Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Re: Growing your own Potatoe Plants in a Small Space..
Posted by: “Paul
What I “hear’d” is; “If you plant the little ones from the harvest,
eventually little ones is all you’ll get.” Also, seed potatos are not
really seeds, they’re part of the stems. What you’re doing by planting
the “eyes” is called vegetative reproduction. The biggest, quickest
sprouting eyes on the BIGGEST potatos of the harvest are the ones to plant.
So, the longer you can “save out” some of them, the better.
Paul N in WI.
Chickens in the garden:
Sorry, Missed this part.
All stages, they’ll eat the seeds you’ve planted, chickens will scratch
them out of the ground.
Sprouts are tasty.
Guineas will dust bathe in your soft soil and will actually uproot
plants, especially potatoes and onions, doing so. While they don’t
actually eat your plants they will pierce tomatoes and such pecking the
bugs.
Geese are weeders and will eat the weeds to begin with and then “taste”
the other stuff. The main problem with them is they are clumsy and
will
walk right over plants.
Ducks are greedy. That’s why the cartoon character Daffy duck does
Mine, Mine, all mine all the time. They go for bugs, they root in the
soil looking for grubs.
Now all that being said the birds are great for a couple of things.
Need your garden cleared? Turn a flock like mine geese, ducks,
chickens, guineas, muscovies, turkens and peacocks loose in it. They
do
a fine job of clearing it, turning the soil and fertilizing. I do that
every fall. They love it.
Jan who hopes she’s answered your questions in OK
Posted by: “Jan
Our garden is fenced all the way around with gates on three sides (for
cutting through) and the birds that could fly soon figured out they
could fly over the fence and feast.
So we ran wire similar like clothesline wire from trees and posts in
several places. This acts as a ridgepole. Ideally you should run them
from both the long sides and the short side and grid the area, we
didn’t
at first and now need to.
Then we got the cheapest, large holed (2 inch I think) metal poultry
netting and ran it over those wires. We over lapped the edges of the
poultry netting and used electrical cable ties to tie the two strips
together. These will eventually break, but are easy to replace. We
ran
it down the top of the fence about 1 ft to seal the garden area.
Food for thought. Add usable space to your garden as we did. I have
containers all around the inside of the fence for climbing/can be made
to climb veggies and fruits. With the geese we had to add a strip of
chickwire on the outside of the fence with a spacer (tree branch) every
so often to keep their long bills away from my climbing peas and beans
You can plant lots of things in containers and train them to climb the
fence.
We also have sapling trees that dh cut from our woods that he left
sturdy short branches on as uprights every so often to help prevent
roof
sag. I put hanging planters on these branches for additional growing
space.
It’s really hard to describe but by doing all I’ve said I have probably
quadrupled my garden space. Like ds just said it’s like building the
asylum inside out.
More food for thought. You won’t be keeping just your birds out,
you’ll
be keeping coons, posum’s, deer and depending on the fencing rabbits
out
as well.
Jan who hopes she hasn’t confused you with her description in OK
Granny note, if you need instant trellis for things to climb on, use those old tree branches, with the proper amount of branches left on............once, I got carried away and it looked like a dead forest, a friend stopped by and was compelled to inform me that branches of that type and stage of death would not grow............
Posted by: “Judith
http://www.kitv.com/family/15665425/detail.html
Human Foods, Products Can Kill Pets Medicines, Fruits, Veggies
Dangerous For Animals
Barbara A. Besteni, Staff writer
UPDATED: 4:08 pm HST March 28, 2008
An apple a day may keep the doctor away for humans, but the cyanide
in apple seeds can kill your dog.
Surprised? You’re not alone.
In 2007, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center received more than
130,000 calls. Most cases of animal poisoning were caused by common
household items.
Sixty-eight percent of the calls had to do with an animal having
ingested a medicine or drug normally prescribed for humans. It is the most
common cause of pet poisoning in the U.S. And it’s not just a case of
Fido getting into his pet parent’s medicine cabinet.
In many cases, experts say, pet owners give their feline and canine
friends an over-the-counter medication to ease an animal’s pain. But
acetaminophen and ibuprofen, the active ingredients in many common pain
relievers, are extremely toxic to dogs and cats. They can cause gastric
ulcers, liver damage, kidney failure and sometimes death.
In 2007, the discovery of rat poison in some brands of popular dog and
cat foods sparked a massive recall after dozens of animals reportedly
got sick or died from eating the tainted food. And while you wouldn’t
dream of intentionally feeding your pet rat or mouse poison, it’s easy
enough for them to accidentally eat it if it’s left somewhere where they
can get to it. Be a responsible pet parent and keep all poisons in
tightly sealed containers on shelves high enough where your curious pets
can’t get to them.
Mothballs are another common cause of poisoning in pets. Those that
contain 100 percent naphthalene can be deadly.
If you use fabric softener sheets, keep them away from your pet pals.
These sheets contain detergents known as cationics that are potentially
harmful, especially to cats.
Pennies minted after 1982 are made of copper plating around zinc core.
APCC experts say that the zinc in just one penny can cause kidney
failure and damage red blood cells in pets.
In The Kitchen
While it’s OK to occasionally treat your pets to people food, beware
that many foods that humans enjoy can be dangerous to animals. Here are a
few of the most toxic.
If your Cinco de Mayo celebration calls for guacamole, keep your pet
pals away from the table. Avocados contain a toxic component called
persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals.
And we’ve all seen the cute commercial where a dog goes to the
refrigerator and gets his human a beer. But there’s a reason why you never see
the dog sharing that beer. Alcoholic beverages can cause the same
damage to an animal’s liver and brain as they cause in humans. But the
effects can be deadly on smaller animals.
Nuts are also common party fare that can be hazardous to pets. Walnuts
and macadamia nuts are especially toxic.
Chocolate is supposedly good for human hearts. But chocolate contains
theobromine, which if eaten in enough quantity, can kill your pet pal.
Dark and unsweetened baking chocolates are especially dangerous.
Another problem is candy or anything containing Xylitol, a common
sweetener found in some diet products, which can cause a sudden drop in an
animal’s blood sugar, loss of coordination and seizures. If not treated,
the animal could die.
Keep cherry pits, peach pits, pear pips, plums pits and apricot pits
far away from your pets. Like apple seeds, they all contain cyanide.
There’s also the danger that an animal may choke on large pits.
Coffee, tea or any product that contains caffeine stimulates an
animal’s central nervous and cardiac systems. This can lead to restlessness,
heart palpitations and death, depending on how much the animal consumes.
Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs. As little as a
single serving of raisins can kill them. And their effect is cumulative,
meaning that even if a dog eats just one or two grapes or raisins
regularly, the toxicity that builds in his system will eventually kill him.
Onions are another common food that can be highly toxic pets. They can
destroy an animal’s red blood cells and lead to anemia, weakness and
breathing difficulties. Their effects are also cumulative over time.
In The Yard
According to APCC, June, July and August are the deadliest months of
the year for pets. About 47 percent of pet poisonings during those months
involved exposure to pesticides and herbicides.
Something as harmless as a walk through a lawn newly treated with one
of these products can poison a pet that licks its paws afterwards.
You should also watch for wild mushrooms that sprout up in your yard.
They can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver and kidney damage,
vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma and death.
If you pride yourself on growing your own tomatoes, keep your pets away
from them. Tomatoes contain atropine, a product sometimes used to
treat eye problems in animals. But too much atropine can cause dilated
pupils, tremors and heart arrhythmias. The leaves and stems of tomato
plants have particularly high levels of atropine.
Prepare For Emergencies
Despite all the precautions you take to keep your pet pals safe,
accidents do happen. That’s why the ASPCA, Humane Society and animal
advocates advise pet owners to keep the telephone number of their local
veterinarian and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — (888) 426-4435 —
in a prominent location.
Common signs of poisoning include muscle tremors or seizures; vomiting
and diarrhea; drooling; redness of skin, ears and eyes; and swelling
and bleeding.
If you suspect your pet has consumed, inhaled or come in contact with a
toxic substance, stay calm and call for help immediately.
You will be asked for the following:
Your pet’s species, breed, age, sex and weight
Exact name of product ingested, inhaled, or absorbed. If possible, have
the product’s container available
How much the animal consumed or came in contact with
How long ago did this occur?
If you see your pet consuming anything you think might be toxic, seek
emergency help immediately even if she is not exhibiting any symptoms.
“God’s Not Mad At You...No Matter What!”
We have them - and much more! Our site is an excellent resource for Whole Wheat and Grains, Grain Mills and milling supplies, and whole wheat bread recipes. We want to provide quality resources for purchasing Organically grown and chemical-free whole grains.
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Grain Milling Tip... Measure correctly to avoid excess flour after grinding.
One of the BIGGEST reasons for grinding grains is the immediate release of all those nutrients. If you end up with a cup or more of flour just sitting there, oxidizing, dying and loosing nutrients...it not only wastes precious fresh flour - it defeats the purpose.
A good rule of thumb to follow is: Grains usually produce half again as much as you put in the mill. For example: 2 cups of grain will produce approximately 3 cups of flour. Write the amount of grain next to your recipe once you have perfected it. Waste not want not!
Rainy Weather will have some effect on your bread rising.
The moisture gets trapped more easily in the wheat or grain that has just been cracked by milling. It is more susceptible to absorbing moisture than dead flour that has sat on a shelf for months. So you may need to slightly adjust the water amount in your recipe or add more gluten to the mix to get the bread to rise. I personally avoid bread on rainy days and focus on tortillas and other flat or quick breads.
Different (wheat) grains work better for different recipes.
Freshly ground whole wheat is wonderful! But not all recipes work the same with one type of wheat.
A brief list of wheat types and food types is:
HARD RED is best for breads and items that require high rising. HARD WHITE will also rise well, but has a less heavy ‘taste’ and ‘look’ than the red. Both can be mixed equally to make a deliciously light bread. SOFT WHITE is best for pastries and flat breads such as pancakes, tortillas and biscuits. Biscuits hold together better with soft white wheat - just don‘t twist that biscuit cutter.
Taking the Time to Mill Grains
I have heard it before from people who think that it is so ‘old school’ and time consuming to mill their own flour from grain at home. The truth is it is not at all time consuming and the benefits outweigh the other option of buying ‘dead’ flour and having it sit on a shelf.
The order in which I mill grains or work on a recipe may have something to do with how easy it seems to me.
Fist, I measure the whole grains that I need and place it in my mill.
Then I turn on the mill as I gather the remaining ingredients to the kitchen counter.
By the time I have the ingredients on the counter and maybe gotten out the measuring cups/spoons for the recipe, the mill has stopped and it’s time to assemble.
Whole grains taste fresher, store longer, far exceed in health benefits, and are just as simple to use as dead flour in a bag. So now that there is no excuse about taking the time to mill grains, go ahead and enjoy the benefits!
Here’s a DELICIOUS RECIPE...
Whole Grain Cobbler
Try this mouth-watering whole grain recipe. It is absolutely delicious. This is a great desert that the whole family will love.
Whole grain cobbler is one of the easiest ways to add whole grains into your family’s diet.
Use the recipe below to top any fruit or pie filling your family enjoys. Top with ice cream or whipped topping and you have a fresh and light dessert with the benefits of whole grain goodness and they won’t even know it!
Mill 3/4 C of Hard Red or White Grain - makes approx 1 cup
In a medium bowl mix:
1 softened stick butter
1C freshly milled flour
1/2 C Brown sugar
1 C Eco Sweet evaporated cane juice (sugar, raw sugar or succanant works well also)
With a pastry cutter or two knives - cut sugars and flour into butter until it resembles corn meal.
Add 1 to 2 Cups of Whole Rolled Oats
Mix well and pour over your chosen fruit to cover.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes
Remove to cool for 10 minutes and then scoop into bowls, top and enjoy!
Happy Milling!
More Grain and Wheat News, Resources, and Events
Businesses Reopen in Haiti After Food Protests
By Brian Wagner
Port-au-Prince
15 April 2008
Wagner - Download (MP3) audio clip
Wagner - Listen (MP3) audio clip
Businesses in the Haitian capital reopened Monday after days of riots sparked by rising food and fuel prices. Haiti’s president has announced a series of emergency aid measures in the wake of the crisis, which led to the ouster of his prime minister. VOA’s Brian Wagner has this report from Port-au-Prince.
A man walks past burning barricade during an anti-government demonstration in Port-au-Prince, 07 April 2008
A man walks past burning barricade during an anti-government demonstration in Port-au-Prince, 07 April 2008
Stores and restaurants around Port-au-Prince opened for the first time Monday, after deadly riots shut down the capital city last week. At least six people have been killed since residents took to the streets in the capital and the city of Les Cayes to protest rising costs for rice, beans and other staples.
United Nations officials say a Nigerian peacekeeper was killed Saturday, and three U.N. troops from Sri Lanka were shot in clashes outside the presidential palace a few days earlier.
A few streets from the palace, protesters broke windows of a restaurant run by Nirvah Noailles. She says she closed her business last week after seeing protesters rushing through the streets with rocks and torches in their hands.
“We only opened today just to see, but we really do not know what we have to do. It is not the first time [the restaurant was attacked], but we do not know what to do, we do not know where to go, we do not know anything,” he said.
Noailles says she too has suffered from rising food prices, which have forced some customers to stop dining out. She says she raised her prices to keep up with costs last year, but she does not want to do that again for fear of losing more customers.
Shop keepers and residents across the capital say higher fuel prices and the fluctuating value of the U.S. dollar are to blame for the rise of prices of imported food products and other goods on the market. But many of the nation’s residents, who live on less than two dollars a day, have suffered the most from the rising cost of rice and other staples.
To calm the concerns, President Rene Preval announced plans Saturday to work with local suppliers and international aid groups to cut rice prices by 15 percent. The World Bank also unveiled a $10 million grant to help Haiti offset rising food costs.
One casualty from the crisis over food prices has been Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis, who was ousted in a weekend parliament vote. Critics said he was out of touch with peoples’ concerns and did little to stop the rising cost of living.
This week senators are expected to discuss a replacement for Alexis, but it is unclear when a nomination may be announced.
Senate secretary general Jean-Elie Gilles says lawmakers are under pressure to find a way to ease the crisis as soon as possible. “Because there are people in the political parties, they know that we have the eyes of the population fixed on them. And they cannot decide [on a new prime minister] how they used to, ... through buying time,” he said.
Gilles says negotiations to pick a new prime minister may drag on. The first task of the new leaders will be to find a solution to Haiti’s food crisis.
http://voanews.com/english/2008-04-15-voa3.cfm
Anyway, a couple of years ago, I had piles of extra tomatoes; so I decided to make a batch of ketchup. Having never done this, I thought "I'm going to end up with a HUGE batch of ketchup...this'll be great!"
By the time I was done cooking all of the moisture out of it to get to the right consistency...which included 30 minutes of nearly constant stirring to avoid scorching it to the pan; I ended up with 2 half pint jars..LOL!
Oh, it was good! But when I see the ketchup on sale for $.79 at the store....let's just say I use my excess tomatoes for juice or seasoned diced tomatoes.
I am still laughing, with you...been there and done that.
Ketchup is not high on my list of items to make again.
If I did, it would be in the crockpot, with the lid off or at least ajar, so the moisture would get out........LOL, that is a thought, not a tried item.
When the kids were growing up, I did not serve ketsup, as they wanted it on everything........LOL, yes, there are some things that it is required for.
About a month ago, I discovered that I was putting ranch dressing on “everything”.........it works wonders in changing or hiding the taste of things....it gave my son a laugh, as he never forgave me for depriving him of ketchup.
He did tell me that he likes good food......the kind that does not need ketchup.
Glad you found the thread, do join in and post here.
I know that at least one other is looking to canning this year and interested in canning recipes and am sure there are several others, who are doing so, now that I think of it, there are several that talked of canning.
It must be time for a ping, we have over 1900 posts, so you must have missed some of them........LOL
I pray your gardens are growing and I feel sure that you are in your minds, out there harvesting the bushels of produce.
Come and read, when you have time or better yet, post something, at least let us know how you are doing with your projects.
Stay happy.
I can’t thank you enough for this most important and informative thread, Granny!
TOXIC ELEMENTS, DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS - USA: ALERT
************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
******
[1]
Date: 15 Apr 2008
Source: KALB.com [edited]
http://www.kalb.com/index.php/news/article/cdc-alert-on-consuming/6241/
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA,
is working collaboratively with state health departments, the
American Association of Poison Control Centers, and the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) on reports of adverse health effects
following consumption of the dietary supplement “Total Body Formula,”
and “Total Body Mega Formula” manufactured in the USA exclusively for
Total Body Essential Nutrition, Inc. This dietary supplement has been
found by the FDA to contain hazardous levels of selenium (up to 200
times the label value) and chromium (up to 17 times the label value).
An FDA press release on 9 Apr 2008 detailed information regarding the
level of selenium in the product
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01818.html The FDA is
advising consumers to stop using “Total Body Formula” in flavors
Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar and “Total Body Mega Formula” in the
Orange/Tangerine flavor and discard them by placing them in a trash
receptacle outside of the home. “Total Body Formula” products are
sold in 8-ounce and 32-ounce plastic bottles. “Total Body Mega
Formula” is sold in 32-ounce plastic bottles.
Products with the following lot numbers should be discarded: Total
Body Tropical Orange with lot numbers 4016801, 4024801 and 4031801;
Total Body Peach Nectar with lot numbers 4016802 and 4031802; and
Total Body Mega Orange/Tangerine with lot number 4031803.
As of 11 Apr 2008, 91 adverse reactions have been reported from
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia
health departments. The American Association of Poison Control
Centers and the FDA report additional exposures in other states.
Total Body Essential Nutrition, Inc reportedly distributed this
product to 16 states (Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia),
and also sells its products over the Internet.
Clinical description of selenium toxicity
Clinical description of chromium toxicity
Case definition
The CDC requests that consumers and clinicians who encounter patients
with symptoms consistent with selenium and/or chromium poisoning
report these cases to their local poison control center (PCC) at
1-800-222-1222. Medical personnel are available at PCCs to provide
specific medical management advice and will make appropriate referral
to state and local health authorities.
Health care professionals and consumers are also encouraged to report
adverse events to the FDA’s MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or
online at
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett
******
[2]
Date: 9 Apr 2008
Source: FDA website press release [edited]
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01818.html
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it
has found hazardous levels of selenium in samples of certain flavors
of the dietary supplement products “Total Body Formula” and “Total
Body Mega Formula.” The FDA has received 43 reports of persons from 9
states who experienced serious adverse reactions using these products.
On 27 Mar 2008, the FDA warned consumers not to purchase or use
“Total Body Formula” in flavors Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar and
“Total Body Mega Formula” in the Orange/Tangerine flavor of these
products after receiving reports of adverse reactions in users in
Florida and Tennessee
(http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01812.html). The adverse
reactions generally occurred after 5 to 10 days of daily ingestion of
the product, and included significant hair loss, muscle cramps,
diarrhea, joint pain, deformed fingernails, and fatigue.
Selenium, a naturally occurring mineral, is needed only in very small
amounts for good health. Selenium can boost the immune system.
Generally, normal consumption of food and water provides adequate
selenium to support good health. Excessive intake of selenium is
known to cause symptoms to include significant hair loss, muscle
cramps, diarrhea, joint pain, fatigue, loss of finger nails and
blistering skin.
Presently, the FDA has 43 reports of adverse reactions including
cases from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey,
North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Analyses of samples of the products by FDA laboratories have now
found most of the samples contain extremely high levels of selenium
— up to 40 800 micrograms per recommended serving, or more than 200
times the amount of selenium per serving (i.e., 200 micrograms)
indicated on the labels of the products. The FDA continues to
investigate the matter to determine how excessive amounts of selenium
were added to the products.
The FDA is advising consumers to stop using “Total Body Formula” in
flavors Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar and “Total Body Mega
Formula” in the Orange/Tangerine flavor and discard them by placing
them in a trash receptacle outside of the home. “Total Body Formula”
products are sold in 8-ounce and 32-ounce plastic bottles. “Total
Body Mega Formula” is sold in 32-ounce plastic bottles. Both product
lines are distributed by Total Body Essential Nutrition of Atlanta,
which is listed on the products’ labels.
Consumers who have been taking the products and have experienced
adverse reactions should consult their health care professional.
Consumers and health care professionals are encouraged to report
adverse events to the FDA’s MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or
online at
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/how.htm
The sole distributor of the “Total Body Formula” and “Total Body Mega
Formula” products has voluntarily recalled the affected products.
According to the company, the products were distributed nationwide.
More information about selenium and its toxic effects is available at
this link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts92.html
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
[The FDA metals lab identifies selenium and chromium as toxic elements.
Selenium is a trace mineral essential to good health but is required
only in small amounts. High blood levels of selenium (greater than
100 ug/dL) can result in a condition called selenosis [1]. Symptoms
of selenosis include gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white
blotchy nails, garlic breath odor, fatigue, irritability, and mild
nerve damage [2].
Selenium toxicity is rare in the U.S. The few reported cases have
been associated with industrial accidents and a manufacturing error
that led to an excessively high dose of selenium in a supplement
[3,4]. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
has set a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for selenium at 400
micrograms per day for adults to prevent the risk of developing
selenosis [5].
Chromium is a mineral that humans require in trace amounts, although
its mechanisms of action in the body and the amounts needed for
optimal health are not well defined. It is found primarily in 2
forms: 1) trivalent (chromium 3+), which is biologically active and
found in food, and 2) hexavalent (chromium 6+), a toxic form that
results from industrial pollution.
1. Koller LD and Exon JH. The 2 faces of selenium-deficiency and
toxicity are similar in animals and man. Can J Vet Res 1986;50:297-306
2. Goldhaber SB. Trace element risk assessment: essentiality vs.
toxicity. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2003;38:232-42.
3. Hathcock J. Vitamins and minerals: Efficacy and safety. Am J Clin
Nutr 1997;66:427-37.
4 Raisbeck MF, Dahl ER, Sanchez DA, Belden EL, O’Toole D. Naturally
occurring selenosis in Wyoming. J Vet Diagn Invest 1993;5:84-7.
5. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary
Reference Intakes: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids.
National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2000.
Portions of this have been extracted from the fact sheets on Selenium
and Chromium supplied by the office of Dietary Supplements, a portion
of the National Insitutes of Health.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/chromium.asp#h8
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp#h7
- Mod.TG]
[see also:
2004
—
Chromium poisoning, intentional, bovine - USA (WA)20040624.1682
But you do thank me, by coming and reading the thread.
You are welcome to my efforts, they are more fun when shared.
How are you?
Keep praying for this world of ours, it is going to take a team effort.
Hugs.
granny
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/pubs/ph/details.cfm?id=35568
Solidarity and Soup Kitchens: A Review of Principles and Practice for Food Distribution in Conflict
Solidarity and Soup Kitchens: A Review of Principles and Practice for Food Distribution in Conflict Author(s): Susanne Jaspars
Publisher(s): Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, UK
ISBN: 0-85003-492-2
Date of publication: Aug 2000
Volume number: 7
Format: PDF
Pages: 43
URL: www.odi.org.uk/hpg
Series: ODI HPG Reports
Description: This report offers a review of principles and practice for food distribution in conflicts. The author’s objective is to assist humanitarian agencies develop a more principled approach to food distribution. The report starts with five case studies, each describing the effects of conflict as they impact food distribution processes and the actions agencies have taken in response. This is followed by two sections summarizing the types of problems faced in food distribution processes and why particular problems occur in conflict situations. The remainder of the report concerns the development of a principled approach to food distribution by making policy recommendations accordingly.
General note: © 2000 Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
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* English - Download the full-text document (308 KB)
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www.LivingOnADime.com
For plants, we found free starts rather than buying them most of the time. We heard that a man in town was doing his best to thin out his rhubarb plants because he had a lot more than he wanted. We went to his house and offered to help him thin them. We split each of the plants in half and planted the extra halves in our garden.
I discovered that we had an asparagus plant in the yard that a previous homeowner planted. Because asparagus is a temperamental plant that will not grow well for several years after it is transplanted, we arranged the adjoining garden so that we did not need to move the asparagus and it produced fresh asparagus all summer.
At the back of our yard, we had an old tree stump that we wanted to remove. One day, I went to test the strength of the stump and hit it with a 5 pound maul. Right away, the top popped off and I discovered the greatest little section of compost where the tree roots had completely rotted.
Later, I was considering what to do about a sickly raspberry plant that had had not grown at all in the two years that we lived there. It had only two pitiful shoots and never put out any edible berries, even though raspberries are normally wildly prolific plants. On a whim, I decided to dig it up and plant it where the stump had been. The soil where the stump had been was so good that the raspberry quickly became a three by eight foot raspberry patch. This was great not only because of the delicious raspberries, but it was also wonderfully entertaining for our two year old son who hung a raspberry bucket on his arm and somehow picked raspberries every day in his diaper and bare feet without once getting poked by the thorns.
We got some starts from a strawberry plant from Jill’s friend and soon had a 4x8 foot strawberry patch. (Strawberries, raspberries and mint are plants that like to spread and take over everything, so make sure to consider how to contain them before planting them!)
We had a large greenhouse and needed 5 gallon buckets for some of the larger plants. We found that we could buy them for $5.00 each, but we didn’t have enough money at the time to buy what we needed. We checked with the nearest recycling center and they gave us as many buckets as we needed for free.
Not far from our house, there was an area that our town had designated as a place to dispose of wood. Every so often, the town burned the pile to save on the cost of transporting it. Since we heated our house exclusively with wood, we visited the pile occasionally and brought home large pieces of logs to cut for our wood stove.
We also discovered that someone regularly disposed of pallets there. We needed to create an enclosure for our compost pile, so we screwed together several pallets standing on their ends and put the compost inside it. It was useful not only to contain the compost pile, but also because the holes between the slats allowed the pile to get plenty of air, accelerating the composting process.
We had a small dog that we wanted to let outside, but we had not yet saved enough money for a fence. Because the pallets were all a standard size, we build a fence out of some of the best looking pallets.
Tawra has an antique Nativity scene made of 4 foot tall wooden figures that we put out at Christmas. One year, there was a storm that damaged a lot of the trees in the area. We build a wood frame and used evergreen branches from the burn pile to create the walls of a stall for the nativity scene. It was very nice and especially pretty after a snowfall left a beautiful blanket of snow on it. The town liked it so much that we won a town contest for the best Christmas display.
These are just a few examples illustrating how easy it is to recycle to make your budget go further. With a little creativity, it is easy to find any number of ways to reuse things in the garden. Not only is this a good way to save money, but it also helps you get that old fashioned garden look that many people pay thousands of dollars to get.
Granny note:
Many years ago, I bought several half dead orchid plants at Sears and set out to learn all about them.
In the 1950’s there was little written about them, they were a big mystery, their secrets were kept hidden.
In searching, I found the San Diego Orchid Society and started going and asking questions, didn’t get many of the answers that I wanted, but they did allow me to work like longshoreman on the Annual Orchid Show..........LOL
Then I was young and a hard worker. Some noticed it and later when some one said they sure needed help with repotting, they suggested that I talk to them about the task.
It was not a paying job, but the rewards were the back bulbs and a few plants, which were to me the gems of the world.
My half dozen plants from Sears, grew and grew, to 3 greenhouses and a Saran shade house and about a 1,000 plants, many I bought along the way and many I earned repotting for others.
I wrote articles about orchid history and growing them, did radio and tv shows and even turned down a job at one of the top orchid nurseries, that would have meant a big and impossible move for me.
I did work as the grower for a local orchid nursery and flower shop, which gave me the push to go to the city college and get a certificate in floral merchandising........and I was proud of me, who still had only a 9th grade education and the whole world was waiting .......
And then I moved to Arizona, and that world ended for me.
So trading your work, can lead to wonderful unknown worlds.
granny
Mornin’ Granny!
Don’t have time right now—play catch up later! Greenhouse is working me 10+ hours a day, and I’m still way behind! LOL
Got over 500 chicks in and gone, have more coming. We’ve already sold out of some varieties of tomatoes twice and they’re just going to have to wait until the next set gets big enough! Course, it was 45 last night, so some of them may be back for thirds!
HAve a great day!
EU defends biofuel goals amid food crises
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080414/sc_afp/euunfarmpovertyenergypoliticsbiofuel_080414143918
Mon Apr 14, 10:39 AM ET
BRUSSELS (AFP) - The EU Commission on Monday rejected claims that
producing
biofuels is a “crime against humanity” that threatens food supplies,
and
vowed to stick to its goals as part of a climate change package.
“There is no question for now of suspending the target fixed for
biofuels,”
said Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for EU Environment Commissioner
Stavros
Dimas.
“You can’t change a political objective without risking a debate on all
the
other objectives,” which could see the EU landmark climate change and
energy
package disintegrate, an EU official said.
Their comments came amid growing unease over the planting of biofuel
crops
as food prices rocket and riots against poverty and hunger multiply
worldwide.
UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food Jean Ziegler told German
radio
Monday that the production of biofuels is “a crime against humanity”
because
of its impact on global food prices.
EU leaders, seeking to show the way on global warming, have pledged to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2020.
As part of a package of measures the 27 member states have set a target
of
biofuels making up 10 percent of automobile fuel by the same year.
“We don’t have an enormous danger of too much of a shift from food
production to biofuels production,” said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU
Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.
continued.
Cherry Cobbler
Posted by: “Vergie”
Date: Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:40 pm ((PDT))
Cherry Cobbler
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can cherry, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a 9” square Pan.
Drain Cherries, Save juice.
In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine sugar, salt & cornstarch,
mix together.
Slowly add the cherry juice.
Cook, stirring constsntly, until clear & thickened.
Remove from heat & add butter & almond extract.
Mix Bisquik & milk to make dough.
Place Cherries in sq. pan & spoon dough on top.
Pour sauce over all.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Laughing and thinking that a hard freeze for you is job insurance.
I am glad that you are so busy, it means more food, eggs, chicken dinners and pretty gardens.
Sounds worthwhile to me.
May this be a blessed day for you, one for the happy memory bank.
granny
Most gardens in Arkansas will be delayed this spring due to the extra heavy rainfall in late March and early April. Most places averaged 10-17 inches of rain in March. The first half of April has been more of the same. The ground is totally saturated. the northeast part of the state has been faced with flooding since mid-March. On a good note though, we've received a few days of brisk winds and sunshine starting late last week, so if the rain holds off a few more days we may be able to start planting.
Potatoes are up 8-10 inches and our tomato plants in the hot bed are ready to transplant. I harvested the last of my overwintered collards, rape and kale and pulled up the remainder to get the garden ready to turn. I hope to get my beans, squash, and corn in the ground by this weekend.
On a bright note I noticed the new heads of wild poke salet starting to get big enough to warrant a foraging expedition this weekend. There's nothing better to eat in early spring in the south than a fresh mess of poke salet greens. It'll sure purge the winter doldrums right out of you.
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/recycling-crafts/dog-bag-tote.shtml
Doggie Bag Tote
by Beverly Watkins
Here’s a different kind of doggie bag - it’s a very sturdy tote, recycled from a large-sized dog food bag, that is perfect for shopping excursions when you expect to bring home a lot more than leftovers.
dogtote2 (7K)
Doggie Bag Tote
Supplies:
* 50lb dog food bag with strong sides (emptied and thoroughly cleaned on the inside)
* sewing machine
* strong sewing thread
* scissors
1. Cut straight across the top of the bag, at the height that you want for your tote bag. Fold over a 1/4 inch hem and sew with a zigzag stitch all around.
2. Cut two strips, each three inches wide, from the scrapped part of the bag. Fold over the first strip, lengthwise, then fold again. Sew together with zigzag stitch, all along the length of the strip, to make a handle.
Repeat with the other three inch strip to make a second handle to match the first one.
3. Decide where you want to position the ends of each handle and mark the bag on the inside. Sew each end of the handles to the top of the bag, zigzagging back and forth to create a strong, unbreakable bond.
photo at link.
Interesting page of making something from nothing.
How I envy you, for being able to go out and forage, it will do you good to get out and be good for you food.
I had a note from Michigan and he still had 2 inches of snow on the ground.
It is good that your greens lasted the entire winter, you planned well.
All in due time, it will not be long now, until it is fall, as the summer goes so fast.
Happy foraging and gardening for this week.
http://community.webshots.com/album/552408539rhFKuM
Take a look at the photos of a composter.
It is 2 drums from old dryers, one a little smaller, so it slipped in the other, welded together and a door made for it.
Yes, you will need to weld it.
Or, make a wooden door on the end and only one drum.
Like many of my ideas [use of one drum] they don’t really work.
The owner of the photos, said it was easy to turn and made for her by a friend....
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