Choose a Healthier Life With Organic Foods
You have probably heard a lot of people talking about the health benefits that come with eating raw organic foods. You may have wondered what implications come with a diet of organic foods. A table full of raw beef and oysters does not appeal to most people, but there is more to it than that. An organic foods diet means that you are required to eat the food in its natural unprocessed state. Organic foods may already be included in your diet, if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
The processing and cooking of the foods strip them of a lot of vital nutrients. A lot of people say that cooking vegetables leaches out the vitamins and it can also destroy the important enzymes that they contain. Packaged foods available in every grocery store, that have been processed in some way to help you benefit from an easy package meal, have a very low nutritional value and they are not very good for your body because they are hard to metabolize.
Earth gives us natural foods. If you consume them as such, in their raw state, it becomes a lot easier for the body to process them. Raw foods are packed with vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Everything you do costs energy. The energy levels of your body are given by enzymes. These things are not the most popular topics of discussion, but they are very important for your body. Think about how tired you feel after serving a big meal of cooked foods. This happens because you use your body enzymes to process these foods instead of using them for other activities of your daily life. By consuming raw organic foods that contain their own enzymes helpful for digestion, you preserve your energy for doing the things you like, instead of wasting that energy for digesting food you just ate.
People that follow a raw food diet consume up to 75% of raw foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts and other foods in their natural form. Preparing raw foods involves several processes. One of these is juicing. Many people turn the fruits and vegetables into juices. Just by drinking fresh juice in the morning you can benefit from a health boost. Another way of preparing raw foods is by using a dehydrator. The moisture is taken out of the fruits and vegetables so they are good for long time storage. The dehydrator uses hot air to remove the moisture from the foods, but the temperatures it operates under has to be below 1160 F, so that all the enzymes in the food are stored and not destroyed.
Organic cheese can also be a part of a raw food diet. The process used for obtaining organic cheese does not involve temperatures higher than 1160 F, so it fits in the category of raw foods. The government keeps the organic farms under strict supervision, so you don’t have to worry about quality or scams if you purchase products from them. The cows from which the milk is harvested for the organic cheese cannot be treated with any antibiotics or other medicine in case of illnesses. In case they must be treated, they are removed from that farm. This guarantees that the organic cheese or other foods you purchase from that farm are 100% organic.
The amount of raw foods included in your diet should be around 75% (ar at least 50%), but you should not start eating immediately this amount of raw foods. Instead you should increase the quantities gradually. As a precautionary note, if you plan to have any major changes in your diet, you should consult your doctor. Even though raw foods are the base for a healthier life, some of them may conflict with certain medication, so this is the best thing you should do in order to avoid unpleasant situations. Due to the detoxifying effect raw foods have, some people may experience mild headaches and nausea, but only temporary.
Amelie Mag
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/choose-a-healthier-life-with-organic-foods-115471.html
Doke Organic Farm
plucking green tea leaves at doke organic farm, pothia block of kishanganj district of bihar province, India.
Duration : 0:1:52
How can I find sponsors to help us in building a self sustainable organic farm?
We will produce gourmet veggies, fruits, and herbs; all organic. I will also makes soaps and bath & body products..
How does a nobody like me find people who want to help? Or people to possibly.. invest somehow?
I was thinking of asking for donations from the public and then keeping track of them and refunding their money with produce, and/or soap..
Hit the pavement and ask. Develop a business plan and have lots of meetings with wealthy and green people in your region and ask them for money. That said, do know that farms have a horrible return on investment and likely the best you will be able to do dividend wise will be to give the investors shares of food from the farm when it is up and running. And this, my friend, is called Community Supported Agriculture. But with this kind of CSA you will not have a lot of say in how you will run the farm because you will have investors who have every right to call the shots and likely will in order to protect their investment.
The other thing you can do is get a loan from a lender like Farm Credit Services. That is how I got the money to buy my sustainable farm to grow over 75 different heirloom and gourmet fruits, vegetable and herbs here in Ohio 5 years ago.
Organic Soil Fertility Management for Enhanced Paddy Production
ORGANIC SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT FOR ENHANCED PADDY PRODUCTION AND REVENUE GENERATION WITH LESS COST AS ACHIEVED IN SOME MODEL PADDY FIELDS IN ORISSA
A.K. Panigrahix1, T.R. Sahoox2, H.S. Beherax3 and N.K. Swainx4
ABSTRACT:
Green revolution was introduced in the country in the early sixties to meet the demand of food and add cereal cultivation in the Rabi. The aftermath of this revolution is alarmingly disastrous. The humus devoid soil has lost its water holding ability, pests have acquired tremendous resistance against pesticides. Indian paddy fields are adding roughly about 37.8 metric tonnes of methane, a green house gas, into the atmosphere. Food and underground water contaminated with pesticides.
The environmental deteriorations, food and water contaminations demand a paradigm shift from chemical to organic agriculture. With the growing demand of food, diminishing arable land holdings and exodus of the agrarian communities from villages to towns abandoning agriculture, only organic farming will not suffice. The new technique conceived is known as sustainable agriculture, where soil fertility, crop yield and pest management are taken care of together with the environmental protection. This method of agriculture is in harmony with the nature. The article examines three ex situ experiments where the above mentioned issues are examined along with the cost benefit ratio and throws light in making agriculture sustainable.
INTRODUCTION
More than six decades ago,Sir Albert Howard explained the nature of soil fertility in his famous book, “An agricultural Testament” as under. The nature of soil fertility can be understood only when it is considered in relation to Nature’s round. To study soil fertility we have to know the natural working system and to adopt methods of investigation in strict relation to such a subject. We must look at soil fertility as we would study a business where the profit and loss account must be taken along with the balance sheet, the standing of the concern, and the method of management. We have to consider the wood, not the individual tree. So it is with soil fertility. According to him, a fertile soil is one which has humus in abundance. If the soil is deficient in humus, the volume of pore space is reduced, the aeration of the soil is impeded, there is insufficient organic matter for the soil population, the soil machinary runs down, the supply of oxygen, water and dissolved salts needed by the root hairs is reduced, the synthesis of carbohydrates and proteins in the green leaf proceeds at a lower tempo; growth is affected.
CHEMICAL AGRICULTURE, Impact Analysis;
Then came the war and the war ended sooner than expected, resulting in stock piling of war surplus exploxive related materials, mostly compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus. Global approach to agriculture modified in the event of population growth and developments in material and biological sciences. New seeds were developed and introduced to enhance food production which soon became popular in populous countries like India, China, South East Asian Countries and Japan. War surplus chemicals were converted into compounds called artificial chemical fertilizers. The seeds, popularly called “Green revolution seeds” or “Miracle seeds”, were developed to consume these synthetic artificial chemical fertilizers with water and
produce more food. Thus, monoculture came into being at the expense of agro biodiversity and resources like water diminished.
Four decades into the green revolution in India, the situation is pathetic; soil in general has become humus deficient, excessively hard and bears no pores for holding air and moisture. This soil no longer harbours the beneficial microbes but the pathogens and pest eggs, requiring excessive use of synthetic pesticides. The impacts of these agro chemicals, the artificial chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides are well observable. No data have been published by any the Indian agencies like the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA). The USEPA revealed in 1991 that the projected estimate of methane emission from the Indian paddy fields amounted to 37.8 metric tonnes per year, thus accusing the Indian paddy cultivators in adding to the global green house gas accumulation as methane is also considered as a green house gas. Consequently in Indian more emphasis is now attached to shift to non conventional agriculture and keep paddy cultivation limited to 47 percent of the total arable land. Use of artificial chemical fertilizers especially N- fertilizers always invite the agricultural pests and applications of pesticides, especially synthetic pesticides. The disastrous consequences of the use of these synthetic pesticides over several decades are now clearly observable. There is a rise of pesticides resistance in the pest species and diseases causing microbes at the expense of the beneficial organisms like the beneficial insects (honey bee) and scavenging birds (vultures). Reports of crop failure are also linked to the changes in natural status of the soil. Reports of methane emission are obviously owing to excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers like Urea. Reports of occurance of agricultural pesticides in underground water (bottled water and soft drinks) are certainly due to their excessive applications and non degradations. There are reports of people in villages dying after consuming water from shallow tube wells in Orissa (Chakulia, Balasore, 2005).
HYPOTHESIS
It was thus felt essential to find a solution to both, enhance crop yield through enhanced soil fertility organically without further degrading its status and keep the pathogens and pests at bay through the use of natural pest repellants, botanical pesticides and employing biological pest control methods. But the most important one is, following Sir Howard, to bring out a balance sheet of profit- loss, making cultivation a profitable enterprise so that uncalled for future situations like resource retirement, contract farming and above all exodus of the agrarian communities from villages to cities are successfully thwarted. In India, agriculture is a million year old enterprise and has changed Sir Howard from being an western expert to an oriental expert. The population is growing alarmingly but arable land is diminishing. The farmers are committing suicides owing crop failures. There ought to be a shift in approach to the whole practice of agriculture at the moment. The modern agriculture should be made sustainable, i.e., in harmony with the nature. With the foregone objectives set in mind the authors experimented with the principal crop of Orissa, i.e. paddy cultivation, both in Kharif and Rabi.Methodology of approach, application, observation and cost benefit ratio of three such ex situ experiments, one of Rabi and the two others of Kharif are furnished below.
Material Method and Observations:
Experiment-1 : Rabi 2003 -04
Farmer’s name and address – Sri Surendra Nath Patra, Vill- Dharampur, Fulwar Kasba, Balasore, Orissa.
Soil type – Deltaic alluvial
Crop type- Paddy (HYV)- Lalat (ORS-26-2014-4) known qualities – Duration: 125-130 days.
Grain type: Medium * Slender, Grain yield/hectare: 40 quintals (as on record)
Experimental Unit Area: 1 Acre
Source of seed : Farmers own saved (OS)
SL No.. Activities associated Control Rs Chemical Rs. Organic Rs
1. Seed cost OS 0.00 OS 0.00 OS 0.00
2. Seed bed preparation 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00
1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00
3. Ist cultivation Tractor 600.00 Tractor 600.00 Tractor 600.00
(2 hours) (2 hours) (2 hours)
4. Farm yard manure Not applied Not applied 2 tonnes 0.00
(II)
5. Puddling 6 HL 300.00 6HL 300.00 6HL 300.00
2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00
6. Basal application Nil Gromor Pongam 70 kg 700.00 Oil cake MOP 1qt. 400.00 20 kg 100.00 Azolla 0.00
(I.I)
7. Transplantation 35HL 1750.00 40 HL 2000.00 35 HL 1750.00
8. Interculture 5HL 250.00 7HL 350.00 5 HL 250.00
9. a) Ist top dressing Nil Urea Pongam Oilcake
12 kg 60.00 50 kg 200.00
MOP Cow urine
6kg 30.00 250 lts. 0.00 (I.I)
b) 2nd top dressing Nil Urea
10 kg 50.00 Cow urine
MOP 250 lts. 0.00 5kg 25.00 (I.I)
10. Pesticide application Nil 400.00 200.00
(lure appln.)
11. Irrigation (total) 250.00 250.00 250.00
12. Cutting of crop 15HL 750.00 18HL 900.00 15HL 750.00
13. Threshing 10HL 500.00 13HL 650.00 10HL 500.00
14. Miscellaneous expenses Nil 100.00 150.00
(pest management)
15. Total cost involved(in Rs) 4740.00 6855.00 5690.00
16. a.Yield of grains 12.7qntls. 20.2qntls 23.5qntls
@520/-per qntl @520/-qntl @520/-qntl
6604.00 10504.00 12220.00
b.Yield of straw 15.85qntls 25.07qntls 29.47qntls
@80/-=1268.00 @70/-=1755.00 @80/-=2358.00
17. Total yield(in terms of Rs.) 7,872.00 12,259.00 14578.00
18. Net benefit 3,132.00 5,404.00 8,888.00
19. Cost benefit Ratio (17/15) 1.66 1.788 2.562
Experiment -2: Kharif 2004-05:
Name and address of the farmer: Raghunath Barik, Bhimpur
Soil type: Coastal alluvial Crop type: Paddy HYV (Pooja) (recently introduced)
Experimental unit area: 1 Acre Source of seed: Farmer’s own saved seed (0S)
SL No.. Activities associated Control Rs Chemical Rs. Organic Rs
1. Seed cost OS 0.00 OS 0.00 OS 0.00
2. Seed bed preparation 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00
1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00
3. Ist cultivation Tractor Tractor Tractor
2hrs 600.00 2hrs. 600.00 2hrs. 600.00
4. Farm yard Manure Not applied Not applied 2 tonnes (II) 0.00
5. Puddling 6HL 300.00 6HL 300.00 6HL 300.00
2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00
6. Basal application NIL Gromor Pongam oil cake
70 kg 700.00 1.5q 600.00
MOP Sesbania
20kg 100.00 10kg 110.00
B.F 500gm. 100.00
V.C. 5 qntls.
(I.I) 0.00
7. Transplantation 35HL 1750.00 40HL 20000.00 35HL 1750.00
8. Interculture 8HL 400.00 10HL 500.00 8HL 400.00
9. Ist Top dressing Nil Urea Bacterial fertiliser
12kg 60.00 250 gm 50.00
MOP Compost 2.5qntls.
6kg 30.00 (1.1) 0.00
10. 2nd top dressing Nil Urea Bacterial fertilizers
10kg 50.00 250 gm 50.00
MOP Compost 2.5qntls.
5kg 25.00 (1.1) 0.00
11. Pesticide application Nil Total 400.00 (1.1) 0.00
12. Crop cutting 15HL 750.00 18HL 900.00 15HL 750.00
13. Threshing 10HL 500.00 13HL 650.00 10HL 500.00
14. Miscellaneous Nil 100.00 150.00
15. Total cost involved (in Rs.) 4,640.00 6,755.00 5,700.00
16. a. Yield of grain 16.50qntl. 8,580.00 21.9qntl. 11,388.00 22.10qntl. 11,492/-
b. Yield of straw 22.10qntl 1,768.00 27.5qntl 1,925.00 29.4qntl 2,352/-
c. Total yield(in Rs.) 10,348.00 13,313.00 13,844/-
17. Net benefit 5,708.00 6,558.00 8,144/-
18. Cost benefit ratio (16c/15) 2.23 1.971 2.429
Soil fertility condition of the above crop at different stages.
Plot N (Kg/ha) P (Kg/ha) K(Kg/ha)
Subiah and Asija, 1956 Olsen’s method Ammonium Acetate method (alkaline potassium permanganate)
Initial 45DAT After Initial 45DAT After Initial 45DAT After
harvest harvest harvest
Control 511.9 499.4 426.49 50.00 44.6 15.2 312.0 300.8 200.25
Chemical 511.9 561.2 520.57 50.00 52.2 26.16 312.0 346.6 241.9
Organic 511.9 560.7 564.4 50.00 43.7 18.24 312.0 336.8 251.32
Experiment. 3. Kharif 2004-05
Name and address of the farmer: Sri Pitamber Jena,
At- Mangalpur, P.O.- Chengua- Mangalpur, Via- Bhimda, Dist; Mayurbhanj (Orissa)
Soil type : Sandy loam
Crop type : Paddy (HYV) Kasturi
Source of seed : Purchased from other farmer (PI)
(7.5 kg @ 5/- per kg= Rs. 37.50p)
Known yield potential of the variety (Kasturi) ± 20 quintals per acre (chemical)
Plot size : 30 decimals (100 decimals = 1 Acre)
Ingredients applied:
1. Sesbania (Dhanicha) seed @ 12 kg/acre = 3kg 600gm @ Rs. 11/- 1 kg = Rs. 39.60p)
2. Pongam oil cake @ 150kg/acre = 45 kg @ Rs. 4/-kg = Rs. 180.00
3. Cow urine soaked cowshed soil @ 4 quintals / acre= 1.2 quintals (Internal input)
4. Fresh cow urine @ 7-8 liters twice in a week for 6 weeks (internal input)
5. Home made heap compost – 2 cartloads (I I)
MATERIAL METHOD
Sesbania seeds were sown in the soil after the first ploughing and allowed to grow up to preflowering stage where after the field was ploughed and the plants were incorporated into the soil together with pongam oil cake, cow urine soaked cowshed soil and home made compost. The farm land top soil was thus converted into a paste of soil, sesbania plants, pongam oil cake, urine soaked cow shed soil, home made compost and stagnated water (just enough to create a muddy condition). It was allowed to stand overnight. The field was then transplanted with the paddy seedlings two days after. Thereafter, the field was periodically weeded and fresh cow urine applied at regular intervals to add more potash* to the soil.
[*The authors found out that fresh cow urine is a rich source of available potash to the plants and help in better fruiting.]
OBSERVATION:
1. Soil samples were collected at different stages for study of soil fertility conditions and the NPK values were ascertained.
Study of sample N(Kg/ha) P(Kg/ha) K(K/ha)
Initial 283.7 42.6 168.3
45 DAT 458.2 45.8 273.6
75 DAT 462.1 39.9 260.1
After harvest 393.6 35.2 254.7
2. Yeild of grains at harvest: 8.5 quintals (@ 28.33 quintals/acre –or- 70 quintals/hectare)
3. Yeild of straw at harvest : 9.9 quintals (@ 32.9 quintals / acre)
Cost Benefit Index :
1. Total expenditure incurred: Rs. 1317.10
A. Ingredients: (purchased input)
i. Cost of paddy seeds : Rs 37.50
ii. Cost of sesbania seeds : Rs. 39.60
iii. Cost of pongam oil cake : Rs. 180.00
B. Labour:
i. Seed bed preparation 1 HL : Rs. 50.00
ii. Ist cultivation 1 BL : Rs. 80.00
iii. Puddling I BL : Rs 80.00
iv. Transplantation 10 HL : Rs. 500.00
v. Interculture 1HL : Rs. 50.00
vi. Crop cutting 4 HL : Rs. 200.00
vii. Threshing 2HL : Rs. 100.00
2. Total sale proceeds of yield:
i.Value of grain,
8.5 quintals@ 600/- per quintal = : Rs. 5100.00
ii Value of straw,
9.9 quintals@ 80/-per quintals = : Rs. 792.00
———————
TOTAL Rs. 5892.00
3. Cost benefit ratio (2/1) = 4.47
Abbreviations used :
HL = Human labour, BL =Bullock Labour, MOP = Muriate of potash, N= Nitrogen (total), P= Phosphorus (available), K= Potash(available),II= Internal input, PI=– Purchased input, B.F.= Bacterial Feriliser, V.C.= VermiCompost.
x1 – Principal Investigator, UGC MRP Organic Farming, F.M. (Auto) College, Balasore (Orissa)756001
x2- Project Associate, UGC MRP Organic Farming, F.M.(Auto) College, Balasore(Orissa) 756001
x3- Research Associates, PPBSA- Navdanya, Ranipatna, Balasore(Orissa) 756001.
x4- Co-investigator, UGC MRP Organic Farming, F.M.(Auto) College, Balasore(Orissa) 756001
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The authors are indebted to the University Grants Commission, Bahadur shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-2, and the Navdanya Trust, A/60 hauz Khas, New Delhi-16 for the financial assistances received from them to undertake the ex- situ field studies and laboratory assessments.
References:
Avery, D.1995 saving the planet with pesticides and plastic. Indian polis, the Hudson Institute
Blobaum, Roger. 1983 Barriers to conversion to organic farming practices in the mid western United States.Environmentally sound agriculture, William Lockeretz (ed.), Praeger, New York, N.Y.
Borlaug,N. 1994 agricultural research for sustainable development. Testimony before U.S. House of Representatives Committee on agriculture, 1994
Cacek, Terry. 1984. organic farming “the other conservation farming system. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation ; 39:357-360
Dahama, A.K. 1998 Agro’Annual Review of Crop Ecology, Vol. 1
Dindal 1990 Soil Biology Guide. John Wiley and Sons. New York, N.Y.
Eberle,P and D. Holland 1979 comparing organic and conventional grain farms in Washington
Fliessbach,A.,Eyhorn, F., Mader,P., Rentsch, D.and Hany,R. 2001 DOK long term farming system trial; microbial biomass, activity and diversity …… Sustainable management of organic matter, London, CABI
Gliessman, S.R. 1988 Agro Ecology; Ecological Process in Sustainable Agriculture, Ann Arbor Press, Michigan(US)
Gupta, P.K. 2004 a hand book of soil, fertilizer and manure (2nd edition)
Harwood,R.R. 1984 Organic Farming Research……. and its role in sustainable agriculture, Madison, Wisconsin.
Howard, Sir Albert,1940 An Agricultural Testament, Other India Press, Mapusa, Goa, India/RFSTE,NewDelhi.
India 1995. A Reference Annual , publication division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
Joshi, V.A., Et. Al. 1995 Nitrate in rural area in Nagpur, IZZEP, 15(6)
Kansal, B.D., Et. Al. 1981 Effect of different levers of nitrogen and farm yard manure on yield and quality of spinach
Qual.Plant. plant foods human nutrition 31
Lal. R., Stewart , B. A. 1992 need for land restoration. Adv. soil science
Lampkin, N.H. and Padel, S. 1994 organic farming and agricultural policy in western Europe; an overview.
CAB International, Wallingford
McNaughton, S.L. and L.L. Wolf 1973 General Ecology , Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York
Nannipieri,P.S. and B. Cencanti. 1990 Ecological significance of the biological activity in soil, Soil Biochemistry, Vol.6Marceldekker, New. York
Odum,E.P. 1971 Fundamentals of Ecology, Saunders, Philadelphia
Parr.J.F. Et.Al. 1986 Recycling of organic wastes for a sustainable agriculture Bio.Ag.Hort 3: 115-130
Roberts. K. J. t.Al 1979 The economic of organic crop production, Ag.Eco.P. No.1979-6, University of Missouri, Colombia
Sharma A.K. 2004 A Hand Book of Organic Farming, AGROBIOS(INDIA)
Sultan A. Ismail 1997 Vermicology; the Biology of Earthworms, Orient Longman
Verma, L.N. 1993 Biofertilisers in agriculture, Peekay Tree Crops Development Foundation, Cochin.
Dr.Ashok Kumar Panigrahi
The importance of soil in the organic farm? The role of a compost bin?
Why is it important to have soil in an organic farm? What is the role of a compost pile and decomposes in the cycling of materials in the garden?
(i do not understand it at all lol)
its not a joke lol, i just didnt understand the question
Compost is a mix of old leaves, grass, plant parts , which decomposes in a pile. After it decomposes, it is full of nutrients for plants.
Ethical And Organic Holidays
If you thought organic and ethical behaviour just covered food and clothes you are mistaken – it now covers holidays and hotels as well!
Are you of the opinion that the last thing you want to hear about when planning your holiday is ethics? Nearly everyone wants sun, sea and sand guilt free. If only it were that easy! Tourism, as the worlds leading industry, has increasingly detrimental effects on the environment.
With 1 billion people set to travel, every year, by 2010 this situation can only get worse, unless we begin to think further than our sun screen factor. The author looks at a few local and international holidays and day trips that can minimise your effect on the environment and contribute to positive change.
International Trips and Community Tourism
Look for small companies who use locally managed tours and where conservation measures are already in place and where time is given over to gaining insights into the local environment and the lives of local people.
Community tourism aims to benefit and include the local communities, particularly indigenous people. Always check holidays are run with the involvement of local people and a fair share of profits goes back to local projects. Its like Fairtrade, but not for coffee….for holidays!
Environmental Working Holidays
Willing Workers on organic farms and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) have projects in the UK and overseas. BTCV are offering a unique experience, the chance to do something practical for the country you visit and make a contribution to conservation on a global scale.
Day Trips
Why not visit an Organic Farm and:
Walk a farm trail and enjoy the countryside and its wildlife.
Organise an inspiring school visit.
Stock up with the freshest food at the farm shop.
Taste the farm produce at farm cafes.
Enjoy special open days or even stay on a farm.
Riverford Organic Vegetables want people to share our enjoyment of growing and eating good, seasonal, organic food. A farm visit followed by a meal in the Field Kitchen gives you the chance to experience the link between the field and plate, and to sample some outstanding cooking in a beautiful environment.
Why not stay at an Organic Hotel?
Penrhos Court Country Hotel has been a Herefordshire farm for 700 years, a country restaurant for over 25 years with hotel rooms for ten years. It has always been in the food business and the food business is its reason for being. Its future is to help protect our natural environment and the food it provides.
What is the Green Tourism Business Scheme?
Welcome to the Green Tourism Business Scheme. We are the largest and most successful environmental accreditation body of tourism related businesses in Europe and have over 500 members in the UK, including amongst others, accommodation providers, visitor attractions, tour operators and conference facilities.
While on Holiday why not eat at an Organic Pizza Place?
We were concerned about the extensive use of chemicals and fertilisers in virtually all food products and wanted to offer the ever-demanding customer a more wholesome menu. The menus from the food to the wine, and the branch decor are all full of natural flavours, textures and tones.
Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/ethical-and-organic-holidays-91981.html
Cure Main stores of carbon on a small organic farm?
Main stores of carbon on a small organic farm?
does it mean where the carbon is stored
and main processes that bring carbon into the farm
and main processes that take carbon out of the farm
please describe and explain this to me cuz i dnt get
thanxx in advance
Carbon sequesterization is done with sod, and dead organic matter. The only problem is the organic matter eventually breaks down and releases the carbon in a natural process. This is the error that most people don’t know about carbon. Its a cycle and a natural one at that.
http://windows2universe.org/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html
Volunteer on an Organic Farm in New Zealand
The sand flies found our limbs, but we are alive and well as official WWOOFers in the Motueka Valley on the south island of New Zealand. We arrived at dusk and met our gracious hosts Heather and Dave. The property is 14 hectares and has a sizable vegetable garden, a variety of fruit, nut and native trees (all organic) as well as a small farm with a few cows and ducks and a Bed & Breakfast operation. We have our own tiny but private accommodation in a campervan.
The first morning we awoke at 8:15am to do our daily 4 hours work in exchange for daily meals and a place to sleep. Harvesting hazelnuts off the ground was our first task. There we were on our hands and knees, underneath the trees carefully avoiding the occasional cow patty for the first hour asking ourselves “what in the heck have we gotten ourselves into?” An hour later Heather came to get us and I was put to work weeding and pruning. Thankfully I had rubber gloves up to my elbows as blackberry and gorse are very sharp weeds! Meanwhile, Andy was digging a trench for the pond to drain out. It was hot and we were sweating, but it felt good and satisfying somehow to do manual labor. A river runs right on the other side of the road so we jumped in for a nice, cold swim when we were done. Needless to say, I worked up quite an appetite and mowed a gigantic lunch afterward and spent the afternoon finishing my book.
That evening, their daughter Brooke and her fiance Ant came into town. Ant is a forest ecologist and is studying the area around Hawke’s Bay and I have enjoyed hearing about the Department of Conservation, forest ecology, Maori history and the effects on the environment in New Zealand. Everything they do is self-sufficient, Earth and energy conscious and ecologically friendly. New Zealanders are generally down to earth, natural looking and unpretentious – how refreshing!
The next morning we had our hands right in the dried cow dung and hazelnuts without a care, laughing how the day before we were so meticulous trying not to touch it. The kids from next door created a makeshift water slide next to us on the sheets of garbage bag material laid out to kill some weeds in this one area. I shoveled dirt to help mend the pond the rest of the morning and my arms still hurt. It’s been humbling so far to say the least. That afternoon, we went for another swim in the river with their neighbors who also have a WWOOFer (from Germany) and enjoyed chatting and skipping rocks. We borrowed mountain bikes and took a nice hour-long ride along the river on the highway here in the river valley with beautiful mountains on either side with spectacular views. Visually it reminds me very much of Southern Oregon around the Ashland/Medford region as I suppose it’s approximately the same latitude. Afterward, we had about 15 people over for a homemade pizza party. Dave and Heather have a real stone pizza oven that Dave began heating up around lunchtime and make-your-own pizzas were done within about 2-3 minutes. We had a blast with their friends and neighbors, drinking home brewed beer and sharing stories.
Everything is so fresh and delicious here. Today I was not looking forward to another morning of digging in the dirt so over breakfast I aptly phrased the question, “Heather, might I have the opportunity to work in the kitchen today and learn a few things from you?” She makes jams, jellies, sauces, homemade pasta, homemade bread, soups – you name it. And everything is fresh right from the garden. She obliged and I went to work and made a vegetable lasagne with homemade pasta and everything from the garden. We spent the afternoon at a couple of wineries nearby and brought home a reserve chardonnay from Sunset Cliffs, an organic winery. The lady serving us at the winery is from the Czech Republic who came to visit NZ and never left. I can see why.
The best part of the experience for me in the WWOOFing world so far is the cultural aspect. Heather, Dave, Brooke and Ant have invited us in and treated us just like members of the family. These folks have had WWOOFers for 15 years! It really is a symbiotic lifestyle here, with physical labor here on the property from us while they take care of our room and board.
Stacy Bergdahl
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/volunteer-on-an-organic-farm-in-new-zealand-669676.html
Are there any frogs on Prince Charles’ organic farm?
Just askin’.
Frogs are a sign or a healthy environment. So they reckon.
Yes, as a matter of fact, there are several varieties of frogs on Prince Charles’ organic farm.
Wonderful Camilla had the greatest idea for a way to make some SERIOUS money for her various charities….she is instituting a PR program using the example that she had kissed a pretty odd frog…who not only turned into her Prince, but also loved her enough to defy propriety, his family, and the stodgy old CofE to marry her and make her the second most prominent lady in the country.
Her plan is to have a program at the farm ….. pay a fee and kiss a frog….with the idea that the frog might turn into a Prince.
I believe I read somewhere that the program is scheduled for a start-up in time to have all the "kinks" worked out in time for Jubilee.
The part of the program involving ladies who show up to try their luck has been all worked out, but the program involving gentlemen has proven quite problematic due to the enormous traffic problems anticipated in the area of the farm.
Camilla is trying to work out the details to have a bus service from the parking area around the Chutney Ferret…gentlemen wishing to kiss frogs in hopes of the frogs turning into Princes will leave their cars near the Chutney Ferret and board buses for the farm.
The basic program is in place, but the question has arisen over the cost of unlimited-usage passes for both the buses and the kissing.
It is thought that Clever Camilla may have hit upon a money-making scheme that will make the Prince’s boring old organic produce/food product sales look like peanut-gathering, but that may be changed if the Prince’s homeopathic doctor can come up with a recipe for wart-remover made with products grown on the farm.
Since you asked, I reckoned you wanted a real answer.