DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Renewable Revolution
HTML https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Renewables
*****************************************************
#Post#: 4191--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: December 15, 2015, 5:00 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/undergroundgreenhouse.jpg[/img][/center]
[center]$300 Underground Greenhouse Grows Your Food Year-Round
[img
width=70]
HTML http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/yayayoy/yayayoy1106/yayayoy110600019/9735563-smiling-sun-showing-thumb-up.jpg[/img]<br
/>[/center]
Lorraine Chow | December 15, 2015 11:27 am
Excellent article plus videos!
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Walipini-Infographic.jpg[/img][/center]
HTML http://ecowatch.com/2015/12/15/underground-greenhouse-walipini/
Agelbert Comment: This is the type of common sense that should
be fostered by the government at ALL levels. This type of
greenhouse should be exempt from all town ordinances and NOT
require approval or some permit.
#Post#: 4213--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: December 22, 2015, 7:05 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aP5fqqzv35g[/center]
[center]Food and Empowerment
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-280614160150.gif
[/center]
[move] 37 different crops are growing on a 2-acre farm within
Rouge Park, Detroit.[/move]
[center]
A coalition group called the Detroit Black Community Food
Security Network
is hard at work both growing the food- and planting the seeds
for social change.[/center]
[quote]"We're not interested in plans where the corporate sector
comes in and uses the majority of the population as workers.
We're concerned about control and ownership. We want to model
not only the growing techniques but model the kind of social and
political economic dynamic that we think are appropriate for a
city like Detroit" says Malik Yakini, chairman of the
network.[/quote]
In this video, he gives a tour of D-Town Farm, one of Detroit's
biggest urban farms. The mission: to offer fresh produce, and
build food security in Detroit's black community.
--Bibi Farber
This video was produced by Democracy Now.
- See more at:
HTML http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/urban-initiatives/urban-farming-in-detroit.html#sthash.b2KIdgBo.dpuf
#Post#: 4301--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: January 9, 2016, 1:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Two Indoor Farm Startups Stand Up to Alaska’s Short
Growing Season[/center]
Lorraine Chow | January 5, 2016 10:09 am
How do you turn Alaska’s icy tundras into lush, year-round
farms? Two forward-thinking startups just might have found the
solution: growing indoors.
Alaska Natural Organics and Vertical Harvest Hydroponics are two
separate Anchorage-based indoor farm startups standing up to
Alaska’s short growing seasons by using hydroponics. With this
soil- and pesticide-free farming technique, plants are grown in
nutrient-rich water under blue and red LED lights that mimic
sunlight.
[center][img
width=640]
HTML https://ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/shippingcontainer.png[/img][/center]
Vertical Harvest Hydroponics repurposes old shipping containers
to grow food year-round and provide fresh greens to Alaskans.
Photo credit: Vertical Harvest Hydroponics
Alaska Natural Organics—the state’s first commercial vertical
farm—is growing fresh greens in tall stacks inside an old dairy
warehouse in Anchorage. Meanwhile, Vertical Harvest Hydroponics
designs and builds customizable “Containerized Growing Systems,”
which are self-contained hydroponic farms inside a
transportable, 40-foot shipping container.
While their farming approaches are very different, the two
companies have similar ambitions. Each fills Alaska’s fresh food
gap by cutting the distance that food has to travel to
Anchorage’s plates, all while providing healthy, nutritious food
options to residents.
Due to weather constraints on the growing season, Alaska imports
approximately 95 percent of its food. Its produce comes from
farms in California or Mexico—fruits and vegetables are picked
before ripening so it doesn’t spoil during its many weeks of
transport, The New York Times reported.
Consequently, fresh produce is usually much pricier for
Alaskans. “I’ve seen $10 heads of lettuce in stores, so I think
the economics of this project will work,” Danny Consenstein,
head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm service agency
in Alaska, told Alaska Dispatch News.
[center]
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUY9af5c9k&feature=player_embedded[/center]
[center]CGS (containerized Growing Systems) video[/center]
The Vertical Harvest units, which cost around $100,000 each,
come with heating systems, shelves and electricity to support
LED growing lights, co-founder Linda Janes told Alaska Dispatch
News.
In all, the units are capable of producing 1,800 plants at a
time in mineral-rich water without soil, Janes said. So far, the
company has sold two units in Anchorage.
Alaska Natural Organics has also marked its first deliveries,
with roughly 100 basil plants delivered to a handful of Alaskan
grocery stores in the first week of December 2015, the
Associated Press reported.
According to KTVA Alaska, when operations at Alaska Natural
Organics are finally running at full capacity, the
5,000-square-foot organic farm will be able to house 20,000
plants.
Alaska Natural Organics founder and owner Jason Smith told KTVA
Alaska that he plans to expand his company into rural areas
across the state where fresh vegetables are even harder to come
by.
“If I could say, 10 years from now, I played a role in helping
to stabilize the food system in Alaska, that’s something I’d be
very proud of,” Smith said.
Local grocers, restaurants and food companies have already
expressed excitement about the prospects of Smith’s year-round
greens, according to the Associated Press.
Susie Winford of Alaska Coastal Catering catered two events in
November 2015 using small heads of organic lettuce from Smith.
They were harvested only an hour before they were delivered and
had no dirt to clean off since they were hydroponically grown.
“[The] only complaint we had from a client was that it was too
pretty to eat,” ;D Winford said.
HTML http://ecowatch.com/2016/01/05/alaska-indoor-farms/
#Post#: 4313--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: January 10, 2016, 8:25 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Syntropy Gives Us Hope For a Better Future
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-062.gif[/center]
[center]
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSPNRu4ZPvE&feature=player_embedded[/center]
[center]"WE don't have poor soils, We have IMPROPER farming
practices".
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/129fs238648.gif[/center]
#Post#: 4314--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: January 11, 2016, 1:13 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]14 Edible Plants You Can Grow Indoors
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-060.gif[/center]
Elizabeth King, Pound Place | January 11, 2016 11:01 am
Many of us dream of having our own vegetable patch, but it can
be challenging to find the ideal space—and that’s assuming you
have a garden at all. If you don’t then you’re in luck, you
don’t need a large outdoor plot to grow all your ideal crops,
for many edible plants all you need is a sunny spot inside.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-102.gif
The idea of growing an indoor farm, full of healthy food you can
spoil yourself with over summer may sound too good to be true.
But with a little love and care, whether you live in a house or
a flat, you can grow a variety of fresh vegetables, fruit and
even edible flowers ready for your next dinner party—guaranteed
to impress.
But the benefits don’t stop there, growing your own greenery
will give the satisfaction of harvesting your own foodstuff,
save you money and added health benefits making your five a day
a walk in the park. You might even start replacing that takeaway
pizza with home-grown vegetables packed with vitamins and
minerals.
You can grow almost any plants indoors with a loving hand, best
growth occurs in areas that receive plenty of sunlight, such as
windowsills. But for those of you who just don’t have a sunny
spot to make the most of, grow lights can allow you to cultivate
your edible plants in even the darkest of corners.
Although growing conditions vary from plant to plant, a few
general rules should be followed. If you’re starting completely
from scratch, sowing seeds on moistened soil, covered with
plastic wrap and kept in a warm area will get your plants off to
the best possible start. Also ensuring all pots and containers
have drainage holes or a layer of grit to prevent root rot and
overwatering will make sure your plants stay strong and healthy.
For more on edible plants you can grow indoors–including sowing
and harvesting times—check out our helpful infographic below.
[img
width=50]
HTML http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/xig/ojx/xigojx6KT.png[/img]
[center] [img
width=275]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-060914180936.jpeg[/img][/center]
[center]
[img
width=640]
HTML https://www.poundstopocket.co.uk/pound-place/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/14-edible-plants-that-you-can-grow-inside-1-compressor.jpg[/img]
[/center]
HTML http://ecowatch.com/2016/01/11/edible-plants-grow-indoors/
[center] [img
width=100]
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/earthhug.gif[/img][/center]
[center][img
width=150]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-160614020827.gif[/img][/center]
#Post#: 4318--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: January 11, 2016, 5:42 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Reinventing the Greenhouse[/center]
by Kris De Decker, originally published by Low-Tech Magazine |
Jan 5, 2016
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301b7c7fd2f74970b-pi[/img][/center]
[center]A Chinese greenhouse. Picture: Chris Buhler, Indoor
Garden HQ.[/center]
The modern glass greenhouse requires massive inputs of energy to
grow crops out of season. That's because each square metre of
glass, even if it's triple glazed, loses ten times as much heat
as a wall.
However, growing fruits and vegetables out of season can also
happen in a sustainable way, using the energy from the sun.
Contrary to its fully glazed counterpart, a passive solar
greenhouse is designed to retain as much warmth as possible.
Research shows that it's possible to grow warmth-loving crops
all year round with solar energy alone, even if it's freezing
outside. The solar greenhouse is especially successful in China,
where many thousands of these structures have been built during
the last decades.
The quest to produce warm-loving crops in temperate regions
initially didn't involve any glass at all. In Northwestern
Europe, Mediterranean crops were planted close to specially
built "fruit walls" with high thermal mass, creating a
microclimate that could be 8 to 12°C (14 to 22°F) warmer than an
unaltered climate.
Later, greenhouses built against these fruit walls further
improved yields from solar energy alone. It was only at the very
end of the nineteenth century that the greenhouse turned into a
fully glazed and artificially heated building where heat is lost
almost instantaneously -- the complete opposite of the
technology it evolved from.
During the oil crises of the 1970s, there was a renewed interest
in the passive solar greenhouse. [7] However, the attention
quickly faded when energy prices came down again, and the
all-glass greenhouse remained the horticultural workhorse of the
Northwestern world. The Chinese, on the other hand, built
800,000 hectare of passive solar greenhouses during the last
three decades -- that's 80 times the surface area of the largest
glasshouse industry in the world, that of the Netherlands.
The Chinese Greenhouse
The Chinese passive solar greenhouse has three walls of brick or
clay. Only the southern side of the building consists of
transparant material (usually plastic foil) through which the
sun can shine. During the day the greenhouse captures heat from
the sun in the thermal mass of the walls, which is released at
night.
At sunset, an insulating sheet -- made of straw, pressed grass
or canvas -- is rolled out over the plastic, increasing the
isolating capacity of the structure. The walls also block the
cold, northern winds, which would otherwise speed up the heat
loss of the greenhouse.
Chinese style greenhouse
Chinese greenhouses. Picture: HortTechnology. (at link
HTML http://www.resilience.org/stories/2016-01-05/reinventing-the-greenhouse)<br
/>
Being the opposite of the energy-intensive glass greenhouse, the
Chinese passive solar greenhouse is heated all-year round with
solar energy alone, even when the outdoor temperature drops
below freezing point. The indoor temperature of the structure
can be up to 25°C (45°F) higher than the outdoor temperature.
The incentive policy of the Chinese government has made the
solar greenhouse a cornerstone of food production in central and
northern China. One fifth of the total area of greenhouses in
China is now a solar greenhouse. By 2020, they are expected to
take up at least 1.5 million hectares. [1]
Improving the Chinese Greenhouse
The first Chinese-style greenhouse was built in 1978. However,
the technology only took off during the 1980s, following the
arrival of transparent plastic foil. Not only is foil cheaper
than glass, it is also lighter and doesn’t require a strong
carrying capacity, which makes the construction of the structure
much cheaper. Since then, the design has continuously been
improved upon. The structure became deeper and taller, allowing
sunlight to be distributed better and ensuring that temperature
fluctuations are decreased.
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301b8d1856779970c-pi[/img][/center]
A: The original design from the 1980s with a glass canopy. B: An
improved design from the mid-1980s, with plastic foil, a night
curtain, and better insulated walls. This design is the most
widespread. C: An improved design from 1995. The walls are
thinner because they are insulated with modern materials.
Automatic handling of the night curtain. D: The most recent
design from 2007, which has a double roof for extra insulation.
In addition, cultivators are increasingly opting for modern
insulation materials instead of using rammed earth or air
cavities for the insulation of the walls, which saves space
and/or improves the heat absorption characteristics of the
structure. Synthetic insulation blankets, which are better
suited for dealing with moisture, are also seeing increased use.
The old-fashioned straw mats become heavier and insulate less
when they become wet.
In some of the more recent greenhouses, the insulation blankets
are rolled up and down automatically, and more sophisticated
ventilation systems are used. Some greenhouses have a double
roof or reflecting insulation installed. In addition, the
plastic foil used for the greenhouses — obviously the least
sustainable component of the system — is continuously being
improved, resulting in a longer lifespan.
Performance of the Chinese Greenhouse
The performance of the Chinese greenhouse depends on its design,
the latitude, and the local climate. A recent study observed
three types of greenhouses in Shenyang, the capital of the
Liaoning province. The city is at 41.8°N and is one of the most
northern areas where the Chinese-style greenhouse is built
(between latitudes 32°N and 43°N).
The research was conducted from the beginning of November to the
end of March, the period during which the outside temperature
drops below freezing. The average temperature in the coldest
month is between -15°C and -18°C (5 to -0.4°F). [1]
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301b8d1856a33970c-pi[/img][/center]
[center]Air cavities in a ruined solar greenhouse. Picture:
Chris Buhler, Indoor Garden HQ.[/center]
The three greenhouses studied all have the same shape and
dimensions (60 x 12.6 x 5.5 m), but the walls, the plastic foil,
and the transparent layer vary. The simplest construction has
walls of rammed earth and an inside layer of brick to increase
the structures’ stability. The covering is a thin plastic film
that is covered at night with a straw blanket.
The two other greenhouses have a northern wall of brick with
extruded polystyrene foam as insulating material, whereby the
width of the wall can be cut in half. They are also covered with
a thicker PVC plastic foil. The best greenhouse adds to this a
reflective coating on the insulation blanket, further reducing
heat loss at night.
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301b8d181950b970c-pi[/img][/center]
[center]A Chinese greenhouse. Picture: Chris Buhler, Indoor
Garden HQ.[/center]
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb08a1bf84970d-pi[/img][/center]
[center]The night curtain of a solar greenhouse: Energy
Farms.[/center]
In the simplest greenhouse the temperatures dropped below the
freezing point from early December until mid-January. Without
extra heating, this greenhouse cannot grow any produce at this
latitude. Only the most sophisticated greenhouse – with its
reflecting insulation layer – succeeded in keeping the inside
temperature above freezing at all times, using only solar
energy.
What’s more, the temperature stayed above 10°C most of the time,
which is the minimum temperature for the cultivation of warm
season plants, like tomatoes and cucumbers. Of course, passive
solar greenhouses in more southern locations would require less
sophisticated insulation techniques to be operated without
additional heating.
Solar Greenhouses in Northern Climates
If we go further north, similar solar passive greenhouses would
require extra heating during the coldest months of the year, no
matter how well they are insulated. Note that the farther north
the greenhouse is located, the greater its slope will be. The
slope of the roof is angled to be perpendicular to the sun's
rays when it's lowest on the horizon.
In 2005, a Chinese-style greenhouse was tested in Manitoba,
Canada, at a latitude of 50°N. A greenhouse that is 30 x 7
meters with a well-insulated northern wall (3.6 RSI glass fibre)
and an insulation blanket (1.2 RSI cotton) was observed from
January to April. During the coldest month (February) the
outside temperature varied between +4.5°C and -29°C (40 to
-20°F). While the interior temperature was on average 18°C
(32.4°F) higher than the exterior, it turned out to be
impossible to cultivate plants without extra heating during the
winter. [2]
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb08a01f95970d-pi[/img][/center]
[center]Cucumbers in a Chinese solar greenhouse. Picture: Energy
Farms.[/center]
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301b8d1870df1970c-pi[/img][/center]
[center]
Strawberries in a Chinese solar greenhouse. Picture: wikipedia
commons.[/center]
Nevertheless, energy savings can be huge in comparison to a
glass greenhouse. To keep the temperature above ten degrees at
all times, the heating system of the Canadian structure must
deliver a maximum of 17 W/m2, or 3.6kW for the building. [2] In
comparison, a glass greenhouse of equal proportions at the same
interior and exterior temperatures would require a maximum
capacity of 125 to 155 kW.
Note that these results can't be applied to all locations at
50°N. The Canadian research shows that solar output has a
greater impact on the inside temperature of the structure than
does the outside temperature. The correlation between inside
temperature and sunlight is almost four times greater than the
correlation between inside temperature and outside temperature.
[2] For example, while Brussels lies at the same latitude as
Manitoba, the latter has on average 1.5 times more sun.
Thermal capacity can be further improved by placing black
painted water storage tanks against the north wall inside the
structure. These capture extra solar energy during the day and
release it during the night. A different method to improve the
heat retention of a greenhouse is by earth berming the north,
east and west walls. Yet another solution to improve insulation
is the underground or "pit greenhouse". [8] However, this
greenhouse receives less sunlight and is prone to flooding.
More Space Needed
The passive greenhouse could save a lot of energy, but a price
would have to be paid: the profits generated by the Chinese
greenhouse are two to three times lower per square meter than
those of its fully glazed counterpart. In the more efficient
Chinese greenhouses, an average 30 kg of tomatoes and 30 kg of
cucumbers can be grown per square meter (numbers from 2005),
while the average production in a glass greenhouses is about 60
kg of tomatoes and 100 kg cucumbers (numbers from 2003). [3]
[4].
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb08a0b7c8970d-pi[/img][/center]
[center][center]A Chinese solar greenhouse. Picture: Energy
Farms.[/center][/center]
A passive greenhouse industry would thus take up two to three
times as much space to produce the same amount of food. This
could be viewed as a problem, but of course what really eats
space in agriculture is meat production. A more diverse and
attractive supply of vegetables and fruits could make it more
viable to reduce meat consumption, so land use shouldn't be a
problem.
Compost Heated Greenhouses
Another issue with a solar powered greenhouse is the lack of a
CO2-source. In modern greenhouses, operators aim to have a
CO2-level at least three times the level outdoors to increase
crop yield. This CO2 is produced as a byproduct of the fossil
fuel based heating systems inside the greenhouses. However, when
no fossil fuels are used, another source of CO2 has to be found.
This is not only an issue for solar greenhouses. It's also one
of the main reasons why geothermal energy and electric heat
pumps are not advancing in the modern glasshouse industry.
In Chinese solar greenhouses, this issue is sometimes solved by
the combined raising of produce and animals. Pigs, chickens, and
fish all produce CO2 that can be absorbed by the plants, while
the plants produce oxygen (and green waste) for the animals. The
animals and their manure also contribute to the heating of the
structure. Research of such integrated greenhouse systems has
shown that the combined production of vegetables, meat, milk,
and eggs raises yields quite substantially. [5]
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb08a11107970d-pi[/img][/center]
[center]Detail of a compost-heated greenhouse: Source:
Pelaf.[/center]
Justin Walker, an American now living in Siberia, is building an
integrated system using horses, goats and sheep in a monastery
in Siberia. Considering the harsh climate, the structure is
partly built below-ground, while its protruding parts are
earth-bermed. Above the barn area is a hayloft that provides
further winter insulation as well as ventilation in the summer
when it is empty. His compost heat recovery system produces hot
water that is piped through radiant floor heating zones in the
floor of the greenhouse. The CO2 is supplied by the animals. [6]
Heating and CO2-production can also be done without housing
animals in the greenhouse. Their manure suffices. As we have
seen in the previous article, the use of horse manure for
heating small-scale greenhouses dates back several centuries in
Europe, and in China it was practised already 2.000 years ago.
Since the 1980s, several compost heated greenhouse have been
built in the USA. These have shown that a greenhouse can be
entirely heated by compost if it is well-insulated, and that the
method drastically enriches the CO2-levels in the soil and in
the greenhouse air. To add to this, the compost also serves to
increase soil fertility. [6]
[font=times new roman]Kris De Decker[/font]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-210614220933.gif
Sources:
[1] Energy performance optimization of typical chinese solar
greenhouses by means of dynamic simulation (PDF), Alessandro
Deiana et al., International conference of agricultural
engineering, 2014, Zurich.
[2] Winter performance of a solar energy greenhouse in southern
Manitoba (PDF), Canadian Biosystems Engineering. 2006.
[3] The solar greenhouse: state of the art in energy saving and
sustainable energy supply. G. Bot et al., 2005
[4] Structure, function, application, and ecological benefit of
a single-slope, energy-efficient solar greenhouse in China.
HortTechnology, June 2010
[5] Integrated energy self-served animal and plant complementary
ecosystem in China, in "Integrated energy systems in China --
the cold northwestern region experience", FAO, 1994
[6] The Compost-Powered Water Heater: How to heat your
greenhouse, pool, or buildings with only compost, Gaelan Brown,
2014
[7] See for example "The Solar Greenhouse Book" (PDF), published
by Rodale Press in 1978
[8] The Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book, Mike Oehler, 2007
HTML http://www.resilience.org/stories/2016-01-05/reinventing-the-greenhouse
#Post#: 4369--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: January 19, 2016, 10:13 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Plant Families [img
width=100]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-210614215501.gif[/img]<br
/>
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-200714191456.bmp
[/center]
[center]
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bw7mQZHfFVE[/center]
[center]
Cooperate with Nature [/center]
"Create natural cycles, then nature will work for you" says
permaculture pioneer Sepp Holzer.
This video explores his famous permaculture farm, Krameterhof,
1,500 feet above sea level between the pine tree monocultures of
Austria. He has successfully used groundbreaking techniques such
as using ponds as reflectors to increase solar gain for passive
solar heating of structures. He pioneered the use of Hugelkultur
and natural branch development - that is not pruning, to allow
fruit trees to survive high altitudes and harsh winters.
One plant helps the other in a symbiotic, ongoing collaboration
of nature. For example plants with different root depths can
co-exist and benefit each other.
"You have to listen and observe-- that's the most important
thing." says Holzer.
--Bibi Farber
This is a clip from a film by Malcolm St. Julian Bonn and Heidi
Snel.
- See more at:
HTML http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/permaculture/permaculture-by-sepp-holzer.html#sthash.1qZsSU4r.dpuf
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://7428.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sunflower-and-Butterfly-Vector.jpg[/img][/center]
#Post#: 4547--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: February 19, 2016, 7:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center][img
width=440]
HTML http://www.yaknyeti.com/images/sikkim_maps.gif[/img]<br
/>[/center]
[center]Nestled between Nepal and Bhutan is the small Indian
state called Sikkim, where about 650,000 live.[/center]
02/19/2016 02:30 PM SustainableBusiness.com News
[center]
Sikkim, India: 100% Organic Agriculture [img
width=100]
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/earthhug.gif[/img][/center]
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://www.catchthis.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/sikkim.jpg[/img][/center]
The dramatic Himalayan landscape includes India's highest
mountain and alpine meadows with thousands of wildflower
species. Called one of the world's last utopias by legendary
Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, it is living up to that reputation
as India's first completely Organic state.
All of Sikkim's farmland is certified organic as of 2015,
achieving "a model of development which also protects nature,"
says Prime Minister Modi.
After 12 years, the Sikkim Organic Mission is in place, with no
use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers or GMOs, and committed
to preserving its rare ecosystems and biodiversity.
Chief Minister Pawan Chamling began the process in 2003, with
his declaration that Sikkim would be India's first organic
state. Since he's been re-elected five times he's been able to
see it through.
First, all sales of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers were
banned, and farmers were taught how to transition to organic
practices. Now, "Organic Tourism" has taken off with visitors
staying at farming resorts.
At this year's Sikkim Organic Festival, held January 18, Prime
Minister Modi said this organic effort would now spread across
the country.
Indian farmers have been devastated since GMOs were approved,
with thousands committing suicide.
Next door, Bhutan is also going 100% organic by 2020, as part of
its "Gross National Happiness" standard instead of Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). The tiny island of Niue in the South
Pacific has made the same commitment to organic agriculture.
Organic Worldwide
As of 2014 (most recent data), the world's organic industry
reached $80 billion in sales and 108 million acres farmed,
steadily increasing from $15.2 billion and 27 million acres in
1999.
The US remains the largest organic market by far with a 43%
share ($39 billion in sales), growing 11% in 2014. Next comes
Germany ($8.8 billion), France ($5.4 billion) and China ($4.1
billion), according to Organic Monitor.
There are roughly 2.3 million organic farmers in 172 countries,
the majority in India (650,000), Uganda (190,550) and Mexico
(169,700).
Australia has the most organic acreage at 42.5 million acres
hectares, but 97% of it is used for grazing. Argentina ranks
second with 7.7 million acres, followed by the US with 5.4
million acres.
Learn more about Sikkim's organic mission:
Website: www.sikkimorganicmission.gov.in/
HTML http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26555
#Post#: 4689--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: March 14, 2016, 8:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[move]EXCELLENT MUST SEE VIDEO![/move]
Hat tip to TamaraHeikalo for pointing it out me. [img
width=20]
HTML http://www.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-080515182559.png[/img]
The Inga Agroforesty System -[/I][i] a SUSTAINABLE REPLACEMENT
to Slash and Burn. The Inga Oranic Farming effect also
ELIMINATES the need for fossil fuel based Pesticides!
HTML https://vimeo.com/87992512
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://www.goforwardtogether.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Inga-Alley-cropping.jpg[/img][/center]
[center]Inga[/center]
[center]
[img
width=300]
HTML http://www.ingafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Reuben-2001-Copy.jpg[/img][/center]
[center]Don Reuben with his corn crop produced in Inga
alleys[/center]
[center] [img
width=200]
HTML http://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2012/8/14/1344970546338-awesome_mc_ht_smiley.gif[/img][/center]
[center]
HTML http://www.ingafoundation.org/nuestra-solucion/[/center]
#Post#: 4691--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sustainable Farming
By: AGelbert Date: March 15, 2016, 6:03 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center][img
width=640]
HTML http://assets.atlasobscura.com/article_images/25295/image.jpg[/img][/center]<br
/>
[center] Iceland is home to the biggest banana plantation in
Northern Europe. (All Photos: Kasper Friis)
HTML http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bananas-in-iceland[/center]
[center]Iceland home to N. Europe's largest banana plantation
HTML http://www.coh2.org/images/Smileys/huhsign.gif
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/128fs318181.gif
[/center]
Around 1950, Garđyrkjuskóli ríkisins in Iceland planted their
first banana plants as an experiment. Only 177 miles from the
Arctic Circle, the plantation at the Icelandic National
Gardening School, is the biggest banana plantation in Northern
Europe; fed by an abundance of volcanic hot springs, the heat
from them is what makes this quite impossible idea possible.
After the initial trials in the 50s, the experiment stopped, as
it had been proven that bananas could grow in greenhouses in
Iceland, although not in an economically advantageous way. The
school nevertheless decided to continue to keep their plants,
for the fun of it. ;D
The school has several large greenhouses. Alongside the bananas
they grow coffee, cocoa, avocado and other plants normally found
in the Southern hemisphere. Bananas are the biggest group here
with around 100 plants; the rest are grown in pairs.
Winter temperatures in the area regularly go below the freezing
point and summer temperatures top out around 60 degrees
Fahrenheit, so even in a greenhouse, it can become a little
chilly for plants that love heat and sun. But with the warmth
from the volcanic springs, temperatures are kept at a steady 70
degrees year round .
Of course, being so close to the Arctic circle does mean a
shorter growing season (normally bananas develop their clusters
year-round.) Somehow, even though the sun is only out four hours
a day in the winter months, these bananas have survived in their
volcanically heated home. These cold-weather bananas are
harvested from April to June. Beyond bananas, the area is home
to more conventional greenhouse crops, like tomatoes.
Source: atlasobscura.com
Publication date: 3/9/2016
HTML http://www.freshplaza.com/article/154690/Iceland-home-to-N.-Europes-largest-banana-plantation
Agelbert NOTE: In the tropics, I tried my hand at growing
bananas once. They are easy to grow. You plant what is called a
bud (hijo - son in Spanish). It grows in a few months and you
get a nice bunch of bananas, usually too many to eat before they
get over ripe. So, you harvest about half when they are green
and eat them peeled and boiled in salty water (like a boiled
potato - they are quite good).
You do this gradually.
When your bananas get to the ripe stage, you just eat them as
desert with or without ice cream ;D. At that point you harvest
the rest of them on the plant stalk.
You then peel and freeze the ones you can't eat right away. The
frozen ones will be mushy when thawed so they are good only for
pudding, fruit milk shakes or banana bread.
If some that you did not freeze or eat got too ripe, you can
make an oven type sweet desert or fried fritters from them
(which are also sweet and crunchy).
Returning to the banana plant, you then chop the stalk off the
plant and dig it up.
The root system is small and short so it is easy to dig up. That
is why banana plantations lose most of their plants in a
hurricane. Banana plant stalks cannot handle high winds.
Once you have the root base in hand, you slice off the buds -
there may me three or four.
Each bud will give you a new plant.
Those tiny seeds you see inside a banana will never give you a
banana plant. Snark alert ;): Lord Lucifer must have put them
there to make fools out of homo saps.
They reproduce from buds, period (test on Monday
HTML http://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_6869.gif).
That said, there are some plantain (a banana like fruit, two or
three times longer and twice as thick as the average banana,
cooked after peeling by boiling or frying in slices if green
(tostones - yummy! ;D) or baking/broiling as a sweet desert if
ripe) species that do reproduce from seed as well as budding.
The seeds are every bit as tiny as those banana seeds that
refuse to germinate. Plantain seeds never went bananas. [img
width=50]
HTML http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/xig/ojx/xigojx6KT.png[/img]
Unlike bananas, plantains can keep you as well fed as having a
steady supply of potatoes. Unlike potatoes, you can stagger the
plantings and continuously you get plantains all year (as long
as you are in the tropics).
That system works for bananas too. Now you know more than you
ever wanted to know about the cultivation of bananas and
plantains. [img
width=30]
HTML http://www.desismileys.com/smileys/desismileys_6961.gif[/img]
One more thing. There is plant called "plantain" that has
nothing whatsoever to do with bananas or the plantains I spoke
about just now. It's a medicinal plant of some kind and also an
ornamental. Please do not confuse the two. Lord Lucifer wouldn't
like it. ;)
*****************************************************
DIR Previous Page
DIR Next Page