From tabletop cache pots to patio containers filled with veggies, container gardens provide daily doses of natural beauty. Containers reflect your style, increase your garden space, and up the ante on indoor and outdoor décor. Even if you're new to gardening, you can do it. This simple guide will get you on your way.
Containers highlight your favorite décor trends and showcase your personality, but they need to suit plants, too. Remember these tips as you buy:
- Pay attention to materials. Choose container materials that suit your plants and plans. Porous materials, such as natural terra cotta, let air through, so soil dries well for water-wise plants such as succulents. Nonporous container materials, such as metal or fiberglass, help soil hold on to moisture.
- Consider drainage. Drainage holes and saucers help prevent soggy soil and overwatering, while solid-bottom containers confine water and protect tables and flooring. Either way, you'll need to dump excess water regularly.
Whether you're planting flowers, edibles or combinations, start with strong, healthy, vibrant plants. Prep and plant with these points in mind:
- Have a plan. Design your container planting like a centerpiece. Choose a focal plant, complementary plants to grow around it, and softer plants that will spill over the container's edge as they grow.
- Fill your container. Use a light potting mix designed for containers, and then add an all-purpose plant food to start plants right. Leave an inch or so of space at the top for water — like room for cream in your coffee. If you're growing plants that need acidic soil, such as patio blueberries or potted hydrangeas, use plant food for acid lovers.
- Combine like plants. Plant shade-loving plants, such as coleus or ferns, with others that prefer low light. Pair heat and sun lovers together, too. Place containers where they'll get the light they need.
Healthy, beautiful container gardens benefit from TLC. Follow these care tips:
- Water well. Container plants dry out faster than in-ground plants. They need frequent watering, but overwatering can be fatal. Always test soil first. Stick your finger in a few inches deep. If the soil is cool and moist, you're good. If it's dry, it needs water. Self-watering planters simplify the process.
- Feed as needed. Extra watering and growing roots in containers use up the soil's nutrients quickly. Regular feedings with a bloom-enhancing fertilizer keep flowers and veggies productive. A gentle foliar fertilizer feeds plants through leaves, so fewer nutrients are lost.
- Watch the weather. Plants and containers need relief from intense sun, harsh winds and winter weather. Frost-resistant containers withstand some cold, but be sure to bring tender plants inside once temps drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Treat with a quick, pre-winter pest treatment before moving them indoors.
Making Seasonal Changes
As seasons change, so should your décor. Switch out containers completely, or replant them with fresh new looks:
- Think spring. Fill containers with bulb gardens or tulip bulbs already forced into bloom. Give plants in combination plantings plenty of growing room for the season ahead.
- Boost summer color. Leave what looks good, but toss fading spring bloomers. Add colorful, heat-loving plants for instant impact and a summer lift.
- Celebrate fall. Start fresh with mums, ornamental kales and other fall favorites. Pack 'em tight — they won't grow much before winter — and then throw in a mini-pumpkin or two.
- Wind down for winter. Load containers with cut stems, such as curly willow and red- or yellow-twig dogwood. Lace in spruce tips or other evergreens. They'll hold their color and needles through cold weather.
Whatever you choose to plant in your containers, have fun and show your style. Keep these basics in mind, and soon you'll be gardening like a container pro. Pennington Garden Décor is here to help you succeed with the latest container trends and gardening advice you can trust.
Pennington® with design is a registered trademark of Pennington Seed, Inc.


Peel Back History
The Potato World Museum in Florenceville-Bristol stands as one of many captivating New Brunswick attractions. It offers visitors the chance to explore the intriguing world of potatoes while enjoying the allure of New Brunswick. Ideal for both avid potato aficionados and those merely intrigued by this staple crop, the museum serves as a remarkable highlight in the region's potato belt, positioned gracefully along the St. John River. This enthralling establishment presents a distinctive chance to immerse oneself in the potato's history, cultivation, and cultural impact, making it a standout attraction.
As you step into the museum, your senses will be overwhelmed by a mesmerizing collection of potato artifacts and memorabilia. These exhibits take you back in time, tracing the potato's remarkable evolution, from its origins in South America to its introduction in Europe and eventual global domination. Visitors will also discover the remarkable progression of potato farming techniques, from ancient, time-honoured methods to the cutting-edge technology used in modern agriculture. What truly sets the New Brunswick's Potato World Museum apart is its immersive and interactive displays. Here, you can get your hands dirty (literally!) by trying your hand at sorting and grading potatoes, gaining insights into the vast array of potato varieties, and challenging your knowledge with engaging potato-themed quizzes.
The Potato Museum is a treasure trove of potato knowledge, and its hands-on activities make learning about potatoes both enjoyable and educational. It also digs into the cultural significance of potatoes, showcasing their vital role in diverse cuisines around the world. You'll uncover how potatoes have risen to prominence as a dietary staple in numerous nations, from the iconic French fries of the United States to the mouthwatering poutine of Canada.
Satisfy your spud cravings
No visit to the Potato World Museum would be complete without indulging your taste buds at the Potato Café. Here, you can savour a wide array of potato-based dishes, ranging from the classic and creamy mashed potatoes to innovative potato desserts that will tantalize your senses. And before you leave, be sure to visit the gift shop, where you can pick up potato-themed souvenirs to commemorate your potato-filled adventure. The Potato World Museum in New Brunswick is a flavourful and informative attraction in the 'French Fry Capital of the World' that celebrates the enduring legacy of the potato in agriculture, cuisine, and culture.
Whether you're a dedicated potato enthusiast or just looking for a unique and educational experience, this New Brunswick museum and its surroundings offer an unforgettable journey into the world of potatoes. Come and discover the incredible universe of potatoes, and leave with a profound appreciation for this cherished and versatile vegetable.


WHY USE ORGANIC CHICKEN COMPOST?
At Rooster’s, we don’t use just any material to create our compost; we use manure from our very own, family-owned poultry farm in the heart of Amish Country in Dundee, Ohio. We raise 250,000 chickens every ten weeks, then recycle the manure on our farm into compost by turning, curing, screening, and bagging, finally preparing it to ship to your home. We are dedicated to providing you with compost that will enrich your soil and make your home-grown fruits and veggies strong. Here are three reasons that chicken manure compost gets the job done:
- Chicken manure is Rich in Key Nutrients
Chicken manure is naturally full of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. When Rooster’s Organic chicken manure compost is applied to your soil, these nutrients work their way into the soil, strengthening it along the way. The healthier the soil is, the better your fruits and vegetables will be.
- Chicken Manure on its Own Has Too Much Nitrogen
While chicken manure compost enriches the soil, chicken manure on its own has too much nitrogen which prevents your plants from growing healthy. When chicken manure is composted, the nitrogen levels balance out.
- Rooster’s Manure Also Includes Micronutrients
While macro-nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are all very important to soil health, Rooster’s compost also includes important micro-nutrients. You can find micro-nutrients such as magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc in our compost. Micro-nutrients are only needed in small doses, like vitamins in our diet, but they play an important role in the plant’s ability to extract nutrients from other foods. In a commercial fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 micro-nutrients are often missing. Our compost is basically a free nutrient boost for your plants.
In conclusion, choose Rooster’s farm-made organic chicken compost for your soil-strengthening needs.


The Ozette-Nootka potato is likely the descendent of a potato planted in Nootka Bay on Vancouver Island as early as 1791. Unlike most other potatoes grown in North America today, which arrived from potatoes grown in Europe, the Ozette Nootka was brought directly from South America by Spanish settlers.
Ozette Nootka is highly promising – it has had top yields at all locations and appears to be productive in a wide range of climatic conditions. The tubers used in the crop-climate project originate from material brought to Victoria from the Makah Reserve in the late 1980’s and grown and shared locally by Richard Hebda.
Skin colour: pale gold
Flesh colour: creamy yellow
Tuber Shape: Fingerling
Origin and Breeding: The Ozette Nootka potato is likely the descendent of a potato planted in Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island as early as 1791. Unlike most other potatoes grown in North America today, which arrived from potatoes grown in Europe, the Ozette-Nootka was brought directly from South America by Spanish settlers.
Year registered in Canada:
Ozette-Nootka is highly promising – it has had top yields at all locations and appears to be productive in a wide range of climatic conditions. The plants are very large, with vines as long as 2 m. They rarely flower and only die back in extremely dry conditions or with a hard frost.
Yield: Trials suggest it is relatively high yielding under a variety of conditions.
Utilization: Steamed, fried or roasted.
DISEASE AND INSECT SUSCEPTIBILITY
Slow Food USA says this: The potato has an earthy and nutty flavor that is similar to the taste sensed in cooked dry beans. The flesh is firm and the texture is very creamy. The Ozette is generally served steamed, fried, or roasted.
- Ozette yields were high in 3 British Columbia locations (Saanich, Metchosin, and William’s Lake), yet significantly lower under field conditions in Gananoque, Ontario.
- No disease or insect problems were reported at any location.
- William’s Lake growers report that Ozette has an “earthy flavour.”
- Winlaw grower reports it tastes “just like a russet.”
- Ozette had small holes in the leaves (likely spider mites) at Gananoque in its early growth stages. Later on, potato beetles were found on several plants.
- Leaf edge browning was reported by both Gananoque and Victoria later in the season. No further details are provided as to whether it was part of the natural drying process or some type of disease.
- In Victoria, yield was good and the tuber quality was “excellent.”


Much to our team’s surprise, hundreds of honeybees recently set up camp at Duval Asphalt’s Philips Highway plant. The bees built a hive under a tarp covering our EZ Street Cold Mix pile! We recognize that honeybees are an important part of our ecosystem, so we immediately sought to have them safely moved! Duval Asphalt Production Manager, TJ Young, reached out to local beekeeper Scott Greenwald for help.
Greenwald met Young at Duval Asphalt’s plant to inspect the swarm. He brought a “bee condo” with him to safely relocate the bees. Using a special eucalyptus smoke, he sprayed the bees to relax them into a more lethargic state. This allowed him to remove the queen bee from the hive and relocate her to the “condo.” Bees will always follow their queen, so once she is relocated, the rest move, too.
To help transfer the bees more efficiently, Greenwald cut a portion of the honeycomb from the EZ Street hive and used rubber bands to attach it to a wooden frame. Greenwald placed the frame, along with the queen and a large group of worker bees, in the new condo and within a few hours, all the bees made their way there. The bees will continue expanding the honeycomb and by the next day, the new comb will extend to all sides of the frame.
“It is important to safely relocate the bees,” said Young. “They provide so many benefits to the environment, so we wanted to send them off to a new home where they can continue to thrive.”
Greenwald is licensed through the Florida Department of Agriculture and a registered member of the Jacksonville Bee Association.


Did you know that your garden is full of ways to teach you kids? Aside from the science lessons that could be included, you can find math lessons everywhere in between your plants! Kids that are as young as pre-school can learn everything from simple math to measurements and more. Check out these easy ways to teach kids math while gardening.
Yes you CAN garden while traveling full time in an RV!
How to Teach Math while Gardening
Simple counting – For little ones who are just starting to learn math, your garden is a great place to teach them simple counting. Have them count out rows of plants, seeds, leaves that grow and more. Just the simple act of helping Mom or Dad will make it fun and they’ll learn their numbers at the same time.
Simple Addition or Subtraction – When you’re planting seeds, ask your kids things like adding the seeds together or to figure out how many plants your seeds will produce. Doing so will teach them simple addition in a way that doesn’t involve pen and paper. If you want to teach subtraction, focus on how many plants you’ll have after you harvest some of them, how many you’ll have if not all germinate and so on.
Multiplication – Teach your kids multiplication by asking them to figure out how many plants you will be growing total, how many of each type and so on. Make sure that when you ask them this that they aren’t adding if you’re trying to teach multiplication.
Measurements – Well planned gardens thrive on measurements making them the perfect arena to use them to teach your kids. Teach how to read a ruler when you’re planning how far apart to plant or measuring how big your plants have gotten. Teach weight measurements by seeing how much each plant weighs. Teach measurements used for mixing by letting them help make things like compost tea.
I highly recommend The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy, and Art it’s a great book that helps you teach your kids more than just math and science in your garden!
Your garden and your backyard in general are great for teaching your kids. Don’t let these opportunities pass you by because once they’re gone, they’re gone. Do you have any other ways to use your garden to teach your kids math? I’d love to hear your thoughts!


Geospatial Intelligence and Precision Agriculture and Livestock Activities
Ericson Scorsim. Lawyer and Consultant in Regulatory Communications Law. Ph.D. in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP). Author of the book “Jogo geopolítico das comunicações 5G – Estados Unidos, China e impacto sobre o Brasil” (The Geopolitical Game of 5G Communications – United States, China, and Impact on Brazil), published on Amazon.
Several advanced technologies have been applied in the agricultural sector. The trend is toward the digitalization of rural areas through increased connectivity in the field.
Currently, geospatial technology is used to perform precision farming services. With high computing power and infrared vision, it is possible to monitor various aspects of the crops from satellite images. From pest control, soil moisture, climate, plant health. This type of geospatial technology serves several interests. On one side, farmers benefit from more precise information on crop areas, best times for planting and harvesting, productivity, rainfall rates, cost reduction, among other relevant data.
On the other hand, commodity investors benefit from more reliable information for their investments and risk analysis concerning commodity trading. In addition, rural credit institutions will have better conditions to assess risks and determine the respective rural credit collateral. And, still, in the context of 4G and future 5G telecom networks, these are complementary to satellite services.
The terrestrial dimension inherent to rural areas is complemented with the aerospace dimension. IoT (internet of things) networks are being used in rural areas to collect real-time data with agricultural information. Humidity, temperature, and biochemical sensor, and weather stations are equipment that optimizes rural productivity. Of course, several precautions need to be taken to protect the farmers’ data. There are challenges, risks, and excellent opportunities regarding the use of geospatial intelligence in agriculture and livestock activities.
* All rights reserved. This article must not be reproduced or used without mentioning the source.
Áreas residenciais contaminadas por ruídos e poluição ambiental sonora: instrumentos de prevenção de reparação
ago 22, 2023
Newsletter Direito da Comunicação – Edição especial do mês do meio ambiente – Junho/2023 está disponível
jun 30, 2023
maio 24, 2023


Guanabana, parcha, carambola... oh my! Do you know what you're ordering off that batido menu? Now you do! We've put together a quick translating cheat sheet with the tropical fruits you're most likely to find on your travels. Here's what they look like, what they taste like, and what they are in ingles.
Guanabana is Soursop
Soursop is a flowering tree native to most of Latin America, including South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands. It thrives in humid climates with warm water (sounds like our ideal place for a vacation). It tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry with a creamy consistency like bananas. Try it for yourself in this soursop margarita.
Parcha is Passion Fruit
Passion fruits come from passion flowers, which are native to Brazil, Paraguay, and South America. They are cultivated commercially in tropical areas like the Caribbean and Asia and the fruits are widely used in cooking. With a gorgeous purple skin and a striking golden center, the passion fruit is quite the showstopper. To eat, slice in half and scoop out the edible insides (seeds and all!). Try it for yourself in this chocolate passion fruit tart.
Carambola is Starfruit
Carambola is a species of tree native to Southeast Asia, where it is widely used in cooking. It is cultivated in tropical areas and can be found in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. The fruit gets it name from the ridges going down the side (usually but not always five) that when cut in half, make the star look like a fruit. The whole fruit is edible and has a tart, sometimes sour taste. Try it for yourself in this melon and star fruit salad.
Higo is Fig
Figs are the product of flowering pants native to the mulberry family. It’s native to the Middle East and Western Asia but it’s widely grown in temperate climates. Fresh figs are sweet, plump, and chewy with crunchy seeds; dried figs have an almost caramel like consistency and are most often used in cooking (rather than eaten out of hand). Try them for yourself in cheese stuffed figs with peppery port syrup.
Guayaba is Guava
This one is an easy one! Guavas are small trees native to Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America (though they’re cultivated widely). The type of guava that’s most commonly consumed is the apple guava, it’s a fruit with a thick outer skin. Fresh guavas are light and refreshing and have been described as a cross between a strawberry and a pear. Try it for yourself in salmon with guava sauce.


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Let's Grow Pte. Ltd.
The high-end objective among the proponents of sustainable agriculture. Ecological farming is not the same as organic farming, however there are many similarities and they are not necessarily incompatible. Ecological farming includes all methods, including organic, which regenerate ecosystem services like: prevention of soil erosion, water infiltration and retention, carbon sequestration in the form of humus, and increased biodiversity. Many techniques are used including no till, multispecies cover crops, strip cropping, terrace cultivation, shelter belts, pasture cropping etc.
The use of technology in agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture with the aim of improving yield, efficiency, and profitability. Agritech can be products, services or applications derived from agriculture that improve various input/output processes.
form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which have demonstrated high growth (in terms of number of employees, annual revenue, or both). Venture capital firms or funds invest in these early-stage companies in exchange for equity, or an ownership stake, in those companies. Venture capitalists take on the risk of financing risky start-ups in the hopes that some of the firms they support will become successful. Because startups face high uncertainty, VC investments have high rates of failure. The start-ups are usually based on an innovative technology or business model and they are usually from the high technology industries, such as information technology (IT), clean technology or biotechnology.


The mission of the NTA (Nusa Tenggara Association) is to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods of communities in rural areas of the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia.
The NTA sponsors small-scale economic and social development activities selected by community consultation, ranging from building water tanks and wells, through providing farming equipment and training, to supplying books and furniture for schools. This empowers local communities to control their own development in ways that are sustainable in the longer term.
The NTA is run on a volunteer basis in Australia, and currently commits roughly 90% of its funds directly to its projects in the field in Indonesia. We support and monitor grass-roots activities, mostly involving income generation and food security, water and sanitation, and education. The NTA is making a difference by helping communities to improve the standard of education, facilitating local participation towards infrastructure development, and supporting improved health and sustainable income-earning activities.


Now that the temperatures are dipping into the mid-40’s, it’s time to start preparing and moving them back indoors to prevent the risk of injury.
Five things you can do to get your plants ready for the transition to their new indoor environment are:
Clean Them Up
Move your plants out into the yard or sidewalk. Clip off any dead or damaged leaves, stems, or flowers. Trimming them back will encourage new thicker growth for the next season. Follow clipping with a gentle shower from the garden hose. This will wash away any dust, cob webs, or first round of bugs before bringing them indoors.
Inspect Your Plants for Bugs
Who wants a buggy house? Not me! Before carrying them indoors, inspect the stems and leaves (including the underside) carefully. Smaller plants can be submerged in a 5 gallon bucket of water for 15 minutes. (Don’t do this on succulents or bulb plants – they need dry soil during their winter sleep).
If you do discover an insect problem, treat them with an organic insecticidal soap or spray. You can Google many natural repellants that you can make in your kitchen. One example is:
Repellent Soap: Add 10-15 drops of essential oils per ounce of liquid Castile soap. Try essential oils such as lemon balm (citronella), pennyroyal, lavender, and rose geranium. Wash before and after spending time outdoors.
Repot crowded or leggy plants into new containers. Prune leggy plants back first before repotting. Be sure to scrub the pots thoroughly and replant them in fresh potting soil. (or soil from a compost pile).
Plants receive less light when indoors and grow more slowly. Slower growing plants need less frequent and a lesser strength of fertilizer. If a plant is dormant or semi-dormant when indoors, stop fertilizing all together and resume in the spring when new growth begins to show up.
Overwater will kill a plant more quickly than under watering. Indoors plants need less water especially during rainy or cloudy days since they don’t dry out as quickly. To test to see if watering is needed, do the touch test: let the surface of the soil get dry to the touch between watering.
Take care of your plants and they will take care of you.
What steps do you do to prepare your plants for the indoors? What problems have you run across with trying to grow plants indoors? What is your favorite indoor plant?
Let us know in a comment below. We’d love to hear your tips and tricks.
~Cheryl Pastor, Social Media Specialist.


Enviroclean Fruit and Veg Wash 500ml
Recommended for washing conventional and organic produce. Removes soiling, manures, fertilisers, waxes, herbicides and pesticides from the surface of fruit and vegetables. Follow directions on the label for better storage of produce.
- Removes wax, pesticides, gases, herbicides, chemicals, animal soiling and dirt,
- Keeps fruit and vegetables in peak condition,
- Very concentrated,
- 2 to 3 drops to half a sink of water, once vegies are washed, pat dry and store in a cool dry place.
- Wrapping in kitchen paper or brown paper bags extends the life of fruit and vegies, don't use plastic bags to store fruit & vegies.


It’s a hot summer’s day, the sun is beating down on the meadows, as you listen closer to sounds of nature around you, you hear a low buzzing sound. You look a little closer and there is a honey bee resting on a flower. At first you are frightened hoping it won’t sting you. Then you realize that it just gathering pollen and nectar from the plant. The bee then moves to the next plant holding a pollen sac from the previous plant which it drops on this new plant. This movement of pollen is what allows these plants to reproduce. Everyday the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) makes its rounds to 2,000 different plants to extract pollen from their stamen, resulting in the pollination of thousands of plants. Because bees are such efficient pollinators they have been widely used in the big agricultural businesses to pollinate crops. Companies have bee colonies that they house and send out to pollinate for them speeding up the process of nature. The European honey bee is widely used, but bumble bees, leafcutting bees, alkali and mason bees are also used as pollinators. Bees are responsible for pollinating 80% of flowering plants, this includes 70% of the plants that humans eat every day. (USDA)
Since 2007 the number of bees around the world has been substantially decreasing. Scientists believe that this decrease is due to a number of different factors such as pesticides, pathogens, habitat loss, and global warming. Bees are highly susceptible to the neonicotinoids which are found in many pesticides produced today. Pesticides are sprayed on plants, sometimes plants are pretreated with them, especially in big ag and if bees are exposed to these toxins they are weakened and this can take out a whole colony. Pathogens can also be spread among bees from varroa mites, which bite bees and spread disease among colonies. When combined pathogens and parasites are highly deadly to a colony of bees. While these two are the most highly recognized reasons for colony collapse disorder (CCD) there are also the risks of loss of habitat and global warming. Loss of habitat affects wild bees by the loss of rural areas for bees to pollinate, leading the bees to have no food, which leads to death. Global warming also affects bees, when bees go into hibernation they expect to wake up and find flowering plants to feed on. However, the warmer seasons make the plants flower and die faster so the bees wake up and there is less to pollinate and less to eat. (Zissu)
Scientist attribute all of these causes to the losses in the bee population, however they don’t account for the deaths in the shipping of bees. Since bee colony numbers have been dwindling agricultural businesses have started shipping hives/colonies all over the world. If one of these colonies is diseased the pathogen spreads to all of the hives effectively killing thousands of bees. The average colony contains one queen, hundreds of males, and around 50,000 worker bees. If there were to be 10 hives in a transport that could potentially be the death of half a million bees. If all of these bees were to die off who would pollinate the flowers. In the US, in 2015, 42 percent of the bee colony population collapsed, that is nearly half of the population. In 2016, there were 2.59 million colonies in the US, which is less than half of the 6 million colonies in 1947. (USDA) This rate of bee colony collapse poses a serious risk to our food supply. Without bees we lose all of the plants that are dependent on bees to pollinate, for example almonds. (Jorgensen) There will be much less variety in our diets if bees were to go extinct. Resulting in a very different assemblance of meals that we eat daily.
History of Bees
Bees have been around for a 100 million years, according to the oldest known bee fossil. The first bees are thought to be carnivorous and ate other small insects, it remains unclear why they switched to a vegetarian meal. Once they made the shift they began to evolve with flowering plants to better aid in pollination. Bees have been pollinating flowers and gathering nectar for millions of years. It is their natural instinct. Bees are found throughout the world, and have been documented in the history of many different cultures. Their hierarchy of order from queen bee to worker bees has been studied tenusly by many cultures, and has been useful in teaching cooperativity in most cultures. Bees are mentioned in the bible along with they honey that they create. People everywhere have been using their honey for years as a sweetener and food source. Today there are 20,000 species of bees around the globe, they do not all have the same structural lifestyles as the honeybee.
Risk and Hazard
Bees fall into the Risk and Hazard category of the objects of concern topics that we learned about. The decreasing bee population is a risk to the world as a whole. Without bees many of our crops will die. As the honey bee population decreases so does the amount of plants being pollinated which affects their ability to flower and reproduce. Without flowering plants we don’t have the fruits and vegetables that we eat on a daily basis. Bee hive colonies in the US have steadily declined over the past 60 years. Starting with 6 million colonies in the 1940’s to 2.5 million today. Bees are crucial to our everyday life, all over the world bees are pollinating, and continuing the life-cycle of plants. The average honey bees can visit 2,000 plants in one day, this makes them the most effective pollinator, of the other 200,000 pollinators in the world. Even if we did have all of the other pollinators working around the clock to pollinate our plants they can’t compare to the work that a single bee does in one day alone.
Without bees are world would be in disarray. Bees contribute to ⅓ of each of our meals, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, and even coffee. Pollinators are crucial in industry as well, they provide half of the world’s oil, fibers for clothes and other raw materials. (Planet Bee Foundation). “87 crops worldwide employ animal pollinators, compared to only 28 that can survive without such assistance”(Palmer). In other words 60 plants are needed by pollinators to produce food products, not among those 60 are stable items like rice, corn, and wheat. Therefore, our world survive without bees acting as our main pollinators, however it would be bleak. We eat such a large variety of different fruits, vegetable, and nuts. Without pollinators these numbers would dwindle and we would no longer have things like apples, avocados. Without bees helping make these fruits and vegetables, it is most likely that labs would genetically engineer them, or they would be made from bees in isolated areas. This would cause the prices of everyday items to skyrocket. In turn making our meals much less exciting, being a foodie I would not enjoy this.
Bees are a very important part of our ecosystem as a whole, they evolved with plants for millions of years. The loss of one means the loss of another. Without bees our plants will die and this correlated directly with the food that we eat. Bees are crucial to our society in many ways, without them we would be paying more for what should be grown naturally and we will be losing a big part of our history. Bees have been around for centuries and have become a highly studied organism in our educational systems.
The decreasing bee hive populations also falls into the category of Environmental Ethics. Environmental Ethics is the proposal that we should give value to the non-human world as much as we do the human world. Therefore, we should treat our planet with the same rules and laws that we have amongst other living beings. Plants, animals, and nature should be given rights and should be granted more importance in society. Hence, they are apart of our environment and keep our environment from collapsing with all of the contributions that they make to it. Pollinators in particular are a huge part of our healthy environment, as we have discussed greatly in the above sections. Pollinators are a contributing member to our society. Pollinators account for more than 217 billion dollars in the global economy each year, 24 billion to the US alone. Honey bees alone contribute to 15 billion of the 24 billion dollars that pollinators generate in the US each year (Planet Bee Foundation). That is bees account for 63% of the total money that pollinators bring in to the US economy. Without bees the US economy and not to mention the world’s economy would take a huge hit.
Bee’s contribute to so much in the agricultural business, without them the production time of these crops would be much slower. It is for this reason that they are shipped all over the world to pollinate plants at big agricultural companies. So why is it that we aren’t educated on their imminent extinction. If we were to treat bees with the same values as we do humans, or even other mammals this could raise awareness and possibly save the lives of many of these hives. The idea behind Environmental Ethics is to bring to the light what is wrong in our society in the way we treat our natural beings and world. We are treating these bees wrong. Bees need to be seen as more than just an insect that stings you when they are angry, because they are so much more than that. They bring life to so many plants on this planet, in turn bringing joy to humans through honey and a variety of foods. These bees have been dying for many years and it isn’t of major concern in our society. With the government trying to cover up the fact that pesticides are a major reason for these bees deaths. While the rest of the public not even realizing the risks of the loss of bee species, there is not much being done to save the bees.
Some things that we could do to protect the bees are decreased use of pesticides could have a large effect on the bee population. This movement starts at home, in your back-yard, then moves into the community, to local governments to ask them not to use pesticides. If bee hives do not get sick from pesticides and pathogens then the population numbers could become strong again. The awareness on the declining bee hives is very low, there are groups working to spread awareness, however, more needs to be done if we want to try and stop a species from going extinct before us. Like not putting neonicotinoids in pesticides, making laws to not spray pesticides in certain areas, and not pre-treating plants with pesticides or genetically modifying them with pesticides.
As we have seen throughout this paper, bees are a crucial member to society, and they should be treated as one. We need bees if we want to continue having all of the options that we have today. When many of us see a bee, our immediate response is fear. However, we should look at bees and see a beautiful species that does so much for our world, whether they are wild bees or managed populations. Bees have been around for millions of years, and have remained a crucial part of our ecosystem before their discovery in the agricultural business. Bees are an “Object of Concern” and they are in dire need of more attention from the government and other agencies in order to save the population that remains. As stated before a way that we can help them is stop the use of pesticides in our communities and our homes. Only growing organic crops that don’t use synthetic pesticides, big agriculture would have to make a monumental change, but organic is better for everyone anyways, especially the bees.
In 2015 after the colony numbers dropped below 42% the white house implemented their plan to help grow the pollinator population by building pollinator gardens near federal buildings and restoring government owned lands to support bees. (Zissu) While this is a good start to helping the wild population grow, it doesn’t solve the pesticide problem that will continue to diminish the population in the years to come. In rural parts of China as way to work around the loss of pollinators problem they have begun to do the work that the bees used to do. In Hanyuan county also known as the “world’s pear population” pesticides have led to a reduction in the population of bees, so the people have begun to pollinate the pear plants as the bees would have. (Williams) With numbers of bees decreasing all over the world it is likely that one day this practice of human pollination will be seen throughout the world. This process started in Hanyuan because of the cheap labor costs and compared to the cost of reamping the bee population, however it may just have to stay.
It seems that we will be looking at a much different world if we continue to let all of the colonies collapse. A world with less food variety and more expensive food options which is hard to imagine with the prices already being so high. A world where workers spend their days pollinating plants so crops can grow and produce fruits, vegetables, and nuts. A world where bees don’t exist and a huge part of our history is lost, because we care more about money and the rise of our economy than they life of a living organism.
“Honey Bees”. United States Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. February 10, 2017. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/non-regulated/honey-bees/!ut/p/z1/04_iUlDg4tKPAFJABpSA0fpReYllmemJJZn5eYk5-hH6kVFm8X6Gzu4GFiaGPu6uLoYGjh6Wnt4e5mYGwa6m-l76UfgVFGQHKgIAB3fNrQ!!/
Jorgensen, Paul. “Why Are Bees Important? 33 Reasons to Care About Saving the Bees.” Life Basics Organics, 25 Sept. 2015, www.lifebasicsorganics.com/blog/why-are-bees-important.
Palmer, Brian. “Would a World Without Bees Be a World Without Us?” NRDC, NRDC, 18 May 2015, www.nrdc.org/onearth/would-world-without-bees-be-world-without-us+https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/humans-bees-china_us_570404b3e4b083f5c6092ba9.
“WE NEED BEES.” Planet Bee Foundation, Planet Bee Foundation, www.planetbee.org/why-we-need-bees/.
Williams, Casey. “Photos Capture The Startling Effect Of Shrinking Bee Populations.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 7 Apr. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/humans-bees-china_us_570404b3e4b083f5c6092ba9.
Zissu, Alexandra. “The Buzz About Colony Collapse Disorder.” NRDC, NRDC, 31 Dec. 2015, www.nrdc.org/stories/buzz-about-colony-collapse-disorder?gclid=Cj0KCQiAsK7RBRDzARIsAM2pTZ85-dpQAbikyVWrRHC0jlqJiVLyh87a3zXftvM2wJEWyY73fbcMIacaAhyJEALw_wcB.


The Mayan Civilization covered over a third of Central America, mainly resting on the Yucatan Peninsula. Their territory is about 900 kilometers north to south, and 550 kilometers from east to west. It's dotted with rain forests, and swamps with volcanic mountains in the highlands. February to May is known as the dry season there, as the air becomes intensely hot and uncomfortable. In the lowlands, the rainfall is as high as 160 inches per year. Dangerous animals also live in the Mayan part of Mesoamerica, such as the jaguar, crocodile, bullshark, and several species of poisonous snake. The fertile soil in this area allowed for great agriculture. The Mayans mainly grew crops that were meant for consumption, like corn, squash, beans, chili peppers, amaranth, and manioc. The volcanic highlands are a source of many precious metals used for trade and decorative artifacts. These include obsidian, jade, cinnabar, and hematite. The temperature in the highlands was much different than the temperature in the lowlands as they were both higher and cooler.


Our shipping season is coming up fast. So take a few moments to review best practices to ensure that the newest additions to your yard and garden thrive. It’s not always as simple as digging a hole, and putting in your new shrub -- but almost. First of all, when your plants arrive, give them some immediate attention. They have been packed in a box for a few days, in the dark and might be feeling a bit anxious. If you can't get them planted right away, at the very least WATER immediately. Your shrubs were given a good soaking prior to packing and shipping, but they are likely to be thirsty. Keep them in indirect light while they are waiting to go into the ground.Ready to plant
- Remove the root ball from the container or bag. Loosen the root ball to encourage growth. If you cannot do so manually, you can always gently score the sides for the root ball with your garden shears or knife. You won't kill the plant!
- Dig a hole approximately one and a half times wider and only as deep as the root ball. How deep? Approximately as deep as the root ball. Basically the pot you received your plant is will give you a good estimate of your hole depth.
- If your soil is really tight, hard or full of clay it would help to cultivate the soil in a wider area than the hole you will need. This will make it easier for the new roots to spread faster.
- Add some water to the bottom of the hole.
- Center the plant in the hole, keeping the plant vertical. If the hole is a bit too deep, back fill with some soil until you attain the proper depth.
- Fill the rest of the hole with soil and gently tamp down.
- Water your plant thoroughly. Refill soil if necessary, then water again.
- Mulch around the base of the plant but leave some breathing room right around the main stems.
- Fertilize. We recommend a granular slow-release fertilizer that you can easily sprinkle directly onto the soil around your newly planted shrub.
Don't Plant and Run
Keep an eye on your new garden guests for the first week. You all know that plants often go into some level of shock when they are transplanted. Some may show some wilt but spring back happily in a few days. Do not over water, but keep them evenly moist. Shrub Source plants are hardy and should not give you any serious concerns when transplanting. Just like friends, they like a little TLC.


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Shaila M & Nafeesa Begum (Chairman & Research Guide), Sahyadri Science College, Shivamogga.
STUDY OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILFROM SUNFLOWERCROP FIELDSIN DAVANGERE DISTRICT, KARNATAKA
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)Isthe fourth oil crop in grain production and the fifth in cultivated area in the world. The crop has most important agronomic characteristics, such as resistance to drought and cold, with wide adaptability to different soil and climatic conditions. In the present study the physicochemical assessment of soil samples were collected randomly from Sunflower crop fields of Davangere region was carried out. The physicochemical analysis of soil is based on the various parameters such as Soil texture, Soil moisture, pH, Moisture content, Electrical conductivity, Micro and macro nutrients in the soil were analysed. Six soil samples were collected from the different places of all the taluks of Davangere district results shows that, the values of pH range from 6.89 to 7.88, while the organic carbon present in the soil range from 0.012 to 0.501 mS/cm, Macronutrients N, P & K present in the range from 154.80-309.60 kg per hectare, 51.34-100.03 kg per hectare and 123.65-512.06 kg per hectare respectively and the micronutrients (Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) are present in the soil sample range from 0.30-2.40 PPM, 0.50-1.70 PPM, 0.84-24.50 PPM & available 10.72-35.38 PPM respectively. pH was found to vary from neutrality to slightly alkaline. The values of EC indicated that all samples of the soils are non-saline. The soil studies can be considered as good sources of essential nutrients and this information will help farmers to solve the problems related to soil nutrients and amount of which fertilizers to be used to increase the yield of Sunflower crop.


A Very Cool Bug Lady
August 22, 2007
"Maria Keating: Pest Manager. BSc(Agr.) Maria is a freelance photographer specializing in macro gardening. She has been curious about the role insects play in the ecosystem for over a decade. She has 8 years experience working as a Greenhouse Biological Control Consultant, a City Farmer Entomologist and Gardener, and works with (www.thebuglady.ca) a beneficial insect supply company. Through educational workshops and presentations she has been spreading the concept of using beneficial insects to combat pest problems commercially in our food systems and at home in our gardens."
--from the City Farmer website (cityfarmer.org)
The Cypress Community Garden near Burrard and 5th is a vibrant corridor of vegetables, flowers, and bees. Last Friday I took my son on a walking tour of those gardens, but our final destination was just around the corner. Once you reach the western end of Cypress Community garden, turn right (North) and you'll find yourself in a very special Vancouver oasis--the City Farmer Garden. Flower heads and petals float in birdbaths placed artfully among the plants. The licorice scent of fennel floats under our noses. A bouquet of sweet peas brightens up a shady path. We wind our way back to the eastern side of the garden and find Maria Keating, the resident entomologist tending her beautiful bee and butterfly garden. Maria is a very enthusiastic bug lady and she's happy to share information on which plants attract bees and butterflies to your garden.
I snap some photos and Maria helps me make a list of plants we think will be suitable for children's bee gardens planted "guerilla style" in vacant lots in the city. She tells me that Sharon, the head gardener at City Gardener calls the purple-flowered Verbena plant the "see-through plant" because its foliage is sparse enough to show off the plants behind it in the garden bed. She tells me that this plant also attracts the tiny iridescent halictid or "sweat" bees. Maria says her favorite flower at the moment is the globe thistle, covered with tiny light blue flowers. "It's like a tiny Buckminster Fuller globe," she notes. This summer she snapped a photo of a bumblebee on a globe thistle and saw that the bee had three distinct stripes of different colored pollen on her baskets. "What's a bumble bee's favorite ice cream? Neopollentin!" she quips.
Maria shows my son a tiny pirate bug and a lacewing egg on a sunflower head. He shows her his new Dr. Who book. She tries to convince him that the sunflower seed shells look like alien space pods. While we are observing her Three Sisters garden, a shaggy bumble bee emerges from a squash blossom, covered in yellow-orange powder. A grouchy raccoon passes through the garden to find another dark corner to continue his good day's nap. We give him a wide berth as we leave the garden. On the way out, Maria shakes the pods of some Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella) seeds into a little bag I can take home. Thanks Maria, for a lovely afternoon jaunt in your beautiful garden!
Here is a list of some of the plants in Maria's bee (and bug) garden, as well as some of her favorite bee plants: licorice mint (Anise Hyssop), Nigella (love-in-a-mist), borage, Verbena, cardoons, echinacea, Sneezeweed (Helinium), Gaillardia, rudbeckia, cosmos (yellow), amaranth (for color and for birds), nicotiana, lamb's ears, mullein (the giant plant in vacant lots,) foxgloves, globe thistle, mustard seeds, sunflowers, fennel, squash, beans, pumpkins, corn, and old man's love or lad's love (Artemisia abrotanum).
Yes, (sigh) it's already time to start collecting seeds and planning next year's gardens. I have recently found some excellent resources for researching bee gardens that I would like to share. Follow these links for information on what to plant to attract bees to your neighborhood. I will continue to gather and sort through this information to create some bee garden plans over the winter.


A lovely wildflower honey!
There are more types of honey in the world than there are of wine….
Wildflower honey is a varietal honey, meaning it has a variety of pollens. The bees visit many different sources of pollen, and therefore the honey can vary in color and taste from property to property and season to season.
The definition of wildflower explains why you can’t pin down the defining qualities of wildflower honey:
Wildflower: The flower of a plant that normally grows in fields, forests, etc., without deliberate cultivation.
In other words, there’s no specific genus or family for wildflowers; they’re any flower that grows on its own in the wild – so there’s no predicting exactly what wildflower honey will look or taste like. The honey is called “polyfloral” for that reason, since it comes from a variety of nectar sources, unlike “monofloral” such as orange blossom or clover.
There’s another important phrase in the definition of wildflower: “without deliberate cultivation.” That means beekeepers and honey producers don’t plant a field full of wildflowers. The flowers simply grow naturally, so there’s no way that uniformity can be guaranteed in the honey the bees make. It is very common for apiaries to mix honey from several different properties or bee yards during bottling, in order to come up with a more consistent product. You’ll still notice the variations in batches, however. Your best chance at getting a uniform quality over time is to buy from local source. We do our best to maintain a consistent “flavor” if you will.
We do not pasteurize our honey, nor do we filter it beyond fine filtering, so you are still receiving pollen at it’s finest. Thank you for reading and we hope you enjoy our delicious wildflower honey!


Authors: Abraham Elmir, Dr. Anjuli Jain Figueroa, Dr. Steven Gorelick
Droughts have been recognized by many governments and scientific researchers as one of the most impactful disasters affecting vulnerable communities, particularly affecting food, water and energy resources. Consequently, there is great interest in monitoring, predicting and preparing for droughts and their impacts. Droughts can be categorized as meteorological, hydrological, agricultural, and socioeconomic and their severity can be measured through indices. In this study, we compare and evaluate meteorological drought indices including Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and agricultural drought indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to measure drought-related stress to vegetation within the semi-arid, agricultural Bhīma Basin in India. Historical values of these indices are compared with future values based on modeled climate projections till 2100 to identify possible shifts and changes in drought severity caused by climate change.
Click HERE to view my slides.
Click HERE to view my video presentation.
●Anjuli Jain Figueroa
●Steven M Gorelick
●Abigail Nora Birnbaum


This property is Estate Owned. 38.99 Acres of level Farm land located in growing Euharlee, GA. The property is zoned C-1 in unincorporated Bartow County. This property has public sewer on the property. Level with double road frontage on Euharlee Road and Adams Chapel Road. This property currently has a crop planted, Showings will be handled by appointment.
For ADA assistance, please email firstname.lastname@example.org. If you experience difficulty in accessing any part of this website, email us, and we will work with you to provide the information you seek through an alternate communication method.


Propagating is a way to get brand new plants from the plants you already own. It’s a very simple process and should leave you having to spend less money on buying new herbs every time you run out. Before you begin make sure you have the following: Rich soil, scissors, a jar, a pot, and a thyme plant.
- Cut a few stems of your thyme plant off. About 5 inches or 13 centimetres.
- Remove the leaves from the very bottom of the stem to avoid rotting once submerged.
- Put the stems in water. They should not be placed in direct sunlight and the water should be changed once a day.
- Once the roots grow to at least one inch, the stem can then be moved into a pot with soil
If you do not wish to replant the thyme, they can be moved into a bigger jar to continue their growth in the water. These can be used with many different herbs in the house as well.


Shepherds to Char-a-bancs
The Wordsworth Museum
Nov 2015 — 28
The Wordsworth's garden kept them well supplied with vegetables
Summer flowers bring splashes of colour to the garden behind Dove Cottage
Enjoy strolling through this semi-wild piece of Lakeland fellside
The views from the top of the garden are an indication of why Wordsworth's most inspired poetry was written during his time at Dove Cottage
Wordsworth wrote many of his poems whilst relaxing in his garden
Daffodils in April, bluebells in May, poppies in June... what will be flowering when you visit?
The garden (open, weather permitting), has been restored to the half wild state that he and Dorothy lovingly created from local plants and materials.
In 1799, a few days after moving into Dove Cottage, Wordsworth wrote:
D is much pleased with the house and appurtenances the orchard especially; in imagination she has already built a seat with a summer shed on the highest platform in this our little domestic slip of mountain.
Both William and his sister Dorothy contributed to the character of their garden . It was an expression of both their personal aesthetics and their practical need.
They took pleasure in making things grow, as well as from the garden's beauty and the culinary results and planted a variety of vegetables, including peas, three kinds of beans (scarlet runner, French and kidney beans), radishes, turnips, broccoli and among other vegetables, bistort, a flower eaten like spinach.
The Wordsworths had two main sources of plants for their garden: the fells around them, and their friends and neighbours. From these sources they acquired a great variety not only of flowering bulbs and perennials but also of ferns, mosses, and lichens.
Dove Cottage Garden Today
The garden has always been a mixture of planned plantings and the happy accidents all gardeners enjoy.
Today Dove Cottage Garden is a semi-wild garden planted naturally in the spirit of Wordsworth with native and cottage garden plants. Honeysuckles entwine Rosa Rugosa and climb the cottage walls. Ferns and ivy grow among rocks and in the crevices of the terrace wall. Native English primrose (primula vulgaris) root in tree stumps; the old well is surrounded by Osmundine fern and Helleborus orientalis. Native daffodils, bluebells, mosses and other plants referred to by the Wordsworth family in letters and journals still grow today.
Take time to wander around the garden that inspired some of the greatest poetry in the English language.
See the journal entry for the day when William and Dorothy saw the famous daffodils.
The Jerwood Centre is where our collection is stored under controlled conditions and cared for. If you would like to be shown around please phone before you arrive to check that someone is available.
Wordsworth enjoyed skating on the frozen lakes of the county in the depths of winter. Two very different pairs of his skates survive and can be seen during your visit.


Pesticides a Thing of the Past
Pesticides may become obsolete as Monsanto and Dow partner to develop new, no-spray crop technology in corn. The agri-giants created this new technology in the wake of Bt insect resistance from a previous attempt at GMO pest control.
This new technology, DvSnf7 dsRNA, will be available in a line of GMO corn seed, SmartStax Pro. Unlike the previous bid to control pests, this new system involves a means of gene targeting and silencing. This could be an answer to the no-GMO cry as this process ultimately results in actively altering an environment versus invoking a change in the plant itself according to The Atlantic.
This newest breakthrough includes an additional step called RNA interference, RNAi. This added step involves giving crops the information needed to silence genes in detrimental pests. For SmartStax Pro users, this means the end of the western corn rootworm which has been called the ‘billion-dollar bug’ by Monsanto.
This news comes in light of EPA approval as the last of three agencies, FDA and USDA, giving the green light for this technology to surface in agricultural markets.
Monsanto has high hopes for this product claiming crops next in line for this upgrade will have a variety of other benefits as well.
"I would put RNA in the suite of really advanced, next-generation technologies that are adding to the excitement from a research perspective," said Robb Fraley, the Monsanto’s chief technology office.
SmartStax Pro will have a dual edged sword effect offering seed with the new RNAi technology as well as Bt pest management.


Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber & Visitor Center. - Event Information
Lexington County Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale at Midlands Fall Plant and Flower Festival
Lexington County Master Gardener Volunteers Annual Plant Sate at Midlands Fall Plant and Flower Festival .at SC State Farmers Market, September 20-22.
Farmers Market hours on Friday and Saturday are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
9/20/2019 - 9/22/2019
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern
S.C. State Farmers Market 3483 Charleston Hwy. West Columbia, SC 29172
Lexington County Master Gardener Volunteer's Annual Plant Sale at the Midlands Fall Festival at the SC State Farmers Market. There will be hundreds of plants grown by master gardeners, not in greenhouses but in our native soil and climate.. We will be selling house plants, perennials, succulents, shrubbery, trees and more. The "General Store" has gently used garden tools and supplies, gardening books and magazines, gifts and much more. Come shop early for the best selections. Proceeds help to sponsor our Sam Cheatham Scholarship for students studying agricultural/


Americans eat almost 8 pounds of fresh strawberries per person each year, and even when they are rinsed in the field and washed before eating, they are still most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residue, according to the Environmental Working Group. Same with the celery, spinach, peaches, pears and tomatoes you picked up at the supermarket. EWG's annual update of its "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce" - which is based on an analysis of tests run by the US Department of Agriculture - found that the most contaminated sample of strawberries had a whopping 20 different pesticides.
For the Dirty Dozen list, EWG singled out produce with the highest loads of pesticide residues. They all tested positive for a number of different pesticides and had a higher concentration of the synthetic chemicals than other produce. "This is a good wake-up call for them".
For the second year in a row, strawberries topped the bad part of the list, also known as "The Dirty Dozen".
"EWG's list has been discredited by scientists, it is not based upon risk and has now been shown to potentially discourage consumption of healthy and safe organic and conventional fruits and vegetables". On the other hand, the cleanest farm products are avocados, cabbage, papayas, mangoes, cauliflower, grapefruit, and melon. It ranks the best and worst produce when it comes to pesticide content.
But critics say reports like these could be scaring people away from buying any fruits or vegetables.
World facing 'unprecedented' humanitarian crisis, says United Nations chief
Mr O'Brien warned that close to one million children under the age of five would be " acutely malnourished " this year. In Somalia, more than half of the population (6.2 million people) require aid, of whom 2.9 million are desperate.
Maruti factory violence case: Gurgaon court convicts 31, acquits 117
New Delhi Television station reported that another 117 men were acquitted of charges of criminal conspiracy and murder Friday. The quantum of punishment to those convicted will be pronounced on March 18, defence counsel Rajendra Pathak said.
AkzoNobel Shares Surge After PPG Bid Rejection, Strategic Review Pledge
The company reported $1.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $1.56. The Company has gross margin of 45.30% and profit margin was positive 5.90% in trailing twelve months.
Spinach samples had, on average, twice as much pesticide residue by weight than any other crop.
An annual report by the Environmental Working Group found that almost 70% of samples of 48 types of conventionally grown produce were contaminated with pesticide residues.
"Even low levels of pesticide exposure can be harmful to infants, babies and young children, so when possible, parents and caregivers should take steps to lower children's exposures to pesticides while still feeding them diets rich in healthy fruits and vegetables", said Dr. Phillip Landrigan of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in NY.
More than 80 percent of pineapples, papayas, asparagus, onions and cabbage had no pesticide residues.
The EWG Shoppers Guide was released the same day as another report by the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food was presented to the world body. The study found these foods contained few pesticides and pesticide residue.


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Exploring Agtech: Revolutionizing Agriculture and Plantation Farming
November 8, 2023
Agtech, a blend of technology and agriculture, is changing the way we farm in today's world. It's not a trendy buzzword but a practical shift that's already happening. This article is here to make Agtech easy to understand and highlight why it's crucial for modern farming. With real-world examples and practical insights, I'll explore how Agtech is making a real difference in agriculture and how it impacts everyone, from small farms to large-scale operations.
Agtech, or agricultural technology, is all about applying innovative tech solutions to farming. It's not about reinventing the wheel but making the wheel smarter. In recent years, its significance in agriculture has grown significantly. It's not just about planting crops or raising livestock anymore. Agtech introduces efficiency and precision, making agriculture smarter and more sustainable. It's about making gradual and meaningful changes that benefit farmers, the environment, and ultimately, all of us.
The Power of Agtech
Agtech's strength lies in its fundamental components: agriculture software, smart devices, and data analytics. The idea is to combine these elements seamlessly to create a more efficient and productive agricultural process.
Agriculture software forms the backbone, enabling farmers to manage data, track resources, and make informed decisions. This software optimizes various aspects, from crop management to livestock health.
Smart devices, like sensors and drones, add a new dimension to farming. Sensors monitor soil conditions, ensuring that crops receive the exact nutrients they need. Drones, on the other hand, provide aerial views of fields, allowing farmers to spot issues early and manage them effectively.
Data analytics ties it all together, providing valuable insights. It's like having a virtual agricultural consultant. By analyzing data, farmers can make informed choices, and predict crop yields, and optimize resource use.
In practical terms, this means more efficient farming. Farmers can reduce waste, improve yields, and make sustainable choices. Rather than changing everything at once, these incremental improvements, when combined, make a significant difference.
Smart Farming with Agtech
Smart farming is an integral part of Agtech, focusing on the application of technology to enhance precision and efficiency in agriculture.
In the contemporary agricultural landscape, sensors have become indispensable tools for farmers. These unassuming devices play a vital role in monitoring soil conditions, ensuring the right levels of nutrients and moisture. Sensors help farmers optimize resource usage, which is a cornerstone of modern farming practices.
Drones have also found a valuable place on the farm. With their aerial perspective, they provide unique insights that help farmers detect issues in the early stages, preventing them from becoming significant problems. These aerial tools can identify plant stress, pest infestations, or water irregularities, enabling targeted interventions.
Moreover, Agtech isn't reserved solely for large farms. Smaller farms can equally benefit from its advantages. While they may not have extensive fields, they share the same need for efficiency and sustainability. The principles of precision farming, facilitated by Agtech, can be applied across various farm sizes. It's about empowering farmers of all scales to improve their practices, making agriculture more intelligent and responsible.
From Code to Crops
It's also essential to shift our attention to the unsung heroes behind the scenes: software developers (no surprises here!). These individuals play a crucial role in Agtech innovation, without any need for grandiose claims. They are the architects behind the digital tools that are quietly revolutionizing farming.
Custom software development forms the backbone of Agtech solutions. It's about crafting tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of farmers and agribusinesses. Instead of one-size-fits-all solutions, custom software development ensures that Agtech tools are perfectly aligned with the unique requirements of each operation. Below you’ll find a real-life example.
In the field of plantation agriculture, the impact of software-driven advancements is particularly noteworthy. With precision agriculture software, for instance, farmers can optimize irrigation, monitor crop health, and track yield potential. This has tangible effects on the bottom line, reducing costs and increasing yields.
In the real world, Agtech isn't just theoretical; it's practical and results-driven. With the right software in place, farming operations have seen substantial improvements in productivity, resource management, and sustainability.
The Agtech Ecosystem
Agtech doesn't operate in isolation; it thrives within a dynamic ecosystem where hardware, software, and data analytics intertwine to create a holistic approach to farming. It's a synchronized orchestra of elements working together for the betterment of agriculture.
In this ecosystem, hardware represents tangible tools like sensors, drones, and smart machinery. These are the physical components that gather data from the field, providing the foundation for Agtech's insights.
Software, as I've discussed, plays a pivotal role in translating this data into actionable information. It's the brain behind the operation, crunching numbers, making predictions, and assisting farmers in making informed decisions.
Data analytics are the thread that weaves it all together. They extract valuable insights from the vast amounts of data collected by hardware and processed by software. These insights lead to informed actions and optimizations on the farm.
The strength of this ecosystem lies in the collaboration among various stakeholders. It's not just farmers using this technology; it's a community. Hardware manufacturers, software developers, data analysts, and farmers work hand in hand, creating a collaborative environment that fosters innovation.
This interconnected ecosystem ensures that Agtech doesn't exist in isolation but thrives as a collaborative effort, making agriculture more efficient, sustainable, and data-driven.
Agtech enables precise decision-making in farming, which is the cornerstone of sustainability. By pinpointing exactly what crops need in terms of water, nutrients, and care, it minimizes waste and maximizes productivity. It's like a doctor's prescription for your plants—no more, no less.
Take precision agriculture, for instance. It's all about delivering the right treatment at the right place and the right time. This reduces the use of water, pesticides, and fertilizers, minimizing their environmental impact.
Moreover, water conservation is a critical aspect. Agtech empowers farmers to use water more efficiently. With smart irrigation systems, they can ensure that every drop counts, reducing water waste and contributing to a more responsible use of resources.
Reduced chemical usage is another important outcome of Agtech. With data-driven insights, farmers can target pest control and disease management, using fewer chemicals. This reduces the environmental burden and minimizes the risk of chemical runoff.
In essence, Agtech's role in promoting sustainability is more than just a concept; it's a practice that contributes to a greener and more responsible future for agriculture.
Revolutionizing Agriculture: A Case Study
One compelling example of Agtech's transformative impact can be seen in the experience of Willard Agri-Service, a company operating in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. They faced a significant challenge with outdated systems for managing sales orders and fertilizer production in their multiple factories.
The solution came in the form of a web-based application that unified both old applications, seamlessly transitioning users from the old platform to the new one. The results were nothing short of remarkable: a 50% reduction in order processing time, no downtime for three years, and minimal maintenance costs.
The key features of this software application included empowering the sales team to manage contracts effectively, implementing a per-user customer pricing system, ensuring precise ingredient proportions for each ordered product, integrating with all four factories for efficient order management, and maintaining a centralized inventory system for transparency in supplier relationships.
Willard Agri-Service's case showcases how technology has significantly improved their production management and order processing, highlighting the tangible benefits of Agtech in agriculture.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Despite its many advantages, Agtech isn't without its set of challenges. Data security is one such hurdle. With vast amounts of data being collected and analyzed, ensuring its protection is paramount. Farmers and technology providers must work together to implement robust security measures.
Moreover, the adoption of Agtech can run into obstacles. Some farmers may be hesitant to adopt new technologies, and others might lack the necessary resources or know-how. Overcoming these hurdles requires not only education, support, and collaboration within the Agtech community but also assistance from government programs and initiatives.
Yet, the horizon for Agtech remains bright. Ongoing innovations and research are propelling the field forward. We're witnessing the development of more advanced sensors, drones, and data analytics tools. Machine learning and artificial intelligence are becoming integral in decision-making processes.
The potential of Agtech in shaping the future of agriculture is immense. Agtech, through the collective efforts of all involved, is set to make agriculture more efficient, sustainable, and responsive to the evolving needs of our world.
The Final Word on Agtech and Farming
In conclusion, Agtech, the synergy of technology and agriculture, is transforming the way we farm and manage plantations. From sensors to software, from drones to data analytics, Agtech offers real-world solutions to age-old farming challenges.
As I've explored, Agtech is for everyone, not just the big players. Small farms, too, can embrace this technology to their advantage. The collaborative Agtech ecosystem ensures that farmers of all scales can improve their practices.
In the face of challenges, Agtech continues to advance. Data security and adoption barriers are being addressed, and innovations keep coming. The future of Agtech is one of gradual but substantial progress, shaping a more efficient and sustainable agriculture sector.
What is agtech and how does it relate to modern farming?
Agtech, or agricultural technology, encompasses the use of innovative digital solutions, agriculture software, and smart tech to enhance modern farming. It offers solutions for sustainable plantation agriculture and the optimization of resources in the realm of farm tech.
How can custom software and Agtech software improve the efficiency of modern farming?
Custom software and Agtech solutions play a crucial role in modern farming, offering ways to enhance precision and resource management, streamline operations, and ensure smarter, more sustainable agriculture.
What are the benefits of incorporating Agtech solutions into plantation agriculture?
Agtech solutions provide tangible benefits in plantation agriculture, including precision resource management, waste reduction, and sustainability. By utilizing data analytics and technology, they empower farmers to make informed decisions and optimize resource utilization for a more efficient and eco-friendly farm tech future.


Imperial Whitetail Results® is made for growing or mature deer to aid in maximizing antler growth, doe lactation and support fawn growth and survivability. Features Rainshed® technology to provide moisture resistance, hold condition longer in spin or tube feeders and reduce waste.
Features & Benefits
- 20% protein level Maximize antler growth, doe lactation, fawn survivability, fawn growth
- High levels of vitamins/minerals Promotes strong skeleton, antler growth and increased immune function
- Rainshed Technology Moisture resistance to hold condition longer in spin or tube feeders and reduces waste
- Research developed w/ Imperial Whitetail Actual feeding trials by deer nutritionist under wild and controlled conditions to ensure intake and performance
|Vitamin A||Min||6000 IU/lb|
|Vitamin D||Min||1750 IU/lb|


Filed Visit of Rapeseed Oil Production in Tunisia - ABC Machinery
The professional technical engineers team from ABC Machinery went to Tunisia in June 2019 with the aim to help our customer solve the technical problems about setting up the complete rapeseed oil production plant, which includes one 20tpd oil pressing line, one 10tpd edible oil refining line and one 10TPD automatic bottle blowing and oil filling line, etc. We had a series of meetings with our customers to discuss the technical problems that will be encountered during the setting up process. In addition, we also focused on the environment requirements, therefore, we adjusted some of the technical process and details to meet the demand of local environment requirements.
Cost on Setup Rapeseed Oil Production Line in Tunisia
Small Rapeseed Oil Production Line for Sales
Capital investment in rapeseed oil production line varies from the capacity, oil manufacturing process, technical requirements and more. Here listed some of the cost on setting up a complete rapeseed oil production line for your reference, which is valid from 10~400 tons per day.
|Rapeseed Oil Production Plant Overall Cost Analysis|
|Main Oil Processing Machine||30%||Communications||3.5%||Land||2.5%|
|Supporting Equipment||1.5%||Construction Infrastructure||4.5%||Maintenance and Logistics||1.5%|
|Instruments||16.7%||Mechanical Works||6.5%||Feasibility Study and Design||10.0%|
|Equipment Transportation||3.3%||Pipelines and Protection Surfaces||6.0%||Permits, Licensing, etc.||1.0 %|
|Building and Storage Facilities||12.5%||Electric Works and Devices||7.5%||Contingencies||7.5 %|
If you are interested in rapseed oil production and want to get the technical supports, please do not hesistate to contact us. ABC Machinery is always here, we will provide you all the details and help you to successfully set up a complete rapeseed oil production plant to expand your business and lower the investment cost!
Rapeseed Oil Production in Tunisia?
The shooting demand on omega-three rich rapeseed has seen many small and large scale farmers' shift to the varieties with a high content of omega-three in many parts on Tunisia. The omega-three has many health benefits such as the proper brain coordination, proper cardiovascular system functioning, maintaining adequate and healthy cholesterol levels in an individual body.
The good news is that the minimum daily intake of the Omega three can be achieved by taking two tablespoons of rapeseed since it contributes to over 75% of the daily intake. Rapeseed oil is ideal for preparing your raw vegetables, seasoning of your salads, among other uses. Edible both when cold and hot. It is also usable as a natural flavor on top of being suitable for pan-frying your meat, fish, and vegetables. (Read More: Cost Setting up Edible Oil Plant >>)
Is There Any Government Support in the Rapeseed Production in Tunisia?
Yes, many small and large organization embracing rapeseed farming is the result of the realization of the Tunisian national goals on the agricultural structuring and development. The support from the federal government has seen better management and more logical organization of the sector especially from the upstream to downstream production has seen the creation of better business opportunities for farmers in almost all areas of the value chain value addition, ranging from raw grain production, processing and bottling to final consumers.
Additionally, now it is possible for the Tunisia farmers to produce adequate oil for its consumers in her soil and thus becoming a fully independent on agricultural production. It has created employment too many Tunisian citizens on top gaining huge national income from the export to other countries. The nutritional benefits of the rapeseed oil have seen a healthy nation free from life-threatening diseases resulting from lousy cholesterol in the body. Tunisian residents provide a broad market for rapeseed oil as they are a significant consumer.
Now, Tunisian government is trying to ensure a correct agro-industrial structuring and resource development for investors. It led to outsourcing support from experience organization in the production of rapeseed in the Tunisian soil. Several organizations partnered with the Tunisian Government to create favorable environment for the production of rapeseed oil.
Tunisia edible oil production industry is rapidly growing. Edible oil is basically oil acquired from plant seeds and make suitable for cooking. Some of the oilseeds found in Tunisia include olives, soybeans, rapeseeds, sunflower seeds and more. Tunisia is currently the second-largest olive oil-producing country in the entire world. In addition, Tunisia government is trying to promote the soybean oil and rapeseed oil production. (Related Post: Cooking Oil Production Line >>)
Rapeseed Oil Production in Tunisia
Since there are encouragement policy for rapeseed planting in Tunisia, currently, over 100 large scale farmers are cultivating over 3000 hectares, and the number is expected to shoot annually due to the high demand of the rapeseed oil nationwide and internationally. The cultivation has been customized to be 100% Tunisian owned. The production has continually been expanding to cater for the ever-growing international and local demand on the rapeseed oil. (Related Equipment: Rapeseed Oil Press Machine >> )
We receive enquiries in English, Español (Spanish), Русский язык (Russian), Français (French) and العربية (Arabic).Our professional team will reply to you within one business day.Please feel free to contact us!


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Organic - Mineral Complex Fertilizer
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Senegal Receives Insurance Payout of US$23,1 Million from the African Risk Capacity (ARC)
4th November 2019 Dakar, Senegal, African Risk Capacity (ARC) proceeded with the announced payout to the government of Senegal to cover losses from crop failures caused by the severe rainfall deficits in the 2019 agricultural season. Already in August 2019, the software underpinning the ARC parametric model, Africa RiskView, alerted the Government of Senegal to the irregular and insufficient rainfall in the western regions of the country. Based on pre-agreed parameters, the indicated number of affected people was above the threshold for the triggering of an ARC Ltd insurance payout.
(c) Photo Credits ARC
In a ceremony at the Senegalese Ministry of Interior, UN-ASG Mohamed Beavogui, DG, ARC Agency and Dolika Banda, CEO, ARC Ltd. handed over cheques for US$12,5 million to the Government of Senegal and US$10,6 million for Start Network, a consortium of international NGOs that collaborates with the government. The cheques were received by the Senegalese Minister of Interior, Honourable M. Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, and the Country Director for Catholic Relief Services on behalf of Start Network, Ms. N. Anta Gueye-James.
The payout happened earlier than expected and is therefore about two weeks before the end of the farming season, which is set on 21 November 2019. It will permit the Government of Senegal and Start Network to initiate early response and support for affected people. This is the second time the Government of Senegal is receiving the payout from ARC Insurance Ltd.
More information can be found here


The is the history of ‘Coast to Coast Tours’
Donna & Stu Hamilton of Muriwai Beach, Auckland, established the tour company in 2002. It incorporated their sheep farm that dates back to the 1880’s.
Stuart’s parents came to this land at Muriwai Beach in 1922
but before this it comprised many thousands of acres and was owned by Sir Edwin Mitchelson,
(once a Mayor of Auckland city).
Much of this entire region was dense bush with magnificent Kauri trees. The Kauri was a source of timber, and in those days,
much money was made from the timber and its gum.
(Kauri gum, sourced from the New Zealand Native Kauri tree, was used for paints and varnishes).
The land where our farm now is, was the most Northern part of “Mitchelson’s Block” and it was a very important piece of land
because the road went through so there was easy access to get the timber out.
There was also a worker’s cottage; (today this is Donna & Stu’s dining-room, and where the Homestead evolved from!).
After the First World War, Sir Edwin Mitchelson sold all of this land to the New Zealand Government, which they then subdivided,
because the Government had a scheme where men who had gone overseas fighting for their country were rewarded
with an allocation of land at a low deposit and reduced mortgage rates.
Stuart’s father had fought in the WW1, (Egypt and France)
He qualified to purchase such Soldier Settlement land. Arthur and his wife Gertrude, (Stuart’s parents),
purchased 200 acres of this land for a farm, in 1922.
TYPICAL temporary dwelling for bush workers.
TYPICAL worker’s cottage dwelling. (Arthur on right)
Much of the land was still in scrub and had to be hand cleared to develop it into pasture.
It was cultivated using a team of horses…(No tractors and no chainsaws in those times !!).
The farm began as a dairy farm but because of climate conditions, it was changed to a sheep farm in 1940.
In Maori, MOTUTARA means “a flat area”.
Today, it is still family-owned by Arthur’s son Stu, and Stu’s wife Donna. They have now retired from Coast to Coast Tours, and their farm is no longer open for tours.
Although the farm has recently been reduced to 50 acres, it is still a working farm,
and is the only Soldier Settlement farm in the region that is still farmed by direct descendants of these Soldiers!
Donna & Stu’s daughter’s help manage the farm today.
This slide-show explains the history….


The tomatoes are growing great guns around these parts. Nothing turning red just yet, but another week or two and we’ll be seeing the first blushes. I’m a little excited to tell you about my solution to the inefficient tomato cage dilemma.
The problem with conventional tomato cages are they are just too damn short. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an indeterminate tomato just two feet high. Hell, even the roma’s will get three feet tall at least, and they really only need a stake to help hold them upright.
So my solution to the problem was this. Rather than put a cage around the tomato plant when it’s young, I would build the cage around the plant as it grew.
building a tomato cage, one level at a time.
I stuck 8 foot rebars into the boxes at each corner as my uprights. Then each week, as the tomatoes grew I added cross bars of bamboo. they are spaced vertically about a foot apart. I attached the bamboo rods with zip ties and added some cross bars between the plants to lend support.
This has proven to be an awesome way to support the tomatoes without worrying about them flopping over the top of a cage. Those babies are over 5 feet tall now. I can go another foot before I’m out of vertical rebar. Sweet!
The 1 foot vertical spacing gives me plenty of room to get into the plants to check on how things are growing and the fruits are not crowded and get plenty of light.
Which brings me to the other little surprise in the tomato patch.
The horn worms have arrived.
There I am, admiring my handiwork, and congratulating Mother Nature on another fine looking tomato crop when Holy Crap! There, on the backside of a leaf, proud as a peacock, and chewing to beat the band is the biggest honkin’ caterpillar you would ever want to see.
Finger-sized Horn Worm
Did I mention they are finger sized? Now I’m not usually squeamish, but the first time I ever saw one of these babies, I jumped. Mostly because I wasn’t even looking for something the size of my index finger. I just saw some poo on a leaf, and started to investigate. I accidentally grabbed it while trying to move the leaf! Holy Moses! I’m not sure who was more startled, me or it.
So, I’ve learned a bit more about these little creatures in the time since my sudden introduction. there are two kinds actually, the tomato horn worm, and the tobacco horn worm. Each gets just as big.
The tobacco horn worm has single white stripes along it’s body. The tomato horn worm has little V shaped stripes. Technically, I believe I’ve got the tobacco variety. ( we don’t even grow tobacco in this part of the country) In either case, it’s an adult moth that lays the eggs. Usually one per leaf, but today, I found a leaf with 3 on it. They must be working overtime.
The’re tiny. Like little glass beads. Very easy to overlook.
Now I’m not opposed to sharing the garden with critters. I don’t mind a nibble or bite or two here and there. Let me tell you, these guys are voracious eaters. When they’re small, and they are really small to start with, maybe 1/8 inch, they munch a leaf here, a leaf there. As they grow, so does their appetite. The full grown ones will happily eat your tomatoes. And not just eat a whole tomato, I guess that wouldn’t be so bad, but they take huge chunks out then move onto the next one. That my friends, is completely unacceptable.
Hand picking is the best way to remove them. If you can remove the eggs from the leaves, so much the better. There is only one instance where you do not want to pick them off of the plant. You may find one, with little white sacs hanging off of it’s body.
braconid wasp eggs on a horn worm
The braconid wasp lays it’s eggs on the body of the horn worm. When they emerge, they eat the horn worm. As an added bonus, all those newly hatched wasps will be looking for a host to lay their eggs on. They will find all the little buggers you missed!
Now in all fairness, I have to say, that some folks actually find these little creatures endearing, and go to great pains to ensure their survival. The caterpillar you see, pupates into the ”sphinx”, “hawk”, or “hummingbird” moth, depending on if you’ve got a tomato or tobacco horn worm.
(courtesy University of Minnesota)
This moth is big. Very big. With narrow front wings. It’s got a mottled gray-brown color with yellow spots on the sides of the abdomen and a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches. It’s a pollinator. OK. I get it. But so are bees and they don’t do nearly as much damage.
The horn worms feed only on solanaceous plants, namely tomatoes. But, larvae can also attack eggplant, pepper, and potato. You could plant trap plants, other solonaceous weeds like horsenettle, jimsonweed and nightshade. Which means, I have to go inspect my Datura. Darn it.