#and promoting sustainable agriculture. Organic spices are usually produced using traditional farming methods

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ORGANIC SPICES

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The Basics of Organic Herbal Tea: A Comprehensive Guide

For many, tea is not just a beverage; it's an experience, a ritual, and a moment of tranquility. In recent years, the popularity of organic herbal tea has surged, and with good reason. With an array of flavors and health benefits, coupled with an environmentally conscious sourcing approach, it’s no wonder tea enthusiasts and newbies alike are diving into the world of organic blends.Explore this guide!

1)What is organic herbal tea?

Organic herbal tea is essentially a beverage made by steeping herbs, spices, flowers, or other botanical components in warm water. Its absence of caffeine and use of ingredients raised organically set it apart from traditional teas (like black, green, or oolong). This indicates that no artificial pesticides or chemical fertilizers were used during the growing process of these plants.

2)Why choose organic?

1)Better for the Environment: Organic agricultural methods prioritize sustainability, promoting soil health and supporting flourishing ecosystems. By choosing to buy organic herbal tea online or in physical stores, you're endorsing an eco-conscious approach.

2)Health Benefits: Organic means no synthetic chemicals. This lack of artificial substances ensures that the tea you consume is as natural and untainted as possible. 

3)Richer Taste: Many argue that organic farming leads to more flavorful produce. When this translates to tea, the resulting brew is often richer and more vibrant in taste.

3)Popular Types of Organic Herbal Teas

1)Chamomile: Known for its calming properties, it's a go-to for many before bedtime.

2)Peppermint: It is a refreshing choice, often sought for its digestive benefits.

3)Hibiscus: With its deep red hue and tangy flavor, it’s both delicious and packed with antioxidants.

4)Ginger is perfect for those seeking warmth and a potential remedy for nausea.

4)Purchasing and Storage Tips

If you're looking to buy organic herbal tea online, it's essential to choose reputable retailers. Ensure that the product description clearly states it's organic, and verify if there's a certification logo on the packaging.

For those who prefer loose leaves over organic herbal tea bags, storage is crucial. Always store your tea in a cool, dry place. An airtight container, away from direct sunlight, will ensure the flavors remain fresIt's essential to maintain the quality of loose-leaf herbal tea for adherents who prefer it to organic tea bags. 

5)Preparing the Perfect Cup

Depending on the particular herbal tea variety, the ideal water temperature and infusion time may change. However, it's usually advised to use freshly boiled water and let the tea deep for 5-7 minutes. Make changes based on your preferred flavor.

In the vast world of teas, organic herbal tea stands out not only for its flavors but also for its commitment to health and the environment. Whether you're steeping organic herbal tea bags or loose leaves, every sip is a step towards a more sustainable and health-conscious lifestyle. So, the next time you decide to buy organic herbal tea online or in-store, you'll know you're making a choice that's good for you and the planet.

[josephkitchen0]

Planting Trees for Profit Proves Energizing and Sustainable

By Anita B. Stone, North Carolina — Planting trees for profit in the future begins with finding new energy sources. Because energy crop growing is an investment, it is crucial that the right choice is made from among a variety of options available, preferably based on land availability. One popular energy commodity is Short Rotation Forestry (SRF), the practice of cultivating fast-growing trees that reach their optimum size between eight and 20 years, compared to the usual 30-year wait for harvest. Reforesting property offers substantial income from timber. A typical rate of return for a well-managed forest is about 12% annually. And that’s not to mention the benefits of hunting, protecting water quality and offering habitat for critters. There are several ways in which income can be realized from timber property. You may receive ordinary income from rent for the use of the property itself or from other services that the property offers, including hiking and resource materials. Income can also be derived from the sale of logs, lumber or other forest products as medicinal plants, moss, and ferns. Several loggers receive income from the disposal of standing timber (stumpage) or by cutting the timber as a sale, including firewood. On the homestead, trees can offer a variety of fruit, vegetables, flowers, perfumes, sugar, syrup, spices, gum, paper, furniture, tea, and coffee, all of which can make planting trees for profit a success. Sometimes it is best to specialize in one or two crops and focus on profitable income.

For instance, a stand of trees restores the environment, grows more food and builds a sustainable future while providing a diverse income. Trees not only provide shade, renew and stabilize the soil, but they increase crop production. This is also sustainable and becomes an income generated product. By using a process known as Short Rotation Forestry, the tree is cut back to allow the growth of multiple stems on a regular cycle of two to four years. It consists of planting a site and then felling the trees when they reach 10-20 cm (roughly five to eight inches) diameter. This has the effect of retaining high productivity of a young plantation, but increasing the wood-to-bark ratio.

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Depending on the species chosen, single or multi-stemmed trees can be grown on agricultural land, previously forested land, or reclaimed land. These selective trees do not compete with food crops. Several fast-growing species grown on a reduced rotation length are primarily grown as a low cost, low maintenance harvest energy crop, used in conventional power stations or specialized electricity generation units, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuel-derived carbon dioxide emissions either alone or combined with other fuels, including coal. Once harvested, the energy crops are used to make biofuels such as bioethanol or combusted for the energy content to generate heat, resembling the wood-fuel concept.

Homesteaders who are planting trees for profit can grow the perennial willow tree, which has a long harvesting cycle along with dense plantings of very tall crops. Weeds are kept at bay during growth and after cutbacks. Typically no insecticides or fungicides are used.

If you don’t have the space, planting even a few trees will prove beneficial for future generations.

The potential effects of this type of plantation are tourism, rural employment, family farm futures and a farming infrastructure. Biomass can be grown from a variety of woody or herbaceous crops, including miscanthus, switchgrass, and bamboo. Eucalyptus has the potential to deliver greater volumes of biomass from the same land area than alternative crops. Using the SRF methods you can also grow poplar and sycamore, which can produce an energy source. If you select willow, the second harvest (in about nine years) will fill the landscape; thereafter, the willow plantation will be extremely profitable when the market develops and the crop does well. Willow has a high potential for enhancing biodiversity in the agriculture environment as it can support large numbers of invertebrate species.

SRF production is also expected to be significantly beneficial to improve water quality and result in proactive water conservation. The main benefit to water quality would be using the strong nutrients of crops and saving water. SRF could be an effective option for mitigating nitrate leaching by maximizing nitrogen removal while providing a high yielding crop for farmers. The environmental impact varies. Some species including eucalyptus have a high water usage, a major concern due to changing climate areas. There can also be impacts on biodiversity and the effects of large-scale SRF on flora and fauna which are unknown.

Due to excessive amounts of natural fertilizer contained in the soil, a fertilization program is unlikely to be required for the first and possibly second rotation, which saves money and protects the environment. Normally there is sufficient ground nutrition until the soil becomes depleted.

Another benefit with the establishment of SRF in an agricultural landscape is providing additional cover by the tree crops for mammals and future nesting areas occur with the protection of the crops. Certain areas will provide forage for small ground species. With SRF as a maintenance plan for crops, it also incorporates biodiversity of the land area.

Species such as the red squirrel are unlikely to find suitable habitat in SRF because of the lack of the mature trees needed for nesting sites. But fox, weasels, and badgers thrive within the habitat stability. Deer are able to forage while seed-eating birds are likely to nest as well as birds that feed on litter and worms. A balance of nature is provided for the forest animals to select their method of survival and requirements.

A major facet to SRF is exemplified through Short Rotation Coppicing (SRC). Historic fuel wood coppice systems have been used as energy for hundreds of years. Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees produce new growth from the root or the stump which resembles a stool-like chunk of wood. The reduction of tree size promotes the growth of multiple stems on a regular basis. Once a tree is cut and the stump remains, several short stems begin to take root. Southern beech, aspen, sweet chestnut, ash, birch, eucalyptus, and sycamore perform as energy crops which are great varieties to use when planting trees for profit.

An average SRC plantation should be visible for 10 years before it needs replanting. Harvesting takes place during the winter and provides employment opportunities for agricultural workers at a quiet time of year.

Farmers who are planting trees for profit are not limited by tree species. Experimentation with known and unknown tree varieties allow for quick growth and easy harvesting. Trees are usually felled when they are approximately 15 cm (5.9 inches) wide at chest height, which takes from 8-to-20 years. This compares with 60 years or more for standard forestry crops. The trees are replaced by new plantings or allowed to regenerate from the stumps as coppice. The wood chips produced are preferred in the power industry because they do not contain bark and wood and wood is more homogenous than chips provided by SRC. The financial potential includes profit after transportation and is estimated to be around $15– $30 per ton.

Another way to make money when planting trees for profit is by selling firewood. You can sell whole logs to a buyer, cordwood that you have already cut and split for the consumer or cut-up lumber. Some of the best trees for firewood include maple and ash. They’re excellent for burning in wood stoves. Soft woods like pine are good for short, hot fires like those in fire pits or wood burnning cook stoves. Their sap does create a lot of creosote, though, so they should not be sold as a primary heating wood. If you don’t already own wood-cutting gear, you can purchase or rent a chainsaw with extra chains, a log splitter, a truck for delivery an axe and a hand splitter and wedges. A covered shed or barn is the best way to store firewood with tarps covering it. If you are selling scrap lumber, talk to owners of woodworking shops or lumberyards and make a deal to purchase their unused wood. Before you stack and sell your wood, cut it into saleable lengths. Most consumers require wood to be in 12-16-inch lengths and no more than six inches around, which is comfortable to pick up by hand. Once cut, simply split the wood into suitable lengths, bundle or stack it.

Once the wood is ready for sale, place a sign in front of your home, lot or near a heavy traffic area. Many folks use shopping centers and the intersections of main roads to display their wood piles. Place fliers on community boards, use a local newspaper and spread the word by mouth. To get above the competition, you may want to offer free delivery or extra wood with a certain amount of purchases.

With the advent of plastic becoming less advantageous and the conscience of buyers turning to more sustainable, green and organically grown energy crops, sales have increased over the past few years in the area of seasonal trees, including a selection of fir, pine, oak or spruce for Christmas sales. When planting trees for profit, also keep in mind the high income that may be derived by planting homegrown trees, not only for the season but for the yard and decorative purposes.

Whether you find a logger to swap trees for crops or plant timber, planting trees for profit may become an extremely successful journey when natural resources are used and conservation plays a major role in the career of energy.

Have you been successful planting trees for profit?

Originally published in the March/April 2014 issue of Countryside & Small Stock Journal.

Planting Trees for Profit Proves Energizing and Sustainable was originally posted by All About Chickens

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Mouthwatering Thai Chicken Cakes Recipe none Recipe by Pete Evans There are two words that best describe Thai cooking: fresh and fragrant. One of the most popular Asian cuisines today, Thai food is known by its unique combinations of seasonings (usually hot and spicy) that complement the different flavors of the other ingredients. This healthy recipe by Pete Evans adds a Thai-inspired twist to your usual chicken cakes, a simple dish loved by adults and children alike. Evans recommends serving this on a bed of fresh greens or with a side of fermented vegetables, to give you a balanced and flavorful meal. Ingredients: Approximately 1 pound chicken thigh fillets, cut into pieces 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large handful of baby spinach leaves 2 tsp. Fish sauce 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric 3 Tbsp. coconut cream 1 tsp. finely grated ginger To serve: 4 iceberg lettuce leaves, trimmed into cups 1 avocado, sliced 1/2 Lebanese cucumber, sliced 1 small handful of cilantro 1 lime, halved Procedure: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and lightly grease an eight-cup muffin tin with coconut oil. Place the chicken, garlic, spinach, fish sauce, turmeric, coconut cream and ginger in a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into the prepared tin, then bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool slightly for 5 minutes before turning out. The chicken cakes will release a little bit of liquid when cooked, so drain off the liquid before you remove them from the tin. Arrange the lettuce cups on a large platter or serving plates. Place two chicken cakes inside each cup, along with some avocado, cucumber and cilantro, and squeeze over some lime juice. This recipe makes 4 servings. Preparation time: 8 minutes Cooking time: 12 minutes Bring the Flavors of Asia Into Your Home With This Thai-Inspired Recipe According to Sawadee.com, Thais avoid using animal proteins in big chunks because of their Buddhist background. Instead, meats are often shredded or cut into small pieces, hence, the need for chicken fillets for this recipe.[1] Beware of the Pitfalls of CAFO Chicken Make sure that you purchase high-quality, organic pastured chicken from a local farm, and not those raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This will allow you to maximize the health benefits you can get from this meal. Not only are CAFO foods different from a nutritional standpoint, but they can also increase your risk of foodborne illnesses. Case in point: Between 2012 and 2013, salmonella outbreaks increased 39 percent, and were held responsible for 13,360 illnesses and 1,062 hospitalizations. This bacteria strain also led to 14 food recalls and 16 deaths — making it the No. 1 culprit for outbreak-related deaths and illnesses.[2] At least $3.7 billion is spent annually on medical costs for salmonella poisoning.[3] While CAFOs promote the spread of these foodborne illnesses, livestock raised through traditional farming methods do not pose this risk. Animals in small, regenerative and diversified farms are raised in a sustainable way, which help keep diseases to a minimum, without the need to use antibiotics. Remember that aside from choosing where to buy your chicken, how you prepare it matters as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit,[4] which will help kill any bacteria in the meat. In addition, you should also use separate cutting board for meat and vegetables to avoid cross contamination. What Else Makes This Recipe Stand Out? The other ingredients that make up this healthy recipe are also topnotch not only for the flavors they bring, but for their impressive health benefits as well. Coconut cream is simply a richer and thicker version of coconut milk. You can usually buy it canned, but it can be made fresh at home by simmering four parts shredded coconut in one-part water.[5] Both coconut cream and coconut milk are lactose-free, making them ideal for people with lactose intolerance. Just like other coconut products, coconut milk and cream contain high amounts of healthy fats (at least 17 to 25 percent) in the form of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which are converted in your body to energy instead of being stored as fat. Lauric acid is also abundant in these coconut products, along with these nutrients: Fiber B vitamins (B1, B3, B5 and B6) Minerals such as magnesium, iron, selenium, calcium and phosphorus Vitamins C and E Spinach is abundant in flavonoids, which help prevent cholesterol from oxidizing, protecting you against free radical damage. This leafy green vegetable promotes good heart health, as it contains folate and magnesium, nutrients that are both essential for optimal cardiovascular function. Spinach can also help maintain optimal brain function. Other standout nutrients in this vegetable include protein, zinc, fiber, niacin, vitamins A, B6, C, E and K, potassium, copper and manganese. Avocado not only complements this dish with its mildly sweet flavor, but loads it up with additional health benefits as well. Eating an avocado a day can actually have protective effects on your heart health and may help optimize your cholesterol levels. One study demonstrates this: Among obese and overweight Americans, researchers found that those who consumed one avocado per day along with their moderate-fat diet had lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels compared to those eating an average American diet.[6] Herbs and Spices Play a Role in This Dish’s Health Benefits, Too As mentioned above, Thai cuisine would not be what it is without the medley of herbs and spices that add fragrance, color and flavor to its dishes. Just take a look at the wholesome benefits you can get from these ingredients: Cilantro, an aromatic herb also known as Chinese parsley, has been long valued for its potential to improve digestive health. It’s also a treasure trove of flavonoids, phenolic acids and polyphenols, most notably quercetin and kaempferol, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger and turmeric both belong to the Zingiberacea botanical family, and have been valued for their culinary and medicinal applications ever since the early times. Turmeric is known for its active ingredient curcumin, which is believed to have over 150 therapeutic benefits, including moderating the effects of autoimmune diseases, providing cardiovascular protection and boosting your immunity. Studies[7] even found that turmeric may help reverse cognitive decline and dementia. Meanwhile, ginger is well-known not only for its warm and “zingy” essence, but also for its gingerol content, the oil that gives it its fragrance. This root crop is known for its potential to work against inflammation and diabetes, improve memory and alleviate nausea. Fish sauce, despite its pungent odor, has been long valued in Asian cuisine because of the depth of flavor it adds to dishes. It’s produced by fermenting whole fish using salt and water for 12 to 18 months. You should look beyond its exotic aroma, however, as high-quality fish sauce can offer potential benefits. Researchers found that the fermentation process created protein hydrolysates, which can actually improve the ability of skeletal muscles to absorb free amino acids that are essential for building muscles, repairing tissues and stimulating the production of insulin in the body, reducing insulin resistance. Enzymes that can scavenge free radicals and support your immune system are also produced during the fermentation process. Remember, however, to purchase only high-quality fish sauce produced through natural fermentation and which has had no additional chemicals added to it. Price is a good indicator, as cheaper fish sauces are typically adulterated with additives that can wreak havoc on your health.