Silage maturity of maize in a foothill area with NIRS method support – part II
Keywords:maize, silage maturity, dry matter content, water soluble carbohydrates, starch
The aim of this work was to identify and quantify the relationships between dry matter content and key energy nutrients (water-soluble carbohydrates and starch) in silage maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) during vegetation development in the foothills of Slovakia. This work summarises the results of 9 experiments carried out at three locations (2016 to 2021: 140 different hybrids; 1,320 measured samples). Dry matter content was determined by a combination of gravimetric determination and measurement of water content in dried samples using the NIRS method (prediction model R2 0.987). We also determined the content of water soluble carbohydrates (prediction model R2 0.994) and starch (prediction model R2 0.978) in dry matter using the NIRS method. Using 3rd and 4th degree polynomial models, we evaluated the contents of these nutrients at a dry matter content level of 300 g.kg-1, which we can consider as a basic starting point for reaching maize silage maturity. Across individual years, and across groups of hybrids grouped according to silage maturity determined by dry matter content, water soluble sugar content reached 140 g.kg-1 of dry matter and starch content reached 280 g.kg-1 of dry matter at a dry matter content of 300 g.kg-1. We found the lowest variation coefficient (7.53%) when evaluating the relationship between dry matter and the sum of water-soluble carbohydrates together with starch. We suggest using this parameter as a second criterion for determining silage maturity, and also for classifying hybrids in silage maturity groups with rounding to a ten-day period.
Albalasmeh, A.A. et al. (2013). A new method for rapid determination of carbohydrate and total carbon concentra-tions using UV spectrophotometry, Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 97, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 253-261, ISSN 0144-8617, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.04.072.
Bastiman, B. and Altman, J.F.B. (1985). Losses at various stages in silage making. Research and Development. Agriculture 2: 19-25.
Chen, M-H., Dien, B.S., Vincent, M.J., Below, F.E., Singh, V. (2014). Effect of harvest maturity on carbohydrates for ethanol production from sugar enhanced temperate × tropical maize hybrid. Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 60, September 2014, Pages 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2014.06.015
Colonna, P., Buléon, A., Leloup, V., Thibault, J.-F., Rebnard, C., Lahaye, M. and Viroben, G. (1995). Constituents des céréales, des grains, des fruits et de leurs sous-produits: In Jarrige, R. et al. (1995) Nutrition des ruminants do-mestiques. Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique. ISBN: 2-7380-629-9.
Crookston, R.K. and Kurle, J.E. (1988) Using the kernel milk line to determine when to harvest corn for silage. Journal of Production Agriculture 1:293-295.
Daynard, T.B. and Hunter, R.B. (1975). Relationships among whole-plant moisture, grain moisture, dry matter yield, and quality of whole plant corn silage. Can. J. Planr Sci. 55: 77-84 (Jan. 1975). Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4141/cjps75-010
Di Marco, O.N. et al. (2002). Effect of maize crop maturity on silage chemical composition and digestibility (in vi-vo, in situ and in vitro). Animal Feed Science and Technology 99 (2002) 37–43.
Ferraretto, L.F. and Shaver, R.D. (2012). Meta-analysis: Effect of corn silage harvest practices on intake, diges-tion, and milk production by dairy cows. The Professional Animal Scientist 28 (2012):141–149. https://doi.org/10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30334-X
Ferraretto, L.F. et al. (2018). Silage review: Recent advances and future technologies for whole-plant and frac-tionated corn silage harvesting. J. Dairy Sci. 101:3937–3951. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-13728
Horst, E. H. et al. (2020). Effects of Hybrid and Grain Maturity Stage on the Ruminal Degradation and the Nutritive Value of Maize Forage for Silage. Agriculture, 10(7), 251. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10070251.
Jarrige, R., Grenet, E., Demarquilly, C. and Besle, J.-M. (1995).Le constituents de l’ appareil vegetative des plant-es fourrageres: In Jarrige, R. et al. (1995) Nutrition des ruminants domestiques. Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique. ISBN: 2-7380-629-9.
Khan, N. A., Yu, P., Ali, M., Cone, J. W., & Hendriks, W. H. (2014). Nutritive value of maize silage in relation to dairy cow performance and milk quality. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 95(2), 238–252. doi:10.1002/jsfa.6703
Kohn, K. et al. (2021). Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials–2021(A3653). Retrieved March 17, 2021 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/HT/2021/2021Text.aspx
Kohn, K. et al. (2020). Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials–2021(A3653). Retrieved March 17, 2021 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/HT/2020/2020Text.aspx
Kohn, K. et al. (2019). Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials–2019(A3653). Retrieved March 17, 2019 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/HT/2019/2019Text.aspx
Kohn, K. et al. (2018). Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials–2018(A3653). Retrieved March 17, 2018 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/HT/2018/2018Text.aspx
Kohn, K. et al. (2017). Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials–2017(A3653). Retrieved March 17, 2017 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/HT/2017/2017Text.aspx
Kohn, K. et al. (2016). Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials–2016(A3653). Retrieved March 17, 2016 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/HT/2016/2016Text.aspx
Lauer, J. (1998). Corn Kernel Milk Stage And Silage Harvest Moisture. Retrieved March 17, 2021 from http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/AA/A018.aspx
Liang. X-G., Gao Z., Zhang L., Shen. S., Zhao X., Liu Y-P., Zhou L-L., Paul M.J., Zhou S-L. (2019). Seasonal and diurnal patterns of nonstructural carbohydrates in source and sink tissues in field maize. BMC Plant Biology (2019) 19:508. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-2068-4
Mitrík, T. et Mitrík, A. (2022). Silage maturity of maize in a foothill area with NIRS method support. Acta fytotechn zootechn, 25, 2022(4): 259–268. https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2022.25.04.259-268
Wiersma et al. (1993). Kernel Milkline Stage and Corn Forage Yield, Quality, and Dry Matter Content. Journal of Production Agriculture 6, January 1993:94-99. https://DOI: 10.2134/jpa1993.0094
Copyright (c) 2023 Tomáš Mitrík, Andrej Mitrík
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


Microbial testing can be a helpful way to identify pathogen risks for fresh produce, but it’s not a guarantee of safety. That’s why this one option in the toolbox is used differently by Americans and Europeans.
Testing in the U.S. varies somewhat from company to company, but it follows similar procedures that were standardized in 2007 with the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement, says Trevor Suslow, food-safety specialist at the University of California, Davis. It involves sampling from a field before or after harvest to assess the risk of a lot.
“It’s submitted to a lab, the lab takes a random sub-sample from that tissue … they subject it to different types of enrichment, and then you use one of the rapid real-time PCR-type of test to ask the question, ‘Do we have detectable levels of pathogens in the sample or not?'” Suslow says. The result can then qualify a field for harvest or perhaps prompt further evaluation. Some companies go further and even uniformly test finished processed goods.
But the situation is different in Europe. While European labs do test for pathogens, it’s not their main concern, says Keith Warriner, a professor of food science at the University of Guelph and program director of the school’s food safety and quality assurance program.
“We just look for E. coli and Salmonella, whereas the Europeans are a bit more risk-based,” he says.
Mieke Uyttendaele, director of Belgium’s University of Gent Laboratory for Food Microbiology and Food Preservation, believes that less pathogen testing is done in Europe than the U.S.
“End-product testing is not assumed to be very effective in safeguarding the fresh produce supply chain,” she says. “So there is more effort put into a preventive approach – from farm to fork – which is also the basis of the EU General Food Law and EU food safety legislation, putting stress on ‘good agricultural practices.’”
Europe’s system focuses more on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, taking into account chemical and physical hazards as well as microbial ones and bringing in controls to address those risks.
North America doesn’t really have fully HACCP-based systems for produce, Warriner says, because the existing systems mainly address just microbial contamination and traceability.
“They believe that those production practices provide a high degree of protection and therefore also limit the value of pathogen testing as a way to qualify or disqualify a product for safety,” Suslow says.
There’s a low level of confidence in the statistics of sampling to detect pathogens, so testing is often targeted at hygiene indicators such as generic E. coli rather than pathogens themselves, Uyttendaele says. If the E. coli numbers are unacceptable, it’s probably followed up with pathogen testing or auditing of the farmer’s operations.
“The objective of testing is not the key issue for ‘safety assessment’ or ‘batch release’ but rather to pick up major breakages in good agricultural or good manufacturing practices,” Uyttendaele says.
Suslow and Warriner both say it’s very difficult to judge whether one system is better than the other since, after all, they are based on very different structures.
Europe’s agricultural system consists of a lot of smaller farms and, Suslow says, “The smaller the company, the harder it is economically to factor in the cost of pathogen-testing materials into your program.”
But in North America’s favor is “a much better surveillance system,” Warriner says. “And so when outbreaks happen, we’re really on to it.”© Food Safety News


As an instructor, I strive to provide quality learning experience both in and out of the classroom. I am very excited about what I teach and try to convey that to my students. My approach in training graduate students is to work with them to prepare solid and cutting edge academic experience and provide guidance, support, and encouragement to complete the research. In addition, I work with students to publish their research in reputable journals. I also emphasize the importance of collective thinking and teamwork. During my career, I have taught several courses including: Integrated Pest Management, Seminar in International Agricultural Development, Integrated Weed Management, Herbicide Interactions, Introduction to Plant Resistance to Pests, and Agronomy Seminar.
Currently, I teach two undergraduate and one graduate course. These courses are:
- I co-teach the core weed science course for undergraduates (Introduction to Weed Science, PLS 176). It covers most aspects of modern weed science and invasive weeds, emphasizing on concepts, while providing also substantial information for real life weed control.
- I co-teach the course Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (PLS105). The course encompasses the ecological principles of integrated pest management, the biology of different classes of pests (insects, weeds, plant pathogens, vertebrates) and the types of losses they cause. The course introduces the principles of monitoring and population assessment, review of the different techniques used for pest management including biological, cultural and chemical controls, and how to implement IPM programs in the field. Laboratories emphasize hands-on activities to familiarize students with pest identification and IPM techniques.
- My graduate-level course (Physiology of Herbicide Action, PBI 212) examines plant physiology through in-depth study of the mode of action and fate of herbicides and discusses environmental implications of herbicide use.


In season for Autumn
As the urge for warm soups, laksas and comfort food hits, our winter recipe collection will be featuring Baby Brussels sprouts, Vine Sweet Minicaps®, Treviso™ radicchio, Broccolini®, Figs and Blueberries.
Figs are among the oldest, sweetest and tastiest of fruits. Delicate La Bella Figura® figs have a deep purple outer skin and pink, soft, satiny flesh dotted with crunchy seeds.
Calypso® Mangoes have a firmer flesh and juicier cheek that is perfectly suited to use in salads, grilled on the barbecue, even cooked lightly on the stove or in the oven. This versatility means you can include that mango flavour you love in your favourite recipes.
Baby Brussels sprouts
Baby Brussels sprouts have been specially bred for their size and shape and are about half the size of their regular cousins. Up to 50 sprouts at a time grow around stalks reaching up to a metre. Once each sprout reaches 25mm in diameter, the stalks are harvested.


Summer is a great time for reading, whether you get a glorious 3 month summer vacation or not. I love to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air or pass the time while traveling with a good book. Last fall, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for my food writing class and I meant to share my finished review here on the blog – but I never did! So, if you’re looking for some reading material, I would recommend this book! Yes, it’s non-fiction. BUT! That does not mean that it isn’t interesting. I won’t try to convince you here when I’ve already written an entire book review about it! Enjoy! And let me know if you read the book! 🙂
Braids of garlic and onions hanging from the mantel. A cellar packed with potatoes, squash, carrots, and melons. Shelves lined with homemade sauces and salsas, dried fruits, and seemingly endless jars of summer’s bounty. Farm fresh eggs and poultry awaiting the slaughter. No, we have not traveled back to the 1800’s and there is no Little House on the Prairie in sight. This storybook abundance of fresh produce and protein is the result of a family’s commitment to eat only local foods for an entire year, most of which originated in their own back yard.
Spurred by a desire to break free from the trap of oil-dependent, pesticide coated, mystery ingredient-containing foods, Barbara Kinsolver, her husband, and their two daughters packed up their life in barren Arizona and moved to their family farm in the lush Virginia countryside. The goal? To prove that it is possible for a family to sustain themselves – even thrive – without relying on the industrial food system of feedlots, harmful chemicals, and enough oil to transport foods thousands of miles so they can be consumed at any time, regardless of their seasonality. This family wanted to get back to their roots in every sense of the word, and that they did.
The journey didn’t come without its challenges, however. Just like any modern-day family, this one was also quite fond of bananas, olive oil, coffee, and other once exotic items that we can now find all too easily in our local grocery store aisles. Each member was allowed one non-local item they simply couldn’t live without and they found a sustainable way of purchasing it. Other than that, the family lived on what was in season, whether it was from their own small farm, the local farmer’s market, or the neighbors down the road.
Barbara writes the detailed account of the family’s local food year in chapters organized by the growing seasons. Her words create vivid images that make you feel as though you’re enjoying the family’s harvest right along with them. You can almost feel the satisfaction after a long day in the garden and taste the long-awaited asparagus, carefully hunted morel mushroom, abundant zucchini, oven-dried tomato, and tender heirloom turkey as you read about the careful harvest and preparation of each morsel. Kingsolver’s narrative accounts of the family’s quest are interspersed with more of the politics – where the majority of the nation’s food comes from, the consequences of its production, and further explanation of her family’s choice to step off the grid and really get to know where their food comes from. Barbara’s husband, Steven, chimes in with thought-provoking facts about CAFO’s, the global impact of America’s current eating pattern, fair trade products, GMO crops, and practical tips for eating and shopping more responsibly, just to name a few. Each chapter closes with Barbara’s teenage daughter, Camille, providing her brief perspective as well as recipes for some of the dishes the family enjoyed during that particular part of the growing season. She closes with a weekly menu chock full of whatever was overflowing the family’s kitchen during that particular time of the harvest – plenty of asparagus and morels as spring breaks forth, cherries, squash, tomatoes, and peppers as summer is in full swing, and root vegetables as the weather cools and winter draws near.
Kingsolver has assembled not only a mouthwatering account of a year of delicious foods, but is open about the struggles and anxiety that come with trying to provide all of your family’s food literally from scratch all amidst the normal stresses of day jobs and busy schedules, educating the reader and empowering them along the way. Whether in awe of this family’s ability to work the land and sustain themselves as our ancestors once did, inspired to undertake your own local challenge, or devoted to the convenience of grocery aisles that know no seasons, you will put this book down with a new appreciation for how your food gets from the farm to your table, wherever that farm may be.


Community Calendar Farmers/Ranchers Appreciation Month Proclamation – May 14, 2022
Written by Jordan Flores on May 12, 2022
The Farmers Cooperative Association of Guam in partnership with the Guam Department of Agriculture is hosting the Farmers/Rancher Appreciation event to honor the men and women who work throughout the agriculture sector to provide the Guam community with fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, livestock, fish, shrimp, and non-edible horticultural plants for the beautification purposes. The Honorable Lourdes Leon Guerrero will be present to sign the Farmers/Ranchers Appreciation month proclamation. The event is on May 14, 2022, at the Farmers Market in Dededo from 9 am to 3 pm.
For more information, please contact Kin Naputi at 671-858-8485 or Kathrina Reyes at 671-797-1844.


The four most important crops cultivated by arable farming companies are potatoes, grains, onions and sugar beets. On the worldwide stage, Dutch arable farming plays a prominent role in potato cultivation. But arable farming produces much more, such as vegetables, flowers, bulbs and oil-rich seeds and crops that are used as the basis for non-food products.
Arable farmers are always on the lookout for new markets and cultivation opportunities. Arable farming is also a dynamic sector in the field of environment and technology. The European Agricultural Policy strives towards innovation, sustainability and a better revenue model.
Expansion remains an important trend, production is becoming increasingly intensive, and processing and export are of great significance. Arable farming is a valuable component of the Dutch agricultural sector. We are happy to organise an informative visit for your company.
Particularly in Flevoland, organic cultivation represents a modern and profitable method of cultivation.


This is Perennial Vegetables 101. Theyre more nutritious easier to grow more beneficial for the environment and are less water-dependent.
Most gardeners are very aware of these amazing veggies and for good reason too.
Perennial vegetables 101 plant forever. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. While being creative sounds exhilarating you still need to complete the research in. Here are ten perennial plants and some tips to help you grow them in your garden.
Steven Sullivan Getting To Grips With SPSSPCT. This vegetable grows well in cooler climates and dry summers and it requires only lighter-well-drained soil and full sunshine. Once perennial crops are established they require little care from you.
Perennial vegetablescrops that you plant just once and harvest year after yearare relatively rare in North American gardens. Plant Once Enjoy ForeverJamie Halladay website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics ads other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Plant Once Enjoy ForeverJamie Halladay found here what I want exactly I scored very good marks in my assignments only due to your highly qualified writers who wrote my assignments without plagiarism and gave.
Ehrenthal 2000 Executive Compensation Deskbook. With the exception of asparagus rhubarb and artichokes most gardeners are probably unaware of the tasty extremely low-maintenance bounty that can be harvested when. It grows in a male or a female plant but the male plants are more productive.
Plant them 4 feet apart as artichokes grow large and harvest the buds when they are about three inches in diameter. These vegetables are low maintenance delicious and dont ever need to be replanted again theyll just keep. Thanks for helping me and my friends with college papers.
Perennials are plants that you plant once and harvest forever. Theyre more nutritious easier to grow more beneficial for the environment and are less water-dependent. Perennial Vegetables 101 Plant Once Enjoy Forever.
Plant Once Enjoy ForeverJamie Halladay Who Was Sally RideMegan Stine Curiosity. Perennials are plants that you plant once and harvest forever. You have the best essay writers really.
Plant Once Enjoy ForeverJamie Halladay Positive Action Plan For Trucks And The EnvironmentHitendra R. Resources And TrendsHazel Witte. Perennial are those vegetables that you plant throughout the year.
Others yet with edible roots can be harvested throughout the year when you are ready for them not when they are ready for you. Perennials are the perfect plants to grow if you want to save money and put little effort into your garden year after year. With the exception of asparagus rhubarb and artichokes most gardeners are probably unaware of the tasty extremely low-maintenance bounty that can be harvested when many annual crops arent available.
FREE shipping on qualifying offers. Here are ten perennial plants and some tips to help you grow them in your garden. Anyway these amazing foods should not be ignored perennial vegetables should be widely involved in your diet because these vegetables can be grown more nutritious and easier.
Usually the artichoke plant gives products for 5 years before it dies. Make sure you plant each. Plant Once Enjoy Forever.
Most plants and vegetables need to be replanted again in the spring but these 5 perennial vegetables only need to be planted ONCE to be enjoyed forever. A Tool For Data AnalysisMartin Read. Sid And Heidi Meet Sid Lowenstein And Heidi LowellKenneth L.
It grows in a male or a female plant but the male plants are more productive. It also describes various basic gardening tips. This vegetable grows well in cooler climates and dry summers and it requires only lighter-well-drained soil and full sunshine.
20 Perennial Vegetables to Plant Once and Enjoy Forever. Jun 10 2020 Health Beauty Leave a comment 434 Views. Perennials are the perfect plants to grow if you want to save money and put little effort into your garden year after year.
Perennial crops are cultivated in more temperate and tropical areas mostly. Even though these plants are perennials they wont last as long as the asparagus. Here are few perennial veggies that are good to start with some of which I have already and others that I plan to introduce this year.
People grow artichokes for their large and edible flower buds. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the Perennial Vegetables 101. Deception In The DeepT.
Artichokes arugula asparagus food garden green onions herbs and vegetables kale onions perennial herbs perennial vegetables rhubarb rhubarb stalks rhubarb stems rosemary scallions spinach thyme tomatoes. Perennial Vegetables To Plant in Your Garden. They are deeper rooted than annuals so they are hardier in times of drought.
10 Perennial Vegetables You Need To Plant This Summer. Plant Once Enjoy ForeverJamie Halladay urgent orders. Gardeners like perennial plants as they only have to do the work once so the minimal effort on.
Plant Once Enjoy ForeverJamie Halladay a paper writing service that can handle a college paper with the help of an expert paper writer in no time. The Bottom Line. Plant Once Pick Forever.
When I picked a 3 hour deadline I didnt believe youd make it on time. Sunchokes Jerusalem Artichoke Plant these tubers in the ground and enjoy beautiful sunflower-type blooms on top of a dense cluster of 6-8 ft stalks in late summer. Artichokes are perennials but they usually produce about 5 years in a row only.
Explains the pros and cons of outdoor vegetable cultivation. Perennial vegetablescrops that you plant just once and harvest year after yearare relatively rare in North American gardens. When you download this book youll also learn about the cost advantage health benefits and rewards that perennial vegetables have to offer.
And its amazing how you deal with Perennial Vegetables 101.


This week at Growing Eden, kids, moms, coordinators and volunteers created beautiful, ephemeral art using flower pedals, leaves, grass and branches we foraged for on site. Farmer’s on 57th Market Garden also donated a bunch of farm fresh flowers for our art and for families to take home. As the summer is heating up, it was a nice break from the sun. We sat together in … Continue Reading
Every year the residents at Pearson Centre Garden Club have a contest to see who can grow the biggest pumpkin! Last year, it was over 300 pounds!
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin stews, soups, and baked goods still did not leave us short of pumpkin! Staff, volunteers, and residents each took some home, and it was a definite fall feature!
This year, the contest is … Continue Reading
Next to our Market Garden where we grow and harvest local foods for CSA boxes, is Garden Club.
Garden Club is a Therapeutic Garden for the residents at the George Pearson Centre. Raised planting beds filled with fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers are planted and cared for by the Pearson residents with the help of volunteers. Each week, Garden Club offers everyone a break from our daily routines, and … Continue Reading
Today marked our ‘half-way’ point through the summer season at the Market Garden already!
As time passes, and weeks change from one to another, so does the harvest featured in our weekly CSA boxes. Today we harvested lettuce, tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers, onions, leeks, fennel, and carrots amongst some other crops. Volunteers picked and arranged beautiful bouquet’s of pink, purple, orange and white dahlias to include in our boxes!
If you’re … Continue Reading


by Dave Loos
ILRFA is an IMA Member
The Illinois ethanol industry is a tremendous economic engine for Illinois agriculture and the state’s economy. With a capacity of 2 billion gallons, ethanol production from Illinois’ 13 ethanol plants equals 42 percent of the gasoline consumed in the state. Adding up the value of the corn purchased, direct jobs, ethanol and feed products, plus state and local taxes, the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association estimates $5.5 billion in total economic impact. A 2012 study by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois estimated the industry contributes 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.
“Ethanol has a positive effect on corn prices,” says Ray Defenbaugh, President of the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and CEO of Big River Resources, Galva. “Ethanol provides demand for Illinois farmers’ corn, and provides a source of protein and energy for the livestock and poultry industries, plus corn oil for animal feed or biodiesel.” With its distillers grains coproduct being a cost-effective feed source, the state’s ethanol industry is helping support a resurgence of poultry and livestock feeding in the state. Ethanol plants’ corn oil coproduct is also used for feed, as well as biodiesel production.
Leading the Nation
Illinois has been a leader in the nation’s ethanol industry since the early ‘70s when Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) became the first ethanol producer at its Decatur wet mill. Pekin Energy soon followed, then owned by Texaco and Corn Products. Midwest Grain Company, also in Pekin, Illinois, was one of the first plants producing industrial and beverage alcohol and fuel ethanol. (Pacific Ethanol now owns both plants in Pekin.)
These three companies produced the lion’s share of U.S. ethanol in those early years and were pioneers in opening new markets for fuel ethanol. In 1977 and 1978, the Illinois ethanol plants organized an effort to create the first federal tax incentive for ethanol in response to the oil embargo, giving birth to the modern-day ethanol industry.
Huge crop surpluses and low prices in the 1980s not only fueled a farm crisis, but sparked a farmer-led movement to develop a new market for corn through ethanol. Adkins Energy in Lena was the first farmer owned ethanol plant in the state. Lincolnland Agri-Energy in Palestine was second. Throughout the 1990s, Illinois led the nation in ethanol production.
The turn of the century brought a boom to ethanol. The banning of MTBE (methy tertiary butyl ether), due to ground water contamination, created instant demand for ethanol as an oxygenate in fuel, where it acts as an anti-knock agent and reduces smog-inducing pollutants. The resulting boost in ethanol prices stimulated an ethanol build-out across the Corn Belt, with Illinois adding eight more plants.
The build out was aided by the Energy Policy Act, first passed in 2005 and strengthened in 2007. Titled the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the legislation echoed the fuel supply concerns from the ‘70s oil embargo. It also sought to counterbalance the monopolistic tendencies in the nation’s fueling infrastructure dominated by a handful of oil companies, by establishing renewable blending quotas. And, it addressed the growing concerns about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by building in GHG-reduction thresholds and creating carveouts for the blending of advanced fuels.
The policy battles over the tax incentives first passed in the late ‘70s and ending in 2010 have been replaced by industry efforts to uphold the RFS and eliminate other regulatory barriers. Defenbaugh is deeply involved in those efforts, both through the Illinois RFA and the multiple industry organizations he is active in. “The consumer would buy more ethanol if it were available through retailers, both because of the price, which today is 90 cents a gallon less than gasoline, and the octane,” he said. “As an industry we invested in infrastructure and worked directly with retailers to sell higher blends such as E15 and E85.”
The industry also works hard to dispel several myths about ethanol, he added. “We’ve got test after test that show the fuel is good. The octane is needed. The benefits for air quality and health are there.” Defenbaugh recalled a recent meeting the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association had with automakers, who say if they could be assured of fuel availability, they could tap into ethanol’s octane benefits with blends like E20 or E30 to build higher compression, turbocharged engines—smaller engines with the same power, better fuel economy and improved fuel efficiency than today’s engines built for gasoline.
Illinois’ 13 ethanol plants comprise a diverse and innovative industry. The state boasts two of the largest dry mill plants in the world (ADM at Peoria and Marquis Energy in Hennepin) and one of the world’s largest wet mills (ADM at Decatur). ADM and Pacific Ethanol’s wet mills presoak the corn kernels, facilitating clean separation of kernel components that can be manufactured into well over a hundred items, from essential amino acids and food ingredients to high protein animal feed and totally biodegradable plastics. The starch, by far the largest component in corn, becomes corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup or fuel ethanol.
Most of the fuel ethanol industry, however, is comprised of dry grind facilities where ground corn is mixed with water before yeast fermentation. A third of the corn kernel becomes ethanol to be distilled and dehydrated to 99 percent purity before being denatured. A third becomes carbon dioxide, which is collected and condensed wherever economically feasible, the biggest use being beverage carbonation. With the starch converted to ethanol, the remaining third is comprised of high protein, high fiber solids called distillers grains that become high quality feed for beef, dairy, swine and poultry.
The ethanol industry is unique in that its profitability is very dependent upon successfully managing commodities. Corn is the biggest input cost by far with plants receiving daily deliveries year round. The second largest input is natural gas, also a fluctuating commodity. And, the industry’s products—ethanol, distillers grains and corn oil—are all commodities as well. Managing the market risk and uncertainty is a challenge for all and reoccurring tight margin environment underlies the industry’s continued investment in efficiency improvement.
Innovation is ongoing in the ethanol industry. ADM collaborated with federal researchers to develop a new carbon capture and sequestration technology at Decatur. In recent years, virtually all plants added corn oil separation. Adkins Energy has taken its corn oil coproduct, which is often sold as feed, to the next step to produce biodiesel. CHS-Annawan has also invested in biodiesel production.
Other plants are looking at new technologies to produce higher-protein distillers grains. New enzymes and yeast technologies offer higher ethanol yields and process improvements, and all plants continually work to improve water and energy efficiency. Seven Illinois dry grind plants have achieved efficient producer pathway approvals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for achieving a greenhouse gas reduction threshold greater than 20 percent when compared to gasoline. Marquis Energy was among the first plants in the nation to be recognized for its efficiency, opening the door to expanding its capacity at Hennepin.
Over the years, Illinois farmers have invested in ethanol to add value to their corn crop, building seven of the dry mill plants constructed in Illinois since 2002. “Farmers planned the facility, conducted the feasibility assessments, contracted the engineering, raised the funds and invested in the plant themselves,” said Eric Mosbey, General Manger of Lincolnland Agri-Energy LLC and Vice-President of the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association. “Being farmer owned brings a great deal of pride to the Palestine and Robinson communities. Since the farmers are both owners and citizens, much of the economic impact generated from the plant stays in the community, whether it is local jobs, the sale of corn to the plant, dividends paid back to farmer investors, or multiple local services.”
Indeed, a 2017 economic impact analysis of Big River Resources’ Galva plant done by Western Illinois University found the 126 million gallon per year plant supported more than 1,400 direct and indirect jobs around Galva and generated more than $21 million in public tax revenues with annual sales over $500 million.
“Ethanol has done more to revitalize rural America than any other government program to date,” said Paul Jesche, past Chairman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, past Chairman of the Ethanol Action Team for the National Corn Growers Association and an investor in ethanol plants. Besides bringing jobs and tax revenues to rural communities, ethanol increased demand for corn which helped increase farm profitability. “From 2002 through 2013, profitability for farmers was the highest it had been in history,” he said. “This allowed farmers to invest in new equipment, new seed technologies, grain storage and other agronomic improvements. Through these investments, corn yields increased to levels that allowed corn production to keep pace with increased corn demand from increased ethanol production. Now, corn production is outpacing the growth in ethanol demand, which proves that corn farmers can produce enough corn to satisfy the demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber.”
This is an original article written for the IMA. For more information, contact Dave Loos at firstname.lastname@example.org, or (309) 557-3257.


Lawn Care And Maintenance
Lawns are found in homes, hotels and even office buildings and they serve to decorate the environment. The secret to a nice looking lawn is maintenance which includes activities such as trimming and edging all of which have a role in ensuring healthy lawns. To keep your lawn appealing, it is good to do some weeding and this is advantageous in keeping the harmful plants away, weeds compete with the grass for nutrients and this might make your lawn to start drying up. Before planting a lawn and doing the necessary maintenance, it is good to factor in some factors such as the soil classification and the climate of the location too, some practices are preferred in certain locations while others are not.
Lawn care is a complex thing and it requires a lot of skills to carry it out effectively especially if the piece of ground is quite big, this hence necessitates the need for qualified people to do it for example a lawn maintenance company. The professionals use mechanised ways to deal with the weeds and other things of the sort.
Lawns do not come without their own share of benefits, they are quite advantageous for example in that they increase your possibilities of selling off your property at a good price. A well maintained does not require a lot of care once it has fully grown apart from watering it regularly.
One common mistake that most lawn owners do is to use all types of fertilizers thinking that they will give the grass the nutrients they need this however is not always the case because some of the end up scorching the grass and discoloring it. Too much water on your lawn leads to poor rooting of the grass and this will make it unhealthy, as a lawn owner you should thus try to avoid this. One mistake to avoid is the habit of mowing too short, this not only destroys the grass but it also exposes it to excess sunlight and this increases the chances of it drying up. Lack of soil preparation is a recipe to a failed and poorly maintained lawn and most people become a victim of this, inadequate soil preparation affects the ability of the plants to grow because of lack of the necessary nutrients.
A lawn care and maintenance company with good recommendations and client testimonials is a good for the job. Another factor that you should put into consideration is how well equipped the company is, some are well equipped while others are not.
Why not learn more about Companies?
The Key Elements of Great Companies


Olive oil is a preferred cooking oil that is said to have originated from the Mediterranean. It has long been thought that Greece was the first country to make use of this oil extracted from olives. The benefits of cooking with olive oil have been discussed at length for centuries. There are a series of benefits of cooking with this liquid gold. Hence, it is the preferred oil to
prepare your delicious meals. Here, we present you with reviews for the best olive oil for cooking.
Olive oil is made up of:
- 14% saturated fat;
- 11% omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated;
- 73% oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat
Oleic acid is known to reduce inflammation, and this monounsaturated fat is also heat resistant. Hence, extra virgin olive oil is a healthier choice for cooking oil as compared to other types of cooking oils. Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants, which has biological effects such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
We have prepared a list of the 10 best gourmet olive oils for cooking that may be ideal for you:
[wpsm_titlebox title=”10 Best Gourmet Olive Oils for Cooking” style=”4″][wpsm_toplist][/wpsm_titlebox]
This extra virgin olive oil hails from two family estates – The ‘La Casa del Aqua’ and ‘Los Juncales’ in Villanueva de la Reina, Jaen, in the vibrant world of Spain. Both estates are at the foot of the Sierra Morena Mountain, where the olives grow in the perfect weather. Due to the climate and the dedication of these families, the trees grow in as little stress as possible. The ‘Reserva Familiar’ is the best representation of the best produced extra virgin olive oil.
The Oro Bailen Olive Oil comes in a beautiful 17-ounce bottle and is an award-winning gourmet olive oil. The olives, which were harvested in 2011, result in a complex olive oil. The oil boasts a balanced taste thanks to the characteristics of apple, green banana, almond, and grass. This helps give it a sweet taste initially before moving on to a peppery taste.
Nunez De Prado Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Keeping in line with Spanish olive oil brands for a few moments more, let’s introduce the Nunez De Prado Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This olive oil is made from the hand-picked olives in the region of Andalusian. This is an organic olive oil from the Nunez de Prado family, who have been making olive oil traditionally since 1795.
Also, it is rich with flavor due to the careful farming methods. They focus on quality and for that reason have a small operation ensuring they always produce only the best olive oil. It is packaged in a colorful one-liter tin.
Chacewater Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil
We move across the pond for our next gourmet olive oil, to sunny California, USA. This extra virgin olive oil comes from Chacewater Winery and Olive Mill. The olives are handpicked and immediately taken to the Chacewater mill. The company takes utmost care so that focus is always on quality and flavor.
This olive oil is certified as ‘Extra Virgin Quality’ by COOC (California Olive Oil Council). It is sold in 375ml glass bottles, described as a somewhat soft California extra virgin olive oil. Harvested late in November 2017, it exudes a hint of nuts and freshly cut grass.
Pianogrillo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The next gourmet olive oil comes from the town of Chiaramonte Gulfi, which is located in Sicily Southern Italy. The Pianogrillo Extra Virgin Olive Oil is organically produced by Lorenzo Piccione using Tonda Iblea, a local variety. The olives are hand-picked individually in October from trees that are nearly thousands of years old.
While the production of the olive oil is modern, Lorenzo has ensured to balance modernism and Sicilian tradition in the production of his olive oil. The olive oil gives off a fruity aroma with strong hints of almonds while it finishes off with more of a spicy flavor.
Papa Vince Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Papa Vince family makes extra virgin olive oil from their own orchards in Sicily, Italy. They are pressed only once and do not need to experience further manufacturing in terms of flavoring. It is 100% olive Juice and has hints of peppers, tomato and artichokes. Papa Vince olive oil tastes different every year.
A brave decision on the family’s part was to produce an olive oil that is low in acidity. It can also be quite costly for them as they currently only cold press fresh green olives which only produces roughly about 13-18% of oil. The family avoids using any harmful substances in their fields such as pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. And maybe, this adds to the richness and flavor of the oil. It has a shelf life of four years before opening.
Apparently, in 1936, Papa Vince himself said that they relied on the fresh winds to continuously provide the orchards fruitfulness.
Rincon De La Subbetica Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Going back to Spain, we found this award-winning organic extra virgin olive oil from Almazaras de la Subbetica, the Rincon De La Subbetica Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is a four-time international award-winning ‘world’s best olive oil’ in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017. It is currently the most awarded olive oil in Spain.
Interestingly, this organic olive oil is made of 100% organic olive juice and is sure to satisfy even the most demanding of palates. It is an intense olive oil with sensations of citrus, (and) herbs such as peppermint to thyme. Sweet at first taste with a bitter and spicy mid-section before finishing off smoothly. It is a complex but balanced olive oil.
Like most olive oil makers that have been running for decades. They have made use of the modern technology available whilst firmly applying traditions to achieve the best end results.
So you know that olive oil is good for your health. But how do you know whether you have bought the real deal? Watch this video to find out more.
Ellora Farms Single Estate Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil
Of all the gourmet olive oil brands we have mentioned we are yet to mention any from Greece itself. Well, say hello to Ellora Farm’s Single Estate Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil. Ellora Farms is centuries old and located in the Mediterranean in the Aegean Sea between the Kolymvari beach and the Samaria Canyon.
Single Estate’s extra virgin olive oil is known for its rich and fruity olive oil. This olive oil comes in a stylish 1-litre tin, made from the highest quality olives. Hence, it is a multi-award-winning product that is known on an international level and is well revered for its high-end extra virgin olive oil.
Ellora’s oil is produced in limited quantities to ensure the highest quality, in Greece on the Crete island. They are made using olives that are referred to as ‘the queen of the olives’, the koroneiki olives. Instead of being cold pressed, the Ellora Farms olives are cold extracts. The olives use a process of gravity to remove the pit and flesh of the olive. Hence, the olive oil boasts hints of fruit and spice to its medium body and herb finish.
In addition, for true olive oil fanatics, you can trace the olives back to their place of origin. It provides a great deal of information regarding the harvest in which your olive oil is made from.
Il Tratturelo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coming fresh off a 2018 harvest, this stunning olive oil is a pure representation of the robust style of Italian olive oil makers. This is one of the best extra virgin olive oils on the market. It comes from Molise Italy, a land ravaged by earthquakes. Above all, it boasts a variety of cultivars in its final product; 60% Gentile di Larino, 28% Franloio, 10% Leccino, and finally 2% Moraiolo.
Tratturelo’s olive oil is produced in such a small quantity that the bottles are hand labelled. They are pressed almost immediately after being harvested. They use organic methods to grow their olives and pick them between October and November.
This brand of olive oil is rich in flavor thanks to the masterful blending of its multiple cultivars. Amazingly, the passion that these olive oil makers have is something that gives this product just that much more character and makes it stand out amongst its competitors.
Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Back in the US, we have Sacramento based olive oil producers – Bariani. Because they produce a variety of olive oil and balsamic products, one of which is the Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Using California cultivars; mission and Manzanillo, they have made a stunning organic olive oil. They have stated that every year their olive oil differs in taste ever so slightly due to the traditional methods which they use to harvest and extract the olives.
The Bariani olive oil is stone crushed, cold pressed, and unfiltered. This allows it to keep its raw qualities and to maximize the flavors of the Californian cultivars. It is packaged in 1-litre glass bottles. Like most olive oils on this list, it is produced in limited quantities.
Barbera Frantoia Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This extra virgin olive oil, from Sicily, is another special olive oil due to it being a blend of three different olives – 30% Nocellara, 50% Biancolilla, and 20% Cerasuolo. Above all, all the olives are handpicked from the orchards in the western central hills of gorgeous Sicily. These olives are pressed within 24 hours of being picked. They are then continuously separated from natural decantation, centrifuge and decanting.
This olive oil shows off its good density with a warm green color and golden yellow reflection. It is as herbaceous as it is spicy as well as gives off a fruity, sweet taste and a lighter finish. Additionally, this stunning olive oil can be used to cook with or enjoyed in a variety of other ways.
The rich history of the farm is poured into every bottle of liquid gold. Enjoy the hard work of the people who are passionate about what they are doing. And, showing their family and their traditions in the olive oil they create.
There are other things to consider when buying your olive oil. So, you want the best possible one and we recommend buying ones that have been packaged as close to their harvest date as possible. This is due to the fact that olive oil is not something that needs to age. For instance, when it is ready to consume, it is ready full stop.
There you have it! Ten olive oil brands from all over the world. By knowing which one to choose depends more on you than the product from this point onwards. Find an olive oil that suits your specific needs. Ask yourself these questions that may determine your decision. Such as, where do you want it to come from, are you looking for organic olive oil, cold pressed olive oil, extra virgin olive oil. And, anything else that may directly affect your decision.


Hit enter to search or ESC to close
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 27: With the population on a consistent rise worldwide, agricultural systems need to accommodate the growing food demand. As a result, they have implemented several unsustainable methods to produce higher yields. These methods use chemicals excessively, leading to multiple global issues like soil degradation, soil erosion, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change.
Organic farming in India is an incredible solution to help achieve food security goals through sustainable agriculture practices.
What is Organic Farming?
Organic farming refers to natural, eco-friendly, and sustainable practices of farming. Its produce is clean and healthy for the consumers and economically advantageous for the farming communities. The practice focuses on reducing or eliminating external inputs like artificial fertilizers, pesticides, additives, etc.
Growth of Organic Farming in India
Methods of Organic Farming in India – A Brief Overview by Pravin Chandan
Different techniques of organic farming are practised in India. Here’s a brief overview of each of them.
Soil management is the first organic farming technique. It focuses on using bacteria available in animal waste to increase the soil’s fertility and productivity.
Weed removal is the next organic farming method. One option is to move or cut the weed. The second option is mulching. Farmers use plant residue or a plastic film on the soil’s surface to restrict the weed’s growth.
One of India’s most famous organic farming methods is crop diversity. It focuses on cultivating different crops together to cater to the growing crop demand.
To save the soil and crops, it is essential to control the growth of organisms. This organic farming method uses natural or fewer chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides to protect soil and crops.
This method uses living organisms with or without chemicals to control pests.
Many Indian farmers use the above methods of organic farming in India. The practice is affordable as there is no expense of pesticides, fertilizers, or HYV seeds for crop plantation. Farmers can earn a good return on investment using local and inexpensive inputs.
If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact email@example.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.
About the author


Here at The Edible Balcony we’re passionate about helping you grow your own food no matter how large or small your space is. Whether you have a garden, courtyard, café, restaurant, terrace, balcony, roof-top – or just a windowsill, we can help you transform your space into a productive food oasis.
Our team has more than 60 years’ combined experience in the horticultural, food, wine, design, media and community gardening sector.
Indira Naidoo – Founder
More recently Indira has turned her communication skills to the issues of food security, sustainability and gardening. Indira Naidoo’s television broadcast career has spanned more than two decades. She has anchored and reported for some of the country’s most distinguished news and current affair programmes including the ABC’s Late Edition nightly news and SBS TV’s award-winning World News Tonight.
Indira has worked as a media manager and spokesperson for consumer advocacy group CHOICE and as a Geneva-based sustainability communications consultant with the United Nations’ trade development arm – The International Trade Centre.
In 2009 she was selected from 2000 applicants to be trained by former US President Al Gore as a climate change presenter.
Her recent best-selling book The Edible Balcony documents her adventures growing fruit and vegetables on her inner-city balcony and then preparing them into delicious recipes. Her garden and recipes have featured on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and Network Ten’s ‘The Living Room’. Indira was also a contestant on the inaugural episode of Celebrity MasterChef. Indira writes the hugely popular food and gardening blog Saucy Onion www.saucyonion.blogspot.com.
Last year she was appointed an ambassador for the homeless crisis centre the Wayside Chapel and conducts weekly gardening classes on its rooftop vegetable garden for its homeless visitors.
She is currently a curator with the Australian Garden Show Sydney.
Jon Kingston – Team horticulturalist
Jon Kingston studied horticultural science (B.Hort Sci) at UWS Hawkesbury and has worked in garden design, bush regeneration, vegetable gardens, horticultural retail and production for 15 years.
Jon is one of Australia’s leading community garden designers and has designed and helps run the James St Reserve Garden in Redfern and the Wayside Chapel community garden.
He specialises in ecological management, organic food production systems, and bush land restoration.
Tim Petersen – Team event manager
Tim Petersen is a Sydney based food and wine industry professional, small business owner and part-time gardener. He is uniquely qualified to design and deliver a complete food, wine and kitchen garden concept for you.
Tim’s café DOV in Potts Point, Sydney, has become a dining institution garnering awards for its community engagement, sustainability practices and urban kitchen garden.
The son of a farmer, Tim is passionate about sustainability, especially in regard to food production. He is currently building a small market garden based on permaculture principals at his home in the Blue Mountains, to supply his cafe in the city.
About the book
This warm and engaging book will inspire even the most reluctant green thumbs to channel their inner gardeners and reconnect with nature, while also saving money and reducing their carbon footprint…more
Join one of our Garden Tours
Get in touch for a booking.


By Vern and Lori Gieger
The Humble Honey Bee
My grandfather had great respect for the environment, and every creature in it. He did his best to impress upon us (his grandchildren) that there was a reason for every living thing, whether or not we understood it.
Given that my grandfather was also a bee keeper, I grew up enjoying fresh, pure honey, made candles from bee’s wax, and learned at a tender age sandals were not appropriate footwear near the hives!
Grandpa was a great story teller so as a youngster I wasn’t always sure if he was pulling my leg or not, but what I did know was, when it came to bees, listen to Grandpa. I recall one day when my brother had gotten stung several times, which by the way was his own fault. As he bitterly complained to Grandpa about the bees and how unnecessary he thought they were, Grandpa patted him on the head, smiled and said to him, “You want to eat don’t you?” Thanks to Grandpa we did learn how important bees really are.
A recent survey revealed that only a small percentage of the public understands the process of pollination or the diversity of beneficial animals involved in the process of pollinating plants. For most people, pollen means allergies and bees mean stings. However, for one out of every three bites you take, you should thank a bee, butterfly, bat, bird or other wildlife.
Pollination is an essential step in the production of most fruits and vegetables that we eat as well as regeneration of many feed crops used by livestock. The above mentioned, are required to pollinate the 100 or so crops that feed the world. We must recognize that pollination is not a free service, and that investment and stewardship are required to protect and sustain it.
The honey bee crisis in the United States has been escalating for several years. The honey bee crisis of 2005, which was blamed on the Varoa mite, decimated as much as 50% of honey bee populations in the US. However it was overcome, and quickly passed out of most people’s minds. The Varoa mite transmits other diseases, particularly viruses. Left untreated, they can infest and wipe out an entire bee colony within a few months. Although the honey bee crisis of 2005 was attributed to the Varoa mite, the 2006-2007 crises was of unknown origin.
Honey bee losses between Oct. 2006 and Feb. 2007 have now risen to unprecedented levels, reports from beekeepers from 22 states have indicated decimation of hives by as much as 80%.
Unfortunately researchers have been unable to isolate a common cause.
There are several probable factors that could be contributing to the decline. Among them are mites and associated diseases, unknown pathogenic diseases and pesticide contamination or poisoning affecting domesticated and wild bee populations around the world.
Why is it worrisome when bees die by the thousands? Three words: global food supply. The humble honey bee is vital for the pollination of a wide range of plants, affecting everything from clover (think cows) to fruits and vegetables. It’s difficult for many to imagine how something as small and annoying as a honey bee could play such an important role but they do. Approximately 80% of all insect pollination is accomplished by honey bees. While even researchers are uncertain as to the exact cause of the decline, there is something we all can do to help protect remaining populations: reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides. After all, you want to eat, don’t you?


MP Saara App
The Smart Application for Revenue Administration (SAARA) is the full name of the SAARA app.
In order to help farmers in Madhya Pradesh, the state government has launched an app called Sara App, which allows farmers to send information about their crops to the government online.
To edit various processes of the Madhya Pradesh Revenue Department, such as resolving revenue cases, reporting on crop girdawari, distributing and transferring crops, etc. through mobile.
E-Girdawari Saara App’s Functions and Features
On arrival, the Patwari will use the app to enter the farmer’s name, survey number, and mobile phone number.
Information about crops sown in a farmer’s field and area will be recorded on his survey number.
As soon as the app receives the information.
Farmers’ mobile phones will receive an OTP (One Time Password) for the crop information they’ve entered on their mobile devices.
The Patwari will receive OTP from the farmer if the crop is properly recorded. Online records of crop information will be created as soon as the OTP is entered into the appropriate field.
According to government directives, Patwaris have purchased smartphones for the Girdawar app, ensuring that accurate data on crop area and sown seed can be accessed online.
Natural disasters will no longer necessitate farmers to visit Patwaris in search of compensation.
There will be monetary compensation or insurance benefit available.
With the help of this app, farmers will be able to register Bhavantar and support prices.
Madhya Pradesh Fasal Girdawari’s Report’s Purpose.
All agricultural land data will be made available through the MP Sara App by the state government in a transparent manner until the process is complete.
In order for the data to be made available online, the user must first enable location services by installing this app on their smartphone.
After the app has been downloaded, farmers will be able to see the information that has been loaded in the app, after which, by entering an OTP on their mobile, they can update the information.
The complete record of Patwaris will now be updated from the mobile app. Using this programme, farmers are able to upload their own crop planting information.
Farmer Patwaris are no longer required to assist them in submitting this data to the government.
Additionally, the Fasal Girdawari Report is available for download by state farmers.
Benefits of The Fasal Girdawari Report for Madhya Pradesh.
The Patwari will not be able to enter the field of crops from his house.
Because of crop insurance, natural disasters, bank loans, and other programmes, patwaris will no longer be required to travel.
Patwari visits for the crop Girdawari will be avoided by farmers who have applied for the benefit of the programme.
All land data will be available to farmers who have downloaded the SARA app, and only those farmers will have access to this data at all times and from any location.
Features of The Fasal Girdawari Report for Madhya Pradesh
Farmers will now be able to register their crops’ Girdawari reports on their smartphones thanks to this app.
Smart Application for Revenue Administration’s official website and the app allows farmers in the state to enter information about crops sown, as well as download their crop Girdawari report.
This app can also be used to file a complaint if there is a problem with the information on crops.
Time and money will be saved, and the system will be more transparent, as a result of this procedure.
Report on Mp Fasal Girdawari’s Eligibility
The applicant must be a citizen of Madhya Pradesh with a valid ID.
A farmer is required to apply.
Among Fasal Girdawari’s most important documents in this report.
Identity card, or Aadhar card.
The proof is required.
proof of income
showing your age
a photo the size of a passport
cellular phone number
The following is my email address:
Viewing the Madhya Pradesh Crop Girdawari Report Is Simple.
Visit saara.mp.gov.in to learn more about the Smart Application for Revenue Administration.
Crop Girdawari is the option you must select from the drop-down menu on the home page.
You must now select the option to visit.
Following that, you’ll see the following options appear in a drop-down menu.
Status as a Girdawari (acreage-wise)
District-by-District Report on the Girdhari Percentage of Villages
Progress on the light and village fronts
a summary of crop conditions
You must select the option that best meets your needs.
A new page will then appear on your computer’s monitor.
You must fill out the following information on this page.
After this, you must select the View Report option.
You’ll be able to see all of the relevant information on your computer.
The Mp Saara App Can Be Downloaded Here.
This app can be downloaded in a matter of seconds.
To get started, simply sign up for a Gmail account and then navigate to your Android phone’s “Play Store” menu.
In your app store, look for the “MP SAARA” app.
Afterward, select “Install”.
After you’ve downloaded and installed the app, you’ll need to register your account by providing the requested information.
Visit http://saara.mp.gov.in/ for direct access.
Process of Logging In
You must first visit the Smart Application for Revenue Administration’s official website.
The home page is now visible on your computer’s monitor.
To log in, go to the home page and select the Login link.
The login form will now appear on the screen.
Using this form will require you to input your username, password, and captcha code.
In order to log in, you’ll need to select the option.
In this manner, you can log in.
For More Information Visit Our Site : https://www.techllog.com/


Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them bu... [More]
acts4-12.com Bible Website
Daily Bible Verses
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.


TOP FIVE TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AUTO-FLOWERING CANNABIS PLANTS
Auto-Flowering cannabis plants are great for the novice as well as the experienced grower. For the early and even late outdoor or greenhouse harvests. Growing a few auto-flowering cannabis seeds alongside your regular feminized cannabis seeds, give the grower something to smoke during the late summer. Ensuring your cannabis plant has sufficient light and the roots remain still could improve more than just your yield.


21 september 2018
Central Asia news: Cotton
The 2012 cotton harvest in Uzbekistan has concluded, and the system of forced labor of cotton production remained the same as in previous years. December 20, 2012, the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights and the Cotton Campaign released the Review of the 2012 Cotton Harvest, which explains that implementation of the forced labor system was carried out with a demographic shift to older children and more adults, accompanied with an unprecedented scale of corruption. The Review presents observations by human rights defenders throughout Uzbekistan, and highlights the following disturbing trends: continued forced child labor despite a demographic shift of the burden to older children, intensified forced labor of adults, continued rejection of independent monitoring, continued harassment of Uzbek citizens who attempted to monitor, and increased extraction of financial and other resources from Uzbek citizens by government authorities.
The Eighth International Uzbek Cotton and Textile Fair is taking place in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) on 17 to 18 October and Uzbekistan’s official media reports that it will be attended by world traders. According to the critics of Islam Karimov’s regime, which has been sending the republic’s unfortunate citizens to “help” the farmers since Soviet times, Western countries are gradually turning away from Uzbekistan’s “white gold” because of the use of forced child and teenage labourers.
In the mid of October the air temperature in the Republic of Karakalpakstan varies from +3 degrees in the night to +25 in the day. Under various temperatures the undersized cotton plant cracks down, forcing the cotton growers, especially kids, stay longer at the fields. Along with the employees of government-sponsored organizations they gather imponderable boxes (2-3 gram) every day. In order to gather one kilo of "white gold" they have to make at least 300 prehensile moves in the thorny bushes. At the same time, they eat third-rate macaronis.
Since September 20 the students of colleges and lyceums in Yangiyul rayon of the Tashkent Oblast in Uzbekistan have been working in the cotton fields. The local residents say that secondary school students in the remote villages of the same area also started the cotton season. Ferghana.Ru correspondents decided to learn more about the schoolchildren labor in harvesting raw cotton.
Few days ago the secondary school children in the Syr Darya Oblast of Uzbekistan flooded the cotton fields just as their counterparts in other regions. Unlike in the previous years, this year the local authorities officially instructed to attract only 14 plus kids, 7th graders, for cropping of "white gold". Nonetheless, as well as in the previous years, one can also see12-13 year old working children. Ferghana.Ru correspondent gave a visit to Syr Darya on Tuesday in order to witness the current events.
Classes were suspended in the Surkhandarja region of Uzbekistan with the onset of cotton-harvesting. Senior pupils work the plantations, picking cotton (that earns the Uzbek treasury so much) and thus "aiding" their native state. The Ferghana regional authorities on the other hand decided to do without compulsory child labor for a change. It seems that the government of Uzbekistan finally deigned to notice the pressure the international community has been applying to it.
Tajikistan is definitely a beautiful country, but its cotton picking policies leave an indelible black mark on its reputation. Cotton picking in this country is a dirty practice that enslaves students and restricts the growth of this majestic country. Due to the greed of a few rich cotton brokers, working for the local and national government, students are essentially forced to pick cotton for about two months every year.
The use of school-students to pick cotton further tarnishes the reputation of Islam Karimov's repressive state, says Andrew Stroehlein, media and information director at the International Crisis Group.
Just recently the Uzbek government vowed to combat the use of child labour on cotton fields. However, latest reports from Uzbekistan appear at odds with government’s intentions. In September Uzbek government has finally admitted child labour is used on cotton fields and promised to eradicate flagrant practices. However, Ferghana.ru correspondents from Uzbekistan say lots of children could be seen on the fields as harvesting has started.
As more international companies from Europe, US and Canada refuse to buy Uzbek cotton in boycott to forced child labour in cotton fields, Uzbek authorities, who have been fiercely denying children are being sent to the fields, seem now ready for dialogue over the issue. On August 18, four biggest groups representing the US retail and clothing industry called on Uzbekistan to end the widespread use of child labour in the harvesting of the country's cotton crop. The coalition urged President Islam Karimov to take "decisive and immediate actions to end the use of forced child labour in the cotton fields" in the world's second-largest cotton exporter.
As soil in the Kazakh southern region continues to deteriorate due to the widespread uncontrolled growth of cotton and the effect of the region’s hot weather in reducing available water, Kazakh cotton farmers face a serious dilemma as they must choose to either find new methods to grown cotton, a critical cash crop for export, or cease growing cotton and find a less water-demanding crop to replace it.
Administrators from the regional and local education departments with their subordinates spent this autumn picking cotton in the fields in the region near the Aral Sea. It is teachers and kindergartners who end up on harvesting duty now that the gathering is essentially over. All through October and early November, however, whole processions of coaches travelled from the regional center to the fields every morning - ferrying "volunteer" tutors and students.
A group of civil society activists from Uzbekistan call for a boycott of cotton produced by forced child labour in Uzbekistan. Unlike other developing countries, the child labour in the cotton sector of Uzbekistan is not the result of poverty or the illiteracy of the population; it is caused not by a willingness of children to help their parents, but rather is a result of deliberate coercion policy adopted by the central government.
Press Service of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Great Britain categorically denounces the use of children in agriculture. The denouncement became a response to the recent BBC program on the use of children in cotton picking in Uzbekistan. Embassy officials maintain that children were only used as cotton pickers in Uzbekistan 15 or 20 years ago, i.e. in essentially the Soviet era. The locals and journalists in the meantime argue that at least half a million children and teenagers work cotton plantations in Uzbekistan every autumn. Hypocrisy of Uzbek diplomats who would deny the obvious knows no limits. It is the only conclusion to be drawn from their assurances - given with a straight face - that "even fifteen-year-olds in Uzbekistan are employed only with a written permit from their families or foster parents."
Uzbekistan plans to cut down cotton hair export and make an emphasis on cotton processing domestically


We are a team of enthusiasts in Switzerland and Ghana. HPW AG is based in Switzerland and is the Mother Company of HPW Fresh & Dry Ltd. in Ghana. HPW Fresh & Dry Ltd. is the largest employer in the rural Adeiso region in Ghana. We process 20 000 tons of fresh fruit and export 1600 tons of dried fruit yearly. Thanks to professional fruit sourcing in West Africa we can offer our customers high availability of all our products throughout the year. 1400 small farmers and 1000 production workers profit from our relationship, our technical support and continuing education programs. HPW Fresh & Dry produces ecologically – using all fruit waste and solar panels for energy production. All production water comes from our own recourses and purified waste water. The Swiss company HPW AG develops niche products for Swiss and European retailers in Africa, Thailand and Central America.


CUBS have been digging in to help out allotment holders and earn new badges.
Thirty cubs from Bedale put their backs into digging over some of the gardens in preparation for spring planting on the Masham road allotments.
Armed with spades, hoes and trowels the youngsters set too turning over the soil and clearing old plants.
Loading article content
Marie Wilson, Chair of Bedale Cubs and Scouts said:”We wanted to come and help out to give the allotments holders our support.
"It’s been a really successful event the cubs have enjoyed being outside, learning about the environment and horticulture, it helps with their badge work and gives them a chance to do something different.
“And they’ve done really well, I didn’t think they’d be so efficient, but they quickly got used to digging and clearing the ground. I can see they’re going to be in big demand in the future.”


Diospyrus kaki 'Fuyu'
- Deciduous tree with rounded growing habit
- Small orange fruits, maturing in fall, are edible Persimmons
Height: 15 - 20 Feet |
Spread: 15 - 20 Feet |
Hardiness Zone: 7 - 9
Harvest the Persimmons when skin has reached a deep orange color. The taste is mild and sweet, and typically used to make jellies and teas. To ensure the longevity of your tree, amend planting area with composted manure and peat moss.


I absolutely love this time of year, when everything is bursting into life and i’m eager to get outside each morning before work to see if another seedling has decided to pop its head through the damp soil towards the light.
Growing vegetables has become something of an obsession for me over the last few years. I fell in love with whole idyllic dream; the cottage garden, picking food just before cooking and saving £’s in my pocket. I’m still hooked on the idea.
I would have to point out at this stage I don’t have a cottage garden more a suburban plot – but i did say it was a dream right?
With busy lives and instant technology its so calming to spend a few minutes or a few hours in the garden tending to an ever growing crop and letting my mind wonder free. I imagine how hot the plump red chilli’s will be, who’s going to get my inevitable glut of cucumbers or why oh why i just can’t grow cauliflowers.
Last year I grew 23 different types of vegetables, largely thanks to a newly renovated wooden greenhouse. Purchased on ebay for £80 it was a bit of a wreck and my husband spent many hours replacing the rotten bits, fitting new glass, sanding, priming and painting. I hope you agree the result is a triumph!
It’s been painted in Farrow and Ball Lichen and its a little haven no matter what the weather. In fact I like it best when i’m planting new seeds and the rain is gently tapping out its irregular rhythm on the roof.
Growing Your Own needs dedication, not everything will work and don’t expect to come back from a two week holiday if there’s been no rain to find your crop unaffected. Having said that, for me it’s hugely rewarding and newly introduced varieties make growing veg easier than ever. There’s other benefits too food miles are negligible, the taste of homegrown produce is fantastic and involving children in the whole process from seed to plate is a great way to get them interested in food from an early age.
Yes i’m totally hooked on Growing My Own.


Organic gardening encompasses a good deal of techniques. It handles things such as seeds, instruments, strategies, and other such factors. There are so a lot of ways that you can expand your possess natural and organic backyard garden, possibly for enjoyment or for strengthening your overall diet program. This write-up has guidance that can help you uncover what you need to have.
For the drop period, plant a number of slide edible plants in your garden containers. Stunning selections of kale and mustard greens, have beautiful shades of greens and purples and offer you diverse textures to the arrangement. Add a couple of edible pansies to provide colour to the green textures. The combination is fetching and will previous nicely into the wintertime.
Make investments in a digital PH tester. Avoid liquid PH kits (the shade coded types) as they have a tendency to be significantly less correct. It is extremely simple for very first time customers to botch readings. Also, do not use soil PH examination kits as they are unreliable and are not supposed for property use.
You can test the viability of your seeds by soaking them overnight. Drop them into a container of drinking water and keep them in a dim place for a working day. Examine the spot of the seeds. If they sank to the base, they are usable. If they float the the prime, they could be dead.
To destroy off aphids on rose vegetation, spray them with a powdered milk and h2o mixture (one/three cup powdered milk to one quart drinking water). When the combination is sprayed, the aphids get caught in the liquid and at some point die. Every single couple of weeks spray down the roses with water to rinse off the combination and reapply it if necessary.
To spice up a dull garden, try making use of climbing crops. A climbing plant can insert visible fascination to a fence or tree and are a excellent way to cover any unattractive structures. As an additional bonus, most climbing vegetation are quite minimal upkeep. Kiwi vine, climbing snapdragon and early morning glories are all great choices.
If you expand roses or rosebushes, spray them with a solution of one/three cup powdered milk in about a quart of drinking water as soon as a week or so. The run milk solution will be sticky on the leaves and stems of your roses which will lure aphids and defend your roses.
Get a wheelbarrow and kneeling stool to work with in the yard. In order to reduce pressure on your knees when gardening, constantly use a tiny backyard garden stool to be a lot more cozy. As effectively, gardening can involve some hefty lifting and relocating, so a strong wheelbarrow can genuinely make that aspect a lot more effortless.
If you do not like chemical insect repellants you must take into account utilizing herbs as an alternative. Herbs like chives can be utilized in spot of the chemical insect repellants to maintain bugs from taking in your bouquets and create. You can expand chives your self or purchase them at your neighborhood grocery store.
When beginning your natural and organic backyard garden, a fantastic idea is to make confident you have the appropriate timing when sowing your seeds. If your timing is off when planting a particular plant, you will have really disappointing outcomes. If you make positive you have your timing proper, you will very likely be pleased with your outcomes.
To maintain air flowing via your compost pile, stand a big PVC pipe with punched holes in the heart of your pile so the air flows up and down the pipe, and then by means of the holes right into the pile. The air motion will help your soil decomposers generate the heat necessary to jumpstart the decay method.
Do not be alarmed at the amount of organic fertilizer you may possibly require to use. Natural and organic fertilizers have a reduced percentage of vitamins per device weight than their synthetic counterparts. Because of this, it will probably be required to implement more volume of organic and natural fertilizer than is standard for artificial fertilizers.
To aid distribute mulch effortlessly, you can use a flat-head rake or a bow. If you are using a rake, you must use the rakes tined edge to pull and spread your mulch. Use the flat facet of the rake to even your mulch on the bed. You will want to use a light-weight thrust then pull motion.
When growing your own organic and natural plants, you need to go your seedlings away from any air vents or radiators right away upon germination. This is since your seedlings do not require to be genuinely heat like germinating seeds do. They want to be cooler in buy for them to grow in the best way.
Any kind of gardening assists you get in tune with the surroundings, but natural and organic gardening takes this principle to the up coming degree. When you do this kind of gardening, you will start to have a very good idea of the total method of planting from start off to finish.
When planting your tomatoes in your natural and organic yard, you need to often make positive that you stake the tomato crops as higher as you probably can when you are transplanting them. The cause is because carrying out this will remove the roots of the vegetation from being damaged in the course of the transplanting approach.
Make certain that you just take specific treatment of new plants that you recently planted in your natural and organic garden. There ought to be no noticeable bare soil about any new crops. Usually consider care to go over them with a layer of some kind of mulch or any coarse or unfastened organic content.
When planting an natural backyard garden, be certain to use a weed-cost-free mulch in your yard. Weeds will inevitably spring up in the empty grime, so laying down a layer of mulch will give you a a lot needed barrier against those weeds. This will assist you to control undesirable progress and spend significantly less time weeding.
In conclusion, organic and natural gardening is a really broad subject that handles a whole lot of gardening products and tactics. There are some correct techniques and wrong techniques to utilize this understanding, but there is so much possible for making your garden special. Ideally, this report has provided you some suggestions on how to make natural and organic gardening function for you.


Ranch Rite Hay Tedders
Choose either the lightweight HT-10 or the larger HT-20 to read more about our Ranch Rite Hay Tedders.
Both tedders are pull-type tedders with 6-ply tires and 6 arms per rotor. Gearsets are manufactured by Omni USA in their Shanghai facility.
The HT-10 is perfect for smaller tractors and farms under about 50 acres. Even a 25-30 hp tractor will have no problem towing the Ranch Rite HT-10.
The HT-20 features hydraulic lift on the outer rotors, so you can easily pass through gates or store your tedder in the barn when not in use. While not designed for commercial use, 50-100 acre farms will see many years of service out of our HT-20.


Wetlands & Habitat Restoration FAQ
Are the wetlands you create deep? Can they hold fish?
No. Shallow emergent wetlands are only 6-12 inches at full pool. They provide habitat for a variety of wetland-dependent wildlife such as dabbling ducks, insects, dragonflies amphibians, turtles and reptiles, but not fish. Restored wetlands also help filter nutrients and sediments from farm runoff before it reaches the Bay.
What type of vegetation should be planted in a wetland area?
This is dependent upon the hydrology, salinity, soil composition, tidal effect, shade and surrounding plant community in a wetland or marsh area. CWH will evaluate on a site-by-site basis the plants most likely to survive at your site.
What are the benefits of planting a warm season grass meadow?
Warm season grasses (WSG) provide essential food and cover for countless birds and small mammals. WSG are clumpy (not solid mats like fescue fields) which allows plenty of room on the ground for wildlife to move freely between the clumps. Native WSG provide excellent cover during all months of the year and grow well during our hot, dry mid-shore summers. They are lovely to look at and function to provide a nice visual screen for sensitive habitats like wetlands. Easy to maintain, WSG require little fertility and need only some managed mowing, spot spraying, or burning every 3 to 5 years. Most importantly, planting a WSG meadow will reduce the time spent on your lawn mower.
When is the best time to mow a warm season grass meadow? Are there any other ways to maintain a warm season grass meadow?
Areas should be mowed outside of nesting season, usually in March. We recommend mowing only 1/3 of a meadow every year. This creates a patchwork of habitat offering the right temporal and spatial distribution of food, breeding and escape cover. “Controlled burning” is actually the preferred method to manage and maintain WSG. Call CWH for help before attempting this.
What is CRP and CREP? Am I eligible for these programs?
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) are the federal government’s largest and best environmental improvement program. Run by the USDA, this voluntary program pays landowners to restore wetlands, grasslands and forests on their properties. These restoration sites provide valuable habitat for wildlife and help filter surface and ground water of pollution before it reaches the Chesapeake Bay (or other watersheds). Your land must have been in agriculture for two of the last five years to be eligible for the program.


Read Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway Free Online
Book Title: Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture|
The author of the book: Toby Hemenway
Edition: Chelsea Green Publishing Co
Date of issue: September 27th 2001
Loaded: 2228 times
Reader ratings: 5.7
ISBN 13: 9781890132521
Format files: PDF
The size of the: 919 KB
City - Country: No data
Read full description of the books:
Permaculture is a verbal marriage of "permanent" and "agriculture." Australian Bill Mollison pioneered its development. Key features include:
use of compatible perennials;
non-invasive planting techniques;
emphasis on biodiversity;
specifically adaptable to local climate, landscape, and soil conditions;
highly productive output of edibles.
Now, picture your backyard as one incredibly lush garden, filled with edible flowers, bursting with fruit and berries, and carpeted with scented herbs and tangy salad greens. The visual impact is of Monet's palette, a wash of color, texture, and hue. But this is no still life. The flowers nurture endangered pollinators. Bright-featured songbirds feed on abundant berries and gather twigs for their nests.
The plants themselves are grouped in natural communities, where each species plays a role in building soil, deterring pests, storing nutrients, and luring beneficial insects. And finally, you--good ol' homo sapiens--are an integral part of the scene. Your garden tools are resting against a nearby tree, and have a slight patina of rust, because this garden requires so little maintenance. You recline into a hammock to admire your work. You have created a garden paradise.
This is no dream, but rather an ecological garden, which takes the principles of permaculture and applies them on a home-scale. There is nothing technical, intrusive, secretive, or expensive about this form of gardening. All that is required is some botanical knowledge (which is in this book) and a mindset that defines a backyard paradise as something other than a carpet of grass fed by MiracleGro.
Download Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture ERUB
Download Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture DOC
Download Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture TXT
Read information about the authorToby Hemenway was an American author and educator who has written extensively on permaculture and ecological issues. He was an adjunct professor at Portland State University, Scholar-in-Residence at Pacific University and a field director at the Permaculture Institute (USA).
Reviews of the Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture
Add a comment
Download EBOOK Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway Online free


What do you do with 2,000 pounds of produce that’s perfectly edible but a little blemished? You could throw it out, contributing to the massive food waste problem, which results in roughly a third of the world’s food supply going to waste. Or you could collect it, chop it up, and cook it into a meal for more than 5,000 people. That’s what volunteers in Washington, D.C., did as part of the Feeding the 5000 campaign, which has held similar events around the world to draw attention to food waste.
Read more about turning “ugly” vegetables into a feast:
Feeding the 5,000:
Read about how “ugly” fruits and vegetables can help solve world hunger:
Eating the Invasive “Frankenfish” to Stop Its Spread:
VIDEOGRAPHERS: Jed Winer and Daniel Turner
PRODUCER: Jed Winer
EDITOR: Nick Lunn


Allotment & Kitchen gardens
Grow your own vegetables
Sowing times & harvesting chart - UK, Northampton, Northampton-shire). Jan-Feb-Mar-Apr-May-Jun-Jul-Aug-Sep-Oct-Nov-Dec: Download vegetable advice/allotment chart in Word
Alloment and Kitchen vegetables,
Vegetable advice about purchasing seed
Allotment preparation/vegetable advice- Not always the most popular chore in the garden calendar, digging is done for three reasons: to ensure that annual weeds are buried; to introduce manure or compost into the ground, and to aerate the soil. Fortunately, this is only a once a year task, best tackled in autumn or early winter, leaving rough soil exposed to be broken down by the winter frost. By the spring, soil that has been well dug should merely need superficial attention - raking or a light touch with the fork - in readiness for sowing or planting.
Always plant vegetables to a line and use a measuring rod to mark the correct in - the - row spacing. Plant with a dibber, a hand fork, or a trowel depending on the type of transplant being handled.
Purchasing seeds and plants -
Planning the next seasons cropping in the vegetable garden begins in the winter with the arrival of the new editions of seed catalogues. Many seed firms produce excellent catalogues which contain much valuable information.
F1 hybrids -
The advantages of these hybrids are that they are often more vigorous than their parent, and they tend to have more uniform characteristics of height, form and color as well as maturing at the same time. F1 hybrids are produced only after a considerable amount of selection and careful crossing over a number of years and they are invariably more expensive than conventional varieties. Never save seed from F1 hybrids because the next generation of plants will have lost uniformity.
Conventional varieties -
Conventional varieties mature over a longer period and they are preferred by many gardeners. One advantage is that seed can be saved from them, but it must be selected from healthy, true type plants only.
Seeds should be stored dry in paper bags or packets rather than polythene or plastics bags because these tend to conserve dampness if it is present. Store seeds in a cool, dry place, such as a cellar or a refrigerator, and keep all the packages clearly labelled. If they have been stored correctly most vegetable seeds remain viable for at least two years. But because there are exceptions - parsnip seed, for example, rapidly loses the ability to germinate once a packet has been opened - it is wise to buy several small - sized packets of seed.
Buying garden plants or vegetable plants -
- The same can be said about both plant types.! Some vegetable plants are purchased from nurseries or garden centres: This is probably most convenient for tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, aubergines, celery and celeriac, but care is needed when purchases are made. Trust and goodwill between the nursery owner and the customer are essential so always return where good service has been received. With vegetable planting be very careful when buying plants, that could introduce a persistent disease to the garden. This is particularly true for the club - root on brassica plants and white onion rot or leek plants, and the warning is even more applicable to plants which friendly gardening neighbors may provide.
Buying perennial vegetables-
perennial vegetables such as rhubarb, globe artichokes and asparagus are purchased as plants rather than as seed. Again, they could be infected with virus diseases which gradually reduce the vigor and productivity of the plants, and so only virus-free or tested material should be purchased. This is also true of seed potatoes which are likely to be brought every year. Virus-free seed tubers are produced in areas where aphids that spread viruses are not a problem. After three months with care, you will see your results.


Persson's new employees have been hard at work over the summer 🐝🌸
The Persson honey bees have been working diligently over the summer – pollinating a neighboring meadow bursting with wildflowers and transforming the nectar they collected.
The resulting honey is stored in the hive and used during cold weather or drought as a food source for the hive. Thankfully, bees work very hard and often make more honey than they need, we harvest this surplus.
Bees are natural pollinators, returning to the hive from their travels laden with pollen. They are an essential link in our ecosystem and food chain pollinating our flowering crops to ensure a plentiful harvest.
And with the warm summer days now fading away as a distant memory it has been the ideal time and conditions to harvest the by-product of our bees hard work, their honey. It comes in many colors and flavors with as many different honeys as there are flower species.
Harvesting too early means we don’t capitalize on the full amount of honey potentially available each year and harvesting too late risks running into cold temperatures.
Located in Sweden we can already see the leaves and landscapes turning autumnal as the evenings draw in far quicker now. And with the chill in the air, we need to make sure we don’t take too much honey and not leave enough for the colony to survive on over the winter.
Going forward we hope to be able to harvest honey twice a year as we learn more about what are the best conditions for our bees to thrive.
We will keep you up to date with our honey bees progress and our work in terms of sustainability as we continue to focus on the environment.
If you have any questions or suggestions about our bees please let us know, and if you want to talk sustainability make a beeline for our focus on Re-think packaging. Think sustainability.
Matthew Cassano joins Persson Innovation as Key Account Manager North America and will take care of our largest US customers, making sure their needs are met and that their accounts are serviced properly. Read more
Matthew Cassano recently started working at Persson Innovation as the Key Account Manager for the North America region. We sat down with Matthew and asked him a few questions to get to know him better. Read more
Persson Innovation's strong commitment to its local community takes various forms. Now Persson Innovation is stepping in as a sponsor of the Cheerleading team Wildfire, which is part of Cheer Unlimited, the local cheerleading club in Örebro, Sweden. Read more
With so many changes happening in the world we wanted to take a moment to assess what the impact has been from such a tumultuous year on our industry, customers, and the packaging supply chain. We set ourselves a few questions internally to start thinking about what we experienced in 2021 and what the future holds for us in 2022. Read more
Persson Innovation appoints John Lee as Sales Manager, North America Read more
John Lee started working at Persson Innovation on October 2021, as the Sales Manager for the North America region. We sat down with John and asked him a few questions to get to know him better. Read more


India produces a wide range of spices. India produced million tonnes of different spices and annually having value of billions US $ spices export from India, and holds a prominent position in world spice production. Because of the varying climates almost all spices grow splendidly in India. In reality almost all the regions of India grow one or the other spices.
As we are directly associated with cultivators, we give best quotes throughout India, with best Quality of Products. We are located centrally in India and having coordinates in all major metros of India. We export all items of Spices.
We supply all Type of Agri Commodity including sesame seeds, mustard seeds , Chickpeas, Rice, Wheat, Maize, Sorghum, Soybean, Asalia and etc. We also supply so many herbs like White Musli, Ashwagandha, Physillum Husk, Aspargus Racemous and all other rare herbs from Indian origin. We can also provide all items of Cereals, Oil seeds and all the items of Cattle feed Soya DOC, De-oiled cake, Rapeseed DOC, Barley, Millet & etc. We Export all type of Herbs, Cereals, Oil seeds, cattle feeds and all other Agri products.


Marc Catlin is a native of Montrose, CO who was raised by a row crop farmer and a farm wife, and is currently involved with the endeavors of the Catlin family farm. He currently is serving on the Colorado River District Board of Directors as the representative for Montrose County. His most recent work was as the Water Rights Development Coordinator for Montrose County where he worked to identify and protect water rights within the county. Marc served in management of the Uncompahgre Valley Water User’s Association, the largest irrigation company on the western slope of Colorado, from 1996 until 2011. Each Saturday, Marc is the host of the local talk-radio show on AM KUBC known as “Diversions”, which deals with issues regarding water, agriculture, and business on the western slope.