Skip to comments.Slot Together Pyramid Garden Planter
Posted on 04/12/2013 3:21:07 PM PDT by Kartographer
I have been busy with my Pallet Dismantling bar again, and this time I have made slot together pyramid garden planter from the reclaimed Pallet timbers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipQLy-0Pfag
This planter took me approximately 90 minutes to make: The design is simple, and so is the required level of woodworking skill, the only tools required are a square, pencil, electric/cordless drill and suitable spade end drill bit, and a tenon saw; although a chisel and some sand paper would be useful for tidying up the slip joints.
I cut down some 2.4 metre long pallet deck planks that were 9 cm wide and 1.9 cm thick to 1.9 mtrs long for the base tier so that the tier inside the slip joints is a 1.8 mtr X 1.8 mtr square
(Excerpt) Read more at instructables.com ...
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That would make for a nice cactus farm...
What is the size of the lumber used?
That’s an awesome planter for sure. Hubby just finished building a round pyramid planter for our second strawberry bed. It only cost about 20 bucks.
He used econo plastic edging from Walmart, and made a 6 foot diameter bed. Filled it with top soil and compost. Then repeated twice more for 3 layers. It should handle about 50 strawberry plants.
He even figured out how to install a sprinkler system/hose gizmo in the center, in case we need to water them during the dry spell in the summer.
I would not have the patience and skills to build what you have, but even I Klutz that I am could maybe build the round one.
Nice! Great job.
From here it looks like 1” x 4” and lengths of 4’,3’,2’,1’ all with a 3/4 x 1” dado (u shape cutout) about 2” from each end
Just look at the picture and you’ve got it.
Did you treat the wood with anything?
I believe they used 2” X 8” I am going to Home Depot tomorrow to look into possible using that new plastic decking to build mine out of.
They used a couple of coats of wood preservatives, but if I use wood I am thinking of using linseed oil, something natural.
Or a good quality tung oil.
My prep plans this week included ordering some grains I had not previously grown:
Amaranth-leaves are edible and grain can be threshed by hand.
Also some Kamut - An ancient variety that is more nutritious than modern wheat.
And Triticale - A type that will grow in moderate shade.
Bought a couple of booklets. One tells how to grow complete nutritious diet in the smallest possible area.
The other is growing medicinal herbs and recipes for using them.
No looks more like 1” x 4” decking planks to me.
Good to know the leaves are edible. Not knowing what the plant looks like, I grew Russian Amarynth last year in a large pot. WOW! it was beautiful! Everyone who walked by it thought it was a fake dyed plant. It was so red.
For Halloween, I placed pumpkins around the pot. Looked great!
I saved the seeds for resowing this year.
I also tried growing rice in a pot. Harvested a cup of rice :-) That was fun.
Put that on wheels and one could move it around the garden to catch the best sunlight.
I don’t make the blanket statement that all Amaranth leaves are edible. In fact I am sure that some are more suitable than others. So to be on the safe side maybe just check out the particular type of seeds you have.
That’s so interesting that you were able to grow rice in a pot. That’s one I haven’t tried yet. In fact I put rice on my list to stockpile, because I knew that our weather was not suitable for rice production.
You can grow rice in any 10” high container that holds water. 6” of dirt covered with 2” of water for 100 days depending of rice type. I grew the Japanese sticky rice.
My growing season is very short. The rice finished growing indoors. When I brought it indoors in October, it still looked like blades of grass. By December I had a cup of rice. I started a new batch indoors two weeks ago. They have already germinated.
uhm...ok... those are wimpy wheels!
How neat that is. How big was your container?
...goes to a video called "Pallet Dismantling/Stripping Bar® by Cargo Cycles". Nothing about the article you linked to.
Any old stockpot would do. My pot is 10” high and 11” wide. I made a mark at 8” high inside so when water evaporated I’d know to what level it should be added. I think I sowed about 100 seeds. The seeds have to have their covering (I forget what it’s called)in order to sprout. The grocery store rice won’t grow.
Nice! My local customers are totally into the Square Foot Gardening system this season. This is an off-shoot, but very do-able. :)
my weekly prep was ordering potassium iodide tea tree oil n heirloom seeds. last week i learned to make tortilla. this weekend i plant seeds in garde. next big project is solar. this subject is sooo confusing to me. volts x amps = watts. inverters controllers panels batteries sheesh
So it would take up quite a bit of space to grow your own and have enough to last to the next season, and quite a bit of seed too.
100 seeds is about a teaspoon of rice. I could have fit over 500 seeds easily in that 10" pot. A blade of rice grass produced approx 15 seeds.
"Next season" doesn't apply here. If a new pot is started every few weeks indoors then one would always have a constant fresh supply of rice after 100 days or less! Consider it as an exotic house plant which needs no weeding or pruning.
For container growing, I really like my Earthboxes (http://www.earthbox.com). They are based on a soil-less system where you add fertilizer and minerals to a peat based mix. It has to be bottom watered so the container is covered to prevent top watering. Sounds weird, but these things produce so much more than in-ground planting. They have a section on their website explaining the science behind it.
One Grape tomato plant produced almost a cup a day for months last year.
In west Michigan here. Started my romaine lettuce just after Easter as usual in my very large pot with a plexiglass sheet over it. I have the best results with romaine lettuce, also called “paris cos” on the packet. It LOVES being transplanted, so when it is nice and thick and about 4” tall I pull it out in chunks, spread it out in a line and plant in rows in the garden. I don’t even try and separate the plants. I have a great yield and start up a new batch of seedlings when the first come out of the pot so I have 3 crops at least each year. Other leaf lettuces just seem to lay flat even though I have great well tested soil. The romaine has a crunchy spine and it always stand up nice and straight.
Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out. So how many milk jugs do you figure it would take to grow a lb. of rice?
I wish I had spare pallets. I need them to stack firewood.
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The European Union (EU), has injected EUR2.5 million into Ghana’s agricultural sector to help increase farmers’ access to credit facilities to finance their agricultural production and businesses in the agricultural value chain within the next six years.
The fund would be managed by the Sinapi Aba Savings & Loans (SASL), a non-banking financial institution providing loans and savings products to individuals and Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with a focus on rural areas and women.
Mrs Paulina Rozycka, the Head of the Infrastructure and Sustainable Development of the EU Delegation to Ghana, launched the initiative in Wa during a brief ceremony to hand over motorbikes to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
She said the credit facility would provide access to finance to more farmers as part of the grand EU support in the agriculture sector under the EU Ghana Agricultural Programme (EU-GAP).
Mrs Rozycka observed that farmers and agricultural MSMEs were often excluded from the formal financing systems and had to deal with informal lenders or aggregators and having to bear higher interest rates.
“This line of credit will increase the number of smallholders (in the agricultural value chain) benefitting from loans and financial products by more than 25,000 borrowers.
More farmers will now benefit from small loans to finance agricultural inputs or equipment with technical assistance”, she explained.
Some farmers in the rural areas had complained of the high cost of farm inputs such as fertilizers and agrochemicals, which had affected their production abilities posing a risk of increased hunger and poverty to their families.
Madam Seozuma Saanuuri, a smallholder farmer at Yeliyiri, a community in the Wa West District, said women farmers in the community were hard-hit with financial constraints in financing their farming activities.
“We (women) are suffering a lot. This year we were not able to buy fertilizer for the farm. Getting a tractor too was difficult for us, so we did not get anything from our farms to feed our children.
“So, we would have been happy if the government or any organization could help us with loans during the farming season to farm and cater for our children”, she appealed.
The situation was not different in the Biskan community in the Wa East District, where farmers said due to the high cost of fertilizers this year, they had to divert from cultivating high fertilizer demanding crops like maize to producing soybeans that needed minimum fertilizer to yield.
Mr Seidu Abdullai, a farmer in the Biskan community, said the high cost of farm inputs and tractor services coupled with the lack of financial support to farmers was rendering the agricultural sector unattractive to the youth.
However, Mr Bob Zaato, Branch Manager for SASL in Wa, said the EUR2.5 million EU credit facility would help increase the value of loans given out to farmers as well as increase the number of farmers to have access to the loans.
“It has not been an essay task working with farmers; however, we are doing all that we can to serve them anytime they knock at our doors,” he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa.
Mr Zaato said any business or activity within the agricultural value chain was qualified to request financial support from his institution saying, “From today, any time you visit our branches you will be served.”


The Florida horticulture industry (vegetables, ornamentals, citrus, and deciduous fruit), valued at $4.5 billion, has widely adopted microirrigation techniques to use water and fertilizer more efficiently. A broad array of microirrigation systems is available, and benefits of microirrigation go beyond water conservation. The potential for more-efficient agricultural chemical (pesticides and fertilizer) application is especially important in today's environmentally conscious society. Microirrigation is a tool providing growers with the power to better manage costly inputs, minimize environmental impact, and still produce high-quality products at a profit.
G. J. Hochmuth, S. J. Locascio, T.E. Crocker, C.D. Stanley, G.A. Clark, and L.R Parsons
D.R. La Bonte, J.M. Cannon, C.A. Clark, A.Q. Villordon, P.W. Wilson, A.H. Hammond, and R.N. Story
Susan C. Miyasaka, Sharon Motomura-Wages, Ishakh Pulakkatu-Thodi, Michael J. Melzer, Christopher A. Clark, Don R. LaBonte, and Arthur Q. Villordon
Tissue-cultured, virus-tested (TC) plantlets of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas var. batatas) cultivars Okinawan, LA 08-21p, and Murasaki-29 were obtained from Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. The objectives of field trials conducted at the Kula Agricultural Park, Maui, HI, were to compare yield and pest resistance of 1) ‘Okinawan’ obtained from a commercial (C) field with TC ‘Okinawan’ and 2) TC Okinawan with the aforementioned TC cultivars. Trials were planted Oct. 2015 and Aug. 2016 and harvested 5 months later. Storage roots were graded according to State of Hawai’i standards, and marketable yields included Grades AA, A, and B. In addition, injuries due to sweetpotato weevil (Cylas formicarius elegantulus) or rough sweetpotato weevil (Blosyrus asellus) were estimated. In both trials, fresh and dry weights of marketable storage roots of TC ‘Okinawan’ were nearly twice those from commercial planting material. In both trials, marketable fresh weights differed among the three TC cultivars; however, significant interactions were found, indicating that yields of cultivars differed between years. In the first field trial, ‘LA 08-21p’ had fresh marketable yields 1.6 to 1.7 times greater than TC ‘Okinawan’ and Murasaki-29, respectively. In the second trial, fresh marketable yields of TC ‘Okinawan’ and ‘LA 08-21p’were similar and 1.7 to 1.5 times greater than that of ‘Murasaki-29’, respectively. In both trials, ‘LA 08-21p’ had greater sweetpotato weevil injury than did the other two cultivars. Interestingly, in the second year, TC ‘Okinawan’ had greater rough sweetpotato weevil injury than did the other cultivars. Our results indicate that tissue-cultured planting materials increased marketable yields of TC ‘Okinawan’ compared with C ‘Okinawan’ sweetpotato and that the other TC cultivars did not produce greater yields than TC Okinawan.


Welcome to Wilhelm Farm
Our 46-acre farm is typical of many small farms and forest ownerships in New England, in both its scale and composition. Much of the land is sloped and unsuited to cultivation; most of the property is wooded. Over its history the farm has operated as a subsistence farm, providing many benefits that fall outside of the measured economy.
The Wilhelm family has owned this farm for over 80 years. During their tenure as land stewards, the family has focused on managing the woods for production of timber, firewood, and wildlife habitat, while the tillable areas have been primarily used to produce food for the family. Surplus was sold or bartered.
Current efforts continue this legacy of stewardship and conservation through the introduction of agroforestry practices and a better understanding of the home economies of self-sufficiency. With the help of a Conservation Innovation Grant, from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, we will document and share our work. Please follow and explore our project through the links below.


Turkey Agritech Market Insights Forecasts to 2032
- The Turkey Agritech Market Size was valued at USD XX Million in 2022.
- The Market is growing at a CAGR of XX% from 2022 to 2032.
- The Turkey Agritech Market Size is expected to reach USD XX Million by 2032.
Get more details on this report -
The Turkey Agritech Market is projected to exceed USD XX million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of XX% from 2022 to 2032. The Turkey Agritech Market is a rapidly expanding sector that encompasses a wide range of technologies aimed at transforming and modernizing the country's agricultural industry. The adoption of agritech solutions enhances productivity, sustainability, and profitability while addressing key challenges faced by Turkish farmers.
The Turkey Agritech Market refers to the agricultural technology sector in Turkey, which encompasses various innovative solutions and technologies aimed at improving the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of agricultural practices in the country. Turkey has a long history and strong tradition in agriculture, and the agritech sector has been rapidly growing in recent years. The government has been actively promoting the adoption of technology in agriculture to enhance productivity and address challenges such as water scarcity, climate change, and labor shortages.
Key areas of focus in the Turkey agritech market include precision agriculture, smart farming, agricultural biotechnology, farm management systems, and agricultural robotics. These technologies enable farmers to make data-driven decisions, optimize resource utilization, and automate various farming processes.
Precision agriculture plays a crucial role in the Turkish agritech sector, utilizing technologies such as satellite imagery, drones, and sensor-based systems to gather data on soil conditions, crop health, and weather patterns. This data helps farmers optimize fertilizer and pesticide use, manage irrigation more efficiently, and improve overall crop yield and quality.
This research report categorizes the market for Turkey agritech market based on various segments and regions and forecasts revenue growth and analyzes trends in each submarket. The report analyses the key growth drivers, opportunities, and challenges influencing the Turkey agritech market. Recent market developments and competitive strategies such as expansion, product launch, and development, partnership, merger, and acquisition have been included to draw the competitive landscape in the market. The report strategically identifies and profiles the key market players and analyses their core competencies in each sub-segment of the Turkey agritech market.
Turkey Agritech Market Report Coverage
|Market Size in 2022:||USD XX Million|
|Forecast Period 2022-2032 CAGR:||XX%|
|2032 Value Projection:||USD XX Million|
|Historical Data for:||2019-2021|
|No. of Pages:||200|
|Tables, Charts & Figures:||130|
|Segments covered:||By Type, By Application, By Sector, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis|
|Companies Covered:||Sibernetik, Tarfin, Tarimsal BT, GreenBox, YOREM TARIM, Farmobile, BUSO, SoilBiome, Agrikey Biyoteknoloji A.S., Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc., Nanomik Biotechnology, Doktar, Bilkent Cyberpark, Others|
|Pitfalls & Challenges:||COVID-19 Empact, Challenge, Future, Growth, & Analysis|
Get more details on this report -
The Turkish government has been actively supporting and promoting the adoption of agritech solutions. It has implemented policies, incentives, and subsidies to encourage farmers to adopt advanced technologies and practices. These initiatives aim to enhance agricultural productivity, improve food security, and address sustainability challenges in the sector.
Rapid advancements in technology have led to the development of innovative solutions specifically designed for the agriculture sector. Technologies such as precision agriculture, IoT, big data analytics, and robotics are becoming more accessible and affordable. These technological advancements provide farmers with tools to optimize resource utilization, increase crop yields, and improve overall farm efficiency.
Turkey has a growing population and increasing food demand. Ensuring food security is a top priority for the country. Agritech solutions enable farmers to produce more with limited resources, improve crop quality, and reduce post-harvest losses. By adopting these technologies, Turkey can enhance its food production capabilities and meet the rising demand for agricultural products.
The cost of agritech solutions can be a significant restraint, particularly for small and resource-constrained farmers. The initial investment required for advanced technologies such as precision agriculture systems, robotics, and farm management software can be high. Limited access to financing options further impedes farmers' ability to adopt these technologies.
The effective utilization of agritech solutions requires skilled farmers and agricultural professionals who can understand and implement these technologies. However, there may be a skills and training gap in the agricultural workforce, particularly regarding digital literacy and technology integration. Training programs and capacity-building initiatives are necessary to bridge this gap.
The Turkey Agritech Market share is segmented into type, application, and sector.
- The biotechnology and biochemical segment is expected to grow at the fastest pace in the Turkey agritech market during the forecast period.
Based on the type, the Turkey agritech market is segmented into biotechnology and biochemical, big data and analytics, sensors and connected devices, mobility, and others. Among these, the biotechnology and biochemical segment is expected to grow at the fastest pace in the Turkey agritech market during the forecast period. The biotechnology and biochemical segment in the Turkey Agritech Market involves the application of genetic engineering and biotechnological techniques to improve crop traits, enhance disease resistance, and develop varieties with higher nutritional content. Biotechnology helps in addressing productivity challenges and increasing crop yields. It includes activities such as genetic modification, tissue culture, and molecular breeding. Biotechnology plays a significant role in enhancing the quality and quantity of agricultural production in Turkey.
- The production and maintenance segment is expected to grow at the highest pace in the Turkey agritech market during the forecast period.
Based on the application, the Turkey agritech market is classified into irrigation, production and maintenance, supply chain, marketplace, and others. Among these, the production and maintenance segment is expected to grow at the highest pace in the Turkey agritech market during the forecast period. The reason for the growth is, the segment involves technologies and solutions that enhance the production process and ensure the proper maintenance of agricultural assets and equipment. This includes farm management software, machinery maintenance systems, and monitoring tools for crop health. These solutions help farmers streamline their production operations, improve efficiency, and reduce downtime. They also aid in optimizing resource allocation, managing inventories, and enhancing overall productivity in the agricultural sector.
- Smart agriculture is projected to grow at the fastest pace in the Turkey agritech market during the forecast period.
Based on the sector, the Turkey agritech market is classified into agriculture, smart agriculture, precision farming, agrochemicals, biotechnology, and indoor farming. Among these, Smart agriculture is projected to grow at the fastest pace in the Turkey agritech market during the forecast period. The reason behind the growth is, the smart agriculture segment focuses on the integration of digital technologies and IoT devices to enhance farming practices. It includes the use of sensors, drones, and connected devices to monitor and manage various aspects of agriculture, such as soil moisture, weather conditions, and livestock health. Smart agriculture solutions provide real-time data, enabling farmers to make informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and implement precision farming practices.
The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the Turkey agritech market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market.
List of Key Companies
- Tarimsal BT
- YOREM TARIM
- Agrikey Biyoteknoloji A.S.
- Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.
- Nanomik Biotechnology
- Bilkent Cyberpark
Key Target Audience
- Market Players
- Government Authorities
- Consulting and Research Firm
- Venture capitalists
- Value-Added Resellers (VARs)
- On April 2022, Tarfin, the regional leader in agricultural financial technology, began operations in Romania on April 7. According to the company, it focuses on assisting Romanian farmers and agricultural input suppliers by combining traditional distribution channels with technology and financial resources.
This study forecasts revenue at, regional, and country levels from 2019 to 2030. Spherical Insights has segmented the Turkey Agritech Market based on the below-mentioned segments:
Turkey Agritech Market, By Type
- Biotechnology and Biochemical
- Big Data and Analytics
- Sensors and Connected Devices
- Mobility and Others
Turkey Agritech Market, By Application
- Production and Maintenance
- Supply Chain
Turkey Agritech Market, By Sector
- Smart Agriculture
- Precision Farming
- Indoor Farming
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Seeding your lawn is more cost-effective than inserting grass sprigs or laying down sheets of mature sod. Seeding also takes longer to get the lawn established, and the nature of grass seeds means gardeners must take extra precautions to protect the seeds to ensure a thick and vigorous future turf. Several management strategies can help the gardener maximize his success with starting a new lawn from seed.
Time the Sowing
Gardeners should sow lawn seed during the late summer or early fall. During this time, cool nights and warm days make the ideal environment for seed germination.
Mulch has many benefits for a newly seeded lawn. First, it protects new grass seed from being blown away or eaten by birds. Second, it shields the soil and seeds from being washed away when the area is watered. Finally, it conserves soil moisture and helps keep seeds and seedlings consistently hydrated. Gardeners should only apply a light layer of mulch so that 50 percent of the underlying soil is still visible. Too much mulch and the underlying grass seedlings will be smothered.
Failing to correctly water a newly seeded lawn is an easy way to kill off grass seedlings. The soil should never be allowed to dry out or the fragile seedlings will whither and seeds will not germinate. Gardeners must keep the top inch of soil moist all day. Depending on the regional climate, this may require four or five watering sessions per day. Once the grass is an inch tall, the amount of water should be increased to provide a deeper level of moisture to a depth of four to six inches. This encourages deep root development.
It can take up to two months for a newly seeded lawn to grow tall enough for mowing, according to the University of California. The first time the gardener mows, the grass should be trimmed to 150 percent of the maximum height recommended for the specific turfgrass species (see Resources). For example, St. Augustinegrass is typically cut at 2 inches. The first time its mowed, it should only be trimmed to 3 inches. This gives the grass time to establish itself fully. Wait four to five days before mowing again, this time trimming the grass down to its recommended height.
Fertilization helps boost lawn seed germination rates and helps the new seedlings develop appropriately, according to Purdue University. Gardeners should apply a lawn starter fertilizer on the seeded area at the rate listed on its label. Purdue University recommends any starter product that's high in phosphorous, such as one with a 16-22-8 nutrient ratio.


Can I grow an Emperor in a pot?
I bought a 4 inch stick of Japanese Maple Emperor last summer. By fall, it had many little leaves and was starting to grow pretty good.
It is in a glazed pot buried in the ground with mulch and leaves for protection for the winter.
My problem is, my back yard is full sun all day.
I can't plant it in the ground, because it can't take full sun all day.
Can I keep it in a pot for the next couple of years at least so that I can move it to the front of my house on the porch?
Mabey an arbor with a vine cover will provide some shade so that I can plant it in the yard? But it will outgrow the arbor eventually, right?
Is there a fast growing tree that I can plant to provide shade for it?
Appreciate any suggestions. I love Japanese Maples and I don't want to kill it.


Did you know that cocoa beans are a valuable resource in Minecraft, allowing players to craft various useful items and potions?
If you’re looking to obtain cocoa beans in the game, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will explore different methods to acquire cocoa beans, including growing them on trees, finding them in jungle biomes, trading with villagers, and more.
Get ready to embark on a cocoa bean-hunting adventure and enhance your Minecraft experience!
Growing Cocoa Beans on Trees
The process of growing cocoa beans on trees involves nurturing the tree’s growth and facilitating the development of its own cocoa pods. In Minecraft, cocoa beans are a valuable resource that can be used in various ways, making it crucial to understand how to grow them effectively.
To ensure optimal conditions for growing cocoa beans on trees, players must first find a jungle biome, which is the only biome where cocoa beans can be found naturally.
Once in the jungle biome, players can search for cocoa beans attached to the sides of jungle tree trunks. These cocoa beans can then be harvested and replanted on any jungle log or oak log.
To facilitate the growth of cocoa beans, players need to place the cocoa beans on the side of the log, ensuring that they have enough space around them to grow.
Adequate lighting is also essential for the optimal growth of cocoa beans. Players should avoid planting cocoa beans in cramped spaces or areas with low light levels, as this can hinder their growth.
In Minecraft, cocoa beans have various uses, making them a valuable commodity. They can be crafted into cookies, used as a dye for wool, or combined with milk and sugar to create delicious chocolate cakes.
Additionally, cocoa beans can be traded with villagers to obtain valuable items and resources. Understanding how to grow cocoa beans effectively on trees is essential for players who desire freedom in their Minecraft adventures.
Finding Cocoa Beans in Jungle Biomes
To successfully locate cocoa beans in jungle biomes, players must carefully explore the dense vegetation and towering trees. These biome types are characterized by their lush greenery and abundant foliage, making it harder to spot the cocoa beans. However, with a keen eye and a little patience, players can find these valuable beans.
One useful technique for accelerating cocoa bean growth is by using bonemeal. Bonemeal can be crafted by placing bones in a crafting table, and it can be used to instantly grow crops and plants.
When applied to cocoa beans planted on jungle tree trunks, bonemeal can speed up the growth process, allowing players to harvest more beans in a shorter amount of time.
Cocoa beans have multiple benefits in Minecraft, making them a valuable food source. When eaten, cocoa beans restore hunger points, providing sustenance to players on their adventures.
Additionally, cocoa beans can be used in the crafting recipe for cookies, a tasty treat that also restores hunger. Therefore, finding cocoa beans in jungle biomes not only provides sustenance but also opens up the possibility of creating delicious cookies to enjoy during gameplay.
Trading With Villagers for Cocoa Beans
One way players can acquire cocoa beans in Minecraft is by trading with villagers, as they often offer a variety of valuable items and resources. Here are some methods players can use to obtain cocoa beans through trading:
- Bartering with piglins for cocoa beans:
Players can venture into the Nether and find piglins, who have a chance of dropping cocoa beans as a barter item. By offering gold ingots to piglins, players can initiate a trade and potentially acquire cocoa beans in return.
- Using bone meal to accelerate cocoa bean growth on trees:
Another method to obtain cocoa beans is by growing them on jungle trees. Players can collect bones from skeletons and craft them into bone meal. By using bone meal on a jungle tree sapling, players can accelerate its growth and increase the chances of cocoa beans spawning on the tree.
With these trading methods, players have the freedom to choose the most suitable approach for obtaining cocoa beans. However, if trading with villagers or bartering with piglins proves to be challenging, players can also consider harvesting cocoa beans from dungeon chests, as will be discussed in the next section.
Harvesting Cocoa Beans From Dungeon Chests
Players can acquire cocoa beans by searching for dungeon chests and looting them. Dungeon chests are found in underground structures called dungeons, which are randomly generated in Minecraft.
These chests contain various valuable items, including cocoa beans. To increase the chances of finding cocoa beans in dungeon chests, players can explore multiple dungeons and loot their chests.
Once players have obtained cocoa beans, they can use bonemeal to accelerate the growth of cocoa bean plants. Bonemeal is a valuable item that can be crafted by placing bones in a crafting table. By applying bonemeal to cocoa bean plants, players can quickly grow more cocoa beans, allowing for a sustainable supply.
For players who desire a more automated approach, they can create cocoa bean farms using redstone technology. Redstone is a special material in Minecraft that allows for the creation of complex circuits and mechanisms. By utilizing redstone contraptions, players can automate the process of growing and harvesting cocoa beans, saving time and effort.
Obtaining Cocoa Beans Through Fishing and Treasure Hunting
Fishing and treasure hunting are two viable methods for obtaining cocoa beans in Minecraft. These methods provide a sense of freedom and adventure, allowing players to explore different aspects of the game while pursuing their desired outcome.
Here are some ways you can obtain cocoa beans through fishing and treasure hunting:
- Fishing: Casting your fishing line into the water increases your chances of finding treasure, including cocoa beans. Here’s what you need to know:
- Find a body of water, such as a river or an ocean biome.
- Craft a fishing rod using sticks and string.
- Cast your line into the water and wait for a bite.
- Reel in your catch and collect any treasures, including cocoa beans.
- Treasure Hunting: Exploring dungeons and shipwrecks can also lead to the discovery of cocoa beans. Here’s what you need to do:
- Locate dungeons or shipwrecks in your Minecraft world.
- Navigate through the structure and defeat any hostile mobs that stand in your way.
- Search chests within the dungeons or shipwrecks for valuable loot, which may include cocoa beans.
Once you have obtained cocoa beans, you can use them to make delicious chocolate treats, such as cookies or cake. Additionally, you can speed up the growth of cocoa beans by applying bonemeal to the cocoa plant, allowing you to harvest more beans in a shorter amount of time.
Happy fishing and treasure hunting!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Cocoa Beans Be Grown on Any Type of Tree in Minecraft?
Cocoa beans in Minecraft can only be grown on jungle trees. However, players can farm cocoa beans without a jungle biome by obtaining cocoa beans from dungeons, mineshafts, or trading with villagers.
How Common Are Jungle Biomes in Minecraft?
Jungle biomes in Minecraft can be found by exploring different regions of the game world. To efficiently navigate these biomes, players can use various strategies such as using maps, exploring river systems, and looking for distinct features like tall jungle trees and cocoa beans.
Can Cocoa Beans Be Obtained Through Trading With Villagers in All Minecraft Versions?
Cocoa beans in Minecraft have various uses, including crafting cookies. However, it is important to note that cocoa beans cannot be obtained through trading with villagers in all versions of the game.
Are Dungeon Chests the Only Source of Cocoa Beans in Dungeons?
Alternative sources of cocoa beans in Minecraft, excluding dungeon chests, can be found by exploring jungles and breaking cocoa pods. Unique methods to obtain cocoa beans in Minecraft without relying on dungeon chests provide players with greater freedom in their gameplay.
Is There a Specific Tool Required for Fishing Cocoa Beans in Minecraft?
Cocoa beans are not an essential ingredient for brewing potions in Minecraft, but they can be used to craft cookies and brown dye. There is no limit to the number of cocoa beans that can be harvested from a single cocoa plant.
In conclusion, obtaining cocoa beans in Minecraft can be achieved through various methods such as:
- Growing them on trees
- Finding them in jungle biomes
- Trading with villagers
- Harvesting them from dungeon chests
- Obtaining them through fishing and treasure hunting
As the saying goes, ‘Patience is a virtue,’ and players who persevere in their search for cocoa beans will be rewarded with the necessary ingredient for crafting delicious treats in the game.


Raw Spinach Juice Powder
Remember why we're usually told that we should eat more green vegetables? What we don't realize is how much nutritional value those green vegetables have. Vitamins C, A, E, B-complex, K, and amino acids abound in spinach. Fresh spinach juice powder is high in anti-inflammatory effects, helps to fight infections, and promotes heart health. This green is chock-full of nutrients that support your body's various functions.
Remember how we always hear that we have to eat green veggies but what we don’t know is how much those green vegetables contain nutritional values. Spinach is full of vitamin C, A, E, B-complex, K, and amino acids. Fresh Spinach Juice powder is rich in anti-inflammatory properties, fights germs, and helps in keeping a healthy heart. This green is full of goodness for every function of your body.
Let the green be the medicine and medicine be the green! Everything you eat is a step towards nourishing your body so if you want better health, you need better food. The organic Healthy Spinach Powder dehydrates at low temperatures so that its rich nutrients and flavors remain intact.
Do you want a high-nutrient fresh spinach juice? You may get a tonne of nutrients (Vitamin C, A, E, B-Complex, and K), iron, essential vitamins, and amino acids in a single item with Yae Organics-Organic Keto Raw Spinach Juice Powder. Because the juice is prepared by drying out spinach juice at low temperatures, the inherent content and flavors are preserved.
Popeye was right; spinach really is good for you. Spinach is a leafy vegetable that belongs to the same family as kale and beets and is not only great tasting but also able to provide your body with excellent nutrition and can cure many health problems. Spinach is a leafy green vegetable, full of vitamins, iron, essential nutrients, and amino acids. All of the minerals present in this healthy vegetable are alkaline in nature and help maintain the pH level balance in the body.


Buhler AG - Sponsor of the conference "Ukrainian soybean market - 2014"
The company Bühler AG became the sponsor of the second international conference "Ukrainian soybean market - 2014", to be held on June 18-19 in Odessa (hotel "Bristol").
The company Bühler is the global leader, specialist and technology partner for plant and equipment and related services for processing grains, basic foods and manufacturing advanced materials.
Bühler is the ideal partner in the sphere of primary processing of soybeans prior to oil extraction. Bühler proposes competent services for designing and realization of the beginning and final stages of the process, the processes of cold and hot peeling, and processes without peeling, for various stages of soybean processing. The delivery program includes machines and equipment for transportation and shipment, weighing, cleaning, conditioning, grinding, peeling and crushing. In addition, the company Bühler offers the extensive range of services in planning processes and production technologies for processing of husk and extraction meal. The combination of proven reliability, innovative technologies and rather wide range of services, completely minimizes the costs throughout the equipment operating life in terms of simultaneous achieving the maximum output of useful products.
Soybeans have rather important role among pulses and forage oilseeds as a source of protein and energy for animal breeding. Features of soybeans are necessary to consider in designing storage silos. In terms of acceptance, transportation, cleaning and drying of soybeans, the companies should take into account that the oilseed is rather aggressive product. Bühler has the necessary modern technologies for the specific product and solutions for the elevator industry. The presentation “Modern technologies and energy-saving equipment for elevator farming”of Alexander Ocheretny, Director of grain logistics department of the representative office of Buhler AG in Ukraine, will specify features of soybean storage in Ukraine.
You can meet with representatives of Bühler at the conference "Ukrainian soybean market – 2014”.
You can become acquainted with more detailed information about the Ukrainian soybean market, by taking part in the second international conference "Ukrainian soybean market - 2014", to be held on June 18-19, 2014, in Odessa, Ukraine.
Organizational committee provides more detailed information on conditions of participation in conference, sponsorship, or making a presentation:
+380 562 320-795 ext.166, +7 495 789-44-19 Inna Chernenko
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Foreign investors to provide 300 mln USD in construction of oil extraction plants in Odessa oblast
Ukrainian agricultural exports demonstrate steady growth rates - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
Ukraine planted winter grains throughout over 5.5 mln ha - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
October 13, 13:30
Ukraine: in the current season, the production of basic crops significantly exceeds the domestic market needs - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
October 13, 11:00
Ukrainian producers of sunflower oil reduced the offer prices
October 12, 16:00
Ukrainian grain traders have zero economic benefits of the EU quotas - UGA
October 12, 11:10


London Glades Project
We are very excited about our upcoming design project London Glades which will, with your help, appear at the Hampton Court Flower Show this July. Intended for an urban location, we have created a low maintenance self sustaining eco system. Based on edible forest gardening principles and the ancient art of Hugelkultur, the garden offers its users a peaceful solitude with seasonal high yield gourmet produce of fruit, nuts, edible flowers and leaves, unusual roots and shiitake mushroom logs ready to harvest around the year. Almost everything in the garden has an edible quality, yet looks and feels like a natural edge of forest space. We aim to create a user friendly, peaceful garden, close to nature, whilst appealing to the public perception of what beauty is, away from controlled gardens with manicured lawns, chemical controls and tightly clipped borders towards something more aligned with nature. There is no hard landscaping in the garden, using alternative lawn techniques to create walkable, usuable surfaces while limiting carbon footprint. We have also created a 250 page bound book intended to be given to the user of our garden, in which techniques, philosophy, harvest calendars and recipes for the produce in the garden are explained. We hope that by inspiring the user in this way they will understand how to use the space and take on a deeper relationship with their garden.
Why we are so passionate about our garden
- We are informing the public on pioneering sustainable techniques from around the world which work with nature towards a better future
- Introducing a wealth of edible planting to the public eye which is uncommon yet sustainable and easy to grow, showing how these can be cultivated in gardens with low maintenance/ high yield.
- Exploring environmentally organic principles for a non chemically controlled future
- Challenging public perception of the concept of beauty in a natural space- moving away from control towards a deeper relationship with the environment.
- Heralding the work of leading permaculture and pioneering garden designers such as Sepp Holzer, Martin Crawford, Mary Reynolds and Masinobu Fukouka and inviting the general public to explore a fascinating environmental movement that works towards a better future.
- Aiming to promote a new culture of communities which have the conservation of the natural world at the heart of their principles and realising that we are a part of that world.
The RHS have shown a lot of excitement for our design and given us a starter £5000 towards our show garden build positioning us in a prime location in their Gardens for a Changing World arena. The publicity available over the course of show week is amazing, offering us the chance to spread our message and establish ourselves and our ethos within the public eye. There are 150,000 visitors to the show plus a full weeks BBC coverage and international media publicity which reaches millions of readers and viewers. We also have an arranged visit to our garden live on BBC with celebrity chefs to discuss and cook produce from our garden. We aim to spend the show week interacting with the public and media, handing out leaflets and brochures of our cause and getting people as passionate as we are! It's a very exciting way of spreading an important message!
Why we need your support
We ourselves at Future Gardens are putting £20,000 into the design, build and base materials and sundries, while the RHS grant of £5,000 will go towards a portion of the edible planting that is required for a garden of this size (100m2 of show garden level planting is required). We wanted to secure the final £15,000 needed through a sponsor that met our sustainable requirements but have found this challenging within the short time frames that we have had since RHS told us we were successful applicants for the show. We need a further £15,000 to make sure this show garden looks as stunning as we know it needs to look to gain a "show level" positive public and RHS judging response.
How your money will support us
Established large and medium trees - £5660
Shrubs and herbaceous perennials, groundcover - £4980
Wildflower glade turf - £1560
Green manures and compost sundries - £1000
Conservation hedging - £1200
Leaflets/ Brochures print out - £600
As this is for a show garden we of course must dismantle the site after show and remove plants to good homes. We are more than happy to offer these to any of our donors in quantities that can be discussed directly with us by collection or delivery arranged by yourselves. Alternatively we have made arrangements with the charity Mind in Harringay whose allotments and cultivation ethos for healthy mind and body is a cause close to our hearts and local to our homes. We will be donating the remainder of edible stock left over to their cause and discussing ways to implement this into their spaces.
As our edible plants are at times unusual and unique a lot of the time only smaller specialist growers are who we can obtain necessary quantities from. So your money will also be supporting these local heroes too!
Please do all you can to help this worthwhile cause, and if you can't contribute yourselves please pass on to as many people as possible to help spread the message and raise this much needed funding to make sure we can do our part in the great natural revolution that is unfolding for a better future!


Drip irrigation kit of the highest possible quality are available from us in Kenya. A main water supply line, a pressure regulator, an in-line filter, and a network of drip lines and emitters are typically in drip irrigation kits. Drip kit systems from Aqua Hub Kenya are available in sizes of 1/8 acre, 1/2 acre, 1/4 acre, and 1 acre. The number of lines per bed and the size of the farm will influence the price. A skilled drip irrigation design ought to focus on a number of distinct aspects. Three factors influence a drip kit’s design: uniformity, dependability, and efficiency. Variations in the water supply will directly affect how consistently the crop grows. Therefore, uniformity is essential when growing crops for commercial purposes.
What components make up a drip irrigation kit?
A typical drip irrigation kit includes the following components:
- Mainline tubing: This is the main supply line that carries water from the source to the other components of the system.
- Pressure regulator: This component also helps to regulate the water pressure and keep it within the recommended range. For efficient and effective irrigation.
- Filter: This component is applicable to remove any debris or particles from the water before it reaches the other components of the system.
- Emitters: These are small devices that release water directly to the root zone of plants. Providing them with a slow and consistent supply of water.
- Microtubing: This small tubing connects emitters to the main supply line.
- Fittings: They connect the various components of the system and can include elbows, T-connectors, and end caps.
- Stakes: They also secure the tubing and keep it in place.
- Timer: This component allows you to program and automate the watering schedule. Ensuring that your plants receive the right amount of water at the right time.
- A water source: This could also be a water tank, a well, or a hose tap.
- A pump for water: This is used to transport water to the irrigation system from the source.
In general, a drip irrigation kit is a water-saving and cost-effective way to water your plants. It also helps you save water and makes sure that every plant gets the right amount of water, which can help them grow and be more productive.
How much does a drip kit cost in Kenya?
The size of the garden or field being irrigated and the components that are included in the kit determine how much a drip kit costs in Kenya. The amount of land used and the number of lines installed per bed may influence the cost. 1 Acre and 1 Acre are the smallest and largest acreages, respectively. There may be one, two, or three lines per bed, depending on the crops you produce. As a result, prices range from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 130,000.
|Size / Lines Per Bed||1 Line||2 Lines||3 Lines|
Some crops may require one drip line per bed, while others may require two, and so on. Tomatoes, capsicums, sukuma wiki, and other plants benefit from two drip lines. For onions and garlic, drip irrigation systems have three drip lines per bed. It’s important to remember that a drip irrigation kit can save a lot of money in the long run because it can increase crop yields and save a lot of water. Furthermore, the expense can change depending upon the merchant and the nature of the parts, so it is essential to research and look at changed choices before buying cautiously.
What factors influence the cost of drip kits in Kenya?
- Size of the kit: The size of the kit, in terms of the number of emitters and length of tubing, can impact the overall cost. Larger kits will typically be more expensive than smaller kits.
- Quality of components: The quality of the components used in the kit, such as the type of tubing and the reliability of the emitters, can impact the cost. Higher-quality components tend to be more expensive but may also offer greater durability and efficiency.
- Brand: The brand of the kit can also impact the cost. Some well-established brands may charge more for their products due to the perceived value of their brand, while others may offer more affordable options.
- Availability: The availability of drip irrigation kits in Kenya can also impact the cost. If there is high demand for the kits and limited supply, prices may be higher. Conversely, if there is abundant supply and low demand, prices may be lower.
- Labor costs: The cost of installation and any necessary labor can also impact the overall cost of a drip irrigation kit in Kenya. If professional installation is required, this can add to the cost of the kit.
- Size of the field or garden: The number of necessary parts and the total cost of the kit will be determined by the size of the garden or field being irrigated.
- Components included: The price will also be affected by the kind of parts in the kit. For instance, a kit with basic components will cost less than one with high-quality water pumps and pressure regulators.
- Vendor location: The price may also be influenced by the vendor’s location, as prices can vary by region.
What is the importance of drip kits in Kenya?
Drip irrigation kits are important in Kenya for several reasons:
- Water conservation: Drip irrigation systems deliver water directly to the roots of plants, reducing water waste and evaporation. This helps conserve water resources, which is especially important in arid regions like Kenya, where water is scarce.
- Increased crop yield: By delivering water and nutrients directly to the roots of plants, drip irrigation systems can also increase crop yields and quality. This is especially important for small-scale farmers, who may struggle to produce enough food to feed their families.
- Improved soil health: Drip irrigation systems can help improve soil health by reducing soil erosion and waterlogging, which can cause soil degradation. By delivering water and nutrients directly to the roots of plants, the soil is less likely to become waterlogged, which can lead to better root development and healthier plants.
- Increased efficiency: Drip irrigation systems are also highly efficient, allowing farmers to water their crops using less water than traditional irrigation methods. This can also reduce costs and increase profits for farmers, helping to improve their livelihoods.
Overall, drip irrigation kits are a valuable tool for farmers in Kenya and can also play a key role in supporting sustainable agriculture and improving food security in the region.


Moringa is a small tree that grows in the tropical regions of the word. It is called “malunggay” or “kalamunggay” in the Philippines. The plant can grow as high as 10 to 20 feet. Its bark is whitish gray which is surrounded with thick cork. The leaves are round and small, and the pods are long and slender.
Despite the softness of the plant’s wood and tender parts, moringa is in fact a hardy plant. In tropical climate it grows fast in almost any type of soil and is resistant to drought. Even a discarded trunk or branch on the ground will sprout young leaves and a new plant grows. The plant can be propagated through its seeds or cuttings. Moringa is easy to cultivate. A grown plant can sustain itself without much care and cultivation. In most cases fertilizer and pesticide are not necessary.
Moringa is primarily planted for its leaves and green pods as vegetable. The leaves are added in fish soup and chicken based dish that is called “tinola” and in vegetable dishes that are creamed with coconut milk. The plant is dubbed as a “poor man’s vegetable” because of its cheapness and abundance. In our family, we used to have plenty of this plant in our compound which also served as border fence in the sloping portion of our land. The plants had lush leaves and plentiful fruits. But we seldom harvest them, and if we did we only used the leaves and left the pods alone. Other people could help themselves with the leaves and the pods if they asked for them.
The leaves are the most nutritious parts of the plants. Like almost green leafy vegetables , the moringa leaves contain Vitamins B, C and K, beta carotene, potassium, manganese, protein and other special nutrients. Because of its nutritional value moringa is recommended by the government for consumption of lactating mothers and children. Some bread such as “pan de sal” and noodles are fortified with moringa leaves to enhance its nutritional contents.
The hype that some herbs, fruits and vegetables have medicinal properties that are at par or better than conventional drugs has created an impression to some people that herbal products offer hope for the treatment of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and even cancer. However, health authorities have warned people over the use of those products as alternative medicines because official confirmation has yet to be issued regarding their effectiveness.
Moringa is used to be regarded only as a backyard plant because of its low commercial importance, but now some farmers cultivate it in large scale because of the increasing demand of natural herbal products for food supplement and alternative medicines. Moringa leaves are dried and made into organic powder, capsule, oil, tea, food supplement and other products. Aside from consuming the leaves as vegetable, locals use it also in traditional medicine. As an example, a cup of boiled moringa leaves is used to treat constipation.


Community gardens provide opportunities for Durango residents, who may not have access to their own garden space, to grow healthy local food.
During 2016, support from the City enabled the Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, to expand activities at the Manna Soup Kitchen Garden, helping to create gardening opportunities for local people and provide fresh, health ingredients to the Soup Kitchen.
The Garden Project is a local non-profit aiming to grow a healthier community through the support and development of school and community garden programs that promote health and wellness, environmental stewardship and a sustainable local food system.
The Garden Project also helps support the City of Durango's garden at City Hall which provides employees with an opportunity to get outside and learn about sustainable gardening practices. After the 2016 harvest, employees donated some of their produce to the Garden Project to be distributed at the Manna Market!
For more information on the Garden Project of Southwest Colorado's current projects and volunteer opportunities please visit The Garden Project


As recently as yesterday we complained about the fact that mudslides and landslides have become more frequent, while today we complain about heat and dust storms. It seems that only recently we first heard from scientists about climate change and its impacts, and thought these would be far away and not affect us, but today we feel their influence in all aspects of our lives.
A workshop was held for farmers around the Fergana Valley’s cities on 27-29 June, dedicated to climate change and its impacts on agricultural development. This event was held within the ‘Enhancing the adaptation and strengthening the resilience of farming to Climate Change Risks in Fergana Valley’ joint project of UNDP and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, implemented with financial support from the Russian Federation.
Agricultural products are the main income source for the Fergana Valley’s citizenry, who mostly live in rural areas. Farmers and rural households have for several years faced problems related to climate change’s impacts on produce quantity and quality.
Issues considered during the regional workshop included climate change’s main factors and consequences, their impacts on agricultural development, possible adaptation measures, and issues related to food security.
Adaptation measures to address climate change’s risks have attracted particular interest and created engaged discussions among the workshop participants. Such measures have included crop planting schemes which consider the sun’s movement, irrigation methods using hydrogel, obtaining air condensates with nets, applying different types of mulch for different crops, and utilizing drip irrigation and sprinkling systems.
When discussing methods of combating and adapting to climate change’s impacts, participants emphasized the need to continuously improve agricultural practices, given that today it is no longer possible to farm in a traditional way. As such, it is now necessary to find new ways to solve problems, learn from experience, involve young people in agriculture, and share knowledge.
Video materials presented during the workshop showed agricultural practices used in leading exporting countries. These in particular included approaches to greenhouse farming and seed industry used in the Netherlands, different water saving measures, and drip irrigation methods applied in Israel.
"I think that every farmer should be able to anticipate the risks of climate phenomena, and take measures to prepare for nature's whims. With regard to what these measures are, it is necessary to use seedlings and seeds of drought-and-heat-resistant varieties which are least susceptible to diseases and pests, use nets to protect against possible sunscorch and hail, and apply means to delay or accelerate crop awakening in the early spring,” said workshop participant Mamurbek Islomov, head of the Bogbon TRAM Agro cooperative.
“A good farmer will not give up even if a harvest is lost due to natural factors, because they will have created a well-developed plan for growing another crop that will save them from losses, and it is possible they will even come out with a profit.”
Today, when assessing the situation related to climate change’s consequences, it can be concluded that our farmers facing extreme weather phenomena have begun to prioritize obtaining and strengthening their knowledge in this area. They are interested in applying measures which not only enable adaptation to climate change’s consequences, but also greatly reduce their impact.


- Author: Surendra Dara
Integrated pest management recommends using multiple approaches such as selection of resistant varieties, manipulation of habitat and modifying cultural practices in a manner that is not beneficial to the pest, and conserving natural enemies before using pesticides. In certain production systems that have well established agronomic practices with limited scope for modifying the habitat or cultural practices, pest management is primarily dependent on pesticide applications. There are several options for conventional strawberry production where pesticides from different classes (based on their mode of action) can be used against one or more pests. However, these options are limited in organic strawberries. As a result, some growers put a major emphasis on conserving natural enemies and timing the application of organic oils, pyrethrins, and other products in a manner that is least disruptive to natural enemies.
In a 2009 study, seasonal average for lygus bug (Lygus hesperus) numbers did not show a specific trend between organic and conventional strawberry fields. The average number of nymphal and adult stages of lygus bugs, from mid-May to the end of August, was 12.6 from 20 plants in an organic field. This average was 15.6 (between mid-May and mid-July) in a conventional field and 7.7 (between mid-May and mid-August) in another conventional field. Conventional fields received several pesticide applications while the organic field received only two during the study suggesting that pesticide applications did not really help to bring lygus populations below threshold levels (1 lygus bug nymph per 20 plants). As the natural enemy populations were not monitored during this study, the impact of pesticide applications on their numbers or their role in managing lygus populations was not clear.
To understand the lygus bug and their natural enemy interactions more, another study was conducted in 2013 on a commercial organic and a conventional strawberry field in Santa Maria. Observations were made at weekly intervals from June 24 to July 15 where 10 randomly selected plants from each of the four quadrants of an acre area were sampled using a beating tray. The number of young (1st-3rd instar) and mature nymphs (4th to 5th instar) and adults of lygus along with their natural enemies – big-eyed bugs (Geocoris spp.), minute pirate bugs (Orius spp.), green lacewings (unknown), damsel bugs (Nabis spp.), parasitic wasps (unknown), lady beetles (multiple species), and spiders (multiple species) was recorded.
Among various materials that were applied in the conventional field, abamectin (Epi-Mek 0.15 EC applied once), sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate (Prev-Am, applied thrice), and sulfur (Microthiol Dispress applied once) were primarily used as acaricides. Novaluron (Rimon 0.83EC) was applied on May 22, about one month prior to the first sampling. Aadjuvant, pinene (polyterpenes) polymers (Miller Nu Film P) was also applied thrice between May 7 and June 22. In the organic field, neem oil (Trilogy) and alcohol ethoxylate (OROBOOST) were each applied thrice between May 1 and July 11.
A higher number of lygus bugs were seen in the organic field than in the conventional field throughout the observation period. While the older nymphs and adults stayed at or below the treatment threshold, younger nymphs were consistently above the threshold (2.5 to 4 per 20 plants) in the conventional field. In the organic field, they were consistently above the treatment thresholds during the observation period.
Occurrence of lygus bug nymphs and adults in a conventional and an organic strawberry field in Santa Maria from Jue 24 to July 15, 2013.
When the average number of natural enemies for the observation period was considered, the organic field had more big-eyed bugs than the conventional field. The organic field also had slightly higher numbers of minute pirate bug and lady beetles. Very low numbers of lacewings or parasitic wasps were present only in the organic field. In general, damsel bug numbers were also very low, but they were slightly higher in the conventional field. A higher number of spiders were seen in the conventional field compared to the organic field.
Although some key species of natural enemies were present at higher numbers in the organic field, they were not able to keep the lygus populations under control. On average, there were 10 natural enemies of all species per 20 plants in the conventional field and 12 in the organic field during the observation period. Applying novaluron at the right time appeared to control lygus bug nymphs and prevented population build up there after in the conventional field. While natural enemies generally play a significant role, this study suggests the importance of other options such as pesticides for managing lygus bugs.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Dave Peck (Manzanita Berry Farms and Eraud Farms, Santa Maria) for his collaboration and Chris Martinez for technical assistance.


It’s time for GRuB’s Day of the Bed event! This is the 6th year that Greater Olympia’s Slow Food chapter has participated in the Day of the Bed. Our goal is to raise a minimum of $1,000.
The Day of the Bed is the culmination of GRuB’s Kitchen Garden Project annual spring build season. It’s a chance to make garden-building a public
event by recognizing and celebrating the elements that go into creating a sustainable and secure community food system.
We are collecting contributions until May 17th. Slow Food Greater Olympia will match every dollar contributed by individual members and
supporters up to $500. So your tax-deductible contribution goes twice as far in support of building kitchen gardens in our community.
How to participate: Donate now! or, Join the Slow Food team on Saturday, May 17 from 9 am to 2 pm.
Please send your check – made payable to “GRuB” to:
4223 Indian Pipe Loop NW
Olympia, WA 98505
Or call Emily at (206) 491-3680 to arrange pick-up.
Want to join GO Slow Food’s team to help with the garden build? Call or email Emily at firstname.lastname@example.org or (206) 491-3680.
Commitment: 9am-2pm. Arrive at GRuB at 9am in work clothes with a potluck dish for the celebration following the event. Work at the build site from 10am-12pm. At 12:30pm, meet back at GRuB for a potluck lunch celebration!
GRuB’s Kitchen Garden Project partners with organizations and people with low incomes to create backyard and neighborhood food solutions. They connect people with the sustainable food movement by providing access to the knowledge and resources needed to grow fresh, healthy, and culturally-appropriate foods. With your help, they can reach their goal of building 60 beds in 2014!
What your donation will mean:
$500 will build an entire garden
$100 builds a garden bed
$75 supplies the lumber for a single garden
$50 purchases the soil for a garden
$35 supplies a garden’s seeds and starts
$30 is 1/4 tank of gas for the GRuB truck
$15 will buy the trellis, twine, and nails


(01/17/20) Baton Rouge, La. — An LSU AgCenter scientist is researching ways to increase food production by manipulating the processes of photosynthesis and photorespiration.
Plant physiologist Paul South discussed his research at a seminar held at the AgCenter on Jan. 13.
“My long-term research goals focus on understanding photosynthetic and photorespiratory metabolism and use synthetic biology tools to understand gene regulation, the role of transport proteins and to use synthetic biology to improve crop productivity and quality,” he said.
Seven years ago, South began his research on a collaborative project with the University of Illinois. The project, Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency, or RIPE, addresses the fact that more than 820 million people in the world don’t get enough to eat each day.
“If you combined the entire populations of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Mexico as well as France and Brazil, this would be about 820 million people,” he said. “The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says this is the first time in decades that that number is growing.”
Things like climate change, lack of modern agricultural tools and the political nature of some of these countries with food insecurities is the main reason for the lack of food, he said.
“If we project out to the year 2050, it is estimated that there will be 10 billion people on the planet, and there will need to be increases in the four major food groups, which are maize, rice, wheat and soybeans,” he said.
Each year, 120 gigatons of carbon are taken out of the atmosphere, with half being used to support plant growth and biomass. The rest supports all other living things on this plant, he said.
Most of the photosynthesis is occurring in the rainforests and savannas. About 15% is used by cultivated crops.
“In order to meet the food demands of 2050, that number has to increase to about 25%,” South said. “That means that productivity needs to double to keep up with that demand.”
Because no additional land is available to cultivate, his project is looking at ways to increase photosynthesis. “The reason we are focusing on improving photosynthetic efficiency is to determine whether we can produce more food on the same amount of land,” he said.
The goal is to increase the solar efficiency of plants because only about 1% of solar energy is used by the plants, he said.
The research has initially focused on the tobacco plant, and South is currently examining potatoes to determine how they and other plants are effected.
South’s research on the RIPE project began while he previously worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is funded by Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
LSU AgCenter plant physiologist Paul South presents findings from his research project RIPE, Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency, during a seminar at the LSU AgCenter on Jan. 13. His goal is to increase food production by manipulating the processes of photosynthesis and photorespiration. Photo by Johnny Morgan/LSU AgCenter


Sugar beet is widely cultivated as a commercial sugar crop in temperate climates. About one third of all sugar production in the world is derived from this plant.
Sugar beet has excellent potential as a biomass crop, both as a source of sugar and also using the plant residue for fuel.
Although little used in modern herbalism, beet has a long history of folk use.
Sow April in situ.
Beets grow well in a variety of soils, growing best in a deep, friable well-drained soil abundant with organic matter, but doing poorly on clay. They prefer an open position and a light well-drained soil. The optimum pH is 6.0 - 6.8, but neutral and alkaline soils are tolerated in some areas. Some salinity may be tolerated after the seedling stage.
Root - raw or cooked. The root contains 16 - 20% sugar and this is often extracted and used as a sweetener. This plant is a major source of sugar in many temperate areas. The root can also be used as a vegetable. When cooked it is quite tender, but with some fibrous strands. It has a very sweet flavour that some people find too sweet. The raw root is rather tough, but makes a pleasant addition to salads when grated finely.
Leaves - raw or cooked. A very acceptable spinach substitute.


This is a really lovely plant. It has lush leaves and wonderful large purple flowers in springtime. It is extremely hardy and takes very little care once established. Needs full sun and a cool location. Will not do well in hotter areas. However the deer to like to eat it so it will need protection. No cooler garden should be without this beauty, and its not easy to find.
Description of Maral Root (Rhaponticum carthamoides)
A large perennial plant for cooler regions. Produces a large rosette of large mid green leaves that can be up to 2 feet long and are deeply incised with pointed edges. In late spring it puts up thick round stems up to two feet tall topped by large solitary purple flowers that can be three inches across. Plants produce many stalks with the large showy thistle like flowers. Flowers in the second year from seed and sends down large thick roots which strongly establish the plant in the ground. Very hardy Zones 2-7.
Location and care of Maral Root (Rhaponticum carthamoides)
This plant is a native of Siberia thus it is used to colder climates for those in zones 2-4 there should be no problem growing the lovely plant pick in any full sun position. Zones 6 and 7 need to choose more carefully. Pick a location that will shelter it from the heat of the summer sun but also give as much sunshine as possible. The north side of a building, north side of some trees perhaps. Somewhere there is airflow to keep it a little cool is essential.
Whatever you decide choose your location wisely. If the plant is happy it will settle in and send down ROOTS. These guys are not easy to move once they are settled. They produce lots of wiry roots and thicker tubers which can be very hard to dig out.
It prefers a good fertile soil that is fairly well drained. Adding a lot of organic material to the soil will produce a good healthy plant and it will grow in almost any soil type if it is mulched. Will grow in clay provided it does not become too waterlogged over the winter. Well drained is best. It also needs reasonable water, use a soaker hose or water once a week in summer months, don't let it dry out. Plant where the deer cant get to it, they will eat it to the ground.
Space plants about 2 feet apart as it grows quickly and will take up quite a bit of space.
Once established it needs little or no maintenance. Ensure it has enough water and enjoy the blooms every spring. Clear away leaves in fall and that's it.
Growing of Maral Root (Rhaponticum carthamoides) from seed
Sow in individual pots in mid winter for spring planting. Will germinate at fairly low temperatures so heat should not be applied. A cold frame or unheated indoor area is ideal. Some reports say seeds benefit from cold before sowing, all our seeds have been cold treated. Germination is usually within 2-3 weeks depending on conditions. Best temperatures are between 55 - 60 F. This can take 2-3 weeks or more depending on temperature, warmer temperatures can inhibit germination or produce very poor results. Grow on until large enough to plant outside, preferably after danger of frost has passed to ensure plants can establish well. Don't plant where deer can eat them.
Pick location well as the roots grow deep and they might not be easy to move.
Medicinal Uses of Maral Root (Rhaponticum carthamoides)
The roots of this plant have been used by Russian athletes for many years. They contain a substances called ecdysteroids which have anabolic-like growth promoting effects without the side effects associated with drugs . These substances are known as adaptogens. These can helps athletes increase endurance, reflexes an concentration, and helps them to recover faster from exertion. Studies show that the root extract greatly increases the work capacity of muscles and normalizes blood sugar levels quickly after exertion, and improves memory and learning.
Digging the roots and processing however is quite difficult and time consuming.
What is it called again?
Scientists can't seem to make up their minds what this plant should be called. It used to be know as Leuzea carthamoides and Leuzea rhapontica. Now it's Stemmacantha carthamoides in some places and Rhaponticum carthamoide in others. It has also been listed under Centaurea, Cirsium, and Cnicus. We are not entirely sure where the plant stands at the moment but it would be nice if there was some consensus and they would stop changing the darn name!


The Rural Development Departments of the Justice, Development and Peace (JDPs) of Province of Ibadan comprising; Ibadan Archdiocese, Osogbo, Oyo, Ekiti and Ilorin Dioceses have cautioned framers across the province against the uses of the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) seeds as an alternative to natural seed selection techniques to which they are acquainted.
This was contained in a statement jointly issued by the Provincial Rural Development Team under the Chairmanship of Mr. Emmanuel Aikhomen of Archdiocese of Ibadan during the Provincial Exchange Forum held in Ado-Ekiti.
According to the statement “Having critically looked into the development and carefully considered the possible advantages and disadvantages associated with the initiative and likely effects on small scale farmers in a plenary session and its product-intake upshot on humanity, it is therefore suggested that farmers across the states should avoid the use of Genetically Modified Organism Seeds that are capable of causing irreparable damages to the nation’s biodiversity.
We equally use the best of this medium to direct the Provincial RUDEPs to link up with Dialogue in Partnership Service (DPS) office of MISEREOR in Abuja, to further liaise with CARITAS NIGERIA, on the GMO seeds as there is limit to the extent the message can go if solely handled by the province. The Rural Development in Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province should work with target farmers to promote the use of natural seed selection techniques for crops production on their field, information sharing and awareness creation on GMOs should be embarked upon and various programs should reach out directly to concerned government ministries, departments and agencies.”
The Forum also urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and National Biodiversity Management Agency (NBMA) to urgently rally relevant stakeholders from the sector and adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) as it would help in gaining the confidence of international market while Government should regulate food safety issues affecting production of agro produce.
Others present at the Provincial Exchange Forum were Departmental Heads of Rural Development Prorammes, Mrs.Bola olorede-Ibadan Archdiocese, Mrs.Onaolapo Morenike-Osogbo Diocese, Mr.Anthony Oqunnupebi-Oyo Diocese, Mr.Remigius Eze-Ekiti Diocese and Mr.David Omotoso of Ilorin Diocese.


Received for publication 31 Aug. 1987. Journal paper no. A6101-87 of the Lincoln University Agricultural Experiment Station. I gratefully acknowledge the provision of seeds by Joe Suah, Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Kingston, Jamaica. The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. Under postal regulations, this paper therefore must be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact.


imports and uk veg...
From Christmas onwards we are willing to compromise and start importing some peppers and tomatoes to compliment the hardcore of indigenous winter veg. from our own fields. Unfortunately the flavour of the tomatoes has been so disappointing that we have decided to revert to a more local box for the next month or so until something better is available.
The challenge for us is to make sure that we retain your custom, as the variety from our own fields declines through the winter and spring, until the new season starts in May. To do this I am generally quite happy to compromise and supplement with imports but if, having been trucked all the way, they are barely worth opening your mouth for I can't see the point. The mild weather is really helping so there is plenty of top quality veg. available here though the boxes are liable to have a repetitive theme for the next month.
In contrast to the tomatoes, the citrus from Spain, and now Morocco, has been fantastic recently. Rather strangely, all the citrus family bare their fruit in the winter. During our summer they have to come from the southern hemisphere and are expensive and, after their long journey, normally inferior. The Valencia late oranges arriving now are at their best; so wonderfully sweet and juicy they come very close to the explosion of flavour you get from fruit picked straight from the tree. We are expecting Seville oranges to arrive very soon and will be offering them on the extras list for the marmalade makers amongst you.
Out in our own fields we are plodding away pulling leeks and swedes and cutting cauliflower, sprouting broccoli, cabbage and kale. The weather map is constantly checked for any sign of a break in the weather allowing us to harvest the remaining parsnips and artichokes. If it gets dry enough we will start spreading muck and ploughing for the early crops. The first cabbage, lettuce and leeks have already been sown in blocks under glass ready for planting out to start in March.
Last week we talked about how to prepare the purple sprouting broccoli that appeared in your boxes, this week Jane, our resident chef, has a few suggestions as to what to do next... where we use PSB you can substitute with cape broccoli
Bagna Cauda - originating in Northern Italy, is an anchovy and garlic sauce traditionally served with crudit


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How can the gardener determine whether the plant is homozygous or heterozygous for the allele that determines seed texture?
User's comment: Since the Smooth texture is the dominate gene no matter what the out come is going to be a smooth pea plant. The gardener could go back and make a punnet square with the smooth gene and wrinkled. I guess it just depends on what the parents traits were to determine whether its homozygous or heterozygous.
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15 Apr A Busy Spring
It seems that for the last two months our number of posts have really gone down. Sorry, it’s been a busy spring! Here in South Dakota, the warm weather doesn’t usually kick in till mid to late April, but this year we have been blessed with warm weather starting in March!
I have been frantically working around the house like a mad woman! There are so many project that I am doing around the house, but sadly none of them are really blog worthy 🙁
I took an old landscaping area and removed rocks from it, pulled the weeds, and tilled under all the dirt to create a new garden area out of it.
Yesterday we planted all of our plants. We soon will have potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, butternut squash, Chinese squash, herbs, and some hops. (The hops is for my husband’s beer making.)
In addition to planting the garden, I am in the process of trying to save/restore our grass. When we purchased this house, we had basically all weeds. After two rounds of broad leaf spray, we are down to just dirt and a little grass. I lovingly spread out some grass seed and raked it into the ground, hoping to have some thicker grass by summer. (My husband’s project has been to build us a Fire Patio. Basically a really nice fire pit surrounded by a brick patio. Hopefully he will write a blog for me about it.)
In addition to the yard work, I have been clearing out an area under one of our decks to be a sandbox for Aiden. I think it will be perfect for him to play while I work on the garden and the deck will provide some shade from the sun. I hope to blog about this project soon.
And as for recipes, well with warm weather comes grilling. We have pretty much stuck with the usual of chicken, burgers, brats, and steak.
So my apologies for not having any new posts lately. My hopes are to get up a few more posts in the next week, however I have about a 40 hour work project coming up in the next few days so life looks to be very busy! (Oh and a vacation– can’t forget the vacation or actually two vacations!!! Yeah!!!)
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Public Health Alert Issued For Raw Ground Turkey Linked To Salmonella Hardar IllnessThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for approximately 211,406 pounds of raw ground turkey products on Saturday.
Minnesota Keeps June 20 Cutoff For Using Weed Killer DicambaMinnesota is maintaining its June 20 cutoff date for farmers to use the herbicide dicamba, which has been blamed for drifting and damaging neighboring soybean fields.
Officials Warn Southeastern Minnesota Residents Of Poisonous HemlockMinnesota officials are warning residents about the spread of poison hemlock in southeastern parts of the state.
MDA Warns Consumers Against Norseman's Leathered AquavitThe Minnesota Department of Agriculture is advising consumers not to drink a product from a Minneapolis distillery because it uses nonfood grade leather in its production.
Good Question: What's The Cost Of Raising A U.S. Child?The Department of Agriculture releases a report every year estimating what it costs to raise one child from the ages of zero to 17. In 2014, the estimate came out to $245,340. So, where does that money go?
All Bird Flu Quarantines Lifted In Wisconsin Wisconsin agriculture officials have lifted all quarantines imposed on poultry farms because of the bird flu.
Kandiyohi County Hit Hard From Bird Flu CrisisSo far, 97 farms have been affected by the bird flu since the outbreak began in March. Kandiyohi County is ground zero with 37 of those farms. The state announced three new cases of the bird flu today, six new ones were reported yesterday.
Bird Flu Funding On Way To Dayton's DeskThe first slice of emergency funding for the state's response to a deadly bird flu outbreak is heading to Gov. Mark Dayton.
1st Batch Of Avian Flu Emergency Aid Clears HouseThe first batch of emergency money to help Minnesota agencies combat the spread of the avian flu affecting poultry farms is one step from Gov. Mark Dayton's desk.
Dry Spring Means Low Water Levels In Minnesota LakesBrush fires over the last two days have shown just how dry it is around Minnesota. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 90 percent of the state is under a moderate drought.
Midwest Farmers Putting Lots Of Food On Thanksgiving TablesFarmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin are to thank for many of this year's Thanksgiving feasts. The Department of Agriculture says Minnesota is number one producer of turkey this year. Of the 242 million birds raised worldwide, Minnesota farmers raised 45 million of them.
Minnesota Company Recalls Ground Beef The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Ranchers Legacy Meat Co. of Vadnais Heights is recalling 1,200 pounds of ground beef because of possible E. coli contamination.
Minn. Company Recalling 60,000 Pounds Of Breakfast Products A Burnsville company that makes custom frozen foods is recalling more than 60,000 pounds of meat and poultry products after food safety officials say a sample tested positive for listeria.
Most Minnesota Crop Conditions ImproveMost Minnesota crops conditions showed improvement during the past week. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only potato and hay crop conditions in Minnesota showed a slight decline.
Minn. Corn Harvest Remains Ahead Of Normal Pace The pace of Minnesota's corn harvest remains ahead of normal, thanks to the dry weather. In its weekly crop report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that Minnesota's corn harvest is 94 percent complete, remaining a week ahead of normal.


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I would like to ask you if tap water is good for watering all kinds of plants, such as aromatic vegetable geraniums, licorice and thunbergia, or you need to take some precautions to improve growth.
in fact tap water is not perfect for plants; many believe that it is the chlorine contained in it that ruins many plants, but it is a sort of urban legend, since chlorine is contained in small quantities, and besides this, it is very volatile, and therefore is released quickly into the air, rather than in the ground. The reason why the tap water is not completely suitable for watering the plants is mainly the presence of limestone in it; unfortunately in most of Italy, the water from the aqueducts is very hard. This fact makes it unsuitable for watering those plants that do not like the presence of many mineral salts (and especially calcium) in the soil, such as acidophiles, which prefer acid soils, with bio-available iron; unfortunately calcium and iron work as antagonists, and in a soil with a lot of calcium, acidophilic plants are not able to absorb iron. Even some very delicate plants should never be watered with tap water, such as some orchids, and especially carnivorous plants, which are acidophilic and even delicate.
That said, unfortunately at home we are forced to water with tap water, especially if we have many plants; in general, for the most common plants grown in the apartment or in the garden, this water is fine, and does not create any kind of problem. As for the acidophilic plants, it would be enough to prepare the watering can the night before, and wait for the limestone to settle; when we go to water we will have a water with a little less limestone, better for our plants. In addition to precipitating the limestone, preparing the water the day before also allows us to water the plants with a liquid at room temperature; in fact, one of the things that plants of tap water less like, especially in the height of summer, is that it has a temperature often many degrees different from the ambient temperature, and therefore causes a thermal shock to the roots. Clear, it depends on how much water we supply, from the season in which we are, to the size of the vessels. Prepare the water and let it settle for about twelve hours, bring it to room temperature; I understand that this operation is easily practicable if we possess a single potted azalea; when instead we have the terrace covered with various flowers, and the garden with annuals and shrubs, preparing the water the day before becomes an impractical undertaking.


Grains and grain legumes contain protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins A and B. Sprouting grain, the process of germinating the seeds before eating them, increases their nutritional value by adding vitamin C, an important nutrient that helps the body absorb iron and helps keep blood vessels strong. In addition to improving your diet, sprouting grains is also economical because grains double in bulk when sprouted. No special tools or equipment are needed to sprout grains at home.
1Measure out a quantity of grain equal to about half the amount you would normally cook for yourself or your family. Keep in mind that the grain will nearly double in bulk after soaking and sprouting, so don't prepare more than you can consume or store.
2Rinse the grain thoroughly, being sure to remove any rotten grains, stones, or other debris.
3Place the clean grain in a pot. Cover the grain completely with water, adding another 3/4 inch (2 cm) above the grain.
4Cover the pot with a lid or a clean cloth. Leave the covered pot in a warm location overnight.
5Drain the excess water from the grain.
6Lay a clean cloth in a shallow pot or basket and pour the soaked grain into it. Fold each of the corners of the cloth over the grain to cover it. Either tie the corners of the cloth together to form a loose bundle or place a weight on top of the cloth to hold the edges closed. Leave the covered grain in a warm place for 24 hours. Be sure to keep the cloth covering the grain moist, but not wet.
7Open the cloth and check the grain to see if it has sprouted. Sprouts are ready to eat once they reach .04 to .08 inches (1 to 2 mm) long.
- Sprouted grains are easy to digest. While eating chickpeas and some other dry grain legumes can cause gas in some people, sprouted chickpeas do not because sprouting causes the breakdown of certain substances in the dry grain which can cause gas.
- Sprouted grain cooks faster than dried grain does, so be careful not to overcook it. Sprouted grain can also be eaten raw.
- Grains need moisture, warmth, and air to sprout. The amount of time needed for grains to sprout varies by the type of grain. The amount of time needed for grains to sprout also depends on the weather. Grain sprouts faster in warm, humid conditions than in cold weather.
- In addition to increasing vitamin content, sprouting grain also activates food enzymes which aid in digestion, and it neutralizes anti nutrients which bind minerals hampering the body's ability to absorb them properly and fully.
- Almost any type of whole grain that can be eaten in its dry form can be sprouted as well.
- Tomato, potato, eggplant, and rhubarb sprouts cannot be eaten either raw or cooked because they can be poisonous.
- Do not use any seeds that have been treated with poison, including fungicides, which are sold for planting. Make sure that any seeds you use are meant to be eaten.
Things You'll Need
- Large pot
- Clean cloths


Heritage bank Plc in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has continued to drive improved investment outcomes and job creation.
Through this partnership, Heritage Bank is not relenting in its efforts at boosting the agriculture base of the nation to make farming profitable to stakeholders and attractive to the youth.
Recently, the apex bank approved the disbursement of about N75billion as loan to farmers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
The loan guarantee scheme is a public-private sector initiative set up to transform the country’s agricultural sector. It was initiated by the CBN, the Bankers’ Committee and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to guarantee 75 per cent loans provided by Deposit Money Banks (DPB) to farmers as part of efforts to transform the country’s agricultural sector.
Speaking on the several CBN intervention scheme and private sectors’ partnerships, which have accumulated to thousands of job creations, the MD/CEO, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, noted, “under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Heritage Bank is positioned to provide on-lending funding to aggregated farmers in the 2020 farming season to grow various products that will serve as raw materials to the processors, thereby ensuring market linkages and access to the market as well as reduce importation and conserve Nigeria’s external reserves.”
According to him, Heritage Bank is also supporting the drive for cash crop commodities that would boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, which President Mohammad Buhari’s administration has always been cautious given the dangers the continuous reliance on imported food items pose to its efforts to create jobs as well as develop and diversify the economy.
No doubt Heritage Bank’s unswerving lending to agriculture sector has earned it deluge of accolades.To its portfolio Heritage Bank Plc earned the Nigeria’s Most Innovative Banking Service Provider in 2017 and 2018 that were bestowed with the inaugural Nigeria Sustainable Banking Award convened by the CBN “For Sustainable Transaction of The Year in Agriculture.”