As per the experts, the major production of the flowers has shifted from traditional growers to the countries where the weather conditions are better and the labor and production costs are lower. This has resulted in the ideal shift in the floral industry. For example, the Netherlands has already shifted the focus from flower production to the flower trade, although it still plays an important role in the development of the genetics of floriculture. Countries like Colombia (which is the second largest exporter in the world and they are in the market for the past 40 years), Kenya, Ecuador (which is the biggest exporter and producer of roses in the world), Ethiopia, and India. Countries like Mexico, Israel, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia are the other players in this industry. New Zealand, due to its location in the Southern Hemisphere, is a common source of seasonal flowers that are usually unavailable in Europe and the United States. One can easily get the fresh flowers monthly subscription and event floral arrangements in houston by visiting the rice village flower shop.
In Kenya, Africa is the largest exporter which supplies the majority percentage of flowers in Europe. In North America, Mexico devoted the world’s third-largest land area (22,700 hectares ~ 56,092 acres, and increasing) to the production of ornamental flowers in 2019. Irrespective of that, only 5% of the total production of the flower gets exported, mostly to the countries like Canada, the United States, and Europe. Although, the high technological development in most centers of flower production, like the State of Mexico, Villa Guerrero, makes it possible to achieve world-class quality in the production of flowers. The floral industry in Mexico is represented at the national level by the Consejo Mexicano de la Flor (in English, the Mexican Flower Council), but there are several organizations of flower growers or state and regional scope.
The Asociación de Floricultores de Villa Guerrero A.C. which is commonly recognized as ASFLORVI on an international level had recorded more than 700 flower grower members in 2019, which eventually makes it the biggest flower grower association in Mexico. Mexico offers many advantages to flower companies in the United States and Canada compared to already well-known flower-producing countries such as Colombia and Ecuador.


The words you need to know for local eating in Columbus
By Katie Uhl
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): a program that connects farmers directly to consumers that provides a set amount of produce each week or month for those that have a "share"
Fair trade: a standard that means sustainable agriculture practices are used and the farmers are bettering their conditions
Farmer's markets: community gatherings for local farmers to sell their produce, milk, etc.
Food miles: the distance food travels, from farm to plate, and an important factor in sustainability
Food system: the growing, processing, and transportation of food
Local: the region close to you, usually within a day's drive. However there is no concrete definition for eating "locally"
Locavore: someone who eats food grown locally
Sustainability: habits that save energy and resources and preserve the environment


- 400g Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
- 1 Avocado
- 200g Burrata Cheese
- 35g Coriander
- Handful of Pistachio Nuts
- 1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated
- 75ml Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
- Make the pesto by blitzing the coriander, pistachio nuts and olive oil in a herb mill, food processor or even a pestle and mortar. Once done, place into a small bowl.
- Fry the chopped garlic in a frying pan with a teaspoon of olive oil, until it starts to turn golden, which should take a couple of minutes. Add into the coriander mixture and add the parmesan cheese. Taste and add a little salt if needed. Set this aside.
- Chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and arrange them onto a platter.
- Slice the avocado and add them to the tomato platter.
- Roughly tear the burrata and place randomly onto the platter.
- Drizzle the pesto and a little extra olive oil and serve.
- Heirloom or heritage tomatoes are available in most supermarkets. They are colourful and their flavour is superior. Sustainable farming methods are used to grow them.
- If you do not like coriander, then you can substitute it for basil to make the pesto.


Welcome to the world of farming, where technology isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the driving force behind a revolution in how we grow our food. From cutting-edge gadgets to data-driven strategies, the agricultural landscape is evolving faster than you can say “crop rotation.” So, grab your virtual pitchfork, because we’re diving deep into the exciting world of agtech and how it’s reshaping the way we farm.
Embracing the Digital Farming Revolution
Picture this: fields filled not just with crops, but with sensors, drones, and robots buzzing about like busy bees. That’s the reality of modern agriculture, where every aspect of farming is getting a digital makeover. We’re talking about precision agriculture, where GPS-guided tractors ensure every inch of soil gets just the right amount of attention. It’s like having a high-tech guardian angel watching over your crops 24/7.
The Rise of Sustainable Agtech Solutions
But it’s not just about making farming more efficient – it’s also about making it more sustainable. That’s where agtech comes in, with a slew of innovations aimed at reducing waste, conserving resources, and minimizing environmental impact. Think smart irrigation systems that know exactly when and how much to water each plant, or drones that can pinpoint areas of soil erosion before they become a problem.
Data, Data Everywhere: The Power of Farming Analytics
In today’s digital age, data is king – even on the farm. With the help of advanced analytics tools, farmers can crunch numbers like never before, turning reams of data into actionable insights. They can track everything from soil moisture levels to crop yields, helping them make smarter decisions and optimize their operations for maximum efficiency. It’s like having a crystal ball that tells you exactly when to plant, when to harvest, and everything in between.
- Harnessing the Power of Big Data
- Using analytics to predict crop yields and optimize resource allocation.
- Making data-driven decisions for better farm management.
From Farm to Fork: The Impact of Agtech on Food Supply Chains
But the benefits of agtech don’t stop at the farm gate – they extend all the way to your dinner plate. With the help of blockchain technology, consumers can trace their food back to its source, ensuring transparency and accountability every step of the way. And with the rise of vertical farming and hydroponics, we’re seeing a whole new way of growing food that’s not only more efficient but also more resilient to climate change and other environmental challenges.
Looking to the Future: What’s Next for Agtech?
So, what does the future hold for agtech? Well, the sky’s the limit, my friend. We’re talking about everything from robotic pollinators to genetically engineered super crops that can withstand drought, pests, and disease. And with the advent of 5G and the Internet of Things, we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible. One thing’s for sure: the future of farming is looking brighter – and more high-tech – than ever before.
Innovating for a Greener Tomorrow
As we look ahead to the future, one thing is clear: the potential for innovation in agriculture is limitless. Whether it’s harnessing the power of AI to predict crop diseases or using satellite imagery to monitor soil health, the possibilities are endless. And with the global population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, the need for sustainable, efficient farming practices has never been greater. So here’s to the farmers, the tech wizards, and everyone else who’s working tirelessly to feed the world – one byte at a time.
Navigating Challenges: Adapting Agtech for Small-Scale Farmers
While the promise of agtech is undeniable, it’s important to acknowledge that not all farmers have access to the latest gadgets and gizmos. For small-scale farmers in developing countries, cost can be a major barrier to adoption. That’s why it’s crucial for innovators and policymakers to find ways to make agtech more accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of their location or financial resources. Initiatives like tech-sharing programs and government subsidies can help level the playing field, ensuring that all farmers have the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Building Resilience: Agtech in the Face of Climate Change
Speaking of change, climate change is one of the biggest threats facing agriculture today. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc on crops around the globe. But where there are challenges, there are also opportunities for innovation. From drought-resistant seeds to climate-smart irrigation systems, agtech is helping farmers adapt to a changing climate and build resilience in the face of adversity. By embracing these technologies, farmers can not only survive but thrive in a world where the only constant is change.
Collaborating for Success: The Role of Public-Private Partnerships
In the quest to harness the power of agtech, collaboration is key. That’s why public-private partnerships are so important. By bringing together governments, NGOs, academia, and the private sector, we can pool our resources, expertise, and innovation to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture today. Whether it’s developing new technologies, sharing best practices, or scaling up successful initiatives, working together is the key to driving real, lasting change in the agricultural sector.
Empowering Farmers: The Human Side of Agtech
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the technology – it’s about the people behind it. Farmers are the heart and soul of agriculture, and their knowledge, experience, and intuition are irreplaceable. That’s why it’s so important to involve farmers in the development and implementation of agtech solutions. By listening to their needs, respecting their expertise, and empowering them to take ownership of the technology, we can ensure that agtech truly serves the people it’s meant to benefit.
Conclusion: Cultivating a Brighter Future with Agtech
In conclusion, the future of agriculture is bright – and it’s powered by technology. From precision farming to smart irrigation, agtech is revolutionizing the way we grow our food, making it more efficient, sustainable, and resilient than ever before. But to fully realize the potential of agtech, we must address the challenges of accessibility, climate change, and collaboration head-on. By working together, we can cultivate a future where every farmer has the tools they need to thrive, every crop is grown with care and efficiency, and every mouth is fed with nutritious, sustainable food. So here’s to the future of farming – may it be as bountiful and beautiful as the fields themselves.


Welcome to INTI Specialty Coffee! We are dedicated to providing you with the finest coffee experience. Our coffee is sourced through Direct TRADE, ensuring that farmers are paid fair prices for their hard work. We are committed to sustainability, using eco-friendly practices in every step of our process. From bean to cup, we strive to deliver exceptional quality and taste. Join us on this journey and indulge in the rich flavors of our specialty coffees. Start your day with a cup of INTI Specialty Coffee and experience the perfect blend of passion and craftsmanship.
From Bean to Cup: Our Passion for Quality
Crafting Excellence in Every Cup
At INTI Specialty Coffee, we believe that coffee should not only taste great, but be ethically sourced and environmentally sustainable. We are proud to offer a selection of organic and fair trade coffees that are grown using sustainable farming practices. Our direct relationship with farmers ensures their fair compensation and builds meaningful connections in the industry.


One of the attractions of moving to a smallholding is being able to keep animals. While we have no desire – and are far too lazy – to be self-sufficient, we are keen to build up our husbandry skills, get involved in the local farming community and know a bit more about the provenance of our meat & eggs.
Oddly enough, it was ‘Harriet’ the hedgehog who greeted us on our first morning on the smallholding. When she wasn’t bustling her way around the back garden, she’d retire to the large, over-grown rosemary bush where, I suspect, she continues to live.
Meanwhile, we prepared to bring our first livestock home and, as SWMBO has wanted to keep chickens since forever, this entailed building up a chicken coop we bought online. After Maisie and I had completed that job, I fenced off a portion of the home paddock to provide an enclosed run for the much-mooted chickens.
A week or so later, the local A&P (agricultural and pastoral) society’s showgrounds hosted the annual Auckland Poultry Show and we went along to have a look-see. I have to say that I wasn’t aware that so many people were so passionate about breeding, raising and showing poultry and game birds and we were staggered by the variety of fowl on show.
Beyond the showing cages, we found a sale room full of poultry for purchase and spent an hour or so wandering up and down the aisles, nodding sagely and trying to look like we knew what we were looking for.
Though we had already made tentative arrangements to start with some chicks later in the spring, we were keen to do all we could to build up our bird husbandry skills and we left the show with three mature laying birds and a scrawny-looking Silkie rooster packed into the back of the car.
Since then, the chooks have settled in well and starting to lay the occasional egg, with yesterday seeing the height of production thus far when Wendy returned from chook duties with three clutched in her hand.
We are blessed to have our good friend Johnny and his family as neighbours. Johnny has lived on his farm all his life and his willingness to share his knowledge and help us in a 101 way has blown us away. Whether it has been a cooked meal on the day we moved in, the ‘permanent loan’ of a chainsaw or hours of hard labour to get a job done, Johnny and his family have never once been anything other than a blessing.


A special Grapes Festival is celebrated in Siggiewi, Malta at the end of August. to celebrate the annual grape harvest or vendemmia, from vineyards in the Siggiewi area. The event is family oriented and is being held from 18:00 until late on Sunday 25th August this year. Traditional grape pressing using bare feet was among the features of a grapes festival held by siggiewi local council. The festival at the height of the grape harvesting season included a wine making competition, the sale of grapes and grape products including many varieties of wine. The hundreds of people who turned up could also enjoy traditional food and entertainment. Meanwhile, a wine festival will be held in Qormi next Friday and Saturday evening. An exhibitions of the traditions of wine making has opened in an old windmill near St. George’s Church.


The most successful of our projects has been making traditional Zimbabwean baskets. Basket making is a traditional art form and we encourage the caregivers to involve orphans in the process to keep the tradition alive.
The Zienzele Foundation buys baskets from the projects, providing modest but important earnings to their makers. The baskets are then sold in the United States and abroad with all earnings returned to the villages to pay school fees for our identified orphans.
There are garden projects in all 23 school districts where we work. The "families" caring for orphans are given plots in the community garden space for their use. Vegetables grown are used for family consumption as well as income.
The Foundation supports these efforts by providing seeds, fencing, and arranging education programs by the agicultural extension agents in the area. There is a great deal of friendly competition among the groups and an annual Garden Show gives prizes to the best gardens. Drought is a constant threat to the success of the gardens, so the need for irrigation systems remains critical.
Zienzele's sewing groups have grown and prospered. Originally the foundation provided a sewing machine per group and the materials needed to create school uniforms to sell. With their continuing success and the support of a donor, the groups are now making children's clothing, choir uniforms, and sports uniforms for the schools. Groups have used some of the profits to subsidize the purchase of more sewing machines.


The vines of the property, located in the plains and on the hillsides, enjoy one of the wonderful terroirs of Lussac-Saint Emilion. Its clay and sandy-clay soils, keep the freshness and allow a softer maturation of the grapes, preserving their aromas and their vivacity.
Proud plots rise above the property, getting a little closer to the warmth of the sun's rays.
Others, more shy, are nestled in the heart of the preserved nature, on the edge of a pond and a stream.
Each parcel proudly bears the name of the fauna and flora that surrounds it. Thirteen parcels that allow us to make the best possible selection. They bring us the diversity and complexity of our raw material.
The vineyard is made up of a classic St-Emilion grape variety with 88% Merlot, fruity and sensual and 12% Cabernet Franc, structuring and with character.


Those of us that love to garden, and I’m talking about growing our own fruits and vegetables here, look forward to the Fall Season as it is this time of year that we can gather the fruits of our labors. We prepare our gardens, getting the soil just right depending on the types of crops we select to grow. We hoe and weed the rows of healthy growing crops in anticipation of the time of year in which we harvest our long-awaited produce.
It takes a lot of work, from picking the ripe products we chose to plant, and Mother Nature’s portion of sunshine and enough rainfall to stimulate the rich ground in which we spent the time sowing and cultivating our plants.
Now that the Fall season has arrived, and we get busy picking our crops, some of us may experience some aggravated muscle groups, as we bend, stretch or kneel down to the ground in order to pick the choicest vegetables for our dinner tables.
Repetitive gathering of our produce, coupled with that bending and stretching can bring about several types of aches and pains, especially if we are among the “Older Generation” that like to do things for themselves, but sometimes our bodies let us know we are doing a bit too much, too fast. Some of these aches and pains can be caused by “Rotator Cuff” issues. This is when there is a build up of calcium in the rotator cuff area of the shoulder. Calcium forms in the tendon causing a buildup of stress on the tendon, as well as causing irritation which leads to shoulder pain. This repetitive motion of stretching as we gather our vegetables can aggravate this tendon to the point where it becomes irritated and then causes pain. Continuing to move in thiis manner only causes the discomfort to increase into a painful event.
The standard symptoms of a person diagnosed with Rotator Cuff Issues are:
Mild to severe pain
Dull Aches in the upper arm, past the elbow to the shoulder
Swelling, along with difficulty performing various movements which causes more pain.
Standard Treatments for Rotator Cuff Pain are:
Painkillers and Anti-Inflammatories
Cortisone Steroid Injections
Cooling Therapy to relieve pain and swelling. Using the guidelines of the PRICE Method of Treatment.
The Price Method stands for:
Compression (to reduce swelling)
Elevation: Keeping the injured area immobile and elevated.
Physicool provides the key stages of PRICE in a single reusable bandage, providing protection, cooling and compression for a shoulder injury to help reduce the pain and swelling. A Physicool bandage can be applied to the injury and the cooling effect recharged by spraying Physicool Coolant directly onto the bandage whilst it is in position.
Physicool is a unique cotton bandage impregnated with a patented liquid which draws heat away from the affected tissues by rapid evaporation. While the deep tissues are being cooled, the simultaneous compression effects of Physicool modify the inflammatory response to soft tissue damage which helps promote healing.
Using this New cold treatment method allows the bandage to naturally act as a compression wrap, while supplying cold penetrating treatment that gets deep into the muscle and tendons which are affected
So, don’t deal with this nagging sharp pain and let it keep you from gathering in your crop of healthy produce. Use the Physicool Bandage Wrap size B and just ease up on your repetitious arm movements for a time and you will soon be back filling your baskets with your healthy home-grown harvest.


ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
MOUNTAIN GROWN IN SPARTA, GREECE
How We Got Our Name
In 2011, Lonely Olive Tree Organics™ Founder, Dimitri Kallianis, a successful chef and restaurateur in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois traveled back to his father’s birthplace of Sparta, Greece in a quest to bring his family’s historic, unique single-origin olive oil to America. Until this time, his family’s olive oil was only provided to an exclusive list of friends, relatives and professional chefs. Nearly a decade later, Lonely Olive Tree Extra Virgin Olive Oil is used and appreciated by many of America’s best chefs and is distributed nationwide by retail and food service distributors. In late 2020, The Kallianis family will be launching a natural olive oil skincare line called nota™ by Lonely Olive Tree Organics. Their collection of natural skincare products combine their early harvest Greek organic olive oil with American personal care chemistry.
Kallianis olive groves peak at the highest elevation in the mountains of Sparta, Greece. The high altitude offers ideal growing conditions for superior quality organic extra virgin olive oil. All of our family’s olives are picked by hand in the early winter crop season when the fruit is not fully mature and ripe. For generations, our family has produced a unique natural style of organic extra virgin olive oil called agourelaio meaning “unripe green olive oil.” In 1910, the Kallianis olive groves were nearly destroyed by a historic frost. Our oldest surviving olive tree stood on top of the mountain grove Monahi Elia or in English, Lonely Olive Tree. This last standing olive tree was grafted and replanted throughout the groves in the village of Kastori, Laconia. Our family is proud to offer you our first cold pressed organic extra virgin olive oil from the northeast territory of Mount Taygetus.
We added the Organic because it is, and has been for generations, certified USDA Organic, NON-GMO, DIO certified Organic, and certified that all of our olive oil is harvested from a protected geographical area.
We Take Pride in our Certifications
What Do These Certifications Mean?
USDA Organic / DIO Organic European Union Organic
Certified Organic – meaning free of synthetic additives like pesticides, chemical fertilizers and dyes. Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through natural certified approved methods.
Protected Designation of Origin
(PDO) is the name of a certified geographical region or specific area that is recognized by official rules to produce certain foods with special characteristics related to location.
Non GMO Verified
“GMO” stands for Genetically Modified Organism, and refers to plants, animals or other organisms whose genetic material has been changed in ways that do not occur naturally. The “NON-GMO” label certifies that our olive oil is harvested, pressed and cold extracted without ingredients that were derived from genetically engineered organisms.
How we get that Natural True Green Color
Our mountain grown Spartan olives are harvested each year in the cold winter season, between November and January. Our green olives are harvested in their purest state, when the fruits are unripe. Within 12 hours of picking, our olives are transferred to our mill and pressed. This ancient method of early harvesting and first cold pressing gives our olive oil a natural green color, complexity, aroma and flavor which stands alone. Our family’s early harvest, single origin olive oil has been cherished for generations by the local Spartan community, and chefs around the world.


The Palmetto Pump Systems family holds the agricultural market dear to our hearts. After all, our founder grew up farming and many of us did as well. Here at PPS, we believe there is no better place to learn the value and satisfaction of a hard day’s work. We also understand the difficulty farmers face with ever rising prices of seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and all the other things necessary to make a living.
Sales & Services
Packaged Water & Waste Water Pump Stations
Submersible Wastewater Pumps
Vertical Line Shaft Turbine Pumps
Submersible Turbine Pumps
End Suction Centrifugal Pumps
Have a custom Agricultural application you need assistance with? Let our team help you find an economical solution, it’s what we do!


Nasa is planning to grow plants on the Moon for the first time by sending basil, turnip and cress seeds on a mission that will land on the lunar surface.
It might make a more appetising soup than a salad. Nasa is to send turnip, cress and basil seeds to the Moon in an attempt to grow them.
The experiment will be the first attempt to germinate plants on another world.
The seeds will be housed inside a specially constructed canister, known as the Lunar Plant Growth Chamber, that will carry enough air for 10 days.
Nasa says the air in the chamber would be adequate to allow the seeds to sprout and grow for five days.
It is hoped that the latest experiment will help to pave the way for astronauts to grow their own food while living on a lunar base.
The mission is due to launch in 2015 as part of the Moon Express lander – a commercial project to land on the Moon.
Nasa said it would use natural sunlight to germinate the plants inside the chamber and the seeds would grow on pieces of filter paper laden with nutrients.
In effect it is a recreation of one of the first science experiments that most schoolchildren conduct – growing cress seedlings on filter paper.
A statement from the office of the chief technologist at Nasa Ames Research Centre said growing plants on the Moon could also help assess the lunar surface’s suitability for supporting life.
It said that sending plants to the moon was the first step in the long term goal of getting humans to live and work on the lunar surface.
It said: “As seedlings, they can be as sensitive as humans to environmental conditions, sometimes even more so.
“They carry genetic material that can be damaged by radiation as can that of humans.
“They can test the lunar environment for us acting as a ‘canary in a coal mine’.
“If we send plants and they thrive, then we probably can. Thriving plants are needed for life support – food, air, water – for colonists.
“And plants provide psychological comfort, as the popularity of the greenhouses in Antarctica and on the Space Station show.”
Experiments on the International Space Station have shown that plants can grow in low gravity environments.
The tests have shown that plant roots, which obtain nutrients and provide stability to growing plants, appear to grow in a similar way in space as they do on Earth.
It suggests that the direction that light comes from plays an important role in helping plants orientate themselves while gravity is less important.
It has raised hopes that astronauts on long term space missions will be able to grow food for themselves.
The lunar plant growth mission will not see any of the seeds being planted into the Moon’s soil.
The dust on the lunar surface lacks many of the nutrients needed to support plant life as it has none of the decomposed organic material that forms much of the soil on Earth.
Instead more than 100 cress, or Arabidopsis as it is also known, seeds will be germinated on nutrient laden filter paper inside a “self contained habitat”.
This will act as a model for future bio-domes where astronauts can grow plants on the Moon. Scientists already believe there could be sufficient water for a lunar base hidden in impact craters and the soil on the Moon.
Cress is an important plant for scientists as it is often used in laboratories for plant gene research.
Radiation levels on the Moon are far higher than on the Earth as it has no atmosphere to filter out the most damaging of the Sun’s rays.
Temperatures on the surface of the Moon can also vary wildly – reaching more than 100 degrees C (212F) during the day and growing as cold as -173 degrees C (-279F) at night.
The morning frost after a night that cold would leave many gardeners disheartened.
A single “day” on the Moon last around 28 Earth days.
This means that plants will need kept a stable temperatures while also being shielded from the potentially damaging radiation that could harm the DNA and cause mutations.
The Lunar Plant Growth Chamber is expected to weigh around 2.2lbs and will also carry 10 seeds each of basil and turnips.
Upon landing on the Moon a trigger would release a small reservoir of water to wet the filter paper and initiate the germination of the seeds.
Photographs of the seedlings would be taken at regular intervals to monitor their progress and compare them to seedlings being growing in similar conditions on Earth.
They will monitor the leaf size and growth rate of the plants.
Nasa said it would use natural sunlight on the moon as the source of illumination rather than artificial light.
It said the mission was the first “in situ resource utilisation demonstration”.
Nasa has ambitions to establish a permanent base on the Moon and there were plans to use this as a staging post for missions to Mars.
Private companies have also expressed interest in setting up a base no the Moon so they can mine some of the natural resources there.
Following the Lunar Growth experiment Nasa said it would send further experiments to see how plants survive through the lunar night and even would breed plants on the Moon.
It said: “Survival to 14 days demonstrates plants can sprout in the Moon’s radiation environment at 1/6 g.
“Survival to 60 days demonstrates that sexual reproduction can occur in a lunar environment.
“Survival to 180 days shows effects of radiation on dominant and recessive genetic traits.
“Afterwards, the experiment may run for months through multiple generations, increasing science return.”


Maintenance and Care Guidelines
1. Watering & Fertilizer:
Water your Spring, Summer and Fall planters thoroughly every few days. Water enough that the soil is moist 2-3" below the surface.
Water your winter planters also if the root zone is not frozen. Your green boughs and cut twigs will take up moisture to keep them looking fresh for longer.
If it is hot and dry, be careful the dry surface soil doesn't cause the water to simply run off....water lightly to rehydrate the soil, then again to thoroughly water the root zone.
We treat your planters with a slow-release fertilizer to maintain optimum health for your plants. It is recommended that you add a weak water soluble fertilizer solution every two weeks.
For your summer planters, many of the blooming plants look best when old blooms are "pinched" off and dead or browning foliage is removed. This will keep your flowering plants continuously blooming and promotes thicker growth.
We do try to use plants that are "ever-blooming" and mess-free, but a little TLC goes a long way with flowering plants.
3. Ack! A Bug!
Bugs and Aphids are a natural part of any outdoor environment. If you see a few, there is no cause for alarm. If you see a lot, or your plants don't look healthy (even though you've been watering regularly), then let us know and we can help troubleshoot the problem.
We hope this helps you care for your planters and keep them looking as beautiful as possible! We know that things happen and plants sometimes die....please give us a call if you require us to schedule a "fix-up".
The Click and Bloom Team


Like your home, office and factories, you need to protect your farm too. It is an ancient human practice to protect their farming land from all types of hazards. In some cases, you need to use fences to protect your farm animals as well.
It is necessary to choose the right type of fencing in Ripley for your agricultural land so that you can enjoy peace of mind. The fencing will not only protect your property but also define the territory of your farming land.
It is required to get complete idea about agricultural fencing before you invest in this product.
5 Types of Agricultural Fencing
- Wood fences: This has been probably the most common types of farm fencing since the introduction of the fencing system.
- Woven wire fences: If you have farm animals like goats, pigs and sheep, then this is the best choice for you.
- Barbed wire fences: This is also highly effective, but slightly dangerous for workers and animals.
- Synthetic fences: The latest type comes with rust-resistant features which make the product long-lasting and effective.
- Electric fences: With proper installations, electric fences are cost-effective and most flexible for farmlands.
Apart from these common types of fences, you can look for something specific as per your farming requirements. This may include deer fencing, rabbit and chicken fencing, stock fencing, posts and rails.
Along with all types of fencing, you can look for gates to protect your farmland and animals from potential dangers.
Vital Points to Consider
- Measure the area for which you wish to install the fences.
- You need to contact the fencing contractors who have experience in agricultural fencing service.
- You need to discuss your needs and mention specific requirements while buying the products.
- Know what type of fencing will work best for your land as per its nature and size
- Discuss your budget with your fencing contractor to get something pocket-friendly
At Guildford Fencing Co., we serve our clients with the right quality of products and brilliant services. We aim to give them mental peace once we finish our job of fencing installation. From agricultural lands to residential properties – we offer fencing for different areas. Please get in touch with us for more information
View more results about Agricultural Fencing Laws Uk


the 100% home compostable mailer bag alternative, customisable to your brand.
created by jon and josh, compostic is a young kiwi company with a goal to eradicate unnecessary plastic waste. we offer a unique range of both home and commercially compostable products, including custom mailer bags, poly bags, and have some exciting new additions coming soon to help everyone do their bit to move the world past plastic.
all compostic products are certified to home-compost within 24 weeks, or commercially compost within 12 weeks. they adhere to the european standard, american standard, and australian standard. to top it off, all inks used are soy or water-based, and the plants used in production are a waste product. it’s not plastic, it’s compostic.
choose a composter that suits your situation. traditional bins, tumblers, diy boxes, or simply a pile are all great options. if you’re short on space, look into a bokashi bin as an alternative.
aim for 50/50 browns and greens. equal parts brown (dry leaves, cardboard, twigs, sawdust) and green (fruit and vege scraps, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds) lets the microbes do their thing.
be careful not to add cooked food, meat or bones, dairy, bread, pasta, oils, pet poo, diseased plants or pest weeds, and of course no inorganic material, like plastic!
shred it up to speed it up. tearing up your compostic mailer, cardboard, or chopping organic matter into smaller bits before you add it to your compost will help the process along.
give it a turn every now and then. your compost needs to be well aerated to properly decompose, so tumble or turn it every week or so, or better yet, every few days.
do a moisture test. take a handful of your compost out and give it a squeeze; if it drips then it’s too wet - you need to throw in more browns. If it’s dry as a bone, spray some water on and give it a turn.
your compost is ready when it cools down completely and does not get warm after turning. it should also be a rich brown colour, crumbly and have an earthy smell.
work your cured compost into your soil around plants, use it as mulch around your garden, or donate it to your local community gardens.
use it, reuse it, and home compost it.
don’t have a compost bin? our friends at We Compost have got you covered. they offer both domestic and commercial collection services that will not only take all of your compostable packaging waste, but also all of your organic waste and drop it off at an approved commercial compost facility.


our little vegie patch is NOT in a good spot for a winter garden! it gets NO sun ever through winter, and never dries out. I really didn't know what to try in it. so after posting on EB for advice I planted:
- brussells sprouts
- and i still had the silverbeet from summer growing
the things that did well and I would like to grow again next year are:
- broccoli (did OK, not great)
i think the silverbeet is finally on its way out - it's now growing horizontally instead of vertically, anyone know if that's right? should i pull it out and start afresh?
anyway, even if we've only managed one meal every week or two out of it it's been a fun experiment and I'll know what to plant more of next year! (hopefully i might have the end of the garden - which gets more sun - ready to go for next winter instead!)


Organic sprout extract – Ingredients extracted from organic sprout clarifies and energizes the skin with concentrated nutrition.
MMA formula with minimum chemical ingredients – Without using ethanol, paraben, mineral oil, artificial colors and fragrance, the Minimum Artificial Additive formula was create for mild and comfortable effects on the skin.
Environmentally-friendly philosophy – Leading a green beauty life by using ingredients grown in an environmentally-friendly way and recyclable packaging printed with soy ink.
Made with certified organic and pesticide-free produce grown in Korea – Black soybean from Cheongju, Chungbuk; black rice from Cheolwon, Gangwondo; mugwort from Ganghwa, Incheon; Houttuyniae Herba from Boseong, Jeonnam.
– Organic produce: are grown without using any organosynthetic agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizer. – Pesticide-free produce: are grown without using any organosynthetic agricultural chemicals, and with less than 1/3 of the recommended amount of chemical fertilizer.
– The excellent antioxidant effects of germinated black soybean protects the skin from oxidative stress while activating the blood circulation and discharge of toxins.
– Germinated black rice instantly moisturizes and nourishes the skin to maintain the ideal balance, while the houttuynia cordata bud soothes and comforts the skin irritated by external stimulation.
– Various minerals, vitamins, and amino acid extracted from brown algae provides great hydration and protection for the skin.
How to use
– After using toner in the morning and evening, apply an appropriate amount to face and neck and pat to absorb.


The 2022 U.S.-China Agricultural Roundtable Conference, jointly organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA), was opened on March 22, via video link.
During the province-to-state dialogue, official from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hubei Province, directors of the Department of Agriculture of Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as business representatives respectively introduced their local characteristic and advantageous sectors in agriculture industry and expressed their desire to expand cooperation.
Official from Hubei said that Hubei is a major province in agriculture. Its output of grain has remained above 50 billion catties for nine years and output of freshwater aquatic products has ranked the first in China for 26 consecutive years. In 2021, the province’s total agricultural exports reached 2.73 billion U.S.dollars, a record high.
Hubei is willing to deepen cooperation with Oklahoma, Kansas and other regions in the hinterland of the U.S. in the fields of agricultural science and technology personnel exchange, agricultural product storage, quality testing and deep processing, embryo transfer technology of dairy cattle, water-saving agriculture, etc., so as to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, he added.
It is the second consecutive year for Hubei to participate in the roundtable conference.


Compliant Grass Tiles
SS500 Compliant Grass Tiles Specification & Installation
Environmentally friendly rubber matting system offering grass reinforcement and a tested, impact absorbing surface.
- H.I.C, of 3.0m on grass.
- Impact absorbent.
- Non-slip surface.
- Absorbs shock and noise.
- Excellent durability and comfort.
- Suitable for all weather and extreme temperatures.
- Honeycomb design allows liquid and debris to drain keeping surface dry and clean.
|Specification : Rubber Honeycomb Tiles|
|Tile Size:||1.5m x 1.0m x 23mm Thick|
The area covered is secured in place with the use of galvanised or plastic fixing pins. Allow for 3 no. pins per outer edge of the total carpet area.
- Tape Measure.
- Stanley knife.
- Rubber gloves.
- Grass edge cutter.
- Cable ties.
- Grass Seed.
- Rechargeable drill and 6mm drill bit.
- 3 no. Edge fixing pins at the rate of 3 no. pins per outer edge of tile area.
- Mark out the area to be covered with the Compliant Grass Tiles.
- Compliant Grass Tiles can be laid directly onto existing grassed areas. The area should be filled in if uneven with topsoil and be compact.
- Sow grass over this area.
- (OPTIONAL) For soft (boggy) areas lay an open coarse membrane. Leave about 150mm in from the outside edge.
- Now lay out the Compliant Grass Tiles over the area to be covered, cutting around any equipment or obstacles if necessary.
- Fasten edges together using cable ties and trim tails.
- Cut into the ground about 75mm deep along the edge of the perimeter area to be covered using a grass edge cutter or similar.
- Roll back the Compliant Grass Tiles. Starting about 150mm in from the outside edge of the tiles, use a spade and cut the top turf away in the direction of the 75mm deep cut finishing at the depth. This will leave a wedge shape channel. Continue around the perimeter of the laid tiles.
- Roll the Compliant Grass Tiles back and down into the channel and pin the edge through the small holes in the tile and into the ground, Use 1 pin per tile corner and 1 pin midway. You should now have a ramp edge all the way around. Now cover the ramped area with topsoil and seed. Bring the level back up to its original level and flatten.


3rd Generation Family-Owned Business
Since the beginning the farm has had the goals of sustainability and healthy products in mind. Purchased by his father in 1996 from the original Cascadian Farm, today Terrance and his children live on and care for the Forest Farmstead.
ABOUT FOREST FARMSTEAD
The Forest Farmstead is a modern, sustainable homestead done the old fashioned way, tucked in the North Cascades mountains temperate rain forest. We raise animals, have an orchard and market garden, and sustainably manage our forest land. We are looking to build our family homestead’s productivity, diversity, and ability to host others. Terrance is a renewable energy engineer with a background in agriculture, using his knowledge to pursue new organic and sustainable methods and share them with all who come to the farm.
HEALTHY FOOD, HEALTHY YOU!
All products on the farm are grown organically and as sustainably as possible. Our produce is grown to supply local restaurants with fresh, organic produce, as well as the local food bank to provide those in need with healthy food options.


EWB-UMN will be working in Filakit, Ethiopia. The main concerns in Filakit are the lack of water for their community of ~300. Due to a lack of water and deforestation, much of the wildlife have left this area. Work needs to be done educating the community on sustainable farming practices. With proper irrigation, the community can also look to begin the process of planting new trees for reforestation. The Ethiopia project will also be looking to use drones to help survey the area. An initial assessment trip to survey the community will be happening this upcoming May.
Our technical subgroups are constantly working on various implementation projects, including: Water storage, Drip Irrigation, Public Health, Drone Surveying, Crop Efficiency and Water Purification.
Where We Are
For more information about this exciting opportunity contact Lily Hock at email@example.com or Colin Bain at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Muzit Spring Catchment System
Check out the work we have been doing to harness spring water using a catchment system.


Are you tired of wasting countless hours attempting to care for your lawn with little to no success? Don't spend another minute stressing over your yard. Let the team at Green Gorilla Landscaping LLC do the work for you. You can trust our lawn maintenance service in Hickory, NC to mow your lawn and keep your yard looking healthy all year long.
Here are some of the lawn care services we offer:
Edging | Mowing | Trimming | Seeding | Aerating
Call us at 828-228-1789 today to receive a free estimate from a member of our lawn maintenance team.
If you're ready to have a professional care for your lawn, now is the perfect time to register for one of Green Gorilla Landscaping's lawn maintenance plans. We offer a variety of flexible options designed to fit your schedule. You can decide to receive weekly, biweekly or monthly service.
Contact us today for more information about your lawn care options in Hickory, NC.


The Indian agriculture sector has made significant strides in the past few decades by meeting the required production of basic staple like rice and wheat to feed the growing population. However, farmers * are unable to realize the right value for their produce and achieve full potential in terms of yield. The subdivision and fragmentation of landholdings, lack of awareness and less inclination towards adoption of newer technologies has led to lower levels of production against the optimal potential. The absence of adequate marketing infrastructure, long chain of intermediaries, lack of collectivization effort has led to fewer marketing opportunities and reduced profits to the farmers.
Collectivization of primary producers, especially small and marginal farmers, into producer organisations is emerging as one of the most effective pathways to address various challenges of agriculture and most importantly, improved access to investments, technologies, quality inputs and markets. Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India has identified Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) as the most appropriate institutional form and mechanism to mobilize farmers and build their capacity to collectively leverage their production and marketing strengths.
The many challenges faced by individual small and marginal farmers especially in marketing of the produce are expected to be addressed by the formation of FPO. As a producer company, FPO should be able to unleash the economic and entrepreneurial potential of the local producer community through enhanced negotiation power and business partnerships. These organizations are created depending upon the needs of the producers considering the demand potential to adopt value chain approach to enhance producer’s economic and social benefits.


On the Future Menu Posted on08/11/202117/11/2021AuthorJonathan1 Comment Poster number: 300A_18 Authors: Fjørtoft, T, Hestness, R, Hauso, M & Rognan, S. BIO300A - Fall 2021 Download as PDF
1 thought on “On the Future Menu”
I disagree with both the background and the conclusion you are offering.
The world is producing enough food. Food shortages are mostly economical and political issues.
Then, if the question is to produce sustainable food with a worldwide perspective, ditching animal products is the way to go. Humans do not need animal products to be healthy. Plus, the impact of aquaculture on the environment are huge. You cannot advocate to replace beef and chicken by sea products to reduce the environmental footprint of food production.
As already exposed by several UN reports, reducing the environmental impact of food production goes with 1. reducing food waste and 2. decreasing the meat production (sea food included!).


Organic Red orach Lingot®
Orach is a cousin of spinach but its flavor is more subtle and less like anise. Packed with vitamins C and K and calcium, this baby green is extremely nutritious. Enjoy it raw while adding beautiful color to a salad. Or cook it with some garlic and olive oil and serve it with lamb or grilled fish.
Enjoy the Véritable® Lingot® technology : 100% natural and ready-to-use refills with no pesticides or GMO's (patent-pending).
Organic Red orach Lingot® compatible with the whole Véritable® Garden range
Specie : Organic Red orach
|Satisfied or exchanged|
Enjoy the Véritable® Lingot® technology (patent-pending) : 100% natural and ready to use refills.
Easy to use and efficient, the Lingot® composition is specific for each plant and contains :
- Organic seeds
- Organic soil
- Nutrients essential to each plant
Each parameter is optimised : spacing between seeds, depth, choice of species, substrate composition...
Its composition is specific for each plant in order to get generous ans tasty harvests.
The Lingots® are 100% compostable and biodegradable. They contains no pesticides or GMO's.
Each Véritable® Garden is coming with 4 Véritable® Lingots® offered : Basil, Italian Parsley, Thyme, Dill.
The Lingots® can be stored 1 year before use, in a cool and dry place. After this time, the germination rate can decrease.
Success guaranteed "satisfied or exchanged"
At Véritable®, your satisfaction is our priority. Our Ingots® and vegetable gardens combine all the elements to offer you abundant harvests. However, nature can sometimes play tricks. If your Ingot does not germinate normally, Véritable® will replace it.


BeeSure Partners with Planet Bee to launch Seed Ball Kit Program for kids
Since 2016, BeeSure has worked to provide education and workshops for students of all ages to learn the importance of individual actions in global environmental movements.
Since 2016, BeeSure has worked with Planet Bee Foundation to provide education and workshops for students of all ages to learn the importance of individual actions in global environmental movements. Planet Bee is dedicated to inspiring environmental stewardship and individual action through the teaching lens of the struggling honey bee. This year, BeeSure continues its partnership with Planet Bee to launch a new Seed Ball Kit Program.
For every case of products purchased, BeeSure contributes 25 cents towards an environmental organization.
What are seed balls?
Seed ball kits will promote awareness for kids to not only protect the environment, but also learn, love, and preserve it. Seed balls are natural clay balls full of seeds and soil. They can be easily dispersed to grow plants of all types without the need to dig holes or till land.
How does the Seed Ball Kit Program work?
Schools nationwide could apply for the Seed Ball Kit Program. After numerous applications and reviewal, 10 lucky schools around the country were selected to be sponsored for the program. Once a school is sponsored, teachers receive the kits and curriculum and are free to decide when lessons will take place.
One elementary school, Collins Elementary, dedicated a whole afternoon for all grades to participate in the program. The students would come in by class and make the seed balls, then disperse them around their buildings. The school had parent volunteers place soil in dedicated areas around the campus prior to making the seed balls. After dispersing the seed balls, the students will track its growth and process weekly.
Why are seed balls important?
Seed balls will grow into pollinator friendly flowers that provide food for bees. One third of our food supply is directly reliant on pollination services, and the populations of bees are decreasing at alarming rates. Seed ball kits allow students around the country to join in the efforts to support our precious pollinators. Thanks to BeeSure and Planet Bee, the Seed Ball Kit Program will plant 100,000 flower seeds!
This article is an edited version of a BeeSure press release.


2016 Lazare Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Sandler's second ever Lazare Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a two acre site in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. Amanda Lazare meticulously oversees every aspect of the vineyard, from budbreak through pruning. It is her dedication to growing the best fruit she can that makes this a special place for Cabernet.
The 2016 Lazare Cabernet is similar to the 2015 in its fruit profile, but has less mint in the nose and more acidity on the palate. It may require more time in the cellar than the 2015 did, so the anticipated maturity is between 2019-2028.


Artificial intelligence in agriculture: The impact it has on farmers Artificial Intelligence in agribusiness helps farmers improve productivity with the help of machines and other devices such as smart tractors, robotic soil sensors, soil monitors, and so on. What exactly is Artificial Intelligence in agriculture? It is the use of Artificial intelligent software to make statistical analysis and forecast future harvest levels and conditions. In short, AI in Agriculture is a technology that augments current agriculture by adding an extra layer of precision and accuracy. The applications are vast and spans over all areas of agriculture. With this technology, farmers can now accurately predict future yield levels which will ultimately lead to more profits.
AI in Agriculture
How does this technology help farmers? One major area where AI in Agriculture finds usage is in crop breeding. There are different types of crops such as beef, dairy, vegetables, fruits etc. Each type of crop has its own specific needs and requirements in terms of temperature, moisture, nutrients, pests, diseases, etc. This means that with the help of sophisticated instruments for pest inspection, farmers can now accurately forecast future yields based on information obtained from pest behavior and geography. This precision farming is highly beneficial for farmers and ultimately their families.
Another application of AIs in agriculture is the precision farming. This is also related to agriculture but applies specifically to precision farming of specific crops such as wheat, corn, barley, rice and so forth. With precision farming, AIs replace traditional farmers and instead send in robots to do the work. The robots come with artificial intelligence and are trained on data collected over years of harvest crops. These robots can now feed data from that and make accurate forecasts of future harvests.
What is robotics? Robotic systems that can function autonomously without any human oversight or supervision. In the case of AIs in farming, they replace humans in the agricultural sector by making independent decisions based on analyzed data. For example, they may decide to plant a field with high yield crops when it is not suitable for picking. They also determine the most optimal time of planting depending on the weather. This reduces labor and helps save money because machines can work independently, which saves money in terms of salaries and operating expenses.
How is predictive analytics used in precision farming? Picking the right crops and avoiding those that have a high water or moisture content can be very complex and requires deep analysis. AI is an artificial intelligence and it can process large amounts of data without any human supervision or guidance. This reduces the time required to make these decisions and increases the accuracy of the decisions.
How is this applied in precision farming? Because of the efficiency of an AI system in predicting the productivity of crops based on observed harvesting seasons and other factors, precision farmers are able to increase their yields by choosing high-yielding crops. They are also able to reduce the costs associated with pesticides and fertilizers by using predictive analytics. This allows them to achieve better overall yield results.
Does a company claiming to have these technologies actually exist? There are several companies in the market that make unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and its ability to replace humans in the agricultural sector. Some of these companies even have their own artificial intelligent robotic tractors and are using them to pick and pack crops. If you think that these technologies will soon replace humans in picking and choosing crops and making harvests, then you are mistaken because no company in its right mind would ever consider replacing humans in such tasks.
It is hard to believe that agriculture is one area where artificial intelligence will not be used. However, it is a fact that there are several companies in the market that are developing these technologies. It is also true that several research institutions are trying to develop better methods for artificial intelligence in all sectors. Thus, if you really want to invest in agricultural industries, then investing in smart farming technologies is one of the best options that you have.
image credit 2predicts


From the guys who brought you Weed Planet and Weed Shop comes a brand new social weed growing adventure - Weed Garden The Game!
Open up a Weed Shop franchise in the woods of Massachusetts and start growing weed in your outdoor garden. Sell your weed to local stoners, online customers or the weed warehouse. Make mad money, upgrade and pimp your shop or trick out your weed garden with unique rasta decorations. Connect to the PotFace network to send and receive weed seeds from your Facebook friends, buy or steal weed globally, visit or rob other weed shops and much more!
Weed Garden The Game Features:
в?® New Shop & Garden Upgrades: Customize your shop inside and out!
в?® Completely New Weed Plants: Grow strains like Bob Marley Sativa, New York Diesel and many more.
в?® Online Weed Shops: Sell & buy weed globally, visit shops and get free seeds!
в?® Thugs For Hire: Send thugs and shoplifters to other weed shops and score big!
в?® Weed Warehouse: Make big money by selling your crops wholesale!
в?® Recreational Activities: Smoke what you grow, shoot some hoops, practice field goals, etc.
в?® Breathtaking 3D Environment: Stop wasting your time on half-baked 2D games and immerse yourself in a weed growing experience the way it should be played.
Disclaimer: Weed Garden The Game is still in beta so please report all the bugs and send us your suggestions on how to make it better. We've got a lot more content and features planned for the future and hopefully with your support we can make it happen.


| Notas:|| Incluye bibliografA-a.|
General principles. Experimental approaches and quantitative methods. Crop physiological responses to light, photosyntesis, and respiration. Crop physiological responses to temperature and climatic zones. Crop developmental responses to temperature, photoperiod, and light quality. Radiation and energy balances and predicting crop water use. Crop transpiration and water relations. Crop adaptation to water-limited environments. Hydrologic budget of cropping systems, irrigation, and climatic zones. Crop responses to salinity and other limiting spil conditions. Interaction of crop responses to pests and abiotic factors. Consideration of crop responses to environment in plant breeding.


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Article from Granma regarding the newly accepted (16-17 campaign) Corojo 2012 Strain. No mention as to the qualities of the tobacco as a finished product, only that it will be more resistant to disease, and most importantly, yield two more leaves per plant. Only 200 Hectares planted this year, but if results are good this new strain could begin arriving on our doorsteps in 4-5 years. So, a reach back to the old Corojo, or another step away from the cuban black tobacco of old? http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2017-01-25/new-variety-of-tobacco-grown-in-pinar-del-rio-and-artemisa
Last month I was able to visit the farm of Jose Luis Prieto in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. I learned a lot about the leaf called Medio Tempo. It seems this leaf has always been around, and as Cuban cigar smokers we have smoked it in the past. It can only be identified by experts in the field. In identifying the leaf, it is not from the middle of the plant as medio would imply, but from the top, as in the ligero portion of the plant, but not all plants will produce medio tempo. This is the reason that Cohiba Behike must be 52 ring gauge or larger, because they must contain this extra leaf.Imagine 5 leaves rolled into the cigar.


The Philippine agriculture is already revolutions behind the absorption of technology, turning it into a laggard in a number of ways, especially in terms of productivity.
During a press conference led by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) on Tuesday, Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba, assistant secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry, revealed the sector is still in the mechanization phase, generally considered part of the second industrial revolution.
This is amid the fact that several countries across the world are already reaping the fruits of the fourth industrial revolution (FIRe) in their respective agriculture sectors, according to Dr. Jose Ramon Albert, PIDS senior research fellow who was also present during the event.
These include FIRe technologies on artificial intelligence that can detect diseases as well as agricultural applications, such as drones used in precision spraying. Biotechnology and synthetic biology are also being employed abroad to improve crops and invent pharmaceuticals, Albert said.
“Given the sector’s low productivity and supply constraints, these new technologies are important because they could catalyze its growth and attract new investments,” Aldaba explained.
“While the markets are there, we simply do not have the necessary supply of agriculture products,” she added.
The DTI official argued that these technologies can also be utilized to promote food security, given that a lot of the country’s agriculture lands are being converted to other purposes.
“They also provide us with an opportunity to move up the global value chain,” she explained.
From 2000 to 2017, the agriculture sector, contrary to manufacturing and services sectors, has slowed down, from 3.2- to 1.4-percent growth rate.
“The agriculture sector has actually been the weakest link in the country,” Aldaba explained.
This weak performance of agriculture, according to Aldaba, should concern the government as the economy of the regions outside Manila are dependent on agriculture.
Based on the data she presented, both the manufacturing and services sectors are dominated by the National Capital Region, if not by CALABARZON or Central Luzon.
“Given the weak performance of the agriculture sector, how can we then transform our regional economies?” she asked.
Lack of S&T spending, infra
Such delay in the absorption of technology can be partly explained by the lack of spending and infrastructure allocated to science and technology (S&T) in the Philippines.
In a 2017 PIDS study, for instance, Albert explained that S&T spending in the country,
whether in public or private expenditures, has been minimal, and even less than the suggested
benchmark expenditures of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Moreover, S&T infrastructure has hardly been integrated with production needs.
Albert also noted the dearth of studies on the impact of plans and interventions related to S&T given the different thrusts across administrations.
The press conference was part of a series of events PIDS has organized throughout the month of September in line with the celebration of the 16th Development Policy Research Month (DPRM).
The DPRM is celebrated across the country every September in view of Malacañang Proclamation No. 247 issued in 2002. The proclamation declares the observance of DPRM to promote and draw public awareness and appreciation of the importance of policy research in the formulation of sound policies, programs, and projects. The proclamation also designated PIDS as the lead government agency in the yearly celebration of the DPRM.
This year's DPRM centers on the FIRe and aims to shed light on the potential impacts of automation and other innovations in science and technology.
Aside from Aldaba and Albert, also present during the event were PIDS President Celia M. Reyes, PIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Ramonette Serafica, Secretary Fortunato de la Pena of the Department of Science and Technology, Mr. Jose Roland Moya, director general of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines, Ms. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, president and founder of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, and Ms. Love Basillote, executive director of the Philippine Business for Education. ###


Muscat Beauty Grape Vine
Some of our red grape vines for sale include Barbera Cabernet Franc 01 and Cabernet Sauvignon 08.
Muscat beauty grape vine. From before record history man has been fascinated with the production of grapes. We are proud to offer a huge range of white red and rose eating grapes both Bare rooted in winter dormant and potted all year round as well the stunning Ornamental Grape Vine Tinto. Red muscat grapes are small to medium in size and are round to oblong in shape growing in tight cylindrical clusters.
Golden Muscat grapes are sweet juicy and highly flavored a good table grape but shines in wine. The flesh is greenish-white and has a. The Pink Muscatel is a sub-variety of the Muscatel one of the oldest grapes grown dating back to early.
Pixies Gardens 1 Gallon Mars Seedless Grape Vine Shrub Live Fruit Plant for Planting - Blue Grapes Good in Hot Summer Areas 37 out of 5 stars 27 Pixies Gardens Thompson Seedless Grape Vine Plant Sweet Excellent Flavored White Green Grape Large Clusters On Vigorous Growing Vines. Grow a bounty of sumptuous tables grapes with. Grapes provide summer shade but let the sun in over winter making them perfect for pergolas.
It can be used to make sweet or dry wines but our hot nights dont bring out the best in this grape so Id keep looking for a source of grapes for a southern- grown muscat. Very hardy vine and fairly durable against powdery mildew. It is a wine type not a table grape and the berries crack and rot second only to Muscat Blanc the worst in my collection.
Our grape vines pricing is based on quantity. A beautiful light rosy-pink this grape tastes like it looks very sweet and delicate with a pronounced floral aroma. They are fast-growing and bear delicious bunches of fruit to eat fresh or turn into wine.
In winter at pruning time make a cutting of a leafless stem around 1015cm long with two or three nodes. At present there are hundreds of varieties and hybrids of Muscat grapes available. Grape Black Muscat 1699 2499 SELECT OPTIONS Grape Green Sun Muscat 1699 2499 BACKORDER Grape Grenache 2499 BACKORDER Grape.
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Agricultural Opportunities for Oklahoma Companies and Producers
This invitation only meeting will take place online, providing you with detailed information on new funding and business opportunities to grow your ag business through new markets in the Agriculture industry. The World Bank has announced loans to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan totaling over $1 Billion, all in the Ag industry, and specifically focused on cattle and crop production, equipment and expertise. The Oklahoma SBDC has partnered with a regional trade group out of Wichita to identify prospective participants in these opportunities. The US Embassy is actively helping companies to qualify for and enter these Central Asian markets, providing opportunities for Oklahoma companies to participate. We look forward to this discussion and the possibilities it can provide to Oklahoma's Agriculture industry.
Fee: No Cost


Managing field margins
Following the widespread loss of wildflower grasslands, other habitats have become increasingly important for bumblebees. Field margins can provide flower rich habitats and increase the diversity and connectivity across a farm.
Field margins provide foraging opportunities throughout the year when other habitats are not in flower, and can maximise crop yields by increasing pollinator populations. Field margins can also support nesting sites for bumblebees and a range of other wildlife.
There are many options for margin management including pollen and nectar margins, wildflower margins, cultivated margins and grass buffer strips. These are managed with controlled cutting times and can often be funded through environmental stewardship schemes.
For more information on managing field margins for bumblebees, click here to download our factsheet.
Please be aware that each site is unique and the recommended management approach will depend on local site conditions and the historical or traditional management regime. For site-specific advice, please contact your local Bumblebee Conservation Trust Conservation Officer – email@example.com.
Funding options for hedges and edges
Entry Level Stewardship (ELS)
EE1: 2m buffer strips on cultivated land
EE2: 4m buffer strips on cultivated land
EE3: 6m buffer strip on cultivated land
EE4: 2m buffer strips on intensive grassland
EE5: 4m buffer strip on intensive grassland
EE6: 6m buffer strip on intensive grassland
EE7: Buffering in-field ponds in improved permanent grassland
EE8: Buffering in-field ponds in arable land
EE9: 6m buffer strips on cultivated land next to a watercourse
EE10: 6m buffer strips on intensive grassland next to a watercourse
EF1: Management of field corners
EF7: Beetle Banks
EF11: Uncropped cultivated margins for rare plants
EK1: Take field corners out of management
EL1: Take field corners out of management in SDA
EF2: Wild Bird seed mixture
EF4: Nectar flower mixture
EF9: Unfertilised cereal headlands
EF10: Unharvested cereal headlands
Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)
HE10: Floristically enhanced grass buffer strips (non rotational)
HF12: Enhanced wildbird seed mix plots (rotational or non-rotational)
HF14: Unharvested,fertiliser-free conservation headland
HF20: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable plants (rotational or non rotational)
HE11: Enhanced strips for target species on intensive grassland
Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS)
Open to all farmers, including those in the uplands, who manage all or part of their land organically, to deliver simple yet effective environmental management. OELS agreements are for 5 years.
Glastir is a 5 year whole farm sustainable land management scheme available to farmers and land managers across Wales.
Agri-environment schemes have operated in Scotland since 1987. These schemes have now closed to new applicants however some assistance may be gained through The Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
The SRDP is a programme, worth some £1.5 billion, designed to help develop rural Scotland. The programme is spread over six years and provides help and support to individuals, and groups, in order to help create a wealthier and fairer rural Scotland.
Some of the closed agriculture schemes will now be replaced by new 'funding packages,' operated by the SRDP. The SRDP also brings together a wide range of formerly separate support schemes in areas such as: farming, forestry, rural enterprise and business development.
The scheme is designed to help meet national economic, social and environmental targets; and it is hoped that the scheme will be of great benefit to rural communities.
Some of the SRDP schemes and initiatives include:
Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme
Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme
Forestry Commission Challenge Funds
The LEADER initiative
Less Favoured Area Support Scheme
Rural Development Contracts
Skills Development Scheme
"We are facing a fundamental problem with the decline of bees and other pollinators. They have an absolutely crucial role in pollinating many of our important crops - without them we will face higher food costs and potential shortages."
Professor Douglas Kell
BBSRC Chief Executive


Identical to weeds in a backyard, pests and backyard bugs are the bane of each gardener. Because the climate warms up, increasingly more bugs grow to be energetic, feeding in your backyard crops. If there are only a few of those pests attacking explicit crops, you’ll be able to simply deal with them by focused pest management. In some circumstances it’s attainable to easily eliminate the contaminated portion of the plant or generally the pests will be simply picked off by laying home-made traps. Nevertheless, if the pests are multiplying at a price that’s getting the higher of you, likelihood is, it has grow to be an enormous infestation the remedy of which is greatest left to pest management specialists for gardens. Very often, us unusual people have a tough time figuring out the pests or bugs which might be the reason for the issue. You may out of the blue discover that the backyard mattress is trying shrivelled and displaying lifeless patches or that the rose plant is exhibiting brown spots. The culprits are backyard pests like aphids, slugs, snails, mealy bugs, grasshoppers and ants. These are just some of the pests you’d encounter in your backyard, there are a number of extra.
Pest management specialists to your backyard enable you determine the pests and counsel treatments to clear up the infestation. Additionally they know the suitable pesticides that will be efficient to eliminate the issue. Pest management specialists to your backyard can even counsel surroundings pleasant pest-control strategies that will be helpful to get rid of the pests. One more reason to seek out pest management specialists to your backyard is the truth that they’re professionals of their space. Their experience, expertise and data of pest management will enable you free your backyard of the pesky creatures. Pest management specialists are effectively educated in the whole lot about pests, their breeding cycles, their most well-liked habitats, and many others. They’re effectively certified within the efficient remedy strategies that can forestall future infestation. Discovering a Garden Mowing And Gardening Providers to your backyard will provide you with the peace of thoughts. You do not have to be involved concerning the well being and security of your loved ones or your backyard. The pest management specialists will use the suitable kind of remedy to destroy the infestation to stop additional issues. A number of backyard pest management service suppliers are working within the Australian suburbs. A lot of them are listed in commerce directories. But, the best strategy to find one is to go surfing. Garden Mowing and Gardening is an internet site that has a list of pest management companies space sensible.You may need to get extra info on Backyard Upkeep otherwise you may want to get a quote for the service, be at liberty to make a name to the corporate. Discover pest management specialists to your backyard at Garden Mowing and Gardening, at present.


Perfect time of year to start a gardening blog, right? It’s frigid and gray outside, the ground is frozen, everything is still going to be dead for like another two months, the landscape is a solid mass of brown. Solid planning on my part.
And yet. The Itch is stronger for me in January and February than almost any other time of the year. I can’t actually get out and do anything, so I just plan, obsessively, researching new varieties and scheming ways to fit just one more veggie into my boxes.
I’m Kate, an illustrator/graphic designer, and you might have read some of my plant ramblings on the blog at my portfolio site. These days, I have so much to ramble about, I decided to start a whole separate blog devoted to growing stuff. As a desk denizen by day, I spend a lot of time squinting at a screen, and few things make me happier than going home and digging in the dirt afterward. I’ve been gardening since I was little—look, I grew this pumpkin when I was 12 (please enjoy the exceedingly glamorous ‘90s fashion):
I took a few years off in my teens and college days, when I was first too cool (i.e. not cool at all) and then too busy to worry about plants. In my first post-college apartment, I had the thought one day “what if I grew some tomatoes or something on the back patio?” and like all other endeavors in my life, immediately threw myself into it way over my head. Unlike most other endeavors in my life, I actually stuck with this one. I found that gardening didn’t come naturally to me; I didn’t have a “green thumb.” I had to do a lot of reading, a lot of research, a lot of trial and error, a lot of talking to seasoned retirees on the Internet. It was kinda hard, and I loved it.
Fast forward about 8 years from that little horticultural renaissance of mine, and I’m now an intern with the Iowa Master Gardener program (meaning I’ve completed all my coursework and passed my exam, but still need to finish 40-ish volunteer hours to be a full Master). I’ve bought countless books, transplanted myself (and my plants!) from Missouri to Iowa, taught a handful of workshops on how to grow veggies and build planting boxes, and bought somewhere in the vicinity of 50,000 seeds. I grow food and flowers in my backyard in the heart of Des Moines, sharing it with my collection of critters: one dog, one cat, one husband. After almost three years in this house, I’m determined to start whipping the gardens into shape (instead of ignoring everything but the veggie patch, like I usually do). And I thought you might like to come along for the ride.
In my next post I’ll give you a little tour of my outdoor space, its problem areas, and the plans I have for its future. Since it’s the dead of winter, I’m basically showing you the absolute worst my yard looks—a great first impression! But if I learned anything from repeated viewings of She’s All That in my middle school years, it’s that everyone loves a dramatic makeover. So I’m really doing you a favor by showing you all this ugliness up front.
P.S. Why DON’T SAY DIRT? During my time talking to more seasoned gardeners, and taking classes in the Master Gardener program, two things have become clear to me. First, plants are a lifelong addiction; and second, it really, really makes gardeners mad when you say “dirt” instead of “soil.” Soil is good brown stuff that plants can grow in. Dirt is the crap you track in the house and get stuck under your fingernails. Much like the difference between a plant and a weed, the difference between soil and dirt is, evidently, whether it’s wanted. I named my blog this not just as a reminder to use the right terminology (and avoid the wrath of the more experienced gardeners), but as a reminder that accidents can be happy, mistakes are just learning experiences, and sometimes the difference between a problem and a prize is just a little change in vocabulary.


garden party with the babes:
RAISE GOOD HUMANS
I’ve been working with Kelsey at Trader Joe’s for a little over two years now. In that time, I’ve seen her grow from a quirky 20 year old to a rad mom of little dude, Braddocks and a full-time psychology student at UC San Marcos.
We started chatting more frequently last summer over a shared obsession with Lady of the Lake and oracle cards (that’ll be a post for a different day). She shared with me that these interests, along with her Eco-Feminism class for school, opened her eyes to home gardening, and in turn, a healthier lifestyle for herself and baby B.
I got to visit the two at their home last week to see what they’d been up to, and I was pleasantly surprised. Kelsey has carefully mapped out her yard according to the amount of sun each area gets in a day. Rows of delicately placed fruits, vegetables and herbs line half the vicinity, while tomatoes stand guard next to the fence. She’s placed potted succulent gardens throughout the opposite end of the yard, along with a beautiful apple tree her grandmother planted some years ago. Braddock wanders around with a small shovel in his hand, happy as can be. It’s beautiful. And its only just begun.
Kelsey told me her main reason for starting the garden was to teach Braddocks about sustainability and hard work. Yes, she knows he’s only a toddler, but she believes what is instilled in him now will continue throughout his life. Connecting with one’s environment and being fully aware of what you put into your body is so important. Kelsey also told me that she hopes having good eating habits now will help him with choices in the future. Their diet is mainly vegetarian, using organic produce (or produce from their garden) as often as possible.
Gardening in the backyard has been a spiritual experience for Kelsey as well. “It’s inspiring to see something grow from a tiny seed to something you can eat. It’s been so therapeutic for me.” She pointed out the strawberry plant and said that each morning her and B go outside to see if any berries have arrived. Braddocks gets to pick out and munch on any newbies for the day. “It’s become almost a ritual for us. Before we eat breakfast, we go outside to water the garden and he immediately b-lines to the strawberry plant. He loves it.”
What’s next for the garden? A chicken coop, naturally.
She lowers her voice at the end of my evening with the two and tells me of a few tricks up her sleeve to keep the garden in check. “Organic moisture control compost and coffee grounds from work,” she says. “Oh, and if you’re too impatient to wait for seeds to sprout, you can always buy the potted herbs from Trader Joes instead.”
Kelsey inspired me in a lot of ways that evening. Her passion for giving life to something, and her passion for wanting to share that with her son is remarkable. It gives me hope for future generations. I don’t have children of my own yet, but I am confident that when I do, I will be gardening with my little ones because of her.
Happy Earth Day to you and your loved ones. If you can’t plant something today, at least take in the fresh air and fill your body with healthy choices. And remember to always RAISE GOOD HUMANS.


Healthier root system
Easy to set the desired watering strategy
Would you like to know more about what Priva
Root Optimizer could mean for your company?
Ask the Priva expert!
Watering according to plant requirement leads to higher production
You are always looking for ways in which you can grow even more
efficiently. Intelligent cultivation is only truly possible when
the plant itself can influence watering, because the more precise
the watering, the healthier the root system; production then
increases as a result of better absorption of nutrients by the root
Automatic start strategy
With the Priva Root Optimizer, watering is automatically
optimised to the conditions, the state of the crop and the type of
substrate, based on the plant's needs. This can even be done per
growing section, whatever crop you are cultivating.
The water absorption is determined based on a measuring set-up
which includes a number of representative plants. The result: an
automatic start of watering at the right time and never again
having a substrate medium that is too dry or too wet. The Root
Optimizer takes account of the part of the day, the correct
moisture level, degree of transpiration and an optimal air/water
ratio in the substrate.
Exact measuring and knowing
The Root Optimizer user the Priva Groscale slab weigher, the
Priva Drain Sensor and the Root Optimizer Software in the Priva
Connext or Intégro. The Priva Groscale measures the weight of the
medium extremely accurately. Disturbances from crop-work are
filtered out. What remains is the difference between weight
increase and weight decrease and drain quantity;
indicator for transpiration and growth. The software calculates the
water absorption and determines the correct water dose. This is
done based on the substrate weight, the water dose and the quantity
of drain water. Naturally, with the timely supplement of the
correct amount of nutrients.
The Priva Root Optimizer is an important, additional link in the
closed water system when it comes to fertigation.
Solutions where this product can be used Service and Support Horticulture
Priva offers assistance, ranging from technical support and
regular maintenance to advice, training and after sales support. If
you prefer, in certain cases we can take all the associated worries
off your hands.


From the A-team to the Bee-Team
By Cassandra Docherty MSc., Apiculture Technologist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
I fell in love with honey bees after having the opportunity to do a couple hive inspections with a professor while I was studying abroad. When I returned to Canada to finish the second half of my masters degree on an invasive fish species in Alberta, I decided to take a beginner beekeeping course. Needless to say, my fascination with these creatures only grew stronger. A year after I graduated, I was lucky to land a job working as an apiculture research technician at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. As of right now, I am hoping to expand my knowledge of honey bees and colony management, as well as develop specific technical skills to help the industry diagnose and manage pests and diseases.
The beekeeping industry in Alberta is the largest in Canada, and is home to over 315,000 honey bee colonies. Both honey production and the provision of pollination services to crops in Alberta and British Columbia are key aspects of the industry. Our goal at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is to support Alberta’s beekeepers to ensure the industry is strong and resilient, and honey bees are healthy for the future. One of our primary objectives is to assist beekeepers in developing and applying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems in their operations to reduce the risks and costs associated with colony loss from disease outbreak.
The two main parasites responsible for colony losses in Alberta are Nosema and Varroa. Nosema is an internal fungal parasite that infects the digestive tract of honey bees. Bees transfer spores by exchanging food and water and by cleaning up infected fecal material in the hive. When Nosema spores build up in the bee’s digestive tract, it leads to malnourishment, starvation and a shortened lifespan from stress. Varroa, in contrast, are external parasitic mites. Varroa mites feed on the fat body tissues of adult and larval honey bees, weakening their immune system and critical body functions. Varroa mites not only impact the health of bees by feeding on the fat body tissues, they also transfer viral diseases. High infestations can decimate a hive within 1-1.5 years depending on colony strength.
The critical issue the beekeeping industry faces is the current lack of treatment options for both of these important bee parasites. The only antibiotic used to treat Nosema, Fumagilin-B®, was taken off the market by the supplier in 2018 with no alternative products available. For Varroa, resistance to synthetic miticides due in part to lack of rotation of products and improper application, has left the industry with only one highly effective chemical treatment option. To build a more sustainable IPM system for beekeepers to access, the Alberta Apiculture team is working to test alternate chemical treatments. Between 2016 and 2018 we tested numerous miticides and antibiotics to find effective products against Varroa and Nosema, respectively. We also screened the products for bee safety.
Twenty-two miticides were tested to see which chemicals were lethal to mites but safe for bees. To do this, we topically treated mites and bees with each miticide in the laboratory and determined mortality after 24 hours. We did a similar test by placing bees or mites in miticide-coated glass containers to see how many died after 24 hours. For Nosema, honey bees were fed Nosema spores and treated with one of 11 different antibiotics over 20 days. After treatment, Nosema spores were extracted from the digestive tract and counted to determine how effective the antibiotic was. The miticides and antibiotics that were safe for bees but killed Varroa mites or Nosema, respectively, were tested on colonies in field trials. We have identified two miticides that show potential to control Varroa, and one antibiotic showing promising results against Nosema. For both Varroa and Nosema, more experiments are needed to determine safe and effective field application methods.
This research is important because honey bees are an essential part of agri-food systems in Alberta. Providing chemical alternatives is one aspect of IPM practices, but to ensure long-term health and resiliency of the beekeeping industry, producers need to utilize multiple management strategies in order to promote bee health. Our program also provides information to beekeepers on best practices for nutrition, colony management, and bee breeding, so beekeepers and crop growers can maximize the health and productivity of pollination management and honey production.
This project was funded by the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, ACIDF, and Growing Forward 2.


As winter gives way to spring, starting seeds indoors is a common practice for avid gardeners hoping to jumpstart their growing season. For those of us living in more Northern climates, it is a necessary practice to ensure our fruits, vegetables, and flowers have the chance to thrive in the limited growing season.
Starting seeds indoors is also a great, inexpensive way to incorporate some horticultural therapy principles into your Recreation Therapy program. In a previous post, I discussed how working with plants can help participants improve the quality of their lives.
How Horticulture Activities Can Help
Here are some benefits horticultural activities can provide participants:
- Learning new skills
- Appreciating nature
- Learning responsibility
- Sensory stimulation
- Promoting enthusiasm and an interest in the future
- Building confidence
- Feeling empowered
- Improving motor skills
- Stress reduction
- Connecting with others
What You Need to Know About Starting Seeds Indoors
This simple activity can open up a new world of awareness to eager participants. Imagine the joy and conversations when the seedlings first emerge from the soil. Not only can this activity be a great gift idea, the plants can eventually be added to your facility’s landscape. This can provide an entire growing season of experiences caring for the plants.
Materials Needed for Starting Seeds Indoors
With the right materials, you can help ensure the activity’s success. Here is what you will need:
- Seeds (We will discuss some options later.)
- Seed starting potting mix
- Labels for containers
- Seed trays with a clear plastic dome (either purchased or DIY)
- Spray bottles or other means of watering the plants
That is pretty much all you need to start. Looking at this list, you may have more questions than answers. Let’s dig a bit deeper.
What Kinds of Seeds Should I Use?
Choosing the right seeds depends on the outcome of the desired activity, where the seedling will eventually end up, your area’s growing zone, and how patient your participants can be. Chances are you want to choose seeds that germinate quickly so the initial excitement doesn’t wear off long before the seedling emerges from the soil.
Vegetables and Herbs
- Pole beans
Some vegetables, like pumpkins or beans, require a lot of space when they are transplanted. If you are using these seeds, be sure to consult with the directions on the seed packaging.
Annual Flowers (flowers dying off after the growing season):
- Sweet Alyssum
- Bachelor Button
- Morning Glories
Perennial Flowers (flowers that come back year after year):
- Rose Campion
- Black-eyed Susan
- Sweet William
- Blackberry Lily
Have pictures and descriptions of these plants to show your participants what the seed will eventually become. Make sure you check out the seed’s instructions or the internet to ensure the desired plant will survive and grow in your region if you plan on transplanting them outside.
Tips for the Materials for Starting Seeds Indoors
- Containers: Is this activity going to produce a small potted plant used as a gift or fixture for someone’s windowsill? Do you plan on eventually planting the seedlings outdoors? If this will eventually be a potted flower for someone’s room, you may want to use bigger containers to start–maybe have the participants decorate them before planting the seeds. Replanting seedlings isn’t necessarily difficult, but added stress of transplanting seedlings could affect their health. If this is something you and your participants are planning to transplant outdoors when the weather is nicer (like sunflowers or vegetables), simple containers like paper cups, yogurt containers, or even egg cartons can be used. Mother Earth News suggests each container hold between 3 or 4 ounces of seed starting mix, which is about a third to a half cup. Clean the containers to prevent contamination from fungi or bacteria. Also, make sure your containers have holes in the bottom to drain excess water.
- Labels: Avoid confusion by labeling each container either with your participant’s name or what seeds were planted.
- Potting Mix: Make sure you use seed starting potting mix for optimal results. They help retain water, air, and prevent soilborne pathogens.
- Seed Trays: There are plenty of commercial seed trays available with plastic domes to hold in moisture. You don’t have to break the budget with these products. A simple tray covered loosely with plastic wrap pricked with holes for ventilation will give the same results. If you are planting seeds in bigger containers, for instance, if starting seeds indoors for a gift flower, just cover that container with ventilated plastic wrap.
- Watering the seeds: Too much water will make the seeds rot. Spray bottles work well for moistening the soil. A meat-basting syringe or empty dishwashing liquid bottle can also supply water without disrupting the soil.
Let’s plant the seeds!
You have the clean containers, seed starting mix, and you picked the seeds appropriate for your activity. It’s time to plant. Here is what you need to do:
- Fill containers with the seed starting mix. Have the participants tap the soil down with their fingers to eliminate air pockets. Add a little more mix until it is about a quarter of an inch from the top of the container.
- Gently press the seeds to the depth suggested on the seed packet. For smaller seeds, put two or three in the container. Larger seeds only need one.
- Put the containers in a tray and cover them with plastic wrap or a clear plastic dome. For larger containers, put plastic wrap on top. Make sure you poke holes for ventilation.
- Store the containers in a warm area around 75 degrees Fahrenheit so the seeds can germinate. Light is not much of a factor until the seedlings emerge. Make sure the potting mix remains moist but not too wet.
- Once the seedlings appear, remove the plastic and put the containers where there is bright light. A south-facing window is great, but having them very close to fluorescent lights can also help.
- Engage your participants. Talk about the germination process. Allow them to appreciate what is happening.
- Continue to water and fertilize the seedlings. The nutrients in seed starting mix are generally gone after about three weeks. Adding some liquid fertilizers to your watering container will help them grow and thrive.
If you are planning on transplanting your seedlings outdoors, consider these steps:
- Make sure your area has passed the typical last day of frost. If you don’t know that date, the Old Farmer’s Almanac website could help.
- Before transplanting, stop fertilizing and water less often. Put the seedlings outdoors for short periods of time. Gradually increase their outdoor exposure.
- Transplant the seedlings in loose, aerated soil. Soak the soil around new transplants and mulch it to hold moisture and keep out weeds.
- Fertilize as directed by the seed packet.
- Enjoy the beautiful flowers, fruits, or vegetables your participants created throughout the season.
Even if you don’t have a green thumb, I hope this article gives you the courage to consider starting seeds indoors with your participants. It will not only have them excited about the wonders of nature, it will have them looking forward to the warmer days of spring and the potential of those seeds.
Tell the Real Recreation Therapist Community:
How do you use horticulture in your Recreation Therapy programming?
What seeds do you love to plant?
Comment below to share your experience.
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Measure the density of grape must
The Oechsle scale is used to measure the density of grape must, which indicates the grape ripeness and sugar content used for wine production. One degree Oechsle (° Oe) corresponds to the difference of density between the must and water at 20°C. Thus a must with a density of 1036 grams per litre has 36° Oe. The scale is used to to predict the alcohol content of the wine which depends on the sugar content of the must. In general, a refractometer is used to determine the density of the must. The refractometer measures the index of refraction which correlates to the degree of Oechsle. The Schmidt + Haensch iPR-C, iPR-BR, ATR-BR as well as the ATR-P are suitable for an fast, easy and precise determination of those pararmeters.