agriculture tips

Most of the people I know are either talking about Beyonc� being pregnant or Hurricane Irene. My inner circle and I are talking about the latter diva: Hurricane Irene. As a businesswoman who helps people connect and reconnect through games and activities I was surprised that this storm taught me to appreciate my work much more. For that reason, I want to share the 3 things Hurricane Irene taught me about appreciating reunions. During the weekend the news (television, print, internet and radio) and social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) gave their projections of what this category 3 storm would leave behind. We all paid close attention to these updates so we would know what to expect and how the people we cared about would fare. As an adoptive Eastern North Carolinian from Bronx, NY, many of my family and friends still live in New York City-another region that was affected by the hurricane-so, naturally I was concerned. My phone was full of activity. There were various text m...

Before you begin to trace your family tree, you first need to gather up everything you have collected in your genealogy research. It does not matter the significance of information, what matters is that you have proof of your past relatives. No matter how important or unimportant something may appear to you, gather it as evidence. In performing this task, check with your living relatives and request any pertinent family documentation they could add to your research. If your family members are afraid of losing family documents, allow them to make copies for you, which will ensure that they can keep their documentation. You want to gather as much evidence as possible to ensure an accurate family tree picture can be created. Relatives are your most important asset During your "collection" phase, allot much-needed time to interview your relatives. You can begin with your parents and work your way around the family. Make the interview informal, which will open up room for funny s...

I am looking at a picture of my grandmother, Olive in 1920. I know this because my parents thoughtfully kept this photo, neatly labelled, so that we kids could one day look back and appreciate that this once-young and lively woman had a life before she became the grey-haired lady who served us sponge and custard every Sunday during our childhood. Now imagine this - 50 years from now, you will be a face in a faded photograph (they may even be laughing at what you're wearing too!).......your great-great grandchild may be researching the distant past of their family tree......they may know your name, and that you are the one 3rd from the right......but will they know that you used to play piano, or that you were left-handed, or that your baker came by horse and cart? My father recently unearthed a plastic bag which had lain unopened for 65 years. In it was the precious correspondence between his oldest brother Joe and their mother (the very same Olive, above) during the war years, wh...

Organic farming has taken a giant hold on the farming industry in the last 20+ years. It has grown from what many thought was a fad, to--forgive the pun--much greener pastures. So what is the hype behind organic farming? For one, there is a lack of both pesticides and herbicides. In the past, consumers didn't have much of a choice in the way their fruits and veggies were produced, and let's face it, negative results occurred. Pesticides and herbicides are not only threatening to the environment, they are directly affecting our children. Any product out in the market that is chemically enhanced is always subject to criticism, and the basic statistics show that, although this may not be as immediately profitable, it is the way to go in matters of living a healthy lifestyle. The differences between this method and traditional farming are many. Aside from the pesticide/herbicide issue, there are a great many other reasons to consider supporting your local organic farmer (or garden...

The other day, I was having an interesting conversation with regards to over population of the human species around the world. For instance, how on Earth is the planet going to be able to feed, provide fresh water, and support 50 Billion people? Some say that we already have too many people on said planet, their evidence is undeniable in some regions of our world, but not everywhere. Okay so, let's talk. My acquaintance mentioned that it wouldn't be a bad idea to set limits and available farmland as a way to help support and sustain our ever growing populations. Indeed, I once lived in a city that grew quickly, it had top soil 50 feet deep, perfect climate for farming, but since the climate was so great, people wanted to live there and paved over it all. Then humans grow and farm, fruit trees of all things, in places like Florida, little if any decent top soil and hardly any fresh water supplies due to poor reservoir storage. Now then, with proper strategic land use planning f...