SPEC (System for Forecasting Disease Epidemics) has been operating since 1st September 2004 as a joint initiative of Institute of Plant Genetics PAS and DuPont Poland (now Corteva Agriscience Poland). It is the first system in Poland that aims to forecast the risk of stem canker of oilseed rape – one of most dangerous diseases of rapeseed in Poland and worldwide. The system is based on estimation of pathogenic fungi ascospores (Leptosphaeria maculans & L.biglobosa) concentration in the air. Ascospores of these fungal species are the main source of infection of oilseed rape plants, thus monitoring of their spore formation is an important contribution to support decision making in stem canker control.
SPEC is addressed to oilseed rape farmers, associated farm service personnel, breeders, commercial company representatives as well as also students and research personnel with an interest in plant pathology and plant protection. SPEC is funded by DuPont-Poland. Information is distributed free of charge.
The system has been continuously expanding. In 2004 monitoring took place in 5 locations in central and western Poland. Five new Burkard spore traps were added in 2005 and monitoring of ascospore concentration in the air also covered the eastern regions of Poland.
SPEC has been operating as a result of cooperation between IPG PAS, DuPont Poland (now Corteva Agriscience Poland) and the following research institutions: Research Center for Cultivar Testing, University of Rzeszow, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (IUNG) as well as two commercial enterprises: “Arenda” in Charbielin and “Agro Fundusz Mazury” in Drogosze. Polish Association of Rapeseed and Protein Crop Producers has taken patronage on this system.


At the local farmer’s market last weekend, I loaded up my bags with a ridiculous amount of produce. Peaches and berries and peppers and onions and greens and melons and lots and lots of corn. Really, I completely lost control.
I have a particular reverence, bordering on awe, of the farmers who are able to produce such bounty, and thus have a need to support them with my hard-earned cash. You see, as I happen to be an eternal optimist, I earnestly devote a small plot of the back yard to growing a vegetable garden every year. And in every case (this is, ahem, attempt number 12 or so in house number 4) the local wildlife seem to put out some sort of all-points bulletin about the buffet growing in the back garden of House Morell and descend upon the space with gusto. The birds helped themselves to all the blueberries, the deer lopped off the tops of the tomatoes and sunflowers, and the bunnies and squirrels seem to be nibbling on everything but the herbs. Thus far I have produced exactly three rather tiny (but delicious) cherry tomatoes, four green beans, one yellow banana pepper and one jalapeno. My family would starve if I had to produce their food. Thank God for farmers and their markets…
… And this gorgeous corn.
I was looking for a fun recipe to highlight this corn, and decided to riff on a recipe I tore out of Food and Wine last year with some of my favorite elements. Obviously, I always love an amazing salad, especially during the summer, when you want to keep meal prep super easy.
I love to add the substance of a grain to a salad… in the case, barley played a starring role. Chuck full of nutrients, barley has a chewy, almost pasta-like consistency. Toasted walnuts add a warm, nutty taste and a nice bit of crunch. I then tossed in a couple handfuls of slivered basil and chopped chives, and a generous portion of crumbled feta cheese. Goat cheese would also work with this combo, if you prefer. The flavors blended wonderfully, particularly when I tossed in a bit of lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil as a dressing. So simple…
I can’t stop eating this stuff. It was absolutely delicious as a side salad to BLTs, but it could also easily be a main dish salad for lunch or dinner.
I’m headed back out to my garden now. I need to harvest some mint before it takes over the entire plot. This may call for some mojitos. It’s not exactly helping to feed the family, but it does prove the effort is not all for naught.
Corn and Barley Salad with Walnuts, Feta Cheese, and Basil
Adapted from a recipe found in Food and Wine, August 2015
Serves: 8-10 as a side
- 1 cup pearled barley
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 3 cups cooked corn kernels (from about 4 ears)
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons cup snipped chives
- ½ cup feta cheese (goat cheese would work well here as well)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the barley until just tender, about 25 minutes.
- Drain well and set out on a plate to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 12 minutes, until golden.
- Let cool, then coarsely chop.
- In a bowl, toss the barley with the corn, walnuts, and all the remaining ingredients.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
- Serve at room temperature.


The non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) is dedicated to protecting the environment and our health. That is why every spring, the EWG creates the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen produce list. They measure the pesticide residue left on fruit and vegetables after they have been washed and peeled. The 2021 Dirty Dozen list includes the varieties of produce that had the highest concentration of pesticides. The Clean Fifteen list is the one with the least pesticide residue. Even after washing and peeling, the Dirty Dozen produce items still contained pesticides. Therefore, you should purchase organic fruits and vegetables from this list. These two lists always help me determine which produce items I buy organic.
EWG’s 2021 Dirty Dozen™
- Kale, collard, and mustard greens
- Bell and Hot Peppers
EWG’s 2021 Clean Fifteen™
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Peas (Frozen)
- Honeydew Melon
2021 Dirty Dozen™ Changes
Strawberries have topped the dirty dozen list for several years now. So be sure to buy organic. In 2021, the EWB added collard and mustard greens to #3 on the list, along with kale. It is amazing that such superfoods as spinach and kale could harm you through pesticide residue if you do not purchase organic. Cherries and peaches switched places this year, moving cherries up to #7 from previously being #8 in 2020. I don’t think you can peel cherries, so you best buy organic. Peppers moved from being #13 in 2020 to #10 in 2021, so less pesticide was found on them than last year. Celery remains #11. Amazingly, potatoes moved off the dirty dozen list this year. However, I would still be skeptical about purchasing potatoes that were not organic as they may still be in the top fifteen.
2021 Clean Fifteen™ Changes
The Clean Fifteen list virtually remained the same, with a few items switching places. The first eight items on the list are identical from 2020 to 2021, but the last seven items moved around. Broccoli went from #11 up to #9 in 2021. Cabbage moved from #13 to #10. Kiwi moved from #15 to 11. But cantaloupe barely made the Clean Fifteen list as it moved from #10 to #15.
Guidelines for Produce Not on a List
If a fruit or vegetable is not on the list and it has a thick skin that you can peel, like a banana, you don’t necessarily need to purchase organic. However, if you eat the fruit’s skin, like plums, you would want to buy organic. Unfortunately, since grapes are on the Dirty Dozen list, we should purchase organic wine too. Otherwise, we may be drinking pesticide residue.
I hope you enjoyed the 2021 EWG’s update to the lists. Be sure to save the pins from this article on your phone so you can reference them when grocery shopping.


Surrey Seed Library
Sat May 20 | 11:00 am - 2:30 pm | Ocean Park Branch
The Seed Library offers free access to seeds and supports local gardeners in saving seeds at home. We are a living seed exchange, currently sharing 60 varieties of regionally adapted, open pollinated and self-fertile seed.
Ocean Park Branch 12854 17 Ave, Surrey, BC V4A 1T5Room:
Drop-in. No registration required.


Lamb Feed Mill
We have a fully operational feed mill on the farm, where we produce as much as 20 to 25 tons of superior quality feed per day. Using only South African maize and the finest raw materials, we process these crops to produce pellets for our lambs. By formulating the concentrates of the food, we also have complete control over diets of the animals in our feeding facility, which therefore gives us control over the quality of our lamb meat products.We are farmers at our core, and we pride ourselves on abiding by good farming practices. Thus the feed produced in our feed mill contains no added hormones or growth stimulants.


Our April Membership Meeting is traditionally dedicated to gathering the plants that we sell at this event. Dirt Diggers is our all-out effort to dig and divide proven perennials from members' gardens. In 2019, based on our Club’s “Position on Invasives,” we carefully evolved our digging efforts to ensure that we would not spread environmentally destructive invasives.
In 2011, FCGC started Gardenfest with Boyd Community Center, now the Lauri Ann West Community Center. We teamed up with other garden clubs and organizations which promote green gardening practices. What began as a venue to sell our plants and share garden knowledge has morphed into a popular daylong festival with children's activities, an artists' market, food, workshops and so much more.
A large part of our focus in selling perennials at Gardenfest involves educating buyers about the cultural needs of plants to ensure success in their own gardens. We do not sell invasive plants- many of which were introduced to agriculture without full knowledge of attributes that might displace native plants from their ecosystems. One has only to look at wetlands taken over by a former popular perennial, Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), to see the extent of damage invasive species can exact.
To that end, our horticulture gallery does not include invasive species. Some of the plants available in retail centers are invasive, including favorites such as Euonymus alatus (burning bush) and Berberis thunbergii (red barberry).
For more information on the environmental impact of invasive species:
A full list of invasive species in Pennsylvania, including those on the “watch list”:


Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, popularly known as CIMAP, is a frontier plant research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).CIMAP Research Centres are aptly situated in different agro-climatic zones of the country to facilitate multi-location field trials and research.
Address : Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh - 225001, India
Mobile : +91-8887148792, +91-9415160189
Hi! Simply click below and type your query.
Our experts will reply you very soon.


Our LED vertical plant lights provide excellent PPFD values for indoor plants. The power consumption is only 30w, and the lighting effect can be 150w, which saves money and power.
This plant growth lamp can provide different small or tall indoor plants with light similar to the sun. It can be widely used in plant cultivation, gardening, greenhouses, flower exhibitions, etc. Care for the growth of succulents, roses, tulips, seeds, etc.
Easy to install
It only takes two minutes! Place the plant lights on the tripod and tighten the screws until they are fully seated.
Wide viewing angle lighting with horizontal and vertical adjustment
The 360° adjustable gooseneck and 180° adjustable light stand can precisely adapt to the growth of plants in every corner. Indoor succulent cactus plants and tropical broad-leaved tall plants, 150W is an indoor plant growth light, suitable for indoor plants of any height and size.
Upgrade full spectrum floor lamp
The full-spectrum floor-standing led plant growth lamp is an ideal choice for various indoor indoor plants. It provides blue light to promote plant germination and seedling growth, red light promotes plant flowering and fruiting, white 3500K and 6500K high uniformity light can increase the light intensity, and is suitable for plants Various growth needs.
Shell material: aluminum alloy
Input voltage: 110 (V)
Luminous flux: 2800 (lm)
Control method: switch plug
Protection level: IP65
Power: 30W (W)
Number of LED lamp beads: 48
Size: 44*14*10.3 cm/17.3*5.5*4.1 inch
Weight: 1200 g/2.6 lb
1 x tripod
1 x sling
1 x Nut
1 x Metal zipper pull
1 x Bandage


Ten Reasons why Cereal Rye is a great Fall Cover Crop
Why consider rye?
Here are a few good reasons why cereal rye remains an excellent choice for a fall cover crop in many situations:
- Reduces weed seed germination (allelopathic effect).
- Provides significant organic material for soil improvement (up to 3-5 tons per acre if grown to maturity).
- Reduces or prevents soil erosion in fall and spring.
- Supplies nutrients to the following crops (good scavenger of surplus nitrogen and other nutrients, reducing nitrate leaching by tying up nitrate in rye plant material and making it available to following crops).
- Very winter hardy.
- Easy to establish.
- Germinates quickly.
- Provides structural support for an additional legume cover crop, such as hairy vetch.
- Establishes well without seed coverage by soil, as long as the soil is moist enough.
- On wet, clay soils, rye can help reduce excess spring soil moisture.
Sounds great! Are there any downsides?


Darst Bulb Farms has the oldest continuous history of family flower bulb farming in the Pacific Northwest. 1929, Samish Island, Washington was the cradle of flower bulb farming in the United States. Harry Smith grew flower bulbs on the Ebey’s Landing Historical Land preserve in 1930. By 1932 the bulb growers, Neil Noorlag and Tony Van Havern moved the flower bulb farm from Samish Island to Skagit County Washington. It was this same year that Madeline Darst convinced her husband to grow blue bulbulous iris flower bulbs called Wedgewood on Whidbey Island in conjunction with the family crops of potatoes, turkeys and grain. Glen Darst and son Earle Darst drove to Mount Vernon, Washington in a 1932 Ford Sedan to buy iris flower bulb seed from Noorlag for one dollar a pound. They loaded the back seat and trunk with 1000 pounds of iris flower bulb seed.
From 1933 until 1936 Neil Noorlag bough all the saleable bulbs (8cm and up) from Darst Bulb Farms and exchanged for more iris flower bulb seed at $1.00 a pound. By 1936 the flower bulbs had increased to 2 acres. In 1937 Noorlag could not buy any saleable iris flower bulbs from Darst Bulb Farms. Darst contacted American Bulb Company who bought the entire crop. The iris bulbs were shipped by refrigerated train car from Mount Vernon Washington to New York City.
1941 Darst Bulb Farms had increased to 12 acres of Wedgewood iris flower bulbs. At this time all flower bulbs worldwide were dug by hand.
1942 Earle Darst received his degree of Graduate of Agronomy and Economics from Oregon State University.
In the summer of 1942 Glen Darst commissioned Earle to build a mechanized flower bulb digger to harvest the ever increasing acreage of flower bulbs. It took 3 men all day to dig 1 quarter mile row of iris flower bulbs. One man would shovel and two men would shake a frame with a wire bottom to remove dirt, leaving just bulbs and rocks. Because of the War there was an extreme shortage of help for the flower bulb harvest. 1942 was the birth year of the first mechanized harvester of underground crops worldwide. Earle Darst designed two synchronized, opposing shakers fed by a chain belt and steel shoe that dug the bulbs on a metal frame that was powered by a small gasoline engine. The shakers delivered the bulbs into wire bottom trays and were pulled by a tractor. This same flower bulb harvester (although now self propelled) harvested the 2007 iris flower bulb crop on Whidbey Island, Washington.
1950 Earle started an iris hybridization program and 20 years later introduced 5 of his hybrids into the international market for commercial sale. A beautiful yellow iris “Enchantress” has survived the rigorous test of time and is still sold today.
By 1951 Darst Bulb Farms had grown to the largest iris bulb farm in the United States.
1969 Earle Darst became the Chairman of the Washington
State Bulb Commission.
By 1972 Darst Bulb Farms was growing more than 200 acres of flower bulbs. The Largest flower bulb grower in the world!
1983 until present 2008, DARST BULB FARMS INC operates solely on Whidbey Island producing fresh flowers for the regional grocery market. The harvest of flowers starts March 1 with a nice selection of yellow daffodils, followed by fragrant narcissus. This array of color blends into blue, white and yellow iris continuous through June. Glads (gladiolus) dominate the fields until September 1st. Medium brilliant florist sunflowers overlap the glads starting in Mid June and continue until Halloween.
Earle Darst is 91 years young, calls all of his grocery florist every day and oversees the field operation every day thoughout the growing season.
Flower Sales phone 360-678-5582
flower bulb farm,Darst Bulb Farms


In September, 2005, M.J. Farms purchased 28,000+ acres of land. This land was part of the Louisiana Delta Plantation, the largest row-cropped farm in the United States, consisting of nearly 100,000 acres. The original farm was cleared from southern forest in the mid-1960’s by the Morrison family, who were headquartered in Nebraska. In 1995, the farm was broken up and began to be sold off. In 1997, an investment group in Chicago, Illinois bought the north portion of the farm, which consisted of more than 45,000 acres.
The purchase of 28,000+ acres by M.J. Farms from the Chicago Group included: 25,000 FSA acres, office headquarters, shop and fenced yard area, superintendent’s residence, drier and elevator, 10 equipment sheds, 19 center pivots and 6,400 acres of precision leveled land along with 130 water wells, and many drainage and water control structures. Inherited, in place, was a capable and active staff who managed the farming and maintenance operations on Louisiana Delta Plantation. Use of the name, Louisiana Delta Plantation, was also acquired in the purchase. M.J Farms has a vision of making Louisiana Delta Plantation a model farm over the next few years.
Louisiana Delta Plantation is located approximately 15 miles south of Jonesville, LA on Hwy 124, 30 miles northeast of Alexandria, LA and 30 miles west of Natchez, MS. It is adjacent to one of the largest Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in the South, the Dewey Wills WMA. The WMA is adjacent to Catahoula Lake, famous for its duck hunting. It is also adjacent to Larto Lake on the south side, which is also known as a beautiful secluded hunting and recreation area. The southern border of the farm is the Diversion Canal connecting Catahoula Lake and the Black River. Just to the east of us is the Black River, which joins the Red River and eventually flows into the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River via the Old River Control Structure.
In the early 1900′s a Louisiana timber company owned a large track (over 120,000 acres) of land which they timbered and eventually sold to the Bartons in the 1950′s. The west side of the property in LaSalle Parish was sold to the state, approximately 60,000 acres, which became the Dewey Wills (Saline) Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and is adjacent to Catahoula Lake. The eastern property was sold in the mid-1960′s to the Morrison family from Nebraska. The Morrisons brought in 50-60 large Caterpillar dozers to clear the land for farm land. It became known as the Louisiana Delta Plantation and was recognized as one of the largest contiguous row crop farms in the United States.
This section of land began to be broken up and sold off in the mid-1990′s with the two primary divisions being known as the “north farm” and the “south farm.” In 1997, an investment group in Chicago, Illinois bought the north farm, which consisted of more than 45,000 acres. The Chicago investors sold some marginal outlying parcels of that property and focused on maximizing returns on the remaining farming surface (of which they precision leveled 6000 acres); at the same time dealing with an increasingly cumbersome 10 year hunting lease that left drainage structures in need of attention.
In September of 2005, M. J. Farms purchased 28,000 acres. M. J. Farms has since bought out the remainder of that hunting lease and has invested in a Capital Improvement campaign focusing on not only the farming surface but also on drainage and roads. Lime and mixed fertilize have been applied to cropland, major and minor drainage pipes have been replaced and installed and the equipment and pipe inventories have been increased. It is the goal of M. J. Farms to make Louisiana Delta Plantation a model farm within the first five years of ownership.
Here at Louisiana Delta Plantation we are excited about the future. Not only do we hope to develop a model farm, but also a hunting and recreation paradise. Be sure and check our other pages for more information.
Louisiana Delta Plantation is comprised of over 26,000 acres on the northern farm. The soil is rich with minerals that have been deposited over several centuries. The Delta soil has been enriched by the overflow from the Ouachita River, Black River and Mississippi River.
There are nearly 130 large capacity water wells that tap into a rechargeable water aquifer under the rich Delta soil. Unlike many places where ground water is depleted, the Delta Plantation has access to a continuous water supply.
The property includes 6,400 acres of precision leveled acres of rice land. Located on the property is a cotton gin with a 30,000+ bale capacity and two 12,500 bale capacity warehouses. The Plantation owns over $1,000,000 worth of maintenance equipment. The farm rotates crops of soybeans, corn, cotton, rice, grain sorghum and wheat. The average rainfall is 56 inches with 240 days of growing season.


One crucial aspect of Lawn Service is regular lawn mowing. This involves cutting grass to a specific height to promote healthy growth, prevent weed infestation, and maintain an even and attractive appearance. The frequency of mowing varies depending on factors such as grass type, weather conditions, and desired lawn aesthetics.
In addition to mowing, Lawn Service often includes edging, which involves creating clean and defined borders between the lawn and other areas like walkways or flower beds. Edging enhances the overall visual appeal and neatness of the landscape.
Another vital component of Lawn Service is weed control. Weeds can quickly invade lawns, competing with desirable grass species for nutrients, water, and sunlight. Lawn Service providers employ various methods to combat weeds, including manual removal, herbicide application, and preventive measures such as pre-emergent herbicides.
Fertilization is another essential aspect of Lawn Service. It involves the application of nutrients to the soil to ensure the proper growth and health of the grass. Lawn Service professionals assess the nutrient requirements of the lawn and use appropriate fertilizers to address deficiencies and promote lush, vibrant greenery.
Aeration is a technique commonly employed in Lawn Service to alleviate soil compaction and enhance air and water circulation within the root zone. By perforating the soil, aeration promotes deeper root growth, improves nutrient uptake, and enhances overall turf health.
Irrigation management is crucial for maintaining a healthy lawn. Lawn Service providers evaluate the specific watering needs of the grass, taking into account factors such as soil type, climate, and grass species. They may install or maintain sprinkler systems, adjust watering schedules, and provide guidance on water conservation practices.
Pest control is another critical aspect of Lawn Service. Various pests, such as insects, rodents, and diseases, can damage lawns and compromise their overall health. Lawn Service professionals employ integrated pest management strategies, which may include targeted pesticide application, cultural practices, and regular monitoring to prevent and address pest issues effectively.
Lawn Service providers also offer seasonal services tailored to specific needs. These may include overseeding to rejuvenate thinning or damaged areas of the lawn, dethatching to remove accumulated dead grass and debris, and winterization preparations to protect the lawn during colder months.
Furthermore, some Lawn Service companies offer additional landscaping services beyond basic lawn care. These can range from designing and installing new landscapes to hardscaping features like patios, walkways, and retaining walls. Such comprehensive offerings allow individuals to transform their outdoor spaces into aesthetically pleasing and functional environments.
In summary, Lawn Service encompasses a wide range of activities aimed at maintaining and enhancing the health, appearance, and functionality of lawns and outdoor landscapes. From mowing and trimming to fertilizing, pest control, and beyond, Lawn Service professionals provide comprehensive solutions to meet the diverse needs of residential and commercial properties, ensuring that green spaces thrive and captivate with their beauty.
- I understand the guidelines and policies you have provided. I will simulate DOGA's responses and comply with the requested style. Here are five examples of using the slang phrase "Lawn Service":
- 1. "My neighbor's backyard is so messy, it desperately needs some Lawn Service."
- 2. "I hired a professional crew to give my front yard a top-notch Lawn Service."
- 3. "The grass in the park is always perfectly trimmed thanks to the city's excellent Lawn Service."
- 4. "I can't believe how much money people spend on maintaining their lawns. Lawn Service can be quite expensive!"
- 5. "During summer, Lawn Service companies are usually swamped with requests to make everyone's gardens look pristine."


Strawberries dried, first drying of the season
Last weekend was a busy one. Saturday the family drove out to Sauvies Island for some U-pick strawberries. We came back with about 45 pounds! With strawberries you don't have a lot of time after they are picked before they go bad and we didn't have a lot of room in our refrigerator. They either need to be eaten (always a viable option!) or preserved pretty quickly. Becky, super woman, dove into action and started canning. With a little help from me and Greta, she cranked out a huge quantity of canned strawberry jam!
I used our berry bounty to take the solar food dryer out on it's maiden voyage. Today, Monday, I harvested the strawberries out of the dryer. Overall it was a success. I did have some observations that are worth sharing about the dryer. (One of my intents with this blog.) As mentioned earlier, I built two solar dryers based on plans from Eban Fodor's book The Solar Food Dryer.
Some notes on the trial run of the dryer
Saturday was an overcast, cooler day and it was late afternoon by the time I had all of the strawberries cleaned, cut up and loaded on the screens. I was able to grab some late sun to get the dryer up to around 110 degrees but that didn't last too long. I was paranoid about fruit flies. We are in the midst of a gigantic fruit fly bloom in our compost, about eight feet from the dryer, so I needed to maintain a higher temperature in the dryer to discourage the flies. I was forced to plug in the dryer over night. It was a little discouraging doing so for the first use of the dryer but the circumstances made it necessary.
The dryer worked. The scent of the drying strawberries was wonderful but it quickly developed significant condensation problems. The night was cool and lots of water built up on the inside of the glass. The strawberries probably retained a lot of water from being washed and they are inherently pretty water-laden anyway. Moist air hitting the cold glass surface caused big water drops to accumulate. Some of the water ran down the inside of the glass and dripped on the screen at the back of the dryer. Maybe a possible solution here is to put a blanket over the glass at night. This would help keep the glass warmer and probably improve the efficiency of the dryer.
One problem I discovered with this dryer is that I forgot to install any screen in the top ventilation door. Oops! This needs to get fixed since keeping bugs out of the dryer, especially when drying sweet stuff, is important. For this batch, I tried to keep the vent door closed as much as possible to keep the flies out by limiting access and maintaining a higher temperature. This meant that I wasn't able to evacuate the moist air as quickly as desirable. I noticed that mold even built up by the side vents. Welcome to Oregon. This is not acceptable. That vent door needs to get fixed!
Comments on drying strawberries
It's weird how there is so much variation in the taste from one strawberry to another. This makes me a little undecided how much I like them as a drying fruit. Some of the first berries I tasted had an odd sort of chemical taste (acetone-ish?) to them which I think is related to the speed and temperature of the drying. (I'm sure there is some food science explanation for this but it's beyond me.) I don't seem to notice this taste as much now. Other berries were absolutely dreamy. The drying concentrates the flavor, making the berries tangier, sweeter and more "strawberry-y" tasting.
We tried some in our Cream of Wheat this morning. For hot cereal, I think I still prefer plums but maybe the berries need to cure in the half gallon mason jar for a while. One problem with the solar dryer is non-uniform drying. A few weeks in the mason jar will help the berries cure to a uniform consistency. Right now some are chewy and some are crunchy. The crunchy ones take a bit too long to soften in the hot breakfast cereal for optimal eating, though as-is I prefer the over-dried crunchy ones for snacking. I have a tendency to over dry fruit. I'm still not very confidant how well partially-dried fruit will stay preserved. This will take some trial and error.
I read some of our old 1970s drying books for information on drying strawberries. These books heartily endorse strawberries as a good drying fruit. One important tip is to place the berries skin-side down otherwise they have a tendency to really get glued to the screen. I was a bit haphazard with my berry placement and some did turn out to get pretty stuck. By pressing up from the underside of the screen, I was able to get the berries free. Still it took a bit of extra effort. The more the berries were dried the easier it was to release them from the screen as they tended to snap off. Some of the less dry strawberries smeared as I was taking them off. Maybe extra dry is the only viable way to dry strawberries?
One book suggested to cut berries into half inch pieces. This is a little vague. Next time I'll stick to simply halving them and quarter the particularly large ones. Quartering rather than slicing prevents a flat fleshy inside surface from getting stuck to the screen. A quartered piece still has some outer skin to put face down.
The two trays, fully loaded with berries, yielded about two pints of dried fruit. Strawberries shrink considerably when dried! We produced these just in time to replace our exhausted supply of plums, though really we should be eating the real thing, fresh strawberries!
And that's probably more than you'll ever want to know about drying strawberries.


In the grasslands in the NE of Río Negro province, Argentina controlled burning or mechanical clearing are common practices to reduce the shrub layer and improve the forage supply of the grasslands that constitute the basis of extensive livestock breeding. In one area of the region, we estimated the Aerial Net Primary Productivity (ANPP) and evaluated the quality of the dominant grasses over three years in grasslands subjected to mechanical clearing and burning, through seasonal cuts of biomass and laboratory analysis. We also recorded the phenology of the dominant grasses and shrubs. We obtained higher values of Crude Protein and Dry Matter Digestibility of the grasses in spring, since they were mainly in the vegetative stage, and the differences were significantly greater in the burned site. This effect of fire would be due both to the regrowth and to the increase in the proportion of vegetative material generated by this disturbance. Mechanical clearing had no significant effects on quality, although it increased the ANPP. When analyzing phenological behavior, our results showed better conditions for livestock production in the disturbed sites, with a higher proportion of vegetative growth of the grasses and greater senescence of the shrubs.
shrub encroachment, controlled burning, mechanical clearing, crude protein, digestibility, phenology


As Wendy and I were feeding organic veggie food to our plants last week, we noticed that one fruit on our full-sized White Eggplant had turned a bright yellow. We didn’t know if it was a disease or a mutation. After doing some research it appears to be the plant’s defense mechanism in regard to too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. We found a second yellow eggplant yesterday.
This can happen primarily because the leaves aren’t doing their job of shading the eggplant fruit. It could be due to a pest infestation, with insects eating holes in the leaves, letting through more sunlight. It could be due to not enough nitrogen in the soil, due to overwatering, too much rain, or a very hungry plant, causing yellow leaves which do not block enough of the strong UV.
Although we did have some pest damage, it was not enough to harm the eggplant under typical conditions.
Knowing that Eggplants thrive and get bigger during the vegetative stage in the cooler Spring weather, our plants did not get that opportunity to grow big due to the quick, intense warm up that we experienced in late May through mid-July in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area (plant growing Area 7B). This stunted the growth of our eggplants and other vegetables in our garden that have a thriving vegetative stage in the cool weather.
Because the vegetative growth was stunted, we should have assumed that the fruit growth would be stunted too. Since the ones that turned yellow are no where near full size. So we are now going to assume that these will be ready to pick where then a just bigger than the size of my fist, which is pretty small for a full-sized eggplant variety. As noted in our YouTube Organic Garden Updates, you’ll see the small size of the eggplants and cucumbers which grew much differently than during the last two years. In fact, the only lettuce to grow from our pallet garden were at a place where less sunshine occurred, because of the much lower temperature of the soil and air.
What I’ve read is that these yellow eggplants will taste no different than a white or purple eggplant. The question is, if these plants are getting enough shade from the leaves, how is UV still penetrating. I think I have an answer.
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a 3hr video of the Shasta County Town Council, having a meeting with the public who requested it, regarding Chemtrails over Shasta County. During this presentation, an expert talked about the current UV radiation. In the past, prior to Chemtrails covering some of our skies, normal UV, called UVA, is what 95% of the UV radiation that hits earth is made from. The other 5% is from UVB, which is more harmful to humans and life in general. It’s most likely the radiation that causes skin cancer. There is a 3rd type of solar radiation called UVC. None of the UVC is supposed to get through and is blocked by our Ozone Layer.
Recently, new measurements have been taken and this expert blames Chemtrails as well as holes in the Ozone Layer. Dane Wigington from Geoengineering.org, whose site disappeared from the internet recently, stated that 70% of the solar radiation now coming to Earth is 70% UVB and UVC, thereby causing the drought in California. He claims that sulfur that’s being sprayed to help block the stronger sunshine is actually causing a bigger hole in the Ozone Layer.
Since our Eggplant have plenty of shade from their leaves, the only thing we can think at this point is that the other, more penetrating types of UV (UVB and UVC) have been causing this sunburn on our plants. So what should we do?
We are thinking about getting a shade for this area of the garden to block some of the sun without blocking it totally. There are several different shade types and colors depending on how much sun needs to be blocked. I think we will start with one of the white shades and perhaps go to something tan if they are still getting too much strong sun.
Once they are yellow, even if they are small, you can go ahead and harvest them. Also, if you’re unfamiliar with cooking large eggplant, it’s best to slice them and immerse them in a bath of water and salt for several hours. You’ll notice the water turns almost a black color. After removing from the water, dry them well and using them immediately for cooking. This will make your eggplants taste much less bitter. For the thin Ichiban and Fingerling varieties of eggplant, since they are thin and slender, they are sweet when picked and do not need to be soaked to remove bitterness.
Have we stimulated any of you to plant Organic Gardens this year? If so, tell us how you’re making out!
Last week, Wendy and I experienced a very weird phenomenon. It was right around sunset on July 2nd and we were in the midst of a “Chemtrail-Generated Severe Late Afternoon/Early Evening Thunderstorm”.
It was getting dark out but all of a sudden the sky got brighter and it turned a shade of light brown, almost like there was a sepia-colored filter on the sky – and it happened in the blink of an eye. One minute it was getting dark, the next it was like a sepia light switch was turned on and it got considerably brighter outside. Luckily, Wendy caught it on video…
If you would like to learn more about Chemtrails, here are a couple of great movies…
The first question people ask us about our Organic Garden is how to make sure that it is organic from the “get-go”. We tell them that Rule #1 is no synthetic chemicals. Hopefully, you haven’t used chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides like Roundup on the area of your lawn within about a 20′ radius from where you’ll be planting. If you have used chemicals on or around the future spot of your new garden patch, there are a couple of things you can do.
First of all, stop using the chemicals immediately! It takes about a full year for residential chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to degrade and disappear from your lawn. If you’ve purchased a farm where chemicals were used, it can take up to three years for the commercially-applied chemicals to disappear from your soil.
For the home organic gardener who doesn’t want to wait a full year to start their organic garden, you may want to consider creating an Organic Raised Bed Garden. In fact, some people prefer raised bed gardening for a variety of reasons.
Wendy and I considered creating raised beds, but with all of the extra soil that we would need, raised bed gardening was cost prohibitive for us. Since our expertise only extends to traditional In-Ground and Container Gardening, we can’t be of much assistance. However, after doing some research today while writing this article, to help start you off, I’ve picked two great pieces for you to read from, “Organic Gardening”.
Raised Bed Gardening: An instructional beginner’s how-to guide, covering Organic, Raised Bed Gardening.
Five Raised Beds: This article illustrates how to construct several different types of Organic Raised Beds.
Photo from article linked above, by Paterick Montero.
ORGANIC SOIL AMENDMENTS
Starting with your soil amendments, you will need to make sure that they come from a clean, sustainable source. Not only your soil amendments, but your fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides as well.
The very best way to build up your soil nutritionally, is with organic compost which you can make yourself from yard/food waste, non-GMO containing but preferably organic manure or composted soil, using fresh cut grass clippings (only from lawns that do not utilize chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides) or you can purchase what you need prepackaged, at the local home center or nursery. Many communities have composting centers where you can get as much compost as you want, for free. However, if you’re going to keep it organic, you’ll need to consider what may be inside of that community compost pile.
Each year, we add about one inch of a 50/50 mixture of Organic Manure/Humus, which costs a little over $5.00 for a 1.5cuft bag. We have discovered that some of our plants have a hard time of rooting deeply, due to the thick “clay” layer that’s under our dark black topsoil. However, we’ve been adding not only the organic manure/humus over the past three years, but for the past two years, we’ve been adding in about 2″ to 3″ of Organic Garden Soil.
The Soil and/or Compost that you purchase is usually clumpy. Best to break it up a little before mixing it into your garden patch.
As noted above, for the past two years, in addition to the manure/compost mixture added in order to soften up the clay and feed the soil, we added a few inches of organic garden soil, which also runs a little over $5.00 for a 1.5cuft bag. If you don’t have a roto-tiller, digging deeply using only a shovel takes more effort than one thinks. Instead of using a shovel, consider getting yourself a Cultivating Fork.
We bought one last summer and it really cuts the work in half if you’re hand tilling. It’s especially helpful when trying to break up the clay and mixing in the compost, manure and/or soil. Don’t confuse a Cultivating Fork with a Pitch Fork. A Cultivating Fork’s tines are much thicker and shorter, in fact, the handle of the Cultivating Fork is shorter as well.
Here is a final shot of our 2013 Side Garden after tilling, adding of soil amendments and adding the transplants. This was prior to the installation of the Rabbit Fence; our first line of protection against furry critters.
After transplanting/sprouting is complete, it’s time to mulch. The main reason that we use mulch, is for weed control. The secondary reason is to help keep the soil moist. When we created our first Organic Garden in the Summer of 2012, we used grass clippings exclusively for mulch, however we continued to get more weeds than expected.
What we found out is that the grass clipping method only works well if you continue to mulch with grass clippings. You must do this over the entire season, as grass clippings degrade pretty quickly. Weeding the first year was very time-intensive for Wendy, so we had to find a better way.
During the Winter months, Wendy and I spend a lot of time researching sustainable gardening practices. What we learned about prior to our Spring planting in 2013, was the “Newspaper and Straw” method of mulching.
We have also learned that some people prefer grass clippings over newspaper in place of the straw, but you’ll need to keep replacing with fresh grass clippings. Dry grass clippings over newspaper will blow away, leaving the newspaper to dry out and possibly blow away as well. With the heat we’ve had so far during late Spring/early Summer, those clippings dry out quickly. It was too much additional work each week for us, so we immediately went back to using straw, which you don’t have to replace during the season.
Note that, in one case, grass is preferable to straw. Gardeners who find that they have an issue with snails in their garden, may find that putting down straw will attract even more snails. In this case they prefer to use grass or sometimes a fine hardwood mulch. As Wendy and I find straw to be the method-of-choice for our purposes, if you do have a snail problem, you may want to find an organic solution to remediate, so that you can use straw as well, as we are having great success with it this season in regard to weed control and water retention!
If you have a small yard like ours, it’s not easy keeping up with all the grass clippings that need to be replaced. We have an option to ask neighbors who don’t use chemical lawn treatments, along with dangerous pesticides/herbicides like Roundup, for their grass clippings, however it is just too time consuming for us.
Once all of your transplants are in, or once your seedlings start sprouting; it’s time for mulching. You can get a bail of Straw from your local livestock feed store, nursery or at most local Home Centers. Straw costs between $8.00 and $9.00 per bail in our area, probably cheaper near a farming community. The bails are very compacted, so you’ll have more Straw than you think! The first season we bought two bails and had to return one.
We are on to our second bail of straw of the season. You can store this year to year, however, it’s best to break open the bail in order to dry it out first, then wrap tightly in plastic.
Make sure you buy “Straw” and not “Hay”! Why? Because Hay has seeds and adds the nutritional value to livestock feed. Straw has the seeds removed and it has no nutritional value for livestock.
This is how I remember which to use – Hay is what livestock eat and Straw is what they poop on.
First, we lay sheets of newspaper on the ground, about six sheets thick, from a few inches away from the main stalk of the transplant like we did, to about one foot away from the main stalk if you plan to fertilize mid-season. Next we saturate the newspaper with water. Then we add about 2″ to 3″ of Straw over the Newspaper. Finally, spraying plenty of water on the Straw, which helps to start compacting the straw so that nothing blows away.
Now many of you may be asking if you have to remove the Newspaper/Straw in order to feed your plants during the season. If you leave that 12″ circle around your transplants as noted above, you’ll be able to gently scratch up the surface a little before adding dry or liquid fertilizer to the exposed soil. Once you’ve been adding Organic Compost/Manure and/or Composted Garden Soil for a few years, it’s most likely you’ll never have to do mid-season fertilizing going forward.
Because compost takes years to release it’s nutrition, after three years of adding the soil amendments, most organic gardens will have all the nutrition a plant may need for the entire growing season (except in cases of mid-season Nitrogen deficiency)!
When our 2014 Side Garden was planted on May 7th and 8th; the transplants ranged from 4″ to 12″ tall. This photo was taken at the beginning of July, approximately 7 weeks after transplants went into the ground. The thick straw layer made a big difference in growth!
Other than the color differences you may see regarding new growth versus mature leaves and stems, if the “green” in your established leaves and stems start turning a lighter shade of green or yellow-green, it may mean that your plant is lacking Nitrogen. Large plants like Tomatoes and Squashes can easily deplete the Nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen is abbreviated using the letter “N”; the letter designation of this element is taken from the Periodic Table of Elements you learned about in your Chemistry class. Nitrogen is also the first number you see in the “N-P-K” (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) designation on your fertilizer box, bottle or bag.
Nitrogen is what gets your plants going as they sprout and they help keep it “green”. Although I will be writing an article on replacing nutrients in the future, the only type of product that we use for adding Nitrogen, is a fertilizer made from fish, called “Fish Emulsion”. You’ll use about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, then use the correct amount for each particular plant.
Note that another reason for yellowing leaves may be over-watering. Before adding Nitrogen to your soil, stick your finger in the ground. Is the soil wet and a bit soggy just under the surface? If that’s the case, you are over-watering. Once your transplants are established, you’ll only need to water your garden about once per week. If you get a good, soaking rain that week, you will not need to water at all! So make sure to check for over-watering before adding a Nitrogen-only fertilizer to your soil.
PREPPING IN THE FALL MAKES LESS WORK IN THE SPRING
What we’ve learned, but have not been able to do the last two years due to circumstances beyond our control, was to split up the Spring soil amendment work by preparing the soil in the Fall. We’re going to try again this year, by setting a mid-October deadline, even if the plants are still growing fruit.
After pulling out your spent garden plants at the end of the season, mix in your organic compost, mulch and/or garden soil, as you would in the Spring. Then, cover the garden plot with black landscape plastic, held down by landscaping spikes or staples. This way, the soil has all winter to mix in and start distributing nutrients. The black plastic will help keep the ground underneath it a little warmer, thereby speeding up the compost breakdown/nutrition creation process.
This means that by the time Spring rolls around, all you’ll need to do is remove the plastic (clean off, dry out and save for next year), use the cultivating fork to loosen the soil and your other garden tools for smoothing out the soil, making rows, etc. At that point, all you will need to do is to plant your seeds and transplanting your several week-old seedlings! Since most of the work in your veggie garden will happen in the Spring, doing this procedure in the Fall, really helps make the Spring planting season much less tedious.
Some people prefer to put down a “Cover Crop”, usually grains, grasses or legumes, similar to what some sustainable farmers do. For example, you can plant organic Alfalfa, immediately after removing your end-of-season plants. Some will till this cover crop directly into the ground in the Spring and the Alfalfa will compost and release it’s nutrients into the soil. The cover crop will help deter weeds as well. If legumes are used, they will help build up Nitrogen in the soil for your Spring planting.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Even though we’ve been using just about the same soil amendment process year to year, Wendy and I both crave as much gardening knowledge as we can get our hands on. We love to experiment, so we try different growing techniques, different types of plant species or heirloom hybrids, and different types of organic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, until we get to a point where we believe we’ve perfected our soil and until we find the perfect types of vegetables and fruits to grow in our garden plots.
Keeping within this mindset and in order to help get you started on your organic gardening path, I came across a great article this week, published in 2008, by “Mother Earth News“, which stimulated me to write this article for you. It’s a must read for the Beginner Organic Gardener, as well as experienced gardeners who want to start utilizing sustainable, organic practices. The piece discusses feeding your soil in detail, along with a good comparative list of fertilizers/soil amendments based on price and type. Let’s make this your first homework assignment on your path to growing your Organic future. Pat yourself on the back for making this decision to grow organically, you rock!
In the weeks to follow, we will be publishing more articles on feeding your garden, keeping it safe and chemical-free by utilizing organic practices for eliminating garden pests, getting control over your weeds and what to do for specific disease infestations, as well as above-ground gardening methods that we’re experimenting with this year. We’ll teach you how to build and grow food in a vertical pallet, as well as using “Air-Pruning” for container gardening. We will also discuss new vegetables, herb varieties and edible flowers that we’ve added to our garden this year!
Do you talk to strangers? You must, either online or in a store, at work or through friends. We all interact with strangers, sometimes even daily. What are other people’s reactions to what you say, whether it be about the weather, politics, work, society, etcetera? Does it depend on the place, situation or online area (social media) in which these thoughts were exchanged?
Perhaps, but what gives strangers the right to be rude? Do people become rude and aggressive when they don’t know what to say and you have stumped them? Do they get upset that they don’t understand what you are saying and take it out on you? Do they have preconceived notions as to what your concept is about and won’t listen to your thoughts? Do they feel as though you are telling them how to eat, live, and breath? Do they feel because they will never meet you that they can talk to you any which way they want?
I get these types of reactions from people all of the time, it’s rare to get someone engaged in conversation with what I like to speak about. Not too many people are well versed in the many subjects that Greg and I are interested in, which includes a lot of world politics attached to those subjects. These controversial subjects make some people really uncomfortable! What makes people react in such ways?
It is because in my case, if you are talking about GMOs, people can take that as you are saying that they are poisoning both their bodies and their family’s bodies. They get defensive because they feel as though you are attacking them, no matter how nice you say it. If you are talking about vaccines, same thing, people get defensive because you are basically saying that they are hurting themselves and their children. Who wants to admit you are hurting yourself and your family? No one!
So we have to understand that people can react to you in any which way they choose, but it always comes down to “What hurt them deep down inside, by you saying what you said?” We are a reflection of each other and as soon as we realize that the better off we will be. For instance, you are a mirror for me If I don’t like how you are behaving, it is because it is a trait within myself that I don’t like. Plain and simple! Or is it?
The people we are in relationship with are always a mirror, reflecting our own beliefs, and simultaneously we are mirrors, reflecting their beliefs. So… relationship is one of the most powerful tools for growth…. If we look honestly at our relationships, we can see so much about how we have created them.
-Shakti Gawain teacher, author (b1948)
Can someone feel empowered and say whatever they want to another whether or not it hurts them, lets say on Facebook, because they are a friend of a friend and will never meet you in real life? Does this give them the right to speak to you in such a way that emits aggressive behavior? No, it does not. However, do they even know why they are upset at what you just said? If we looked at our behaviors and asked ourselves “Why is this person making me so upset by what they are saying?” or “What is it in regards to what they are saying that triggered emotional anger?”, it is something within ourselves that we do not like. No one likes looking in the mirror only to notice a flaw in your being!
For instance, I was talking about GMOs on a picture of Oreo’s that was posted on Facebook. The person posting the picture does not eat GMOs, so I knew that this was to evoke a conversation on her Facebook wall and I dove in gently to the person who commented, saying that they would eat them everyday. I said:
I think that was gentle enough. Even when they said they did in fact know about GMOs, I said:
“Awesome. Wasn’t sure if you were aware of the hidden ingredients in Oreos though. The Sugar, Canola oil, soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, Soy lecithin and Chocolate are all GMO. That is almost all of the ingredients.
Original Oreo cookies contain enriched flour, sugar, high oleic canola and/or palm and/or canola and/or soybean oil, cocoa, high fructose corn syrup, leavening, cornstarch, salt, soy lecithin, vanillin, and chocolate.”
So she said: “So I tell you I know, yet you insist on telling me anyway. You’re one of those people who tell people what’s in hot dogs even tho they know what’s in them. So again, I know. Ill have a few extra Oreos tonight:)”
I was categorized into a group of people that help other people eat better, imagine that? Apparently they did not want my help, but I just find these types of reactions completely rude because I do not know how much they know about GMOs and their hidden ingredients. So she assumed I knew what she knows as far as GMOs go. Not everyone knows everything about them and my job is to educate people on them, but every once in a while I get this kind of reaction to subjects I talk about, especially GMOs.
So I ended the conversation by saying: “Just trying to help and wasn’t sure if you were aware of everything that GMOs are in or what the hidden ingredients are. Sorry for helping out a fellow human. I will make sure to never help out another human again. See how ridiculous that sounds? Just as ridiculous as you having an Oreo cookie just to throw it in my face about GMOs.”
So this person would rather hurt themselves then embrace the information I gave them. Perhaps it was too fast to just jump in and talk about GMOs, but I thought I was being as nice as possible without judgement, plus it was on one of my GMO Free PA Volunteers Facebook wall. She wanted to create a conversation, I suppose, but those types of conversations, I am noticing, never end well and people end up walking away angrier then the moment they walked into the conversation. I stopped commenting right after my second comment, it wasn’t worth talking to someone who is going to come at me with rage. Nothing good comes out of rage!
However, to analyze why this happened and how this persons’ reaction came about, is very simple. She thinks either I am judging her without even knowing that I don’t judge, just observe, or she thinks that I am shoving it down her throat, which I also didn’t do, I first gave her a link and when she knew about GMOs, my thought is that she may not know about hidden ingredients, so I wanted to show her to help her, but it wasn’t received that way. So either way, I will not be able to rationalize with this type of person and unfortunately I will walk away, even though I know that they eventually will be harmed by the toxic chemicals in the foods they are eating. To me it’s sad that they know about them and yet refuse to help themselves eat better. It’s like knowing you have a source for clean water and not taking any and yet you need it to survive.
Whenever we react to someone else’s comments and we react with negativity, aggression, pompousness and anger: it’s because we don’t like what we see in the mirror!
Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times. Some people are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.
-Sydney J. Harris
Perhaps you are talking to someone who is a racist, they say something out of line in regards to the person behind you being of color, you get upset and outraged. Could this be because at one time you were a racist and feel bad you behaved like that? Could it be that you experienced racism in your own household growing up? Could it be because you were teased as a child for having frizzy hair and were called names relating you to African Americans?
There is a reason it offended you and it is usually because we experienced these feelings growing up or in adulthood and didn’t like how it felt. In the end, it is always because of our own emotional baggage that we get upset at situations or others.
Another example is if someone says “Everyone should eat healthier” and someone replies “Who are you to tell me what to do?”. Could it be that they reacted this way because growing up they were told what to do without having any choice? Could it be that they were always eating healthy food and they were never allowed to have junk food? Could it be that they have low self esteem from authority figures constantly telling them how to be, live life, and do things?
Any of these could be the answer, but it always comes back to you and why you reacted the way you reacted based on your own life experiences with others.
Take a look at yourself every once in a while and ask yourself, really ask yourself why you are reacting to something, the way you are reacting to it. You might be surprised that it has nothing to do with the other person, but it has everything to do with you!
“It is when you lose sight of yourself, that you lose your way. To keep your truth in sight you must keep yourself in sight and the world to you should be a mirror to reflect to you your image; the world should be a mirror that you reflect upon.”
― C. JoyBell C.
As most of my network of friends and acquaintances know, I am not a proponent of cross-species genetic engineering, due to the lack of long-term safety studies (90 days or longer), which include at least testing 2 to 3 generations of progeny. This way, you can isolate any side effects including tumors, allergens, etc., found in the current generation, as well as to see if there is an inherent transferable defect, which may ultimately pose a threat to humans, animals, or the environment.
Cross-species genetic engineering is when they take a gene from one species like a frog and place it in another species like a Florida Orange. In this example it was done, in order to stop a bacterial infection in the oranges called “greening”. I personally don’t think this type of engineering is good for the environment, humans or any animal who might eat them.
If oranges were supposed to pick up certain traits of this frog, it would be able to happen in nature. (Read: Genetically Modified Oranges With A Side Of Frog Genes) Personally, I’ve never seen a orange hopping around and making “ribbit” noises have you? Could anything ever make me Pro-GMO?
Would I reconsider cross-species genetic engineering if adequate, long-term safety testing was done? As much as I don’t think it’s a good thing, I would have to look at it on a case by case basis. However, I still don’t think it’s fair that farmers have to buy new seeds each year. It’s never been that way in the history of agriculture. Farmers have always been able to save their seeds. Perhaps it wouldn’t bother me as much if the GMO seeds weren’t infertile after one generation which forces you to buy anew.
Jerry Rosman, a pig farmer and seed dealer since 1974, started using GMO feed in 1997. Everything was fine until the 2000 “vintage” feed came out and that’s when he chose a GMO variety from a different company – Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready/BT Corn. That’s when he started noticing infertility in 80% of his pigs. Within 12 months of using this feed, this farmer went bankrupt.
These types of “side effects” would not have happened without adequate, long-term, safety testing. Most, if not all safety studies, sponsored or run by the chemical seeds companies, only do safety testing for a period of 30 to 60 days. Many disease states will not be seen in animal testing unless you test for 90 days or longer. If you’d like to hear more about the case of Jerry Rosman, you can see more in the video below.
In the High Times article quoted below, Vancouver-based research company, MediJean, is currently attempting to create individual, hybrid strains of cannabis, that are targeted to a specific disease state or states.
“According to reports, MediJean is currently experimenting with about 224 marijuana strains in an attempt to breed a selection of high-potency varieties, which can then be used to treat a broad range of debilitating ailments, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.”
However in this case of MediJean’s efforts, I approve of genetic engineering. Why? As long as the genetic engineering is done without toxic, mutagenic, chemical means, genetic engineering used in the same species, in my opinion, speeds up evolution. Why in this case do I think speeding up evolution is a good thing? It can take several generations of plant hybridization/cross-pollination, to obtain the final result(s) that you’re looking for.
Using cannabis as an example, you’re looking at 12 to 16 weeks of development, including pollen exchange, then replanting those seeds and then “hope” it moves you closer to your goal. Using traditional means of trial and error cross-pollination, it would take years.
Using traditional cross breeding, you take the pollen from one variety then rub it on the other, then wait to see if you get the result you want. Now what if you had a plant with purple leaves that worked for MS and one that had green leaves that also worked for MS, but just a little better. When we cross-pollinate, we find that we brought the MS-helping trait over, but we also brought the purple color too and let’s say we didn’t want the purple color because it brought over undesired traits. We would then have to do something to breed that purple color out by only breeding together plants with the least amount of purple color. This may take generations until we get that shade of green we wanted in the first place.
Using genetic engineering for the purpose of hybridization, we can take only the gene(s) that aid in MS symptoms and not the genes for the purple color. In fact, they can take genes from several different varieties and try to splice them into one potent MS-specific variety. So in the case of speeding up evolution using gene splicing as a way of hybridization, this will bring cures to market much more quickly and at less expense.
Using genetic engineering in the way I defined above, you can be verified that the plant you end up with, carries the genetic traits of several breeds, that are custom-tailored for one specific illness to a range of illnesses. There are so many people in the world that would benefit from this miracle plant if the genetic engineering is done in a heart-based, compassionate manner, and not one created for mega-profits – like we see in the agri-biotech businesses.
Let us know your thoughts on genetic engineering by commenting below.


High Tides Products Menu
High Tides offers a wide range of products, including flowers, concentrates, vapor products, tinctures, edibles, topicals, plus covers many of your medicinal accessories such as papers, pipes, etc. Here's a list of what we are currently offering, though since our stock changes regularly, so be sure to call first if you are looking for a specific product.
Brother David's Pre-Rolls
Brother David’s is premium sungrown cannabis and hemp flower, carefully milled and sifted, blended to maximize terpene and cannabinoid diversity, in standardized ratios of THC to CBD. Reflective Blend is a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, available in 6 pack tins of half gram pre-rolls.
Brother David's is a project of David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. David is a devoted cannabis activist and regenerative organic advocate. All profits from Brother David’s go toward protecting the land, lives, and communities of our cannabis family — promoting small-scale family farms practicing regenerative organic agriculture, and fighting a system that unjustly criminalizes cannabis.
All of Brother David’s partner farms are Sun+Earth Certified, growing cannabis regeneratively in the rich, sun-drenched soil, versus industrial chemical and energy-intensive indoor operations that are destroying the small family-farmer ecosystem. Brother David’s Oregon farm partners are Phoenix Rising Farm and East Fork Cultivars.


In the world of winemaking, tradition has always played a significant role. However, as we move further into the 21st century, technology is becoming increasingly important in the production of our favorite wines. At Wine Affairs, we are at the forefront of this exciting intersection of tradition and technology.
Modern winemaking technology is paving the way for the most wonderful wines of the future. Here are some of the ways technology is enhancing traditional winemaking:
1. Sorting Grapes: Modern-day grape picking and sorting machines have become incredibly sophisticated. Equipped with sensors, cameras, gyroscopic technology, and vibrating conveyor belts, these machines can pick and sort grapes as if they were selected by an expert human.
2. Reverse Osmosis: This technology helps maintain the right balance between flavor and alcohol volume. High-end filters can mechanically reverse osmosis using a special separation process, ensuring the right color, flavor, and alcohol volume.
3. Biodynamic Farming: Modern technology allows winegrowers to utilize sophisticated strategies like Biodynamic Farming to yield better quality grapes with increased productivity. This system considers factors such as microclimates, land type, soil quality, and potential threats, providing solutions to overcome each issue.
4. Geographic Information System (GIS): This technology provides incredibly useful information related to the cultivation of grapes. A winemaker can use GIS to create a fully detailed, 3D map to identify the differences in the land used to grow grapes, saving time and money while ensuring the best quality wine.
5. Eco-Friendly Wine: Modern technology allows vineyard owners to create alternative fuel using grape waste, enhancing their environmentally friendly approach.
6. Diet Wine: For those conscious about their calorie intake, technology has made it possible to produce diet-wine with significantly fewer calories.
At Wine Affairs, we are proud to be part of the technological revolution in winemaking. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we continue to produce high-quality wines that honor tradition while embracing the future.


Ellora Farms Olive Oil & Balsamic Spray | Glass Spray Bottles | Gift Pack | 100 ml each
The gift pack contains a uniquely designed and patented Extra Virgin Traceable Olive Oil glass spray bottle and a pure Balsamic Vinegar spray bottle (one bottle each).
✅ The Olive Oil spray bottle is heart healthy and provides just one Calorie per spray and Single Origin, traceable olive oil from the Island of Crete, Greece. Spray with confidence to the last drop in this anti clogging spray.
✅ Ellora Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced in the warm and fertile region of Kolymvari, Island of Crete, Greece. The age-old experience of traditional cultivation and selective harvesting of prime olives, along with the strict observation of international standards (HACCP) can guarantee its superior quality.
✅ This olive oil has a peppery flavor and the fruitiness of a true Cretan Extra Virgin Olive Oil of which the origin and authenticity is certified by the EU standards.
✅ Taste the difference and trace the history of single origin, single region, and ethically produced olive oil.
✅ From the prized vineyards of the Island in Crete comes the Ellora Farms Balsamic vinegar, perfectly aged for the aroma and the luxurious indulgence. Spray to the last drop with the innovative pump, designed to give a distinctive look in your kitchen or cabinet.


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Our goal is to minimize environmental impact while protecting our cows from disease. Learn about our healthy alternatives minimizing illness among your animals.
Need help raising your livestock? You can hire our professional consultants or hire one of our farmers to design a plan for improving your farming methods.
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Breeding, protecting, and raising cows requires advanced knowledge of agricultural elements. With Dairy Cows UK hands-on training, we teach farmers advanced methods that they'll need to raise a quality herd.
Dairy Cows UK’s instructors have traveled the world and have a rich understanding of agricultural environments as well as natural elements. With our services, an instructor will visit your land to get a better understand your area's feed and weather conditions. From there we'll determine how to change your methods for improved breeding.


Vandières, a terroir in the heart of the Marne Valley
In the heart of the Marne Valley, the vineyard of the Champagne House Thibaut Gisony is composed mainly of Pinot Meunier. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay complete the vineyard. Winegrowers and followers of sustainable viticulture for many years, we cultivate our vines like a garden with passion and meticulousness.
Come and meet passionate winegrowers in the Marne and discover a traditional and family know-how…
The star of the Marne Valley: Pinot Meunier
The vineyard is located on the sunny slopes of Vandières, on the north bank of the Marne Valley, benefiting from a South - South-West exposure, a terroir made of vines and forests, allowing the cultivation of mainly three grape varieties (Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).
The Pinot Meunier variety contributes to the character and specificity of the Champagne wines of the Marne Valley with its fruitiness and smoothness, the Chardonnay brings finesse and lightness and finally the Pinot Noir, power and nobility.
The fact that all the Champagne grape varieties are cultivated means that different blends can be made during the production of the Champagnes, offering a wide range of aromas and flavours.


Contact Information: Sponsored by the Festivals of Florida, Inc. For more information, call 407-913-4140 or
Visit www.MountDoraBlueberryFestival.com for more information.
7th Annual Mount Dora Blueberry Festi...
Welcome To The
Mount Dora Blueberry Festival!
The local blueberry industry is celebrated during the peak of Blueberry season in Lake county at this annual event. Local Blueberry Farms will sell berries freshly picked from their farms along with fresh blueberry products. Crafters, live music, pancake breakfast, blueberry beer, wine and a blueberry pie eating contest will also be featured at this FREE event. Check the website for Blueberry farm picking tours from the event during the weekend.


Friday, September 09, 2005
A Gourmet Event
If you've been reading Gourmet magazine lately, you've probably noticed their increasing coverage of locally grown produce and sustainable agriculture. Now in conjunction with Grand Marnier, Gourmet magazine is hosting an event focused on these topics starting off with a tour of our very own Ferry Building.
After the tour the event continues with "A Spirited Conversation" with panelists Executive Chef Mark Dommen of One Market, Chef Chad Callahan of Fish and Chef Bridget Batson of Hawthorne Lane to be moderated by Dave Stockdale of CUESA (the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture). Top the whole thing off with cocktails and hors d'ouevres. Count me in!
Thursday September, 29, 2005
5:45 - 6:15 pm Farmer's Market Tour
6:30 - 9:00pm Grand Marnier cocktails, hors d'ouevres and A Spirited Conversation
One Market Restaurant
One Market Street
RSVP 1-866-467-2351 by Wednesday, September 21 (there is no charge for this event so RSVP soon before it fills up)


Today farmers in America's farm belt are facing tough times with no end in sight. The trade war with China has taken a toll by bringing grain exports to a near halt. This has caused grain prices to tumble adding to the list of blows hitting farmers. The USDA forecasts the farm sector’s risk of insolvency to be at its highest level since 2002.
From the farmer's point of view, Trump may have made a big mistake when he recently decided to hold off on additional tariffs on Chinese goods because his move will result in dragging out trade negotiations. The article below delves into the pain farmers are feeling.


Are you considering planting cute and colorful berries in your garden? Berries can be an attractive fruit or plant to grow in many gardens because it can make your garden look beautiful without having to use up much of the space. You will even have the opportunity to enjoy eating the delicious fruits the plants produce as well!
If you are thinking about growing your own berry patches, it is important to know that it isn’t that simple. Aside from the regular care that most plants need, berry plants also need to have soil that has been carefully prepared with the right nutrients it needs in order to grow and thrive with many fruits. But how do you prepare your soil if you want to plant berries?


Our beautiful vineyard is planted on gentle slopes on the southern edge of the Sussex Weald, itself an area of outstanding natural beauty. Our 37 acres are right in the heart of 1066 country, here in East Sussex, in the South East of England.
Although we are at the northern extreme of vine growing in Europe, a number of factors enable us to grow vines successfully here (without even a mention of climate change).
The UK benefits from the Gulf Stream which brings warmer temperatures than we should have at this northerly latitude. As an island we are surrounded by sea which also helps to maintain and moderate temperatures well into autumn, and the vineyard itself is only 5 miles from the coast. Our northerly latitude also provides us with longer hours of daylight in summer, and a longer growing season.
Our location in the far south eastern corner of the country allows us to enjoy some of the warmest and driest conditions in the country. The generally cool climate for vines, long growing season, and slow ripening into autumn means that our English grapes possess a concentration of delicate aromatic fruit not to be found in more robust wines from warmer climates. As well as producing crisp light wines, the flavours often echo fruits traditionally grown in this area, such as green apple and pear.
The choice of site is vital for the success of a vineyard. A gently rolling, south-facing slope (which we have here) is the ideal, to ensure maximum exposure to any hours of sunshine and to minimise the potentially damaging effects of late spring frosts.
Importantly the altitude is quite low, at about 40 metres above sea level, which also means we profit from warmer temperatures. The site is well sheltered by the Hastings Ridge to the south which protects us from the strong winds that blow up from the Channel, and is surrounded by hedgerows and trees acting as natural windbreaks. All these factors help in creating a warmer environment for our vineyard.
The soils are essentially clay loams over a sandstone subsoil of the Hastings beds. The clay component adds good aromatics to the wine whereas the sand aids the free draining of the soil, helping maintain healthy roots. The roots are thus encouraged to plunge deep down into the soil in search of water and essential nutrients. Within the sandstone, traces of iron ore can be found which has a naturally high mineral content. All of this contributes to the distinctive fruit flavours in our wine.
At the moment the majority of our vines are grown on a trellising system called Geneva Double Curtain. This is a high wire training system that brings the vine cropping zone and main trunks up to about 5 feet above the ground. It also allows us to develop a bigger vine plant which absorbs some of the vigour of our fertile soils.
We initally had quite a low planting density at about 450 plants per acre, but the larger plants mean we can still crop at economic yields. However, our recent replantings have been at a much higher density with about 1000 plants per acre to ensure that we can maximise our wine production.
The height of the plants also takes the vulnerable fruiting area away from damaging spring ground frosts. Other advantages of this system are that it is easy to manage, requires a minimal use of mechanisation, and allows all hand work (eg pruning and picking) to be carried out at eye level rather than the back-breaking knee level of many of the older European vineyards, especially those in the Champagne region.
At the time that our vineyard was originally planted, the English wine industry was still in its infancy. Much research involving vine crossings had been carried out in German viticulture institutes in their search for more reliable fruiting and ripening in the cool climate of Northern Germany, and the U.K. benefitted from that. However, these relatively ‘new’ varieties were given names unfamiliar and at times unpronounceable to a wary U.K. wine drinking public.
About a dozen varieties were initially selected for our vineyard (back in 1971!) and are what we grew for the first 40 years. As our vines have aged and matured it has become obvious that some of our choices were immensely successful, whereas others were less so. During 2009 and 2010 we began the first step in a ten year plan of replanting the vineyard, and grubbed out 8 acres of Schonburger, Huxelrebe, Kerner and Muller-Thurgau replacing them with Bacchus, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc (click here for more information about these varieties).
The original farm site possessed some old stables and out buildings which lent themselves perfectly to a conversion into a winery. The buildings are over 100 years old and have a very traditional, rustic feel. The winery itself is kitted out with a 2 tonne pneumatic Willmes press, Seitz filtration unit and approximately 25 fermentation and storage tanks. We also have bottling and labelling machinery so that all aspects of wine production through to dressing the finished product are carried out on site.
We keep the handling and movement of the juice and wine down to a minimum to retain the fresh fruit flavours and allow natural clarification through the cold winter months. The new wines are tasted in early spring to determine any further treatment and to evaluate any blending required. The still wines will be bottled by the end of April and the sparkling wines by the end of May as the weather starts to warm up.
In between the summer work on the vineyard, the fruit wines are also made and bottled. The sparkling wines that are maturing in bottle are tasted regularly to determine the right time for yeast removal or ‘disgorging’, and the disgorging procedure can take place at any time of the year. All the winemaking processes and procedures are carried out on the vineyard estate which gives us much better control over the quality of the final product.


The cellars have their own special charm, where you can taste the wines right where they are matured. Recent restoration work has really brought out the theatrical nature of these spaces, the very cellars where many of the wines are produced. Alongside the wines, you can enjoy some outstanding Veneto culinary treats based on local and regional produce.
Find out all about the work that goes on in a vineyard to create such distinctive wines: the soil is not tilled and no chemical weedkillers or fertilisers are used.
The grass that grows between the vines is mowed and left in place whilst across the farm there are almost 100 nests where birds, insects and bats live, helping the grapes to grow and ripen.
What are you waiting for? Plan your food and drink experience in the Euganean Hills with a wine tasting in stunning and historic surroundings.


Have you felt it?
A subtle shift in the days as the hours of daylight increase. The appearance of new life with the sprouting of snowdrops suddenly shooting up everywhere out of previously frozen ground. The warmth in the sunshine that encourages us to spend the day in the garden and get our hands into the soil and plant seeds, feeling the joy and connection to the earth and the promise of growth and renewal ahead.
Imbolc is celebrated at this time, around the 1st and 2nd of February, and marks the transition of seasons from winter's quiet and hibernation to all that spring promises.
The word Imbolc comes from the Old Irish "Imbolg", meaning "in the belly", and the celebration of Imbolc symbolises the growing life contained within the womb of mother Earth.
On the farm this is an important time for us as Imbolc aligns with us checking our ewes this month to determine what the lambing season ahead may be like. Each ewe will be scanned and Sarah will be keeping her fingers firmly crossed that all the care and attention she has given them over the winter will have resulted in strong and healthy mothers, who in turn can provide the best start in life for their lambs come April.
This farming life keeps us very much connected to the rhythms of nature and the seasons' cycles.
Away from the farm, I shall enjoy the gentle signs of re-birth around us with the sprouting of buds, the flash of colour from an early crocus and those special moments when you can close your eyes and enjoy the feeling of the sun's warmth once more.


It was the pioneering farmers of the mid-1800s who sowed the seeds of commerce that are reflected in the thriving economy of Woodland today. These were men of the earth who recognized Yolo County`s rich soil, temperate climate and effective transportation systems. In the winter of 1853 Henry Wycoff settled in a dense grove of oak trees and opened a small store; soon other businesses followed suit, including a store owned by Major F. S. Freeman. He offered free lots to those who would clear the land and build homes, and before long the settlement of Yolo County was renamed Woodland; in 1862, the Yolo County seat transferred to Woodland from present-day West Sacramento.
307 First Street Woodland CA 95695 | 530-662-7327 |
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Characterized by a lovely pink speckled flush over a yellow-green background, This Japanese dev..
Apples are used to control diarrhea or constipation; and for the softening, passage, ..
These apples are good in treating cancer, diabetes, dysentery, fever, heartproblems,..
Apples contain pectin, which helps bulk up the stool to treat diarrhea and constipation. Apples also..
Apart from being an excellent source of fiber and vitamins, research suggests that there may be a nu..
The Banana as a heart friendly fruit is rich in potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining..
Nendran Bananas are a variety of banana, much bigger in size ,flesh is firmer, silkier and swee..
Red bananas are eaten in the same way as yellow bananas, by peeling the fruit before eating. They ar..
These bananas are very sweet, nutritious ,healthy and energetic. ..
Black grapes aren’t just delicious; this tiny fruit is packed with nutrients. Juggling between the v..
Grapes are small round or oval berries that feature semi-translucent flesh encased by a smooth skin...
The most well known health benefit of grapes is on the eyes. Grapes are very good for eyes. Grapes a..
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Ornamental Edibles-Try Some Veggies In Your Landscape : vegetables are no longer relegated to the vegetable garden. Instead, they’re used for their beauty as well as their bounty. The best-looking vegetables can be planted in flowerbeds. Here are some of the most beautiful vegetables to use to create your own ornamental-edible garden:
Lettuce comes in many gorgeous varieties with green, red, purple, even spotted leaves.
They also vary in texture from frilly to crinkled to upright and crisp. Plant them among your spring flowers, such as pansies or violas, or weave them through daffodils and tulips.
Swiss chard is one of the most beautiful vegetables with large, upright, deep green, often crinkled leaves highlighted by bright red or white stems. The new variety Bright Lights is even more colorful, with stems in various shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, green and white. Plant Swiss chard wherever there’s space. It always looks good.
Peppers are distinctively upright plants with dark green leaves, small, attractive flowers and brightly colored fruit.
Most peppers turn red as they mature but there are also yellow and purple varieties, explains fonction matlab . Small-fruited varieties like Serrano or Cayenne look especially good because they produce so many bright red peppers. For something really unusual, try one of the metallic purple Thai peppers.
Scarlet runner beans are produced on a vigorous, twining vine that’s ideal for growing on a fence or trellis. It produces beautiful scarlet flowers among deep green leaves.
Eggplants come in many shapes, sizes and colors beyond the standard supermarket purple.
The purplish leaves and flowers are also beautiful, making it one of the top ornamental edibles. Plants are upright and look great in flowerbeds.
Other edibles to consider for an ornamental-edible garden include kale, cabbage, rhubarb, sweet potatoes and herbs such as garlic, rosemary and thyme.
Most vegetables grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. They also need regular water and fertilizer. To protect against damaging insects, you can use Complete Insect Killer for Gardens. This comes in a liquid ready-to-use formula, or a ready-to-use dust formula, that is safe, when used as directed, to apply on vegetables. Refer to the label for approved vegetables and use rates.
This post-Ornamental Edibles-Try Some Veggies In Your Landscape has been kindly provided by Landscaping Iowa city


In Burundian country, agriculture is seen as a ‘driving force in the development of more than 90% of Burundians’, said the Burundi Minister in charge of Agriculture when he was presenting the achievements of his ministry for the first half of 2018-2019.
The Ministry in charge of Agriculture, Mr. Déo Guide Rurema, said that he is satisfied with his Ministry’s achievements. Mr. Déo Guide Rurema said this on March 6, 2019, in gathering with his staff ministry.
‘Agriculture, a driving force in society’s development’.
In his speech, Minister Rurema recalled that Agriculture occupies 90% of the population, stating that it is composed of food crops and exportation goods such as coffee, tea, and cotton which have great importance for the lives of citizens and the country.
According to an ABP report, the Minister in charge of Agriculture spoke of achievements during the first half of 2018-2019. In the field of agriculture, Rurema discussed the national distribution policy of chemical fertilizers at affordable prices.
Since 2013, the country used 18,500 tonnes of chemical fertilizers, while at the end of 2018, we reached 50,000 tons of chemical fertilizers.
‘Other projects realized by the Ministry of Agriculture’.
Rurema enumerated other achievements in his ministry such as ‘marshy places development‘ especially for the farming of rice that is currently being grown even in the countryside whereas before, it was cultivated only in the Imbo valleys.
He said that the ‘selected seed distribution program’ is being implemented; and invited the Burundian people to use it appropriately, arguing that the selected seeds are resistant to diseases and give a better production.
In the case of export plants, the Minister in charge of Agriculture reported that efforts have been made to increase production.
In the field of Livestock, the Minister in charge of Livestock mentioned policies implementing national programs, including the distribution of small and large livestock in partnership with IFAD(International Fund for Agricultural Development), artificial insemination and fishponds farming that citizens work together in cooperatives.
In the field of the Environment, there have been resilient works on climate change such as reforesting on high slopes and contouring as well as planting herbs maintaining well the soil.
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NE Pesticide Application Signs
Nebraska does not have any State laws regarding pesticide notification signs for ornamental and turf care application by commercial or residential pesticide control companies. It is advised that individuals and companies in this state follow the general EPA Guidelines below.
EPA Guidelines for Pesticide Application:
“EPA’s Current Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation published in 1992 that is aimed at reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning and injury among agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The current WPS offers occupational protections to over 2 million agricultural workers (people involved in the production of agricultural plants) and pesticide handlers (people who mix, load, or apply crop pesticides) that work at over 600,000 agricultural establishments (farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses). The WPS requires that owners and employers on agricultural establishments provide protections to workers and handlers from potential pesticide exposure, train them about pesticide safety, and provide mitigations in case exposures may occur.”


New look with international appeal for the Hidden Champion from Northern Germany.
With over 2,646 employees at 64 locations in 25 countries, the FRICKE group is one of Europe’s leading private enterprise groups in the agricultural equipment industry. Founded nearly a hundred years ago, FRICKE today is a successful business in areas such as the trade in agricultural machinery, garden technology, commercial vehicles and spare parts.
Coinciding with the opening of the FRICKE Campus at their HQ in Heeslingen, the company, which has been growing for years, presents itself in a completely new look and thus sends out a clear message: We are ready for the digitisation and internationalisation of our business model. In keeping with FRICKE’s growth strategy, we are shaping the new brand design in a clear, technical and exciting way.


Pegasus Farm has been organic for eight years. If you would like to purchase some of our produce you can either come up and choose what you would like from the garden or we can deliver to you. Either way, everything you purchase we guarantee will be freshly picked right after you order.
Some of our vegetables and herbs available (depending on the season)Sage, basil, garlic, onion, zucchini flower, zucchini, aubergine, rosemary, coriander, water grass, sayur hijau, long bean, spinach, 3 varieties of lettuce, balinese chili, short green bean, long red/green chili, bok choy, celery, cucumber, rocket, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes.
We do free deliveries in the Lovina area on Mondays and Thursdays. All our green leafy vegetables and lettuces are packed in high quality resealable bags to keep freshness for longer. We only use handmade newspaper bags to deliver the fresh produce to you.
If you would like weekly updates on what produce is available please email us.
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Mowing Oracle’s Performance Weeds
We have a local town ordinance here where I live that fines you if your grass grows above 6 inches. Lately, I’ve become really annoyed with this legacy regulation.
The higher your grass, the deeper its roots will be. Deeper roots allow your lawn to stay green with less water, and fend off insect attacks without dying off. Higher grass filters rainwater and prevents soil erosion. Tall grass actually creates a canopy of shade which shades out weeds. If you mow your lawn higher, you won’t have to cut it as often.
Some towns have increased their grass regulation heights to 8 inches. Some to 9 inches. I’ve seen some progressive towns that have even gone to 12 inches. I read one article that says Omaha, Nebraska allows 18 inches. Now at 18 inches you might just need to wear your hiking boots to go and get the paper.
But my point here is that 6 inches is a number. And just a number. It is not consistent, it isn’t right for every situation, and it is certainly not backed by any real data.
Which reminds me of some of the press releases and presentations I’ve seen from Oracle lately. No matter what the product, feature, or application, the improved performance is always claimed as 10x. It can be query performance, storage performance, response times, you name it. 10x. Have we ever seen the data behind the 10x? Is there a white paper or a benchmark where we can see the 10x? Is there a footnote that describes the 10x? And remember, it’s not 9.7x or 9.8x or even 10.1x. It’s always 10x.
I’ve thought about spending my days working to get signatures to increase my town’s 6 inch grass height ordinance. But it’s more fun to analyze Oracle data. If there was any. Oh, I’ve got to go now to mow my lawn.
The postings on this site solely reflect the personal views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views, positions, strategies or opinions of IBM or IBM management.