Fertilizer

Latest news on fertilizer

Article about backyard chicken owners

LoHud.com has an article about the pleasure of keeping chickens in your back yard. I agree with the people interviewed in the piece -- I bought my chickens (above, click for big) for eggs and fertilizer, but it turns out their primary benefit is amusing me and my family. I love spending time with them. Chicken owners liken it to having their very own widescreen TV in the backyard, with an always-looping Chicken Channel. Chickens are curious and very involved in their surroundings, following humans and dogs and cats around the yard and seeking attention, even a backrub. Fiona Mitchell says the four hens she got in July for her Bedford Hills yard fit right in with her two dogs and two cats. "Everybody seems to find their own space," she says. "We're one big happy family now." Demetra and Sal Restuccia couldn't be happier with the five Rhode Island Reds they got last year. "Oh, I love my chickens," Demetra says. "They have such personalities. They're funny - they talk all the time. They'll tell you everything that's been going on for the day. They're hysterical." Backyard chickens find new popularity in suburbia...

The New President's Plans for Food Policy?

(PHOTO: "Do you think he's alive???" shot by Kevin Law.) Over at Ethicurean, there's an extensive post exploring what the newly elected American president might do differently about food, farms, and related systems of energy and technology in the United States: According to Speech Wars, between April and October, John McCain uttered the word ?agriculture? only twice, and ?nutrition? just once. Barack Obama did slightly better, referring to ?agriculture? twelve times and ?nutrition? four times. He gave farms a passing mention in his speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. But let?s face it: for the most part, food was a quiet issue, sacrificed to our discussions about race and religion, gender and sexism, oil and bailouts. Meanwhile, food prices continued to rise. Our nation continued to lose farms daily. We continued to spend billions of dollars treating lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Rural towns continued to wither. Fertilizer runoff continued to damage our drinking water. There?s no way around it: the Obama administration will need to address food issues head-on. Last month, Michael Pollan published a sweeping letter to the next president, Farmer in Chief, in the New York Times. After Pollan?s article was published, the American Farmland Trust noted that ?there is no topic of greater importance than the issues [Pollan] raises?it is time to elevate these issues to their rightful place on our national agenda.? Turns out Obama might agree; Obama read Pollan?s article and even worked it into discussions of energy policy. So what might we expect from an Obama administration when it comes to food policy? Maybe quite a bit. In his plan for rural America, he lays out a number of policy positions that are a departure from the status quo. A detailed list of what we know about Obama's likely changes in food policy follows, read the whole post here: What does an Obama win mean for the U.S. food supply? (Ethicurean)...

Researcher Links Agricultural Chemicals to Infections in a Declining Amphibian Species

A fertilizer and herbicide are partly to blame

Boston Firm Collects Leftover Food For Conversion Into Organic Landfill (AHN)

(AHN) - A five-year old Boston firm is collecting food leftovers and converts it into fertilizer subsequently used as organic landfill material. - Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:48:51 GMT

Massachusetts Company To Open In 2009 Facility Capable Of Converting 250 Tons Of Leftover Food Into Organic Landfill Material (AHN)

(AHN) - A five-year old Boston firm is collecting food leftovers and converts it into fertilizer subsequently used as organic landfill material. - Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:49:47 GMT

Saratoga Home in Cupertino School Dis. Lynbrook/Miller/ (saratoga) $3800 4bd

Available immediately Recently remodeled cozy home in City of Saratoga with award winning Cupertino School. Lynbrook High - Miller Middle - Bluehill Elementary (also walk to the alternative school Christa McAuliffe) for immediate move-in. 4 spacious bedrooms, 2 baths 2,000 SF of living space (approx.) 13,000 SF Lot (approx.) No Pool. Comcast Cable and High Speed Internet ready. ATT U-Verse ready area. Remodeled kitchen with granite slab counter top and island. Remodeled Burch wood Cabinetry. Stainless-steel matched GE Profile Cook Oven/Range/Microwave Oven, stainless-steel double sink, faucet. Recess light. Deco color scheme connect the open hardwood floor kitchen, dining, family room, living room into a very comfortable living space. Energy-efficient double pane windows/sliding doors throughout. Remodeled bathrooms with granite counter top, under-mount sink, Chrome-Nickle brushed Price-Pfister faucets. Master bathroom with Jacuzzi jet tub. Four sky lights invites a bright and airy feel to make you want to call this home. Crown Moulding, Baseboard throughout the house. Updated paneled interior doors with flute casing. Huge three car garage with built-in wood cabinet storage space for organized living. In fact all houses on this quiet street are with 3-car garage and no one park the car on the car port or curb side. This makes the street very very safe as no stranger can come parked without being noticed. All 3 garages equipped with automatic door opener. Wonderful neighbors with school age children attending nearby schools. Newer Furnace heating and Water heater. Berber carpet in all bedrooms and hall way with granite tile floors in bathrooms. Vegetable garden in the front and back. The house has not used chemical pesticide/fertilizer for all garden, lawn for the past years to allow as much organic garden as possible. Rent: $3,800/month includes weekly gardener. No Pet allowed. Security deposit: $1000 + Last Month rent

Turning waste into fertilizer

Click on the thumbnail to see the full image. . . . . .

Agro-veillance: Using satelites and drones for precision crop maintenence

Agricultural Tree Grading Maps Photo: satimagingcorp.com The landscape architecture blog Pruned has a fascinating overview of using unmanned drones and satellites to produce maps which reveal terrific amounts of data for analyzing the relative health of crops. Being able to detect the relative difference in biomass in an orchard would allow the high-tech farmer to pinpoint water, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides to only the trees that need them, rather than flooding and dusting the entire orchard. Once you are able to determine the relative health of each tree in the orchard, it is a natural leap to imagine a grid of capillary tubing delivering the precise amounts of nutrients and water required to maintain each tree at peak production. What about pesticides? Well, just use a little larger tube and shoot a stream of ladybugs at the affected tree! Pruned on Agro-veillance (Mister Jalopy is a guest blogger!)...

Spacious room in urban sanctuary for September (oakland north / temesc (oakland north / temescal) $700 1bd

Hi, My girlfriend and I are taking a trip down to Santa Barbara during the month of September (we leave around the 5th) and are looking for a subletter. The house is located at the intersection of Telegraph and Claremont, less than a block from the Sunday farmers market and the Temescal public library/tool lending library, and is located between the Rockridge and the MacArthur Bart stations (less than a mile to either) and has bus stops as close as one block away. It is set back in a fenced in area surrounded by trees and trellised vines, creating a very natural feel for such a prime location. There is a secluded courtyard, a backyard area, as well as roof with a patio to relax. The house has 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, and highspeed wireless internet. The available room is very spacious (13 x 18), with a closet that runs the width of the room and is 2 feet deep (13 x 2 and 7 feet tall) with a clothes rod and a shelf. The ceilings are very tall and there is a window looking out to the backyard area with a fig and walnut tree. The room will be partially furnished with a queen sized bed, a dresser and a comfy reading chair. Our roommates have an edible landscaping business called the Backyard Food Project and will be using part of the roof area for plant propogation and growing their own food. The other rooms are occupied by a couple and a single woman. The common space is a large open room, the kitchen has the highest quality built in water filter, and plenty of windows. We compost our food scraps with a worm bin to convert them into plant fertilizer. There is also secure bike storage. Your portion of the utilities are not included in the price of rent. Look forward to hearing from you! Have a great day! Brad and Leslie

Spacious room in urban sanctuary for September (oakland north / temescal) $800 1bd

Hi, My girlfriend and I are taking a trip down to Santa Barbara during the month of September and are looking for a subletter. The house is located at the intersection of Telegraph and Claremont, less than a block from the Sunday farmers market and the Temescal public library/tool lending library, and is located between the Rockridge and the MacArthur Bart stations (less than a mile to either) and has bus stops as close as one block away. It is set back in a fenced in area surrounded by trees and trellised vines, creating a very natural feel for such a prime location. There is a secluded courtyard, a backyard area, as well as roof with a patio to relax. The house has 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, and highspeed wireless internet. The available room is very spacious (13 x 18), with a closet that runs the width of the room and is 2 feet deep (13 x 2 and 7 feet tall) with a clothes rod and a shelf. The ceilings are very tall and there is a window looking out to the backyard area with a fig and walnut tree. The room will be partially furnished with a queen sized bed, a dresser and a comfy reading chair. Our roommates have an edible landscaping business called the Backyard Food Project and will be using part of the roof area for plant propogation and growing their own food. The other rooms are occupied by a couple and a single woman. The common space is a large open room, the kitchen has the highest quality built in water filter, and plenty of windows. We compost our food scraps with a worm bin to convert them into plant fertilizer. There is also secure bike storage. Your portion of the utilities are not included in the price of rent. Look forward to hearing from you! Have a great day! Brad and Leslie