How to Sustainably Reduce Soil Acidity

How to Sustainably Reduce Soil Acidity

The plants we grow are just as dependant on nutrition as we are.  If their soil is too acid, too base or doesn’t contain the right nutrients, they just won’t grow. Some like the soil to be toward the acidic side of the PH scale, while others prefer their soil to be more base. If your local soil is too acidic, or the soil you’re getting from your local hardware store has a PH that is wrong for the types of plants you want to grow, what can you do to sustainably lower the soil acidity?

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Small Scale Farming for Food Self Sufficiency: Things to Consider

Small Scale Farming for Food Self Sufficiency: Things to Consider

It’s a simple fact that we’re becoming more and more disconnected with our food. Everything from meat, fish, dairy and vegetables are all wrapped in plastic and lining the shelves of big stores, it’s difficult to appreciate where it came from and the time, effort and processes that it took to get it there. Perhaps this is why we have such a major food wasting problem, with the average family throwing away a whopping twenty four meals a month. One of the ways we can appreciate foods and gain back control is to become more self sufficient. Going completely off grid can take a lot of work and preparation, however growing your own ingredients (or at least most of them) really is doable for most people. It means you’re not eating chemical-laden foods, or having them flown in from halfway across the world. It’s kinder to the environment so you know that you’re doing your bit, and it’s not as complicated or expensive as you might think. Here are some things to bear in mind.

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Give Solar Power a Chance!

Give Solar Power a Chance!

We’ve been aware of the possibilities of solar power for a long time now. Perhaps even longer than you may think! In fact, this concept has been around since the early nineteenth century. In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the very photovoltaic effect that explains how electricity can be generated from simple sunlight. He claimed that by shining a light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution, you could create an electric current. This was all fine and well, but it took almost another one hundred years before photovoltaic energy could be put to efficient use. After extensive research and commitment to the cause, Russell Ohl invented the transistor and solar cell, both early steps towards the development what we today refer to as “solar panels”. These are a viable and efficient way to produce energy without damaging the planet. Say the sun produces 100% energy. Modern solar panels can now convert around 15 to 20% of the sunpower (or sun rays) into reusable energy. This may sound like low performance, but it’s impressive and ever-increasing. So, seeing as solar power is bettering by the day, perhaps it’s time to give it a chance! Here are a few reasons why and the process you need to follow in order to incorporate solar energy into your farm!

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Non-Traditional Ways to Make Money from Your Farm

Non-Traditional Ways to Make Money from Your Farm

Farming can be financially tough, and today many farmers are looking at less traditional alternatives to utilise their asset in a way that is financially and environmentally sustainable - by being somewhat inventive and innovative in terms of how they’re using their land.  As an example, as the rustic themed wedding trend seems just as popular as ever, many farmers are now promoting the opportunity to host rustic weddings on a real working farm - which can be an incredibly lucrative opportunity given the multitude of ancillary opportunities such as farm to table catering.

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Common Diseases in Cattle and How to Avoid Them

Common Diseases in Cattle and How to Avoid Them

Nothing is more crucial to the successful flow of a farmer's land than promoting the wellbeing of his livestock and animals. For a farm to thrive, every animal must be taken care of accordingly. That means supporting their daily diets, offering them healthy lifestyles and recognizing common diseases that afflict their species to know the best preventative measures to take to avert them.

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Veg Patch From Scratch: A Step By Step Guide

Veg Patch From Scratch: A Step By Step Guide

One way to lower your carbon footprint and reduce food wastage is to grow your own. Yep, the fruit and veg that you buy from the supermarket are just as easy to grow at home. With a thriving vegetable patch, there is no need to spend money on apples, bananas and whatever else you like to eat. The trick is to start a patch from scratch and let Mother Nature do the rest.

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Taking to the Country Business

Taking to the Country Business

When it comes to making a career for yourself, there’s a lot of stuff you can do. Whether you’re a high tech executive professional in your own startup, or you’re working your way up to manager positions from the shop floor and the back room, whatever you want to do is yours to work towards. And yet, there’s still a lot of unfulfilled dreams out there! The rat race of the regular 9 to 5 just isn’t enough for some people...

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Livestock Health Advice All Veterinarians Swear By

Livestock Health Advice All Veterinarians Swear By

The majority of new farmers start off with just crops on their land. Then, once they have got the hang of producing and selling various crops, they start to introduce livestock to their farm. Livestock produces great profits, though it can be a lot more demanding and time-consuming compared to crops, so something that farmers wait to tackle until they have a bit of farming experience behind them. Another thing that makes farm animals a lot trickier to rear is that you need to constantly ensure their health and safety. Livestock in poor health just won’t bring you big enough profits at the market!

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How Seasonal Gardening Increases Soil Sustainability

How Seasonal Gardening Increases Soil Sustainability

By Emily Folk

Gardening is a passion that many people enjoy because of how simple and rewarding it is. If you know how to take care of the plant you want to grow, there’s almost nothing stopping you from filling your house or yard with beautiful blooms and foliage. At a certain point, though, gardening can get a bit more complex. There’s things to think about that most beginner gardeners don’t consider because it requires a bit of gardening knowledge.

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Make An Effort To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint This Year

Make An Effort To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint This Year

As the rise of Climate Change is starting to become more and more of a globally covered issue, it can be easy to feel useless in making any real change. Especially when a few superpower continents refuse to acknowledge the impact they may be having on the melting ice caps, and breaking down of the Ozone Layer. It is easy to ask yourself what difference is one little person in this huge world going to make? The obvious answer is not very much. However, these positive changes can set an example to other people in your life, who set a positive example to the people in their own lives and so on. Before you know it, you have created a catalyst of carbon footprint reductions that has really taken off. Becoming conscious of the effect you are having on the environment around you rarely has any negatives connected to it - only positives. Read on to find out how you can help to reduce your carbon footprint and lead an environmentally healthier lifestyle.

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