#agrictulture

[akan-institute]

This is My Farm. It is Because of Osa.

Our old people say you farm for the warrior, Osa. Hence the saying “mɛ ɛfuo ni ɛye Osa adwuma”. This is my farm. It is because of Osa.

In today's modern world, you can order mindless fast food at any given time without a care about the world, (good luck with that a thousand years ago or before the advent of this modern world) You will have to know and follow the natural growing crop cycles which begin in spring and you better hope you have some seeds in hand to grow.

You farm for the warrior, Osa. You begin your farm in spring or during the time of Aries and harvest during Virgo (the harvest season and therefore the season of feasting, since there is abundant food from your handiwork, (farming). After all, you will hope, you have enough left to last for the preservation season and into the dead of winter when the plants and soil are unproductive in a period we call Opebre, the scarcity period.

Your farm because of Osa, (the preservation season) and Europeans will derive the name Sagittarius directly from here, Osa (sa) gye (gi) fuo (taurus).

[morganablenewsmedia]

#EndBadGovernance: President Tinubu Live Broadcast

#EndBadGovernance: President Tinubu Live Broadcast 10 Notable Things Tinubu Said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his live Broadcast, on Sunday Morning, addressed the nation over the ongoing #EndBadGovernance Protest rocking the nation. President Tinubu has called on the demonstrators to end the protest, noting that their voice has been heard and worked upon. Followings are the 10 notables points…

[ultrachoppedpenguinbouquet]

Who were the Hermenites?

[buabloomed]

❛  i wanna see how good it can be.  ❜ / satyaaaa

Niran sits cross-legged on her bed, hair up in a high bun and a face mask bubbling gently on his skin. It's their weekly spa date, one they started as a peace-offering all those years ago and kept up because heaven forfend the stress of their profession would lead to premature aging!

But only a small portion of their standing spa date is devoted to meticulous skincare. The majority of their time is catching up on the hot gossip. For a literal school of sticks in the mud, the tea is exceptionally scalding. ❝ Did you hear about Professor Patel? Apparently--and you didn't hear it from me--he and Professor Khan were seen at a restaurant a few cities out, which honestly, wouldn't be seen as suspicious if they hadn't also met up with Secretary of Agrictulture Madame Chopra. What do you think it could be? My money's on bribery. Oooh! Or political scandal! ❞

Of course, their gossip isn't just about their stuffy professors. Niran has a running list of the top hottest classmates on campus ranked by objective standards and somehow always manages to get the scoop whenever there's a new campus couple or a break-up or whenever somebody gets caught canoodling in a janitor's closet (rookie mistake).

He's in the middle of wiping off his face mask and telling Satya about an illegal party a few weeks ago where they played spin the bottle and he had to kiss number 5 on the Hottest Campus List (Niran, of course, sits comfortably at number 1) and how much of a mushmouth he was when Satya interrupts him with a question that immediately shuts him up.

I wanna see how good it can be.

Blinking, Niran cocks his head, holding Satya's beloved rabbit to his chest. ❝ How good making out with Bayani would be? Honestly, I would avoid him at all costs unless you like drool. ❞ Satya would hate kissing Bayani. Niran knows. Niran hated kissing Bayani, and he loves kissing. Does she even share any classes with Bayani? No...not that Niran is aware. ❝ Or are you talking about kissing in general? ❞ Now that makes more sense knowing Satya. »•»𑁍«•«

[gnosticgnoob]

[usgsbiml]

hmmmm, perhaps a bombyliid?  Not sure what this species is, but check out those eyes.  Found on the site of the USDA Beltsville Agrictulture Research Center MAGLEV train site.

[just-things-bc-reasons]

Thomas More’s Utopia is characterised by districts and cities of equal sizes that are equidistant from each other and near identical because the absence of distinction is key to preventing the rise of a culture of privilege which paves the way for the destruction of the Utopic land. In Oggy and the Cockroaches when they zoom out of his house to a satellite view, the town’s structure mirrors that of More’s hypothetical land, and the show’s entire premise suggests that the cockroaches are his most critical issue. Oggy never appears to be overworked, has enough food, and appears to enjoy all forms of leisurely activities along with brief periods of gardening/agrictulture, and never fights with his neighbours. This suggests that Oggy lives in a Utopic land populated primarily by cats and thus for a true Utopia, cats must become our supreme overlords in this essay I will...

[labelgatorbrand]

Plant tags and labels are prime opportunities to prepare the customer on how to care for the item.

[ohsoethical]

Who picks our food?

Britain’s Cheap Clothes part two reminded me of the harsh treatment of workers in the fruit and vegetable industry.

Among harsh practices in Boohoo were:

A strike system, where if someone gets 3 strikes they’d be fired. Strikes could be given for coming to work late, checking their mobile phones OR EVEN FOR SMILING.

Coming in even 1 minute late led to wages being docked by 15 minutes. Even though they were paid minimum wage, docking them would make them less than minimum wage. The employment lawyer advised that that this is unlawful.

Staff would be given the impression that they would be working for 6 months and then be let go randomly much earlier.

I wanted to highlight the UK’s horticultural industry’s harsh practices, which are similarly, if not more harshly treating workers badly.

Things improved in 2004 with the Gangmasters Licensing Authority after Chinese workers died collecting cockles in Lancashire. Anyone who hires workers for agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering or anything related must have a GLA licence. But The Ecologist Guide to Food that I bought in 2014 highlights unfair conditions that people still work under.

The UK horticultural industry has one of the largest “Invisible workforce” whereby most of the workers are migrants, some registered, some illegal and some working for gang masters.

Conditions of living and working consist of working up to 14 hours with just a half our break, living in shared rooms and having deductions from wages to pay for accommodation, at times choosing to stay at the beach to avoid paying for accommodation, being fired unexplained with no way to appeal.

Having said that there are farms in East Anglia that are on a larger scale treat their workers better with better living conditions and social facilities. They believe that people are at the heart of what they do and must be treated well.

Things have improved in the industry with the GLA- “according to the GLA’s 2013-2014 annual report, one of its key achievements for that year was “assisting to rescue over 100 potential victims of trafficking for labour exploitation”. Between 2008 and 2016, the GLA achieved 98 convictions in the temporary employment agency industry, 24 of which regarded businesses that had entered into arrangements with unlicensed labour providers.”

Although they are here to protect workers, the GLA  is undermined by it’s ties to the police force, and our immigration policies are something particularly worrying for people without legal status. So victims of trafficking are less likely to come forward. 

Seeing the unfair treatment in the Boohoo factory which sells a lot of Made in Britain clothes reminded me of the unfair treatment in the agricultural and horticultural industry. 

In turn this reminds me of how hard it must be for workers in countries that don’t allow them to demand better pay or safe working conditions. Countries where people are commodities.

I got my facts from the following:

The UK Gangmasters Licensing Agency: a model to be followed and how to undermine it

The Ecologist Guide to Food

Channel 4 Dispatches Finds Boohoo Warehouse Workers Have Been ‘Punished For Smiling’

[gotinterest]

Actually modern agrictulture is one of the BIGGEST sources of greenhouse gasses because of the way they have to tear up the fields every year because they are using the land in a way it was never meant to be used.

Companies, not individuals, are responsible for the majority of pollution. But if you really wanted to do something good for enviroment as an individual you could make your own vegetable garden, take up (sustainable!) foraging, if you are in the city, become active in a community garden or plant a windowbox garden, buy deer meat from local hunters or hunt for deer yourself, (deer are severely overpopulated in the US to the point that they are actively destroying the enviroment and also if you eat deer you aren't supporting the meat industry).

[twelvebyseventyfive]

Alternative Bordeaux (1) biodynamics at Château Palmer

Bordeaux. It’s the world’s most famous wine region, but peoples’ perceptions of this place are dominated by the 4% or so of famous properties that sit right at the top of the tree here. The celebrity estates deserve their accolades: this region is home to some of the world’s most sought-after wines. But there is more to Bordeaux than just this narrow spectrum of high-end wines. I visited to have a look at the Alternative Bordeaux, and I’m reporting this in a series of short articles and films. We’ll begin with one of the famous properties, Château Palmer, and the story of the shift in Bordeaux to organic and biodynamic farming, which has been a long time coming. Then, sticking with the classed growths, we visit Lafon Rochet, who have also experimented with organics, but found it less satisfying. Then it’s off to Falfas, one of the pioneering biodynamic properties. Another of the lesser told Bordeaux stories is that of the white wines and the sweet wines. And then there are properties in less fashionable areas who are working with good terroirs, and working more naturally in the cellar, to make interesting wines that normal people can afford. This is Alternative Bordeaux.

Château Palmer

We visited Palmer, in Margaux, with CEO Thomas Duroux. It was vintage time, and grapes were being received, but the main focus of the visit was to hear about the transition toward biodynamic farming that began here with trials just after the 2008 vintage.

Thomas Duroux in the vineyard

First of all we wandered around the 66 hectare vineyard. The core of the vineyard is an alluvial gravel terrace, with pebbles that have come from the mountains. But what makes the difference is the dirt around these stones. Typically, there might be 30 cm of gravel and sand, then underneath this 80 cm of gravel and clay, and then gravel and sand again. The clay is important because this can retain water, and then of there’s too much water, this can be drained by the lower layers of gravel and sand.

Several years ago Palmer did a study that attempted to map and understand the diversity of the soils on the property. They used electroconductivity to try and map where the boundaries were, and then once they’d identified homogeneous blocks, they looked ay the soils. They also used NDVI (looking at the vigour of the vines remotely). So, for example, where there’s too much nitrogen, they might grow a cover crop and then remove the plants.

But the big shift has been the move to biodynamics. They took a 1.5 hectare experimental block in 2009 and divided it into two portions, one farmed classically, and one farmed with biodynamics. They had guidance in biodynamics from Matthieu Bouchet, whose father François was a pioneer in using this way of farming in French viticulture.

‘In the beginning, we had no idea what biodynamics was,’ says Duroux, ‘but we felt the best way to understand it better was to experiment. Slowly but surely we saw that it was doable. We saw that the wines were not worse than the other wines, so we thought, why not?’ Gradually the experiment expanded. ‘Instead of being humans in a factory, we became part of the place: part of a living organism. It is a very different approach.’

Duroux had to convince the owners that it was an interesting direction to take, which he did, and then after the 2013 harvest the entire Palmer vineyard was moved to biodynamics. ‘There is this idea that biodynamics is another step after organics. I think it’s not: it’s a different way to see agrictulture,’ he says. ‘The difference is when you apply the biodynamic principles you see the farm as an ensemble. You can still be an organic farmer and see your farm as a factory.’

Now they let a lot of natural cover crop grow. They use sheep in winter to mow and to fertilize, and they have cows to produce their own compost. ‘There are lots of different ways to describe biodynamics, but the most important idea for us is that of a living organism.’

Thomas Duroux, CEO Château Palmer

The biggest challenge so far has been the weather during the 2016 growing season. ‘We had one of the most terrible springs of the last 20 years, with lots of mildew pressure, including a week of constant rain in June,’ says Duroux. They lost 25% of the crop to downy mildew, with a yield from 2016 of 30 hl/ha when normally they’d get 40 hl/ha. ‘The future is now against chemicals,’ says Duroux. His challenge is to explain a quarter crop loss to the board!

‘I’m also convinced the wines are different, and taste different,’ he says. ‘What I really see in the wine now is that there is much more definition.’

A film of the visit, including some harvest action and an interview with Thomas:

Palmer makes two wines: the grand vin and also Alter Ego. ‘Now we have identified the plots that make this wine,’ says Duroux of the second wine. ‘They’re vinified differently now.

Alter Ego changed a lot when we tried to make this wine for itself instead of using left overs from Palmer. If there’s not the potential, why would you try to make a wine with big shoulders?’

We tried both wines from 2012. ‘2012 was another late harvest vintage with a big contrast between the classic Cabernet and the exuberant Merlot, so it was a challenge for us to see how they would work together.’

Château Palmer Alter Ego 2012 Margaux, Bordeaux Fresh, supple black cherry and blackberry fruit with a lovely savoury edge to it. Good acid and structure with a leanness and focus to the black fruits. Nice purity and lovely precision with some raspberry freshness and a bit of gravelly tannic grip on the finish. Not as concentrated as the Grand Vin but a lovely wine in its own right. Could probably do with a few more years before broaching. 93/100

Château Palmer 2012 Margaux, Bordeaux Concentrated, fresh and very fine with sleek black cherry and blackberry fruit. Such finesse and purity here: there’s almost perfect balance between the different elements. There’s some sweet black fruit character, a touch of salty liquorice, nice acidity and some fine-grained tannic structure. Great concentration of flavour. This has lots of potential for the future, although you could just about open it now. A lovely wine. 95/100

Then we looked at the 2011 Alter Ego. ‘2011 is a very different vintage. 2012 was late; 2011 was early. 1 June we had a hailstorm that affected 90% of the vineyard and we lost half the crop, 20 hl/ha. It hurt.’

Château Palmer Alter Ego 2011 Margaux, Bordeaux Focused and bright with some raspberry brightness to the blackcurrant fruit. Fresh, lively and grippy with some tar and spice notes. Fresh, linear and a bit chalky and with some tannic structure. Dense and focused with firmness and potential for development. A little strict with the sweet fruit hemmed in by the structure. 92/100

And then the 2007. ‘2007 is a lighter vintage but one that I like a lot. After 9 years it really shows what you look for in a wine with a bit of evolution. There’s a place for every vintage.’

Château Palmer 2007 Margaux, Bordeaux Quite classic, with lovely chalky, gravelly black fruits, some dried herbs, a bit of undergrowth and supple cherry fruit. Showing some maturity, this has concentration and also elegance, and is drinking beautifully now with a touch of damson and stewed plums alongside the black fruits. Lovely complexity here. There’s smoothness here too. Drinking so well now.  94/100

Finally, the 2015. ‘What I like about 2015 is that it’s not a super-exuberant vintage; it’s not over the top,’ says Duroux.

Château Palmer 2015 Margaux, Bordeaux Tight, focused and concentrated with dense black cherry and blackberry fruit. Fresh and quite complex with firm tannins. Has a slight saltiness, with grippy tannins providing the necessary structure. Detailed and dense with lovely precision. 97/100

  from Jamie Goode's wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/videos/alternative-bordeaux-1-biodynamics-at-chateau-palmer For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

[caremobile]

7/22/2018 Executive Order --Dated 2018, 7/22 Revised

Medics, have played a huge role, in the history of, Modern War, but, we need to transform, the Order of Battle  --Since, the occurrence of the Plagues in Africa and it’s Epidemiology, and in lieu of that our intervention --we must also, take into account, what had happened, with the spread, of the radio-logical effects, and inhuman effects, of plutonium and strontium, mining and syndicate economic related mining activity arising from geo nuclear mining affecting air, water, soil, agrictulture --and, generations of its toxins relase leading to the death of scores --to boot, along with such plagues of that in Africa..

Leading us to reconsider --the transformation of our army.

The consumate army --is the peace keeping force built upon the foundations

of a cross pollination of a security force, protecting, medical teams and rescue missionaries, -- or if special forces,  a hybrid of macgyver ....a peace keeping force, of our own order -- and volition to go abroad, 

it’s designs, in terms of unifrms --may be similar, in features, to royal geographical society for under cover, or where blue helmets for overt.

It may operate, within the confines of Commonwealth territority --

For the sake of giving assistance and addressing  the refugee crises, and our own, housing, we may build SRO’s in Decent or Moderate Air Quality areas where there is good potable water systems --, it should be adjacent, not far from clusters of water stations, water guages,rivers, etc...

the peace keeping force, must have a detachment, of special forces able to do a remdieation effort.

Lack of Basic Needs, Extreme Poverty, Lack of Clean Water and Clean Food -- from lack of potability --which lead, definitely to organ failure --- expertise in in this development beginning with the ports, and such areas, making stations, water wells, guages, one stop and shops, and terminal markets, and clusters of economic zones to include hospitals and an health and development based economies toward this end...

This we pray --

For the transformation of its foundations --

With Discernment and Hope --

Dr Rene Justin Bejasa Ocampo (Navy --Commissioned Geographer, Order ES --Mission Murcia (Mercy)/GB --Merriam Speech Pathologist)

[jcinkadverts-blog]

Wanted Canons needed for Sovereign, an original fantasy site:

SUN YANMEI   40   Gong Li   —   The Viscountess of Zao Sing and head of an agrictultural empire, with Inquisition leanings.

SUN YUAN   52   Michelle Yeoh   —   The Lady Treasurer of Caradonia and a fervent support of the Caradonian crown, particularly the push for Caradonian rule of Anea.

JIA FEN   33   Jaimie Chung   —   The Knight of Qixing and a veteran famed for her actions during the Abolitionist War.

MIN XIAOLI   27   Liu Yifei   —   The Baroness of Baiteng and a spymaster working with the Inquisition.

[stunnerdirectory]

Wanted Canons needed for Sovereign, an original fantasy site: 

SUN YANMEI   40   Gong Li   —   The Viscountess of Zao Sing and head of an agrictultural empire, with Inquisition leanings.

SUN YUAN   52   Michelle Yeoh   —   The Lady Treasurer of Caradonia and a fervent support of the Caradonian crown, particularly the push for Caradonian rule of Anea.

JIA FEN   33   Jaimie Chung   —   The Knight of Qixing and a veteran famed for her actions during the Abolitionist War.

MIN XIAOLI   27   Liu Yifei   —   The Baroness of Baiteng and a spymaster working with the Inquisition.

[rpgadverts]

Wanted Canons needed for Sovereign, an original fantasy site: 

SUN YANMEI   40   Gong Li   —   The Viscountess of Zao Sing and head of an agrictultural empire, with Inquisition leanings.

SUN YUAN   52   Michelle Yeoh   —   The Lady Treasurer of Caradonia and a fervent support of the Caradonian crown, particularly the push for Caradonian rule of Anea.

JIA FEN   33   Jaimie Chung   —   The Knight of Qixing and a veteran famed for her actions during the Abolitionist War.

MIN XIAOLI   27   Liu Yifei   —   The Baroness of Baiteng and a spymaster working with the Inquisition.

[allthingsroleplay]

Wanted Canons needed for Sovereign, an original fantasy site: 

SUN YANMEI   40   Gong Li   —   The Viscountess of Zao Sing and head of an agrictultural empire, with Inquisition leanings.

SUN YUAN   52   Michelle Yeoh   —   The Lady Treasurer of Caradonia and a fervent support of the Caradonian crown, particularly the push for Caradonian rule of Anea.

JIA FEN   33   Jaimie Chung   —   The Knight of Qixing and a veteran famed for her actions during the Abolitionist War.

MIN XIAOLI   27   Liu Yifei   —   The Baroness of Baiteng and a spymaster working with the Inquisition.