Farm and Garden

Fruit trees should be sprayed in early spring before the bud opens in order to kill overwintering insects/insect eggs nestled in the crevices of your fruit trees. However, in order to safeguard your health and that of the environment, consider using one of the environmentally safe natural or organic fruit tree sprays which are every bit as capable of killing overwintering insects and insect larvae. Any of the following organic and natural fruit tree sprays will do the job: a lime sulfur/horticultural oil mixture, a horticultural oil/water mixture, and a homemade spray made up of natural ingredients. Organic Fruit Tree Sprays The first type of organic fruit tree sprays, the lime sulfur/horticultural...

When you first hear the name Knott's Berry Farm, you may wonder why so many people would visit a farm to look at berries each year. The name is very confusing for those that do not live in close proximity to it. There is a berry farm, but it also consists of several water parks and a theme park. What originated as a road side stand into a restaurant then became a well designed ghost town in 1940, where you could pan for gold or ride a train and go for a Mine ride. Now the theme park is being designed for thrill ride and roller coasters. With six themed areas, it is a guarantee that you and your children will have a great time and not have to visit the same ride twice. If you have smaller children...

There is no better tasting blueberry than ones that are grown and picked fresh in your backyard garden. Blueberries are high in antioxidants, low in calories and sodium. They contains no cholesterol and are high in fiber, folic acid, carotenoids, vitamins C, A and B. A major component of the fiber is pectin, which is known for its ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. Blueberries have a very sweet flavor and can be eaten fresh or used to make jams, jellies, preserves, and even juice. The first step in having a successful blueberry crop is to plant varieties that are best for your climate. Blueberries produce a large fruit and will produce a bigger crop if they are planted with different...

Pumpkin - provides fibre, contains potassium and carotenoids (the antioxidants found in orange, yellow, red and dark green vegetables). It is wonderful as a cooked veggie, makes great soup and delicious pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are so easy to grow that you most likely know the basics, but here's a few tips for you anyway. Consider growing different varieties as there are many interesting pumpkins to choose from. Pumpkins are warm-season vegetables that don't like to be transplanted. The seeds are large, so are best sown directly in the position that they will occupy for the summer. They will need between three and four months of frost-free days to reach maturity. Sow your pumpkins seeds in a well...

The blueberry has a long and popular history with humans. Considered a very old species, it was once known as "star berry" by the Native Americans because of the perfect five-pointed star shape that forms on the blossom end of each berry. Native legend tells that the Great Spirit sent the berries to the earth to nourish the children during a famine. Wild blueberries are native to North America, with varieties adapted to locations around the world from the tropics to Alaska. New immigrants from Scotland remembered a similar berry they called the blaeberry. Immigrants from England saw similarities to their whortleberries back home. The Danish found the New World berry to be remarkably like their wild...

No special equipment is needed to successfully home can all manner of fruits.  Just check out our instructions and start home canning your own produce now! Canning at home is a great way to preserve fruit (including tomatoes) in times of plenty.  Their are several methods you can use to can fruit at home.  The most common are cold water bath, the oven and hot water bath methods. Here we'll talk about the hot water bath method of home canning.  This method requires no special skills and certainly no special equipment.  If you are new to home canning this is definitely the way to start! Vegetables are low in acid and difficult to sterilise so they are best preserved cooked (such as in chutneys...

Canning at home is a great way to preserve fruit (including tomatoes) in times of plenty. Their are several methods you can use to can fruit at home. The most common are cold water bath, the oven and hot water bath methods. Here we'll talk about the hot water bath method of home canning. This method requires no special skills and certainly no special equipment. If you are new to home canning this is definitely the way to start! Vegetables are low in acid and difficult to sterilise so they are best preserved cooked (such as in chutneys) or pickled in alcohol, salt or vinegar (such as dill pickles). Fruit, however has a much higher acidity and is therefore easy to can at home safely. In the UK we call...

There are many varieties of fruits and vegetables that you should buy organic. Some fruits and vegetables contain much higher levels of pesticides than others. Fruits and vegetable that are grown conventionally can contain up to 51 different types of pesticides. Organically grown varieties of the same fruits and vegetables have two thirds less pesticides. Organically grown produce is much safer and tastes much better then those with a lot of chemicals on them. Peaches are known as the fruit that contains the highest level of pesticides so it is important to always buy peaches that are organic if they are available. Strawberries, raspberries, and grapes are also very important to buy organic. Since...

The Isagenix health natural products are no compromise health products that are exceptional for ones well-being. One of my favorites are the IsaFruits. The IsaFruits have 30 of the most densely nutritious fruits in one scoop. Now, I do not know about you, but for myself, I have had a difficult time getting 2or 3 fruits in me on any given day. If I eat an apple and an orange I think I have had a good day. With the health natural products of Isagenix IsaFruits you get 30 fruits that have been carefully processed to keep all the nutrition in them. I find that amazing for several reasons. When I go to my supermarket and buy fruit, most of the time they have been picked before they are ripened, because...

Fruits make up an essential part of our daily diet. One of the best ways to get part of your daily intake is to drink fruit juice. Juice makes it easy to take in all or part of your daily intake. However fruit juice is only as nutritious as the fresh produce that go into the juice. These days with mass farming and hydroponics it is often hard to know where the produce that goes into your drink comes from. Manufacturers are not impelled to disclose what sort of herbicide and pesticides they use on their crops, so we as the consumers are left to take the chance. The effects on herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers that are ingested through fruits on our bodies are widely unknown as alot of the more...

Organic fruits and vegetables are all the rage nowadays. Farmer's markets are popping up all over the place, and going green and eating sustainable foods are becoming a real lifestyle choice for millions of conscious people. Buying organic grass fed beef is another growing interest for the health and planet-conscious set, but for most people it is cost exclusionary. Whereas organic fruits and vegetables can be had for just a couple dollars more than conventionally-grown produce, affordable grass fed beef simply doesn't exist on a small scale. Steak is already expensive; organic grass fed steak can cost twice as much. Luckily, a practice gaining traction with "locavores" (that is, people who choose...

There are so many nutrition drinks on the market today, many have not met or passed the basic "taste test" or even the basic nutrition necessities one needs for the body. Many nutrition drinks also usually leave a horrible after taste in your mouth. And worst of all, many people have thrown away cases and wasted hard earn money just because the taste alone was unbearable. There is a new healthy anti-aging nutrition drink on the market today and it consists of the world's most 5 powerful fruits. It is a healthy delicious and fruity tasting liquid supplement. It's recommend dosage is that you only need 2-3oz a day and at most twice a day. Here's the specific organic berries this miraculous juice is...

Cambridge Ontario is a city located on the Grand and Speed rivers in Southern Ontario. It is made up of three towns; Galt, Preston and Hespler. As of 2006 Cambridge had a population of just over 120 000. It is one of the few cities outside of The Greater Toronto Area that has the 401 highway running right through it, as opposed to along its edges. Although that is an interesting fact, there are far better reasons to visit Cambridge than the 401 highway. Here are 3 reasons to visit scenic Cambridge: 1. Wings of Paradise: No this is not the name of a bad 80's hair metal band. It is one of Cambridge's most popular attractions. Opened in 2001, Wings of Paradise is one of the largest butterfly...

Ask any health and fitness expert, motivation and consistency is the key to achieving physical fitness. As you and your partner undertake this new journey of health together, your every day lives will benefit tremendously. Are you both serious about getting fit? If so, you need to be realistic about creating time in your lives for this new routine. If you are happily hooked up, you may need to start considering your partners standard of physical fitness too. Habits are hard to break, especially diet. 80% of a healthy lifestyle starts in the kitchen, the physical aspect ( gym routine ) then has a much easier time shaping your body once the bad food is gone. Couples have the golden opportunity to...

In the light of these studies, it is surprising that few studies have compared the health consequences of eating organic and conventionally grown produce. Any fruits and vegetables are better than none. In a study, those who ate the fewest plant foods had the highest cancer rates, and those who ate the most produce had the least cancer. Most pesticides are fat-soluble. If you eat plants that have been treated with them, you ingest a tiny amount of residue that accumulates in your fatty tissues, such as female breast tissue. But the real problem develops when you eat animal fat. Food animals accumulate pesticides in their fat tissues throughout their lives. By the time people eat them, they have much...

Everyone desires to be in good health. No one wants to suffer from sickness and disease. The fact is there are secrets the healthiest people in the world know that most people do not. Let's discover what the top 10 secrets are. 1. They eat organic fruits and vegetables. The healthiest people in the world eat lots of fresh, organic, and raw fruits and vegetables. They also lightly steam their vegetables if they do not eat them raw. Eating four pieces of fresh, organic fruit and two big organic salads a day would be a good start for most people. Just doing these two things can help many medical conditions. 2. They use juice machines. As most people know, the food supply is not packed with vital...

Chefs and local farmers are merging for eco-profit. This is because agritourism is the fastest growing segment of all of the tourism segments. Along with that, the already established culinary tourism destinations and cooking vacations are also on the rise. When the two rising trends blend (such as when a farm gives agritourism tours of its heirloom produce while hosting chefs who give cooking demonstrations on the farm), the allure to customers is huge. Progressive and successful chefs are well aware of the eat-local food trend. By partnering with local farms, they can display actual local farm names on their menus and specials, showing customers their ingredients are fresh-picked from local farms...

ORGANIC FOOD AND WINE IMPORTERS, FOR THE BEST TASTE AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE    The biggest study ever of organic food was completed in 2007 and found that organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more antioxidants than conventional equivalents, and that the figure was 60% for organic milk. The 4-year study was funded by the European Union and was the largest of its kind ever undertaken. A 2001 study by researchers at Washington State University concluded, under judgment by a panel of tasters, that organic apples were sweeter. Along with taste and sweetness, the texture as well as firmness of the apples were also rated higher than those grown conventionally. These differences are attributed to...

There are more reasons than ever why anybody with access to a few square feet of the outdoors should grow their own organic vegetables. You may be shocked at how much of the produce at your local supermarket has been genetically modified. Some estimates now put this at over 50%. While there is no strong evidence that genetically modified foods are immediately harmful to your health, there are no long term studies either. Do you want to take that risk? Let’s take a look at pesticides and fertilizers. Farmers no longer use crop rotation or natural manures to improve soil fertility, so they are forced to use ever increasing amounts of chemicals to improve yields and multiple pesticides to protect...

Nicosia, the capital of both North and South Cyprus is the only divided city left in the world, and is a fascinating place to visit on holiday. North Cyprus' visitors can easily access the city, and should take the opportunity to stock up on souvenirs including pottery, basketry, sheep skin rugs, jewellery and Lefkara lace work, while also taking in the many cultural and historical attractions the famous city has. Here are some of the most interesting to visit on your holiday in North Cyprus... Kyrenia Gate When visiting Nicosia on a luxury holiday in North Cyprus, you will have to go through Kyrenia Gate, the entrance to the city from the north. Built all the way back in 1567, this dates back to...

The number of people with eczema is on the increase. There are many different opinions to why this is happening however, growing evidence indicates that one particular cause can be allergic reactions to certain foods. If you are not already aware eczema is a skin condition that results in red rashes appearing on the surface of the skin. These rashes can be very dry and are very sensitive to inflammation. In some cases the rashes can cause an unbearable itch that results in you scratching the rash incessantly causing it to bleed and increasing the risk of infection. Eczema can happen to anyone at any age however, it is most prevalent in children when it begins at a very early age. Although there is...

For many of us living in the modern world, we should really pay more attention to our diet. For psoriasis sufferers, this is doubly true. It was one of the earliest lessons I learned when I started to look into how I could cure myself of this repulsive skin disease. The kind of stuff we eat these days, is it any wonder our bodies sometimes react this way? Although there are many causes of psoriasis, including hereditary factors and allergies, one major influence on the condition of the skin is the toxins that find their way into our bodies. If the body can't get rid of these toxins through the bowels and urinary tract, it will get rid of them through the pores on your skin. This isn't good for the...

re's my story, when I was first introduced to the Levive Juice, first thought came to mind..."Oh boy, what does this CRAP taste like?" This was the very first thing that popped into my head, as I've tried many health nutrition drinks (e.i. Noni Juice, MonaVie, Fruta Vida, etc...) I can go on and on with this list, and each one did not suite my taste at all. They seem to leave an after taste and worst of all, I couldn't stand drinking them any longer! I have thrown cases away and waisted hard earn money just because I couldn't bear the thought of taking another sip. But then comes the Levive Juice, as I mentioned earlier, I was on the defense at first, then the gentleman promised me to try it and...

You train day after day after day, but you just can't seem to get more muscular, leaner, faster or stronger. "How is that possible?" you say to yourself, "I train all of the time!" Congratulations! If you are one of these people, you just answered your own question! You don't rest and recover properly! OR enough. You may be over trained and possibly undernourished. Quantity of food and proper nourishment do not necessarily correlate. This is not a matter of weight, rather a matter of lacking the important vitamins, minerals and nutrients that our body needs to heal. So, let's take a look, are you getting the proper recovery? First of all, let me explain to you what happens every time you go to the...

If you walk down the aisle of any supermarket you'll see shelf after shelf of processed foods, which offer convenience, quick preparation and sometimes great taste. But with all the seemingly great benefits there is a price to pay beyond dollars and cents. In the process of creating these foods manufacturers resort to using ingredients that don't always provide the best nutrition or health benefits. These may be food colourings, flavour enhancers, preservatives and trans fats, which extend the shelf life. Some of these ingredients are not only unhealthy when consumed regularly but they can contribute to weight gain and cardiovascular disease over time. Food labels can be deceptive. For example, if a...

Do you eat junk food all the time and call it food? I used to. McDonalds (tm) is not food. Tv dinners are not food. Chips are not food. Organic Vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats ARE food. Why organic? Because chemicals in other "foods" affect the brain and impair the ability of your cells to perform to their optimum level. Since your mind is made of cells, don't you think that they will be able to handle stress better if they are able to function better? It's a no-brainer, seriously. Food is fuel that is put into your body, your cells work together to create your body, the vehicle. If you put crappy fuel in your body, you'll get crappy performance from your cells and this includes your brain. On the...

One of the challenges Americans trying to lose weight are facing is the increased consumption of overly processed foods with synthetic chemicals such as high fructose syrup, preservatives, pesticides, growth hormones, and artificial colors and flavors.  Our bodies are not designed to process these artificial ingredients nor do they recognize these additives as usable; therefore these are processed as empty calories that are converted and stored into fat. Consuming too many "empty calories" found in processed foods will disrupt the body's ability to burn the excess stored fat. 1. Eating organic fruits & vegetables, meats and dairy products such as Eggology egg whites have been found to have more...

Everywhere you go, you may be seeing something talking about the acai fruit or the acai berry. What is it? How do you even pronounce it? LOL! First things first. It is pronounced (ah-sigh-ee) and is a high-energy berry of a special tropical palm tree, which is harvested in the rainforests of Brazil. Acai tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate and is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids (California Academy of Health, Inc. (CAH), 2010). Its pulp contains "10 times more antioxidants than red grapes" (CAH, 2010) in addition to a variety of vitamins. So, acai is delicious tasting and extremely healthy for you. Since acai has been introduced to America, the...

Being organic is a life decision and may take some time to filter through to every part of your life. However the home is probably the best place you can start to practice your new organic life. Here are 5 tips to get you started. 1. Shop at an organic Only store: If you shop at a store that only stocks organic goods then you will have much less chance to break and go for a cheaper non-organic option. At the same time you will find a plethora of items you may not have thought of. This will make it easier for you to achieve your goal of living the organic life style. You will also find it less tempting to pick up items you are really wanting to avoid. 2. Grow your own organic good: Growing food is a...

Juicing is a healthy and tasty way of getting the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we all need. But you'll need to prepare your vegetables and fruit correctly in order to get the maximum nutritional value from them. Here are 7 tips to help you. 1) Use Organic Produce - Organic fruit and vegetables have been prepared without artificial chemicals and fertilizers. Many people are concerned that regular exposure to low doses of these chemicals can be bad for your health. 2) Wash Produce - Always wash your produce before use. This will remove dirt and any chemical residues from the surface. This is particularly important if you have not been able to buy organic produce. 3) Farmer's markets...

In part two of this article series, additional tips for easy weight loss will be addressed. These steps highlight information from Kevin Trudeau's "How to Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days: The Weight Loss Secret They Don?t Want You to Know About". In part one, it was discussed that more and more Americans are becoming overweight. Many people have a difficult time losing weight and finding a diet that works for them. In addition, even after sorting through all kinds of information and opinions about what works and what doesn't and trying various diets, some people still are unable to lose those stubborn pounds. Also addressed was how genetics do not determine whether or not a person will be fat, but do...

muscle men do it. Petite yoga instructors do it. Dieters do it. Even grandmothers do it. They all use whey protein powders. Whey’s image has certainly changed a lot since “little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey.” Until the 1960s, whey was considered a waste product of cheese making and was fed to livestock or disposed of in rivers and streams. You’ve Come a Long Whey Nowadays whey protein is in big demand. Through the innovative use of sophisticated filtration methods, the liquid whey’s fat and carbohydrate content are minimized, while the proteins are concentrated and isolated. Low temperature spray-drying methods transform the liquid to a...

Halloween is the one time a year when you can walk around in a ridiculous costume throwing around candy. It's the start of the holiday season. It's a great holiday for children as well as adults to participate in some fall frolicking together. Let your worries about the economy and the stress of everyday life fade for a night of ghoulish delight. Kick off your shoes and party in style or roam the streets with your favorite trick-or-treaters with these green tips in mind.o A Monster Bash: You can't have a Halloween party without playing Michael Jackson's Thriller. Skip the DJ and download that tune plus many others onto your iPod to blast at your party. Once you have the great music it's all about...