accordance with EU law (at least until Brexit), requires that certified organic food has been grown with no artificial fertilizers. It was a bit harder to make out what the USDA policy is, although it does state that “most” artificial fertilizers are prohibited.
We can choose to use only organic fertilizers on our gardens. If you don’t happen to have access to pony poo and seaweed, you can still use compost from garden waste, leaves, grass clippings, teabags, and even paper and cardboard. (Good tips from the Eden Project.)
We can convert lawns into flower borders or vegetable beds. Lawns can be intensive in terms of watering, mowing, and fertilizing, and they are food deserts for bees and other nectar-seeking insects. (12 reasons to get rid of your lawn here.)
In a couple of weeks I’m off to Schumacher College to do a course on Gardening as a Spiritual Practice. It may not include my particular specialisation of shoveling pony poo, but I’m sure I will learn a lot. I will report back in due course!


What if you could improve your curb appeal and support the environment at the same time? There has been much “buzz” lately about the importance of creating habitats for bees and pollinating insects. When the bee population declines, so does the ability to produce the fruits and vegetables that we eat. We need our bees to take the “sting” out of hunger. They are our busy friends who spread the pollen from plant to plant, insuring that we go on eating.
Here are three tips for things that you can do to make friends with the bees in your neighborhood while also improving your curb appeal…
Tip #1 Plant bee friendly flowers
Flowers will beautify your landscape and provide plenty of pollen for the bees. If you don’t have a lot of land, small flowering plants can be placed in window boxes and borders around your home. Remember to plant different types of flowers which bloom throughout the growing season. The bees and insects will have something to feed upon for the entire season.
Here are some ideas for what to grow…
Spring: Try planting crocus, hyacinth, borage, calendula, and wild lilac.
Summer: Bees love to feast on bee balm, cosmos, echinacea, snapdragons, foxglove, and hosta.
Fall: Zinnias, sedum, asters, witch hazel and goldenrod will tempt late season foragers.
Tip #2 Plant flowering fruit trees
Fruit trees are ideal for bees. They love to help you produce delicious fruit by flying from blossom to blossom and spreading the pollen around. Many fruit trees need to be planted in pairs (at a minimum) in order to cross pollinate. Be sure to check on this with your nursery before purchasing. If you have a bit of land or a longer driveway that you would like to line with trees, consider the option of fruit trees or bushes. You will have gorgeous flowers in the spring and delicious fruit in the fall.
Tip #3 Skip the pesticide
One of the major causes that scientists site for the dwindling bee population is the use of pesticides. To keep your bee friends happy and healthy… and also to maintain your own personal health, refrain from using toxic pesticides on your lawn, flowers and fruit trees whenever possible. You can research companion planting if you want to know how to naturally repel the invasive insects and diseases that could affect your garden without the use of pesticides.
Just imagine the appeal of walking barefoot in your pesticide free lawn, smelling the amazing aroma of your beautiful flower garden, while eating a piece of fruit that your bee friends made possible for you to grow!
Sandy Freschi is a Buyer Agent on The Power Realtors team. She and her husband Bob are the owners of Depot Street Orchard in Jonesborough, TN.


Austria is paying interest rates for agricultural investment loans and farmers repay only principle. Provinces also provide stimulations. Purchase of tractors and farming machinery are currently being stimulated. Province is sub-financing up to 50% funds. Austria received over 4 billion euros from EU in the period from 2007 to 2013 for incentivizing agriculture and provided four billions more, amounting stimulations for Austrian agriculture to over 8 billion euros in that period!
The head of the representative office of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) Office in Austria, Vera Vidović has been living and working in Austria for 25 years. She is quite familiar with economic situation of this EU member and she often stresses, when she talks to our entrepreneurs visiting Austria or at meetings here in Serbia, that we should apply many elements which made Austrian economy and agriculture one of the most developed. Especially in agricultural sector since Austrians annually collect 4 billion euros from agriculture.
– Austria is highly developed country where, according to Austrian statistics data for 2012, almost 4 billion euros or 1.4% GDP is collected in primary sector – agriculture, forest and fishing industries. Austrian agriculture is continuously growing in accordance with global market requests along with increased demand for ecologically produced agricultural products – Vera Vidović states for Biznis magazine.
However, she stresses that Austrian agriculture is not growing by itself. Its development is managed by the state which, in accordance with measures of EU policy and its active effect on their adoption, regulations and financial support, directs its development. Since Austria joined EU in 1995, the development of agriculture has been intensified and complete agriculture attained a new quality: number of farmsteads decreased (from 239,000 to 173,000) but the size of farmsteads increased (from 15.3 to 19.5 acres), number of cattle decreased, but the production of milk increased, Vera Vidović explains.
Read more in print edition


By Hannah Brennan & Burcu Kilic
Click here to access a PDF Version of this article
On October 16, 2014, a new draft of the intellectual property chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was leaked. The TPP is a free trade agreement currently being negotiated in secret between the governments of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. The intellectual property chapter released in October contains a plant-related intellectual property provision proposed by the United States and Japan that could pose a serious threat to food security within the lower-income parties to the TPP. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) on plants endow plant breeders and seed manufacturers with varying degrees of control over the propagating materials (seeds, tissue cultures, cuttings) and sometimes harvested materials (fruits, foliage, flowers) of any new plant variety they create.
The newly released chapter reveals that the TPP will require signatories to make patents on plants or plant-related inventions available as well as accede to the 1991 version of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (1991 UPOV). Currently, most nations, including the majority of parties negotiating the TPP, set their own plant protection policies without interference from international authorities. Most nations have not acceded to the 1991 UPOV, and only a handful offer patents on plants or plant-related inventions. If implemented, the new provisions of the TPP would force many of the negotiating parties—in particular, the less wealthy states—to dramatically alter their domestic laws. For example, the new TPP language will prohibit farmers from saving and exchanging many varieties of seeds—a practice vital to the livelihood and welfare of traditional farming communities—and most likely increase multinational control of the farming industry in TPP nations. This short piece examines the TPP’s new plant-related language and its implications for the human right to food within TPP signatory nations.
II. The TPP’s Provision on Plant-Related Intellectual Property
Article QQ.E.1 of the TPP’s chapter on intellectual property outlines the scope of patentability under the agreement. The United States and Japan have proposed a provision reading: “each Party shall make patents available for inventions for plants and animals.” Alternatively, Japan and the United States propose the language: “[c]onsistent with paragraph 1, each Party confirms that it makes available patents for plant-related inventions,” with a footnote explaining that “[f]or greater certainty, no Party shall be required to make patents available for plant varieties that are protectable in that Party under the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants  (UPOV Convention).” The other parties to the TPP oppose this language and instead propose that plants be listed among the materials a party may exclude from patentability, i.e., among the list of materials for which the parties do not have to offer patent protection. Furthermore, article QQ.A.8.1(c) provides that all parties to the TPP must accede to the 1991 UPOV. Therefore, under the proposals from the U.S. and Japan, the TPP would force the negotiating parties to either make patents on plants available in addition to protecting plant varieties under the 1991 UPOV or make patents available for plant-related inventions in addition to protecting plant varieties under the 1991 UPOV. Currently, six of the twelve TPP signatories have not acceded to the 1991 UPOV, and only three parties make plant patents available, as the table below demonstrates.
III. Patents on Plant-Related Inventions
A patent grants its holder the right to exclude all others from manufacturing, using, or selling the product on which the patent was granted. A plant patent can be described as a patent on a plant as a whole, whereas a patent on a plant-related invention would be a patent on a particular aspect or feature of a plant, such one of its genes. Some patent systems allow individuals to obtain patents on both plants and features of those plants. For example, the seed manufacturer Monsanto inserted an herbicide-resistant gene into the genome of a soybean plant, enabling that soybean plant to resist a certain type of herbicide. Monsanto was able to obtain patent protection on both the herbicide-resistant gene and the soybean plant into which it was inserted in United States, which offers patent protection on plants and plant-related inventions. The patent on the plant excludes others from the use and sale of the pesticide-resistant plant; the patent on the gene (the plant-related invention) excludes others from the use and sale of any organism containing that gene.
IV. 1991 UPOV
The International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) requires its signatories to provide plant variety protection to breeders for the creation or discovery of any plant that is novel, distinct, homogenous, and stable. Under this agreement, breeders and multinational seed manufactures can obtain exclusive rights over the propagating materials of plants they create, whether these plants were bred through traditional cross-breeding techniques (more common among farmers in the developing world) or genetic engineering. The 1991 UPOV also specifies that certain discovered plant varieties qualify for protection. These exclusive rights are known as breeders’ rights.
Once a breeder or seed manufacturer has obtained plant variety protection on a plant, the 1991 UPOV allows this rights holder to exclude all others from producing or reproducing the protected plant, offering that plant for sale, and exporting or importing the plant. Importantly, these exclusive rights apply not only to the plant’s propagating materials, but also to its harvested materials in certain circumstances. This provision enables breeders to gain greater control over trade in processed foods, ornamentals, and other high-value commodities. Finally, the 1991 UPOV permits member states to obtain both a breeders’ right and a patent on a particular variety of plant.
Nevertheless, the 1991 UPOV does provide for two important exceptions to the exclusive rights granted to breeders and seed manufacturers. First, Article 15(1)(ii) requires member states to allow breeders to use and experiment with protected plant varieties for the purpose of creating and marketing new varieties. This provision preserves farmers’ ability to create new beneficial crops, therein maintaining and enhancing biodiversity. Second, Article 15(1)(i) allows farmers to plant the seeds of protected plant varieties on their land for noncommercial purposes without the breeders’ prior authorization. However, this privilege does not permit farmers to sell or exchange seeds with other farmers for propagating purposes. Therefore, this privilege only protects a farmer’s right to use protected plants as food source for himself and his family; it does not enable a farmer to sell or trade a protected variety to others.
These two exceptions render the 1991 UPOV significantly less restrictive than patent protection, which does not permit exceptions for experimentation or personal consumption. Therefore, the TPP’s real significance with respect to plants lies in its new requirement of patent protection on plants or plant-related inventions.
V. Implications of Heightened Plant-Related Intellectual Property Rights for the Protection of the Human Right to Food
Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights protect the right to food. Article 11 further provides that all people have the right “[t]o improve methods of production, conservation and distribution of food by making full use of technical and scientific knowledge, . . . by developing or reforming agrarian systems in such a way as to achieve the most efficient development and utilization of natural resources.” Therefore, critically, this covenant not only guarantees the right to food, but also to methods of food production.
Worldwide, at least 1.5 billion individuals depend on small-scale farming for their livelihoods. For such farmers, saving, selling, and exchanging seed in informal markets is pervasive and essential to the viability of their farming practices. Often accounting for 98% of seed supply in developing nations, informal seed-trading systems enable farmers to access a stock of different plant genes. These supplies of seed varieties are crucial to the improvement and conservation of traditional varieties that are well adapted to local environments. Accordingly, these informal seed supply systems play “a fundamental role in ensuring household food security.”
Implementation of the 1991 UPOV and/or plant patents (no matter if they are on plants or plant-related inventions) will enable breeders and multinational seed manufacturers to remove many previously unprotected varieties of plants from the public domain and bar exchange of these varieties on informal seed markets, greatly impacting the breadth of seeds available in these markets. Because plant patents as well as 1991 UPOV prevent farmers from selling and exchanging protected seeds, such IPR provisions prevent farmers from cultivating and selling improved crops that have been granted protection. As a recent report found, “[f]rom a human rights perspective, restrictions on the use, exchange and sale of protected seeds could adversely affect the right to food, as seeds might become either more costly or harder to access. These restrictions could also affect other human rights, by reducing the amount of household income which is available for food, healthcare or education.” The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food further warned that “[t]he oligopolistic structure of [the breeders’] market may result in poor farmers being deprived of access to seeds[,] productive resources essential for their livelihoods, and it could raise the price of food, thus making food less affordable for the poorest.” Accordingly, the U.S. and Japan’s plant-related intellectual property provision could threaten the right to food in Pacific-rim nations through the disruption it would cause to informal seed markets and traditional farming practices.
The typical response to this criticism of plant-related intellectual property rights is that farmers are not required to purchase protected seed varieties just because they are available. As the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has explained, however, this contention “presupposes that farmers have real alternatives to acquiring their seed from the commercial system.” Unfortunately, “the coexistence between farmers’ seed systems — operating at local or community levels between farmers, and mostly informal — and commercial seed systems is sometimes problematic. . . . Farmers often receive commercial varieties as part of a package that includes credit (often vouchers), seed, fertilizer and pesticide. In many cases, acceptance of such packages is the only way farmers can access credit in rural areas. They need to accept the whole package in order to do so.” Thus, governmental involvement in seed and fertilizer distribution complicates the seed supply system such that avoidance of commercial seed varieties is often infeasible.
Increased intellectual property protection of plant varieties may also skew incentives in the seed industry in ways that reduce genetic diversity among plants, causing harm to developing nations. Plant variety protection does not encourage breeding related to minor crops with small markets “because the likelihood of good returns on breeders’ research investment is small even with the legal protection provided by [plant variety protection].” Instead, intellectual property rights on plant varieties create incentives for breeding major crops with significant commercial potential. This trend is already visible: very little research has been directed towards developing new varieties of foods important in the developing world, such as tropical maize, sorghum, millet, banana, cassava, groundnut, oilseed, potato or sweet potato. Accordingly, implementation of the 1991 UPOV and a system of plant patents in TPP nations may further reorient crop development towards the needs of farmers in rich countries at the expense of farmers in developing countries.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has decried the increasing pressure on low- and middle-income countries to adopt national legislation that increases intellectual property protection on plants. More specifically, he has criticized free trade agreements that require the introduction of patent protection for plants or legislation implementing the 1991 UPOV. A recent report from a network of NGOs, including the Third World Network and the Berne Declaration, echoed this criticism, noting that governments in industrialized nations regularly pressure developing countries into introducing stringent intellectual property protection for plants.
The TPP’s current provision on plant intellectual property rights is not only an example of that mounting pressure, but also, in and of itself, would serve to augment it. In requiring parties to implement the 1991 UPOV Agreement and make plant patents available, the TPP further normalizes the pressure on developing nations to jeopardize farmers’ rights and food security in favor of unclear gains in biotechnical research and development. Ascension to the 1991 UPOV will force many TPP parties to trade away the food security of their populations for the benefit of breeders—primarily large multinational corporations.
 Hannah Brennan is a Legal Fellow in Public Citizen’s Global Access to Medicines Program. Burcu Kilic is Legal Counsel to Public Citizen’s Global Access to Medicines Program.
 Secret TPP Treaty: Intellectual Property Chapter Working Document for all 12 Nations with Negotiating Positions, WikiLeaks (Oct. 16, 2014), http://wikileaks.org/tpp-ip2/tpp-ip2-chapter.pdf [hereinafter Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) – IP Chapter].
 Under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), member nations are permitted to “provide for the protection of plant varieties either by patents or by an effective sui generis system or by any combination thereof.” Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights art. 27.3(b), Apr. 15, 1994, Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, Annex 1C, 108 Stat. 4809, 1869 U.N.T.S. 299, http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/27-trips.pdf [hereinafter Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights]. Furthermore, some of the parties to the TPP have already signed free trade agreements with the United States (Australia, Canada, Chile, Korea, Mexico, Peru, and Singapore). However, these agreements allow the parties more flexibility with respect to plant-related patents.
 Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) – IP Chapter, supra note 2, art. QQ.E.1.
 Id. art. QQ.E.1.3.
 Id. art. QQ.E.1.3 n.55.
 Id. art. QQ.E.1.4(b).
 This table originally appeared in Burcu Kilic, Hannah Brennan, and Peter Maybarduk, 40 Yale J. Int’l L. Online 34 (2015), available at http://www.yjil.org/docs/pub/o-40-killic.pdf.
 Members and Observers, World Trade Org., http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm (last visited Sept. 30, 2014).
 Members of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, Int’l Union for Protection New Variants Plants (June 10, 2014), http://www.upov.int/export/sites/upov/members/en/pdf/pub423.pdf.
 However, Brunei will join the UPOV by 2015. Intellectual Property Office of Brunei Darussalam, Intellectual Property Regime, Brunei-Patents, http://www.brunei-patents.com.bn/index.php/about-us/ip-regime (last visited Sept. 30, 2014).
 Brunei’s current patent law neither explicitly includes nor excludes plants from its provision on patentable subject matter. See Brunei Darussalam Patent Order 2011, Part III, World Intell. Prop. Org. (Oct. 17, 2011), http://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/bn/bn027en.pdf.
 See Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser,  1 S.C.R. 902 (Can.) (explaining that patents on plant genes and cells are valid but patents on plants are not); Harvard Coll. v. Canada, (Commissioner of Patents), 2002 S.C.C. 76, 5, 7 (“Since patenting higher life forms would involve a radical departure from the traditional patent regime, and since the patentability of such life forms is a highly contentious matter that raises a number of extremely complex issues, clear and unequivocal legislation is required for higher life forms to be patentable. The current Act does not clearly indicate that higher life forms are patentable.”).
 The Andean Pact countries, which include Peru, have chosen not to grant patents on plants. Decision 486: Common Intellectual Property Regime, art. 20 (Sept. 14, 2000), available at http://www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/can/can012en.pdf.
 What is a Patent?, Intell. Prop. Off. of Sing., http://www.ipos.gov.sg/AboutIP/TypesofIPWhatisIntellectualProperty/Whatisapatent.aspx (last updated Dec. 12, 2013).
 Vietnam Intellectual Property Law 50/2005, Art. 59(5); see also Nguyen Nguyet Dzung, Vietnam Patent Law Substantive Law Provisions and Existing Uncertainties, 6 Chi.-Kent J. Intell. Prop. 138, 142 (2007).
 U.S. Patent No. 5,633,435.
 International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, art. 5(1), Mar. 19, 1991, http://www.upov.int/en/publications/conventions/1991/act1991.htm [hereinafter UPOV 1991].
 Id. art. 1(iv).
 Id. art. 14(1)(a).
 Id. art. 14(2).
 Laurence R. Helfer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Intellectual property rights in plant varieties International legal regimes and policy options for national governments 26 (2004), available at http://www.fao.org/3/a-y5714e.pdf.
 UPOV 1991, supra note 19, arts. 15(1)(ii), 14(5)(a).
 Id. arts. 15(1)(i).
 Jayashree Watal, Intellectual Property Rights in the WTO and Developing Countries 141 (2000).
 G.A. Res. 2200A art. 11, U.N. GAOR 3d Comm., 21st Sess., Supp. No. 16, at 48, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966) [hereinafter ICESCR].
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights art. 25, G.A. Res. 217A, U.N. Doc. A/810 (1948).
 ICESCR, supra note 27, art. 11.
 Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Report on Seed Policies and The Right to Food, General Assembly, ¶ 24, U.N. Doc. A/64/170 (July 23, 2009) (by Olivier De Schutter), available at http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/officialreports/20091021_report-ga64_seed-policies-and-the-right-to-food_en.pdf [Hereinafter De Schutter, Report on Seed Policies].
 Berne Declaration, Owning Seeds, Accessing Food: A Human Rights Impact Assessment of UPOV 1991 Based on Case Studies in Kenya, Peru, and the Philippines 7, 24 (2014), available at https://www.evb.ch/fileadmin/files/documents/Saatgut/2014_07_10_Owning_Seed_-_Accessing_Food_report_def.pdf [hereinafter Berne Declaration].
 Claudio Chiarolla, The Right to Food and Intellectual Property for Plant Genetic Resources, in Research Handbook on Human Rights and Intellectual Property 13 (Edward Elgar ed., 2014); see Berne Declaration, supra note 31, at 7.
 See Berne Declaration, supra note 31, at 7 (“There is an important interaction between the formal and informal sectors whereby seeds from the formal sector are integrated into the informal sector by seed saving, exchange and sale of farm-saved seeds. Small-scale farmers also use “improved” varieties, which in some cases are protected by plant breeders’ rights.”).
 Chiarolla, The Right to Food, supra note 33, at 13; see Berne Declaration, supra note 31, at 7.
 See Berne Declaration, supra note 31, at 7, 14; Geoff Tansey, The Future Control of Food 41 (2008).
 Berne Declaration, supra note 31, at 7.
 De Schutter, Report on Seed Policies, supra note 30, at ¶ 27; see also Berne Declaration, supra note 30, at 7 (“In the case of protected varieties, seed costs drive production expenses further up. From a human rights perspective, higher production costs pose a risk for cash-strapped farmers as they affect the stability of their household budget and compete with other essential household expenditures, including for food.”).
 De Schutter, Report on Seed Policies, supra note 30, at ¶ 36.
 Id. at ¶ 24 (“[T]he expansion of surfaces cultivated with commercial seeds accelerates crop diversity erosion, as an increasing number of farmers grow the same crops, using the same, ‘improved’ varieties on their fields.”); Tansey, supra note 36, at 41; S. Ragavan, To Sow or Not to Sow: Dilemmas in Creating New Rights in Food, in Agricultural and Biotechnology and Intellectual Property: Seeds of Change 318, 323-24 (J. Kesan ed., 2007).
 Tansey, supra note 36, at 41.
 See id.; De Schutter, Report on Seed Policies, supra note 29, at ¶ 34.
 De Schutter, Report on Seed Policies, supra note 29, at ¶ 34.
 Id., at ¶ 40 (“This convention prohibits the commercialization of varieties which are essentially derived from a PVP-protected variety (article 14 (5)), and farmers are now prohibited from exchanging or selling seeds saved from the harvest of protected varieties (article 15). In order to circumvent these limitations, developing countries where the function of traditional, farmers’ seed systems is most important both for the prevention of genetic erosion and for the livelihoods of farming communities should design sui generis forms of protection of plant varieties which allow these systems to flourish, even if this means adopting non-UPOV compliant legislation.”).
 Id., at ¶ 18.
 Berne Declaration, supra note 31, at 46.
 Harbir Singh, Plant Variety Protection and Food Security: Lessons for Developing Countries, 12 J. Intell. Prop. L. 391, 396 (2007) (“Data on the North American seed market revealed that in case of hybrid corn and soybean, top five companies account for 69% and 51% share, respectively. In case of cottonseed, Monsanto alone controls 84% of the market on account of its purchase of Delta and Pine Land.”).
[…] fuentes que ya hemos difundido en nuestro face: Impacto en Semillas/ Universidad de Harvard: http://harvardhrj.com/2015/04/freeing-trade-at-the-expense-of-local-crop-markets-a-look-at-the-trans… Impacto en medicinas / Medicos sin Fronteras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvCJ4ZUBZE4 Impacto […]
[…] de los derechos vulnerados serían el de la soberanía alimentaria. Según investigadores de la Universidad de Harvard, el TPP obligaría a los países menos ricos a adecuarse al cien porciento al convenio […]


20 December 2021
The local forest development cooperative, ‘Qaabatoo Tokkoffaa’, is one of OFLP supported CBOs that have accomplished an exemplary Afforestation/Reforestation activity. It is based in Fugo Serda kebele ,Becho wereda of EAB zone. It has 91 members with 22 of them female.
Members of the cooperative have successfully reforested 4.1 hectares of degraded land in their locality. In so doing, they have planted and nurtured over 12,000 trees since the CBO was established in 2019. The area has now been, changed into forest. As a result, ‘Qaabatoo Tokkoffaa’ has succeeded to be one of the CBOs in the wereda that have benefitted OFLP’s livelihood support grant. Accordingly, its members have received 125,000 birr that has enabled them to engage in animal fattening.
Youth Desalegn Arega is chairman of the cooperative. He says, he and members of his cooperative are so glad to receive the livelihood grant as this would significantly help them improve the living and further strengthen their activity.
He also explains their plan to uphold their income:
‘‘We are so motivated to work harder and further scale up our capital so as to improve the livelihood of CBO members. We are, hence planning to intensify our income by increasing the number of oxen and starting milk and honey production. Also, we want to grow spices in the forest.’’


Reading about the 'fire-y' methods of ecosystemic control employed by the native Americans in North America reminded me of a similar, interesting example; that of the use of fire by farmers in India and their ensuing social/business interactions with goat-herding nomads.
My family comes from a small village in the Konkan area of coastal western India, and we traditionally have a growing season of 4 months coinciding with the monsoon. Paddy is the staple crop. After the rice is harvested in September, the land is allowed to lie fallow till April-May. However, right after the crop is harvested, the fields are burned in controlled fires to clear any remains of the rice stalks on the ground or any weeds that might have lodged themselves in the field. The ash is later used as a natural fertilizer. However, as in the case of North American Indians, the farmers in the Konkan are aware that a profusion of (in this case, unwanted) grasses and shrubs begin to shoot up soon after the fires. The farmers deal with this by making a 'contract' with the dhangars, a nomadic tribe of goat- and sheep-herders. The farmers allow the dhangars to live and trespass on their fields and lands, in return for which the goats and sheep of the tribe graze on the succulent new grasses. This means that the unwanted weeds and grasses are controlled without any expense to the farmer, while the dhangars are able to perpetuate their herds. It is a win-win situation for everyone.


Going Green: The Easy Guide to Being Environmentally Conscious
Growing your own herbs.
Authentic 22nd Dec, 2020
As many of us are going green, or becoming more environmentally conscious, people are starting looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and use of plastic. One way of doing this is growing your own. This leads to less miles on the clock in going to the supermarket and no plastic packaging, plus homegrown tastes great.
Not everyone has the space to grow their own fruit and vegetables however, particularly in a flat, or if you don’t have a garden. That isn’t a problem with herbs that can be grown in tiny spaces on windowsills, plus they are a much easier introduction to going green.
Whether you love rosemary with your chicken, basil and thyme in your ratatouille, or a cup of mint tea, growing your own herbs can add real flavour to your cooking. Follow these simple tips and you’ll be cooking up a storm in no time.
Anyone can grow herbs, from novice to gardening guru, seriously, even if you ‘always kill plants’! To start the easy way, look in your supermarket vegetable sections for a mini pot of your favourite herb/s. Then follow the tips and tricks below and never look back.
The golden rule is do not overwater. That’s why most indoor plants die. Avoid this trap by pressing your fingers to the soil, if it sticks to your fingers/feels really wet, the plant doesn’t need watering (tip 3 below helps with this).
If you’re not sure, you’ll know a plant has been overwatered when the soil starts to go green. That’s algae, if this happens don’t panic. It will only be the top layer, just remove the green soil, replace it with new compost and give it the tiniest splash of water.
On the other side of the coin, if the soil goes grey or cracks and dries out completely, you are under watering the plant. Just follow the tips below and you’ll be fine.
Use a pot with a hole/holes in the bottom and put in a shallow dish:
- This stops water leaking everywhere.
- It stops overwatering – never leave any water standing in the dish, the plant should absorb it all. If it doesn’t pour it away and don’t water again until the soil feels fairly dry. This keeps water draining and also stops roots from rotting.
Feed the soil:
Plants outside get nutrients from the earth, indoor plants don’t. You can buy specialist fertiliser but liquid tomato plant food works on most herbs and is easy to find in supermarkets. Just add to water (instructions will be on the bottle) and use once a month.
Most plants need direct sunlight – pop them next to a window. Try to avoid putting them above a radiator as this will dry out the soil and roots.
Watch out for bugs:
The most likely culprits are aphids (blackfly/greenfly), you can’t miss them flying around your plant. Just thoroughly spray the plant with lukewarm, soapy water and put outdoors for 2-5 days, re-spraying daily until they have gone (don’t leave out overnight). You also need to kill the one’s in the house with flypaper/spray etc. The little monsters usually come if the plant isn’t getting enough ventilation so you may need to move it/open a window.
Finally, don’t be afraid of cutting off the leaves and cooking with them, more will grow back, faster in Spring/Summer, slowing down in Autumn/Winter.
A Detailed Breakdown For 4 Popular Herbs:
Basil & Mint
Grows well in full sun and part shade. Most windowsills would work.
- Needs 3-4 hours of direct sunlight per day.
- Water fairly frequently, especially the mint – check the soil a few times a week, daily in warm weather and make sure it stays moist, but not wet, at all times.
- Harvesting – basil and mint will grow Spring-Autumn, die back a little in winter and come back the following year, plus you can freeze the leaves to use year round. Rinse in cold water, shake dry, chop up and pop in an ice cube tray, add water and freeze.
Rosemary & Thyme
Put in a warm place; south facing window sills, conservatories and French windows work well.
- Needs 6 hours of direct sunlight every day.
- Water sparingly – check twice a week but only water when the soil feels dry.
- Harvesting – these herbs are evergreen and grow year round. Leaves can be used fresh or dried.
So what are you waiting for, get green fingered and you’ll soon have fantastically flavoured food. As an added bonus, you can also feel that warm glow of knowing you are being environmentally friendly!


World Ozone Day 2018: Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, Conservation and Environment Protection Authority
Country activities on the occasion of World Ozone Day, 2018
Alternatives for the Use of Glyphosate - Foresight Brief No. 010 October 2018
United Nations Environment Programme
Glyphosate is the most widely applied herbicide in agriculture and is often used in conjunction with crops that are genetically modified. Farmers’ dependency on glyphosate has grown steeply in recent years as it is easy to apply and relatively inexpensive. However, glyphosate is also increasingly controversial, with accumulating evidence that it can lead to a wide range of health and environmental impacts. Two countries have already banned glyphosate and others are considering to do the same. This Foresight Brief shows that there are alternative methods which can help to avoid the use of glyphosate as well as other harmful chemicals to kill weeds. The alternative methods offer the benefits of restoring soil fertility and increasing biodiversity in the environment.


Hemp has been growing extremely popular among herbal enthusiasts in Virginia, and interest in hemp farming has grown tremendously over the years. Our Publisher, a Virginia State University alumna and hemp honey lover, had been looking forward to a trip to Randolph farm to learn more about hemp; but the Commonwealth's "State of Emergency" courtesy of The Rona, has delayed those plans. She reached out to Virginia State University's Department of Agriculture with a few of her questions, and is sharing their insight below.
Virginia State University's Department of Agriculture and Hemp Farming
Under Farm Bill 2014, Virginia State University got permission to conduct research on industrial hemp. VSU started hemp research on 2016 (hemp pilot project) and expanding its research and development activities since then. There is huge interest on industrial hemp among growers due to its multiple uses. Growers are attracted to this new crop and there is rapid growth in terms of number of growers and area under cultivation every year in Virginia.
Recently, big and state-of- the-art processing facility established in Virginia. Processing hemp is difficult and requires huge economic investments. It is a major hurdle for hemp industry and especially for small farmers/grower. With this, we hope it will help farmers for processing and marketing of the produces.
Rules and regulations for importing seeds from Europe and Canada have been changed and become more realistic. It will definitely help growers and suppliers to get seeds from foreign companies in time for planting. It has provided option/choice for farmers. Several land-grant and private universities in VA started research and extension activities on hemp and trying to develop suitable/profitable technologies for hemp research. More information and resources for hemp cultivation will be available in near future. It will definitely help farmers/growers for profitable hemp cultivation.
How will COVID-19 Impact the Future Hemp Harvest?
This pandemic situation can affect hemp harvest and industry. If this situation prevails for longer time, the impact would be much bigger than we think now. Planting season is coming and there would be huge shortage of seeds and planting materials. It would definitely reduce to planting area and increase risk for harvesting and processing due to limited transportation, limited movement and lock down in several parts of US.
How has Your Hemp Already Been Impacted?
Spring season is already here and planting time is coming. We do not have enough time left for hemp planting. We already felt the impact of this situation and it may affect our research and development activities this year at Virginia State University. We are importing hemp seed mainly from Europe (Italy is one of the major supplier of hemp seed). All world is struggling with COVID-19 and seed suppliers (with whom we are in touch) are not getting seeds in time due to this situation. So, we are not sure when will we get the seeds from them and there is no seed suppliers for these varieties in US.
Starting Your Seeds
Growing a Salsa Garden:
Tips for Hemp Gardeners:
There are some important points I want to share with hemp gardeners:
Selection of good variety/clones according to your objective.
Get seed materials/clones from reliable sources.
Industrial Hemp Trainings at Virginia State University:
Virginia State University has been conducting an annual hemp field day every year. It is really
a good platform for all stakeholders involved in hemp industry. Last year it was a huge success with large number of participants (around 480). During this program, several invited speakers provided valuable information about growing and processing/analysis of hemp. We also organized field visit at VSU Randolph Farm and had discussion/interaction with participant on various aspects of hemp research and variety selection/ planting dates. We were planning for hemp field day for this year too.
Due to current situation, it is in hold for now and we are carefully evaluating the situation. If situation improves, we will organize the field day during growing season. It would be a great opportunity for growers. If the situation prevails for longer, then we will try to reach out to growers and related people through virtual field tours during growing season through social media.
Mrs. Michelle Olgers
Mr. Christopher D. Mullins
Mr. Ramesh Dhakal, PhD
VSU Department of Agriculture


This is Ella Goodbinder reporting on the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species that is causing harm to trees in our area.
This species, native to southeast Asia, has already done damage to communities and several lanternflies have been seen around the Harriton campus. While causing no known harm to animals or humans, the spotted lanternflies threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs for those in the farming industry and are spreading across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Northern Virginia.
The spotted lanternfly feeds on the sap of trees, and they discharge a material known as Honeydew. This sticky substance creates conditions such that when many spotted lanternflies attack, the crops or tree inhabited can die. One of the reasons the spotted lanternfly is so hard to exterminate is because they can lay eggs anywhere, not just on plants. They can lay them in the tires of cars, for example, and each small egg cluster can have 30-50 eggs each.
Some pesticides can be used to stop the attack on a tree, but they are not always effective and can harm the tree as well. Both the U.S. and Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture are working to suppress and eliminate these flies using biological solutions. Until then they have asked that all spotted lanternflies are to be killed and reported on their respective websites.
For Harriton TV, this is Ella Goodbinder. Now, back to the news desk.


cultivation of cannabis can be traced back at least 12,000 years,
which places the plant among humanity's oldest cultivated crops.
Cannabis plants are believed to have evolved in Central Asia in the
regions of Mongolia and southern Siberia. The earliest cultural
evidence of Cannabis comes from the oldest known Neolithic culture in
China, the Yangshao, who appeared along the Yellow River valley.
From 5,000 to 3,000 B.C the economy of the Yangshao was
cannabis-driven. Archaeological evidence shows they wore hemp
clothing, wove hemp, and produced hemp pottery.
ancient-origins.net, 22 July, 2016 by Natalia Klimczak


After spending about 7 hours leveling my soil and planting new seed along the side of our house, I was so excited to see it grow. Our neighbors have been very respectful about not walking on our newly planted yards. However, their landscapers today mowed over our soil bed on the side of hour house and dragged a heavy cart and completely destroyed all my hard work!!! All the seeds are gone, the soil has tire marks through the center. How frustrating! I tried talking to the guy and he literally did not care at all. I have to redo it now so do guys have any suggestions to prevent this from happening again?


Joseph Norton Academy Wooden Spoon Farm Opens in Yorkshire
SATURDAY April 1st saw the opening of the Joseph Norton Academy Wooden Spoon Farm, in Scissett, Huddersfield.
Wooden Spoon Yorkshire Committee attended the opening of this fantastic project and the opening was also attended by parents, teachers and representatives of Kirklees Council. Wooden Spoon Yorkshire Region chairman Stuart Watson cut the ribbon to declare the project open, following which the farm manager gave a tour of the superb new facilities.
With the backing of Wooden Spoon Yorkshire the school has taken a run down garden area and transformed it into a mini farm.
A refurbished polytunnel and raised beds give the pupils the chance to grow their own food. Alongside this, the pigmy goats, chickens and rabbits help them enjoy the wonderful experience of animal husbandry. A pig enclosure has also been built, but a yew tree and its poisonous leaves need to be removed before pigs can be brought onto the farm.
The school is the areas only special school catering for pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health difficulties. As the head explained, the farm helps the pupils develop a sense of responsibility and empathy, improves their confidence and their ability to build relationships and work together. All in all an inspiring project for all involved.
Stuart Watson commended this as a project that Wooden Spoon members can be proud of for many years to come as it makes a big difference to the education and well-being of the pupils at the school.


One of the most amazing things about Albania was the FRESH produce. Some of the best tomatoes, cucumbers and Watermelon I have had in my life. Along with fresh bread every day. It was amazing.
As I was watering the front garden yesterday I realized my neighbors tomato plant was heavy laden with fruit. I watered the plant and harvested the fruit intending to pass it along to them, hoping for a few myself. Instead they told me I could have 90% of the batch--about 3-4 lbs of tomato! So excited about my harvest I realized my small group was scheduled to have community pizza night the next day. So, I looked online for a "home-made pizza sauce" recipe. The best one I saw just gave some general guidelines... that's my kind of cooking. So here's how it went.
mince garlic... about 6-8 cloves let sit in olive oil and salt while prepping other items
chop/blend tomatoes. I started chopping, but it looked to chunky, so then I blended it all up.
chop/mince basil about a handful
simmer garlic for 2-4 minutes over medium heat in a large pot (big enough for the whole batch)
add a pinch or two of crushed red peppers for some heat (stirring constantly)
drop in tomatoes, turn up the heat and stir occasionally until it reaches a boil.
reduce heat to a simmer and let it reduce
Stir in Oregano, Rosemary, Salt and Pepper
(simmer about 30-45 minutes)
Sorry I don't have more details, it's more an art than a science, and a whole lot more fun that way.
Fun with Food.


LEBANON FARMERS’ MARKET
Located in Downtown Lebanon, Missouri
OPEN APRIL 15th, 2023
Your Lebanon, Missouri’s Farmers’ Market is committed to providing you and your loved ones with a wide variety of the best, most nutritious products available, as well as a little fresh air!
QUALITY & VARIETY
01 FRESH PRODUCE
Delicious and uncommon varieties of fruits and vegetables, as well as traditional favorites. All our produce is fresh and locally grown by our vendors.
02 BAKED GOODS
Fresh-baked breads, rolls, muffins, cakes, cookies, pies, and whatever else our artisans come up with for the season. Stock up for the week or get a fun snack for the family (or yourself).
03 SPECIALTY GOODS
Locally-produced raw wildflower honey, jams, beard balms, lip balms, and more.
Pastured Beef, frozen chickens, duck and lots of eggs. Grab some beef sticks while they last too.
05 PLANTS & FLOWERS
A variety of small to medium sized bedding plants including lots of beautiful flowers to take home as decoration or plant into your gardens.
06 HAND-MADE CRAFTS
Quality hand-made crafts, clothing, and collectables. These include local crafted jewelries, art, other amazing innovations and collected pieces.
Explore Each Week
See What’s New
With so many vendors, and so many great products, you never know who or what will be at the market. Visit us whenever you can to see exactly what great products our passionate vendors are able to share with our community each week!
We accept Credit/Debit/SNAP/EBT
BECOME A VENDOR
Want to share your great locally-produced products with Lebanon, Missouri and surrounding areas? Then join us as a vendor. It’s easier than you think!
Dates & Events
FARMERS’ MARKET’S LATEST NEWS
First Weekend of 2022
Thank you to all our vendors and everyone who came out to support the local farming and crafting community. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Preparing for the 2022 Season
We are working hard to prepare for opening up our 2022 market season on Saturday, April 16, 2022. Our returning vendors are already working to make sure they will have the products you are looking for. As soon as our season ended last year, we started receiving phone...
Wednesday Hours for 2022 (Update)
When we started the market, we had envisioned customers stopping by on their way home from work on Wednesdays. In reality, for the most part, our Wednesday customers have been seniors and stay at home moms. The first hour or two is busy, then the rest of the day is...
We just want to thank all the farmers and small gardeners who work so hard to plant and harvest all the good things we sometimes take for granted. It just wouldn’t be summer around here without the fresh veggies and home baked bread and jelly and all the other things all of you bring each season.


Composting has been popular since the formation of civilization. Before public services such as trash and recycling collection were widespread, composting was the primary way individuals got rid or and reused household waste.
Composting benefits the environment in several ways. Most notably, composting reduces the amount of solid waste that a home generates like old papers from easy essay writer. Composting also decreases the amount of unnatural or inorganic fertilizers used for lawns and gardens. Once compostable substances are decomposed, they form a nutrient-rich, all-natural fertilizer that can be added to soil in gardents and lawns to make them healthy and productive.
Anything that you know for a fact is biodegradable can be composted. This includes kitchen waste, such as vegetable and fruit peels, coffee grounds and egg shells. Lawn clippings, weeds, mulch, wood chips, leaves, grass, hay and straw can also be composted.
While anything biodegradable can be composted, foods that can spoil quickly, such as meats and milk, are very attractive to pests. In addition, human and animal waste, chemically treated lawn clippings, grass, hay, and straw, or anything diseased, can obviously have a deleterious effect on the fertilizer that will be yeilded from the compost. Do not add these in to your compost pile, even if they are biodegradable substances.
When considering what to compost, most organic substances that are green and brown are compostable. Most compostable materials, in addition to their color, are moist and soft. According to Tom Richard of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, anything with a high nitrogen content can be composted, most likely, as it will biodegrade and turn into an essential nutrient component for fertilizer.
Just remember, many compostable substances also attract vermin and insects, so keep your compost piles well fortified against these pests!
Starting a Compost PileMany people feel overwhelmed when starting a compost pile. Due to time, space and other restrictions, there are often concerns about having the resources to begin a compost pile. Compost piles can be large, or they can be as small as a tub on a porch or even under a sink. Apartment-dwellers can compost in a plastic tub with a lid, or begin a small compost pile in a courtyard or local park, with permission from the proper authorities. Individuals with detached homes can start compost piles on lawns or garden plots. Compost piles can be simply constructed by using an old sandbox or other walled structure (to keep away vermin and pests).
Many communities offer compost demonstrations, where you can watch an experienced composter build a composting site, add materials and use the compost. Most demonstrations also have a Q&A session to follow.


Greater Rochester Iris Society, an affiliate of the American Iris Society
Contact and Links
Calendar for 2017
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Classes at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County
In case you are not aware, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County offers many classes for gardeners. 2014 classes are listed below.
Click here for registration information
All classes are Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 at the CCE building, 249 Highland Ave.
Reservations are requested. Fee is $10 per session. Call 461-1000 x 225 to reserve your place.
February 20 – How to create your own Fairy Garden
– Heather Genrich of Genrich Garden Center. Learn the techniques and tips from an expert!
March 20 – Starting plants from Seeds
– Anne Johnston, Master Gardener. Anne will share the secrets of her success in starting plants for her garden right at home.
April 17 – Vegetable Gardening 101
- Sharon Rosenblum, Master Gardener. From the soil to site to selection, Sharon will help you plan your garden for maximum success.
May 15 – Care of spring flowering shrubs
– CCE Staff and Master Gardeners. When to prune those Lilacs? How about Forsythia? Timing is everything! Come and learn how best to care for your shrubs.
June 19 – Lawn Care for beginners
– Walter Nelson, Program Leader for CCE Monroe County Horticulture Program. Walt will help you understand what you do and do not need to do to have a great lawn.
July 17 – Invasive Species
- Gregory Sargis, The Nature Conservancy. Come and learn which species are a problem, how to recognize them and how to help eliminate them from your landscape.
August 14 – Shade Gardening -
Laurie Burtner, Master Gardener. Laurie has extensive experience with shade gardens and will share her tips and techniques to help you have a beautiful shade garden.
September 18 – Home Composting
– Tom Martin, Master Gardener. Tom is an experienced composter who will open your eyes to the possibilities in your own back yard!
October 16 – Planning your spring garden
– Grace Canham, Master Gardener. Grace will show you how to plan your gardens and plant your spring bulbs for maximum enjoyment!
November 13 – Holiday decorations with natural materials
– Terry Giacoman, Master Gardener.
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The 22th edition of International Water and Irrigation Exhibition, SMAGUA, has a main key goal: To place, from 5th to 7th of February, Zaragoza in the best possition in the European Water calendar. To get this objetive, the fair developes a strategic action planning to grow internationally.
In the last meeting of Organizing Committee, which was held at the headquarters of the company Saint-Gobain, in Madrid, two weeks ago, SMAGUA showed the importance to become in the epicentre of the European water sector, and to renew its leadership role as the door to new markets from North of Africa or Latin America.
In this regard, SMAGUA and the Zaragoza Exhbition Center work to set an international agenda to strengthen the image of the Salon. In the meeting, Zaragoza Exhibition Center General Manager, Rogelio Cuairán, explained the last actions that have been developed to support the content of SMAGUA in the last months. Cuairán explained some proposals between the Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture to include the presence of SMAGUA in the main international forums. Furthermore, Cuairán announced the central government’s interest and support to the show.
On the other hand, SMAGUA Commercial and Marketing Manager, Alberto López, emphasized the importance of the commercial strategy to recover historic companies participation.
López considered that SMAGUA has regained its hegemony in the foreign market. In addition explained the optimistic show current figures with a 26 percent increaese of registered companies with respect to the same dates two years ago.
In this moment, the firms that will be in SMAGUA 2019 come from 18 countries, and all of them show the importance of the exhibition for the international market.
Furthermore, SMAGUA Coordinator, Cristina López provided an overview of a complete programme of activities, which includes conferences, technical information and international meetings. All of these events will attract a great number of companies and proffesionals.
Moreover, explained more details about these programme and spoke about a specific area for Startups. Undoubtedly, the entrepreneurship and innovation constitute a key challenge for SMAGUA as a good channel to develop the technology transfer.
Another important issue will be the celebration of the international Trade Missions Programme, focused on related markets. The Mediterranean Arc, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe will be the geographical points on which it will be focus on the 2019 edition.
Definitely, all these elements will contribute to boost the image and the weight that, for more than 40 years, have made SMAGUA the most effective fair for the southern European market.


Wheat Rice Planter 2-14 rows
The Aike Series Multi-Function Wheat Fertilizer Planter is a planting machine for 15-100 hp tractors. It is suitable for fertilizing and planting corn in plain and hilly areas. It has the characteristics of good versatility, wide adaptability and uniform seeding.
- The machine is suitable for sowing wheat in a variety of terrains, separating seed boxes and fertilizer boxes, increasing the amount of seeds and fertilizers added. The new fertilizer hopper is made of mirror stainless steel, which is durable and beautiful.
- The machine can complete the processes of leveling, trenching, sowing, fertilizing, repressing, covering soil, and mullioning in one operation. Wide adaptability: It can be used to spread crops such as wheat, corn and soybeans, and is suitable for sowing operations in plain areas of China.
- The new generation of disc opener is produced by the advanced technology of manganese steel quenching. It has high hardness, high strength, good soiling performance and a scraping device, which can work well in clay.
- The shovel can be adjusted up and down, left and right, and can be built or filled. It can be adjusted without any need to stop and get off at your fingertips.
- The machine is equipped with a disc opener, a spring leg opener, and a corner shovel opener for users to choose according to different terrains.
Number of rows: 2-14 rows
Seeding depth: 20-100mm adjustable
Line spacing: 150-580mm
Supporting power: 15 horsepower or more
Seed box capacity: 100-300Kg
Fertilizer tank capacity: 100-300kg
Productivity: 10-14 acres / hour