On and off rain the past two weeks slowed some of the earth moving and grading, but was just what the doctor ordered for the new seedlings. Thankfully all of our greens are firmly established, and we are past the point where heavy rain will cause washouts and setbacks. So far all aspects of the project remain on or slightly ahead of schedule. A glimpse of the past few weeks can be found below.
Most greens have been mowed 6-7 times at this point at about 1/4" height of cut. The 15th green is pictured above receiving a fresh cut and the 7th green is below.
Most fairways have been mowed 2-3 times at this point and are filling in nicely. Four fairways are receiving some final grading and prep work before seeding later this week. The 8th fairway is pictured above and below.
All tees have been seeded at this point. Seeding of the 13th tee is pictured above.
Bentgrass germination on a fairway 5 days after seeding.
Fairway drainage repair and upgrades are pictured above and below. Most of this work is being performed by RCC staff.
All tees received a "ring" of bluegrass before seeding. Our contractor has installed 12 semi loads of sod to date.
Grading of the fairway expansion on the 5th hole is underway, and the new lake is complete!


It is method of compositing by employing earthworms. The compost thus produced is superior to other components. The time required is also less and depends on the number of earthworms. About 4-5 kg of wastes can be composted by 1000 worms in a day.
Basal Sand Layer- a layer of sand (2-3 cm thick) at the base of the tank helps in drainage of excess water and also prevents the movement of worms into deeper layers of soil.
Dung Layer- a layer (3-5 cm thick) of one-month old dung manure is spread over the sand.
Waste Layer- all biodegradable wastes are put over the dung layer. In tanks (2-3 m X 1 m X 0.5- 0.75 m), wastes can be dumped up to the brim. In heaps ( 1m width), upto height of 0.5 m, waste can be put over the dung layer.
Soil Layer- the waste are then convered with a thin layer of soil (1 cm)
Dung Layer- Above the soil layer manure dung (3-5 cm) is uniformly spread and forms the top layer in a heap or tank.
In simple words wastes are sandwiched between 2 layers of manure dung. The contents are moistened with water (at 40-50 % moisture levels) for 7 days to pre decompose the contents. After decomposition worms are inoculated [1000 worms ( 1 kg approximately) for 100-150 kg waste] and watered regularly to maintain 30-40% moisture level for better activity of worms. Watering is done in such a way that the contents of the tank or heap may not be soggy or too moist as it results in the anaerobiosis of earthworms causing mortality. To prevent evaporation during summer months, gunny cloth or straw is spread over the heap or tank. For large scale composting, thatched roof can be erected to provide shade.
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Read Also: #The Next Big Thing & Need of Time : Organic Farming,


But what goes into strains, hybrids, crosses or backcrosses? All these are part of plant breeding, which basically involves the breeding of a male and female plant to bolster their genetics.
When we breed two strains, we get hybrid strains.
When cannabis breeders embark on combining strains, their main mission is to strengthen or purify strains or to combine the traits of strains.
They also do this to enhance aroma potency, or to increase yields among many other reasons.
Before growing and breeding cannabis, you first need to know the origin of your seeds and what they were crossed with. If seed sellers can’t give you with the genetic information of the seeds you’re buying, there’s really no way of knowing what you’re working with.
Like with most other plants, breeding is a fundamental aspect of growing cannabis. Given its technical nature, usually done at a commercial scale. With Canada and many states legalizing weed, cannabis breeding becomes popular. The good news is that you can do it at home in your small cannabis garden.
The Basics of Breeding
Like with any other plant, cannabis plants are either male or female. However, most people only care for the female plant as it produces sticky buds that are well-loved by consumers.
They forget that the male plant is equally important — especially when it comes to breeding — as they are a necessity in the pollination of the female plants. A good example of this is the Super Lemon Haze strain. This is a cross between the Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze parent strains. The breeders saw some good traits in both strains and chose to join them together. In order to breed cannabis, you need a male and a female of the two strains you’re combining.
First, you use the pollen of the male plant to pollinate the female one. Once this is done, the female plant will produce seeds with the characteristics of both strains. All you need to do is to harvest the seeds and grow them to get a hybrid strain.
So how do you go about selecting the male or female of the strains you want to breed?
Nat Penington, founder/CEO of the Humboldt Seed Company, said that the female traits seem to manifest themselves more in the seeds than those of the male plant. He added that the grower won’t have problems noticing the male plant because it’s technically different from the flower.
How to Breed Cannabis Plants
Once you’ve selected the two parent plants and set them aside for breeding, you’ll first need to introduce them to a breeding chamber. For small-scale breeders, a breeding chamber can be an enclosure created by plastic sheets on all sides. For large-scale breeding, a sterile environment is preferred.
As a practice, place one male plant alongside a number of female plants. The male plant will produce pollen that pollinates the female ones. According to experts, a single male pollinates tens of females, so its a good thing to make sure you have only one male at a time in the breeding chamber. Penington said that a single male can cover tens of females with seeds.
He calls this ‘intentional breeding’.
Once in the chamber, it’s recommended that you let the plants grow vegetatively for a few weeks in order to get bigger. However, this is not a necessity. All you need to do is to subject your plants to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
Basically, the male plant produces pollen sacs within weeks as it reaches its flowering phase. Once this is done, pollen is released from the sacs. It moves through the air and lands on the female plants that are then pollinated. And this is essentially why the chamber comes in handy.
It prevents pollen from leaving the enclosure while simultaneously blocking female plants from getting pollinated from the outside. You can help by physically taking pollen from the male plant and applying it to the female plant. Once pollinated, the female plant will continue to grow.
It gets covered with seeds and a bud: the two features that make it different from a male plant. Mature seeds are then collected and dried.
Pennington says the plant has to die for the secondary phase of pollination to take place. He adds that the seeds will need to be dried first before they can be replanted.
So do you harvest the flower and the seeds at the same time? According to Pennington, you need to harvest flowers three to four weeks before the seeds. Once the new hybrid seeds have been dried, they can be planted in an open environment away from the breeding chamber.
It’s important to note that the process doesn’t end there. If you buy your seeds from a shop, chances are the breeders have done several breeding cycles to strengthen or purify the strains. They do this to achieve consistency.
Every seed is different and carries different traits. Some carry traits of the male plant, while others take after the female plants. All these seeds with different variations are called phenotypes. Heterozygous seeds produce phenotypes with a variety of traits while homozygous ones have phenotypes of similar genes.
With cannabis, it’s best to have homozygosity to make sure we have seeds with a similar genetic makeup for consistency. Buyers will want to buy seeds with the same genes over and over again. This is also the reason why large-scale breeders select phenotypes with the best traits for mass production.
Let’s go back to our earlier example of Super Lemon Haze.
This strain takes the bud, trichome structure and resin production traits from the Super Silver Haze strain, but keeps the aroma of the Lemon Skunk. Lemon Skunk has loose buds and can grow to become extremely tall in comparison to Super Silver Haze, which instead has dense buds and grows shorter. Breeders select the phenotypes with the traits they like. In this case, they select the ones with the structure of the Super Silver Have and the aroma of the Lemon Skunk. But this doesn’t mean there weren’t phenotypes with different traits from the ones above. They were there but were deliberately discarded.
Essentially, breeders refine the traits of their selected phenotypes by repeating the breeding cycle over and over again. In the case of the Super Lemon Haze, they kept on growing the phenotypes with the traits that we all know today as Super Lemon Haze.
Breeding is comprehensive — and it doesn’t end here.
Once the breeder has narrowed down on the one phenotype, he backcrosses it to make its genetics more robust. It’s similar to inbreeding. All a breeder does is to cross-pollinate the phenotype with a similar one or a parent. The background makes the phenotype more homozygous, making sure that the desired qualities will continue flowing from one generation to another.
The seeds that you buy from a shop could have gone through various processes of breeding. From the breeding chamber to the selection of the desired phenotypes to crossbreeding, the breeding process needs lots of time and patience.
Pennington says that to be a breeder, you need to accept that you will not always get uniform offspring as this will need a lot of time and patience. You also need to accept that you will have to do lots of backcrossing in order to get a strong strain that you want.
Check Out Our Current Hybrid Strains
Original Glue (GG4), developed by GG Strains, is a potent hybrid strain that delivers heavy-handed euphoria and relaxation, leaving you feeling “glued” to the couch. Its chunky, resin-covered buds fill the room with pungent earthy and sour aromas inherited from its parent strains, Chem’s Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel.
Taking first place in both the Michigan and Los Angeles 2014 Cannabis Cups as well as the High Times Jamaican World Cup, this multiple award-winning hybrid’s supremacy is no longer a secret, and consumers will search far and wide to get their hands sticky with Original Glue (GG4).
Pink Kush, as coveted as its OG Kush relative, is an indica-dominant hybrid with powerful body-focused effects. In its exceptional variations, pink hairs burst from bright green buds barely visible under a blanket of sugar-like trichomes, with traces of a sweet vanilla and candy perfume.
The potency of this strain could be considered overpowering, and even small doses are known to eliminate pain, insomnia, and appetite loss.
Mimosa by Symbiotic Genetics is a rising star in the cannabis community. This strain has garnered praise for its outstanding fruit punch, citrus rind aroma and pleasurable mid-level buzz. Mimosa is a cross of Clementine and Purple Punch, and has been known to contain respectable percentages of the terpenes limonene and beta-caryophyllene.
Like the beverage, there is no bad time to enjoy Mimosa, but if you enjoy too much, the trajectory of your day will need adjusting.
Platinum OG is just as precious as the metal it’s named after. With a THC content regularly topping 20%, this indica-dominant hybrid asserts itself as one of the “heaviest” strains around. Platinum OG is purported to stem from three strains: Master Kush, OG Kush, and a third unknown parent.
A brief, heady onset settles into a powerful physical sedation suitable for nighttime use and pain, stress, or anxiety relief, making this precious strain a robust healer.


Lawn Mowing: A Vital Aspect to Lawn Care
Lawn mowing is a very crucial aspect in terms of making sure that your lawn is well taken care of. A greener and healthier lawn is always a guarantee if you see to it that you include instituting proper lawn mowing.
All of your plants will be of benefit when you make sure that you do the proper lawn mowing techniques. For starters, when you do lawn mowing, the growing point of your grasses will then be clipped off. This portion is the part wherein new leaves could be growing. If you mow them, the grasses will then branch out and will do their best to be able to grow in the available space that is left. When all these happens, you are left with a turf that is both dense as well as tightly woven. Read more about Lawn Mowing Gainesville.
If you want to make sure that lawn care is properly done in terms of lawn mowing, you must find someone that has the proper skills and knowledge for the job. It is vital that you remember that lawn mowing is a process that requires more than just simply cutting off the exceeding height of your grass.
When it comes to lawn mowing, the first thing that you have to know is the type of grass that is growing in your lawn. Typically, when it comes to lawns, there are tow major kinds of grasses that grow there. The first one is what you call the warm season grass while the second one is what you call the cool season grass. With how their names literally imply, both kinds of grass will be able to survive your lawn depending on the kind of climate that they are in. Get more information here about lawn care services.
Each kind of grass comes with different height requirements that will signal you to mow them. This implies that if you make sure to mow your grass based on their specific height requirements, there is no doubt that each of your grass will look better and healthier. Additionally, if you make sure that you mow your grass at the right height, then there will be adequate leaves left that will make them absorb their much needed nutrients and water. According to a number of lawn care experts, the height of adequate lawn mowing will have to depend on the depth of the root system of your lawn grass. What this means is that you will have a deeper lawn grass root system if your are mowing your lawn high enough. This also means that your lawn grass will be able to get its much needed water that is why there is no more need for you to water them constantly.
If you have cool season grasses in your home, then make sure that you mow them between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches of their height. On the other hand, when your grass is the warm season kind, it will be best that you base their mowing height to most home used mowers, usually at low height.


HISTORY OF THE FACULTY
Horticultural studies in Krakow have long history. They were initiated at the university level at the end of the 18th century. At that time, research in horticulture was supported by the Commission of National Education. Courses in Horticulture, provided by the Study of Agronomy at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University, were initiated in 1890 in the University's Experimental Garden. The Department of Horticulture was established in 1919, as a part of the Study of Agronomy at the Jagiellonian University. The Vegetable and Fruit Garden and the Experimental Field in Prądnik Czerwony district were developed to provide basis for research.
After the World War II, the Department of Horticulture resumed its activities. Specialization in Horticulture was initiated in the academic year 1948/1949. An independent Agricultural College (subsequently named University of Agriculture in Krakow), comprising the faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, was founded in 1953. At that time, the Department of Horticulture was placed within the structure of Faculty of Agriculture. On July 1, 1968, an independent Faculty of Horticulture was established at the University of Agriculture. In 2014, the Faculty of Horticulture was transformed into the Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture.
Faculty of Horticulture in 1977
Faculty of Horticulture and Agriculture at present
Studies in Biotechnology at the University of Agriculture in Krakow were initiated in the academic year 1999/2000. They were developed as a joint initiative of four faculties: Faculty of Horticulture, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Food Technology and Faculty of Agriculture and Economics. In the years 1999-2003 the studies were coordinated by the Dean of the Faculty of Horticulture, and since 2003 they were transformed into the Inter-Faculty Studies in Biotechnology. In 2014, they were incorporated into the structure of the new Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture.


Is organic food worth your daily expense? Is it a healthier option of adding to your daily meals?
Well in the last few decades, organic food has gained huge popularity. People are spending more on organic because they think it’s safe, delicious and healthy too. Why not? Organic food is grown without artificial chemicals, hormones and antibiotics. Also, it is better for animals and the environment.
The organic food industry is a flourishing business and it is anticipated to grow further as more and more organic food drive their way onto kitchen shelves.
Is Organic Food Safer?
Yes, it is true that organic food contains fewer pesticides and antibiotics as compared to conventionally grown food, however how that affects your wellness. A latest headline-worthy French study that has 70,000 adults, most of them happen to be women for an average of 5 years found evidence to suggest that those people who had more meat, dairy and other products had 25% lesser cancer diagnoses especially postmenopausal and lymphoma breast cancer. While the study does not prove that an organic diet is capable to reduce the chances of cancer, it instead reveals that having an organic-based diet could contribute towards reducing cancer risk.
A report in the Journal of Nutrition discovered that men aged (18-22) who followed fruits and vegetable diet with low to moderate pesticide residues had higher total sperm count and concentration as compared to those with high exposure to pesticides, recommending that eating organic salads may increase the chances of fertility in men.
Are Organic Foods Better For The Environment?
It’s not just the nutritional value organic foods are best at but they successfully address climate change, our waterways, the health of the soil, biodiversity loss and other modern environmental issues. For example, the latest research suggests that organic crops generally have higher drought tolerance and organically farmed soil has increased microbial diversity for the effective use of crop rotation, cover crops and compost.
However, not all organic food is a nutritional saint. Whereas, spinach lovers on the East Coast can do a great job at decreasing the environmental impact of their food purchases by selecting greens from a local market even if not natural as compared to buying organically certified baby spinach from California packaged in a plastic clamshell. As with nutrition, local and organic may be the winning card here.
As for animal welfare, don’t assume your organic ground beef came from the happiest animal. It might be true that animal welfare might me better addressed in an organic production system, however, mainly organic rules address the feeding of animals and issue like antibiotic use. If you are really concerned about the wellness of the animals where your eggs, milk and steak came from you might like to see the certification labels such as: Animal Welfare Approved or Certified Humane which make sure animals are raised with resting areas, shelter and the ability to engage in natural behaviors.
Super Healthy Benefits of Eating Organic Food
The choice of making an organic food being part of the daily regimen is a growing trend following the realization of healthy self-improvement needs. This article perfectly outlines the most accurate facts about these awesome benefits of eating organic food:
In various scientific studies, the positive effects of antioxidants on wellness have been found particularly those derived from organic food items. This is significant because organic foods are free of foreign chemicals that usually react with organic compounds, vitamins and minerals which further lower down the much-needed impact of antioxidants in food items. Recent studies show that the consumption of organic food items can contribute to an intake of nutritionally advantageous antioxidants and limited exposure to heavy metals. The positive outcomes of antioxidants gathered from organic foods consist of prevention of heart disease, vision problems, premature aging, cognitive malfunction and cancer.
Apart from providing the nutrition value, the mineral and sugar structures in organic food items are tasty as the crops have an ample of time to grow. The usage of eco-friendly agricultural production techniques is exposed to a good reason for better taste in organic food. It is reported that the taste of organic fruits and vegetables are of supreme quality as compared to those are of grown traditionally.
Intake of chemical pesticides consumption is related to several diseases like digestive dysfunctions, headaches, cancer, birth defects, ADHD, premature death and weak immune system. Since organic foods are free from pesticides so they are preferred more for better wellness. Pesticides not just have the power of keeping pests away from the crops; however, they even possess some potent chemicals like organophosphorus. These chemicals are mineral compounds and unnatural too that result in varied health deformities in humans. For example, organophosphorus is related to plenty of developmental disorders like autism and ADHD. Thus, organic food items provide a better way of healthy living particularly for children who are affected by the pesticide toxins during their developmental ages.
Organic Foods Are Not Modified Genetically
Organic foods are not genetically engineered in nature as they are GMO-free. In the present era, genetic engineering of food products is a massive issue. They are foods or plants with modified DNA that does not occur in nature to enhance resistance to pesticides. As there is not much evidence of its danger, food safety activists strongly believe that GMOs are a primary cause of slow brain growth, gastrointestinal disorder, internal organ damage and the thickening of the digestive tract. So, the health benefit of consuming organic food is they are free of GMOs which is a common aspect of non-organic food.
Intake of Highly Nutritious Food Products
Organic food items like organic milk, organic poultry, organic fish and meat consist of high nutritional content since they do not have modified ingredients as compared to the conventional agricultural food items. Another thing that makes them really nutritious is that they take their own time to develop and grow and are given with the excellent natural conditions for development. The mineral and vitamin contents of organic food items are high because the soil life provides the right mechanism for crops to access the soil nutrients.
Fewer Chances of Food-Borne Illness
There have been many reported cases of food-borne illness outbreaks. Spinach, melons, peanut butter, eggs and food from restaurants have topped the list as their production is mainly centered on agribusiness gains. Even the animals are ill as a large percentage of them are vaccinated, drugged and fed animal byproducts to improve their productivity in order to meet the ever-increasing agribusiness demands.
Better Overall Health
As organic food does not contain any elements of toxic chemicals and may not affects human health in harmful ways. The use of natural procedures like green manure to fertilize the land and crop rotation in pest and disease control work perfectly well in producing healthier, tastier and safer food product items. In addition to it, healthy food items mean healthy people and great nourishment for an improved living for both animals and human beings.
Improved Heart Condition
Grazing on natural grass increases the amount of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) found in animal products. The sun’s energy is taken in by natural grass through photosynthesis and is then transformed into the most desirable organic CLA by herbivores that feed on it. CLA is a heart-healthy fatty acid with the potential of strengthening cardiovascular protection and it is usually found in high quantities in the meat and milk products of animals that have been pastured in free-range.
We, humans, are vulnerable to several health diseases and many times we have to take some precautionary measures in order to live a healthy life. This is usually achieved by getting a different variety of vaccinations and antibiotic drugs when a new strain of bacteria or virus is released. Likewise, non-organic food sources use growth hormones, vaccines, antibiotics and animal byproducts to feed the animals right. When we humans eat the non-organic food items, they indirectly eat the antibiotics, hormones, vaccine and animal byproducts overdose. This may further alter the immune system which in turn renders humans not able to protect themselves against the disease or disorder. The benefit of organic foods is that their production processes do not involve the use of growth hormones, animal by-products, antibiotics or vaccines.
Stronger Immune System
The industrial and farming practices strive to be augmenting production and farm output by all means. For instance, the notion of producing more cereals, fruits and meat through genetic modifications and use of growth hormones solve the world’s food insecurity issues effectively. The effects are not evident yet, but the results are pretty sensitive to allergens and a big reduction in the strength of the immune system. By eating organic food items, the risks of decline in immune system strength are reduced as organic foods are not at all modified. Moving on, organic food items have higher vitamin and mineral contents that help in strengthening the immune system.
Organic is Poison-Free
Organic farming does not use any dangerous chemicals to keep away diseases and pests. Elements like biomagnifications are reduced through the effective practice of organic farming as chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and artificial growth hormones are banned on an organic farm. All practices used are natural and do not harm anyone. Thus, organic food products are free from contaminated substances, pure to eat and keep you in a healthy state of mind too.
The best part about organic food is that it is grown locally and poses less interference to the environmental resources that support a healthy way of living. As harmful chemicals are prohibited from organic farming, there is minimal air, water and soil pollution so it assures a safer and conducive environment to live in. In particular, organic farming diminishes the long-term human health implications affected by air, soil and water pollution.
You Can Be Certain Of Eating Only Fresh Food
Organic food items follow strict standards of production, processing and preparation. You will never find any chemical preservatives in organic eatables. Many of the organic products are sold next to where they are produced. Very often, these products are found fresh, bursting with flavors because obviously no preservatives are added.
Consumption of High-Quality Milk and Meat
Certainly, organic meat and milk are of high quality. However, there are claims that meat is not a good option to eat for wellness. It is the CAFOs that worsen meat and milk quality by introducing unhealthy antibiotics and drugs in the final organic product. When you eat meat and milk which is produced and processed organically, you can be assured of products with high- quality vitamins and minerals. For example, organic milk shows 60% more omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants and CLA as compared to non-organic milk. In addition to it, organic cows are pasture grazed which further makes the meat quality better.
Low Levels of Toxic Metals
It is a fact that organic farming does not use agrichemicals for crop production means reduced consumption of toxic metals. Latest studies confirm that organic crops have 48% lower levels of the toxic metal cadmium as compared to conventional crops.
The Bottom Line: Until now, no proclamation came from studies that say ‘organic is more nutritious or not’. Research findings reveal confounding variables such as: weather and soil conditions between types of nutrients, regions and antioxidants measured and study length. Even if items like organic milk and organic beet have a little bit of nutritional edge, it is still yet to be ascertained if it brings out any health and wellness benefits to mankind.
Overall, organic farming makes an excellent choice for the food system and environment too. Having said that, if your food budget allows then go for eating organic fruits and vegetables. Make sure to do your own research, make the right decisions that work for your health, family and budget.


Most people associate the warm weather and the laid-back life style of San Diego and California in general as one of the main perks to live here. There is no doubt that before we moved to San Diego we mainly associated these attributes with California and are still enjoying them daily. But over the years we also more and more savor the sheer abundance of outstanding local produce. The climate of California allows farmers to grow many different types of produce year-round, and San Diego itself is one of the best places to live for outstanding local produce. According to the San Diego County Farm Bureau San Diego had in 2009 more than 6680(!) farms with most of them between just 1-9 acres which is more than any other county in the US. San Diego County is also the largest community of organic growers in the nation with 374 organic farms. Some of the well known farms have also gained a high reputation outside of San Diego, like Be Wise Ranch, Suzie’s Farms and most prominently Chino Farms.
Many restaurants started to use more and more local ingredients and to cook seasonally. Over the last few years this whole movement took off, and now pretty much every relevant restaurant claims to follow this locavore trend of using local and sustainable ingredients. When we cook at home we try to use fresh produce as much as possible but it’s not always easy to also use local ingredients. We often don’t have the time to go to one of the farmer’s markets which are the best option for local produce. Fortunately some of the local markets like WholeFoods started to include a section dedicated to local produce. On a recent visit the selection included fresh local produce from places like Be Wise Ranch, Sun Grown Organics, Aviara Farms, Stehly Farms, Suzie’s Farms and Sage Mountain Farms. Seeing this great variety of local produce we decided to use it in one dish– Ratatouille Lasagna with Celery Root Crème. Besides the pasta and Parmesan cheese all ingredients were local or at least came from somewhere in California.
Ratatouille Lasagna with Celery Root Crème
Cooking with local produce
Ratatouille is always a good choice to showcase outstanding fresh produce but since it is mainly used as a side dish we wanted to make it more substantial by including it into a lasagna dish. What really made this dish special was the béchamel sauce which was based on celery root. Celery root is one of these vegetables which are underappreciated and most people only know it, if at all, raw in a salad. But celery root is a versatile ingredient which is can also be used in soups, purees, casseroles or sauces. Its taste reminds of celery but has a more subtle, round flavor which stays more in the background. We served the lasagna with a salad of local heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers.
Clean celery root, peel and cut in small pieces. Steam for 15 minutes, cool and dice.
Heat butter at medium heat and cook onions for two minutes. Add flour and cook for two minutes with continuous stirring.
Slowly add milk and cream and cook for 15 minutes at medium heat.
Add diced celery root and puree with immersion blender until creamy. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.
Cook lasagna sheets al dente, rinse with cold water and drain the pasta.
Heat oil at medium heat, add shallots and garlic and cook for two minutes. Add zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and chili and cook for 4 minutes until vegetables start to soften. Season with salt and pepper and remove vegetables from pot.
Add diced tomatoes with juices to empty pot and thicken by cooking for 6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and some sugar and mix with vegetables.
Coat the bottom of an oiled casserole with celery root crème, cover with a layer of lasagna sheets, add some celery root creme and add half of the vegetables.
Repeat everything starting with the second layer of lasagna sheets and finish with some celery root crème. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for 25 minutes.
Mix parmesan with lime zest and sprinkle over lasagna. Bake lasagna for 10 minutes until golden yellow.
Recipe adapted from “Essen & Trinken”
250 g (9 oz) celery root
1 small onion
2 tbsp butter
30 g (1 oz) fluor
300 ml (1.25 cups) milk
150 ml (2/3 cups) whipping cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
8 lasagna sheets
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
300 g (11 oz) zucchini, diced
300 g (11 oz) eggplants, diced
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red chili, minced
6 stems basil, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
30 g (1 oz) Parmesan, freshly grated
Lime zest, from 2 limes


My mom has a very beautiful container garden. CSU Horticulture Agents and Specialists Blog, Capric Acid: A Promising Next-Generation Herbicide for Organic Specialty Crop Production, Columnar and Fastigiate Trees for CO Landscapes, Management-intensive Grazing (MiG) on Irrigated Pasture, Pulse Crops and their Key Role as Staple Foods in Healthful Eating Patterns, Integrated Hive Management for Colorado Beekeepers, Management-intensive Grazing (MiG) and Soil Health, Band 2 inches away from the plant, water after fertilizing. Almost any vegetable can be grown successfully in a container, and potatoes are no exception. Gardeners should add an additional two inches of soil around the top of the plant when they start to emerge from the soil. Decreased watering can also help the tubers mature and develop the skin. For growing potatoes in containers, natural fertilizers are sufficient. Harvest new potatoes within 30 days. Cover them with 4 inches of soil. For growing potatoes, containers created specifically for potatoes work wonderfully and are quite inexpensive compared to plastic or ceramic. One advantage of growing potatoes in containers is that the container can be moved into a frost free position if a late frost threatens. Potatoes are naturally fat free and a good source of vitamin C. Colorado State University has released 22 new potatoes since 1975. This reduces the risk of seed piece rot. This means maintaining soil moisture, checking regularly for unhealthy plants, and growing disease resistant varieties. Potatoes thrive in ground or in containers, so they're a fun edible to grow for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. This also prevents tuber and potato root damage. These potatoes are newly harvested. Weed control is especially important while the potato plants are less than a foot tall and fast growing weeds can outcompete the young potatoes. I've been growing potatoes in bins in our backyard for five years now. As the plants begin to turn yellow and mature in the later summer, gardeners can water less to encourage tuber development and prevent potatoes from rotting. Growing potatoes in containers is a great option for anyone who has limited space to garden, is concerned about what is in their soil or is looking for an easier way to harvest potatoes. She teaches aikido, is an experienced back-country skier and backpacker and is active in her community. Use lightweight soil, layer the potatoes and keep the soil consistently moist. Learn more about us or about our partners. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, Colorado State University Extension: The Magnificent Potato, University of California Cooperative Extension: The Nightshade Plant Family, Colorado Potato: Colorado Senate Bill 10-072, Irish Eyes Garden Seeds: Growing Potatoes, Missouri Botanical Gardens: Solanum tuberosum, Smithsonian: How the Potato Changed the World. Garden centers, reputable, garden catalogs, or your local CSU Extension Agent are all sources of certified seed. It’s so easy to harvest potatoes grown in containers. Rotating crops also helps interrupt the disease cycle and prevents nutrient depletion. Growing potatoes in containers is a great option for anyone who has limited space to garden, is concerned about what is in their soil or is looking for an easier way to harvest potatoes. Most weeds thrive on disturbance to the soil and can even grow from fragmented root pieces, so it is best to pull them out by as much of the root as possible instead of cultivating them into the soil with a hoe or rake. Potatoes are ideal for container gardens. The growing season for potatoes in straws in containers can last for 90 to 120 days. Dig a trench 6 to 8 inches deep, and plant the seed potatoes or pieces 18 inches apart, in rows 2 feet apart. Gardeners may observe beneficial ladybugs on their potato plants. Potatoes can withstand light frost, though it will kill emerging leaves. When sprouts appear on part of the potato, turn it over to encourage even growth. You can grow them in pretty much any container you can find; as long as it’s larger than a potato plant and has drainage holes, it should work. Growing potatoes is a lot different than growing other root crops like carrots or beets, where you pull up one veggie per plant. Read ahead! Potatoes grow best in sandy loam soil, but gardeners can manage a wide variety of soil types. Pests and Diseases . See more ideas about growing potatoes, vegetable garden, growing vegetables. Sprouts should emerge in about two weeks; when they are 8 inches high, hill the plants by raking up soil from the sides of the bed to add another 4 inches of soil around each sprout. Most root vegetables do well in Colorado’s high altitude climate, (except for sweet potatoes and rutabagas — they like warmer, southern climates). However, potatoes planted too far apart can become misshapen or develop hollow heart. Pick a spot in your garden where the plants will be exposed to sunlight but not baking in the heat. Those potatoes that I don’t eat by April will probably end up back in the garden to start next year’s crop, with their shoots already growing. Not only is this an easy process, it is also one of the most rewarding. To avoid the spread of disease, these plants should be put in the garbage, not a compost pile. The Spruce / Marie Iannotti. A rain gauge placed at ground level near the potato plants will indicate how many inches of water the plants receive. Make sure that the area is frost free so that the potatoes can grow well. The biggest advantage of growing potatoes in the container is that you will find its tubers in one place. Green potatoes should be discarded and not eaten. The procedure and tips for growing them are the same. If you see more of them, you can apply some organic pesticides preferably at dawn or dusk to prevent hurting beneficial insects. Preparing seed potatoes. Potatoes, especially those of the early-maturing varieties take between 80 to 100 days to mature. Potatoes come in several colors, shapes, and sizes. Get our Newsletter Subscribe. Spacing can be adjusted based on the type of potato that is planted. For people with very small gardens or just a patio or porch, growing potatoes in containers can … Following is a typical fertilization strategy: It is important to rotate crop families about every three years to maintain healthy soil. Traditionally potatoes are bought in January and February to allow enough time for them to ‘chit’ (sprout). Log in to comment on this story! The leaves will grow back and the plant will continue to grow, though repeated freezing depletes reserves in the seed tubers. They have a few pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, which can decimate your crop almost overnight, so you will need to keep an eye out and inspect your plants every few days. However, both fresh manure and grass clippings can have weed seeds or too much salt. CSU A-Z Search
Log in. They prefer summer temperatures of roughly 70 °F (21 °C), but can handle slightly hotter temps, as long as they’re not exposed to direct sunlight for more than 6-8 hours a day. Wherever you live, Extension’s job is to determine what issues, concerns and needs are unique to each community, and offer sound and effective solutions. Containers holding potatoes will dry out more quickly than the soil in your garden. Employment |
The soil temperature should be at least 55F during the day and 45F at night. Because most home gardeners plant potatoes on a small scale, it is not cost effective to purchase and apply pesticides. You can also apply organic liquid fertilizer once a month. Gardeners can expect about two pounds of potatoes per plant, but this depends on the variety, weather, and pest, weed, and disease pressure. If you like to use what you already have on hand, try planting potatoes in a cardboard box. Whether you are growing in raised beds, containers, or in the ground, spacing is another important factor. Roasted, boiled, mashed or in a salad – no matter how you serve yours, they will always taste better dug out of your own garden. You can replant potatoes you grew the previous year, but after one or two growing seasons, the potatoes will no longer produce well. Potatoes grow best in a soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. While not all of the more than 5,000 varieties preserved in Peru are available in Colorado, hundreds of varieties, from early to mid- to late season types, grow well in Colorado. Sacks and boxes are another option. Those with smaller size profiles, such as fingerling potatoes, can be planted closer together, about eight inches apart. Let’s get started. If the potato plants are still green close to this time, the vines can be cut to about six inches tall one to two weeks before the desired harvest date. A great way of making use of seed potatoes that would otherwise go to waste, growing potatoes in containers allows everyone to enjoy the lush foliage and great taste of home grown tubers from your potato plants. Cut larger seed potatoes into pieces of about the same size, as long as each piece has at least one or two "eyes" or sprouts. In the San Luis Valley, parts of the Western Slope and other areas of Colorado with an elevation below 7,000 feet, plant potatoes in late April to early May. Don’t be intimidated: growing potatoes is totally worth the effort and gives you so many more options than just the baked Idaho. Follow our potato growing guide to plant Tui Certified Seed Potatoes in garden beds or containers, and you'll be harvesting a bumper crop of homegrown potatoes this season. Non-Discrimination Statement |
Cover them with straw. Colorado is the fifth to sixth largest producer of potatoes in the United States, with the San Luis Valley in southeastern Colorado producing 90 percent of Colorado's commercial potato crop. Some of us even plant through June, particularly in containers or potato towers. We are starting our potatoes and we decided to grow some in containers this year. Potatoes come in hundreds of varieties, so look forward to different shapes, flavors and slightly differing lengths of growing … For potatoes grown traditionally in rows, a spacing of around 12 inches (for smaller first earlies) to 15 inches (for maincrop) is optimal. It's simple, relatively cheap, readily available and will last for several years. Growing potatoes in containers is a great idea if a home gardener is short on space. Photo by Trina Zavislan. How to plant potatoes • With a hoe or round-point shovel, dig a trench nearly 5 inches wide and eight inches deep, giving the bottom a taper three inches wide. But it's not the only solution to growing potatoes in containers. For people with very small gardens or just a patio or porch, growing potatoes in containers can be interesting and productive. This year she experimented with growing potatoes in laundry baskets. Potatoes prefer a fertile, well-drained sandy-loam soil with a pH of 4.8 to 5.4 for optimal growth. Seed potato producers grow seed potato from the sprouts that emerge from potatoes. The sprouts or eyes should be planted facing up. Weeds should be identified and removed frequently, as they can act as hosts of potato disease and compete for water and nutrients. Potatoes are tubers and herbaceous perennials, hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 to 11. For potatoes grown traditionally in rows, a spacing of around 12 inches (for smaller first earlies) to 15 inches (for maincrop) is optimal. The potato, or Solanum tuberosum, is in the plant family Solanaceae. Gardeners should determine the appropriate frequency and duration of watering based on the weather, soil type, and water needs of other plants in their garden. These sprouts are rooted and cultivated to produce the seed tuber. Sandy, loamy soil with a pH of 4.8 to 5.5 is ideal, though some varieties will push through clay soils and most will tolerate a more alkaline pH level. This is called hilling and ensures that the developing tubers are covered by soil and not exposed to sunlight. Log in to comment on this story! Gardeners should identify a spot in their garden with well-drained soil and no low spots where standing watering can pool to plant their garden. Colorado produces annually about ten million bushels of potatoes. If potatoes are grown every year, they should be grown in different areas of the garden each year. Apply to CSU |
However, any container with drainage will do as spuds will grow in anything – one of my best harvests came from a plant growing in a pile of old straw. Like no dig gardening , it is also far less labor intensive than other methods. To grow a sweet potato in a container, the roots need plenty of space to spread out. So, it’s always a surprise to dig them up and see your end result. Choose a location where the potato plants will receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. Potatoes with this disease are still edible, but gardeners may choose to plant a variety more resistant to scab if it is a problem in their garden. Because they can be grown indoors in various containers, even harsh weather doesn’t preclude the growing of potatoes just about everywhere.. As a commercial product, potatoes are both widely available and internationally produced. Potatoes can be stored after harvest in a cool, dry place. 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By Mohammed Wako Kosi – Isiolo.
No one expects to find a fresh produce stocked market in Isiolo County; here, people struggle with harsh dry climatic conditions and less rainfall. With recurring famine and drought , life is eked through thick and thin for this community.However, despite these challenges, a village in Kinna boasts of plenty of food supply around the year.At Kinna market, fresh vegetables , fruits and other farm produce litter the market, men and women are shouting on top of their voices to convince incoming customers about their good and affordable prices.All is clearly written on their faces ; life is good !
Unlike other markets which depend on food from other towns, Kinna market is believed to sustain its people even in the harsh weather climate conditions known to be a havoc to the people of Isiolo County.
Located in South of Isiolo County,Kinna is a market center , densely populated and mainly inhabited by the pastoralists community of Borana. It boasts as the largest center of subsistence farming in Isiolo South constituency dating back when its foundation stone was laid by the late Haji Wako Wario. Farming has taken root here, all crops do well, farmers plant and harvest maize, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, kales, cabbages, onions, carrots, mangoes, paw paws and bananas .
“We depend on our farms for most of our food security needs, we produce maize, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, kales, cabbages, onions, carrots, mangoes, pawpaw, bananas among others.we only go to shops at the market for tea leaves, sugar, spices, and salt .” Says Mr. Jaldesa Boru a farmer in kinna .
These has been enabled by vital forests found on the foot of Nyambene hills that have continued to water the farms, the once permanent water streams and springs that were the lifeline of the community. The natural springs that run and in Kinna and its environs are Bisanadi, and Chaffessa . The forests which used to act as home to wildlife and various endangered species of indigenous trees are being threatened.
These area which happened to be the border line of Isiolo County and Meru County was a battle ground last year, a conflict which ostensibly for some, was sparked off by the killing of one young man who was said to be a conservationist for some, but to others it was a commercial charcoal burning curtail at its war, whatever the case the environment has suffered, other threats ranging from extensive clearing of forest cover to pave way for irrigation farming activities and unregulated felling of trees for timber and timber products.
Indigenous pastoral people are eek a tough life due to natural resource degradation and climate change impacts. Communal responsibility eroded long time ago , cultural values attached to biodiversity resources is diminishing too. The situation is further aggravated by change in economic lifestyle and continued decay of traditional institutions that govern resource use and management.
Kinna is endowed with various natural resources with potential for development and sustenance of pastoral livelihoods besides pastoralism. However pastoralism is yet to be viewed as a way of sustainable livelihood, due to unfavorable policies that has disempowered and delinked the community from decisions that concern their land usage and the resource therein.
Like every growing center ,Kinna has its fair share of jobless youths, who have got basic education and on the alleys, unable to join college due to poverty that run deep because most of this pastoralists claim to have lost livestock to drought, while others blame it on the government for the massacre and atrocities meted during the politics of secession of northern frontier districts.
“We lost our livestock to drought, while for most of us our livestock were taken away by the government during the shifta war,(a conflict in which the ethnic Somalis in the Nothern kenya -(1963–1967) conflict in which ethnic Somalis in the Northern Frontier District (NFD) of Kenya attempted to join with their fellow Somalis in Greater Somali. The Kenyan government named the conflict “shifta”, after the Somali word for “bandit”, as part of a propaganda effort.“we came back to Kinna to farm, after we were released from DABA(concentration camp at Garbatula where they were held for 14 months).” ; Sora Molu, a farmer .
Despite all these challenges , jobless youth have sprung up to form a community based initiative to conserve the environment. Kinna Integrated Community Based Initiative – KICBI, saw the urge to protect, to conserve the water catchment areas and its ecosystem which is very important to them as a community. The group started contributing money to buy seedlings and paper bags to plant trees and established a nursery at a plot offered by one member, where they planted 10000 seedlings. Their effort immediately attracted the attention of an NGO called FH (food for the hungry), who offered to buy 5000 trees at Kshs.20 each and contracted them to plant in the schools within Kinna and Kulamawe a neighbouring center. Now that they are in business the group approached then county council of Isiolo for land, and they were given 5 acres plot at the water catchment in Kinna where they planted over 3000 trees. FH volunteered to fence the plot for them, the group grew in strength and started planting tomatoes after having bought a small generator from the proceeds, to pump water from the source to water the trees and irrigate the tomatoes.
These impressed world vision another NGO operating in the area and hence bought them a green house where they planted tomatoes and harvested a bumper harvest; they sold the produce at Kinna market and realized profit considering the input.
“We planted trees at schools in Kinna and Kulamawe, over 5500, we received good money out of it, we got 5 acres land from county council, FH helped us to fence the land, and luckily world vision toured our project at the water catchment and immediately offered to buy us green house and we did very well.” Muslima Godana ,vice chair lady to the group confirmed.
Similarly, other doors were opened for these young men and women who thought of conservation as an idea to kill boredom, pastime and the way to evade drugs, when world vision impressed by their role in the community, interviewed them and other community based organization within the area and they won the mantle to become the bridge between the community and world vision on sponsorship for children project, that is undertaken by the organization in the area. The young men and women are acting as community development facilitators and they cover even other neighbouring centres.
They divided themselves into two groups, to run both projects parallel to each other. The green house project was hampered by wildlife after elephants broke the fence and destroyed it, recently on its way to watering point at the water catchment and their generator broke down. The Kenya wildlife service promised to reconstruct the fence but they have not done that yet according to the vice-chair lady.
“We made two teams to operate with world vision and the other team to continue watering of trees at the water catchment and our small farm, though our green house project has been hampered, after elephant broke the fence and destroyed our water reservoir, generator broke down and we are watering the trees using water fetched on our backs, Kenya wildlife service have promised to repair the fence but they have not done it yet.” Muslima Godana pointed out.
They have complained to the Kenya wildlife service previously but it is hard for them to give them a reminder because the group members claim they are not accessible. Kenya wildlife Service Meru National Park officials were not accessible for comment. These young and vibrant pastoralists support from the community and conservationists, to help them achieve the goal of restoring the endowed natural capital of Kinna.


naomba anayefahamu hadithi hii atujuze kama inapatikana katika kitabu gani na ni cha darasa la ngapi?
In the south-west of Tanzania, between Songea town and Lake Nyasa, stands the little town of Mbinga. It is the head of the Mbinga Area, an area which is now famous for its good coffee. Only a few years ago this was one of the least known parts of the country, and the people were among the poorest in Tanzania, but in the last few years there have been many great improvements there. The Roads have improved and are improving still further. Traders commonly go to the market there to sell or exchange their goods. Every year, mud houses are being pilled down, and more modern ones made of bricks with iron roofs are being built in their place. The Mbinga people are becoming famous. And it is all because of coffee.
Coffee comes from the round red fruits of a small tree. Inside each fruits there is a pair of seeds called beans, and these beans are used to make a pleasant hot dink rather like tea, but with special taste of its own. The Arabs have been drinking coffee for many hundreds of years and in more modern times it has also become the favourite hot drink in Europe and America, where ground coffee and tins of coffee powder are on sale in all the shops. The Mbinga people didn’t know anything about coffee until a few years ago. Now many Mbinga farmers have rows and rows of coffee beans and ear n a good deal of money.
One person who can tell you all about it is Mzee Francis Ndunguru Ngwatura. He is a coffee grower at a little village called Mandita, about ten miles from Mkinga. The whole area is mountainous, and at certain times of the year the weather is quite cold and misty. Because of the mists there is a saying ‘Ukungu kama Mandita’ which means ‘as misty as mandita village’. Mzee Ngwatura has been growing coffee since 1943, when he planted 274 trees.
At that time he knew nothing of the present importance of the crop to the Mbinga people and to himself. He and his friend Mzee Setman got the idea of planting coffee from Mzee setman’s relations at Mhagawa Asili, and the Mhagawa people got it from the people living near Moshi in the north. It was not till later that Mzee Ngwatura came to like the taste of coffee himself , although at first he sweetened it with honey instead of with sugar. He now has at least three thousand coffee trees, and his farm is still growing.
Mzee Ngwatura works hard all the year round, but the busiest time of the year is harvest time. The harvest is usually gatherd between September and January when the fruits are red and ripe, and as it needs more than one pair of hands to pick them, Mzee Ngwatura has to pay a larger number of people to help him. The picking goes on all day, and in the evening the ripe fruits are put into special machines which get the beans out the skin. This work used to be done by hand but of course when it is done by machine it is much quicker and easier. After that, the beans are washed and put in large pots, where they remain covered with sacks for about a week. Then they are washed again and spread out on special wire nets to dry. The drying, which takes two or three weeks, is usually the job of Ngwatura’s wife, Mama Katarina. She sees that the beans do not receive too much hot sun and she can tell whether they are properly dry just by looking at them. Then they are put into sisal sacks ready for sale.
On the special day of the sale, Mzee Ngwatura and his helpers carry their sacks to the market-place, Gulio, a short distance from his home. There the coffee is examined and divided into three different sorts, called A, B, and C. The best sort is A. Then the whole crop is weighed, and Mzee receives his payment, Makopesho. After the sale the cpffee is taken by lorry to the nearest Co-operative at mbinga, and then to Moshi in the north, where the beans are put into machines to rub the skin off and then sold again and sent to other countries.
The coffee commonly bought in shops is a sort of brown powder with a very pleasant smell. It is made from beans which have been roasted and ground. You just put a spoonful of coffee powder in a cup and pour boiling water on it. Some people like their coffee black and strong, while others like it white, with milk in it. Most people like to add a spoonful of sugar, which makes it taste pleasantly sweet.
There is plenty of work on Mzee Ngwatura’s coffee farm all through the year, not just at harvest time. As the trees get older, they no longer produce good fruits, so new trees have to be planted to take their place. Every November and December, Mzee sows some of his beans four to six inches apart in straight rows .When they are about a foot tall he digs them up with their roots and plants them in specially prepared holes spaced nine feet apart.
These holes are dug about September and left open till planting time, when they are filled up with rich black soil. That is where the young plants slowly grow into small trees. But it is three or four years before they start producing fruit, and in that time the spaces between them must be kept free of weeds and each plant must be protected from cold winds. Then when the trees are old enough, they must be sprayed several times a year with a sort of medicine that kills harmfully insects, and at least ones a year the branches must be carefully cut back so that the trees will be low and strong and will produce plenty of good fruit.
But Mzee Ngwatura does not spend all his time producing coffee. He has fruit trees too, and he keeps cows, goats, sheep, Pigs and hens. He used to keep a shop and he has now opened it again. He has built a pair of modern brick houses with iron roofs, one for himself and the other for his sons. All his sons and daughters have been to school to be educated for he believes that it is the job of all modern Tanzanian to improve their minds through education. And to grow more and better crops both for food and for trade.


Making the Olla
I have commented on the olla bed in a previous post. The bed has worked well providing us with most of our salad greens over the last year and as I have just replanted it again this time with a different mix including some tomatoes.
With the prospect of a hotter dryer summer this year I will be adding in some more in other beds and thought this might be a good time to go over the process I used to make up the olla and beds.
The olla that form the core of the unit are simply an unglazed earthen ware container to hold water. The water will pass through the pores of the clay by the process of osmoses, being drawn into the soil and the plants roots will take up the moisture from the soil. It allows you to avoid watering every day and wastes a lot less water as the water is applied directly to the roots of the plants avoiding evaporation. I have also noted that while the planted seedlings did well weeds could not get going as there water is kept below the surface this reduced the weeding. The down side of this was that without extra watering vegetable seeds will not germinate effectively so you are best to used seedlings that you have grown in a hot house or warm bed.
I was lucky that I a friend of A.s mother had some old terracotta pipe pieces she was selling for $3 each and I had some old pot saucers I had got with some pots from Bunnings a few years ago.
The first step was to sand back the glaze from the pots inside and out. What these pipes where origonaly meant for which is to keeping water in is not what I am after. I am after a porous effect and sanding back the glaze helps this osmoses effect.
I then used some silicon to attach the bases and filled them with water to make sure that they (A). did not leak and (B) to see if over time the water started to move through the walls of the pipes as intended.
Two of them worked straight away and in an hour water could be seen beading on the outside of the pipes walls.
A quick extra sand and the last one filled and rechecked and all three were up and running.
All up they probably cost me about $5 each. In third world countries they cost around 25 cents each made locally and while this might sound cheap if you do the math’s 25 cents for person on a couple of dollars a day adds up to around $40 each if I purchased them here in Australia.
These olla can also be a great way to use up old terracotta pots joined together when they get old as the qualities that you need which is the breakdown of the glaze on the pots over time is why they are less useful now as pots and make great olla.
Shortly I will post on how I used them in a bathtub garden bed along with an integrated worm farm.


Effective Permaculture Aid work requires a professional approach. Green Warrior Permaculture Aid is conducting a Permaculture Aid Certificate course here in Mablad, Antique, Philippines. Lead by Permaculture Aid veteran Steve Cran, this course will be held in the typhoon Yolanda zone still being restored.
Trainees will spend the first 2 weeks on our 10 hectare Green Warrior field school learning hands on techniques and strategies for restoring communities after calamities caused by natural disaster or conflict. The second phase will involve students conducting field projects in the local typhoon damaged communities. This phase is optional but is available as part of the training package to give trainees real hands-on experience on a live project.
This step by step training program has been effective in over 1500 projects worldwide. Learn how to rebuild a communities food security, economy and environment with Permaculture Aid. Aid for the planet and aid for the people!
This course will begin 6th Oct and run until 2nd of November 2014. Costs include food, accommodation and materials for community projects. All proceeds go to permaculture projects. International students $1500 USD. Filipino students $250 USD. International students fees will each fund one local student. For more information please contact Steve Cran at email@example.com


A farming device that can harvest various grain crops is what we refer to as a combine harvester. Corn, oats, rice, barley, and other crops can all be harvested, threshed, and winnowed by the machine in one step. This method can reduce labor costs, time, and money — maybe a reason for the combine harvester price hike recently. The machine boosts agricultural output since it offers effective harvesting, which makes farming more advantageous and lucrative.
For farmers and merchants in the agricultural sector who are yet to get their combine harvester, it’s very advisable to get one as quickly as possible. This article will highlight the reasons why the price of the equipment differs and the benefits all at once. So, let’s dive in!
5 Factors That Affects The Cost Of A Combine Harvester
We could refer to them as the advantages or the edge the combine harvester has over other farming aids.
The amount of labor needed is significantly decreased with the arrival of a combine harvester. The harvester only needs a driver to move it around the land. The crop is chopped and carried into the harvester. The grain and stalk are then separated, and the collected grain is put into a grain tank for storage. As there is no need to engage laborers for harvesting operations, this might help the farmer save a lot of money.
The ability to save time is another of the main benefits of employing a combine harvester. Harvesting tasks can be completed more quickly, giving farmers more time for other useful tasks. When harvesting must be completed immediately, these time savings might be quite helpful.
All types of crops can be harvested using a harvester once it has been acquired for use and making adjustments to the parameters is all that is required. The high purchase of the machinery still enables the farmer to harvest any crop, including wheat, soybean, corn, oats, canola, sunflower, and rye. The farmer will really benefit from this and at the end of the day make profit on the cost price of the equipment.
By improving the yield, the harvester aids the farmer in increasing productivity. This occurs because using a harvester results in more grain being collected and more efficiently harvested crops.
There is also a good tendency of high returns despite the cost invested in getting the combine harvester. With time saved, good quality products and better yield, the farmer can have a guarantee of planting the next season.
One of the functions of the harvester is to ensure that there are no problems with the crops. Problems such as broken or cracked cobs can be avoided by the harvester, hence there’s better reaping and threshing quality. Customers get to patronize the farmer’s crops and revenue is generated based on the quality maintenance levels assured.
All of the factors listed contribute to the combine harvester price hike in different regions. Their benefits are enormous and for an average farmer, the multiple advantages will do good in increasing profitability.


Montesino Organic Farm
Montesino’s Organic Farm occupies the front nine acres of Montesino Ranch on a gently sloping plane of deep soil. The farm has been under organic cultivation for six years, selling to Farmers’ Markets in Austin and the Hill country, as well as to local restaurants. We are proud to have earned a stellar reputation for producing consistently robust and vibrant fruits and vegatables. After gratefully harvesting from this fertile land, we have chosen to allow most of Montesino’s farm to rest and recover over the next year by planting a lush green cover crop. Our orchard of peach and fig trees and blackberry vines, our herb garden and family garden are still thriving. While the majority of our farm rests, we hope that you still enjoying gazing over verdant acres.


Available this week
Cabbage, Swiss chard, Kale, Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Beetroot, Lettuce and a variety of herbs + assorted shrubs/flowers.
Grow your own Community
'Grow Your Own Community' is a Scottish Government Climate Challenge Fund project that encourages the growing of more local food and reduction in waste going into landfill. The project aims to strengthen social cohesion and create a low carbon future for Uist by encouraging the growing and consumption of more local food, reducing food and fish farm waste going into landfill, and through these activities provide tangible opportunities to improve the Climate Literacy of the community, especially young islanders.
The key purpose of this is to set up a new horticultural facility at Lionaclete School, Benbecula and all primary schools to engage pupils in a whole school programme of activities that demonstrate the 'Circular Economy'.
GROW YOUR OWN COMMUNITY
We also continue to develop the Community Growing Hubs initiative, which provides growing facilities ‘almost on people’s doorsteps’, by constructing 4 Polycrubs at public sites across the islands. Each site is built near to social housing sites and supported by a paid part-time horticultural worker. We also plan to deliver a community workshop programme on how to re-use local fish farm waste materials for food growing purposes, e.g. raised beds, windbreak fences, polytunnel frames.
Food grown at our main site ‘Tagsa Uibhist Community Garden and Allotments’ is available for use by the Food Bank as needed, and sold through the Vegetable Van, a newly established, island-based enterprise, selling vegetables door-to-door. This arrangement will simplify the management of fresh food sales, provide a channel to sell our produce more widely, promote our identity as local growers, and at the same time reduce CO2e from journeys previously made by our customers to buy vegetables.
We will increase availability of food growing facilities by 412 m2, supporting the development of existing school gardens, building one, and constructing more Community growing hubs near social housing sites
We will reduce the amount of food waste being landfilled by 3.8 tonnes
We will reduce the amount of fish farm waste currently being landfilled by 4 tonnes through practical workshops on how to reuse wooden fish farm cages as windbreak fencing and raised beds. This side of the project due to begin in autumn with windbreak fence to be erected at Tagsa site
We will support 20 vulnerable people to grow more food for themselves through providing onsite training and support in horticulture and health and wellbeing advice. On track with this work taking place at all project sites
We will significantly improve the Climate Literacy of the islands 750 school children through a whole school education programme integrated with Growing/Composting activities across all island schools. On track. Baseline data gathered through Climate Literacy survey carried out at start of project. Work at all island schools underway


1.Voles/mice are very destructive to turf, gardens and will chew the bark of fruit trees. This may lead to the eventual death of the trees.
2.The best vole/mice prevention includes removal of dense vegetative growth around your house and property perimeter, removal of mulch, lawn should be mowed regularly.
3.Voles are often confused with the lawn damaging pest, moles or pocket gophers. These pests spend nearly all of their time beneath the surface of the soil. Leaving mounds of dirt in your lawn and garden beds.
4.Voles have an average life span of 3-6 months.
5.Voles will have up to 12 litters a year with 3-6 babies.


How climate change affects agriculture and how technology can help
Climate change, agricultural insurance, geo-spatial data, and remote sensing are just the some of the hot topics we discussed during the recent “Agricultural Insurance in Changing Climate” Symposium that took place earlier this month in Freising (Germany), organized by Genillard & Co, with the support of Climate-KIC.
Photo credit: Thomas DiesingerClimate change is influencing global weather patterns and bringing on extreme events and changes in temperature, which are threatening the ability of farmers worldwide to sustainably produce and maintain the expected quality of crops.
Research institutes all over the world are trying to analyze the impact of climate change and develop new techniques, processes and technologies to support the sustainability and efficiency of the agricultural industry. In addition to governments, the insurance industry should also be involved in supporting the recovery processes and operational sustainability of natural disasters (drought, flood, hail storm) and man-made incidents.
Today, the leading reinsurance companies provide not only financial support but also actively fund the development of software and analytics for assessing risk in a probabilistic or deterministic way, using new technologies.
Photo credit: Alex Rinkus / Infogrades
As robotics and automation help farmers increase their efficiency and critical response time, the usage of remote sensed geo-spatial data is helping build early-warning systems and monitoring tools to estimate risk before events occur. One example of this approach is using Sentinel2 satellite imagery to calculate vegetation indexes and analyze the biomass on a field, and using radar satellites to assess chlorophyll reflection. Remote sensing can thus be instrumental in constructing effective decision support systems for farmers.
The industry trend of introducing final decision support information to farmers rather than providing them with raw geo-spatial data, is also of utmost significance. Companies like cloudeo are integrating all relevant decision-making data in a geo-information platform and enabling the use of consolidated information directly on farmer smartphones or through farm management systems.
Interested in learning more about the trends in geo-spatial data needed for decision making in agriculture? Get in touch with us, we are experts in developing geo-spatial applications for the insurance, reinsurance, and agriculture sectors.
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Tips to Help You in Choosing the Best Landscaping contractor in Manteo, North Carolina
Lawn maintenance in our homes has a lot of advantages that are not only related to the beauty that it brings to the environment. It is a big contributor to the maintenance of our environment. When using in on a property, the lawn maintenance has been able to draw a large number of clients who are willing to buy the property with a well-maintained lawn. To get more info, visit Lawn Maintenance Manteo
. Lawn care services are good to the institutions too because this will be a great contributor to the appearance of the institution. From below, you will get the best tips to help you in hiring the best lawn maintenance in Manteo.
The first factor that you need to consider is the knowledge they have. The knowledge will be on the best practices and most of the experts in this have undergone training or have done a course concerning this in a recognized institution. With knowledge, it is also important to consider the experience because those with much experience will have better knowledge that those with no experience. If you need to get the best lawn maintenance, you should get the company with the latest knowledge in the field.
The next aspect that you need to consider when you are in need of the best lawn maintenance in Manteo is the accreditation and the registration of the lawn care services that you get. In every business in the country, registration is required to ensure that the business is recognized by the local government. With this, the government will be able to keep track of the activities that are performed by the business as well as get the taxes that are mandatory for each business in the country. It will require you to get a business that is registered and certified because it will ensure that you have quality services.
When you want to have the best lawn care in Manteo, you will be required to evaluate for the type of the equipment that the company you hire uses. You should carefully evaluate for the equipment and the tools that the company you hire to conduct the lawn care on your lawn will have. To get more info, click Learn more
. The equipment that the lawn maintenance company that you get in Manteo will be important as it will be of great importance in ensuring that the job is done in a timely manner and also done to the required standards. Equipment is different as they will vary with the time that they are made as there are those that are of the recent times while others are of the past. You should try as much as possible to hire a contractor who has the best and the most recent equipment that relates to landscaping in Manteo.


Storing herbs in dried form is very popular because it is such a simple way to preserve them. Dried herbs can be used straight from their jars just as they are needed for cooking or as a garnish just as fresh herbs are; however, the just-picked herb aroma is lost in the drying process. Marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, and thyme dry well. Some people may prefer to freeze herbs such as basil, chervil, chives, cilantro (large flat-leafed and parsley-like), dill, and parsley because drying them may be disappointing. See Freezing Fresh Herbs chart linked at the top of this page.
Harvesting and drying
Herb leaves should be cut when the plants stock of essential oils is at its highest.
Cutting should be done in the morning of a day that promises to be hot and dry. As soon as the dew is off the plants, snip off the top 6 inches of stem below the flower buds.
Bunch drying is an easy way to dry long-stemmed herbs, such as marjoram, sage, savory, mint, parsley, basil, dill, and rosemary.
If the leaves are clean, it is not necessary to wash them; some of the oils may be lost during rinsing. However, if the leaves are dusty, or have been thickly mulched, rinse them briefly under cold water. Shake off any excess water and hang the herbs, tied in small bunches, just until the water evaporates away. Discard any dead or yellowed leaves.
As soon as possible, take the herb bunches in and hang them in a warm, dry place which is well ventilated and not exposed to direct sunlight. (Traditionally, herbs were hung above kitchen fireplace mantels or in attics.)
Tie herbs and hang leafy ends down so that the essential oils in the stems will flow into the leaves. Do not hang the herbs above the stove you cook on; grease and odors can damage the delicate texture, flavor, and aroma of the herbs.
To prevent dust from collecting on the drying leaves, place each bunch inside a paper bag before hanging. Gather the top of the bag and tie the herb stems so the leaves hang freely inside the bag. For ventilation, cut out the bottom of the bag or punch air holes in the sides.
There are other ways to dry herbs:
Tray drying works well for seeds and large-leafed herbs. It is the best choice for herbs with short stems that are difficult to tie together for hanging. Dry the herbs on a shallow-rimmed tray covered with cheesecloth.
To dry leaves:
To dry seeds:
Microwave Oven Drying
Microwave ovens can dry herbs quickly. However, extreme caution should be used when microwave drying because of the risk of not only scorching the herbs but also starting a fire and damaging the microwave.
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Crazy plant lady here hi! My small studio apartment has currently ten, yes ten, plants. Some could say that´s quite a lot, but I actually like the green around me. And it is good for the room air also, so win-win situation. But tell me, when is the last time you have changed the potting soil of your plants? If you can´t remember, please dedicate an hour or two this weekend to take care of your green family members.
We don´t have to put new potting soil every year, but it is good to do so every few years depending on the plant and its condition. I try to do this every two years, and spring is said to be the best time for new soil. As I know this is something that most of us easily forget, I wanted to write few tips for you, and hopefully, your plants will be greener than ever after little extra love this spring.
There are few easy steps you can follow:
- First, the plants should be watered thoroughly so that the root ball can be kept better together later in the process
- It is good to choose a new pot which is few centimeters wider than the old one
- Water the new plant soil in a separate container before placing it in the pots. A suitable ratio is about 50-100 ml water per liter of soil
- You should place the root ball in the center of the new pot and then fill the edged with new potting soil. Be careful with compaction
- Remember to leave little space to the top if the pot does not have a underwatering system.
- After the process is good to protect the plants from direct sunlight
- To avoid wilting you can spray your plants with water
- Give the new soil dry for a couple of days before the first watering
I am definitely not an expert when it comes to plants, but I have few tips and tricks to share. You should keep the potting soil moist, but not wet. If the soil is too wet or too dry you can end up damaging the roots. Check always how much watering is required for different plants. Underwatering pots are from my experience easier when you are not sure how much watering is good. Don´t move your plants around a lot, as plants are actually quite sensitive to changes. They adapt slowly to their new environment and have different preferences when it comes to the amount of sunlight. Plants also do not enjoy temperature changes. Remember to prune your plants regularly. This helps to keep the plants healthy and you don´t have to replant so often.
I am wishing you a weekend full of good moments!


I get so excited this time of year about growing our own vegetables in the garden. Unfortunately, we are not where we can do that this year so I am already thinking about a container garden.
This is a picture of our pallet/container garden from a couple of years ago. We lived in a townhouse with a very small yard. It was fun getting creative and still being able to grow our own food. It is amazing what will grow in a container!
Epicgardening.com gives step-by-step instructions on how to have a pallet garden.
No-dig-vegetablegarden.com gives great advice on how to have a container garden.
When you have a container garden, it is fun to learn to grow food from scraps. This post from Happy Money Saver gives some great ideas for “regrowing” food. Here’s a picture of the celery stalk I planted.
Since we will not be planting a big garden this year, I have been looking for local farms where we can pick vegetables. That sounds like a great homeschool activity, too! I found some interesting websites that give information about where to find these farms.
Pickyourown.org gives information about farms in your area. It generally tells what they grow, the seasons they are open and gives contact information.
Pickitfarmfresh.com has good information about local farms. It gives a description and contact information. It gets you pointed in the right direction.
Here is one from our area, the Georgia Department of Agriculture. I bet most states have a similar website.


First Cold Pressed Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tested and approved by the North American Olive Oil Association
Fafani, the matriarch of our family, was famous for her homemade olive oil and Harissa, staples of Tunisian cuisine. She cooked using only the purest ingredients cultivated on our family’s vegetable farm. Our Fafani organic extra-virgin olive oil is a product of these traditions passed down through many generations. Olive cultivation in Tunisia dates back to the 8th century B.C. Today, during harvest season, laborers, mostly women, still climb ladders and pick olives by hand using small rakes, making the olives fall on a net below. No machinery is used to collect olives. This protects our beloved fruit and trees. Our oil is a medium intensity, with hints of tomato and a peppery finish. When you buy Fafani organic foods, you eat well, support old-world Tunisian farming traditions, and protect the earth. Enjoy!
You can download our nutrition ingredients below.


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If you’re looking for live plants & flowers to grow your garden, our Lady’s Island and Summerville locations carry seasonally relevant plants from local nurseries like Bonnie Plants, Green Goods, R&L, Oelschig’s, Sunbelt, and more. Our Lady’s Island and Summerville garden departments are staffed with certified horticultural experts who can tell you what to plant, when to plant it, and how to take care of it. We know the area because we live here, and we’re here to help make your garden thrive.
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Android Applications are Taking their Rightful Place in Agriculture
Collection, evaluation and observation of data are the most important aspects of any development project. Business sectors relied on pen and paper to collect, evaluate and observe data in the past, but this method of collecting and studying data consumes a lot of time. There’s also a risk of committing errors. The advancement of communication and information technologies has changed things greatly. The agriculture sector is just one of those industries that have greatly benefited from the growth of technology.
Tablets, software support, smartphones and Android applications are now used to increase the productivity of farmers. These devices and applications help improve the accuracy of data collection, evaluation and observation. Here’s how the agriculture sector benefits from the usage of Android apps and mobile technologies.
Finding marketing links
Android applications help farmers find the distribution networks and market links within the vicinity of their farming area. Doing so helps farmers create a direct connection between them and the consumers, leading to efficient and successful distribution networks. This also helps them avoid the involvement of middlemen and thus, they can earn more profits.
Immediate access to data
Android apps give farmers immediate access to market data like the price changes for a certain produce. There are also apps that can help in disaster and risk management.
Easy tracking of assets
It’s possible to trace the areas where the machineries and tractors are operating with just a few clicks. There are apps that show the current fuel level of machineries, what produce is being harvested and how much area must be covered.
Collect real-time data
Android apps allow scientists and agronomists to gather real-time data, evaluate and monitor what they have gathered and authenticate the input. This not only helps them save time, but also boosts the accuracy of general production and yield in a certain farming area.
Farmers have to make decisions related to marketing their produce. Small decisions on delivery period, cash price and who the consumers are can affect their profit and loss. The average farmer has to consider various factors to create a full overview of the farm operation. Traditional costs for seed, fuel, land, fertilizer and irrigation also need to be factored in.
Android applications make this much easier. Good Android apps run in the background of the farmer’s daily life, but are always ready to be used. Aside from sending the latest news and commodities pricing
to the farmer, having both updated and outdated data allows the farmer to make smarter decisions on marketing their produce.
Agriculture is one of the industries that can greatly benefit from taking advantage of today’s technology. Android applications are always ready to help farmers gain access to market changes, weather information, newest technological discoveries and warning about harsh weather conditions and pests. It is safe to say that Android applications have earned a crucial part in the daily lives of farmers. They should not hesitate to maximize the potential of these tools.