#four growers

[jcmarchi]

Four Growers Secures $9M Series A to Revolutionize Greenhouse Farming with AI and Robotics

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/four-growers-secures-9m-series-a-to-revolutionize-greenhouse-farming-with-ai-and-robotics/

Four Growers Secures $9M Series A to Revolutionize Greenhouse Farming with AI and Robotics

Four Growers, a pioneering agtech robotics company, has raised $9 million in a Series A funding round led by Basset Capital, with participation from Ospraie Ag Science, Y Combinator, and other key investors. This funding will propel the production of its flagship GR-100 robotic harvester and expand the company’s global reach across Europe, North America, and Oceania. The announcement signals a major leap in the $40 billion indoor farming market, addressing labor shortages, rising costs, and food waste with groundbreaking technology.

Transforming Greenhouse Agriculture with the GR-100

At the heart of Four Growers’ innovation is the GR-100, an autonomous tomato-harvesting robot that’s setting new benchmarks in efficiency and precision for greenhouse farming. The GR-100 boasts:

5x faster picking speeds than competitors, harvesting up to 43 kilograms per hour of cherry and grape tomatoes.

98% ripeness detection accuracy, powered by eight stereo cameras and advanced AI.

34x faster pathfinding than standard motion planning algorithms, ensuring optimal harvesting paths.

The GR-100 adapts seamlessly to most greenhouse environments, requiring little to no facility modifications, and integrates robust plant analytics for comprehensive yield insights. With features like 24/7 operation, remote monitoring dashboards, and an automated packing cart capable of handling up to 246 kilograms in one session, the GR-100 is redefining what’s possible in greenhouse crop management.

Tackling Global Challenges in Agriculture

For decades, crops like wheat and soy have benefited from automation, driving down costs and boosting production. However, fruits and vegetables, which demand precise handling and skilled labor, have lagged behind. This disparity has led to harvesting costs being up to 15x higher for fruits and vegetables. Compounding the issue, labor shortages often leave crops unharvested, exacerbating food waste.

“While we’ve started with greenhouse tomatoes, which account for 50% of all the fresh tomatoes consumed in the US, our technology has now proven its potential in other crops like cucumbers and will be applied to all fruits and vegetables in both greenhouses and fields,” said Brandon Contino, CEO of Four Growers. “Securing this funding enables us to accelerate the integration of our AI and robotics into agriculture, improving global food production and ensuring sustainable, high-quality, and affordable produce is available for everyone.”

Proven Impact and Growing Market Potential

Four Growers’ technology is already making an impact, with millions of tomatoes harvested and sold through grocery stores worldwide. Partnering with agricultural leaders like Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, the company has demonstrated the scalability and reliability of its AI-powered solutions across customer farms in North America and Europe.

The indoor farming market, valued at $40.51 billion in 2023, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% through 2033, according to a study by Fact.MR. This rapid growth underscores the increasing demand for innovative farming solutions amidst labor shortages and operational challenges.

A Visionary Team Backed by Industry Leaders

Founded in Pittsburgh, Four Growers emerged from Y Combinator in 2018 with a vision to revolutionize farming through robotics. Since its inception, the company has secured over $15 million in total funding and eight-figure contracts, thanks to strategic backing from investors such as Better Food Ventures, Taver Capital, Xplorer Capital, and Pete Wurman, co-founder of Kiva Systems.

“From the outset, it was apparent that the Four Growers team had made significant advancements in solving long-standing issues in the agriculture sector,” said John Overbeck of Basset Capital. “Implementation of robotics and AI in agriculture will provide a great opportunity to enhance operations and significantly increase productivity. We are confident that Four Growers will continue to be a leader in this effort.”

Looking Ahead: Scaling Innovation for Global Impact

With this latest funding, Four Growers aims to:

Accelerate production of the GR-100.

Expand its research and development efforts.

Deploy its technology across more regions, focusing on Europe, North America, and Oceania.

Beyond tomatoes, the company plans to adapt its technology to other greenhouse crops like cucumbers and peppers, with ambitions to address field-grown crops in the future. By combining robotics, AI, and advanced analytics, Four Growers is positioning itself as a leader in sustainable, efficient farming solutions.

A Future of Affordable, Sustainable Food

Four Growers’ mission to provide healthy, affordable, and locally sourced produce through robotics is reshaping agriculture. By reducing production costs and food waste, the company is paving the way for a future where nutritious and sustainable food is accessible to everyone.

[muttley-do-something]

oh shit wait can i get a rhino beetle pet would that be allowed

[stoopidpigeonxx]

⋆˚｡⋆୨✧୧˚ 𝑶 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑴𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏. ˚୨✧୧⋆｡˚⋆

CAPTAIN CURLY SMUT HEADCANNONS !! NSFW under the cut. MDNI.

(These are all completely random, not tied to any prompt. I just want more stuff about this guy cuz I love him) Fandom/characters: Mouthwashing, Captain Curly, other characters briefly mentioned.

Content warning: Smut (obviously), p in v, curlys packing, title kink, thigh-riding, face-sitting, size difference, manhandling, reader is AFAB, creampie, multiple rounds, riding, cursing, J*mmy.

-He's a grower, not a shower.

I firmly believe Curly is a distinguished gentleman, unlike J*mmy who would most likely brag about how big he is and end up only being like, 5 or 6 inches. Curly, however, will not mention his size until you see it for yourself. And when he sees your face, he panics. "Oh-shit, uh- i-is it gonna be too big for you? It's okay if it is, I should've warned you.."

He's four inches soft, uncut. I think he keeps himself decently groomed. He's not completely bare, but it isn't a forest. He's got a little v-line that's only visible when he wears sweatpants that you go absolutely feral over. When he gets hard, whoo boy. 9 inches, throbbing. He's got a cute little vein near his tip that you like to attack when you're sucking him off because it makes his thighs shake. He's got a little bit of a mushroom tip, maybe more rounded. Perfect for hitting all those good spots inside you. In short, he's big. (he tucks it, that's why he doesn't have a bulge in his sprites. Also I'm sorry trans-Curly headcannon people ;-;)

-"Need a seat? I'll volunteer."

VEEEEEERRRYYY into face-sitting. Very. Like, the first thing he wants when you guys get freaky is for you to sit on his face. He's not exactly sure why he likes it, to be honest, he just loves the feeling of you absolutely lose yourself on his tongue. He isn't worried about suffocating or anything, since he's a lot bigger than you, so don't be afraid to ride his face! he can handle it! But seriously, use this guy as a seat. He'd give you a few licks up your slit at first to warm you up (again, gentleman) before going for your clit. And when he gets it, he sucks. Hard. He'd also probably sneak a finger or two inside you to add extra stimulation, because he really wants you to come on his face. He desperately yearns for the sound of you screaming his name as your juices cover his face and tongue, letting you ride your orgasm out before lifting you off his face and setting you down. "Alright, sweet-stuff, my turn. On your knees, please."

-Save a Polle, ride his big ass thighs.

So... we've all seen his sprite. He's thick as fuck. He's got a booty and bigger tits than me. But he also has deliciously large thighs.. so use that to your advantage, because he's totally down with it. He likes using it as foreplay to get you wet enough to take him, and he just likes the feeling. He'll probably give himself a hand while you're doing it, or he'll just watch and leave the touching to you.

He isn't much for public sex, but if you're really horny, he'll let you get high on his thigh over his uniform and gently praise you when you come. It gives him a little buzz to be doing something like that in a risky situation, like while he's in the cockpit sitting at the control panel, or even in the commons of the ship with Daisuke in a few rooms away. When you do come, which isn't that long after, he'll kiss you all over your face and head and twirl your hair in his fingers, using his other hand to rub your ass or back.

"There you go, sweetheart, that's a good girl. Good job."

-Sir yes sir.

I know, I know. He gets called 'Captain' and 'Sir' for his job. But if its coming from you when he's balls deep in you.. It's an entirely different reaction.

"D-did.. you just call me- mgh..- Captain?"

It makes him ferociously horny to hear that title slip from your lips, so pray you'll still walk tomorrow. "Ooh, fuck, yeahhh. Call me that again, baby. Call me that again.. Uh-huh. Captain takin' care of this pretty lil' pussy, huh.."

He doesn't dirty talk that explicitly, but you calling him captain gets his creative juices flowing. Oh, also his come. Yeah..

Its also perfect teasing material. You two couldn't even be getting it on, you'd just sneak up behind him and kiss him on the cheek and say "Morning, Captain!" In that tone you know drives him wild. Boom, hard. Poor guy.

-Yeehaw!

favorite position? Cowgirl. For many reasons. One, he loves looking at your face while you ride his cock. The noises, the facial expressions you make, the way your tits bounce up and down with your hips.. He wishes it was a renaissance painting to look at every morning. He also just likes being able to hold you easily. When you're on his lap, its easier for him to snake a hand up and hold your hair out of your face, or to give your ass gentle love taps (he would never spank you, unless asked to). He's a very hands-on guy and wants to touch you, everywhere he can.

Of course, he doesn't mind the occasional doggy, or missionary, or hell, even a Full Nelson, because you KNOW he's able to hold you like that. Manhandling comes naturally with Curly. Gently, of course. He would never hurt you.

-Gets a little messy.

Curly's no one pump chump. He'll go for hours. Even if he's came inside you at least five times, he'll keep going. He's got hella impressive stamina. His motivation? Seeing your cunt leaking his seed when he pulls out. He wants you to still find it in your underwear 3 days later. No hole goes unfilled. He's not exactly a breeder, per-say, though he definitely wouldn't complain about getting you pregnant, he just likes seeing you in a state. He thinks of it as artwork, leaving you so stuffed to the brim. The next day, he'd pull you aside and give you a quick finger-orgasm, just to see if his come's still in there. When it leaks onto his fingers along with your own, he's a very happy man. "Ahh, look at that. Still got it in ya. Should fill you up even more later, hm?"

oof. my hands hurt. ;-;

[phemiec]

A Mouthwashing (and How Fish is Made) fansong, unfortunately from Jimmy’s POV mostly, sorry. 🐴 Music and lyrics by me, PhemieC

NOTE: this is my first fansong in five years, and sad to say but my voice has been decimated by illness in the last few years, so please don’t go into this expecting it to sound the same as my old stuff.

That being said, I have released an instrumental version, and I would LOVE to hear covers from other vocalists! Feel free to post and sell if you make a cover as well. <3

LYRICS UNDER CUT

[verse 1] Momma bird sleeping and her nest is empty Pretty and clean I feel the crease of envy Cutting a line right through the sky above me Healthy and green just like a good tree should be Momma bird leaving now her eggs are lonely Out from the underbrush I creep so slowly I’ll lay my own, her home is sound and safe, he’s Grey like a stone among her round blue babies She’ll never tell if she’s a few shells lighter Quick cracking clever comes my little fighter  Babes that feel safer they hatch so much slower Thrown down below then by my own fast grower Momma returns to feed her only child he Smells like a stranger and he cries so loudly Drinks of his fill while I look up on proudly Picking away at the discarded bounty 

[chorus] What hides inside has the skill to thrive Do you have the will to decide to survive? A parasite needs you alive To feed their growing appetite 

[verse 2] Thing crawling thirsty, shared flesh, a blessing Drink of my stagnancy, the taste refreshing Carry a part of me and keep on climbing  Top of the ladder’s just a place for dying Dread in your gullet, ignore it, buddy Lead in the bullet, it’s harmless, mostly Let me consume you, let you defend me Curling protector, my friendly fresh meat Im in control now and I like the feeling I’ll play the role of every wound you’re healing Follow the leader was always my thing Swallow your pills and lay still, unwrithing Master of puppets is my one objective Real apex predators can be selective Relay your message, it won’t stop the spread if I replace your tongue when I open your head up

[chorus] What hides inside has the skill to thrive Do you have the will to decide to survive? A parasite keeps you alive To feed their growing appetite 

[verse 3] My stress relief, she keeps asking questions I can’t believe she thinks I’ll learn her lesson Nothing outside of me will ever get in No mocking birdie with an unblinking grin Four beating hooves, I hate to hear them thunder Trample the metal tomb I’m buried under braying beast, neighing in the womb inside her Breaking its legs to glue you back together

[chorus] What hides inside has the skill to thrive Do you have the will to decide to survive? A parasite needs you alive To feed their growing appetite…

[specialgrades]

Not really a request but what are your headcanons on the JJK men's dick sizes?

OHOHO cracks knuckles i can do that. going full in like nanami should be in me rn dick-scriptions time

characters: gojo satoru, geto suguru, nanami kento, toji fushiguro, sukuna, choso, atsuya kusakabe

GOJO SATORU : a bit above average, a good 6.5 ~ 7in. slight curve upwards. a good 2.5 ~ 3.5in thick. pretty pink flush on the tip, shaft a few shades darker than his skin tone. cut. carpets match the drapes of course, he keeps it trimmed. fun trail tell me i'm wrong (i'm not). super sensitive vein on the underside. sensitive thighs too. grower.

GETO SUGURU : honestly, average cock size. he rounds up to five inches but we all know it's 4 3/4. two inches thick. like gojo, a nice pink flush and a few shades darker. no curve. for sure has a piercing, prince albert probably; silver jewelry. uncut. not a jungle, mildly maintained. sensitive head, especially with the piercing. shower.

NANAMi KENTO : nothing overwhelming, though still impressive. 7.5in long, 3in thick. cut, duel toned because of it. top half is more pink than the rest. short trim. curve to the left. right under the head is the key, he'll bite back a really embarrassing noise if you focus there. grower.

TOJi FUSHiGURO : i pray for y'all toji simps for real, cause fuck. 8.5in easy. 4 inches thick minimum. man built like a tripod. uncut, darker with red undertones. upwards curve. jacob's ladder. three of 'em. this man doesn't shower i'm so sorry. two prominent veins when you pull back the foreskin, sensitive but he'll never show it. shower.

SUKUNA : i pray for y'all as well. find a pringles can. it's bigger. ten inches long, four inches thick. curves upwards and a tad to the right. cut, pale so it gets a nice flush. his tattoos make an appearance, wrapping around the shaft a few times. grower thank god.

CHOSO : average length, 5.5in but thick. four inches. curve to the right, uncut. darker than his skin tone by around four shades. not super trimmed, a delicious fun trail leading to a mild bush. mildly sensitive head, though go for his navel and you'll get a lovely show of him getting all breathy and twitching. shower.

ATSUYA KUSAKABE : i've only just met this man but i want him. carnally. so... six inches in length and 2.5 in width. cut, duel toned though you can't really tell until he's flushed and the top half goes a pretty dark pink. like choso, tasteful amount of hair with the fun trail. one prominent vein that's sensitive, under the head too. grower.

[swxxtsxcchxrine]

I feel like i need more emphasis on Miguel's level of nasty because he is just messy. point blank period. imagine he's got you on all fours, your face is stuffed into the sheets of your shared bed, he has your arse in the air all the while his face is stuffed right in your pussy. he's sucking and slurping on your cunt from the back because he knows you like it. maybe too much. one hand is laying comfortably on your bum cheek while the other holds your hands in place on the small of your back to diminish any attempts you have to run away. not that you would anyways. his face moves up and down your slick slit, his tongue prodding at your tight hole. he groans in satisfaction as you push your hips into his face and cry out a silly version of his name. his hand squeezes your cheek in affirmation "that's it, bonita," he praises. his words go straight to your sticky cunny as he slurps loud enough for the neighbours and their mothers to hear. he lifted his head momentarily just to spit on your puckered hole: watching as the fat glob slides down the globe of your arse, not before catching it with a finger and sliding it in. he feels you tight hole squeeze as he stares in awe. he lowers his head back onto your throbbing clit and starts suckling on it, drinking up your sweet juices in tandem. he shakes his head from side to side receiving a high pitched sob from you in return. he brings down his heavy hand to slap your soft bum, hard. he rubs the sore spot as his finger continues to work on your ass. he's moaning and groaning, whining and whimpering into your cunt that he loves too much. "Miguel...you have to stop, i need a break PLEASE!" you plead no avail. infact, he pushes another finger into your tight hole. you silently plead he's not hoping to stuff his hefty cock into your puckered hole. it's already too overwhelming for you. he's still playing with your hot pussy while still at it with your rim. he removes his fingers from your asshole and watches it clench and unclench uncontrollably as your orgasm hits like a truck. he lewdly spreads your cheeks apart, mouth agape, watching your tight holes squeeze around empty air, waiting so patiently to be filled by his pretty, long, thick, heavy, pleasurable, delicious, tasty, mouth watering, eye rolling, name yelling, soul snatching, creaming and screaming, sobbing and rolling around the floor, toe curling, earth shattering, squirting fountains, mood lifting, dopamine giving, life changing, powerful thrust, pretty, dark brown tipped - remember nips match tips - veiny all over, a proper 8-9 inches, he's definitely a grower, he grows while he's inside of you so its the most delicious stretch everr, undeniably good, leg shaking, heart wrenching, name forgetting, drooling, mind dumbing, mind breaking, back arching COCK.

i'll glad be on my knees for THIS man. 🥴like im not even joking brooo ill do jumping jacks on the d just for him he can dump ALL the cum he wants in ME, i'll gladly be the mother of his children. i swear, ill be the perfect little wife for him. he wakes up in the morning to freshly made breakfast and coffee. his clothes are washed, dried and ironed to perfection. his shoes are clean and polished, his shower is already running at the perfect temp. he comes home from work? i'll great him with a fat kiss and a home cooked meal. the recliner is out the tv is on his favourite show, when he's getting ready for bed, its ready made, his clothes for tommorrow are out and im waiting for him in bed. i need him so bad he doesn't understand i'm so upset why isn't he real. like...who am i ever going to find thats gonna compare? will i ever find someone that compares, omg imagine if i don't...☠️☠️☠️☠️ see lemme not God forbid🙏🏾

🫨 (ignore that i just wanted to use the emoji ibr)

[blueiscoool]

Hundreds of 2,000-Year-Old Gold and Silver Coins Unearthed in Netherlands

Metal Detectorists in the Netherlands Stumbled Onto Hundreds of Looted Coins From the Roman Conquest of Britain.

The 404 coins, including 44 from Britain, are believed to be a mix of military pay and the spoils of war, stashed by a Roman soldier after he returned to the European continent.

As they swept over the muddy fields of Bunnik, a village in the Netherlands’ Utrecht Province that once marked the northern edge of the Roman Empire, in 2023, two metal detectorists unearthed a remarkably extensive and diverse haul of coins from the first century C.E.

There find—a collection of 404 gold and silver coins of Roman, British and North African origin—is the first of its kind unearthed on the European continent, according to a statement.

For Gert-Jan Messelaar and Reinier Koelink, the men with the metal detectors, the historic discovery came as something of an accident. They were combing the fields for a local fruit grower’s lost tractor key in Houten when they decided to give up and go over to a nearby field in Bunnik, where they had previously found a few coins, reports RTV Utrecht’s Bas Teunissen.

Koelink made the first find: a golden Celtic coin resting near the surface of the mud. The pair found a few more loose coins—including the largest Roman coin ever found in the province—but their metal detectors would not stop beeping. Messelaar finally stuck his hand into a shallow hole in the ground, where he uncovered a stash of hundreds of coins. “Bingo,” he recalls thinking, according to RTV Utrecht.

Koelink and Messelaar used clumps of mud to keep the coins together before bringing the haul back home, where they carefully cleaned, sorted and reported their findings to cultural heritage authorities. Then, they celebrated.

“We opened a bottle of champagne,” Messelaar tells the Guardian’s Daniel Boffey. “You never find this.”

Following the detectorists’ initial discovery of 381 coins in the summer of 2023, the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency, with the help of Koelink and Messelaar, conducted additional excavations in the surrounding areas, finding another 23 coins.

Now, the grand total of 404 coins will now join a permanent exhibition titled “The Netherlands in Roman Times” at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden.

Dated to between 200 B.C.E. and 47 C.E., 360 of the coins are Roman in origin. Of these, 288 are denarii, the standard silver coin, and 72 are aurei, a denser, golden coin that was originally worth 25 denarii.

Many of the Roman coins bear the portrait of Emperor Claudius, who reigned between 41 and 54 C.E. One depicts Julius Caesar, while another even rarer coin shows the likeness of Juba, the ruler of Numidia, a kingdom in northern Africa that roughly corresponds to modern-day Algeria.

Two of the Claudius coins dated to between 46 and 47 C.E. are from identical dies, suggesting they were distributed to Roman soldiers as military pay, write Anton Cruysheer, an archaeologist with the Utrecht Landscape and Heritage Foundation, and Tessa de Groot, an archaeologist with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, for UtrechtAltijd.

The 44 non-Roman coins are perhaps the most notable of the entire stash. The golden alloy coins, known as staters, bear the inscription “CVNO,” the first four letters of Cunobelinus, the Latin name of Celtic King Cunobelin, who reigned between roughly 10 and 42 C.E. in southeastern Britain.

Cruysheer and de Groot argue that the eclectic composition of the hoard “strongly suggests a connection to the conquest of Britain” under Aulus Plautius, a Roman general who Claudius dispatched to cross the Channel and invade the island in 43 C.E.

The wide range of dates of the Cunobelin staters, including four posthumously issued coins, indicates that the stash was removed from circulation in one fell swoop, like Roman troops looting the newly conquered territory, according to UtrechtAltijd.

Combined with the Roman coins used as military pay, the entire stash strongly resembles spoils of war. Discovered less than a foot beneath the surface, where it was probably buried in a leather pouch that has since decayed, the cache was left in a region where Roman troops were known to have amassed before the invasion of Britain.

“This is the first time that physical evidence of the return of the troops has been found,” Cruysheer tells the Guardian. “Apparently, they came back with all sorts of things. That is new information.”

By Eli Wizevich.

[oneforthemunny]

the public needs to know!! how big is each eddie and what does he look like down there

(i remember we did a ranking like this last year but that was before we expanded our eddie family)

alright we’re getting graphic (literally lol there’s a pic) so nsfw ahead minors dni

ok the best way i could describe them is with these photos lol so attaching them here

penis sculpture the 4x4 by jamie mccartney

i’ll do by row then from left to right (so ex: row two, number three. would be second row down, third across.)

also idk about exact inches type sizes bc i have horrendous depth perception so ill think 5 inches is 3 or 10 is two feet long. like i’m awful at anything like that lol. so up to you, i’ll just describe the look.

let’s get into it.

older!eddie has row three, number two. definitely more of a grower. a little on the girthier side and veiny.

boxer!eddie is row one, number four. definitely has a hook in it like it’s just so fitting for him. one of the bigger ones length and girth wise. he’s packing a punch (literally). a shower 😮‍💨

janitor!eddie is row one, number one. literally perfect dick if that can be a thing. in my mind, he’s about the size of the one in the sculpture too. man is huge and does not know what to do with it lol. does not know it. I think he tends to be more of a grower but is also pretty big flaccid.

rockstar!eddie had a beautiful dick, which i’ve mentioned before, and i feel he’s row three, number three. veiny, big, thick, juicy, a show off just like him lol.

cowboy!eddie has row two, number three. more on the girthier side than length. nice and thick. leans more on the grower side but with the tight jeans he wears, you’d never know lol.

dom!eddie row one, number two. honestly just perfect for him lol. not super big but definitely more than enough. a shower.

hockey!eddie is row two, number one. hung HUNG!! more on the skinny side but the length makes up for it. definitely knows how to use it lol. a shower as well.

bouncer!eddie row four, number two. idk how to explain it, it just feels right for him. veiny and a hook in the head. hits you in all the right spots. he’s a grower and it’s kinda startling at times, a little intimidating which also fits him.

modern!eddie row three, number one. average size, a little thicker, but really just very pretty lol. more of a grower.

mafia!eddie screams row two, number two. feels nearly perfect which fits him very well. not too big but over average, not too thick but thick enough to stretch you a little. hits the right spot every time without fail, like it’s made for you. def a shower.

[mindblowingscience]

Pest snail species prefer the color red but dislike garlic, according to new research from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency. Researchers conducted laboratory and field tests on four invasive snail species as part of a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) national research program. The program is designed to provide Australian grain growers with new tools and management techniques to combat snails, aiming to minimize losses and improve market opportunities for affected crops.

Continue Reading.

[mesetacadre]

Aviation in the USSR

A collection of excerpts from Anna Lousie Strong's The Soviets Expected It, compiled for @czerwonykasztelanic

[...] Or the guerrilla detachment which captured six German planes, destroyed five of them, and sent the sixth to the Red Army, piloted by an amateur air enthusiast, who was a tractor driver in ordinary life. Lt. Talalikhin’s initiative is already a Soviet aviator’s tradition. Exhausting his ammunition in a fight with three enemy planes, he rammed the tail of one enemy with his propeller, smashed the tail of another enemy plane with his wing tip, and then bailed out of his own plane safely. Moscow parks displayed the wreckage of the German planes, and other Soviet pilots quickly copied the tactics. An aviation technician, Konikov, won renown by attaching the fuselage of a plane he was repairing to the front platform of a military train whose locomotive had been bombed by the enemy; he thus pulled the most necessary parts of the train to safety.

pg. 14

The Soviet people glimpsed and felt victory. For the first time they began to feel that they were no longer “backward Russians.” They were beginning to challenge the world. With this went a proud sense of their unity as a nation. Cotton growers in Turkestan exulted, “We have conquered the Arctic,” though they themselves would never see the snow. Bearded peasants, who had never sat in an airplane, began to talk about “our conquest of the air.” Young Nina Kameneva expressed the mood of the country’s young people when she broke a world’s altitude record in parachute jumping and remarked on landing: “The sky of our country is the highest sky in the world.”

pg. 46

Moscow can make all the implements of war, including planes and motor trucks, inside the city. [...] Moscow’s sky is covered by an air defense that was the marvel of the London experts who visited it after the war began to make suggestions and found it far superior to London’s. Anti-aircraft shells make a thick blanket at four distinct levels to London’s one, and observation planes patrol the heavens night and day. Moscow’s four million people also offer a night-and-day defense.

pg. 51

Alma Ata, the capital of this area, has grown from a town of 60,000 to a proud young city of 260,000 in the ten years since the railroad reached it. Its life has leaped at once from the nomad epoch to the airplane. The railroad is too slow to tame the wastes of Kazakstan. From Alma Ata Airport the planes shoot forth, east, west, south, north, on new discoveries. [...] Kazakstan is only one of the energetic regions behind the Urals. South of it lie the lands of the Uzbeks and Tadjiks, where some of the largest textile mills of the U.S.S.R. work up the locally grown cotton and where automobile and airplane parts are produced by mass production in the historic city of Samarkand.

pg. 58

I have traveled many times on the Trans-Siberian. In the spring of 1935, I went from Vladivostok to Moscow with a stop-over in the Jewish autonomous territory whose capital is Birobidjan. The train was crowded with pioneering people in warm woolen clothes and padded leather jackets, engineers, Army men, developers of the Far East. [...] An army engineer who shared my table at dinner was celebrating his return by airplane from the northern wilderness by consuming a whole bottle of port and bragging about the Far Eastern pioneers.

pg. 59

According to Pierre Cot, the French Air Minister, who visited Moscow in 1933, the Soviet air arm was at least equal to the best in Europe in numbers, technical equipment, and, above all, in the productive capacity of the aviation industry.‡ Thus, by the end of 1932, which ended the first Five Year Plan, the Soviet Union had reached the level of Western Europe in armaments – a fairly modest level judged by standards of later years.

pg. 65

Other official indications of the extent of the Red Army’s mechanization come from Voroshilov’s report in 1934 [...]. Five years later [...]. He claimed that the “bomb salvo” of the Soviet air force (the number of bombs that can be dropped by all planes at once) had tripled in five years and had reached more than 6,000 tons.

pg. 66

Soviet airplane pilots also hold many world records, both in altitude and long-distance flights. Their conquest of the Arctic and its difficult weather has accustomed them to the severest conditions. Americans well remember the Soviet pilots who twice made world records by flying from Moscow to America. These were individual exploits, but the development of Arctic aviation on which they were based was the work of large numbers of pilots and implies a whole air tradition

pg. 67

Parachute jumping has become a national sport in the Soviet Union. Soviet people are probably the most air-minded people in the world. Training for air-mindedness begins in the kindergarten. Small tots play the “butterfly game” and jump around with large butterflies pinned on their hair, gaining the idea that flying is fun and a natural activity. Children in their teens make jumps from “parachute towers” which are far rougher and more realistic than the parachute tower in the New York World’s Fair, which was copied from them. The sport is popular not only in the cities but on the farms. Several years ago a Ukrainian farmer told me of his trip to the nearby city with a group of farm children, all of whom immediately formed in line in the recreation park to go up in a tall tower and jump off under a parachute. “I thought it very terrifying,” he said, “and wondered why the park authorities allowed it. Then I saw that my own thirteen-year-old daughter was at the head of the line. These children of today aren’t afraid of anything.” At an older age, Soviet young people jump from airplanes, learn to operate gliders, or even become amateur pilots in their spare time. Every large factory, government department, and many of the larger collective farms have “aviation clubs,” which are given free instruction by the government. Probably a million people in the Soviet Union have made actual jumps from parachutes. It is not surprising that the Red Army was the first to use parachute troops in active service several years before the Germans adopted them. In 1931 a small detachment of parachutists surrounded and cleaned up a bandit gang in Central Asia. The making of airplane models by young people is taken seriously in the U.S.S.R. In 1937 over a million school children were spending after-school hours in aviation model stations. At a later stage, young people of talent create real airplanes and demonstrate them at Tushino aviation exhibitions. Owing to the wide interest in aviation and the public ownership of factories, a bright Soviet youth who invents a new type of airplane may get it constructed by his factory sports club and show it off. At one of the aviation festivals I attended, I saw a score of different amateur planes, including every possible shape of flying object – short, stubby ones, long thin ones, others shaped like different kinds of insects. They added greatly to the gaiety of the occasion. Whether or not they produced any really valuable new invention, they at least encouraged the inventiveness of their makers.

pg. 72

In the past two years, especially, all this training has been given a very realistic turn. [...] Only a month before the Germans attacked the Soviet borders, 7,000 Moscow citizens practiced a special drill in repulsing parachute troops over the week end. The large numbers of such trained citizenry, both among recruits entering the Red Army and among the older citizens assisting it, greatly add to the Soviet Union’s total defense.

pg. 73

[scotianostra]

24th December 1914 saw the death of John "of the mountains" Muir, noted naturalist, explorer, writer, and geologist.

John Muir was born in Dunbar, East Lothian, on April 21, 1838. He was the third of Daniel and Anne Gilrye Muir’s eight children. Muir recalled in The Story of My Boyhood and Youth that his father was religious and extremely strict, keeping his children in line with frequent whippings. In 1849 the Muri's moved to the United States and bought farmland near Portage, Wisconsin. Muir’s father worked him hard on the farm and would not allow him to waste daylight hours on reading. Muir asked for and received permission to rise early in order to study. He invented an “early-rising machine” that dumped him out of bed at one o'clock each morning so that he could read. In 1860 he displayed this and other inventions at the Wisconsin State Fair.

In 1861 Muir entered the University of Wisconsin to study science. He also tried studying medicine but soon gave it up for various jobs that challenged his skill at inventing things. His interest in nature, particularly plants, was growing; he made frequent trips throughout Wisconsin and nearby states to observe plant life. In 1867 he gave up his own inventions “to study the inventions of God.” He set out on the walk described in A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf. Actually, he went as far as Cuba. In 1868 he travelled to San Francisco, California, and worked on a sheep ranch. Exploring Yosemite Valley occupied much of his next six years. On all of his explorations he kept a journal of scientific and personal observations and also pencil drawings.

In 1880, after returning from exploring in Alaska, Muir married Louie Wanda Strentzel, the daughter of a Polish plant grower. They would have two children. In 1881, after another trip to Alaska, Muir settled on a fruit ranch near Martinez, California. He worked for ten years to make enough money to enable him to stop. Having provided permanently for his wife, two daughters, and himself, he turned his full attention to the study of nature. Glaciers and freezing particularly interested him, and his work contributed to an explanation of the process by which glaciers are formed. He also went on expeditions to Europe, Asia, and Australia.

In 1889 Muir argued in Century magazine that Yosemite Valley should become a national park. The passage of a law in 1890 making that happen owed much to Muir’s influence. The Mountains of California, Our National Parks, and his many articles in popular magazines greatly advanced the conservation movement, as did his creation in 1892 of the Sierra Club, an organization dedicated to preserving wild lands such as Yosemite. Muir served as the president of the club until his death. Muir’s wife died in 1905. From then until his death Muir published four books, including Stickeen, which was a popular dog story, and My First Summer in the Sierra.

He died in Los Angeles, California, on December 24th, 1914 and is buried at Muir-Strentzel Hanna Cemetery, Alhambra Valley, California.

[oreo-creampie]

World record for most orgasms in an hour is 138, I'm pretty sure I could break that with nanami. I need that man in a way that is concerning to feminism

Nanami drinks more than enough respect women juice that it won’t even be a problem!!! The most problematic he would get is working too much, but he would try and show much he loves you through the time he spends with you

He is very too tired for you and never will you hear him say leave me alone I need to unwind after work. Cause the only way he can feel at peace is with you by his side, you are his peace of mind, his home, and the reason he wakes up smile. Cause he gets to see your sleepy face, gets to kiss you and tell you how much he loves you

This went way softer than I meant it to be but Kento makes me so so soft

Kento would be that kind of guy would take three or four days off to stay at the house with you. Y’all are naked the whole time, curtains drawn shut, phones on do not disturb and he can’t not keep his hands off of you

Kento walking around naked 24:7 would make anyone crumble. The way the sheets slip off his Greek god like body cause this man is chiseled out of stone by sculptors. The light touching his body and showing all his freckles and making his golden hair catch the sun

Not to mention the way his ass looks, double caked up always, with thick ass thighs and a cock that swings while soft. Man would be a shower instead of a grower, every inch he got to give you is put on display

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2023: #02 & #01 (Finale)

02. CZECHIA Vesna - "My sister's crown" 10th place

Decade ranking: 5/116 [Above Daði Freyr, below Käärijä]

Finland over Czechia seems like a no-brainer. Some midcarding bitches vs ~K*Ä*Ä*R*I*J*Ä~ come on, how hard can it be? Who is Czechia even for?!

ME, motherfucker. This entry is for ME, and FOR ME ALONE!!! and since this is MY ranking, that made the decision very difficult. It took me MONTHS to settle who to put at the top.

Vesna are often cited as one of the more overrated acts in the year. Overrated by whom? Who overrates Vesna? Isn't 10th a correct placement? i've met NO ONE who would even consider putting them as high as second? - and I obv don't count since it took me AN ETERITY to out myself as a Vesna stan!!

I'd counter that Czechia are THE MOST UNDERRATED by the fandom (not by placement - that is Slovenia, as always) and absolutely deserved all the good things that happened to them ^_^

So obviously, there are multiple factors at work here. The song is a fantastic earworm. Like, defo one of the best in the year? In terms of sheer replayability, "My Sister's Crown" is on the same level as "Edgar" (studio only :-/) and "Carpe Diem", and you know how much I value those. The song has four languages (including Bulgarian) and none of them clash. The lyrics are quotable and fun. This is a track with ATTITUDE and ZEST, that managed to criticize the war in Ukraine without beating us over the head with it via a poorly hidden, clumsily written political message. The song is SMART, and respects its listeners.

LOVE'S NOT A MONEY BAG BLOOD'S ON YOUR GOD'S HANDS YOU CANNOT STEAL OUR SOULS

However, going into the year, there were issues - Vesna were messy and dissonant, and the six girls often gave the impression of competing against each other for attention. They were not a UNIT. Although "My Sister's Crown" was always one of the best songs, many (including myself!) were sceptical it could come together.

And it did, spectacularly.

See, one of the things about this year is that the good performances and good songs were often mismatched. Albania, Estonia and Poland had great on-stage glam-ups, but they were severely hampered by the songs being what they were. Other countries such as France and Austria had good songs, but required really good acts to tie them together, and failed or, in case of say UK, has good acts that were performed badly.

If you made a Venn Diagram between the best songs and the biggest growers, there wouldn't be much overlap. Except for Czechia.

To quote Matteo Lane's pearl of wisdom; if there's only ONE GAY, everything gets done! Ahmad Malloun was the One Gay and channeled his bossbottom energy to fuss Vesna into shape. Suddenly, the girls were harmonious and disciplined and that made all the difference. Suddenly, Czechia had an act with a clear vision - Six women united visually through their outfits. Vesna had become a UNIT, united through sisterhood.

SESTRO KRASIVA OI TI SILYNA HOROBRA JEDINA KORONA TVOJA

It really doesn't get mentioned nearly often enough how amazing the Czech staging was. Sure, Loreen and Käärijä, both top notch. But this is my personal favourite of the bunch. It's a visually stunning, avant garde act that fits the music, that fits the thematics, that pulls you in and tells a story without overtly complicating matters. They start as a group of angry hexaplets and then burst into joyful sororian rapture at the end. The staging is both aesthetically pleasing and intuitive. They hit the gold standard for acts that everyone should try to strive for!!

There are times where I wonder whether I really should rank Vesna above Käärijä. My Sister's Crown fully morphed into a me-coded entry. And perhaps, if and when I watch 2023 again, I may do exactly that. For now though, I've decided against it. The argument for Finland is less complicated, so I went with that. And now for the winner of this ranking I am sure NOBODY saw coming ever:

-------------------------------------------------------------

01. FINLAND Käärijä - "Cha Cha Cha" 2nd place

Decade ranking: 4/116 [Above Vesna, below Chanel]

It's Käärijä, bitch.

I rest my case for ranking Finland first. I don't think anyone argues this as invalid? Good, let's pick it all apart because if there's anything Käärijä deserves, it is being talked about. 😉

So um, where to start? Maybe it's best to start with the song - "Cha Cha Cha" was that rare 1-in-500 entry. I always say that novelty always tends to become stale over time - once in a blue moon however, it endures. "Cha Cha Cha" is a novelty song that is also an excellent song in its own right, and it stil holds up very well. It's a fun song to listen to, even without all the circus and theatrics.

The circus and theatrics though, omg <3 Talk about a DELECTABLE act, once again. This is yet again an example of how staging compliments the song and makes it digestible. Cha Cha Cha is entirely in Finnish with only a few loan words tossed in - difficult to get into on paper. The staging however, brings the plot points home.

The song's about wanting to overcome anxieties to dance? So break from the crates

Confront the inner Dance Demons that harass your psyche

make your way to the dancefloor while dodging decapitation via errant wires.

and then, when you overcome all fears transition to that godly, campy key chance, ride your them, having overcome your inhibitions.

AND I GALLAVANT ON THE FLOOR LIKE A CHA CHA CHA AND MY ANXIETIES HAVE NO GRIP ON ME NO MORE

The act is BRILLIANT. The ballroom dancers with their creepy pearly-whites, the dorkopotamus choreography, the styling, the overwhelming sense of triumph once the key change hits... It's the same deal as Vesna and Loreen, just a handful of visual cues that visualize the song's themes (anxiety, rather than sisterhood or desolation) are easy to understand and don't further complicate matters. THIS is how it's done. This is how you Eurovision.

The magical ingredient that tied it all together was the man, the dad bod, the bolero himself - Käärijä. Talk about a personality so massive everything gravitated towards him. It's hard to put the extent of his likeability into words - he's just so disarmingly himself. The key here is that Käärijä doesn't see himself as anything special. To him, he's just "boy from Vantaa who likes queen Loreen". He's just self-aware enough to realize the effect he has on others, but not self-aware enough to understand what exactly endears him to so many people. So when Käärijä plays up for funsies, he magnifies all aspects of his personality which makes him... even more endearing. 😍

(it's the same magic dust that has people flock to Baby Lasagna this year, really.)

It's rare to have a contestant who managed to completely warp the meta around him to this extent. It's even more rare that the contestant in this position then loses the competition. I remember telling my friend André, who was behind on NF news, that Käärijä had won UMK, and he replied with an innocuous "great, I haven't been this excited for a contestant since Verka!". I think I realize in that moment, that was to be Käärijä's destiny. Verka was the Hot Favourite in their year, the breakout star of 2007 - and Verka placed second to a more competent entry (Molitva <3). It was in that moment that I knew that Käärijä's inevitable fate was to come second to Loreen.

And I feel like, we all knew deep down that was where we were headed. We all wanted Käärijä to win as much as we did, because we knew that he would not. He was blissfully cruising towards a loss, and that was too much of an injustice to accept it and not manifest a reality where he beats Sweden.

It even got to a point where some people are now retroactively trying push the notion Tattoo is better than Euphoria (that statement is more offensive than anything I've ever commited to print or speech, including the one time I called Lesley Roy frumpy on cam <3) and the best entry ever (excuse you?) largely because it beat Cha Cha Cha.

So if Käärijä is this great, then why the doubt? Why only fourth for the decade (for the moment)?

Well, it's same deal as Cornelia for me. The best live of Cha Cha Cha that we received was the first one, at UMK, and every other performance we've had since then was not as good. The one in Eurovision had terrible vocals and slightly less impressive staging compared to UMK. I know right? The ESC staging did MORE and yet accomplished LESS. They got rid of all the wrestling references? Where's the close-up at the end? The arena? THE LIFT?

Sure, these inaccuracies didn't detract from my personal enjoyment of Cha Cha Cha. They however did allow for Käärijä to fall behind far enough behind Loreen in the jury vote so that he could no longer catch up with her in the televote, like a death by a thousand paper cuts.

It was a great live, but it wasn't great enough to win. Eurovision Käärijä was not Käärijä at his best, while Vesna without question gave their best performance in the Grand Final. Hence my doubts.

However, I ultimately went with Käärijä anyway because he did something Vesna could not - he gave a concert in my city, and I attended. HE MADE ME LEAVE THE HOUSE AFTER DARK. And god, if you've not been to a Käârijä gig before, absolutely fucking go if you're able to - IT'S CRAZY IT'S PARTY is the perfect catchphrase for this hyperactive, sexually amorphous, adorkable gremlin.

He was his unadulterated self, slapping his belly only vaguely aware of his sex appeal, swooning over a group of Slovene attendees because they reminded him of The Love Of His Life Bojan Cveticanin, ripping one of his merch t-shirts in half and then wearing it as a jacket, airdiving a wayward balloon that floated its way on the stage. The music was also excellent. Exposed to to the FULL scope of Käärijäness, made all the good memories of the 2023 preshow flow back, how could I not rank him anywhere other than first? Maybe I will change my mind and rank Vesna first in a few years from now, but for now, let's savour him while he's still fresh in our minds.

REMINDER THAT THE 2024 ROSTER IS GREAT LARGELY THANKS TO KÄÄRIJÄ.

REMINDER THAT HE WOULD SO WIN ANY FUTURE EUROVISION IF HE WANTED TO:

(May I just name this as my fave song from the 2024 nf season MAY I????*)

He WAS 2023. He WAS Eurovision.

He may have lost the contest, but he has won life. (and paid his taxes.)

ALL RISE FOR THE BEST ACT OF 2023!

The RANKING (completed)

"Novo, Bolje" was my fave 2024 NF also-ran. Obv.

ADDENDUM: ABOUT ESC2024

Yeah, obviously i'm not going to do a pre-show ranking. With all the poison and controversy going on, it's just not the right time. I delayed this ranking specificially so that I wouldn't be temped to do the 2024 one later. (Unlike a certain broadcasting institution, I possess a modest amount of insight, foresight and self-awareness. 🙂 )

Hopefully, ESC 2024 goes down without too many incidents, and I'll able to start my post-show ranking the week after the Grand Final.

See you there, hopefully, if Eurovision isn't dead and buried by then! 💚

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Climate Rights International:

Leading U.S. avocado importers Calavo Growers, Fresh Del Monte Produce, Mission Produce, and West Pak Avocado have continued to source from Mexican orchards containing illegally deforested land in 2023 and 2024 even after being informed of deforestation within their supply chains, Climate Rights International said today based on a study conducted with the Mexican NGO Guardián Forestal. The companies should immediately stop buying from orchards on illegally deforested land and ensure that their sourcing practices are not incentivizing the destruction of Mexico’s forests.   

The four companies have supplied avocados from Mexico to major supermarket chains throughout the United States. Albertsons, Costco, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and Whole Foods all sourced from at least one of the four companies in 2023.    

A November 2023 report by Climate Rights International, “Unholy Guacamole: Deforestation, Water Capture, and Violence Behind Mexico’s Avocado Exports to the U.S. and Other Major Markets,” documented how the U.S.-Mexico avocado trade is fueling widespread illegal deforestation and water shortages in the Mexican states of Michoacán and Jalisco, and how local residents whose efforts to protect their forests and water supplies have been met with violence and intimidation. Using shipping records obtained through Mexico’s transparency law, the report revealed that the four top U.S. importers, as well as other companies, had sourced avocados from orchards containing illegally deforested land in 2022. 

“By buying from orchards containing illegally cleared lands, the companies are effectively incentivizing further deforestation, as well as acts of intimidation and violence against local residents trying to stop it,” said Daniel Wilkinson, Senior Policy Advisor at Climate Rights International.  “And by continuing to do so after being informed of the consequences, they’re showing that their public commitments to sustainable sourcing are, when it comes to Mexican avocados, little more than greenwashing.”  

As documented in the 2023 report, virtually all of the avocado-driven deforestation in Michoacán and Jalisco over the past two decades has been illegal. Moreover, in many instances, the land has been cleared by intentionally setting forest fires, which is also a crime.  The total amount of avocado-driven deforestation in the two states over the past decade very likely exceeds 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares)—and could be more than 70,000 acres. Tens—if not hundreds—of thousands of acres of forest in the two states remain at risk of deforestation for avocado exports, according to academic studies.   

The conversion of natural forests to avocado plantations releases climate-warming greenhouse gases, reduces carbon storage, and undercuts biodiversity. It also reduces the replenishment of aquifers, which—together with the heavy and often unauthorized use of water by avocado orchards—contributes to water shortages that impact local communities.   

[finniestoncrane]

i was inspired by your recent posts, also I'm not sure if you've answered one like this before?- but headcanon request of all the Eddies and who is a 'grower' or a 'shower' and anything else you'd like to add on about their cocks 😇

Riddler Dicks

Riddler Headcanons you have asked me the exact right thing at the exact right moment lmao ok so i did this ages a while ago with so few riddlers so this is a nice excuse to go back over it and go into some detail >:3 💚 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: suggestive duh it's COCKS

arkham

ok so he is definitely about average, maybe an extra inch in length

6-7 inches probably, doesn't look much different flacid to hard

definitely veiny though, and with a slight curve up

and his balls are huge, good at making a slapping sound

and he has entirely unruly pubic hair

dano

i think he is hung like a fuckin horse, like 8 inches and thick

something about those tall nerdy boys, they're just always hanging

he also has a pretty head, all pink and shiny

and his balls are cute? do you know what i mean

like they're so round, so spherical, so adorable

zero year

we're rockin with 3 inches while stiff here and i am into it

he's got a lot of hang-ups about it but i. love. it

pretty little dick surrounded by a tuft of flaming red hair

balls that are small but red and smooth

and he ruts like a wild animal, so he puts a lot of effort in

unburied

little bit below average but it's fine cos it looks fuckin amazing

an impressive grower though, like that shit is dinner and a show

it curves to the right, and he's prone to wagging it around

and it tastes so good, like he puts effort into his diet

because he likes getting those four inches slurped on

btaa

4-5 inches, and he's proud of it

he gives me short stature, short dick, short king energy

and he's so talented with his cock, and his mouth, and his fingers

so you never really realise that he's just average

cos baby girl is far more impressive than most

telltale

5-6 inches with a nice thick girth

he's not going to brag about it, like he does with everything else

but he knows it looks good and feels good

especially when paired with his amazing tuft of grey pubes

(also his balls are long, gravity comes for us all)

twojar

he's got 7 inches of primo dick, but he's thinks that's enough alone

so he hasn't bothered to learn how to use it properly

interestingly enough, carpets do not match the drapes

they're much darker, same with the skin tone of his cock and balls

but hey you're not in it to feel something with him, just to look

btas

i am giving don juan five inches of gorgeous and talented meat

he's good with it, of course, and it's nice to look at

thick, uncut, tidy pubes, nice balls

but he could make you cum with a smile and a compliment

so it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things

young justice

baby boy. is a full on breeding stud. with neverending capabilities

a definite shower, thick, long, twitches when he's hard

the tip is always slick with precum the instant he's aroused

his pubes are interestingly not shaped or trimmed

and he is pretty clumsy with it, so it might be painful...

gotham

like everything else about him, it is long and skinny

but also very pretty, and pleasant to look at, and strangely cute

PLUS he has very tidy pubes, immaculate presentation

and he is very careful, or hesitant, because he's a timid thing

and so is his dick! because it's a definite grower

[acti-veg]

hi acti, shits pretty bleak in the U.S. at the moment. I'm very proud of my folks for voting 93 and 80% majority for blue but it's not enough. We're taking this time to just rest and try to think of ways to brace for what's coming. Especially with FDA and health inspection rollbacks in place. My family's majority plant-based save for my mom. Idk if u remember or if u had gotten it, but I wrote an anonymous message a long time ago asking if there was a way to transition my mom from backyard egg vegetarianism with rescue hens to veganism, especially since I don't think we can trust animal products soon. I really want to start a micro farm, (like a freight hydroponics microfarm or something similar) if possible because soon I won't trust the soil from big box stores as I can't sterilize it enough nor grow year round and its gonna be a rough 4 years and up. I'm just looking for hobbies to help feed my community if anything.

(Im so sorry if this seems like the beginning manifesto of an online recipe) but Do you happen to have any sources on vegan alternatives to beekeeping? Or any sources on sustainable indoor hydroponic farming that could feed several people? Or if you think its best to keep rescue chickens for eggs and transition my mom to plant-based sources for her own safety now? Thank u in advance

I want to preface this by saying I don't really have any personal experience with this, so my answer here is based solely on research. It will depend on the level of space you have in your home, but even if you have a couple of spare rooms to use, I think you'll need to manage your expectations a little bit.

It is unlikely that you'll be able to become self-sufficient unless you have access to a plot of land. What you'll be growing will supplement what you're buying, but it won't replace it. Communal allotments could be an option, but that will depend heavily on where you are and how available they are, as well. Even then, the quantity you'll produce on a small allotment will not be enough to feed several people.

That said, you can grow quite a lot indoors or on a small plot of land, and you'll certainly be able to provide a real boost of fresh fruit and veg, either to community kitchens or to your family. I don't think that having animal inputs would really provide much of a benefit since you'd also have to rely on buying or growing feed, so my recommendation would be to just start with trying to supplement what you're buying now, with easy options to grow at home.

As for resources, here is highly rated book on vegetable gardening, if you do have access to an outdoor space. For indoor, this is supposed to be a good entry level book, here is a more extensive text focused on soiless growing, and here is one focused on equipment. There are also a couple of active subreddits on this, but I think that these four combined should provide a really good foundation to get you going - but it is apparently a lot of trial and error, and you will need to set some money aside for an initial investment into your equipment.

I think that it's a great idea so start to look towards growing your own food, but don't get too wrapped up in the self-sufficiency idea. Reach out to local growers and grower communities, make connections at farmers markets, see if you can do any work in community gardens to learn. Community is what is going to get people through this, and making those connections now would be wise.

Edit: Check this advice from a knowledgeable anon as well.