We all witnessed some interesting “pandemic pickups-to-perk-up”—those hobbies and activities to ease the quarantine’s monotony and isolation. From sourdough starters and macrame to calligraphy, watercolors and ukuleles, people kept themselves occupied.
One of the most popular pandemic pastimes was gardening. For some enthusiasts, this was their first time gardening; for others, it was a return to a beloved pastime that had gotten lost in the busy shuffle of life.
Garden enthusiasts swamped the online seed catalogs, creating an unexpected spike in demand for seeds. For example, Missouri-based Baker Creek Seeds saw a five- to six-time increase in demand. The company had to bring in human help to stock the seed bags when its seed packaging machines couldn’t keep pace with demand.
Those without the luxury of an outdoor garden also partook in the plant hobby. In fact, the Instagram trend for ‘Indoor Garden’ grew 52% between 2019 and 2020.
It’s not surprising taking care of plants topped the charts in terms of pandemic hobbies. Scientists have long recognized the therapeutic effects of growing food, plants and flowers—otherwise known as horticultural or plant therapy. Nutrition and food policy expert Tim Lang explains:
“When we grow food and flowers, we are engaging with the natural world at a pace that provides a welcome antidote to the stresses of modern life.”
Such plant therapy can be a welcome antidote for your loved one, too. Gardening offers ongoing opportunities for mental, physical and social engagement for older adults in particular.
Peas and quiet: The therapeutic benefits of gardening on health and well-being
The act of caring for plants and flowers improves physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being, offering several important benefits:
Improves physical strength and flexibility
Gardening is a holistic exercise solution. The act of taking care of plants incorporates aerobic exercise, strengthens muscles and improves flexibility. One study found that gardening alone can help older adults not only meet but surpass the CDC’s recommendation of at least 30 minutes of physical activity on a majority of days in a week.
Increases the quality of life in those with memory-related impairments
For seniors with memory-related impairments, research indicates regular time in a garden decreases agitation and improves mood. Time spent around plants also tends to reduce the need for those medications taken on an as-needed basis.
Improves mental health
Gardening and caring for plants can serve as a malleable coping strategy for stressful life experiences. Its wide spectrum of physical and mental demands allows the gardener to adjust the hobby to their fluctuating needs—ensuring this beneficial hobby “meets” the gardener where they are on that particular day. One study showed that older adults who gardened for exercise felt less stressed than those who engaged in indoor exercise and walking.
Enhances social health and well-being
Research indicates that collaborative gardening can increase self-esteem and self-confidence, while also keeping cognitive, literacy and numerical skills fresh. Gardening also increases overall well-being and helps develop a sense of independence in the senior.
Your good seed for the day: How to make gardening accessible to your loved one
If you want to help your loved one explore the benefits of gardening, keep in mind some accessibility and safety tips to adjust the hobby for the senior’s ability:
Ensure hanging baskets are accessible – Hanging baskets can be difficult to reach, and ladders are dangerous for older adults due to challenges with balance. To solve this dilemma, simply rig the hanging baskets onto pulley systems to allow your senior gardener to lower the basket to an accessible, ergonomic and safe level where they can work with ease.
Install easy-open gates and faucets – Arthritis can make turning faucets and opening gates painful and difficult for seniors. To remove this barrier, replace traditional knobs with levers on gates and faucets, making them more accessible.
Invest in ergonomic tools – Ergonomic gardening tools will make the act of caring for plants more comfortable for your loved one. Pruners with foam, gel or easy-grip handles are gentler on arthritic joints and help prevent hand fatigue. When searching for the right pruners, select a grip that matches the size of your loved one’s hand, and make sure the pruners have a locking mechanism to keep the blades closed when not in use. (It’s best if the lock is nearer to the blades than the grip. This prevents accidental engagement of the safety lock.)
Also, weeder tools are exceptionally useful to loosen stubborn roots. However, different weeder tools are appropriate for various conditions, so do your research before heading to the hardware store. For example, the bi-directional blades on the Hula Hoe often eliminate the need to lift the hoe.
Plant in raised beds, large pots and planters – Not only are raised beds optimal for outdoor gardens, they’re also easier for seniors to navigate. Large pots and planters also make great substitutes for ground-level planting. Most plants and flowers will grow just as beautifully in a large pot or planter as they would in the ground itself.
Build drip irrigation systems – Keeping plants and gardens watered is a hefty task at any age. Consider installing a drip irrigation system in the garden and even the flower pots to relieve your loved one of this difficult task.
Eat, drink and be rosemary
Gardening or caring for plants and flowers is a joy at any age, but it’s particularly rewarding to seniors, as it provides them with a routine, a sense of purpose, and a chance for social engagement. If your loved one is new to gardening or plant-keeping, our advice is to start simple and grow from there. The sky’s the limit.


To all my friends reading my blog, I apologized I haven’t been blogging in several days. It is not my intention to go so long between blogs. We had a big family reunion on Memorial Day which kept me busy as well as working in my garden.
I have included some pictures of my garden. As my garden changes and things start growing, I will keep you up to date.
These hostas I want to move because they really get too much sun, I want to plant more herbs in this area.
This is just above the hostas and to the right and is my newest garden. I want to move my thyme here and allow it to hang over the retaining wall.
This is my oldest garden and I have planted lots of different herbs in this bed, some reason I have trouble growing. In front you can see sage and the yellow is yarrow. To the right of the rock is oregano. The plants in the middle are daylillies.
I like to plant mint all by itself so it can be mowed around and will not spread in the garden. I put the brick around the mint because, last year it was attacked by the weed eater. My weed eater uses thought it was a weed. Mints will mixed in flavor so it is better to plant one kind.
Here is another example of mint in a bed by itself.
This is a picture of two of my raised beds with vegetables. The one on the left has beets and onions and the one on the right has potatoes and peanuts.
This is the vegetable garden with grapes in the background. The large black pots will have plants good for companion planting.
What is any garden without tomatoes. This tomatoes is planted near onions as companions.
I hope you have enjoyed a tour of part of my garden. This is not all.
I have a garden tour plan soon, and need to get most of the weeds out of the garden. I tell everyone I grow fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and weeds.
Stick with me because I plan on several new blogs. I want to teach you how to make your own herb remedies from making a cup of tea to tinctures.
Crafts will include leaf printing, paper making, potpourris and perfumes. Lots of new recipes for using herbs in your cooking.
Other things I have planed include making all types of cosmetics and cleaners for your home as well as ideas for using herbs in your home.
One of my latest passions besides herbs is art printing on fabric and I want to try and use some of these ideas on my homemade paper. I won’t know if they work until I try some of the ideas I have been reading about.
I will teach you how to dry and freeze your herbs and what the herbs are good for and what to watch out for.
Medicinal subjects will include herbs to slow down aging, herbs good for indigestion and all kinds of everyday ailments. We will talk about food allergies and herbs to take to help with inflammation which can cause pain. For example, I heard the other day on the Dr. OZ show, that almond milk, Swiss chard, and tart cherries for anti-inflammatory. There are herbs that can be used for this as well.
If anyone wants to learn something special just leave a comment and I will try and research the subject. Sharon


That is the title of the book written by Fred Bahnson and the subject of my post today. Mr. Bahnson was the leader of a community garden, and he noticed that the people coming to the gardens were in search of something more than food. I myself noticed this same thing when working at the Duluth Community Garden Program.
So, Fred decided to go in search of what this “thing” was. He visited different communities to see how they were growing food and explore the connection between faith and food. He visited two Protestant communities, a Monastery where monks grow mushrooms, and a Jewish community where their lives were intricately connected to their food.
In his book, Mr. Bahnson points out that God’s first commandment to us is to care for the earth. We have the responsibility to be in servitude to the earth. Rightly ordered the earth is not placed above us, but we are still responsible for caring for God’s creation.
There is something missing in our lives when we are disconnected from the earth, from the soil. When we are disconnected from the earth, from growing food, from tilling and caring for the soil, we are more disconnected in our relationship with our Creator, with others and with His creation. That is the “thing” which is missing; our relationship with God’s creation.


Gooseneck Bucket Elevator
The Bucket Elevator is designed to handle small size products such as :
• Grains (peas – beans – lentils – maïze…)
• Pods (snipped green beans…)
• Chopped or diced vegetables (carrots – turnips – potatoes…)
• Generally speaking : all products, the size of which is less than 30 to 50 mm. cubic or spherical dimensions (small fruit – small vegetables…)
The bucket elevator can handle products up to 60-70°C and eventually work at an ambient temperature of – 15°C.
Two widths are available : 600 and 800 mm.


Ozark Farmers' Market
Producing and Buying Local Food
The White River Group strongly supports growing and buying local food (as well as organic, fair trade, heirloom varieties, etc.) Buying locally supports agriculture in our area, and often means you get a product that is fresher and more nutritious. It also eliminates the air pollution from the transportation required to bring food into our areaoften from as far away as 1500 miles!
If youre concerned about climate change, however, and would really like to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, consider reducing your consumption of meat. A Carnegie Melon study found that the average American would benefit the planet more by being vegetarian one day per week than by switching to a totally local diet. And as the journalist who reported this in the Washington Post said, Heck, why not do both?
WRG has created this page to help our members and friends locate foods grown in our area, as well as plants and seeds and related services. Local food customers and vendors are welcome to suggest additional listings for this page by calling 581-8318 or send emails to firstname.lastname@example.org.
Area code is 417, unless otherwise indicated.
Da Barefoot Chef
Pauly and Amy
Uses local food whenever possible.
Stoney Acres Sheep Dairy
Pasture Nectar Farm
Welkerss Organic Berry Farm
Grow Your Own
Contact your local University of Missouri Extension Center for more information.
Seasons Harvest Eco-Farm
Larry & Carla Vogel
Natural Organic Mineral based Fertilizers and soil amendments. Classes in beekeeping, raised organic gardening, canning and even building your own small wind turbine.
Lawncare and Landscaping
Beautiful Days Landscaping
Bechard Family Farm
Our Shorthorn cows produce excellent meat, milk and cream for your family. They eat only fresh grass and clover from our rotated chemical-free pastures during the growing season, and hay in the winternever steroids, hormones, or processed feeds, no animal by-products.
Peace Valley Poultry
Chickens and Turkeys, pesticide/herbicide free pasture. Antibiotic-free, non-GMO ration.
Native plants are hardy, requiring less watering, fertilizing and care and support
Fassnight Creek Farms
Farm of Hard Rocks
Greater Springfield Farmers Market
Winter schedule includes some Saturdays through April 4th. The 2009 Season begins on April 11.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
We only offer open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural and non-GMO! We offer over 1200 varieties from 66 countries, including many that we collected ourselves. Monthly festivals and twice yearly garden shows.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
This is Kingsolver up-close-and-personal discussing her familys efforts to live on locally produced food for one year.
The Omnivores Dilemma
The author examines the sources of four meals from different food production processes, and considers the ethical, environmental and political aspects of each.
The Meat You Eat
Missouri writer and longtime Sierra Club activist and staffperson discusses the production of meat in the United States.
Copyright Sierra Club White River Group, Missouri Chapter.


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There are a number of requirements for the quality of football coverage for competitions, approved by the International Football Association. First of all, the field should be flat, with synthetic or natural grass lawn – neither a tiny polyurethane nor a rolled smooth coating is suitable for competitions. In the case of a natural coating, irrigation, drainage systems are also needed (to remove excess moisture and prevent slipping), ventilation and built-in heating (especially important for outdoor stadiums in winter at extremely low temperatures).
In accordance with international standards, the size of the playing field should be 105 by 68 meters (the unified size for international, national and regional competitions, as well as for World Cup matches and confederations championships). The rules also strictly regulate the size of the auxiliary zone behind the football goal and along the field (used for warming up players and moving staff). The margin to the auxiliary zone at the edges of the field should be at least 8.5 meters, along the goal line – at least 10. Thus, the final size of a standardized soccer field is at least 125 by 85 meters
The nuances of caring for natural and artificial turf
Natural lawn. Even at the planning stage of a football field with a natural lawn, it is necessary to invite a specialist who will assess the climatic features and soil of the site and select the optimal variety of grass and turf for the fastest possible rooting of the lawn. In the future, when caring for the field, you will need an aerator for oxygen saturation and loosening of the soil, a seeder for quick sowing of fresh grass, as well as a specialized cultivator for removing withered grass and pruning rhizomes.
Artificial turf. When laying artificial turf, it is important to arrange proper drainage, since the accumulation of moisture leads to increased slipperiness, which can lead to injury to athletes. To care for the coating, you will need a sandblaster – at least once a week, you need to process and, if necessary, fill the lawn for uniform distribution of the material and raising the pile. It is also periodically necessary to sweep and comb artificial grass to get rid of debris and weeds. The optimal set of equipment for the care of artificial turf will be: a sandblower, a vacuum cleaner for foliage and a verticutter.
About the author


Solutions for Broilers, Layers and more
Profitable and professional poultry farming with Koudijs
The key to good quality and efficient poultry meat and egg production is to ensure your chicks have a solid start, following by the right nutrition strategy in combination with good farming conditions. The right nutrition strategy means that you feed your birds exactly what their bodies require at each phase of their productive life.
At Koudijs we know which nutrients a growing and developing birds need under your farming conditions. Feed intake, good feed conversion at the most efficient input costs ensure maximum profitability. This is the basis for the design of the poultry product ranges- available as complete feeds or as concentrates.
Keep your birds healthy with CoolCare
Heat stress affects the health and performance of your flocks leading to lower production and financial losses. The CoolCare solution is developed to predict and recognize heat stress, and to support you with farm and feed management advice reducing heat stress for your birds.Learn more about CoolCare
The aim of the poultry research done by Koudijs is to offer the best economic and technical solutions for the different breeds. Taking animal health, uniformity, and the quality of your end product into account. The balance between input, management and output is supported by a number of feed-solutions available for your farm.


Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Version Review
Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition is an enlargement to Farming Simulator 19 that comes with everything and adds over 35 new vehicles and tools that includes the model Claas. In Farming Simulator 19, you tackle the role of a farmer. As a farmer in Farming Simulator Platinum Version, it’s your duty to are likely to your farm, feed your pets and live the lifetime of a farmer. With the growth, there are just more vehicles to add to the complexity of an already complex game. That being said, Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Version is a strong game but you may settle for just the bottom game unless you really need the Claas expansion.
As I’ve said before, in Farming Simulator 19, you tend to your farm. One of the best half about the game is you’ll be able to customise your farm however you want. I was actually overwhelmed with what I could do in the game. Once I played Farming Simulator 19, I just made a easy farm the place I grew wheat, cotton, but you don’t even need to grow crops. I had the option to build a chicken coup where I may increase chickens and sell eggs to the local vendors.
right here can be different livestock resembling pigs, cows, sheep, and horses. There may be manner more than just wheat and cotton also. I had the option of growing sunflowers, soybeans, wheat, sugarcane, as well as being able to cut down bushes and sell lumber with the new expansion. Farming Simulator has by far been the most effective collection in the simulator style and Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition takes it to an entire different level. The only concern with this much variety is that it might get overwhelming at times.
The addition of the Claas vehicles didn’t really add a lot to the overall game, nonetheless, it was a pleasant addition to the game’s assortment of brands equivalent to John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra.
Farming Simulator games as a sequence all the time make you’re feeling like you are actually working on a farm and appear to take itself critically in that sense. Besides Euro Truck Simulator, Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Version is likely to be the closest simulation game to actually emulate what it’s purported to do. It’s a pleasant breath of contemporary air considering there are games like Goat Simulator and Bus Simulator.
This game is so realistic that I spent hours just fertilizing, planting, and harvesting my crops on just one plot of my farm. It can get tedious at occasions, nonetheless, there may be an option to hire workers to do the farm work for you while you run to the store to get more supplies or manage other things in your farm. Total it really simulates the simplicity and peacefulness of working on a farm.
I didn’t spend an excessive amount of time on the multiplayer however when you have a group of pals it can be really fun.
Controls and Graphics
The controls on the Xbox One could be a bit clunky at times, however for the most part, are very smooth. All of the controls had been mapped properly, but the only real downside was navigating by the menus. To get to 1 section on the map for fast traveling was much more tedious than it wanted to be.
The graphics for Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition are amazing. Even for the Xbox, the world was beautiful. I can’t imagine how nice this game appears on a PC and even the Xbox One X. Everything felt very smooth and there have been no glitches on the Xbox which tends to happen with games that may be as intense as this. The realism of every vehicle was honestly very surprising. I didn’t anticipate the tractors and fields to look as lovely as they did. At occasions there were texture loading points however I just think it was because of how big the game is.
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A tractor is undoubtedly one of the most significant investments that you will make so that you can fulfill some of your agricultural dreams. Tractors are actually essential if you want to be a successful farmer. On the bright side, banks have been known to offer some really good farm loans and tractor loans with very low-interest rates as well. The repayment terms are also not that bad to follow, and they are now very easily understood by the farmers. Purchasing a tractor is a lot easier nowadays. The real work does indeed begin after the purchase. You will actually have to become an expert when it comes to maintaining a tractor, and you should also do a good job when you want to make it run efficiently.
Keeping the tractor in really good condition is critical indeed, and you should do this, especially when it is time to harvest. You should be dedicating a considerable amount of your time, and you should also follow all of the proper maintenance steps every single day.
Here are some steps that you should follow:
- Make sure that you go through the owner’s manual. Every single manufacturer will give the buyer a user manual which will be filled with instructions about taking care of the equipment appropriately. Make sure you go through that manual cover to cover. It will have some operating instructions that you may have an idea about.
- Make sure that you have all of the tools that you will need to perform proper maintenance of the vehicle.
- It would help if you also protected your tractor from rain, especially the exhaust system, the seats and also all of the instruments. Make sure that all of the parts that you feel are sensitive to water are protect from rain. It should either be covered really well, or it should be kept in a garage.
- Make sure that you check all of the fluid regularly. If the tractor is leaking, the damage will undoubtedly end up costing you a lot of money. Read the owner’s manual if you want to determine which parts will need to be checked. You should also check the oil in the engine regularly; check the coolant, the battery and also the fluids.
- Make sure that all of the tires have the right amount of air pressure in them. All tractors will not need the same inflation pressure. Even if we are talking about the same tractor, the front and the rear wheels will require different pressure. That is why it should be checked regularly.
- Make sure that the brakes are very well lubricated and that they work perfectly as well.


Guyabano or Soursop is adaptable to tropical climate and are currently cultivated for its fruit in most Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.
Guyabano fruits are harvested in its maturity – when the skin is shiny green or yellowish green in color. Guyabano fruit is used as vegetable and made into sweet meat, while the ripe Guyabano fruit can be eaten raw or prepared as dessert.
Guyabano or soursop is also known to possess medicinal properties that include cancer fighting activity.
Wheatgrass is a nutrient-rich type of young grass in the wheat family. It's sold as a dietary supplement in tablet, capsule, powder and liquid forms.
Wheatgrass is often used for juicing or added to smoothies. Wheatgrass provides a concentrated amount of nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C and E.


At the start of 2015 I was given the opportunity to turn my dream of having a vegetable garden into reality.
Vegetables, produce & ingredients are the fundamental starting point to any kitchen or chef and they have always been a strong focus point within our concept and aim at Nourish.
An idea of cooking with seasonal ingredients and achieving natural flavours that compliment each other this is my working practise. Reflecting on our ancestral traditions & cultural heritage, to provide ethical and sustainable food, moving with the seasons at the same time as maintaining our connection with the nature.
A journey to promote ingredients that our naturally beneficial to us. What a better way to start than from scratch, going back to basics of learning how to grow organically using only natural & traditions fertilizer in the form of rack or manure to help the soil and plants. To pick fresh and ripe ingredients as we need them rather than having them sit wilting away at the back of the fridge almost being sucked of life! Taking only what we need and a few extra to give & swap with our fellow growers.
Field to Fork will be my personal journey of growing through the seasons and hopefully being able to introduce this into our practice at Nourish, to share with our clients, guests, suppliers and all the people I will not only cook for but also interact with this year.
I’m looking forward to the flourishing months ahead!


Olive Picking in Jezzine
Saturday night I was out with some friends and my friend George mentioned that he was going olive picking in his village, Jezzine, on Sunday. He recently acquired a piece of land from his uncle so this was the first time that he was going to be responsible for picking the olives himself. (So recently, in fact, that he’d already ordered 40 kilos of olives from someone else!) I’d never been olive picking and thought it would be a fun experience so I volunteered to come along and help.
We drove south to Saida and then up towards Jezzine. When I got the first glimpse of the valley I was surprised at how beautiful it was. George never mentioned that the location of his village was so scenic!
There are only four olive trees on George’s land, which doesn’t seem like too much until you realize that you are only two people, the trees are huge, and there are a lot of olives on each tree!
It was slow going at first but both of us quickly got the hang of picking systematically instead of randomly. George was the first one to climb up into the tree to get the hard to reach olives.
After clearing the lower branches I got up there too. I can’t remember the last time I climbed a tree!
We worked from 9:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. before stopping for a long 2 hour lunch in a nearby restaurant overlooking the valley. It was lovely and the food was delicious. I told George that next year he could market this as a cultural activity (Olive picking in a picturesque Lebanese village with spectacular views. Lunch in a typical Lebanese restaurant overlooking the valley. Wouldn’t you sign up for that trip??) and get a lot of friends to come help.
After lunch we returned to pick for another hour or so before it got dark. We got pretty much all of the olives within reach. Just the really high ones remain.
Apart from olives there were grapes and persimmons.
It was a lovely day!


Genetically Engineered Soybeans: Acceptance and Intellectual Property Rights Issues in South America
Description: This report discusses issues regarding genetically engineered soybeans in South America. U.S. soybean growers and trade officials charge that Argentina and Brazil–the United States’ two major export competitors in international soybean markets–gain an unfair trade advantage by routinely saving genetically-engineered (GE), Roundup Ready (RR) soybean seeds from the previous harvest (a practice prohibited in the United States) for planting in subsequent years.
Date: October 17, 2003
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department


Our house is situated on about 1/3 of an acre, with a large double lot to the east and a smaller single lot on the west side of the house.
Here’s our house! This is looking south, so the East double lot is on the left side, the West lot is on the right of the photo.
Some before photos of the West lot:
West lot, looking southwest
From the back of the West lot, looking North over some weeds.
Back of the West lot, by the garage and shed, looking south to the alley. This is where we had planned to build a new chicken enclosure.
The first thing we did in our new yard? Start an orchard in the West lot. There was already a 3-4 year-old peach tree over there, and we wanted to add to it. We ordered the trees online soon after we moved in last September, but they weren’t delivered until November. So we planted our trees right before Thanksgiving 2013. Two plum, two cherry, three apple, and one peach tree to go along with the one already there.
We worried that the trees wouldn’t make it through the worst winter we’d seen in a long time. Come spring, though, we started to see some signs of life.
The peach tree we inherited.
We got enough peaches to eat fresh, share with friends and family, and make 3 pies. Not bad for our first year!
The second thing we had planned was to build a new chicken coop and enclosure. Sallie was nice enough to keep the chickens in her yard after we moved out. We wanted to build a new home for them but ran out of time before it got too cold and the ground froze. So we moved them into our yard using the same chain link pen and dog-house-turned-chicken-coop set up, seen wrapped in the green tarp in the photo below.
Mother, Yolko, and Chica
Here’s a view of the West lot from the front as of today (our house is on the left). The trees up front are plum.
We worked the soil and replanted the old, overgrown garden plot with lettuce, salad mixes, Red Russian kale, lacinato kale, and romanesco.
Surprise lilies next to the house.
We’ve also found several nice patches of medicinal, native yarrow growing wild in the yard, lucky us! (Yes, Rosco loves to be in photos!)
Our plan for the rest of the yard: more food production. We’ve got big plans for the future, including a food forest, outdoor kitchen, and a water feature.
We leaned our mushroom logs against the North side of the garage and got some shiitakes this spring. We also have lots of herbs in pots until we find the right spots for them.
Our future berry patch, also housed in pots for now until we find the right spot! Elderberry, raspberry, and blackberry.
We’re planning to till up and farm a large section of the east lot, but for now it’s mostly lawn. We got rid of the dead yews and started a small garden in the back for this year.
View of the East lot, with Maggie and her beloved frisbee.
The new garden space in the back.
We planted some of our extra tomato plants.
Black bean teepee trellis
A baby wild gourd
More wild gourds. It’s been really interesting to see the differences in this second generation. Some are much darker and even striped!
Sweet potato patch.
We are also growing pumpkins, watermelon, zucchini, bush beans, pole beans, and basil in the back.
The rest of the East lot is mostly grass, though Eric did decide to build a brick pizza oven on a random brick pillar that was already in the middle of the yard.
New pizza oven in action
We landscaped around the side and front of the house a little more formally, but didn’t lose our sights on edibility.
We transplanted feverfew, mint, oregano, asparagus, sage, thyme, echinacea, azaleas, and a blue cedar tree (the calla lilies were already there).
There are two patches along the front steps down to the sidewalk that we dug up and replanted as well. We transplanted some yarrow we had grown at Amy’s last year, as well as some bibb lettuce, curly kale, and a few wild gourd plants. There was already a weird rose tree there.
Wild gourd growing on our front fence.
More wild gourds!
A volunteer pumpkin took over one of the little plots. Again, lucky us!


I have recently decided to give up green keeping where I have been a golf course manager for the past 20 years. I am looking to maintain lawns from simply cutting and further maintenance through weed killing, fertilizing, insect and worm control and when required moss removal and aeration. The photos above are from one lawn from 1st year when I started to 1 year later. Depending on the client budget and demands no job will be too small. I am chain saw certified so can trim or cut down small trees and maintain hedges.
I do not have the overheads of larger companies or franchises to pay, with guaranteed products from major companies I can supply a superior product which guarantees success.
A list below is what can be carried out:
- Weed killing, total or selective
- Moss control
- Moss removal
- Insect and worm control
- Small tree cutting
- Hedge trimming
Plus much more...
Click HERE to read the magazine where I gave my extensive interview on page 30


Bees additionally play a essential function within the well being of the planet, its ecosystems, and the individuals who depend upon these ecosystems. Not solely are honey and beeswax extremely medicinal substances, however pollination—which occurs to be a bee’s full-time job—is essential for crop manufacturing.
Are you interested by giving bees a serving to hand (and saving espresso and chocolate alongside the way in which)? Listed below are some straightforward methods you’ll be able to assist save the bees.
8 Methods You Can Assist Save the Bees
1. Plant a Bee Backyard
In case you’re a gardening veteran, contemplate planting flowers that can bloom all season or that can flower at totally different factors all through the season. That approach, the bees won’t ever go thirsty.
Do not have a yard? In case you stay in an condo, use a windowsill plant tray. Metropolis bees want pollen, too!
2. Help Native Beekeepers
Whereas wild bees are essential for supporting agriculture, farm bees help native bee populations. Native bee farmers are finest identified for nurturing these on-site bee communities, however they usually rescue swarming beehives, too, which protects the colony from extermination.
While you buy native honey merchandise, you are not solely supporting these hard-working beekeepers—you are additionally getting the (scrumptious) advantages of native honey. As an added bonus, uncooked honey straight from the hive is unheated, unpasteurized, and undiluted, which suggests it is full of antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and minerals.


Tired of finding your plants, vegetables, and fruits infested with, bitten, or eaten by insects? GENVIRO offers a ready-to-use spray that protects your plants, whether in your home or garden, from a wide-variety of insects and organisms that target plants including aphids, thrips, spider mites, white flies, ants, fungus gnats, and fruit tree fungus. And, because our patent pending formula is all-natural, you can rest assured our products are safe for your pets, kids, and the environment.Best of all? You can enjoy your produce right away without any waiting period after spraying GENVIRO products.
(link to buy coming soon)
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The cover of the brochure
OUR NATIONAL TREASURE AND HERITAGE"
We prepared the text for a brochure "TRADITIONAL SEEDS: OUR NATIONAL TREASURE AND HERITAGE -- Traditional and Organic Agriculture instead GMO. Pilot project in Malopolska Province." We selected the best photos of farmers with their seeds and plants for the brochure. The brochure was printed in September and contains: photos of farmers with their seed supplies, material based on the interviews with these farmers, lectures from the national conference, information about variates of traditional seeds and plants and where it is possible to get them.
Table of contest of the brochure
- 1.Traditional and organic farming instead of GMO, MSc Jadwiga ´┐Żopata
- 2.We don't want GMO, MSc Jadwiga ´┐Żopata, Sir Julian Rose
- 3.Genetically modified seeds - global threat farmers independence, Sir Julian Rose
- 4.Jasna Gora conference- GMO Free Poland. Ethical Aspects of Attempts to Introduce GMOs into Polish Agriculture.
- 5.Genetic manipulations - A new sin?, Stanis´┐Żaw Jaromi..
- 6.Gene bank - "Fragment of the repository of the Polish Countryside", PhD Denise Fu Dostatny
- 8.Conference in Belweder- TRADITIONAL SEEDS - OUR HERITAGE AND NATIONAL TREASURE. Traditional and ecological agriculture instead of GMO
- 9.How to keep the old of the Varieties of seeds on the example of spelt and the emmer?, Mieczys´┐Żaw Babalski
- 10.Native papilionaceous plants (Fabaceae) as a guarantor of the fertile farming, Peter Stratenwerth
- 11.No rational reasons for allowing for GMO in Poland, Janusz Wojciechowski (MEP)
- 12.Defence of traditional plants and their seeds, Prof Stanis´┐Żaw K. Wi´┐Żckowski
- 13.BAN ON GMO CULTIVATIONS - NECESSARY IMMEDIATELY - PhD Mae-Wan Ho
- 15.Association KOKOPEllI
- 16.Symbolic protests
- 17.Genetically modified monster
- 18.Summit "Genes are not for sell - traditional and organic farmingf instead gmo
- 19.The film "Life running out of control" Bertram Vehaag i Gabriele Kr´┐Żber, © DENKmal-films & haifish films, 2004
- 20.Seeds of Deception" by Jeffrey M. Smith
- 21.Genetic Roulette -The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods´┐Żby Jeffrey M. Smith.
- 22."Genetically modified organisms - promises and facts" by Prof Stanis´┐Żaw K. Wi´┐Żckowski
- 23.A Cyclops' eye, S´┐Żawomir M. Kozak
- 24."Charter 21 - Countryside Manifesto for 21st Century Poland


1887178112 Very Good. Light shelf wear to covers/corners; satisfaction guaranteed. Trade paperback binding. Earthlight Books is a family owned and operated, independent bookstore serving Walla Walla, Washington since 1973.
"What we must think about is an agriculture with a human face".
In six compelling essays, Wes Jackson lays the foundation for a new farming economy grounded in nature's principles and nurtured in small towns and rural communities. Exploding the tenets of industrial agriculture, Jackson, a respected advocate for sustainable practices, a MacArthur and Pew fellow, and the founder of The Land Institute, seeks to integrate food production with nature in a way that sustains both.


Organic Dried figs are brownish in color, soft in texture, big in size, and rich in nutrition aspects.
Being dried naturally under the sun, this fruit has low water activity levels which allow longlife storage and transportation under ambient conditions.
The dried fig is a very low energy (sun-dried) and water (rain-fed) demanding product with very low carbon footprint and low-input (e.g. pesticides, fertilizers) use.
|Weight per Package(g)||200g-500g||200g-1000g||200g-1000g||200g-1000g||200g-1000g||200g-500g||80g-1000g||8oz-40oz |
|Weight per Box (kg)||12 kg||12,5 kg||12,5 kg||12,5 kg||12,5 kg||12 kg||6 kg||14 kg||12,5 kg||10-15 kg||10-15 kg|
Why Turkish dried figs?
Turkey produces 50% of the world's dried fruits and exports dried fruits to about 2/3 of the world. Turkey is the most developed and experienced country in this sector.
Turkey's dried fruits are the best option for quality and natural flavor.
From the beginning of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations up to today, this sacred, mystic fruit has been very well known to the population of our world. The roots of its latin name (F. Carica) come from Caria region of southwest Turkey, which had been an active region both in terms of production and trade during the 1st millennium B.C..


2023 Spring Harvest, a stirfried delight, Fujian Province, China
Luscious stirfried green tea, entirely handcrafted in Fujian, China. Delightful and buttery mouthfeel, fresh vegetal with reminiscent of sweet, roasted nuts.
An extraordinary, soft, buttery, and moreish sensation. The curly jade green leaves of this exceptional green tea are harvested in Fujian during spring, from the tender tea leaves grown under the seas of clouds surrounding the tea mountains, on which the fur tips are wildly grown with organic farming methods.
Fresh buds are picked from the upper part of the tea tree and are then crafted by our tea master who has over 30 years of experience in crafting our fur tips. Green Fur Tips are characteristically pan-fried and hand-rolled. The process of making 1kg of Green Fur Tips takes between 6-8 hours. A true artisan tea.
When opened, The Fur Tips have a shelf life of two years.
Appearance: Clear golden liquor
Aroma: Spring meadow, fresh, sweet chestnuts, stir-fried bean.


“Talking about pumpkins does not make them grow.” ~ African Proverb
For me October is always an inspiring and festive month. Thanksgiving provides the opportunity for me to reflect on my many blessings, and of course there is participating in all of the fun building up to October 31st. There are many songs and rhymes to be enjoyed at Hallowe’en; the children in my class voted the counting rhyme One Little Skeleton their
favourite song! Of course the emphasis in the curriculum can take many directions at this time of year. This fall we put a special focus on planting seeds and making discoveries about the life cycle of plants. The inspiration for this learning experience came from reading Pumpkin, Pumpkin, a charming picture book by Jeanne Titherington. I think picture books can be a great launching point for curriculum building, and this lovely story describes the growth of a pumpkin in simple language and introduces children to the different parts of the pumpkin (e.g., seed, sprout and flower).
To extend and enrich our reading experience, the children planted three types of
seeds, including pumpkin, bean and sunflower. Although, in the end, only the beans sprouted, the children were encouraged to predict how long it would take for the seeds to sprout, and they have all participated in watering the seeds each day and placed stickers on a chart to enable them to count each day that they did this. In order to deepen our understanding of how pumpkin plants grow we watched a couple of short videos, one of them a Time Lapse of Pumpkin Vines Growing and the other The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin. These were of great interest to the children because it gave them much more information and vocabulary to add to their inquiry about pumpkins.
This learning experience which has emphasized numeracy, language and literacy, and natural science has of course also included an arts component! Children made collaged pumpkins and they drew wonderful self portraits so we could create a bulletin board of children walking through a pumpkin patch, an idea prompted by the song That’s How a Pumpkin Grows by Brian Vogan. The children particularly liked watching the pumpkin in the video running around in the background! Children also drew amazing pictures that represented their understandings about plant growth and their thoughts were documented. I don’t mind saying that this past month has been a particularly creative one, thanks to inspiring images, songs and hands-on experiences that have truly brought planting to life for young children and have allowed them to learn in a variety of ways. And thanks to the children for their curiosity, their enthusiasm and their ceaseless creative energy. I hope the ideas you find here help interesting learning experiences to grow and flourish in your homes and classrooms, with your children.
“Being an artist is like planting a garden – plant the seeds and see what sprouts.” ~ Bob Ragland


In today’s fast-paced digital world, it’s more important than ever to connect kids with nature. One fantastic way to do this is by teaching them about gardening. Gardening offers a host of benefits for children, like teaching responsibility, patience, and a deeper love for the environment. In this blog post, we’ll explore why teaching kids about gardening is so important and how it can positively shape their lives.
Nurturing Environmental Heroes
Gardening is a fantastic way to instill a sense of environmental stewardship in young minds. By getting involved in gardening, children learn about the significance of plants, their role in the ecosystem, and how they benefit us all. Understanding how everything in nature is connected helps children feel responsible for taking care of the environment. Who knows, they might even grow up to be the future superheroes saving our planet!
Planting Healthy Habits
Gardening gets kids off the couch and into the fresh air, giving them an opportunity to be active and healthy. Digging, watering, and caring for plants are all forms of exercise that keep their bodies moving. Plus, spending time outside exposes them to sunlight, which helps their bodies produce vitamin D for strong bones and a strong immune system.
Growing their own fruits and vegetables also encourages kids to make healthier food choices. When they see how much effort goes into growing food, they’re more likely to appreciate fresh, organic produce and make it a part of their diet. It’s a win-win for their health and taste buds!
Cultivating Patience and Responsibility
Gardening teaches children the virtues of patience and responsibility. They learn that plants need time, care, and love to grow and produce flowers or fruits. This understanding helps them develop patience, perseverance, and a sense of pride when they see their hard work pay off.
Taking care of a garden also teaches kids to be responsible. Giving them tasks like watering or weeding helps them understand the importance of looking after something outside of themselves. This sense of responsibility can extend beyond the garden and positively influence their behavior and relationships with others.
Learning through Fun and Adventure
Gardening is an exciting and hands-on way for kids to learn about science. They can explore plant life cycles, how photosynthesis works, and why soil and sunlight are essential for plants to thrive. It’s like having a real-life science experiment right in their backyard!
In addition to scientific knowledge, gardening teaches practical skills. Kids learn how to plan, organize, solve problems, and make decisions as they choose plants, prepare the soil, and deal with garden pests. These skills are valuable for life and help children become more independent and capable individuals.
In a world where children are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, gardening is a powerful tool to help them reconnect. It’s not just about growing plants; it’s about nurturing environmental heroes, fostering healthy habits, cultivating patience and responsibility, and providing fun learning experiences. By introducing kids to the joys of gardening, we equip them with essential skills and values that will positively shape their lives and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future. So let’s grab our shovels, get our hands dirty, and sow the seeds of curiosity, responsibility, and love for the environment in our children’s hearts. Together, we can cultivate a generation of green thumbs!


Guest blogger Carol Shen, is a stay at home mom of two, creator of the blog, Blueberry Mom and serves on the Board of Directors of The Reading Connection. She'll be sharing her kids' learning adventures on Start with a Book inspired topics like gardening, the night sky, If I were President, and other ideas she and her kids are excited to explore.
July 16, 2015
Carol and her family share their gardening adventures. They learn the virtue of patience when it comes to gardening with some help from a book called And Then It’s Spring, and experience the satisfaction of growing their own fruits and vegetables from seed.
The other day, Addie asked me, “Mommy, why was there a tomato warning?”
“A tomato warning?” I repeated, confused.
“Yes, a tomato warning. It happened during the thunderstorm.”
You can imagine my amusement as I cherished this very humorous moment with my daughter. That explained why she didn’t seem scared at all during the “tomato warning”, incoming tomatoes probably don’t appear to be nearly as frightful as the possibility of a tornado striking our home.
Speaking of incoming tomatoes, we now have a tomato jungle in our backyard.
It all started back in spring, when Addie decided that she wanted to grow her own vegetable garden. So we went to the local nursery, and picked up a bunch of seeds: carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, and tomatoes. My husband, Frank, was excited to help Addie start a vegetable garden, so he bought all sorts of tomato seeds: cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, roma tomatoes, and the list goes on. When he’s committed to something, he’s all in. To make sure he knew what he was doing, he purchased a book that helped us embark on our gardening adventures titled Epic Tomatoes: How to Select & Grow the Best Varieties of All Time by Craig LeHoullier.
When we purchased our home two years ago, we were fortunate to inherit a yard that came with a bunch of planters. So we put them to good use, and planted all the seeds back in May.
Of course, when we first planted the seeds, Addie kept asking every day, “When will my plants start growing? When can I pull out my carrots? When will the tomatoes appear?” That’s when I remembered a book I had bought for the kids, And Then It's Spring, written by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead. This is the same author as the one who wrote If You Want to See a Whale that I referenced in my blog posting on our Cape Cod travels.
What I love about this author is that her stories are written in the form of poetry. She tells stories through beautiful phrasing, and in this case, tells the story of spring — where a boy learns that a lot of time passes by between when you put a seed in the ground where all you see is brown (dirt), and when green (plants) finally appears. This was a wonderful book to illustrate to Addie in a tangible way the idea of waiting, and being patient when it comes to gardening. After reading this book together, she only asked me her questions about three times a week instead of every day.
I also thought it’d be fun for Addie to learn how plants actually grow, so I browsed through Start with a Book’s Our Green World section, printed out the Gardening adventure pack, and headed to the library.
When we got there, we asked the librarian to help us choose from the list of nonfiction books a book that would be a good one for Addie. She recommended The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds. This book gave Addie an appreciation of what is actually happening each day in her planters, and how plants reproduce.
Back in June, the “green” finally started appearing to Addie’s delight. Here you can see some emerging carrot tops.
And now, as of last week, Addie’s vegetable garden is thriving. Here you see Addie holding up a carrot (we bought a pack of multi-colored carrot seeds so the one we pulled out was a white one). What surprised us is that although the tops of the carrots are super long, the carrots themselves still aren’t ready, so more patience is needed.
The cucumbers are doing well. We’ve got a lot of yellow flower blossoms, which is a good sign. It turns out when the cucumbers first grow out they’re a bit prickly.
The plants to the right of the cucumbers are our cauliflowers — they still have a ways to go. We also realized it might be a bit crowded in the planter, so we’re not sure how they’re going to turn out. That’s okay though, every growing season is a learning opportunity.
And lastly, Taylor got to help harvest our first batch of tomatoes. Our tomato jungle is just getting started. As Addie said, “It’s a Tomato Warning!”
Here’s what I learned during this summer exploration:
- Books can be a wonderful way to help explain something that feels abstract. In our case, it was illustrating the concept of patience to Addie, learning that going from “brown to green” takes time. Whether it’s getting ready for a new sibling, preparing for school in the fall, or dealing with many other topics, check out the Themed Booklists on Reading Rockets to help you select books that your kids will find relevant and helpful.
- If you’re not sure what book to choose for your children, don’t forget — the librarian at your local library is a great resource! Check out Start with a Book’s resources on choosing Great Kids’ Books for additional tips.
- While I’ve generally been blogging about starting my kids’ summer explorations with a book — don’t forget about starting your own adventures. In my husband’s case, it’s been an ongoing tomato exploration in our very own backyard. Pick up a book this summer, and let it take you on your own adventure!
All the very best,


Oh my gosh. I can FINALLY do a post on gardening.
Growing my own food is a huge passion of mine (albeit a somewhat recent one), but y’know…it’s been winter.
There is no gardening in the winter.
Well, unless you count “pick up fallen tree limbs from the ice storm(s)” as gardening. Which I don’t.
However, this year I DID start a semi-winter gardening project that I FINALLY get to share because…y’know, it’s working so far and there’s something to show to the Internet besides some bare dirt.
I decided to make a grow shelf. Continue reading “Build Your Own Grow Shelf!”


The rugged, wild terrain known as Pisgah Mountain in Central Colorado is perfect for visitors yearning to explore the areas rich history of gold mining. Once home to the Ute tribe, the mountain now includes two grazing allotments. Despite the grazing facilities, the land remains quite remote with thriving wildlife and vegetation. The soil is some of the state’s most fertile due to the mountain’s location in the Central Colorado Volcanic Field. Home to some of the state’s most prized scenic views, Pisgah Mountain is emblematic of Colorado in its most natural form with flourishing wildlife, breathtaking views, and rich plant-life.


Nozzles are one of the cheaper pieces of equipment when it comes to spraying your crops with chemicals, however, in practical terms, they are one of the most important; ensuring you use the right nozzle for the right purpose can mean drastically better outcomes.
By controlling the amount of liquid sprayed per unit area, application rate and variability of the width of the spray you can achieve all of the different objectives you need to do to ensure your crops are in the best shape.
There are a wide variety of nozzles that come in different types, shapes and sizes; the use of the right nozzle not only increases efficiency but also allows for compliance with label requirements as stipulated by regulations and customers.
When deciding the on the best used tires Winnipeg you need to take careful consideration of the following factors: the type of chemical sprayed, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers; the parameters of the sprayer, such as application rate, pressure and travel speed; application type, broadcast, band, directed or air assisted; type of crop being sprayed, field crops, vegetables, vineyards, trees, etc; and finally the weather and the likelihood of a strong wind.
Once you’ve taken into consideration the above factors you should look at which nozzle bests suits your needs. To help you with this, manufacturers have created various different apps that can explain a particular nozzles uses and applicability; easy to use and accessible on your phone, a nozzle assisting app is a definite way to ensure you choose the right nozzle for spraying your crops every time.
Another way of increasing efficiency through nozzle selection is to keep more than one specific type of nozzle on the boom at all times so you can rotate between nozzles for each specific spraying job.
After you’ve chosen your app, identified your objectives and chosen your nozzle, there’s still a few vital points that should be taken into consideration. For example, you need to keep your nozzles and sprayer clean as this is essential to preventing damage to your crops from chemical contamination, sprayers should be cleaned out as soon as possible to prevent the creation of dried residue. Another point to take into consideration is that you should always be prepared to carry out repairs, nozzles receive a lot of use and they aren’t made of the strongest materials and the same can be said for the sprayer itself, you should, therefore, stock up on as many extra nozzles as you need to ensure you that you can maintain the same level of efficiency at all times – even when you’re nozzle has broken.
Nozzles are small and cheap but they play a vital role in maintaining the health of your crops and are therefore invaluable to maintaining your livelihood. They’re only small but make sure you use the best nozzle will completely change the look of your crops, so consider the advice outlined above and make sure you pick the best nozzle for the job every time.
This post is a courtesy of Workers Compensation Attorneys in Los Angeles.


Beechwood Flower Bed Program
The flowerbed purchases start with the preparing of the flowerbed by removing the exisiting soil to a depth of 18 inches and replacing it with a garden soil mix. We take special care of the flowerbed from the time of planting (no later than second week of June) until the mid-October.
The annual flowerbed program consists of the following services:
- planting of annual flowers,
- weeding, and,
- edging of flower beds.
Beechwood’s Horticultural Department offers 7 different flowerbed options for you to choose. Beechwood’s Chief Horticulturist reserves the right to change a flower selection to ensure you have the best option for your location. If you are unsure whether your lot is a sunny or shady location, please select the “WE SELECT” option.
Please submit all orders before May 15 of each calendar year. Orders received after that date will be deferred to the following calendar year.


Peter wrote: I recently moved into a new house, and the builder put in a drainage swale at the bottom of my backyard. Since I am at the end of my street, whenever it rains I get all the runoff through my backyard to the street. The drainage swale runs across my back fence as you can see in the pictures. I would like to put in a path of some kind across the back fence, but don't know how to maintain the drainage. I'm thinking of a PVC pipe covered with gravel. Any Suggestions?.
I would dig down a bit and put in a plastic sheet, like a pool liner, much like you have in the photo. Then several inches of clean 3/4 inch gravel, the stuff they use to put around the drainage tiles at the foot of the foundation. Then a geotextile filter cloth and then topsoil. Right at the both ends of your property do not use any top soil but bring the gravel, and perhaps decorative rocks, right up to the surface. This will give the "underground diversion ditch" a way in and out. If you want to put a pipe into all of this ok, but more water will probably go around the pipe than through it. Since water always follows the path of least resistance, the idea is to create a clear flow under your grass that can get both in and out.
Another way I deal with serious run-off is to make it decorative with stones and patio blocks on a deep gravel bed to look like the Japanese garden idea, but in fact it is a diversion ditch. No top soil sometimes makes it all easier. Follow this link for more information on water runoff control.


Farm Story: grow fruits, raise animals and decorate beautiful farm with friends!
Farm Story is the name of the app developed by TeamLava Games, who are also responsible for producing a wide variety of different Android games such as Bakery Story, Fashion Story, and Restaurant Story. The game features the player monitoring and cultivating a farm to ultimately grow it into a lush and lavish expanse.
This app provides users who enjoy the game play with multitudes of different plants that each take different conditions to grow, and yield different amounts of profit. The game seems to have game play remarkably similar to that of Farmville, and by remarkably similar, I mean almost exactly the same game play. From the diagonal grid to the lush green grass dictating the perimeters of one's farm, to the content that can be purchased with real money to unlock in game money, FarmStory has it all. Of all the Farm Sim games on Google Play such as Farm Frenzy Lite and Papaya Farm, FarmStory has the most downloads and is highest rated with 70,000 approx. ratings with a 4.4. Overall, FarmStory seems to be a very complete and fun app!


June sees the start of the monsoon period, bringing rain, heat and humidity and unfortunately diarrhoea and mosquitos!!The monsoon sweeps up from the Bay of Bengal across Bangladesh and north-eastern India, and up through Nepal.The monsoon is a blessing and a curse at the same time. The rains are essential for rice planting. It would be catastrophic if it didn’t come as this would lead to no rice planting therefor starvation follows along with disease and death.
If the monsoon is severe it brings excessive rains, flooding and landslides and this brings misery to hundreds of thousands.
Figures for last year:
51,300 homes destroyed
413,500 people displaced including 170,000 children
And of course, crops and livestock which was worth millions were destroyed.
So our prayer is that this year the monsoon would be a blessing bringing hope and joy to the people of Nepal.


I think we are past the freezing days, so went ahead and planted my early stuff in the garden, including a few different types of lettuce, arugula, spinach and peas. I’ve got parsley coming back up and put some new herbs in pots to save room for the later garden stuff (tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers). I think I am planting less this year, so we’ll see how it goes.
I have totally slacked on my friend’s spring birthdays. If this includes you, I’m sorry! I didn’t even get cards out. Argh.


This is the row of beets and carrots on the left, and two rows of onions on the right. The far left is the untilled area of the garden that isn't going to get planted this year after all. Steve mowed the weeds the other day, but his mower protested the tall, damp weeds before he finished it all.
Steve is standing next to the row of spinach and lettuce. Hardly any lettuce came up, and the spinach (front left) has shot up and started flowering, so I think it's going to be too bitter to use. I planted the tomatoes and peppers after the lettuce in this row. The two rows of peas are to the right side of the photo. The farthest right row which is short and yellow is the one that is already dying, from heat.
These are the two rows of potatoes. We planted the left row first, though too much shade has the near side of that row less developed. The right row was planted later, and the near end is also looking wimpy.
We're not the best gardeners, as evidenced by the un-mounded potato plants, and the spinach that we let go. But we try. I don't think our new garden plot will be this large. We like having room to till between rows, so there is less weeding to do. We'll have to see what we can manage in the new location.


If you end up in want of that extra house to store your issues or tools and different huge equipments then you’ll have to build a shed in your backyard. A shed is nothing but a quite simple construction in your backyard garden which can be used as a workshop or for storage and will also be used on your hobbies. If required you too can convert it into an office house.
Leading the pack in reputation is the model of lights which might be designed to be stuck in the floor along the walkway. These are available in so many varieties that it doesn’t matter what type of garden lighting you’ve gotten chosen, you’ll be able to discover photo voltaic path lights to go with you design. Pathway lights are designed to spread a circle of soft mild down so that you could see the walkway, but not be so bright as to blind you.
Displaying 1 to 25 of 500 Articles in Cooking.
A 3rd solution to protect herbs is utilizing a medium or preservation agent. Place herbs similar to tarragon, basil, or mint (chopped) in a bottle or jar and cover with vinegar. This pickling will protect the herbs for several months. Simply as salt was once used to preserve meat, salt can be used to protect herbs. Alternate layers of contemporary herbs and salt till the entire herbs are covered. Once the herbs are utterly dry separate the dried herbs from the now flavored salt and store in an hermetic container.
For a rustic look, think about using log cedar.
It is a very significant expertise to benefit from the process of lifetime of the herb plant. It is typical that you simply grow herbs from seeds and it is rather rewarding in the sense that herb planting is a very worthwhile endeavor. In your indoor herb garden, place herb seeds in a shallow container or plant pot. To develop your seeds in, it’s essential to use a effectively drained soil. You do not want much soil to cover the seeds as herbs have also a shallow root base. The basic rule is that – if your seeds are finer, the ‘extra shallow’ that you must plant them. If you wish to transfer your herb seeds to the outdoors then you need to anticipate the spring season. Herbs, just like the fennel, coriander, anise and dill that need direct planting into your herb garden. There are also herbs that don’t do properly while you transplant them.
Steps. Healthy or inexperienced gardens and lawns are identified to protect water, notably within the dry Summer season months. * Maintain your furnishings and equipment in scale with your outdoor area. If you have a two-level deck, you possibly can go all out with giant pieces akin to gliders and oversize dining tables. “In essence,” Gardner says, “inexperienced has at all times been nature’s prescription for serving to us to calm down, decelerate, and relieve the stress of day by day life.


VINEYARDS & PRODUCTION
14 hectares of vines, divided in 25 small plots …..
Terre des Dames has conserved the same structure for over 200 years: small plots on different levels, surrounded by ancient stone walls and wild garrigue.
Here, of course, we don’t use any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. For most of the year, a cover of natural herbs is maintained in the vineyards, thus preserving the ecological balance of the soil. We just clean the rows by intercep (or by hand if necessary).
Our aim is to preserve the older vineyards: with their deep root system, they are the most resistant to global warming. Our oldest vineyard is 100 years old, others between 50 and 70. Young vines have been planted in the last ten years. For new plantations – we remain faithful to local grape varieties, which are best suited to our climate.
The exceptional advantage of our valley is its particular microclimate: several underground springs and rivers provide freshness to the roots – a freshness that we find back in our wines. The large barriers of trees and wild garrigue between the plots also play a role in maintaining the freshness, they protect against diseases and guarantee biodiversity.
Certified organic (Ecocert) since 2009.
Since several years, we only harvest between six and twelve in the morning to preserve the freshness of our grapes.
All our grapes are harvested by hand and transported in small crates – we don’t want our grapes to get crushed before arrival in the cellar. We are lucky to have all plots directly surrounding our buildings, thus ensuring a very short trajectory with minimal stress for the grapes.
Each box is slowly emptied onto a sorting table, where we take the time necessary to scan grape by grape. It is only by close observation, sometimes even tasting, that we know which grapes deserve to enter the cellar: we do not want rot, immature grapes, nor insects or snails.
Only by starting with a perfectly clean product a gentle and natural vinification is possible.
Winemaking should be a gentle and natural process so as not to distort the grapes. We do not sulphite the harvest, but use natural yeasts to protect the grapes, then let it start its fermentation.


In other gardening news, I made a few Farmer's Wife blocks.
I started this little project a year ago, when I joined this QAL. I mean, really, how hard can it be, making 2 little 6" blocks a week for one year. Not hard, really. Just, I don't know. I think I've learned that I'm not good at "a thing a day" type activities. I'm more apt to power through 8-10 at a time. Or maybe I need to do the 21 days in a row to make it a habit thing. So far, I have maybe a dozen of these little guys. Will I make all 100+ blocks? We'll see. I do enjoy making them, and revisiting some favorite scraps. I'm just not going to put a time line on it.
And now, on to the "real" garden. Things are, eh. The tomatoes and onions are doing great. But my cucumbers and zucchini were a complete fail. I mean, really, who can't grow zucchini? I had to dig up the old plants (which never took hold) and start anew. And then the bunnies came. Goodbye peppers. Hello fence.
If you have any awesome gardening tips, please share. Clearly I need them!


Most people believe the chicken business is a five-way thing – Buy chicks, feed them till they can lay eggs, sell the eggs during the year, sell the chickens during festive seasons. Well, with developing technology and more people having direct access to the internet, there are so many other ways you can turn your chickens into cash. Let’s move from the conventional to the unconventional. Shall we?
- Broilers Breeding
If you want to breed and raise chickens specifically for meat production, then you would have to invest in broilers. This is often called the quick money method as broilers grow very fast (within 42 – 45 days) and give you good value for your money. If you are killing the birds yourself, be sure to clean them and pack them immediately. Store them in a refrigerated environment until you’re able to sell them.
- Layers Breeding
Did you know that on the average every year, 2.2kg of eggs are eaten per person in Africa? This is much below the world average of 8.5kg per person per year which implies that we would eat more if we produce more. Layers breeding involves breeding your layer chickens with the major aim of having them lay eggs. Eventually, the chickens will get weak after producing eggs for about 54-70 weeks and you can still make more money by selling them off as meat. A healthy layer lays one egg in 30 hours. Therefore in 70 weeks, it would have produced about 392 eggs, that’s worth over 11,000 naira. Layers breeding is more profitable than broilers breeding but it requires more resources, patience, time and energy.
You can actually sell your chickens’ excrement to gardeners looking for fertilizer. Simply collect the waste carefully, along with the bedding from the coop where it’s been soiled. Create a compost pile fairly far from residential areas so that the smell doesn’t seep through. The manure should be allowed to degrade for at least one week before it can be sold, and periods up to a month are even better. Package the finished product and advertise it to greenhouses and farms. This way you can increase your profit margin even more.
- Poultry Feed Production & Equipment Manufacturing
This is what i’ll like to call ‘indirect investment’. Here you don’t have to own the chickens but you can make money from chickens owned by others by producing the food they eat and the equipment they use in poultry farms. The demand for these is just as much as the demand for the chickens and you can make more money by supplying multiple farms within and outside the country.
- The Hatcheries
Here, eggs are hatched under artificial conditions. This aspect of poultry business is very important because the health of a chicken is determined by the effectiveness of the hatchery process. This is quite lucrative because it is not very common and its demand is also very high.
- Poultry Consultant
This is for those who may not have enough money to start their own poultry farm but have gathered sufficient experience to add value to those who are still at sea as to how to go about their poultry business. All you need to do is prepare a great portfolio and a pitch deck and create awareness about the services you can offer. You can also organize trainings for farmers and their employees. This requires very little or no capital at all.
- Chicken Blogger/Vlogger
People practically live on the internet these days because it’s the fastest way of getting information. If you love writing as much as I do and you also love chickens (I doubt you could love them half as much as I do though), you can create engaging content on chickens or poultry farming in general and make money from your site especially through advertisement. You could also make funny youtube videos of your chickens if you’re a vlogger and get thousands of views which can be converted to thousands of naira!
There’s a place for almost everyone in the poultry business. Simply find an aspect that suits you and go for it. Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments below. Cheers!


The funding agency HED requires periodic reports in order to assess the efficacy of each grant, and its full impact on the target group or area. Each report includes demographic information, activities descriptions, and resulting impacts. It is a helpful way to measure success in the grant institution process.
Finding New Ways to Manage Sh*t
UGA & UAC:
Integrated Waste Management with Energy Production for Increased Competitiveness of the Livestock Industry in Northeast Mexico
Ulises Triana Dominguez rises early every morning to work on his family’s dairy farm in Mexico’s Laguna region, before he heads into town for school. Lately he’s been more and more concerned with the amount of sh*t they have to deal with as a result of having so many cows. The typical way to deal with all this manure is to shovel it daily, collecting huge piles, and then have it hauled off to other areas to be spread on fields as fertilizer. But now he worries about the sheer volume of waste, releasing dangerous gasses like methane into the atmosphere as it decomposes, and leaching harmful contaminants into the ground water.
These worries are now being addressed through a USAID and HED funded grant program. Ulises won a competitive internship to study waste management and methane capture and use in state of the art labs at UGA. For five months he did lab research, visited farm sites around Georgia, and met with many related personnel. He also had the chance to dialogue with two Applied Economics professors to discuss the ins and outs of applying his technical knowledge to farms in Mexico, and all the possible impacts.
Methane capture for beneficial use is rather simple in theory; put the manure in a container, and collect the gas as it decomposes. The methane collected can be used for power and fuel. Then once the manure has completely decomposed and expelled all the methane, it is safer to use a fertilizer. However, there are many factors to consider, and technologies to explore to develop the most economical, productive, and environmentally friendly solution. The knowledge that Ulises gained in his internship at UGA was a cornerstone for the completion of his degree in Biochemical Engineering at UAC. And now he is armed with the knowledge and resources to apply a sustainable bioenergy initiative on his own farm. Goodbye fossil fuels, hello cow manure!
More Success Stories>>


Congress Takes on GMO Debate
A House committee is hearing legislation that would stop states from issuing their own laws requiring the labeling of genetically modified food and instead leave labeling up to the federal government. Since food sold in one state is almost always sold in other states, complying with a patchwork of different state laws doesn’t make much sense for businesses.
Of course, taking this power away from states has drawn a lot of opposition. Campaigns led by the Center for Food Safety and Environmental Working Group continue to misstate the facts about genetically modified foods and mischaracterize this legislation as preventing consumers from knowing important information for their health. You can check out our primer, “5 Things to Know About GMOs,” for our response to activists’ anti-science claims.
Labeling GMOs implies that these foods are somehow nutritionally different than conventional foods or pose a health risk. That’s simply not the case. There’s no credible research showing GMOs threaten human health and before any new GMO crop is approved, it’s reviewed extensively by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safety.
Genetic modification has allowed farmers to use fewer chemicals on their crops while increasing yields—we can feed more people by using less land. Recent work has created a potato that can resist bruising (cutting down on food waste) and produce less acrylamide (a chemical created when potatoes are cooked at high heat); rice fortified with vitamin A (helping to reduce blindness and death from vitamin A deficiency); an apple that can resist browning when cut (cutting down on food waste).
GMOs have the potential to dramatically improve the way we farm and eat food. But activists don’t want to give scientists the freedom to improve crops even further. Instead, they’re scaring the American public about a threat to their health and environment that just doesn’t exist.


Marine Grade Resin
397h x 170w x 170d cms
(13′ x 5’6″ x 5’6″)
A failed crop in the family orchard where Mark’s studio is located inspired Mark to make his monumental ‘Fork in Pollen’ Sculpture he is concerned with the plight of the bees-and the widespread effect that it would have globally if decline continues in such numbers. Climate change and environmental damage is a monumental problem which Mark could not ignore.
Bees are great pollinators, and therefore have a key role in producing much of the food that we eat. Without pollination many of our food sources would not exist.
If bee and other insect pollinator declines continue, the high cost of pollinating these plants by other means could significantly increase the cost of fruit and vegetables.


Have you ever determined that you're going to clean the basement, garage or barn and just become frozen in place because you can't determine where you should start on the massive job? Did you ever just say to yourself "forget it!" and go do something else instead? Well, the same thing happens when you decide to face down that weedy mess that you hesitate to call a Lawn. You know that it will take several different weedkillers, but you don't know which ones and in what order, or when they should be repeated to finish the job well.
Bestlawn Bermuda Guide
Maintaining a Bermuda lawn is a very simple process that doesn’t require a lot of work to have a nice thick lawn. Bermuda grows very fast and aggressively during hot weather and will fill in a lot of bare spots if maintained correctly. The most labor-intensive part of caring for Bermuda is mowing in the heat of Summer. Bermuda also needs a regular supply of food to look its best.
Maintenance Schedule For Cool Season Lawns
Products that are mentioned and pictured below are only examples, not recommendations. There are similar products available by other brand names that you might prefer.
1. March is a great time to clean up the yard and begin the year’s maintenance regimen. The first thing to do is rake. Using a leaf rake might be best so as not to damage the soil's fragile condition at this time. The soil is likely still very moist, so rake lightly to stand the grass blades, unbind matting, and also clear away debris.
Originally published on Earth911.com - Permission granted.
As more and more compost is produced and utilized and as the body of end-use related research grows, the benefits of using compost have become more evident and measurable. Because of its many attributes, compost is extremely versatile and beneficial in many applications. Compost has the unique ability to improve the properties of soils and growing media physically (structurally), chemically (nutritionally), and biologically. Although many equate the benefit of compost use to lush green growth, caused by the plant-available nitrogen, the real benefits of using compost are long-term and related to its content of living-organic matter.
Ground Ivy AKA Creeping Charlie is one of the hardest weeds to control in the lawn for many homeowners. The secret to reliably eradicating this weed is TIMING. The best time for an effective kill of this weed (and many other broadleafs) is in the late Fall. Spot spray your ground ivy and other weeds after the top-growth in the lawn has stopped but before complete dormancy sets in. For me that’s Thanksgiving weekend. Second best time is in the Spring when it’s purple flowers are present. The best weed killer to use is Ortho® Weed-B-Gon® Chickweed, Clover and Oxalis Killer for Lawns.


BUTLER COUNTY, KAN. — There are few places in the world Tom Devlin hasn’t seen.
But the sight of about two-dozen birds flushing beside a pasture trail was enough to stop the successful businessman’s conversation mid-sentence and bring a smile of pride to his face.
“How’s that for great timing?” said Devlin, who had been talking about quail management for the past hour. “That was a really big covey . . . a lot of our coveys are really big, this year.”
That covey was amid a 5,000-acre spread he owns northeast of Leon, Kan., of which about 1,500 acres are heavily managed for his beloved bobwhites. Around another 3,000 acres are similarly managed on sizable Kansas ranches near Howard and Piedmont. He estimates most of his lands have twice as many quail as last season.
“I think we’re getting on the right track,” said Devlin, who has been trying to bolster quail populations on his lands for about 20 years. “This year we found 15 coveys in one day. I know we’ve been seeing a lot more birds than most people.”
Managing for habitat
Devlin’s interest in quail hunting began about the time he began buying ranches in the mid-1980s.
“My first 10 years of hunting were fabulous,” Devlin said. “Things really started getting tough after that.”
There are few things he hasn’t tried to rebuild quail populations. Some were his ideas, others came from picking the minds of experts.
Devlin said he failed with releasing birds, either as pen-reared adults or quail raised within the food/water and temperature controlled confines of a surrogator out on the prairie.
That left him with belief that improving natural habitat was the key.
He’s spent time on ranches that annually burned from horizon to horizon, then were intensively grazed. The fire destroyed nearly all habitat, including the forbs on which young quail find needed insects and seeds and brush needed for protection. Heavy grazing left the birds with little food or cover.
Devlin said the other extreme – ungrazed, never-burned pastures – can quickly become too dense for run-loving quail to navigate easily, so he’s using burning and grazing in moderation.
“We needed cattle to thin the grass,” he said on a pre-hunt interview at a cafe in Leon. “We’ll put cattle on most of our pastures in March, but only about one-third the stocking rate most people use.”
Ideally, Devlin would like to use a rotational program so parts of pastures are burned about every third year, leaving plenty of potential nesting, brood-rearing and escape cover untouched. His land managers disk fire breaks around wild plum and sumac thickets and other needed covers to protect them from the fires.
His crews also have attacked most woodlands, where sizable trees shade out areas that were once brushy quail cover 20 years ago. From their chainsaws has come some of the gnarliest, thickest and most important cover on Devlin’s quail properties.
Into the miles of thorns, the land managers regularly broadcast literal tons of milo. Because it’s spread over such an area, Devlin said predators have no quail concentration on which to prey, such as around food plots and feeders.
“We’ve been feeding basically all-year around, but it’s especially important in the late winter and early spring when there’s not much food left out there,” said Devlin. “We want those hens to be as strong and healthy as possible when they start nesting and raising chicks.”


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Gardening....It's cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.
Have you heard that saying before?
It's so true, and yes, after the effort that's involved in preparing the soil, planting and tending whatever it is that you've elected to plant, there's a reward!
When I'm discussing the art of veggie gardening with folks and more specifically, the suggestion of them growing their own produce, the most common obstacle to them actualising this seems to be the 'apparent' lack of space in their backyards in which to grow a bountiful crop of organic produce.
Obviously, if a market garden is what you have in mind, the average suburban backyard isn't going to be anywhere near enough, but most folks only want to grow enough to feed between 2 and 4 people, depending on the size of their families.
I love gardening, and growing my own produce has been a life long passion for me, so I've opted to dig up 1/3 of my entire backyard and use it for food growing purposes including veggies, fruit trees and herbs.
Having this much ground put aside for such purposes isn't everybody's 'thing,' nor is it necessary in order to reap the benefits that are derived from growing veggies in your own backyard, and with a move towards smaller backyards or even a courtyard setup, a simple scattering of pots is all that's required.
With tomato planting season well underway, it's not too late to get a plant or two up and running to satisfy your family's tomato needs for the coming summers salads, sandwiches and with careful tending, even enough for some fresh pasta sauces.
The photo above right shows a large terracotta pot in my backyard which is home to a 'Tommy Toe' tomato plant, a cherry type tomato perfect for salads or for simply eating straight from the bush. Carefully staked as it grows in height and width, this variety will yield extremely well and makes for a very attractive potted plant.
If space is an issue and growing your own veggies is something that calls you, there are so many containers available that lend themselves well to this purpose, pots being only one.
I once used some old wooden drawers as seed raising boxes and have also tried my hand at pallet gardening, both proved to be very successful and come highly recommended.
I hope this information will help to unleash the backyard veggie gardener in you, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me via email or by commenting below.
I'd love to hear from you.
I hope to see you at the local nursery this afternoon!
Love and light,


Farmers and advocacy groups across Ontario concerned with the alarming decrease in the bee population are calling for a neonicotinoid ban by spring 2014.
Nathan Carey, a farmer in Neustadt, Ontario, is one of them.
Carey and his wife, Tarrah, have been running Green Being Farm, an organic farm, for six years. They raise sheep, pigs, chickens and cattle on the farm. The pair run a community shared agriculture (CSA) program for those looking for locally and organically grown vegetables.
Their farm depends on pollinators such as bees and when Carey started noticing the lack of them around his farm, he started to worry.
“When I noticed a lack of pollinators around the farm, I started asking neighbours and people who stopped by if they had similar experience and the majority of people did,” Carey said during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.
So he began to make a plan to save a creature so crucial to our ecosystem: ban the use of neonicotinoid in Ontario by next year.
Neonicotinoid is the chemical linked by scientists to the alarming decrease of the bee population.
Some farmers use the harmful chemical to prevent pests from eating their crop. They are applied to the soil and absorbed by the whole plant. The plant becomes toxic from the roots to the leaves, stems and pollen.
A review by The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife, found the following:
- “Honey bees exposed to sublethal levels of neonicotinoid can experience problems with flying and navigation, reduced taste sensitivity, and slower learning of new tastes, which all impact foraging ability”
- “Bumble bees exposed to sublethal levels of neonicotinoid exhibit reduced food consumption, reproduction, worker survival rates, and foraging activity.”
In the 40-page review, the organization recommends that legislators, regulators and municipal leaders across the country should consider banning the use of neonicotinoid for “cosmetic purposes on ornamental and landscape plants.”
To move forward with his goal of implementing a neonicotinoid ban by next spring, Carey meets with community members passionate about the issue, sends out messages to a mailing list of 80-100 people and works with organizations such as National Farmers Union, organization of Canadian farmers, Sierra Club, a national environment organization, and other advocacy groups.
“One of the things I’ve done in our local group is encouraged people to write to their MPs. I’m really encouraged that Kathleen Wynne took action on this. I don’t see that type of action coming from the federal government,” said Carey.
Premier Wynne, who is also Ontario’s Agriculture Minister, has asked the federal government to speed up its review of neonicotinoid seed treatments.
And it might not come fast enough.
Carey says the bee population has experienced a drop of 35 per cent in the past three years.
A petition started by the Ontario Beekeepers Association that is addressed to Wynne calls for the immediate ban of the use of neonicotinoid in Ontario. The petition has accumulated over 18,000 signatures to date.
“We are undermining the stability of our food system. The risk of losing those bees is pretty devastating. This issue isn’t just about farmers and beekeepers, it’s about everyone. We are all dependent on these natural systems,” said Carey.
To put it in context, Carey says to picture any business losing 35 per cent of their production.
“Beekeepers are losing livestock. It’s pretty devastating emotionally and economically,” Carey said.
He also hopes that organic farmers will provide insight for mainstream agriculture. Carey says that organic farmers have proven there is consistent crop with pollinator health.
“The issue with bees touches people. The way I haven’t seen an agriculture issue touch people,” said Carey.


Well, maybe not, but this is by far the best pumpkin that I have grown to date. It's still growing so who knows how large it will get. I put a key on it for size reference. The vines borers are a no show so far this year. Last fall I dug through the dirt and removed any of the nasty white worms, so maybe that helped. By this time last year they were already killing the plants so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Just have about 5 other starters on the vines. A lot of the females seemed to wither before flowering so no chance for them but there is still plenty of time left!


Because of the long period of neglect with which Agriculture has been faced, the island should receive both direct and indirect benefits from the reconstruction programme. The indirect benefits should flow from the programme in Grenada. However, a specific programme for the island should include the following:-
Livestock - General improvement in livestock husbandry through better pasture management, rotational grazing, better grasses, adjustment in the stocking rate based on the carrying capacity of the pastures. Provision of an Abbatoir with chilling facilities and the air-lifting of beef, pork, lamb and mutton to Grenada. Outlets will be provided through the supermarkets, hotels, local meat stalls, etc. There will therefore be little need for farmers to travel to Grenada with animals on the hoof for sale to face all the problems that this system entails. However, to meet this situation if it does arise, holding paddocks should be set up in Grenada where animals would be fed and housed until sold.
Limes - Improvement in the cultivation practices and restoration of the Dunfries factory to provide facilities for the production of lime juice and lime oil.
Cotton - Introduction of better agronomic practices in the cultivation of the crop and a possible change from the production of the Marie Galante cotton variety to the more lucrative Sea Island Cotton variety. The utilization of cotton seed for soil production and the cake as a stock feed. This cotton will be used as the basis of our local textile and garment industry.
Soil and Water Conservation Programme - This to be administered through the Conservation Authority and will include the establishment of large earthen dams in all possible catchment areas. The water resources so developed should be used to further expand the livestock and agricultural potential of the island through irrigation. Among other things, it would give a fillip to the production of our of season vegetables to supply Grenada and regional markets. Crops envisaged include: tomatoes, beans, okras, cabbages, carrots, onions, beet, garlic, watermelons, etc. Crops to be properly graded, packaged, then air-lifted to their destination.
Local Assemblies - We propose that the people of Carriacou and Petit Martinique will run these islands in their local Assemblies. Petit Martinique can have one local Assembly while Carriacou will have at least six. These Assemblies, together will elect four representatives to the National Assembly. In addition, the Assembly Council for Carriacou and Petit Martinique will be given greater agreed powers than the Assembly Councils in Grenada.