fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Collecting and utilising the design archive
By: Matt Lamont
Tags: Design History, Graphic Design, Design Archive, Design Inspiration, Book Design

I have been collecting design books and ephemera for around a decade. What started as a way of researching, without having to look at the same library stack of library books, become an obsession of finding rare volumes, and spending hours looking for new, undiscovered items online.

Situated in Bradford, we don’t have a beaming design scene, arts-focused bookshops or places to find ephemera. What we do have though, is great space, people and real positivity and civic pride. Assembly Bradford become the home of my growing archive and within a few years the collection has doubled in size.

Various items from my design archive

The thing I love about collecting is, every item leads to another. 1950s design magazines featuring poster designers, leaving me searching for monographs, monographs lead to catalogues and so on. My interests have broadened over the last few years, from Dutch design to Sculpture, to mid-century architecture magazines and stamps. Every item represents a time, a place, technological process, a certain stock, typeface, size. A piece of design ephemera is a collection of decisions presented in printed form.

Vintage film brochures

Whats in the collection?

The collection boasts 100’s of design magazines such as the Japanese Idea magazine, Industrial Design, an almost first 150 set of Graphis magazines, Gebrauchsgraphik, Novum and Fuse, Stacks and stacks of design monologues, manuals, poster books and design annuals. A vast collection of catalogues, from Stedelijk Museum, Film Festivals and Travel ephemera. Also boxes of stamps, matchbox labels and posters.

This vast archive contains work spanning from the 1890s to present day, but the majority of the collection was produced in the 1950s.

Designs from the 1972 Olympics

Utilising the collection

The archive doesn’t sit there gathering dust, it is used in design research, brand presentations and research for design projects. We use it to look at paper stock, binding, colour, design as well as to sit back and get fuelled with inspiration.

I run a design history Facebook group, which currently has over 13,000 members, with a shared passion for design history. With a similar profile set up on Twitter. Where possible in-between agency work, I share findings, collections and inspiration with the members.

I am also planning on creating a subscription-based website as an outlet for research, interviews, rare content and online shop.

Get Involved

Interested in hearing more about the collection or using the archive?

You can sign up to the design archive newsletter here or contact Matt at archive@designreviewed.com
The Importance of Good Design
By: Liam Guthrie
Tags: Ideation, Design, Blog, Graphic Design

This question has so many levels for me and there’s potentially infinite discussion of this topic but I’ll keep it relevant to what I know. To me asking a question such as “what is the importance of good design?” is like asking what’s the importance of water or breathing. I believe it’s something that has advanced so much in the past 2 decades or so that it’s very much taken for granted. I’m so thankful to be a graphic designer in today’s world, all of the technological advances really make it a lot easier for us to create examples of “good design”. I sigh thinking of what we all missed out on from so many great designers of the past not having our current design tech. We’ve become so dependent on good design in our day to day life that when we encounter something designed poorly it is more noteworthy than something designed well. In the modern world simple functionality is to be expected not marveled at, naturally we look for something that looks and operates well while also doing its job. At the core of this I think those pushing design forward, whatever form that may take, are doing crucial work. The early innovators of graphic design are really who we owe our current trends to. Developments in the 60s, 70s, and 80s are where I look for inspiration in simplifying my ideas to their best possible look and feel. I love the simplicity of Massimo and Lella Vignelli as well as the movement and rhythm of Paula Scher. Sometimes all of the various platforms, software, and competing interests interrupt the progression of good design. In a way, I think designers of the past had an advantage in the fact that there were simply less distractions along the path to creating something. With the explosion of the online realm, the information overload can be a massive hindrance to the creative process. I’ve noticed myself getting lost in the digital jungle of social media and the seemingly endless barrage of new design trends. It is actually quite interesting to look back at my work right around the start of my time at UMD. Back then I wasn’t as present online and it showed in my work. Being firmly rooted in traditional ideation methods is something I hope I can dedicate myself to in all aspects of my design going forward because I believe it to be an incredibly accurate predictor of whether my design is good, great, or simply not clear enough.
Ken Garland and Galt Toys
By: Matt Lamont
Tags: British Design, Design History, Graphic Design, Toy Design, Mid Century

I first came across Kens work in the Unit Edition’s superb monograph, Structure and Substance, published in 2012. Although I had owned a few of the British industrial design magazines, Design, for a few years before, in which Ken had designed numerous covers for.

Ken was born in 1929, in Southampton and grew up in a small market town in north Devon. He was a principled man, with strong values and views against the hyper-consumerism we live with today. Ken studied at the London Central School of Arts and Crafts in the 1950s and was taught by Herbert Spencer, Anthony Froshaug and Jesse Collins. Whilst at the School he studied alongside designers Ken Briggs, Alan Fletcher and Colin Forbes.

He launched his own small design agency Ken Garland Associates in the early 60s in Camden and has worked and lived their for over half a century. Their longest client retainer lasted 20 years, this was for James Galt and Company.

Design by Ken Garland

James Galt and Company itself was established in Manchester, 1836, but started trading toys on a retail level in 1961, simplifying its name to Galt Toys. They commissioned Ken to design a playful identity, packaging designs, catalogues, furniture and even the games themselves. The identity was set in Folio Medium Extended and Ken stated in the Unit Editions monograph, Ken Garland — Structure and Substance,

“[We] were determined not to let the Galt Toys logo become a sacred cow, not to be mucked about with (as was decreed with so many logos in the 50s and 60s). It would, indeed, be mucked around with, but only by us.

There is, I have to say, more than mere whimsy in these variants. With the eager involvement of my Associates I was totally devoted to breaking down the tyranny within which logotypes were normally constrained. I felt that they were best used as the starting point for design ideas, rather than as an inviolable, enshrined entity.”

Octons — Galt Toys

Octons

Octons was designed in 1973, and contains a number of coloured transparent octagons that van be connected and built, to make your own modular forms.

Fizzog — Galt Toys

Fizzog

This game, designed by Ken Garland and associates, in 1970, consists of around 24 half faces to pair and connect.

Montage — Galt Toys

Montage

The Montage game/set wasn’t designed by Ken, but the packaging and instructions, were designed by Ken Garland & Associates in 1966

Further info and references:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/sep/07/ken-garland-graphic-designer-cnd-manifesto-hollywood

https://modernmooch.com/2017/04/06/galt-toys-an-exhibition/

Unit Editions 09 — Ken Garland — Structure and Substance

Interested in hearing more about the collection or using the archive? You can sign up to the design archive newsletter here http://eepurl.com/hkBeHP
Rudolph de Harak and Westminster Records
By: Matt Lamont
Tags: American History, Design History, Graphic Design, Design, Record Labels

Rudolph de Harak was born in 1924 in Culver City, California, and moved to New York before his teens. Whilst living in New York, he attended the New York City School of Industrial Arts and shortly after, served in World War II, returning to Los Angeles to join an advertising agency. During this time, he was particularly inspired by two lectures given by Will Burtin and Gyorgy Kepes.

In the early 50s, de Harak moved back to New York and after working as an art director, he set up his own studio in 1952. Throughout his career, he designed over 350 book jackets (all within three years) for McGraw-Hill, as well as designing their trademark, countess record covers, and iconic designs such as the three-storey-high digital clock in New York City and the centrepiece for the Cummins Engine Museum, Columbus, Indiana.

As well as been an exceptional designer, he lectured at the Cooper Union for 25 years and taught occasional design classes at Yale, Alfred University, Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute.

De Harak later became a member of the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1989 and was awarded a 1993 AIGA medal for his lifetime achievement in design.

Westminster Records

Rudolph de Harak designed over 50 record covers for Westminster Records as well as designing covers for Columbia, Oxford and Circle record labels. His bright, geometric graphics can easily be distinguished and recognised. The designs have a mid-century allure and the compositions and colours, have not aged at all. These timeless pieces of design reflect the great mid-century design been producing in America.Those looking to start their own design collection can pick up records and books with the work of Harak at a reasonable price on auction websites and charity shops.

Vivaldi/Gloria Westminster records Design by Rudolph de Harak

Hermann Scherchen conducts Trumpet Concerti Haydn / Vivaldi Handel / Torelli. Design by Rudolph de Harak

Shostakovitch Piano Concerto №1 opus 35 & №2 opus 102. Designed by Rudolph de Harak.

Interested in hearing more about the collection or using the archive?

You can sign up to the design archive newsletter here http://eepurl.com/hkBeHP

Further Reading

https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/people/18042103/bio

https://www.aiga.org/medalist-rudolphdeharak

http://adcglobal.org/hall-of-fame/rudolph-de-harak/
CITRELL : A Case Study. For this post I’m going to go into…
By: Liam Guthrie
Tags: Case Study, Design, Process, Graphic Design

For this post I’m going to go into detail about a project I’m doing for my senior design studio one project. It was a really good opportunity to try a complete branding identity from scratch, which I had never done before. To clarify and frame my case study I’ll briefly describe my company’s feature product. Citrell is a gardening company that specializes in space saving customizable trellises that are designed primarily for urban environments and cities.

The main thing I wanted to discuss was the actual logo I created. The research I did showed that an older audience was the majority and focus of what I was trying to appeal to. Further research told me that a simpler color scheme, something monochromatic, was seen as a possible indication of being trustworthy. So naturally I tried to capitalize on this as much as possible which led to a green color scheme. Nothing crazy there just simply trying to match what the end goal of the product is. At the core of the logo design, I tried to have the fundamental relationship of the trellis. An organic shape that is surrounding or anchored by a geometric base. This can be seen in the general form of the elements within the logo design.

Originally my design was a lot more abstracted than its current form. After receiving a lot of good feedback it was clear to see that I needed to create a more representational logo as it wasn’t clear enough as to what I was actually trying to portray.

Looking back on the process, I think I tackled a unique problem that I saw. The original challenge was always to create a compelling brand narrative and system for use. I think I got too caught up in trying to create a completely innovative product. At the end of the day I’m a graphic designer, not a industrial designer. While there is definitely cross over at times, I think it’s visible in the logo design that I needed to refine and realize my branding vision more completely and thoroughly. Perhaps I’m too critical of myself but I wish I hadn’t been too focused on using the Sideways trellis design in my logo. I believe that it is somewhat counter productive to the complete image of the brand. While aesthetically I think it has feet to stand on, when viewed through the lens of a complete visual design system I think it’s lacking in refined and thoughtful simplicity and understanding.
Personal Branding for Freelance Graphic Designer
Tags: Brand Identity, Logo Design, Graphic Design, Personal Branding, Freelancers

I created this design for my needs in starting work as a freelance graphic designer.

I need a simple design but still, bring out my identity in this design. This design that I made only wants to show the initials of my name.

Software to use : Adobe Photoshop CC & Adobe Illustrator CC

Adobe Photoshop CC & Adobe Illustrator CC Art Director & Graphic Designer: Fatih Annuri

Fatih Annuri Behance & Dribbble: Fatihannuri

Fatihannuri Instagram & Facebook Page : fatihannuridesign

fatihannuridesign Project Year: 2015

#graphicdesign #graphicdesigner #logodesign #designer #logodesign #logo #designer #creative #branding #design #brand #coffee #logodesigner #visualidentity #brandidentitydesign #brandidentity #designcommunity #graphicdesigners #behance #freelance #marketing #project #graphics

See my other portfolio :

Hire Me on Fiverr :
Your ultimate Freelance guide
By: Bansri Shah
Tags: Graphic Design, UX Design, Freelancing, UI Design, Product Design

Not just India but the world has seen a rise in the gig economy in the last decade. More and more millennials are choosing the flexibility of working at their own time, pace, and also space. The past year has only confirmed this. As COVID 19 has changed our working patterns, more professionals and global companies are getting drawn to the idea of independence from the 9–5 cubicle life.

Although it’s not as rosy as it sounds, there are certainly a lot of challenges involved. Imagine being your own Boss, Accountant, HR, Marketer, Client Servicing Manager. Also being a freelancer would, well most of the time mean chai breaks alone 😥

On the upside, freelancing offers the opportunity to pick your own clients. It gives flexibility over workload. It also offers the exposure to work on a variety of projects at your own convenience of your own time and SPACE — beach, mountains, garden, home office, or even your garage (where the great ideas were born) — take your pick.

Freelancing can sound a little daunting having to play multiple roles. I have compiled a few points to keep in mind to make your journey less overwhelming.
10 Best Graphic Design Courses Online
By: Arek Dvornechuck
Tags: Logo Design, Branding, Graphic Design, Online Courses, Design Process

Learning graphic design

Graphic design is a very broad term, but every graphic designer designer should know how to design design a logo, identity and a website.

These are the most in-demand disciplines as a graphic designer.

In the following paragraphs I describe what the course is about, how long it is and how much it cost, so that you can make right choices based on your needs.

The subjects may overlap slightly but repetition is the matter of skill and I believe you should check out at least some of them if you want to become a pro.

So without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
10 Simple Rules of Cover Design
By: Reem Alomari
Tags: Typography, Trends, Graphic Design, Book Cover Design, Design Tips

1. Keep It Simple

Help your potential reader by showing them exactly what they’re looking for. Bonus points if you can use minimalist imagery to give them context. You don’t want to focus on some obscure thing that, while insightful for the story, doesn’t tell your potential reader what they’re picking up.

2. Don’t Overdo It

Flashy, complex design can look amazing. If it fits the genre you’re writing in, go for it. But avoid over-doing it. If you go too far, you can confuse the reader.

3. Scalability Matters

It has to look just as good as a thumbnail as a paperback. In some cases, if you have the budget for it, many authors and publishers create a different ebook and hardbound covers.

4. Follow The Rules

Copyright rules are important. I think we can all agree, getting sued is not fun! We can’t stress how important it is to cover your bases. Don’t think so? Check out this true story from Laura Thalasssa.

5. Create A Hook

This can be your tagline (keeping it simple of course), but kudos if you’re able to hook the reader with your image.

6. Be Kind and Keep in Mind

How do you plan to publish? If this is a pet project you only plan to circulate among a smaller group, like family or your classroom, your cover design will differ from mass trade paperback or electronic sales.

7. Color, Color, Color

Our team at Qamber Designs has years of experience under our belts, so we know what color combos work for the mood of your story. There is a whole science to colors and how they affect our sub-conscience. Check it out here.

8. Typography

What is this word, you ask? Much like photographers capture images, typography captures the mood of the text. It’s the art of the text on your cover page, on the headers in your favorite books. The practice goes back centuries, to the first illuminated texts and other classical forms of calligraphy. Say you have a gorgeous cover, but the title is in plain, Times New Roman font. We could honestly write a whole post about typography, but we’ll save that for later. ;)

9. Know Your Book

Sounds simple, but we can tell you from experience; not every author is clear on how to market their book. And like it or not, your cover art is one of your biggest marketing tools. It’s the tool that your teasers and ads will jump off from. The right cover can make or break your book sales. If you have an amazing story, but a subpar cover, we wish you luck in selling it. However, it goes both ways. You may have an amazing cover, but make sure the interior matches the outside. Hire your editors and proofreaders. Make your book the best it can possibly be. Meanwhile, we’ll do our absolute best to return the favor.

10. Know Your Designer

Our job is to bring your vision to life. Sometimes this process works smoother than others. When you have a clear idea of what you want, we will do our absolute best to deliver. It’s not our job to research trends for you ahead of time, but we are aware of them. If you ask us and trust us, we can help offer suggestions that will bring your concept to the next level.
10 Trends of Packaging Design in the Indian Food Industry
By: Therefore Design
Tags: Branding, Indian Food, Graphic Design, Packaging, Design

By: Vrishali Kekre Deshmukh

Until very recently, Indian packaging design was split into 2 diverse camps; the ultra-evolved marketing teams that wanted to get it right, versus the ‘packaging is just the container to deliver my product’ guys. This gap, however, is now getting closer, thanks to two primary forces:

With the reduced influence of mass media on the buyers and social media growing from strength to strength, marketing is no longer the privilege of companies with deep pockets.

Gen-Z is giving new players and established brands similar (if not equal) opportunities to succeed with their “try-new-things” attitude.

Packaging design has never been more critical than now, what with such fierce competition on the shelf and in the buyers’ mind-space! Therefore Design has a round-up of 10 significant trends for packaging design this year.
Lecture — Creativity in the Age of Covid-19
By: Annie Counsell
Tags: Lecture Notes, Graphics, Graphic Design

Today we had a lecture that explored the ways in which creatives have been influenced and effected by the current pandemic.

I found this lecture to be genuinely really interesting — it was so interesting to see the different ways in which different creatives, from a variety of practises, were all impacted. For example, I found that during the first lockdown, I was particularly more creative, purely due to spare time and probably and aspect of boredom. According to Ally’s lecture, 45.3% of creatives thought the same, with Covid opening up more opportunities to creativity and ideation.

My personal favourite creative that was mentioned was Katie Tomlinson, a BCU graduate, who used lockdown to return to portraiture illustration alongside networking to create this beautiful series of sketches of strangers from across the UK. I just thought this beautiful, simplistic idea is a perfect example of where Covid has, in fact, brought us together in a way we wouldn’t have thought it would.

Overall, this lecture was a lovely way to close there semester in terms of lectures — it was delightful to see some familiar names on the call.
UI/UX Case Study — Redesign Gofood.
By: Imansyah Muhamad Putera
Tags: Graphic Design, UX, UI Design, Design Process, Design Thinking

This case study is a final project for UI/UX Course at Purwadhika Startup and Coding School. The project was evaluated on 19 November 2020.

I did the research phase with my assigned teammates and, we were mentored by a lecturer throughout the course. (We worked individually after finishing the research phase)

So, this case study is not affiliated with or endorsed by GoFood/Gojek.
Los colores del año: fuerza y optimismo.
By: Daniel Garay Fleck
Tags: Pantone, Tendencias, Colors, Graphic Design

in THE SIX FIFTY
How To Find & Hire The Best Graphic Designer For Your Project?
By: Aamir Daniyal
Tags: Branding, Hire, Graphic Design, Web Design, Packaging

Finding the right graphic designer to implement your vision is critical

You will need a skilled Freelance Graphic Designer who specializes in the type of graphics that needs to be done.

So before hiring a designer from sites like Upwork or Fiverr to do it for you, there are some considerations that need to be taken into account.

It’s important to remember that:

You are not simply hiring someone to design a “graphic”

but rather, to listen to your needs and to build a relationship to help your business grow.

With that being said, your brand creates an impression on your customers, and it’s essential for that impression to reflect your vision.

The wrong type of designer (anyone can design) can result in low-quality inappropriate designs, fewer customers, fewer conversions, and actually lost dollars.

Understand the differences between creative positions

You may have heard these terms used interchangeably, but there are some big differences and it’s important to distinguish between them when hiring the right designer for your business.

A graphic designer is usually considered as a general term used to described the creative services provider in the field of Visual Arts that has experience in designing for both print and digital.

The main responsibility of the graphics designer’s job is to present information in a way that is both accessible and memorable.

Therefore, graphic designers could work in print media (packaging, brochures, business cards, etc.) or web media (social media graphics, app designs, website designs, etc.) or both (logos, brand identity systems).

When hiring the right graphic designer you should discern between:

Logo Designers

Brand Identity Designers

Web Designers

UX Designers

Packaging Designers

Motion Designers

3D Graphic Designers

Art Directors

The whole point is to find the right person for the type of work that needs to be done. The Graphic Design field is very broad and the tools and techniques used by Visual Artists change very rapidly.

That’s why is very important to understand first what do you actually need and hire the right person that specializes in the type of design that you need.

Hire an Experienced Graphic Designer for your Projects so inbox me I’ll help you with your all type of Graphic Design needs!

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Impact of COVID -19 on Agriculture Sector
By: Anuththara Gimhani Ilangathilaka
Tags: Agriculture, Agriculture Technology, Covid 19, Covid 19 Crisis, Food Security

This paper assesses the impact of the spread of COVID-19 and the lockdown on the Agriculture sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting people across the world. Other than people it also impacting on the Agriculture sector, service sector, and the industrial sector. Due to the lockdown and other measurements which are taken to prevent the spreading of COVID-19 cause for the rapid decline of the productivity of all sectors including agriculture. Agriculture is one of the indispensable sectors of the world economy which is not only one of the highest revenue earners worldwide, but also one which caters to the food requirement of the world.

The top 4 agricultural producing countries in the world are China, India, the U.S, and Brazil. Unfortunately, the outbreak of Covid-19 was first identified in Wuhan city in Hubei province, a major domestic international economic and transport hub in China. Other than China now India, U.S, Brazil also highly affected by the COVID -19. In a broad sense due to COVID -19 following section in Agriculture negatively affected.

World agriculture production

Due to the lockdown measurements agricultural production rapidly declining nowadays. People can not perform planting, harvesting like management practices properly. If any farmers who practice rainfed farming, delaying planting cause badly for overall that crop season.If farmers cultivate perishable commodities like fruits and vegetables delaying harvesting causes huge post-harvest losses. Those are negatively hit the profit of the farm.

Other than that when considering animal husbandry animal caring and, feeding, the vaccination-like practice can not perform properly under lockdown. Those are also huge problems for counties like India, Sri Lanka because those countries heavily depend on agricultural labor.

2. World food supply chain

Transportation services not working properly as well as people can not enter or exit from some areas due to that food supply chain also breakdown all over the world. That causes price fluctuation as well as huge postharvest losses.

3. World food demand

Due to the COVID, most companies cut down their labor force. Unemployment is increasing. Due to the unemployment family income goes down market demand decline for all of good including agricultural commodities.

4. Innovation and development in the Agriculture sector

Now a day most research and studies focus on the find method or any vaccine for COVIDE-19. The government also releases funds for that under this situation development of agricultural innovation and researches are not facilitated This will cause future agricultural production.
The Legerdemain of Farmers
By: Joseph Johnson
Tags: Farmers, Agriculture, Government, Protest, India

X and Y were farmers by occupation. Their main crop of cultivation was the cocoa used in manufacture of chocolate.Other crops included areca nuts and coffee. According to the Z commision they were entitled to a basic minimum price of Rs 2750 per produce. They were partners in their work. Both of them had enrolled in a state government sponsored training program on the cultivation of cocoa crops. They had 10 acres of land to themselves. However they had got the shock of a lifetime a month later.

The federal government had passed a law which would result in private business interests taking control of all the farmer’s lives. The basic minimum price of cocoa and all other crops would be dictated by agents of corporates. Hoarding of crops was legalized and the farmers didn’t have a guarantee of basic minimum price.

Bonded labour was legalized and the farmers didn’t have legal remedies. The hours of labour were increased at the beck and call of the corporates. Most farmers and their families were pushed into being paupers.

Farmers all over the country including those with myriad diverse crops of cultivation united in their stand to protest the federal government’s actions. Crimson with rage both X and Y also actively participated in the protests. They were met with police brutality , suppression from the government and rampant violence.

Farmers were met with force majeure clauses in agreements in bad circumstances. Farmers boycotted all products manufactured by the corporates and urged the general public to do the same. The mainstream media had become the propaganda arm of the federal government and corporates. Despite all the cards stacked against them the farmers received support from the masses and their voices were echoed through independent media.

In the end after a battle of 36 months fighting through all the gargantuan spiel and lies of the government the laws had to be rescinded.
¿Qué son los Sistemas de Recirculación de Agua RAS?
By: Afo Acuaponía
Tags: Acuaponía, Urban, Agriculture, Ciencia, Comida

We want to democratice the access to the healthy food in the world through the sustantainability and technology. #SomosSostenibilidad
The inspiring story of innovative tea
Tags: Tea, CEO, Areca Tea, Agriculture, Innovation

Have you heard about Areca tea?!!!

yes, you read it right. now you can drink tea and blow fresh air through your mouth. Areca nut used in “paan” as a mouth freshener in India. A farmer from the small village of Karnataka, India innovated tea of Areca nut.

India is a village country. Majority of the population in Indian village are depending upon the agricultural activities. The Karnataka state has been geologically divided into 3 main regions such as Karavali as the Coastal Region, Malenadu areas consisting of the Western Ghats and the Bayaluseeme comprising of the plains of the Deccan plateau. In Malenadu and Coastal regions, Commercial crops are grown in large quantity as its weather and land structure suits for its growth. In Bayaluseeme side, most of grains, cereals or food crops are cultivated. commercial crops compared to other cash crops and food crops, are known for single usage. Very few have tried to invent its alternate sub-products.
Whitman is Hardly an Expert in the Poaceae Family
By: The Misfit Farmer
Tags: Agriculture, Farm, Funny Stuff, Humor

I know 2020 has been less than stellar, and I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but for all of you who thought Leaves of Grass would be the perfect gift for the farmer in your life, your gift is going to be a dud.

I ordered it a few months ago because farmers are always pestering me with questions about pasture grass identification, and I needed a good pocket manual, something that I could whip out of my back pocket and refer to in times of doubt. This manual had nearly a five-star rating on Amazon and was a slim volume, only 145 pages. I thought that’s just what I need.

Yikes! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT open and recite anything from this manual in the presence of a big-time cattle farmer, no matter how stumped you are by a strange grass clump. At best, if you live in an area with rocky topsoil, you’ll be quickly stoned to death. At worst, you’ll be left to wander the pasture alone, while the big-time cattle farmer hurries over the horizon to the nearest gas station grill, Lowry’s Country Corner, to insert into circulation the vicious rumor that the local soil conservationist likes poetry. Afterward, you’ll be forced to live the rest of your days as an agricultural outcast and farmers will point and snicker at you at the sale barn and ask you, derisively, if you’ve read lately at any open mic nights.

So, just FYI, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is not the authoritative source for species identification in the grass family. For a more accurate field guide, I suggest, “Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes: An Identification Guide” by Lauren Brown and Ted Elliman.
DCE:Notice on Charging the Order Submission Fee for RBD Palm Olein Futures Contracts
By: Market Bridge Consulting
Tags: Futures Trading, Derivatives, Agriculture, China Financial Market, Palm Oil

According to Article 38 of Measures for Clearing Management of Dalian Commodity Exchange, Exchange will collect the order submission fee for RBD Palm Olein futures, starting from the trading on December 23th, 2020 (namely, starting from the night trading session on December 22th,2020).

1. Applicable Object

Clients and non-futures company members who meet the submission fee threshold and daily traded more than 600 lots on RBD Palm Olein futures contracts. Market makers are exempt from order submission fee for market-making purpose.

2. Charging Standard

The order submission fee is charged daily, and the specific standards are as follows:

Order Submission Fee = the total lots placed on RBD palm olein futures contracts of non-futures company members or clients on the day × the charging standard of the day.

Message Count = Order Submission Count+ Order Cancellation Count

OTR = Number of Orders /Traded Volume -1

For clients who have multiple trading code at different Futures Brokers, or clients and non-futures company members who have actual control relationship, the exchange shall calculate order submission count, order cancellation count, lots of orders, lots of order cancellation, traded volume and other indicators on a consolidated basis.

3. Collection Method

The submission fee shall be deducted from the member settlement reserve at the time of daily settlement.

4. Other Matters

In order to implement the above business, members shall complete the system upgrade before December 23th, 2020. For more details of the system upgrade, please confirm with the relevant system suppliers.

For China derivatives market access and more market information please contact sherry_ustc@163.com

For more China derivatives market news please visit FangQuant
International politics over Indian Farmers’ Agitation is a dangerous trend.
By: Indra Raj Pathak
Tags: Farmers, Short Form, Less Than 150 Words, Agriculture, Law

International politics over Indian Farmers’ Agitation is a dangerous trend. Some foreign politicians have become self-proclaimed spokespersons of the Indian farmers. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada as the guardian of worldwide liberal values lectured India on peaceful farmers’ protest. Rather like a pragmatic politician, sensing 1300 thousand Canadian-Indians’ mindset, smartly invested in their vote bank. Trudeau said that Canada would stand for the right to peaceful protests. Indeed we appreciate. But does he apply the same to Canadian citizens? In Feb. 2020, Canada faced protests and blockades. Rail crossings were closed. Passengers and freight trains disrupted. It was feared there would be fuel shortage. But soon after, a police crackdown followed on the peaceful protesters. Regrettable. Deplorable.

Indians living overseas particularly from Punjab Farmers’ families have taken the issue in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia demonstrating outside Indian Embassies to draw attention.

You can find the reasons for the farmers’ protest here:

https://medium.com/illumination/indian-farmers-protest-reaches-four-months-and-about-two-weeks-against-three-farm-laws-passed-by-2571381e3a0
Millet Milieu
By: Phds Of India
Tags: India, PhD, Agriculture, Shillong, Millet

“Being from a Gujarati Jain family, I have been brought up in an environment of education and entrepreneurship that probably shaped my knack into research. The thought of doing a PhD crystallized after I went for a research assistantship at IIM Ahmedabad where I met experts in my field.

Initially when I decided to go for a PhD, it was during the period when girls of my age get married in my culture. I found it difficult to convince my parents back then because the fact that I had to travel all the way to east from the west was quite worrisome for them, but when they saw my happiness and excitement of getting that offer letter from IIM Shillong, they eventually came around.

I already had an idea that the journey of a PhD wasn’t going to be an easy one. Yet, I was quite upset when my first paper was rejected, I had thought I did amazing work there and couldn’t come to terms about this rejection. My supervisors personally called me up and asked me to not lose hope. Not only him, my family and friends also provided me with the much needed mental support which has made my journey relatively easier.

My PhD is focused on public policy making with regards to cultivation, production and consumption of millets in India. I personally feel the millet industry is an emerging field at present. Research has shown that millets can be a good source for reduction of stunted growth and iron deficiency and hence millet based recipes have been incorporated in mid-day meals for poor children in several states like Karnataka, Orissa and Telangana. There are many independent smart laboratories in the country working extensively on the advantages of millet consumption. In addition, millet production is relatively easier, they do not need fertile land or extra fertilizers to grow and have the ability to grow even in barren lands, which makes millet a good alternative crop to grow in agriculturally challenging places.

However, it is a niche market which makes their processing, storage and transportation quite cumbersome thereby making millet based products in the supermarkets expensive. Not only millets, in terms of agriculture, there is a need for better infrastructure particularly in terms of cold storage and easy transportation which would help in waste reduction and benefit the local, small scale farmers.

Also, we need to attract more young minds to the Indian agricultural sector which, as a profession, is often looked down upon in our country unfortunately. A part of this problem can be solved through our education system which tends to segregate subjects in an orthodox manner and allows us to take up only specific combinations of them together. We need to bring in more fluidity in our system which allows us to choose and even change subjects if and when we want to. This is achievable if we give every profession the same dignity and make people aware of the various career options in every field.”

-Priya Shah, PhD in Economics and Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Shillong
WHAT IF I WERE A “FARMER”..
By: Mandeep Sahni
Tags: Agriculture, Farmers Market, Agritech, Farmers

FARMER IS NOT JUST A MAN, OR A WORD, OR A CULTIVATOR. HE IS WAY MORE THAN WE CAN THINK. A FARMER IS EQUIVALLENT TO ANY SOLDIER WHO PROTECTS HIS TERRITORY SO OTHERS CAN SLEEP & EAT IN A PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT. A FARMER IS EQUIVALLENT TO MANY SCIENTISTS WHO JUST LIKE THEM ONLY EXPERIMENTS ON HIS FIELDS, ON HIS LIFE. A FARMER IS EVEN ABOVE A DOCTOR WHO PRODUCES & PROVIDES THE VERY ENERGY SOURCE OF YOUR FOOD WITHOUT WHICH WE CANNOT SURVIVE EVEN.A FARMER IS A BUSINESS MAN, FAMILY MAN & EVEN A STATESMAN. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY CANNOT MATCH ANY WORTH GIVEN.

DECADES HAVE PASSED & STILL THE DUE INTEREST & THEIR DESREVED RIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN TO THEM. STILL A FARMER IS NOT RUNNING AFTER THEM , LEAVING THEIR JOBS BEHIND BUT ARE LIVING IN HOPES OF TRUE JUSTICE OF EQUALITY, FREEDOM, SPEECH & LIVING.

TIMES ARE CHANGING DRASTICALLY. WITH THESE CHANGING SCENARIOS, ONE NEEDS TO UPDATE & UPGRADE HIMSELF AT EVERY STAGE. NOTHING IS THE SAME. NEITHER THE BUSINESS WORLDS, NEITHER THE ECONOMIES & NEITHER THE WAY OF DOING WORK.

IF I WERE A FARMER, BESIDES FIGHTING FOR MY RIGHTS, DOING MY FIELD WORK, SELLING MY GROUND PRODUCE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN SPENDING & GIVING MORE TIME EDUCATING MYSELF FOR UPCOMING TIMES.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN INTO SERIOUS MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, INTO VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS FOR PROMOTING MY CROPS & PRODUCE IN ORDER TO GET BETTER RESULTS & PRICE.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN EDUCATING MYSELF INTO ORGANIC FIELDS, AS FOR REAPING BEST WHAT I CAN FOR MEETING FUTURE DEMANDS.

BEING A FARMER I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE PICKED SOME KNOWLEDGE REGARDING FARMING TECHNIQUES FOR SUSTAINABLE & EFFICIENT RESULTS.

JUST FOR THE CHANGING TIMES & TO ROUTE MY PRODUCE IN BETTER SHEDS, I MIGHT HAVE FORMED SOME CONSORTIUMS SO AS TO GET THE BEST PRICE & A STABLE MARKET.

BEING IN FARMING PROFESSION, I WOULD HAVE GONE INTO CERTIFICATIONS OF MY LAND AND WOULD HAVE TIED UP WITH SOME GOODS CLIENTS FOR MY SECURITY.

EDUCATION IS THE ONLY CONSTANT THINGS IN THESE CHANGING TIMES, SO I WOULD HAVE STICKED TO IT SO AS TO GAIN MORE & WORRY LESS.

I ALSO WOULD HAVE STUDIED MORE ABOUT CROPS THAT REQUIRE LESS INPUTS OF ENERGY & TIME AND ARE MORE PROFITABLE IN RESULTS.

THESE TIMES ARE NOT FOR THE ONES WHO RESTRICT THEMSELVES FROM CHANGE BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO ADAPT WITH OPEN ARMS.

HOPE THESE THOUGHTS WILL WORK WONDERS FOR THOSE WHO CAN WILLINGLY WALK ON THEM.
DCE：RBD Palm Olein Futures will be listed on December 22th 2020
By: Market Bridge Consulting
Tags: Futures Trading, Derivatives, Agriculture, China Financial Market, Palm Oil

On December 22th 2020 (Next Tuesday), in Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), there are two important updates will take effect on RBD Palm Olein futures. One is the oversea investors will be allowed to participate RBD Palm Olein futures trading and the other one is DCE will start to charging RBD Palm Olein futures order submission fee market-wide from night session.

We listed some key points for you better understanding relevant issue of those two updates. If you are interested in more details, please feel free to contact us in anytime.

l RBD Palm Olein Internationalization

1. Implement Time

From 9:00 am, December 22, 2020 (GMT+8)

2. Trading Contracts

P2101 and follow-up contracts

3. Contract Specification

4. Foreign Currency as Margin

Overseas investors can use RMB, standard warehouse receipt, China’s government bond and foreign currency funds as margins.

At present, USD is the foreign currency that can be used as margins, with a haircut of 5%. Before the market close of each trading day, DCE will use the central parity rate of RMB announced by China Foreign Exchange Trading System (CFETS) on the previous day as the benchmark price to calculate the market value of foreign currency funds. When settling on the then-current day, the central parity rate of RMB on such day announced by CFETS will be used as the benchmark price to adjust the market value and discounted amount of foreign currency funds.

l Order Submission Fee Schedule

1. Implement Time

The trading hour of December 23, 2020 (i.e. the night trading session of December 22 GMT+8).

2. Target for application

All domestic and overseas clients and non-futures company members whose quantity of the concluded contracts for RBD Palm Olein futures on the then-current day exceeds 600 lots and meets the standard of collecting order submission fee.

Market makers are exempt from order submission fee for market-making purpose.

3. Charging Standard

The order submission fee is charged daily, and the specific standards are as follows:

Order Submission Fee = the total lots placed on RBD Palm Olein futures contracts of non-futures company members or clients on the then-current day × the charging standard of the then-current day

Message Count = number of order placements + number of order cancellations

OTR= ordered volume / traded volume — 1

As for the same client who has several trading codes with different Futures Company Members, or clients and Non-Futures Company Members involving actual control relationship, DCE will calculate their number of order placements, number of order cancellations, ordered volume, cancelled volume, traded volume and other indicators on a consolidated basis.

4. Collection Method

The submission fee shall be deducted from the member’s Clearing Deposit when settling on the then-current day.

For China derivatives market access and more market information please contact sherry_ustc@163.com

For more China derivatives market news please visit FangQuant
Have You Heard the One About Brown Cows and Chocolate Milk?
By: The Good Men Project
Tags: Food, Environment, Agriculture, Education, Masculinity

Have You Heard the One About Brown Cows and Chocolate Milk?

Photo credit: iStock

By Craig Shapiro

Did you read the story? The headline almost made me spit out my cashew milk: “The surprising number of American adults who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows.”

No, it wasn’t in The Onion.

Citing a survey by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, The Washington Post recently reported that 7 percent of voting-age Americans — that’s about 16.4 million people, more than the populations of Michigan and Maryland combined — believe that brown cows produce chocolate milk.

The story went on to say that the surprising thing about this figure is actually that it isn’t higher, given that our food literacy hasn’t improved much since the 1990s, when a U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that nearly one in five adults didn’t know that hamburgers are made of the flesh of slaughtered cows.

What’s genuinely far-fetched is that the American Farm Bureau Foundation and other outfits with more than a casual interest in keeping people blissfully ignorant about the way milk, meat and eggs are produced want to sharpen the nation’s food IQ. To do so, they claim, they’re working with teachers to add information about farming to lesson plans.

However, any lesson courtesy of the meat, egg and dairy industries should be taken with a large grain of salt, because odds are that they’ll gloss over the deprivation and cruelty that define the lives of cows, pigs, chickens and other animals on factory farms — and the way these gentle animals are horrifically killed.

If people knew how animals suffer for their fleeting mealtime enjoyment, most would be so appalled that they’d make the compassionate decision to stop piling their plates with meat, dairy foods and eggs and to start saving animals’ lives by going vegan.

Let’s give that theory a test run.

First, the facts about animals used in the food industry:

Inquisitive and intelligent, cows form close friendships, preferring the company of just a few other cows. They like to sleep near their families (arrangements are determined by their rank in the social hierarchy), get excited when they solve problems, and have been known to walk miles to find their calves. “The cow,” Mahatma Gandhi said, “is a poem of compassion.”
Mahila Sahayatra- Our Partner for ReGrow
Tags: Agriculture, Micro Entrepreneur, Microfinance, Entrepreneurship

ReGrow is our pilot agriculture product launched in the rural village of Panauti Municipality. A year back we started off in Kavre with Laxmi Mahila Savings and Credit Cooperative which is a women centric cooperative. We were able to disburse USD $11000 loan of Laxmi Cooperative’s capital using Aeloi’s digital token to 18 farmers (women entrepreneurs). Now, all the disbursed loans have been repaid within a year's time frame.

Our second and current partner for ReGrow is Mahila Sahayatra Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha which is a microfinance permitted by the Nepal Rastra Bank. Their vision is to provide inclusive finance and services to the marginalized and the vulnerable groups irrespective of their location. Our vision aligns with them because we also uplift the grassroot level economy from a bottom-up approach.

Aeloi Technologies is grateful to have Mahila Sahayatra as our partner organization for ReGrow. We are so glad and excited to start our pilot soon in Kispang, Nuwakot with Mahila Sahayatra Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha.