We all know that keeping a lawn look perfect is a complicated and a time-consuming thing to do. Luckily, there are a lot of tools available that can make this task simpler and easier. Even better is the fact that some of these tools are very affordable and they are extremely easy to use. All of this is reflected to the Best Lawn Roller. They are definitely simple tools you can purchase at any given moment, but they are more than just effective and mandatory to use.
Why Should You Use A Lawn Roller?
In the lack of a better word, lawn rollers are the mandatory tools for any lawn, regardless of the size, shape, location and the type of grass it has. All professionals use rollers and they have been using them for decades. Now we will explain why this is the case.
First and foremost, the sole purpose of a lawn roller is to flatter the surface. You must know that all, professionally maintained and designed lawns are perfectly flat. They make a huge difference in the eye of a viewer and there is a present appeal when a lawn has no bumps or slopes.
Of course, a lawn roller is also used to protect your lawn. Yes, you heard this right. Some insects and animals will dig tunnels and holes in the ground. This means that the roots of the grass will be compromised and the grass will simply become brown and nasty. A roller is used to push the ground into the mentioned holes and tunnels, so it will keep the roots of the grass safe and sound.
Lawn rollers are essential when you are still developing the lawn. They are commonly used to push the seeds of the grass into the ground and make a contact between the roots and the ground. What this means is that your lawn will have a higher amount of grass and it will also look so much better. Believe or not, this is the main purpose of the lawn rollers and for most of us, the most important of them all. Without them, grass seed won’t be able to grow properly or the amount of the grown grass will be significantly compromised.
In a nutshell, lawn rollers make a huge difference between having an average or a perfect lawn. There are also several additional factors that are important to individuals or usable in specific situations.
Best Practices for Using a Lawn Roller
As a homeowner, your lawn is a critical part of your compound that gives the aesthetic beauty to your home. Besides, it boosts the value of your home in case you want to sell your property. Having a well mowed and rolled out lawn takes effort and you have to properly maintain it to achieve this nature.
One of the best tools to roll out your grass is a lawn roller. Every homeowner who cares about the beauty of their compound should have this awesome equipment for DIY; you don’t have to call professional mowers if you have this equipment. Of course, you should not roll your lawn every now and then.
It is advisable to do it once a year. However, it is recommended that you roll your lawn after seeding to incorporate the seed with the soil, after sodding a new lawn, after some turbulent winter which has caused soil heaving and also when there are tunnels and bumps in it. Doing rolling outside these situations will only make your lawn messy and end up destroying your once great lawn.
When rolling under the above circumstances, ensure you roll like a pro to prevent damaging the soil and the grass. Here are some of the best practices:
- Only do the rolling when your ground is damp
Avoid rolling your lawn when it is soaked otherwise you will have soil compaction which prevents aeration and eventually causes retarded growth in your grass. Again doing the rolling when the ground is completely dry will end up ineffective. So only do it when the ground is damp.
- Avoid heavy rollers
As a homeowner, you maybe know how strong your soil in the lawn is and how much weight it can handle. Weight of your lawn roller should be a factor you should never ignore. Always use lightweight rollers to make your lawn more effective and great.
- Avoid rolling yearly
Only roll when it is absolutely necessary otherwise you will end up compacting the soil and damaging your lawn.
- Roll during spring
This is the period when the roots of the grass are active and the grass is just breaking from its dormancy stage. Rolling at this season will still encourage the grass to grow. Avoid summer when the weather is dry for it will be ineffective.
- Avoid rolling if you have clay soil in your lawn
Clay soil is known to be compact and can cause your grass not to grow because of lack of proper aeration.
Factors To Look For When Buying A New Lawn Roller
Finding the best lawn roller is relatively easy, but only if you know what to look for. If you are a beginner, you will want to discover the difference between a lawn roller which is just perfect for you and the one that just looks ‘’nice’’. The same factors will be mentioned in the reviews which will be included here. We hope that a combination of the factors to consider and list of the best models will help you choose the one model that has it all you are looking for.
Obviously, lawn rollers are used to flat the lawn surface. As such, they are big. However, some of them are extremely big, while others are smaller and some are even extremely small. All this means that the size or dimensions of a new lawn roller are the first factor to consider. Sadly, it can’t be generalized, so it is up to you to find the most suitable dimension.
As you know by now, all lawn rollers will have to be pushed or pulled. There are a few differences. The first one is related to the aforementioned size. As such we can see rollers which can be pulled and pushed by a user. On the other hand, we have much bigger models which require a lawn tractor or a utility vehicle in order to be used. Make sure you understand these requirements before you get a new roller!
In most cases, we can see a roller made of steel or poly. There are good and bad sides of each material. Steel is far more durable and stronger. On the other hand, it is heavier. Poly is lighter and more suitable for smaller rollers, but it isn’t as durable as steel. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to tell the difference just by looking at a roller. All of them are coated with paint or a unique protective layer so they look the same.
Water or sand
What will you use to fill the roller? There are two options here as well. The first one is water. It is more affordable, it is faster to complete and it still offers impressive results. However, water can compromise the structural integrity of a roller and if left inside during low temperatures, ice will form which will destroy the roller (ice expands while steel and poly don’t).
Another option is sand. It is more expensive and more time-consuming to fill a roller. On the other hand, it is a permanent solution. At the end of a day, it is up to you to decide which alternative you should use. Addition: It is known that professional rollers should be filled with sand, while smaller ones, for smaller lawns, should use water.
This is one of the most important factors to consider. It can make a huge difference. Heavier models are more appealing for heavy-duty operations, they are also preferable to be used with a utility vehicle and they are commonly treated as advanced, or professional models. If the soil is harder than usual, you will definitely want a roller with higher load capacity. A heavy duty lawn roller will simply be more efficient.
The least important factor is the color of a roller. They usually come in green or black so your options are limited. However, black ones look more expensive and more elegant. Of course, this depends on personal preference only.
Top 5 Lawn Rollers
Agri-Fab 45-0269 Poly Tow Lawn Roller
- 550 pound capacity
- 18 inch diameter by 48 in long, internally reinforced, rust-proof, poly drum for...
- Fill and drain plug
- Steel scraper bar
The Agri-Fab 45-0269 is a popular lawn roller for sale which is commonly rated as the best of the best. There are a lot of reasons for that and you should know that purchasing this model will mean you truly have the best unit. In essence, the tested model is one of a kind unit which is heavy-duty, beautifully made and it even comes with three years of warranty. In addition, this model is made in the United States. It will be more than just sufficient for all lawns and for all soil types.
550 pound capacity
The main advantage of the tested unit and the one that we liked a lot is the weight capacity. When full, this model will have a weight of 550 pounds, which makes it the heaviest of them all. Yes, there are some heavier models, but they are reserved for commercial applications. This one is designed for home-based applications. The dimensions are 18×48 inches, so we can see that it is also a bigger unit. In the lack of a better word, the tested unit has it all and it must be taken into consideration.
Reinforced poly drum
The drum or the base of the roller is made of poly material. However, it isn’t as ordinary as you may believe. The drum is reinforced internally and precisely this makes it extremely durable and strong. There is no need in telling you that the material in question is rust free, so corrosion won’t be a problem, ever.
- 550 pounds capacity
- Reinforced drum
- Rust free
- Easy to use
- Pulley is made of steel
- Perfect drain plug
- More expensive than similar models
- Must be used with a utility vehicle
Brinly PRT-36SBH 390-Pound Tow Behind Poly Lawn Roller
- Ideal for medium to large yards: 36" Rolling width and 390 lb. Capacity is...
- 42 gallon capacity: sturdy Roller holds up to 42 gallons (390 lbs. ) of water or...
- Durable construction: Sturdy poly roller drum won't dent or rust, and resists...
- Faster filling: includes fill opening with extra-large diameter to expedite...
Here is the push lawn roller that is advanced or better said sophisticated compared to similar models. There are two main features which will be mentioned below and which will help you understand why the tested model is so special. At the moment, all we can say is that the weight capacity is 390 pounds and the dimensions are 18×36 inches. It is also made of poly material and it comes with a high level of quality.
Rounded end caps
This is the first advantage compared to other lawn rollers. The end cups are rounded, meaning that they won’t leave any marks or damage the grass or lawn in that matter when the roller is used. This is one of a kind feature and there is no a similar model available on the market right now which has the same feature. It also makes a huge difference when you are turning the roller.
Thanks to the use of modern materials, the tested unit will provide impressive results when loaded. But, when empty, the weight will be around 50 pounds. This makes it easy to move and store. In essence, this is the second feature which we liked a lot and the one that makes it better than the competition.
- Lightweight design
- Rounded end caps
- 390 pounds of capacity
- Easy to drain
- Modern design
- The material can be damaged when exposed to heat
- The drum isn’t reinforced
Agri-Fab 18-Inch x 36-Inch Poly Tow Lawn Roller 45-0268
- Durable 18" diameter, 36" wide, no rust, internally reinforced, poly roller drum
- 400 lbs weight with water to help flatten uneven grass and level new soil in 36"...
- Less than 50 lbs without water for easy storage and transport and roller...
- Includes removable drain plug and poly scraper bar; center baffler provides...
The unit is basically a smaller version of the best model here. The capacity is 400 pounds and the roller weighs less than 50 pounds when empty. This is a huge advantage and probably something that makes a huge difference in general. Of course, it is also made in the United States and it comes with the superb level of quality. We can say that the Agri-Fab 18-Inch x 36-Inch is the best, average lawn roller.
Convenient drain valve
The drain valve is modern and located on the perfect spot. What this means is that emptying the roller or filling it with water is easier than usual and you will notice that the first time when you use the model in question. A good thing is the fact this advantage is implemented on all lawn rollers made by the same manufacturer. Regardless of the size and weight capacity you get, the mentioned drain plug will be available.
3 years of warranty
This is generally an affordable lawn roller, so a longer warranty can be treated as an advantage. In this case scenario, we are looking at 3 years, which is a decent warranty. Keep in mind that this unit isn’t made of steel but from poly. As such, a longer warranty is a much better alternative and can be treated as a game changer.
- Advanced drain valve and plug
- Long warranty
- Decent capacity
- Lightweight models
- Lack of advanced features
- Customer support
Agri-Fab 45-0267 18- by 24-Inch Poly Push/Tow Lawn Roller
- CAPACITY: 400 lbs. when filled with water
- STORAGE: Lightweight when empty, for easy transport and storage
- ASSEMBLY: Some assembly required; a video instruction guide is available to...
- OPERATION: Push/Tow feature; Drain/Fill plug empties easily and fills with a...
Most yard rollers were tested by us, but this one is definitely the best choice if you are looking for a smaller roller. First and foremost, it comes with an impressive design which makes it special. Then we can see a lightweight construction and a removable hitch. The capacity is 250 pounds and dimensions are 18×24 inches. As we have mentioned, it isn’t suitable for larger lawns, but for smaller ones, it is ideal.
We know that this may sound like a drawback, but it actually isn’t. As a matter of fact, this is one advantage that must be mentioned. The plastic finish makes the roller smoother than usual. What this also offers is making the surface perfectly smooth. It is still a heavy roller when filled with water and it will provide impressive results. The plastic finish is strong and durable in the lack of a better word and it will help you get the most impressive result after all.
Perfect for flatting the surface which is sown with seeds
The combination of the features and the weight make this roller perfect for smoothing the surface which has been sown with seeds. This is especially important due to the aforementioned feature and the overall weight. On the other hand, we can see that the tested unit is lightweight and can be stored anywhere you want perfectly. It is another unit made of reinforced poly material.
- Plastic finish has an appositive effect on the end result
- Convenient for all users
- 250 pounds of weight is a decent feature
- Lightweight but reinforced construction
- Removable drain plug
- Compact dimensions
- Plastic finish is sensitive
- Difficult to fill with sand
Brinly PRC-24BH 270-Pound Combination Push
- Push/pull combination: convenient push or tow-behind design provides versatility...
- 28 gallon capacity: sturdy Roller holds up to 28 gallons (270 lbs.) of water or...
- Durable construction: Sturdy poly roller drum won't dent or rust, and resists...
- Faster filling: includes fill opening with extra-large diameter to expedite...
As you can all see, this grass roller is made for manual applications. At the end of a day, it may be the most appealing choice of them all or it may be the one that doesn’t suit your needs. This is mandatory to remember due to a simple reason. The dimensions are 18×24 inches and this makes it perfect for narrow and small lawns. But, it makes it impractical for larger lawns. Anyway, it is still a desirable model with a weight load of 270 pounds. It will require 28 gallons of water to be filled.
Versatile lawn roller
The dimensions and the weight, alongside the pulley, make this the most versatile lawn roller of them all. Simply said, you can use it everywhere you want. It is also perfect for small and narrow areas and it can be rotated in a small area. The bottom line here is that the versatility is on a high level and it is probably the main advantage of the tested model. It is also something we liked and you should pay attention to as soon as possible.
Perfect for delicate operations
All of you who are looking for a smaller lawn roller which is ‘’sensitive’’ and which won’t damage the grass or the soil, this model is the right choice. The surface is smoother and softer than the ones you get on other models. Then we have the rounded ends, which won’t leave a trace when the roller is rotated. All of this makes a huge advantage overall and should be taken into consideration as soon as possible.
- Rounded ends are a perfect advanced feature
- 270 pounds of weight
- Attention to details is impressive
- Value for money
- Versatile usability
- For smaller lawns only
- Manual use only
Al the end, all we can say is that the Agri-Fab 45-0269 is the best Lawn Roller overall. It gets 5 stars and it is definitely the first choice to keep in mind. It has it all and it is beautifully made. You will also like the massive weight load and the end result, which is better than all other models from the list have to offer. Of course, other units are the best rollers in their class so, at the end of the day, the best model for you is the one that matches your requirements. All we can say is that all 5 units are above the average when it comes to the quality, features and the usability.
Last update on 2022-09-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


Roba Family Orchard – our great adventure continues! John and Sue Roba love making memories for all of their customers! And what could be just as much fun as making memories at Roba Family Farms? Roba Family Orchard, of course! John’s love for growing remains strong as apple trees continue to be added to the orchard. Jenn Roba will be overseeing the Orchard with the same passion her parents have in overseeing the Fall Harvest Festival!
In the spring of 2012, the first crop of high density, trellised apple trees were planted. Since our opening in 2102 we have quadrupled the size of our orchard!
We are excited to announce that Roba Family Orchard will be opening this fall on September 3, 2016. We have added several attractions to the Orchard. This year we are featuring a Ronald McDonald House of Scranton corn maze, along with a Cow Train Express, Jenn’s Giant Corn Box, farm animals, and a logic maze. We have the Orchard Café that features many delicious treats! Our Country Store is housed in a beautiful tent with many items that you won’t be able to resist!
We hope the Orchard continues to flourish and become as much of a success as the Fall Harvest at our North Abington Township Farm. After you enjoy both locations this fall, don’t forget to come back to either farm to pick out your Christmas tree! We hope you continue to make memories with us all season long!


Amazing Opportunity to Own 158 Acres of Land right next to the Stillaguamish River! With over 1.5 Miles of Riverfront, this is a Fisherman's Dream & the land itself is a Hunters Paradise. For the INVESTOR: Current Income stream; 160 Acres Crops Lease and Hay Lease with so much more Land investment potential. For the CANNABIS GROWER: Sky's the limit with all this land. For the AIRPLANE ENTHUSIAST: Build your own "potential" private Airstrip. For the RANCHER: Some of the Property is currently used as a Cattle Ranch. For the FARMER: So much land for your crops and so much more. Welcome Home to Arlington!


Clwyd Agricultural Limited
Clwyd Agricultural Ltd supplies, services and repairs all types of agricultural and groundcare equipment.
Terfyn Buildings, Caerwys Road, Denbighshire
Phone: 01745 250117
From Monday to Friday: 08:00am - 05:30pm
Saturday: 09:00am - 12:00am
Clwyd Agricultural Ltd is a small, family-run business established in 1980 to serve the farming community of North Wales. Our first customers came to us for parts and servicing machinery at our original premises in Henryn Hall, Dyserth.
We moved to our current premises at Terfyn Buildings, Dyserth, to expand our portfolio into groundcare equipment. Then, in 2008, we expanded further, acquiring the North Wales dealership for Polaris ATVs, which have become very popular.
In 2017, the company founders sold the business to Pryderi and Lizzie Gruffydd, who bring the same family ideals and passion for the farming community in North Wales.
In the 38 years since the company was founded, it has been through a lot of changes. The one thing that hasn't changed is our determination to please our customers, supplying and servicing all makes and models of agricultural machinery. Our small team of dedicated staff can cater for every agricultural need, whether you look after a small garden or a 1,000-acre estate.
Clwyd Agricultural Ltd has been supplying top-quality new and used machinery for over three decades. All the new machinery that we supply comes fully assembled and ready to use with manufacturer's warranty and appropriate instructions.


The process of controlling pests or organisms that act as a disturbance to most homesteads is referred to as pest control. Pests such as insects, plants, germs or other organisms tend to interfere with our normal or day to day lives and activities. Some of the ways in which pests cause a nuisance to people’s lives include damaging property, food crops or biting people. In order to control pests effectively, one requires knowledge on the pest as well as its habits. For one to formulate effective strategies for pest control, they need to identify the pest as well as its lifestyle. All the pest control measures that people take are grouped into mechanical, biological, physical as well as chemical methods.
When one uses other organisms in order to eradicate pests, they are implementing biological pest control measures. Mites and insects are examples of the kind of organisms used on pests. What makes biological pest control methods effective is natural mechanism and human antics. By introducing the organism into the pests’ natural habitat, one is able to get rid of these harmful pests. This tends to provide a long-term pest control solution once the released organism breeds and survives. A good example is introducing a certain type of bacteria in mosquito breeding grounds. This way, the bacteria can infect the water sources and kill any mosquito larvae that is present in it.
Hands-on techniques and use of various devices or equipment is what is implemented when it comes to mechanical control. The devices that one uses puts up a barrier between the insects and pests. One of the ways one can use mechanical pest control measures to get rid of pests is by crop rotation. Since pests tend to feed on host plants, crop rotation helps to get rid of the plants thereby getting rid of the pests as well. Pests such as mice and rats are better controlled by using things such as baits and traps. Once one gets the traps, they can place food particles with poison as bait on them in order to attract the mice from their habitat. This helps to trap the mice or rats after which one can discard them.
Another way to control pests is by using insecticides or pesticides. During initial application, one should ensure that they have the relevant clothing and safety gear on. In doing so, one is safe from coming into contact with the chemicals. When dealing with large numbers of pests, one should result to using pesticides.
One shouldn’t try to get rid of pests without help. One should call in a pest control company or exterminator to handle it.


This year due to tough seasonal conditions experienced by us and most of our clients we opted to do something we have never done before. We sold our 2018 drop of Angus and Hereford weaner heifers for export to Russia (yes the country).
The sale and shipment was handled by Landmark International and required heifers of outstanding quality to be used for breeding purposes.
In a normal season we would have kept a lot of the heifers but due to the conditions and also the uncertainty as to what the season was going to send our way we decided to export the majority of the drop of heifers from 2018.
The heifers sold to Russia had to be within a weight range of 260-360 kgs empty and of good quality and type. They were inspected once here on the property and then trucked to Portland in Victoria to go into a quarantine situation before leaving Australia. They were all inspected again and examined, including blood tests, before being shipped to Russia (with Love).
It would have been great to keep them here in Australia, but hopefully we can get some feedback as to their breeding quality and perhaps help open the Australian market to more Northern Hempishere buyers for our seed stock.


REX IS A LEADING U.S. PRODUCER OF ETHANOL, A RENEWABLE, CLEANER-BURNING FUEL
REX American Resources Corp. (NYSE: REX) – a publicly traded company since 1984 and on the New York Stock Exchange since 1986 – is the majority owner of two ethanol production plants with a combined capacity of 300 million gallons per year:
- One Earth Energy, LLC in Gibson City, Ill.
- NuGen Energy, LLC in Marion, S.D.
In addition, REX is a minority owner of Big River Resources, LLC, a holding company for four ethanol production plants with a combined capacity of approximately 425 million gallons per year:
- Big River Resources West Burlington, LLC in West Burlington, Iowa
- Big River Resources Galva, LLC in Galva, Ill.
- Big River United Energy, LLC in Dyersville, Iowa
- Big River Resources Boyceville, LLC in Boyceville, Wis.
These six plants – located in the corn belt close to major railroads and truck routes – also produce and sell three co-products:
- Dried distillers grains with solubles or DDGS, a high-quality, lower cost, protein-rich animal feed
- Modified distillers grains with solubles or MDGS, a protein-rich animal feed with higher moisture
- Distillers corn oil, which can be used to produce low-carbon fuels such as renewable diesel and biodiesel
We believe our work gives us new opportunities every day to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, lessen our country’s dependence on foreign oil, support farmers in the corn belt and promote the development of American agriculture.
Six ethanol production plants, three co-products, one goal: to make a positive impact on the environment, in our communities and on American agriculture through social responsibility.
REX is pursuing carbon sequestration
Since 2018, REX has made significant progress on a carbon sequestration exploratory project near its One Earth Energy plant. Carbon sequestration – the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2), the most common greenhouse gas – has the potential to reduce global climate change.
Because the One Earth Energy plant is in the Illinois Basin, a region with proven geologic storage characteristics, REX began working with the Illinois State Geological Survey, under the Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE initiative, to determine the feasibility of carbon sequestration near the plant and conduct initial tests.
In 2021, a test well was drilled to a depth of approximately 7,100 feet, where almost 2,000 feet of Mt. Simon Sandstone – the region’s primary carbon-storage resource – was encountered.
Geological modeling was conducted to predict the movement of injected carbon and the plume area underground, and to determine maximum injection pressure, reservoir quality and storage capacity, for potential CO2 injection wells.
The Environmental Protection Agency is now evaluating a Class VI permit application for three injection wells near the plant.
Meanwhile, work continues toward the goal of constructing a facility to capture, dehydrate and compress carbon to a state suitable for sequestration, along with a short pipeline to deliver carbon from the ethanol plant to the sequestration site for injection underground.
If this project is successful in the future, REX’s One Earth Energy plant would be striving toward its goal of reducing CO2 emissions and becoming a near-carbon neutral operation. Other potential benefits could include:
- Entering new markets for exporting low-carbon ethanol produced in a near-net-zero facility
- Keeping the plant more sustainable for the long term
- Creating positive local economic impact and real job growth
REX AMERICAN RESOURCES CORP.
7720 Paragon Road
Dayton, Ohio 45459
REX American Resources Corp. stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol REX.


This morning, I went through the pictures that I'd taken from our garden and thought that maybe I should listen (for once!) to Andy's idea of blogging about what he's growing (I kind of help with watering the plants and enjoy eating them!). He's so enthusiastic about growing vegetables that sometimes it really makes me laugh the way he cares and "talks" (specially in the morning while sipping at his coffee) to his plants in the garden. What I love most about this whole gardening thing is when I see Andy in the garden re-potting the plants with a big smile that radiates some sort of "achievement"! Every day, he'd literally tell me at least one thing about how his vegetables are coming along.
At the moment, we are (I say "we" because I love to be involved in this "gardening" business!) growing cucumbers, chard, lettuce, radishes, chillies, kale, runner beans and zucchini, although we harvested only one zucchini and then the plant died :(! Summer as usual has flown by and we're harvesting the last batches of our vegetables and already thinking about what to grow next year. I think gardening is really growing on me :). If I could have an apple tree and some cherry tomatoes and strawberries I'd be the happiest... one day I will!
^^ Kale and chard going strong! ^^
^^ We ordered these gnomes from ebay and they've been behaving so far! ^^
^^ Experimenting with my camera! ^^
Summer and salads go hand in hand! and lettuce is actually quite easy to grow, according to Andy! ;)
^^ We were waiting for such a long time for these chillies! Wonder why it took them so long... ^^
^^ Red mint! ^^
^^ Parsley! ^^
^^ Before our cucumber plant turned into a big one... the first little flower! ^^
^^ I took this photo of Andy back in June I think. His runner beans plant was very small! ^^
^^ Beans for curry... Andy's face! :)) ^^
After all that hard work, it's important to reward yourself! ;)


The part of the underwear industry that gets eco-conscious people in a bunch is found in the harvest and production of conventional cotton, which is water- and chemical-intensive. It’s reputation is marked with being the world’s most pesticide-intensive crop.
HARD FACT: Lots of water is used to farm conventional cotton. Approximately 400 gallons of gool ol’ H20 are required to make a single cotton undershirt! That’s the pits!
Grab on to this:
• Only 2.4 % of farmland worldwide is dedicated to cotton
• Cotton accounts for:
- 24% of global insecticide sales
- 11% of global pesticide sales
Cotton crops worldwide are sprayed with $2 billion of chemicals, almost half of which are classified as hazardous by the World Health Organization!
So why are these chemicals so bad?
• can harm soil micro-organisms
• pollute ground and surface water
• adversely affect health of humans
• can harm beneficial insects
• adversely affect health of wildlife
So how is Woodiees different? Click here to learn about Woodiees’ love affair with Tencel: the benefits, the process, and quite frankly, the way it feels against your skin.


Welcome to the independent website of the Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans! This site is intended to provide our members and the general public with up-to-date information on our organization including educational and gardening activities, volunteer opportunities in and around town, and the latest news of MGGNO. General information about the Louisiana Master Gardener program, horticultural publications and more can be found at lsuagcenter.com and in this brief article by René Schmit, Louisiana Master Gardener Coordinator4.
To increase the public’s love for and knowledge of gardening and responsible stewardship of the environment.
Serving Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes, the Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans strives to aid the LSU AgCenter to meet the educational needs of home gardeners in our community while providing enjoyable, worthwhile service experience for our members.
Wildflowers for Fall Plantings
Roadsides and meadows come alive with colors of wildflowers in September, October and November. Wildflowers for our area can be planted in Fall from late October through November and in spring during March and April.
The major colors of the fall wildflowers are golden yellow, purple, lavender, blue and pink. Particularly noticeable are tall wildflowers such as the golden narrow-leaved sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius), Read more
Our Recent Trip to Avery Island
Our own LMG Roma Gibson-King is featured in Dave McNamara’s feature on the Monarchs with her kids at St Agnes. Great job Roma!!!
County Agent’s Tip of the Month
Click here to read the latest tip from our County Agent.


California is known for many things: the beaches, entertainment, amusement parks, and national landmarks among them. But did you know that California is also known for its food? In fact, the state produces more than 200 types of crops and “leads all of the other states in farm income.” This is all to say that the farmers market in Santa Ana and surrounding cities is worth checking out! Be sure to pick up these summer foods at the farmers market:
Did you know that California grows 90-percent or more of the nation’s artichokes, kiwis, plums, celery, and garlic? Additionally, there are plenty of other produce items that California is a majority producer of. That being the case, there’s obviously no shortage of quality fruits, veggies, and herbs to be found at our nearby farmers markets! Explore all of the unique offerings of summer produce at the farmers market while enjoying the delicious and healthful benefits that will come from eating it!
Dried Fruit and Nuts
California is also a major producer of fruit and nuts, yielding two-thirds of our country’s supply! So, of course, you’re going to have some great options when it comes to dried fruit and nuts at the farmers market. Pick up the combo for a sweet and high-protein snack as you browse the stalls. Dried fruit and nuts also make for great gifts for friends and neighbors. (Friendship Day is coming up on July 30th, after all!)
Fruit pies, cinnamon rolls, pretzels, bagels, cookies, cupcakes, and brownies are just some of the baked foods you’ll likely see at the local farmers market! There’s something just so quaint and “summery” about indulging in some home-baked treats at the farmers market. In our opinion, bonus points should be awarded if the baked treats include locally grown fruit, veggies, or herbs in the mix! Enjoy!
Condiments, Sauces, and Canned Goods
Farmers markets really emphasize the fresh factor! But don’t forget that the fresh taste can be preserved for year-round summer flavor in the form of condiments, sauces, and other canned goods! Enjoy exploring the unique spin the vendors may bring to classic salsas, jams, pasta sauces, or pickles, to name a few! Another great thing about these items is that their extended shelf life makes them perfect gifts for locals and out-of-towners alike!
California summers produce more than fun and entertainment; they also grow plenty of delicious food to enjoy! So go ahead; explore summer foods at the farmers market! Whether you go to the nearby market in Downtown Santa Ana Farmers Market, head to the Huntington Beach Farmers Market, or stop at any number of farmers markets in between, you’ll be sure to find these delicious foods that scream summer!


Yes, that is right – trees have a natural defense system much like we have one. And just like our immune system helps us fight back against the disease, similarly, a tree’s natural defense system helps it fight back against diseases as well. A tree’s natural defense system also helps it fight back against fungal infections, pest infestations and other environmental factors like droughts and floods, which put a lot of stress on the tree.
However, even though trees have this natural defense system, they still die out if environmental conditions become too extreme or if natural disasters like droughts and floods persist for far too long periods of time. Besides tree trimming, there are some other methods to consider.
So, the question now becomes – can we boost a tree’s natural defenses in some way or the other? As it turns out – yes, we can. How? Well, have you ever heard of potassium phosphite? If not – don’t worry, it is just a simple chemical compound that can help make a tree more resistant against many infections and infestations alike. The chemical can also help make the tree more tolerant of any environmental stress from natural disasters like drought and floods.
Administering potassium phosphite treatment
Now, potassium phosphite treatment can be administered in many ways. For starters, potassium phosphite can simply be sprayed on the leaves (or the bark) of a tree or it can be injected into the soil from where it will get absorbed into the roots of the tree.
More benefits of the treatment
Potassium phosphite treatments are becoming more and more well known in the arboriculture circles because of how well they work to boost the natural defense mechanisms of a tree. But, that is not all. Potassium phosphite treatments also enhance the production of natural plant defense hormones in the tree. The tree starts to produce more antibodies as well. Advanced plant processes like programmed cell death which can help limit the spread of a pathogen are improved as well.
Should you consider potassium phosphite treatment for your tree?
Maybe… if you answer yes to one or more of the following:
- Is your tree infected with any soil-borne diseases like Phytophthora root disease or Armillaria root rot?
- Are there any bleeding cankers on the trunk of your tree?
- Do you want to improve your tree’s natural defenses against any pathogens?
- Do you just want the other benefits of a potassium phosphite treatment?
- Do you want to prepare your tree for drought and flood conditions?


Can chickens eat watermelon?
Can chickens eat watermelon? Yes. They love it! You can feed it to them directly by cutting open the melon and letting them feast.
Is popcorn OK for chickens?
In conclusion, yes, you can feed your chickens plain popcorn. Not only will they enjoy it, but plain popcorn provides vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy flock!
Can chickens have grapes?
Can chickens eat grapes? Yes – in moderation. Grapes are another cracking source of vitamins A and C, as well as the vitamin B, complex, and also contain important trace elements such as copper and calcium.
Can chickens eat peaches?
Can Chickens Eat Peaches? Yes. Chickens love this nutritious fruit. The pit contains some cyanide, so remove the pit first.


Monday, February 2, 2009
Fresh fruits from our garden...
What tastes better than fresh coconut milk?! We have one coconut tree in our garden that never gave fruits in 25 years - until settled here - that is what MIL says! The truth is the poor tree didn't get enough light - sun - it was shaded by another huge tree that we had to cut down for the construction of our house. The coconut tree started growing and gave fruit the same year as we moved into our new home. The coconut tree is less that 2 meters from our kitchen window - very exotic for me!
We have some banana trees in our garden and hubby had to cut off a huge bunch, because some had already gone ripe. We heard the birds in that direction (where the trees are) this morning and guessed some of the bananas are going ripe - and so they had. They look ripe - don't they - but they are not. For the already yellow ones it takes at least 3-4 days before they can be eaten, because now they are still a bit hard inside. This photo shows half of the bunch - the other half we gave to MIL.


何龙飞, 沈振国, 刘友良
与对照相比,经20和100#mu#mol/L的AlCl_(3)处理后,耐铝品种Altas 66的液泡膜H~(+)-ATP酶和Ca~(2+)-ATP酶活性迅速下降;铝敏感品种Scout 66液泡膜H~(+)-ATP酶和Ca~(2+)-ATP酶活性则在20#mu#mol/L时增加,100#mu#mol/L时下降。焦磷酸酶活性在Altas 66中下降,在Scout 66中增加。与对照相比,在AlCl_(3) 20#mu#mol/L处理时,液泡膜磷脂含量增加,Altas 66中的增加比Scout 66更为明显;100#mu#mol/L时,Scout 66液泡膜磷脂含量迅速下降,而Altas 66下降不显著。两品种小麦在铝处理后根液泡膜糖脂结合半乳糖含量均高于对照,而Altas 66中的含量又高于Scout 66。铝处理后,两品种小麦根液泡膜的棕榈酸和油酸含量增加,亚麻酸含量下降,不饱和指数也随之下降,其中Scout 66下降更为明显。
The responses of ATPase and PPase activities and lipid composition of tonoplast in roots of two wheat cultivars to aluminium stress
He Longfei, Shen Zhenguo, Liu Youliang
Department of Agronomy,Nanjing Agricultural University,Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation,Ministry of Agriculture.Nanjing 210095,Jiangsu
In comparison with the controls, the activities of H~(+)-ATPase and Ca~(2+)-ATPase of tonoplast vesicles in Altas 66 were decreased greatly by AlCl_(3) 20 and 100 #mu#mol/L treatment, those of Scout 66 were increased at AlCl_(3) 20 #mu#mol/L, but it decreased at AlCl_(3) 100 #mu#mol/L. The H~(+)-PPase activity of Altas 66 was decreased by Al treatment, while that of Scout 66 increased. The phospholipid contents of tonoplast vesicles in Altas 66 and Scout 66 were increased by AlCl_(3) 20 #mu#mol/L treatment, but it was decreased by AlCl_(3) 100 #mu#mol/L. The contents of galactose in lipids of two cultivars after Al treatments was higher than those of the controls and it was higher in Altas 66 than in Scout 66. After Al treatment, the palmitic acid and stearic acid contents increased, the linolenic acid content and the unsaturation index of fatty acids decreased in both cultivars, but those in Scout 66 more distinctly.
何龙飞, 沈振国, 刘友良. 铝胁迫对小麦根系液泡膜ATP酶、焦磷酸酶活性和膜脂组成的效应[J]. 生理学报 1999; 51 (4): .
He Longfei, Shen Zhenguo, Liu Youliang. The responses of ATPase and PPase activities and lipid composition of tonoplast in roots of two wheat cultivars to aluminium stress. Acta Physiol Sin 1999; 51 (4): (in Chinese with English abstract).


What are cannabis stains?
What are Strains?
Strains are the unique genetic makeup of each plant. Just as there are different breeds of dogs there are also different strains of cannabis that have there own special characteristics
Characteristics of strains
Cannabis strains are identified by many different characteristics. Strains could vary by size, color, growing styles, smells, terpene ratio and cannabinoid ratio.
Depending on the genetic stain and even environmental factors on the way it was grown and handled will determine the chemical breakdown on the ration of terpenes and cannabinoids. It could make the difference of being legal or illegal in some states. The exact ration of these molecules will give it its signature affect from effecting mood, raising or lowering energy levels to a massive amount of different medicinal uses.
Cannabis cultivators often cross breed strains to get specific desired combinations of terpenes and cannabanoids for unique flavors and effects. New strains are created everyday. The plant has sex by the pollen from pollen sacks of the male plant getting on the hairs on the flowers(buds) of the female plant.


A curious quest to rediscover lost crops
A curious quest to rediscover lost crops
An a hot August day in 2014, I found myself armpit deep in weeds and grasses on a creek bank in central Arkansas, following my friend Liz Horton as she swept the ground in front of us with a stick to scare off snakes. Kelsey Nordine brought up the rear, mastering her life-long ophidiophobia by dint of dedication to our common goal: to rediscover a lost crop. I remember this day as the spiritual beginning of my lost crops research, a journey of discovery that would transform me into the world expert on one unobtrusive little plant, erect knotweed. While it is easy to overlook this plant today, the archaeological record shows that it was an important seed crop for centuries in many Indigenous communities in eastern North America.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is reposted from my personal blog at ngmueller.net. If you want to find out more about the search for lost crops, I will be posting there regularly for the next six weeks or so as I travel the Midwest in search of elusive weeds with fascinating histories]
That day, I had the help of some formidable companions. Liz is the station archaeologist for Toltec Mounds, a site that was an important ceremonial and political center in the Late Woodland and Mississippian Southeast (from around 650 – 1100 AD). Back then, Liz was getting started building the Plum Bayou Garden at Toltec Mounds, a teaching garden that contains many of the plants used by Woodland communities in Arkansas (if you're in the area, you really should stop by -- it is an extraordinary place). She is also an expert in ancient fiber technology – baskets and clothing – and the plants that were used to create them. The daughter of two master naturalists and a native of the Ozarks region, she was the ideal guide to help me find an elusive and diminutive weed among the almost scary plant fecundity of August in Arkansas. Like me at the time, Kelsey is a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis specializing in pre-Columbian agriculture. She was working in the Maya world, but her growing interest in the plants and people of eastern North America was evident from her willingness to keep me company on this wild weed chase. We did not find any erect knotweed that day, but later on Kelsey and I did find thousands of seed ticks on our ankles in the seeming luxury of our air conditioned Motel 6 room.
Erect knotweed -- if you can spot it! I found this one with the help of Missouri Botanical Garden botanist Alan Brant. I ended up writing a whole dissertation about this plant -- read all about it here.
Maybe it seems strange that I remember that day, when I failed to find a lost crop, as the beginning of the journey. But scraping ticks off your legs with a credit card in a motel bathtub and not finding what you’re looking for – then laughing about it in bed with a tall boy of PBR – is part of the distinctive flavor of my field work. It’s not the only flavor though – there’s also the taste of frozen pickle pops after long hot car rides with the windows down, the indescribable beauty of a native prairie remnant blooming in May, and the excitement of finding whole populations of endangered plants somehow thriving in tucked away corners of the industrial agricultural landscape.
Clockwise from top: Survey for Lost Crops veteran Maggie Spivey-Faulkner, enjoying a roadside Pickle-Ice; Cherokee Prairie echinacea in bloom, an enormous population of maygrass hidden among the cornfields of southeastern Arkansas; Maggie, Liz, and my mentor Gayle Fritz at the Plum Bayou Garden; me the day I found my first stand of erect knotweed.
Now, as I get ready to set out once again with my plant press and my measuring tape, I’ve decided to start writing about these experiences. The Survey for Lost Crops, as I’ve come to call this endeavor, is an esoteric quest to find the remnants of an ancient agricultural system, but along the way it also brings me to parts of the 21st century rural landscape that are seldom seen. It also brings me into contact with people who are protecting the land, its native flora and fauna, and its deep history in unique and unexpected ways amid what appears from the highway to be a desolation of genetically modified corn and soybeans.
Paul Krautman on his farm talking lost crops with my partner, Don Conner, another Survey stalwart. Paul's alternative farming methods, especially his limited use of herbicides, make room for native plants like erect knotweed (foreground) to persist in agricultural landscapes.
So what are these lost crops I speak of? Here they are!
From Mueller et al. 2017. a) goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri); b) sumpweed/marshelder (Iva annua); c) little barley (Hordeum pusillum); d) erect knotweed (Polygonum erectum); e) maygrass (Phalaris caroliniana)
Don’t feel bad if you don’t recognize them. When you think of Indigenous North American cuisine and agriculture, you probably imagine three crops that are very far from lost: beans, squash, and of course, maize (most people call it corn, but that’s actually an old European term meaning any kind of grain – the name shows how important it became to European colonists, huh?).
The kind of maize agriculture practiced today by this farmer (and good sport) in Illinois would have surprised the ancient farmers who developed this crop. They grew diverse maize landraces in a complex polycrop system with many other plants. Photo credit: Andrew Flachs.
These three crops were indeed the staples in a complex domesticated landscape that supported Indigenous people at the time when their land was invaded by European colonists. Maize, beans, and many common varieties of squash originated in Mexico, where their wild ancestors were first domesticated, and they reached eastern North America through trade. But that doesn’t mean that expert farmers in eastern North America played no role in creating the crops we know today. For the entire history of agriculture up until the early 20th century, farmers were responsible for selecting and saving their own seed from their own crop, or else trading for seed with neighbors. What archaeologists call the “tropical crops,” those that originated in Mexico, had to be adapted to the temperate climate of eastern North America, a process that likely took centuries of careful observation and experimentation.
I photographed these teosinte (the wild ancestor of maize) and maize sprouts at a workshop on seed saving at Native Seeds Search in Tuscon, AZ (as part of the 2016 Ethnobiology meetings!). This seed bank houses hundreds of landraces of crop plants, including this sprouting maize variety, that are specially adapted to the Sonoran Desert. The same crop diversity was also characteristic of ancient crops in the East, and many Indigenous communities still maintain their traditional landraces of maize and other crops.
We know from the archaeological record that maize, beans, and Mexican varieties of squash (such as pumpkins) were not widely grown in eastern North American until the last few centuries before the arrival of Europeans – beginning around 900 AD. But agriculture began in this region thousands of years earlier. Which brings me back to the lost crops – if they were lost, how do we know about them? That story begins in the 1960s, when archaeologists began to use a new technique called flotation to recover plant remains from archaeological sites. It’s not rocket science – you take a soil sample from an archaeological context, like a pile of ancient garbage or a storage pit, and you put it in a bucket of water. The organic material floats to the top, you skim it off, dry it out, and look at it under a microscope.
My students processing flotation samples near Avon, NY, in the summer of 2011, and the end results we hope to find: tiny fragments of ancient plants (in this case, erect knotweed sprouts!)
This simple methodological innovation changed everything, though. As thousands of liters of sediment were floated all across eastern North America, it became apparent that several unknown crops had been cultivated for their seed, while at the same time the advent of radiocarbon dating revealed that agriculture dated back a whopping 4,000 years – much longer than anyone had thought before. To answer early skeptics, paleoethnobotanists got creative. They dissected ancient human poops – yes! Poops! – and found that they were full of the seeds of the lost crops. They also found the lost crops stored in baskets and bags or bundled in dry rock shelters. By carefully analyzing the size and shape of the ancient seeds, they were able to demonstrate that some of the lost crops were actually domesticated. This means that they had diverged, in the evolutionary sense, from wild populations and could be recognized as distinct sub-species.
Left: Excavating a pit full of erect knotweed seeds (Photo courtesy of Neal Lopinot); Right top: ancient human poop from Kentucky; Right bottom: ancient bundles of maygrass from Arkansas.
The study of the lost crops is only two academic generations deep. My dissertation adviser, Gayle Fritz of Washington University, was one of the scholars who showed that the lost crops were domesticated. Her adviser, Richard Yarnell, did some of the pioneering studies of the lost crops, including the first analyses of ancient poops. Because we’ve only known about these crops for a few decades, there are a still a lot of unanswered questions. For me and my colleagues, many of these questions can only be answered by interacting with the living plants.
Growing Lost Crops Symposium participants, Athens, GA 2016. Left to right: Me, Gail Wagner, Paul Patton, Liz Horton, Daniel Williams, Gayle Fritz, and Logan Kistler (and some lost crops, of course!)
Here we all are luxuriating in our shared nerdiness at the Growing Lost Crops symposium, the first of its kind, last fall at the Southeastern Archaeological Conference meetings. If you want to read more about this research, check out the paper we recently published on some of the preliminary results of our projects. I am setting out on round three of the Survey for Lost Crops tomorrow, and I look forward to sharing stories and findings along the way this time!
By Natalie G. Mueller, Forage! co-editor


Agriculture Assistant Manager at Anderson Farms in ERIEErie, 80516 | 04/08/2021 | Ad id: 1-0000676273-01
Anderson Farms is now hiring for a year-round Agriculture Assistant Manager. Located near Erie, CO Anderson Farms has become a Fall Family Tradition for many in the Denver Metro Area. Visitors can pick pumpkins, wind through a 25 acre corn maze, enjoy attractions including playgrounds, farm animals, private campfires, Zombie Paintball Hunt and Terror in the Corn, a premier haunted attraction. Working at Anderson Farms during the fall season is a fast-paced, exciting experience thatâs also very rewardingâ"we create fun family memories!
The Agriculture Assistant Manager is a salaried full-time, year round position. The hours for this position vary with the majority of hours in the spring, summer and fall months. The pay rate is determined based upon the education and experience of the candidate.
Â· Work with and under the direction of the owners to prepare, plant, irrigate, and harvest crops on 300 acre farm.
Â· Assist in weed control, fertilization, and other tractor work for all crops.
Â· Assist with creative building projects for Fall Festival season.
Â· Work with customers and seasonal staff where needed during Fall Festival and other seasonal events.
Â· Having experience in tillage, planting, cultivating and gated pipe or tube irrigation.
Â· Must obtain pesticide applicators license within six months of hire.
Â· This job requires being outside, being on your feet, walking short & long distances and long hours in the summer months.
Â· Must be able to lift 50 lbs
Â· Manage time effectively with limited supervision.
Â· Must have knowledge of how to operate large equipment such as tractors, skid steer, backhoe, etc.
Â· Must have a valid driverâs license
Â· Welding and Mechanic Experience are a bonus


To make me happy!!!
I love fresh vegetables – the kind that just came to the famers’ market from the garden with dirt on still. You can smell the freshness and anticipate the crisp flavors: spinach for soup and salad, and the anticipation of turning onions and eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash, red and green peppers, and plump red tomatoes into savory ratatouille. Gazpacho, I even love its Spanish name – chop up some cucumbers and green peppers, a sweet onion and a tomato and cram the rest into the blender or food processer. Flavor it with a little extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar and it is the best salad in a dish – garnished with the reserved chopped veggies.
The round green cabbage will wait a day or two, but halupki ( slice some of the cabbage fine and fry it in butter with some sliced onions and toss it with fresh cooked noodles) will find its way into the menu, and then stuffed cabbage leaves – and make an extra dish to freeze, and I love fresh homemade coleslaw – with mayo and pineapple.
And the corn – oh, we will roast some for dinner, but I am planning on the extra for black bean and corn salad (with some red and green pepper for color) a dressing with a little lime juice and olive oil…one of Jim’s favorites.
I looked at the apples today, but forced myself to be reasonable – the season is only at the front end right now – plenty of time to make applesauce – the easy way, in the crockpot.
Jim asked me why I was washing the empty jars, and I told him, “So I can fill them.” Isn’t this part of retirement, being a grandma, “putting up the harvest,” even if I didn’t plant, nurture or harvest it.
Thank you God for beautiful food and the joy of making wonderful things with it !
(images from 123RF Stock Photos)


- About Us
- Beginning Farmers
Oregon Small Farms Conference
Oregon State University Campus in Corvallis at the LaSells Stewart Center and CH2M Hill Alumni Center
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Registration now open for 2017 OSU Small Farms Conference - February 18th, 2017!
The Oregon Small Farms Conference is a daylong event geared toward farmers, agricultural professionals, food policy advocates, students and managers of farmers markets. Twenty-seven educational sessions are offered on a variety of topics relevant to the Oregon small farmers and include a track in Spanish. Speakers include farmers, OSU Extension faculty, agribusiness, and more.
- Register between Dec 16-Jan 25: $50
- Register between Jan 26-Feb 10: $75
- Register on-site (day of event): $150 (subject to availability
Register by clicking the orange button in the right-hand column of this page.


The following article formed the basis of a recent talk to North
Richmond Rotary and may appeal to a wider audience as the local statistics
have hitherto not been reported:
When asked to speak to you tonight, the subject which came to mind
which is most familiar to myself and of interest to almost all of us that
enjoy drinking and eating is the subject of wine.
History of Wine in the Hawkesbury
Unlike some other areas of Australia, we do not have a written
history of wine in our Local Government Region , and for the very early
history we have to rely on some incomplete records and reading between the
lines of our local history books to discover that history.
We do know that grape vine cuttings were brought to the settlement
at Sydney Cove by the first fleet. The last port of call for the fleet
before heading for New South Wales was in the Dutch settlement of Cooktown
on the Cape of Good Hope. Many vines of various types were put on board
and these vines were planted out in the Governor's garden and various
entries on the plantings :
"The orange trees flourish, and the fig trees and vines are
improving still more rapidly. In a climate so favourable, the cultivation
of the vine may doubtless be carried to any degree of perfection; and
should no other articles of commerce divert the attention of the settlers
from this part, the wines of New South Wales may perhaps, here after be
sought with civility and become an indispensable part of the luxury of
As the colony grew, so did the grape vine spread, and cuttings were
taken to Norfolk Island (1790), and by February 1791 it was reported that "the
grape vines which came from Sydney last August were immediately
planted..............amount now to between 700 and 800 vines, which are
all in high perfection, and two or three of the oldest are now
Later other vines were imported and we have various records of their
spread, vis :
In May, 1803, Governor King reported that a few gallons of wine had
been made from those in the Governor's garden and talk of a very large
vineyard being planted at Castle Hill.
In 1816, Mrs Macarthur reported grapes in her garden at Parramatta
and a little later, on Captain Macarthur's return from overseas, he
brought with him fresh stocks of vines which he later planted in his
property (at Camden).
Gregory Blaxland, at his vineyard at Parramatta won prizes in London
(Silver medal 1823, Gold Medal in 1828) for wines from his vineyards.
It is most unlikely if the vine did not follow the early colonists
into the Hawkesbury region. Doug Bowd in his book "Macquarie
Country" indicates that the name of Vineyard was given to that area
just up the Windsor Road because it had many vineyards growing there
between 1860 and 1890.
An extremely old vine is still growing beside the Ebenezer Church,
and it is quite likely it has it's roots going back to those early
settlers of the region.
Still more anecdotal evidence exists with several Hawkesbury
families being involved in the early wine business. William Cox was made a
Magistrate by Governor Macquarie and engaged him to build gaols, schools
and other public buildings in Windsor, as well as building ten miles of
road over the Blue Mountains. William lived at Clarendon and three of his
sons lived on properties fronting the Nepean River at Mulgoa. Each of
these properties had vineyards, and it is likely that William also had
vines growing at Windsor ("Fairfield" and
The Anschau family for years ran a tannery near South Creek. They
also had a vineyard near Luddenham in the mid 1850's. The Anschau were
German vineyard workers who were originally brought to Australia as vine
dressers for the Macarthur and Cox families.
Early Wine Statistics
By 1843, the Colonial Secretary department showed that 28.2 acres
of grapes producing 104 gallons of wine were grown in the police district
of Windsor. This compares to some 183 acres and 12,315 gallons of wine
recorded in the Sydney region. It is difficult to track the growth through
the years as they are compiled by various authorities using Police
districts, then old settled Counties and Pastoral districts. However the
production remained small in relative terms, increasing to 35 acres in
1876, and 114 acres in 1886 (1430 gallons of wine being reported in that
In 1893, the Department of Agriculture recorded that in the
Hawkesbury, there were 100 registered growers producing 17,520 gallons of
wine from 69 acres of grapes, and an additional 220 acres of grapes
producing 164 tons of fresh fruit.
This compares with 157 growers in the Hunter area and 108 at Patrick
Plains (now known as Singleton), and 2134 growers across the State of New
South Wales. In terms of wine produced, the Hunter and Patrick Plains
produced a combined 365,930 gallons of wine from 1187 acres, and an
additional 391 tons of fresh fruit.
It is without doubt, that the Hawkesbury's contribution to the wine
industry came with the planting of Dr Thomas Fiaschi's vineyard
"Tizzana" at Sackville Reach. Impressed with the geography and
soil of the area, which he likened to his native Tuscany (Fiaschi was born
in the village of Tizzana on the outskirts of Florence) Fiaschi purchased
250 acres of land and proceeded to plant 5 acres under vines in 1885. He
later planted 55 acres and built an imposing two storied sandstone
building "Tizzana" with residence above and cellars below, in
which to cellar his crop. By 1889 "Tizzana" was producing 9,600
gallons of wine, and employing up to 100 people at it's peak production.
The vineyards flourished and quickly gained a reputation for producing
very fine, award winning wines.
The full story of Fiaschi's contribution to viticulture in Australia
remains untold at this stage, but his contribution to the wine industry
was immense, with pioneering work in all aspects of viticulture including
trellis management, experimentation with new varieties imported from
overseas, including the introduction of Charddonay grapes for the
production of Champagne wines at Tizzana well ahead of Mr Angus at Rooty
Hill (the famous Minchinbury Estate). Fiaschi also was instrumental in the
use of aseptic conditions in the winemaking process following his
successful pioneering use of the technique in his surgery work at the
Hawkesbury District Hospital. Fiaschi was elected by his peers in the
industry as the President of the NSW Winegrowers Association for some 26
Fiaschi's red wines were exhibited in the Centennial International
Exhibition held in Melbourne in 1888, and these wines were advertised at
that time as selling for twenty five shillings per dozen. The 1891 vintage
red (made from Verdot variety grapes) was exported to England and
described by critics as : "clean, sound wine of a light Burgundy
character........ the Hawkesbury wine compares favourably with French
wines of a similar character."
Some years later, the Richmond and Windsor Gazette of March 25, 1921
noted that the wine exhibits at the Royal Show had just been judged : "
The Hawkesbury Valley, though only represented by one exhibitor, was well
to the fore. Dr Thomas Fiaschi of Tizzana Vineyards taking several prizes
and winning the Champion Prize for Claret type."
Another successful winery was begun in the early 1970's by a Dr Barry
Bracken in the hilly area of Kurmond. Both the Richmond Estate winery and
Tizzana Winery are still operating.
Tizzana Winery is still producing small quantities of its own wines,
several of which several new styles have just been released.
Reproduced courtesy of Hawkesbury Times. Original story appeared in
the Hawkesbury Times - Volume 2, Number 2 June/July 1995 edition.


1600km’s one way…
When you think about Europe and wine, we are talking about many, many centuries of grape growing and wine making. Stepping into a wine cave dating back to the 11th Century is quite something.
The climate, the soil, the ‘terroir’. That huge yellow ball of light in the sky. Grapes are basking in the glory of real heat and sometimes extreme cold too.
Listening to wine makers talk about their wines I feel very naïve. Our beloved country is so very young. An infant compared with our Great, Great, Great Grandparents of Europe.
And then there’s the vineyard workers and the ancient methods of working the land and making the wines. Coaxing the small parcels of soil to produce the best quality grapes they can produce. The daily rituals where the chiming of the village church bell beckons the workers to lay down their tools and journey home for a long, leisurely, well earned déjeuner.
And then of course there’s the food…
The markets brimming with fresh produce, meat, fish, cheeses, charcuterie, olives, and much much more...a feast for the eyes and taste buds.
Our journey so far has taken us from Barcelona, through to the beautiful Languedoc-Roussillon, L'Occitanie. A homecoming of sorts, after we spent 2014 here with our 3 children.
Next, we journey through to Rhône, Burgundy, Alsace and into Germany.
1600 km’s one way…


Hi, we are Zach and Jackie, founders and farmers of ZAZU Mushrooms. We are a family owned and operated mushroom farm in Mattawan, Michigan.
A few years ago we decided to try a plant based diet and quickly discovered how hard it was to adjust to plants not only as a side dish but the main course. We began to develop a passion for cooking delicious and fresh food but we were missing and craving that savory flavor.
Then, we finally discovered the beauty and diverse flavors gourmet mushrooms had to offer. Shopping at our local stores we came to realize portabella and button mushrooms are about all you get. So we decided to bring these diverse mushrooms to our local community and share what we have learned with you.
We can’t wait for you to try our mushrooms and discover a new world of flavors.


Buturi village has suffered the twin disasters of HIV/AIDS and drought, and so this project aims to provide clean water for schoolchildren and surrounding communities. We will do this by building a large underground storage tank to feed the school toilet block (which is also used by the community), a drinking water outlet, and a large garden to grow food crops. The roof of the schoolhouse has been specially adapted to harvest rainwater for use during the extensive dry periods, which should bring wide benefits to both Buturi and surrounding villages.
Buturi village is situated in Mara region, north of Musoma and 20km from Lake Victoria. It has suffered the twin disasters of AIDS and drought and hence is extremely impoverished area. The project aims to install a rainwater harvesting system on the school building that has been designed by a British engineer with collaboration by a UK PhD student. This will provide clean water for the community as well as watering a community garden which will grow vegetables. Hence the project should provide wide benefits to this and the surrounding villages. The project is sponsored by Judith Smith, a UK based Tanzanian who was born in this area. Judith has been raising funds alongside the TDT donation to provide the full funding needed for this project. Find out more about the Buturi Project


If one considers the chain of events throughout the year on an olive grove estate, the pruning and mulching of the trees in the spring, the regular mowing of the grass and the annual fight against the olive fly during the Summer months, the most critically busy time of year has got to be harvest in the Autumn.
As soon as the olives begin to turn from bright green to a plum – bluish colour, and assuming that the olive-mills have opened up for business from their dormant season, a frenetic activity sparks off throughout Italy. Every able-bodied man, woman, and child, migrates out into the olive groves for the harvest.
The outdated harvesting techniques of our forebears have long since fallen into disuse. They consisted of laying out nets under the trees and waiting until the ripe, and sometimes overly ripe olives fell to the ground. This then invariably produced a rough quality cooking oil, because the riper the olive the higher the acidic level, and the longer olives are left on the ground, the more decomposition sets in.
Healthy, fresh olives should be harvested off the trees, and processed in a suitably clean olive-mill.
Consequently: One should only harvest where the trees have not been infected by the olive-fly. Where this is the case, the olives will decompose whilst on the tree and fall to the ground. When olives are found laying on the ground, these should never be collected. Olives should be plucked in such a way that they do not get bruised. They are then gathered into aerated plastic crates, which are filled half way. The crates are collected, and dispatched to the mill. Make sure that this process or any delay may never take longer than 48 hours.
Ideally, there should be a sufficient quantity of picked olives by the end of each day, to warrant a daily trip to the mill.


Saving the Earth: In Your Garden and On Our Planet – 6pm, Wednesday 14th Oct.
Soil erosion has a staggering effect on human life on a global and local scale. It affects food production and can influence areas liable to flooding.
Soil erosion and landslides are caused by weak soil with significant impacts on the economy. Could we use green engineering techniques to improve soil stability?
Ken Loades from the University of Dundee and Scottish Crop Research Institute presented a fascinating short talk to an audience of over 50 members of the public.
Ken gave an excellent practical demonstration showing how grass roots can strengthen the strength of top layers of soil to reduce soil erosion and reduce the chances of landslides.


This series of posts is about farmers. About how product grown by seasoned hands, through sustainable techniques, tastes better – a lot better – and is better for you. And my interest in supporting and spreading the word about the people doing it, so they can keep doing it. I won’t be taking sides or wagging a disapproving finger at mass food distribution practices, because I’m currently not in a position to speak fluently on the industry. What I will do is pull back the curtain to offer a first-hand account of where the food we eat comes from – in this case, local produce. It’s because I have the time and desire to do so. And hopefully it will help us make more informed decisions about what we choose to patronize and put on our tables at home or in restaurants – and learn a thing or two to take with us the next time we’re in the grocery store.
That’s why I went down to visit Teena Borek in Homestead yesterday. She is the local farmer supplying fresh produce for a pilot community supported agriculture (CSA) program for which I, and more than 60+ people in South Florida, have signed up so far, since the initial email announcement went out on Tuesday. You may have seen it mentioned in the newspaper on Thursday. If successful, the 30 day test, brainchild of Ariana Kumpis, a South Florida member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International and food entrepreneur, will pave the way for a more robust offering in the fall when the growing season picks up again. Michael Bittel of Sunset Corners Fine Wines & Spirits (8701 Sunset Drive Miami, FL 33173, ph: 305 271 8492 fax: 305 271 5390) has generously offered his time and square footage at his store to receive the fresh product that will be delivered on a weekly basis for participants to collect. The only remaining challenge is getting the food from the farm to the store, and Teena and team are currently sourcing delivery vehicles and helpers to make the weekly trek.
With a farm named “Teena’s Pride,” Teena herself is a humble artisan gracefully working her craft to perfection. The farm is about 25 miles southwest of Coral Gables, and you need only hop on the Florida Turnpike and you’re there in under an hour. Born in the Canadian maritime province of Newfoundland of Irish and Polish decent, Teena came to Florida in the ‘70s and has cultivated the family business since then, with the help of her two sons. She was even the only female farmer in Dade at one point.
It’s nearing the end of the season, and Teena has opened the farm on the weekends where she allows the public to visit the property to see how it’s cared for, and to taste and buy her product directly. She explains that, not only does it help people better understand the genesis of the foods they eat, but $1.00 per pound as opposed to about $2.00 in the store is a great value for the majority of us with shrinking budgets. Teena herself is there 11am-4pm on Saturdays and 11am-3pm on Sundays, through Easter (the main growing season begins during Thanksgiving,) and she is considering a summertime extension when the herbs are still abundant. Teena mentions that buyers come to the property sourcing produce for their roster of local restaurants. Certain restaurants, like the late Norman’s, used to send chefs to the farm to get in direct contact with the land and familiarize themselves with the product they were using in dishes as it was being grown. And for creative inspiration. These days, this practice isn’t occuring as often.
On the way to the office and packing facility, we enter the farm turning down a dirt road lined with fields of tomatoes, which I find out are Teena’s favorite product at the farm. They grow 15 heirloom varieties, meaning they are seeds with history, most coming over from the old world, that each has a unique taste. It also means they are more susceptible to disease than the regular hybrid variety. They also have a distinctive lumpiness about about them, which I think adds character, and a softer skin. Teena tells me that by law she is not able to ship heirlooms out of state, only the perfectly round common tomato. In addition to tomatoes, there are bell and hot peppers, greens and lettuces, herbs and eggplant. They are increasingly using hydroponic growing methods on the 25 (once 1000) acre facility, lined with rows of greenhouses. And they protect crops using green chemistry, like organic pesticides, as part of their committment to a sustainable agriculture program. You know when you get back from a trip to Italy or the like, and the same foods just don’t taste the same when you get home? Well, the taste you are yearning for is the kind of taste I’m talking about, right here in our back yards.
To sign up for the Teena’s Pride CSA or to inquire about opportunities where volunteers may be needed, please email firstname.lastname@example.org. Here are the details on the spring test:
– You can buy a full vegetable share for $40.00 or a half share for $25.00 per week. You must commit, paying up front for four weeks. In summary, a four week’s full vegetable share is $160.00 ($40 a week) prepaid to Teena’s, and a four week half vegetable share is $100.00 ($25 a week) prepaid to Teena’s. All orders must be placed by Monday, March 9.
– Weekly drop off dates are March 12, 19, 26 and April 2. Every Thursday your ‘share’ will be available for pick up by 1pm at Sunset Corners. There will be a box there, with your name on it, in the walk in cooler. Last pick up is Friday by 9pm. If you miss picking it up, boxes will go to charity.
– You don’t get to order specific product assortment, rather you’ll receive a ‘share’ of whatever is ready for picking.
– A typical full share would include: A box of arugula, 3-4 bags of Fresh herbs (i.e: chives, cilantro, lemon grass, oregano, thyme, etc.), ½ lb salad spring mix, 4-6 hydroponic bell peppers, 4 hot peppers, 2 lbs vine ripe heirloom tomatoes, 2 boxes mini tomatoes (red and yellow teardrop and sungold) and 2 lbs regular tomatoes
Next installment, a trip to the produce section at Whole Foods Market where we will check out what’s available in the Coral Gables/South Miami store from local sources, as well as talk with store experts. I will also provide updates on how the CSA test is going, including more detail on the specific products (their names, tastes, etc.) and suggestions of what to make with them. I plan to develop some creative ways to maximize my half share (so they don’t go to waste although Teena tells me you can expect a better shelf life than what you’d find with regular grocery produce) and will share recipes, as well.


The Best Produce at the Best Price
Veggie Patch Farm is committed to providing our customers with the freshest, locally grown and harvested produce at supermarket prices. Our food is not only fresher and tastes better, but by buying locally you are supporting the local economy and reducing the amount of energy used in transportation.
We invite you to visit us and discover a new way to buy produce.
Veggie Patch Farm is a small-acreage family-business farm located just a short drive from Marshville. We developed real local roots, and support from the community encouraged us to join with local farmers, vendors, business people and residents to jion our local farmer's market during the growing season.
Jeff and I have been farming for the last ten years. This year we expanded from two acres to twelve acres! This was a very large undertaking for our family run business. We also opened our road side stand across from Rock Rest Elementary school on White Store Rd.
Find out more about us!
We want to share with you our farming practices. On our farm we do not use any pestacides. Jeff and I do not want to eat it nor do we want our customers to consume it. We still till the land the way our families have done for generations. plants are still set out by hand and weeds are pulled by hand! This can be a challenge at times because the weeds can have stalks that are three inches wide and reach to china! We use composed manure, epsom salt and organic fertilizer. Veggie Patch Farm has become a local center for a wide variety of produce, ranging from fruit and vegetables and home-made jams and salsas.
Find out more about our produce!
Want to jion our CSA?
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New this coming season to Veggie Patch is the start up of a CSA. This is a community supported assoation. We are taking applications to fill forty slots that are avaliable this year. Every week there will be something added to the boxes. Fruits and vegatables vary week to week. We are looking forward to this addition to our business. We hope to see you soon. More info will be avaliable soon, so look often for the updates!
Well it is 2013 and the begining of a new year! We are excited as always for the begining of the new season. Jeff and I are gearing up for a big year with new items being added to our farm!! Last season was a great one and we except things to be better than last season. As ususal we learn from the year before, see were we made mistakes and improve on things.
Our CSA last year was a big success and its all due to our wonderful members!! We thank all of our members for making it a success for them and us! We hope that it continues to be that way. We have expaned on what we are planting this year and look forward to seeing how it goes. So this year we will have more Strawberries planted than last year. Our being will be coming off in stages. We will have berries through June into July and maybe August but that will depend on the weather for sure. Check out What's In Season to see what we are adding this year!
We hope to see everyone this year at the markets!
Our Meeting Street at Cedar Walk market has moved up the street to Elton Elementary School. The day it is open is still on Tuesday's and the time is still 4:00 to 8:00.
All CSA boxes will be starting April 23,2013 depending on weather. They will run for 18-20 weeks. All fees are due upon reciept of your first box. Please check out the become a member section for more information on pick up sites.
Thanks from the VEGGIE PATCH FARM TEAM.


To produce one kilogram of potatoes, a hundred litres of water is needed; to produce one kilogram of rice, four thousand litres; and to produce one kilogram of meat, thirteen thousand litres of water is required. The choice to turn a vegetarian helps the environment at a time where the world's fresh water reserves are running low. In most places, ground water, which is non-renewable, has already been over-exploited, mainly for agricultural use. Major rivers have been diverted for mega irrigation projects to the extent that one out of ten rivers of the world no longer flow to the sea. The state of the once vast Aral sea, now reduced greatly in size manifest what we have done with our fresh-water reserves.
With every extra cow grown, we put extra pressure on our atmosphere; the production and transport of huge quantities of livestock is something that the atmosphere can no longer bear. 95% of the world's soya bean produce is used to feed livestock. 50% of the world's agriculture trade is redirected towards livestock feed. The Cornell website gives us these shocking statistics that govern production of meat:
Animal protein production requires more than eight times as much fossil-fuel energy than production of plant protein while yielding animal protein that is only 1.4 times more nutritious for humans than the comparable amount of plant protein, according to the Cornell ecologist's analysis.
Tracking food animal production from the feed trough to the dinner table, Pimentel found broiler chickens to be the most efficient use of fossil energy, and beef, the least. Chicken meat production consumes energy in a 4:1 ratio to protein output; beef cattle production requires an energy input to protein output ratio of 54:1. (Lamb meat production is nearly as inefficient at 50:1, according to the ecologist's analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics. Other ratios range from 13:1 for turkey meat and 14:1 for milk protein to 17:1 for pork and 26:1 for eggs.)
Animal agriculture is a leading consumer of water resources in the United States, Pimentel noted. Grain-fed beef production takes 100,000 liters of water for every kilogram of food. Raising broiler chickens takes 3,500 liters of water to make a kilogram of meat. In comparison, soybean production uses 2,000 liters for kilogram of food produced; rice, 1,912; wheat, 900; and potatoes, 500 liters. "Water shortages already are severe in the Western and Southern United States and the situation is quickly becoming worse because of a rapidly growing U.S. population that requires more water for all of its needs, especially agriculture," Pimentel observed.
Livestock are directly or indirectly responsible for much of the soil erosion in the United States, the ecologist determined. On lands where feed grain is produced, soil loss averages 13 tons per hectare per year. Pasture lands are eroding at a slower pace, at an average of 6 tons per hectare per year. But erosion may exceed 100 tons on severely overgrazed pastures, and 54 percent of U.S. pasture land is being overgrazed.
"More than half the U.S. grain and nearly 40 percent of world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans," Pimentel said. "Although grain production is increasing in total, the per capita supply has been decreasing for more than a decade. Clearly, there is reason for concern in the future."
One billion people around the world today go hungry. The earth has enough land to produce crops to feed all these one billion hungry people if others reduce their consumption of meat.
Every-day more and more forest land is cleared to make way for agriculture, the produce of which is invariably redirected towards livestock-feed, production of oil, or bio-fuels. Only a few decades ago, Borneo was covered primarily by a diverse and rich rain-forest which should have been protected as a world heritage site and a biosphere reserve. Instead, 90% of Borneo's forests have been wiped out to make way for palm plantations to feed the growing demand for palm oil. It is unimaginable that we can turn a blind-eye to this and still live with a clear conscience.
Fish accounts as a staple food for one out of five people in the world. However, we have managed to over-exploit this very important resource. Seventy-five percent of the world's fishing grounds are over-exploited, thanks to modern fishing trawlers; fish nets that span hundreds of kilometres sweeping catching fish and other non-target species indiscriminately, the latter are then thrown back into the ocean, dead; and satellite assistance for location of shoals. Most of the large fish species have become extinct as the long time they take to grow into adults does not give them a time to regenerate in the presence of these titanic trawlers.
Consider this. The plate on your table will be tasty. After-all, it contains the blood and flesh of so many humans who cannot afford to eat meat or grains, or drink safe water.


A Living Case Study
In an industry first, Robert Hall Winery will initiate a living case study for the wider wine community to learn about regenerative viticulture through biodynamic farming techniques, comparing the results with our sustainably-farmed vineyards. The trial will be led by world-renowned biodynamic consultant Philippe Armenier and Robert Hall Winery Managing Director, Caine Thompson.
The purpose of the study is to understand regenerative farming practices and their effect on the vineyards’ ability to sequester carbon and overall quality effects on soil, fruit and wine.
As stewards of our land, we have a desire to constantly improve our soils, fruit and wine while minimizing our environmental impact and overall carbon footprint. Regenerative farming aids with this mission.
The regenerative viticulture comparative study is set across 40 acres of Robert Hall estate vineyards and will compare all aspects of growing under regenerative viticulture v. sustainable winegrowing techniques.
The study will occur across 3 years and will track and measure:
- Organic soil carbon levels
- Soil microbiology
- Pesticide residues
- Organic matter
- Fauna/Flora differences
- Brix, pH, TA
- Pest & disease (Botrytis, powdery mildew, mealybug)
- Sensory analysis (weight, structure, aromatic profile)
- Tracking color & tannin indexes throughout fermentation to evaluate extraction
- Phenolic panel on grape & wine samples
The study will be unique in that frequent Field Days will be held at Robert Hall Winery for trade, writers, press and consumers. The Field Days will be an educational hands-on experience explaining and teaching regenerative farming through biodynamic techniques.


The CNRGV is the partner of the genome sequencing project involving Canada, USA and France. In this project, the CNRGV will be in charge of the constructions of the new sunflower BAC libraries from the genotype HA412-HO. 3 BAC libraries will be constructed using 3 different enzymes (HindIII, EcoRI, and BamHI) in order to reach a 12 to 14 x coverage of the sunflower genome.
Project funded in the frame of "Investments for the future"
The CATCHMI project aims at developing a new approach to capture specific genomic regions of interest.
Improving sunflower yield and quality for biofuel production by genomics and genetics .
Durable resistance to downy mildew ( Plasmopara halstedii) in sunflower


Get In Touch with Our Sod Growers for the
Best Sod and Grass from Our Sod Farm
Proudly serving the Corinth and surrounding areas.
Rainey Sod Farm Inc is one of the first sod farms to open in the area. We are pioneers in the industry, and we understand our customers want quality turf with excellent customer service. We will be happy to deliver your sod right to your door! We service a huge area, ranging as far as 150 miles to get you the best quality product and service in the region. We are certified sod growers of 419 Bermuda, Meyers, and Palisades. We also take part in the Mississippi Seed Improvement Association, Turf Producers International, and are members of the Home Builders Association. Let us help you find the right turf for your property, and we won't let you down!
Contact us for quality sod pallets!