Green house farming has become necessary because of the shortage of land in some areas.  In greenhouses, farmers can grow vegetables, fruits and some crops all year round.  A company in Canada has found a way to make green houses produce 20 times more fruit using renewable energy to fuel the greenhouse.

These types of green houses are essentially a small world of their own.  It is powered by solar panels that provide power to the green house and a pond for irrigation.  Plants, vegetables or fruits are grown without herbicides with the use of pesticides to the minimum.   Plants are fed due special tubing and there is a restricted use of fertilizer as well due to absence of dust in the green house. Fertilizer use is decreased by half.

As a commitment to sustainable ecosystems and energy use, bumblebees are used for pollination.  The water collected, condensed, filtered from the pond goes back to the green houses to ensure fruitful crops.   This type of technology allows saving more than one-fifth of what is needed in terms of water during regular farming.

With these eco friendly types of green houses, it is possible to harvest 482 tons of tomatoes from one acre.  It is also proving to be profitable with all the expenses covered after 10 years of green house exploitation.  The power generated by the green house can power up to 1500 homes.   Another interesting fact is that plants stay alive for a longer period inside the green house compared to the field, so they are being replaced every six months. With more than 300 days of sunshine every year, the green houses seem to be a perfect facility for all-year crops at the same time being a sustainable farming facility.

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Those who are able to afford the “pack up and go” attitude are indeed lucky. Unfortunately, not all city dwellers are lucky enough to have this kind of opportunity. Some need to be in the city because their jobs require them to be while others are not yet ready for the kind of life that awaits them in farms and rural areas. Let’s face it, not all humans are created to easily adjust to the demands of time, whether they like it or not. The good news is, your home need not be situated in far, far away land nor be as big as your whole street. You can live the kind of life they lead in farms right in the heart of the city, this is called urban homesteading.

Urban homesteading can be considered as your first step to the sustainable life you have always dreamed of and it doesn’t have to be so drastic, especially if you cannot afford it. Those who successfully made it swear that urban homesteading requires a lot from a person but at the end of the day, one will soon realize that it’s all worth it. Taking precious baby steps toward your goal will help you a lot.

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Bee farms are cheap and easy. In fact, they are most recommended for small scale farmers with no resources to start their own businesses with. Many organizations are working on introducing this kind of activity for developing countries like Africa and Asia. So far, may farmers have responded and bee farms are faring well.

There’s no better time to start your own bee farm than today since the demand is very high and the supply is somewhat lacking. It opens a door for poor farmers to somehow generate enough income to support his or her family. It can even be a family business since beekeeping can be done by everyone in the family including kids. Best of all, it can blend perfectly with your crops, assuming you’re also growing them. As we all know, bees pollinate, making your crops all the more healthy therefore increasing their productivity level.

Bees produce honey while honey has high value when sold. They are very easy to harvest and won’t require any additional technology to do so. All it takes is a simple know-how which most free seminars will teach you. Furthermore, its byproduct is well sought-after by manufacturing companies and even health conscious individuals so there’s no need to fret where to sell your goods after each harvest.

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Although it’s to be expected, the slow phase organic fertilizer is currently experiencing is partly due to the fact that farmers are quite confused on what organic fertilizers are and how it can work on their farms. It seems that there is no existing group or organization that helps spreading the word to farmers while commercial fertilizers come complete with instructions and even extend support to small farm communities. According to surveys, almost a hundred percent of gardening hobbyists already made the switch and have been enjoying the benefits of organic fertilizers ever since. It’s because they can afford to wait, spend a little more money and most of all, can try again next time if this season’s batch won’t come out great while farmers don’t have this kind of luxury and unfortunately, they are not informed how to do it properly.

Basically, anything that comes from nature and encourages bacterial growth is considered as an organic fertilizer. Some examples of which are manure, fish emulsions, blood meal, bone meal and even sewer sludge. Organic fertilizers take time to generate results but if one can afford the wait, it will all be worth it.

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Community supported agriculture works effectively in and around areas where farm communities are conveniently located. Since the transportation costs is somehow lessen, if not prevented altogether, produce are offered cheap to members considering that they only have to pay for one-time shareholder’s fee before the planting season starts. There are many types of arrangement when going for CSA depending on what’s convenient for both the farmer and his consumers, these are:

·    Farm-to-home delivery set-up. In this arrangement the farmer will have the produce delivered to his consumers or the consumer picks it up after harvest all boxed up and ready to go. The only problem in this set-up is that the consumer would have to put up with what goes in his or her box since it is all up to the farmer’s discretion.
·    On-farm handpicking set-up. Consumers are allowed to pick their own share in the farm when harvesting season arrives. The only drawback is that this set-up tends to leave the farm in pieces after the harvest is over such as trampled plants. Not to mention this one angry shareholder who happens to be late for the picking.
·    Market style set-up. To avoid farm destruction, some resourceful farmers opt to put up a small stall outside of the farm and put together the produce for the consumers to choose from. This way, everyone is happy to have a variety a produce but also the farmer won’t have to worry about the state of his farm during handpicking sessions.

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Forest farming involves trimming down, albeit cautiously, some certain genus to reestablish balance and equilibrium of a particular forest. Forest farming is encouraged in areas wherein there is an existing issue of overabundance of certain species which restrict growth of other living organisms essential in the biological cycle. Some of the most popular harvests are exotic mushrooms such as Shiitake and other medicinal, edible fungi. This method of farming is not only about harvesting but also it involves planning and cultivating to ensure that the biocycle is not destroyed in any way. Forest farming proves to be a fun and profitable venture that anyone could explore.

Several government funded seminars are conducted to teach locals residing near forest areas about forest farming methods and techniques, as well as the kinds of mushrooms that could be grown in the area. These seminars go as far as how and where to sell your produce after harvests. Aside from mushrooms, there are other crops you can find, grow and harvest in forests since they have rich and very fertile soil that could grow practically anything you can think of. These crops include, but not limited to:  ginseng and ferns which are used for medicinal and ornamental purposes.

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A wallaby is also referred to as miniature kangaroo. A wallaby and a kangaroo share the same features but size since a wallaby’s maximum height is only about 41 inches. These species are usually found in Australia and its neighboring cities. They can be bred and sold if a particular farm is duly licensed by governing agencies. Wallabies come in 30 different types with their own sets of personalities but apparently, breeders’ choice for families who are just starting out with exotic animals is the Bennett’s wallaby. This type of wallaby is much calmer and less nocturnal which makes them a good pet and a rewarding hobby. Bennett’s wallabies are more adjusted in living around humans even if they are not bred in farms.

Wallabies are low maintenance mammals. They are herbivores so they mainly graze. If you’re adapting a wallaby, be sure to have a land full of grass and plants where your pet can munch all day long. You’ll also need to fence them in so they won’t get lost. Don’t forget to give them water as well. Wallabies can be trained and make a good house pets as well. Joeys can be bottle-fed if they were taken home by new owners at an early age and still grow healthy and well adjusted to human companionship.

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Given these bountiful rewards, who could turn away from this very lucrative business? If the only thing that hinders you from acquiring your own income generating farm is land, think again; there are microfarms operated right in the heart of the city and its neighboring suburbs–one might even be near your place.

Actually, all you need is a piece of land. Determine how much space you can set aside for your own garden and consult an expert on what crops could be grown based on the condition of soil within your space. Usually, you can grow small crops like tomatoes, peppers and radishes. In microfarming, variety is important. However, if you plan to make this as an income generating one, stick to crops that are popular so you could sell them once they are ready and stay away from the ones that will take up too much space such as corn and potatoes. Start with a little garden first then if everything goes right in place, you can add a greenhouse later.

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A macrobiotic diet is different from a vegan diet. A vegan diet is exclusively greens while a macrobiotic diet includes some foods from animal sources, although in limited amounts only. In some ways, a vegan diet shares common food staples with macrobiotic diet such as brown rice and beans but their principles are different. Generally, macrobiotics is based on healthy eating practices that were applied before, when artificial and chemical compositions in food are unheard of.

Macrobiotic dieters state that macrobiotic is a way of life and not a diet which focuses on nutritional value of the food they eat. They believe that in order for the body to achieve maximum health levels, everything inside it should be in perfect balance. This means that a dieter should not deprive the body of nourishment but not overeat. Macrobiotics also has set of rules for cooking and what to eat on certain seasons such as spring, summer, fall and winter. You will also have to learn how to do a macrobiotic diet properly, if you are planning to engage with one.

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The first famous study on parasitic worms and asthma was conducted by Sarah Scrivener and her team, from the University of Nottingham, published in late 2001. Scrivener’s study found that the inhabitants of Ethiopia’s rural areas, while suffering from dust-mite allergy, had notably lower incidence of developing asthma than those in urban parts of the country. They linked the finding to the abundance of hookworms in the rural areas as against the cleaner urban habitats. The research suggested that the presence of hookworms in the intestines somehow suppressed the autoimmune response of the human host that results in asthma and other allergic symptoms.

In November 2005, a team of scientists at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences published their research on the role of helminthes (intestinal worms) in developing treatments for asthma, diabetes, and hay fever. The researchers found that the presence of helminthes ‘switches off’ the aggressive autoimmune response, possibly by producing special molecules that tone down the immune system. This prevents or reduces the intensity of asthma. Similar results were obtained in another research study led by David Pritchard, of the University of Nottingham, in 2007. The research team found that not only does parasitic worms lower the risk of asthma in their host but also prevent other conditions like Crohn’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

A number of other studies, most of them carried out in the United Kingdom, have arrived at similar conclusions. Among these, the famous ones came from Graham Rook, Anne Cook, and Jan Bradley – all researching the link between helminthes and low risk of immune-related diseases as well as Type 1 Diabetes. Professor Bradley’s research found a connection between increased production of white cells (useful in fighting infections) and intestinal worms. Scientists working on this topic are now of the general view that humans, through thousands of years of evolution, have developed immune systems that respond to the presence of worms and this response can be used to develop therapies and/or medicine that will treat asthma and other health problems. In effect, it appears that living with worms is not outright dirty but also healthy.

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