In reality, there are areas in the world that experience drought every now and then. Elevated farm communities for one, need to employ a strict water conservation all year round just to make their water supply last longer than it should. There are also drought-prone areas that pose a problem to its local government when rain won’t come for months on end. Due to these problems, farm water conservation in these areas is highly encouraged. Here are some water conservation ideas that proved to be effective in farm communities:

• Use a water gauge. This way, you’ll be able to notice when there’s a difference in readings. Also, a water meter will help you determine the estimated amount of water you always consume. When it goes high then it’s time to check the water lines for leaks. It can also help you plan accordingly when there’s an expected water shortage to come.
• Cover all dugouts to prevent evaporation from happening.
• Experts believe that a farmer would be able to conserve more water if they use one large dugout instead of multiple smaller ones. Use pipelines to distribute them to their destinations. This will eliminate the need to maintain several dugouts which proves to be time-consuming and not cost-effective too. Moreover, multiple dugouts are very prone to water seepage.
• Upgrading your water facilities is very important as technology today continually evolved to a much better function than ever before.

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Organic farmers believe that a free range chicken is one happy chicken and therefore is not oozing with harmful toxins. Not only will it help your energy levels and staying power last longer but also it was said to delay the aging process when introduced along with overall healthy lifestyle.

Most free range chickens are kept organic, since then it became so popular to health buffs the world over causing a shortage in supply. This alone makes it a very lucrative business for farmers worldwide especially in times like these when people are beginning to make a conscious effort in living a healthy lifestyle. Organically raised chickens are grass fed and they are encouraged to live a stress free life of clean air and water. As much as possible, no chemicals are introduced to the chicken’s system, whether directly to the chicken or to its surrounding areas.

Free range chickens are a great source of protein. Aside from that, it offers many benefits to humans when consumed. It is healthy and very delicious too unlike those that are raised in coops which tend to be less tasty. Be warned though, since free range chickens require special care, it tends to cost more than its supermarket counterparts.

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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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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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In the pioneering study, led by Dr. Tegan Boehmer, on obesity in rural populations, the researchers found a strong connection between physical environment, physical activity (or the lack of it), and food choices of people. The primary culprit responsible for making people put on weight turns out to be physical inactivity due to lack of, or inaccessibility to, neighborhood constructions like schools, parks, stores, gyms, churches, or recreational spots that would otherwise attract the people to walking and doing some sort of physical exertion. Also responsible for weight gain are food choices of the rural folk who have been found to possess a taste for fatty foods. Television addicts are at a higher risk for obesity and so are middle-aged people.

Critically investigating the causal connection between environmental features and obesity in rural communities, Dr. Boehmer and her team also concluded that people who felt insecure on account of traffic and crimes tended to be more prone to obesity than otherwise. A weaker, but statistically significant, correlation was also drawn between obesity and a lack of aesthetic appreciation of the neighborhood. It appears that people suffering from either the mental stress of insecurity or deprivation of aesthetic pleasure automatically respond by losing health to obesity – and hence an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

The implications of the studies by Dr. Boehmer and her team demand special consideration when speaking of health and environment in rural communities. Altering the natural landscape of rural environs, in any construction project, needs to be carefully planned, not only in terms of physical parameters but also considering such factors as the impact of neighborhood structures on people’s feelings of security, aesthetics, and motivation for an agile lifestyle.

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Less-developed rural societies are usually much closer to life’s natural habitat and are, therefore, free of the many environmental concerns that are thwarting industrialized urban life. Rural communities, if kept from using harmful products and following certain urban practices that pollute the environment, are very close to be called environmental friendly communities. For modern cities (especially the big/crowded ones) with an overwhelming number of vehicles, factories, and synthetic chemical products – all ending up in toxic pollutants – we need to look for some environmental friendly solution. Put simply, we are asking ‘how to turn urban population into environmental friendly communities?’

One may suggest two main approaches to achieve this goal. First, we may press on stopping rapid urbanization of land and further rural lifestyle through cultivation and farming. But such conversion, if possible at all, cannot be extended over a large part of land that has already been urbanized or needs to be turned into cities due to governmental/private policies. The facilities enjoyed in urban life are hard to give up. Besides, a radical return to rural life will not be free of many unruly challenges, not to say of the view that we are falling into regression. To keep the balance and save our day as being a ‘creative’ species, we may therefore devise plans to establish environmental friendly communities without losing our cities.

Developing urban environmental friendly communities has become a subject of great interest to people from many walks of life, especially those concerned with urbanization, environment, and economy. A number of strategies for green living, within the cities, have been worked out and employed in daily life by many environment-conscious people. Some of the important strategies for ameliorating natural environment include: conservation easement of land, energy-efficient construction, use of alternate/renewable energy sources, home landscaping and organic gardening, prevention/minimization of toxic chemicals, and sustainable living. As we discuss these strategies specifically in more pages, we learn that getting involved with the environment through educational and volunteer programs is an invaluable step toward establishing environmental friendly communities.

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