besthealthever.com BUGS, BUGS, BUGS. They’ve been eating a lot of my lettuce, kale & spinach lately. So I thought it was time to do some research on natural pest control & here’s what I found out. You don’t need to use any chemicals, not that I would any way. You’ve probably already got the ingredients at home. And also there’s plenty of different ways to go about it, you just need to try them out & see if they work. Ingredients for Natural Pest Control 1/3 cup of olive oil 1/3 cup of filtered or distilled water 20 Drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil (Mix together in a spray bottle)
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This video was put together after a request by the Department of Primary Industries. Peter Schreurs made a presentation at the Australian National Vegetable Conference in May 2009 to explain why we have adopted a full Integrated Pest Management system on our farm and adopted a range of sustainable growing practices. This over the years has created alot of interest among the industry and we like to share our experience on IPM to show others that there is an alternative to conventional methods of growing. We look forward to the day that IPM becomes the conventional way of producing food which I think is slowly happening at least within the vegetable growing industry. I apologies for the sound quality as I could only use the built in mic on the video camera. I was going to edit an abreviated version of the video for upload but we thought it best to leave the full version for those of you that have a keen interest in this subject.

If you’re growing an edible garden this year, make sure that insects don’t get to eat the fruits of your labor before you do. Check out this video on how Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control can help. Learn more here: bit.ly
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Natural gardeners prefer organic pepper seeds, as well as those of other vegetables. In general, they consider the untreated and non hybrid varieties healthier, more flavorful, and more resistant to insect pests and diseases. Because there are many that are passionate about supporting organically-oriented agriculture, there are many sources for certified seed online.

Certified seeds are always non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) and often heirloom varieties. Many growers enjoy the open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties that used to be the norm, saying they prefer the richer flavors and unique appearance over the more conventional, uniform, and easier to grow varieties developed by plant geneticists.

There are open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties (that used to be the only choices) which have been replaced in mainstream culture with laboratory productions that are resistant to certain wilts, fungal infestation, and even pests. However, not all growers want these carefully bred or perhaps modified form of vegetables. Often they feel that the uniform appearance and large size comes with a sacrifice of flavor.

Natural gardeners seek to raise strong, healthy plants with by enriching the soil with mineral additives, the use of liquid seaweeds and other manures, and by composting. Those who follow these practices are usually keen to share their expertise, so ordering from them can be much more interactive than buying packets from the local store or big catalog suppliers.

It is even possible to form a relationship with some of the small, family-owned operations. When ordering any one of the seemingly endless varieties of hot peppers, or one of the many colored sweet kinds, you can get free growing tips, recipes, and information on composting and growing earthworms. You can send them pictures of produce you grow and learn how to save your own seed for the next planting season.

Back yard gardeners and those who have a few pots on their deck, patio, or balcony will enjoy having some unique plants, while those who grow produce or bedding plants for farmers markets have found that customers enjoy the unusual appearance of heirloom vegetables. Moreover, when giving the overflow of your garden away, it is fun to have some unique kinds of peppers in the mix.

Reading plant catalogs is always a great way to get inspired for the new season, and many of the alternative lifestyle product lists are unique in their own right. Organic pepper seeds are great gifts, too, for the gardeners in your circle of acquaintance.

Looking to find the best quality organic pepper seeds, then visit www.SweetCornOrganicNursery.com to find the best organic pepper seeds for your home fruit and vegetable garden.

People all over the world are extremely concerned about our environment especially as how it relates as to what we put into our bodies and also how it affects our earth. Many are turning to organic, holistic, natural, back to the earth, and homesteading, which are all disciplines of agriculture that are growing in popularity each day.

Large food producers over the years have done an excellent job of providing substantial amounts of nutritious food for a growing world population, but is this scenario of farming sustainable? Organic farmers and conventional farmers are looking for common answers to this question.

Organic farming can be defined as not allowing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. Organic farmers rely on tried and true methods such as crop rotation, crop residue recycling, animal manure and mechanical cultivation to maintain the soil and to control weeds, insects and other pests.

Enhancing and maintaining soil health is the mainstay of organic farming. Many methods are employed including crop rotation, green manure, cover cropping, application of compost and mulching, Organic farmers also use certain fertilizers such as seed meal and mineral powders such as rock phosphate and greensand which are naturally occurring forms of potash.

Nitrates which were used during World War II as munitions became an abundant and cheap source of nitrogen. This situation impelled the industrialization of agriculture in the early 20th century. Research produced hybrid seeds, fields grew in size and cropping became specialized to make efficient use of machinery, irrigation, fertilization and the use of pesticides.

As a means to insuring a successful crop, the usage of genetically modified organisms (GMO), human growth hormones (HGH), sewage sludge and antibiotics in the production of our food supply gained a foothold and can now be considered a threat to our health.

Conventional farming allows farmers to precisely apply only the necessary fertilizers to the soil in order to minimize waste pollutants. Organic farmers do not have that option because they have to depend on natural fertilizers such as manure which contains fixed amounts of various elements which can not be adjusted. The most common problem is over application of these organic fertilizers because of their relative lack of potency. These over applications can very easily lead to pollution of the water supply.

Can agribusiness convert to large scale organic farming and still be able to make money without raising the consumer’s cost to unaffordable levels?

The current food distribution system favors high volume production with large farming corporate operations and cannot be easily altered. What we know as organic farming may change very dramatically in the coming years. A growing consumer market is a driving factor in our society and will encouraging conventional farmers to convert to organic agricultural production methods. I believe this trend will continue.