Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

You may think that smoothies are sweet concoctions that diabetics should avoid at all cost, and you would be wrong. Even if you have diabetes, you can still enjoy all the benefits of a healthy smoothie. You'll find many diabetic-friendly smoothie recipes that are low in carbohydrates and fats yet high in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Be sure to use whole fruits to get the maximum benefits out of healthy smoothies for diabetics.

We have a number of smoothie recipes below that call for fruits. These recipes are diabetic-friendly for the following reasons:

They do not include refined sugar These recipes use fresh or frozen whole fruits. Fruits are high in dietary fiber and they contain complex carbohydrates. Some smoothie recipes contain flax seed or wheat germ. These super foods help keep blood sugar at normal levels. These smoothies are low-calorie and low in carbohydrates. Diabetics and non-diabetics alike can enjoy these healthy smoothies.

To enjoy the following recipes, combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!

Strawberry & Banana Breakfast Smoothie

1 cup skim milk 3/4 cup low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup silken tofu 1 small banana 1-1/4 cups strawberries, preferably frozen 1/2 cup crushed ice

Blueberry & Banana Smoothie

1 cup skim milk 3/4 cup low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup silken tofu 1 banana, peeled and sliced 3/4 cup blueberries 1/2 cup crushed ice

Banana Smoothie

2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced (preferably frozen) 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla or fruit yogurt 2 cups low-fat milk 2 tbsp wheat germ or oat bran Ground nutmeg to taste (optional)

Mixed Berry Smoothie

1 cup frozen berries of your choice 1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt 1 tbsp malted milk powder 2 tsp wheat germ or oat bran 1 egg or egg substitute (optional)

Green Smoothie for Diabetics

2 cups water 2-3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves (preferably organic) 1 pear 1/2 to 1 banana 1/4 tsp cardamom 1-2 tbsp chia seeds (soak in 2 cups water for a while)

TIP: Chia seeds are high in fiber, calcium, protein, antioxidants and omega-3. You can buy them at health stores.

Strawberry Flax Smoothie

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt 1/2 cup skim milk 3 tbsp flax meal 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Tube. Duration : 2.00 Mins.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

No URL Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Eating Organic - Why and How to Start

Why Eat Organic? The question should be, why not? I have been eating organic food for about three years now though I do cheat on occasion. I chose to switch after reading two books. The first was by Kevin Trudeau and the second by Jordan Rubin. Many of you have seen Trudeau on television promoting his books and may see him simply as a businessperson trying to make money. There are many skeptics who think that his Natural Cures book is a sham. I'm not going to lie when I state that I was slightly frustrated that the book was more of a reference tool. The book itself made me want to eat healthier but it referred to Internet websites and other books to answer many of my questions. I was discouraged when I visited Trudeau's website to find that I would need to become a member to receive more information. I'm sure this is a great system for Trudeau to make millions and this might make him seem unreliable, not to mention, he certainly doesn't have a background in health care. One thing I can say about Trudeau is that the concept of eating healthy and staying healthy simply by eating an organic version of all the food I eat now certainly sparked my interest. I was also pleased with the fact that he wasn't afraid to tell the general public why the government benefits from offering us trash food like McDonald's and Burger King. I was certainly convinced that eating organic was the way to go when I read Jordan Rubin's story. He was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and cured himself after many unsuccessful bouts of hospital visits in and out of the U.S.

I decided to put what I learned to good use and started shopping at the neighborhood "health food store". I dropped those extra pounds like nothing once I switched to organic food, mind you; this was after many months of diet attempts. There were times when I would just have salads only and the weight just seemed impossible to get rid of! What I didn't know when I was gobbling down my salads is the fact that I was also gobbling down pesticides.

Plenty of people are aware that there are pesticides found in much of the produce at the grocery store but we don't hear about anyone getting sick or dying from it, so we eat it. What some people do not know (like myself at the time) is that when you consume foods like these, the toxins in your stomach start to build up and prevent your body from releasing waste, in turn making us gain unnecessary weight. I was beginning to cleanse my body and began to feel better than ever. I was happy that I was at my normal weight again and I noticed that once this weight was achieved, I stopped losing. I can maintain my weight even when I splurge on organic chocolate or other treats because they're not stuffed with chemicals.

I tried to convince people to get onboard the organic wagon many times and was slightly unsuccessful. I continue to try to convince my mom but it isn't taking. There is a huge misconception out there that organic food is like rabbit food but this is completely false! I'm on my way to convincing my best friend, but her husband is not interested and dinnertime can be a challenge when you need to make two separate meals. It can sometimes be difficult as a guest at someone's home when they notice that you are eating very little food. Some may choose to poke fun at you simply because they don't understand. For example I've attended gatherings where a friend or family member will say something like, "We made this food for the party, but you can't eat it because only eat organic". Sometimes I feel like a rebel when all I've been doing is making healthy food choices for my family and myself. I have officially decided to just keep it to myself for the most part, but no one can stop me from sharing my discovery with a general audience. I don't intend to preach to anyone about what they should or shouldn't do because I have been known to stray occasionally. My point is to let you know that you can look and feel great by simply switching to organic food and I want to spread the word because the differences I've seen in myself are so remarkable I hope that everyone can have the same experience.

I am no longer "lactose intolerant". I couldn't even look at a piece of cheese or glass of milk three years ago without getting sick and wasn't interested in taking over-priced Lactaid pills every day to enjoy the foods I love. I basically stopped eating cheese and drinking milk- not a great idea. These stomachaches did not just happen when I consumed these products. I was a teacher working with children of special needs and was under a decent amount of stress so I attributed this as the reason for having an upset stomach every single day. It would start right after lunch and would last for at least a half hour, if not, for the whole afternoon. I would have an upset stomach when traveling because I was paranoid that my everyday stomachache would come back and I'd be trapped in the car or even worse- public transportation. The stomachaches got worse and I skipped many meals just to avoid being sick for the rest of the day. Little did I realize all I had to do is eat food that wasn't toxic and eat more of it!

Even though I still looked decent, I noticed that certain things just weren't the same. My nails were thin and brittle. My chin was constantly breaking out. My hair started to thin and my doctor tested me for malnourishment. The doctor said I need to eat more and take Lactaid and she fluffed me off with a bag full of sample packets of fiber and calcium supplements and sent me on my way. Thinking back now, I find it a little funny that the supplements contained propylene glycol, an agent used to clean antifreeze off the floors of garages.

After many stomachaches, new diets and much research, I finally switched to raw organic cheese and fresh raw milk found at a farm in Massachusetts and my lactose nightmare was over. Raw milk and cheese contain the necessary live enzymes needed to help our stomach break down lactose and digest easier. Pasteurization and homogenization destroy these live enzymes along with most of the vitamins. Why drink milk and eat cheese when they practically have no benefit to your health because they've been stripped of everything that makes them good in the first place? Not to mention, wash it down with some Lactaid and water as well as a few unwanted chemicals I'm sure? My nails and skin became much healthier as a result of drinking raw milk and I can now enjoy both milk and cheese without the agonizing pain that would normally follow.

Many people think that raw milk is dangerous. I did plenty of research before deciding to drink it and even more research before I gave it to my daughter. It is safe when you buy the raw milk from a local farm that is certified organic because the milk is constantly tested for bacteria counts and the farm receives many unscheduled visits for random testing. The farm is not allowed to sell the milk if the bacteria count is above a certain level and will lose their license until it meets the appropriate standards. The cows are fed hay and alfalfa during the winter and roam freely through the pastures. They are stress free and are not forced to eat corn that takes a toll on their system- even with four stomachs!

Raw milk and cheese coupled with organic food has changed my health for the better. I also drink Goji berry juice for extended health benefits as well as Noni juice on occasion. They each cost about .99 per bottle so I drink them when I can and alternate between the two simply to maintain my budget. Speaking of budgeting, you're probably wondering how in the world I manage healthy eating with the economy the way it is while practically living paycheck to paycheck. First and foremost, I admitted to myself that I would probably need to make a few sacrifices here and there to free up part of my budget for more expensive food. What I realized down the road is that I was actually spending around the same amount of money, slightly more on occasion. Why? Because when you eat organic, you eat less since the food actually makes you full. I made it my part-time job to visit as many stores in my area as possible to take a tally of what foods and drinks they carry and compared the prices. I found which stores carry the foods I eat on a regular basis and which stores I would visit on occasion for items like Goji and Noni juice. Even though it didn't take as much of a toll on my pocketbook as I expected, we all still need to cut corners and find the best bargains for our hard-earned money.

Eating organic and saving money can go hand-in-hand if you do it right and make it important enough to dedicate some time to each week. I may not have a foolproof method, but for now, I shop at a wide variety of stores at different times depending on what I want to buy. I have officially freed myself from the over-priced neighborhood "health food store". It was convenient to get everything I need in one place, but it was costing me an arm and a leg. I may shop at one or four of these stores on the weekend: Trader Joe's, Price Chopper, Stop & Shop, Market Basket, a local fish market, a small nutrition store in the next town and a local co-op. I stopped shopping at Shaw's once I bought my third item of expired organic food. The only thing I travel for is my raw organic milk and it's worth every mile for milk that tastes just like thinned vanilla ice cream!

I'm going to leave you with a list of some of the items I buy, from where, and an idea of what each cost so you can see that it is possible to eat healthy on a budget- as long as you don't mind doing a little extra work and of course a little cooking! Keep this in mind when you are the one trying to convince someone to switch to organic and they think it's ridiculous. Give them this example, If you were at work and you had a splitting headache that was making you sick but had no medicine and your coworker offered you a new over-the-counter pain reliever and told you it works better than any other, would you question them, or would you say thank you and take the pill? Why wouldn't you question a chemical that is about to enter your body yet you will question why you should eat pure food?

Here's my list:

Local Fish Market, "Mekong":

Haddock (Not farm-raised!) .99/lb.
Salmon (Not farm-raised!) .99/lb.

Grocery stores are running out of fresh fish and are turning to unhealthy farm-raised fish, not to mention fresh wild-caught fish from your local fish market is cheaper!

Local Food Co-Op: (This store is approximately 12' by 12'. It is a little treasure that I would never know about without doing research online. Everything listed here is organic. This is great for folks who have very little money to spend because you can volunteer your time and work there to receive discounts on your purchases! Most items are in bins so you bring your own bags and weigh them.):

Black beans
Kidney Beans
Pinto Beans
(Basically, any beans)
Split Peas (All organic legumes run from $.99-1.75/lb.)
Rolled Oats about .00/lb.
Hazelnut chocolate bar I can't find anywhere else! .99
Celtic sea salt about .50 will fill a saltshaker (This is a huge savings!)

The Nutrition Source: (This is another little treasure that I discovered in the town next door and they are very similar to the most popular nutrition store in the city at about half the cost. They also throw in free samples when they get new products. This is priceless- literally. You must find a store like this.)

I buy my organic legumes, oatmeal and sea salt here when I don't go to the co-op because they are close to the same price but have a smaller selection with pre-made bags.

Raw organic honey small jar .99

Organic spinach pasta about .49 per box

Organic raisins about .50/lb

Goji berry juice 1 liter usually .99 but has been on sale at .99 for months (This never happens anywhere else.)

Noni juice 1 liter about .99 per bottle (The Goji and Noni will last 2-4 weeks)

Organic coconut oil about .99 for a jar that will last 1 month

Natural hair gel about .99 for a bottle that lasts my husband 1 month

Jason's natural whitening toothpaste about .99

I need to be careful in this little store because I can easily drop 0.00 simply because of the deals and fun new items. Don't forget stay focused when shopping!

Misty Brook Farm: (This one's the doozie. This is where I don't cut corners and spend the most amount of money on a consistent basis. I travel 45 minutes away to this nearest farm to purchase my delicious raw organic milk. The farm offers a meat as well as a limited variety of products according to season but every one is 100% fresh and most are organic.)

One 1/2 Gallon raw organic milk in the canning jar (Almost straight from the cow!) .50 plus deposit (I usually buy four but it's never enough. Read more about the benefits of raw "organic" milk and believe me everything good you read is true.)

Organic Potatoes .99/lb. Straight from the ground!

Organic free range chicken and duck eggs .00/dozen

Meat is very expensive but delicious and the cleanest meat in the market.

Trader Joe's: (This place is tricky because very few of the products that read organic are 80% organic or more. They could just be 50% or more and this leaves room for 1/2 of the product to contain junk.):

Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt large container is .00 cheaper than at the grocery store

Organic Bananas 3/.00

Organic apples .99/5 lb. Bag

Organic oranges .99/ 5lb. bag

Hummus about .00 cheaper than the grocery store

Organic russet/red potatoes .99/bag

Organic cereal .00-2.00 cheaper than grocery store

Organic pasta sauce .00 cheaper than grocery store

Eggs .99/dozen (Average price but better "grocery store" eggs)

Organic Fruit strips for snacks $.49 ea.

Natural oatmeal/almond soap- huge bar .99

Tip: Don't buy the bread because it is extremely dry.

Here's the easy part:

I shop at the grocery stores for pretty much everything else because it is convenient. You really must be careful not to stray when you're at the grocery store and you want to be sure that you're not buying something that is "natural" because it means nothing. I usually purchase products that normally have a long shelf life from the grocery store. Products that need to be fresh like fish, eggs and milk need to be purchased elsewhere.

Do research online and look up organic food to find stores local to you. Do some window-shopping for the items you purchase the most and find the best places to shop to stock up on necessities. Get great recipes on line as well. Certainly check out Jordan Rubin's website and his books to have an understanding of how much you can change your life by eating organic food. Read about the benefits of organic coconut oil, Goji and Noni juice and raw milk.

You will realize that there is very little you need to change. You'll most likely just be buying a healthier version of the foods you already eat and may discover a few new things that you like. If you look hard enough, you'll find that there is and organic version of almost everything out there. Making the switch can be as simple as beginning to buy only organic foods at your grocery store until you get the urge to explore even more. Enjoy!

Eating Organic - Why and How to Start

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Video Clips. Duration : 2.00 Mins.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

No URL Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Organic Food History and Current Trends

Farming practices used before the 1900's are classed as organic. It was only after this that added chemicals such as urea and DDT were brought into farming - previous to this, farmers didn't have the knowledge and simply put, were happy enough with things as they were; as most of us today would be. After all, home grown food is often the nicest, most tasty food we put on our plates.

For some reason, during the 1960's and 1970's the concept of organic food became a separate entity to the 'normal' food we were then buying. Consumers had been effectively duped into believing that what they were buying, was food as nature intended, it not appreciating that the chemicals which were added during growth of the 'normal stuff' were what actually made the food abnormal in the first place.

Rachel Carson, a prominent writer, biologist and ecologist established public awareness of these issues via 'Silent Spring', a book she wrote which basically brought about major controversy on the use of agricultural chemicals and synthetic pesticides in particular. As a direct result of this book, and the growing concern over the use of farm chemicals which consumers were suddenly more aware of, chemical regulation procedures were put into place, and when the demand for organically grown food rose, so did the need for further regulatory procedures to cut down on the ecologically destructive and toxic chemicals.

Today, organic food is finally reaching an all time high of acceptance from consumers, so its demand is increasing - more 'organically acceptable' agricultural procedures are gaining momentum, and it seems even though it is more expensive than chemically treated foodstuffs, it is healthier, and it is that health factor which is winning the battle against chemically treated consumables.

A creation of a whole new set of ideas about organic standards which first came into debate in 1990, took over ten years to refine to relative perfection, and they will still evolve as new practices come into force. It is by these standards now that, organic food and other products such as wool in the USA is grown/gathered.

All of this though begs the questions - why can't farmers just grow food without chemicals at all, why does it need regulation, and why were chemicals introduced into grown food and other consumables in the first place; I think you already know the answer though, and that's money.

In this modern technological age where farmers are in direct competition between each other to gain the bigger contracts of the supermarkets and other food retailers, they have to be cheap. They simply can't grow the vegetables (for example) as fast as the grocery store can sell them, so they have to resort to other methods to keep up, or did do at least until the consumers voice began to ring out strong and true.

Organic food is no longer a small niche in the food desires of Americans; it is becoming what everyone wants. Everyone now wants and feels the need to eat in a more healthy fashion with the onset of so many new medical conditions which prove costly as it is; a little more expense to eat something grown without strong use of chemicals (which could 'theoretically' make it worse) might mean a saving health-wise instead.

The organic food trend of today is growing ever-stronger, and not just for vegetables even though at one point organic purchases totalled over 40% of all organic buys. Meat and fish which is organically produced is still at the lowest of all food purchases, but is moving up the chain too. Dairy, bread and grain, beverages and snacks are all becoming more and more popular.

Today there are more Organic supermarkets popping up everywhere, sometimes in certain areas more than others - almost as though people in one state are more 'organic' than others but on the whole it is more of a blanket change than just a few people trying to eat in a healthier way, the amount of people eating organically is far more substantial than most realize. Suddenly people have more choice, and this is obviously because the demand is there. The world is finally going organic, and with any luck the bigger grocery store chains will have to meet this demand, rather than flood the market with low-cost chemically treated alternatives.

Organic Food History and Current Trends

Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

Video Clips. Duration : 0.92 Mins.

Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

No URL Pogba amazing goal Juventus vs Udinese

A Guide to Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate Companies

Knowing Fair Trade and Certified Organic chocolate companies

Today, there are more fair trade chocolate companies and brands specializing in organic chocolate ingredients than ever. Whether you're looking for chocolate gifts for a special occasion or a quick snack for the road, your eco-shopping trip will be much less hassle today that it would have been even five years ago.

So breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that you no longer have to struggle over where to buy earth friendly chocolate products. We've collected a long list of the highest quality, most ethically-sound, and most popular chocolate companies and organic chocolate brands. Give them a gander, share them with your friends, and above all, celebrate your choice to live a greener, more socially-aware life!

Alter Eco

Using only Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade chocolate, as well as fair trade, organic sugar, nuts, raisins, and coffee beans, Alter Eco's chocolates are also free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, chemical additives, and emulsifiers.

Dagoba Organic

Dagoba Organic Chocolate's belief in chocolate as a sacred food (dagoba means temple in Sanskrit) is made from organic cocoa beans from a variety of countries, including Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Peru.

Divine Chocolate

Organized by farmers, the Divine Chocolate company works with small cocoa producers primarily in West Africa, to stimulate ethical trade practices. The company invests in building schools, sinking wells, providing mobile clinics, and fostering women's income generation projects.

Endangered Species

Endangered Species Chocolate stresses principles such as reverence for life and ethical trade. Their wrappers increase awareness of species that are currently threatened or endangered. Ten percent of all net profits are given to support species, habitat, and humanity.

Equal Exchange

Working with three different farmer cooperatives in the Dominican Republic, Equal Exchange organic chocolate products are both organic and fair trade. The company also produces teas, snacks, and coffee.

Green & Black's

Merging the "green" of organic chocolate production principles with the "black" of a decadent life, Green & Black's is both delicious and sustainable. They choose only organic and fairly traded chocolate ingredients.

Grenada Chocolate Company

For Granada Chocolate Company, it's not enough to purchase Certified Organic cocoa beans-they must grow the beans themselves. Working with organic farmers' cooperatives, they grow the beans and then use solar-powered machines to make the chocolate.

Ithaca Fine Chocolates

At Ithaca Fine Chocolates, the aim is to produce exquisite chocolate (using Swiss chocolatier methods) that's also Fair Trade Certified. They also only purchase USDA Certified Organic ingredients. Their wrappers, art cards, and display boxes are made from recycled paper as well.

Newman's Own Organics

A company founded by Paul Newman, Newman's Own Organics carries Signature Series Chocolate which is USDA Certified Organic and made from ingredients grown on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

Seeds of Change

Working to keep organic, open-pollinated seeds available for farmers and gardeners worldwide, Seeds of Change also produces some organic food and has recently developed a line of chocolate made from organically-grown cocoa, fruits, nuts, and spices from around the world.

Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates

Based in California, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates are Certified Organic by the Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) organization.

Terra Nostra Organic

A Vancouver, Canada company, Terra Nostra Organic Chocolate is Certified Organic and known for its magnificent taste and luxuriant finish. The company is also a founding member of Equitable Trade which strives to encourage ethically traded and organic chocolate farming methods for their suppliers.

Vintage Plantations

With the Rainforest Alliance stamp of approval, Vintage Plantations chocolate is made from Ecuadorian cocoa so you know that it's both eco-friendly and ethically traded.

Knowing where to buy fair trade chocolate

Now that you know what fair trade chocolate brands and organic chocolate companies to look for, you may also need some help knowing where to buy organic and fair trade chocolates (some artisans and producers don't sell their wares online). To help you out, here are some tools to help you know where to buy eco-friendly and ethical chocolates:

Global Exchange carries a wide range of Fair Trade Certified products, including chocolate, coffee, tea, crafts, clothing, jewelry, and more. TransFair USA maintains a list of national cafes, restaurants, and retailers carrying their Fair Trade Certified food products. The Chocolate Room carries some fair trade and organic chocolate bars. You can find Vintage Plantations fair trade chocolates at World Wide Chocolate online.
Choose Earth Friendly Chocolate for Gift Giving

Holidays throughout the year are popular occasions for buying chocolate as gifts. But this year, as you shop the isles or search online, keep earth friendly chocolate gifts in mind, especially when you come to the events here:

Valentine's

Treat your sweetheart to a box of chocolates that are Certified Organic or that have the Fair Trade Certification seal.

Christmas/Hanukkah

Stock up with Hanukkah Gelt that's Certified Organic and look for advent calendars and stocking stuffers for Christmas that are Fair Trade Certified.

Mother's Day

Surprise your Mom with a bouquet of chocolates that are healthier for her and that ensured women around the world were treated with dignity and respect. Fair Trade is the only way to go for this occasion.

Father's Day

If your Father has a sweet tooth, give him a real treat by purchasing organic chocolates that were produced using cocoa beans raised on farms that are pesticide and fertilizer-free. These will hit the spot without hurting the farmers.

Easter

Don't let the Easter bunny bring your children chocolates that were made using child slave labor! Choose Fair Trade Certified chocolates instead.

Halloween

Send trick-or-treaters home with sweets that won't create health problems for them later. Organic chocolates that are toxin-free are a great alternative to conventional treats.

Weddings

If it's your time to plan a spectacular day to celebrate your love, do so with favors that are ethical to add a green, socially-conscious flare to your day. Look for the fair trade and organic seals for your cake, too!

A Guide to Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate Companies

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Video Clips. Duration : 2.00 Mins.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

No URL Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Eco-Growing Newly Discovered Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables for Fun or Profit

Did you know there's an exotic melon with flesh like lime gelatin dessert (only better)? Have you ever heard of the taradi vine with its edible tubers? How about the delicious Shopova fruit? Ever grown, eaten, seen, or baked with emmer, an ancient Egyptian grain with up to 30% protein and no pests or disease, and which even inhibits its own weeds?

Backyard mini-farm home businesses, and those with small acreage, can search out and supply newly discovered and exotic crops for your family's pleasure or for profit.

An estimated 20,000 plants in the world supply humankind with food. Of these, about 2000 have been cultivated, and of these, only 150 are offered on a commercial scale. For example, in melons alone, there are dozens of incredible sweet varieties on the brink of extinction, but with seeds available to the gardener or market grower. Many have heard that there are hundreds of heirloom tomatoes alone, including a delicious one shaped like an accordion! But that's just the tip of our earth's new emerging Garden. The world is amidst a sustainable renaissance to restore the earth as a garden of abundance, and to rediscover these and other lost or locally and naturally improved crops. Micro eco-farms (backyard to small-acreage sustainable mini-farms) are often the first to offer these new crops to an eager market happy to support a food supply free of centralized corporate control and GMOs (stands for genetically modified organisms created in labs, where genes of species not intended to be mixed according to the universe's blueprint are forced into new organisms).

Many are joining this new movement, and the possibilities are almost endless.

Eco-Growing Newly Discovered Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables for Fun or Profit

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Video Clips. Duration : 2.00 Mins.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

No URL Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

You may think that smoothies are sweet concoctions that diabetics should avoid at all cost, and you would be wrong. Even if you have diabetes, you can still enjoy all the benefits of a healthy smoothie. You'll find many diabetic-friendly smoothie recipes that are low in carbohydrates and fats yet high in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Be sure to use whole fruits to get the maximum benefits out of healthy smoothies for diabetics.

We have a number of smoothie recipes below that call for fruits. These recipes are diabetic-friendly for the following reasons:

They do not include refined sugar These recipes use fresh or frozen whole fruits. Fruits are high in dietary fiber and they contain complex carbohydrates. Some smoothie recipes contain flax seed or wheat germ. These super foods help keep blood sugar at normal levels. These smoothies are low-calorie and low in carbohydrates. Diabetics and non-diabetics alike can enjoy these healthy smoothies.

To enjoy the following recipes, combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!

Strawberry & Banana Breakfast Smoothie

1 cup skim milk 3/4 cup low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup silken tofu 1 small banana 1-1/4 cups strawberries, preferably frozen 1/2 cup crushed ice

Blueberry & Banana Smoothie

1 cup skim milk 3/4 cup low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup silken tofu 1 banana, peeled and sliced 3/4 cup blueberries 1/2 cup crushed ice

Banana Smoothie

2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced (preferably frozen) 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla or fruit yogurt 2 cups low-fat milk 2 tbsp wheat germ or oat bran Ground nutmeg to taste (optional)

Mixed Berry Smoothie

1 cup frozen berries of your choice 1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt 1 tbsp malted milk powder 2 tsp wheat germ or oat bran 1 egg or egg substitute (optional)

Green Smoothie for Diabetics

2 cups water 2-3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves (preferably organic) 1 pear 1/2 to 1 banana 1/4 tsp cardamom 1-2 tbsp chia seeds (soak in 2 cups water for a while)

TIP: Chia seeds are high in fiber, calcium, protein, antioxidants and omega-3. You can buy them at health stores.

Strawberry Flax Smoothie

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt 1/2 cup skim milk 3 tbsp flax meal 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Tube. Duration : 2.00 Mins.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

No URL Huge Bear Surprises Crew on EcoBubble Photo Shoot in BC

How To Grow Aronia Berries - A Super Fruit

Introduction

Aronia plants are easy to grow and they will grow in many different garden soils. Aronia berries have high levels of vitamins and antioxidants, growing them can be a worthwhile addition to any home garden or field.

General Aronia Growing Ideas

Purchase your plants from a reputable nursery. Your best buy is usually two-year old plants. You should start getting some berries the following year. This will provide you with a berry crop very soon. The aronia plant varieties for fruit production are Viking and Nero. For fruit production purchase one of these varieties.

Aronia bushes are not very picky about the soil in which they are planted. They are well suited to a wide range of soil types. Aronia shrubs are some of the best at doing well in very wet winter soils that may be caused by slow drainage, and in dry summer soils.

To find out if you have suitable garden soil, take a sample to your local county agent and have it tested. Soil tests are one of the great bargains when it comes to gardening and growing plants. Your local extension agent can be a great resource for information. If your soil is not quite suitable, the report should tell you what you need to do. You can amend the soil by adding organic matter to the soil. Soils with high clay content tend to be very fertile. This is because the microscopically dispersed clay particles have the capacity to form chemical bonds with the elements or compounds essential for plant growth found in the soil. Adding organic matter to soils will improve the soil's fertility; help reduce soil compaction of the clay soil and increase water flow through the soil. Adding organic matter also will increase and increase air space within the clay soil, and make the soil more tillable. Sandy soils tend to be more acid than the more fertile loams and clays that are rich in nutrients. Adding organic matter to sandy soils will increase its fertility and water holding capacity.

pH Levels

The optimum pH level to grow aronia is slightly acid (6-6.5), but aronia will tolerate a wider pH range (5-8.5). You can supply a soil sample to your county agent for analysis. The report will tell you would if anything is needed to amend your soil.

Water

Aronia plants are not drought tolerant but they can usually dry summer soils once established. They need watering for maximum fruit production. Once the plants are established water them as needed usually once or twice per week when dry. You need to take into account recent rainfall amounts before watering your landscape. For a field of an acre or so the following guidelines may be helpful. Be ready to provide a several hour-long watering times of drip irrigation a couple times a week for a full year if rain is not plentiful this will increase the likelihood of success of plant survival. Not enough water after they are planted is the major cause of death for newly planted shrubs.

Water your plants at the right times

Water your plants when needed, while the sun is down between about midnight and 8 a.m. using a timer. This can save up to 700 gallons of water each month by reducing evaporation caused by the sun and wind by watering. This time is when the plants are most receptive to water. The most basic principle in watering is a very simple: Never water in the evening or at in the middle of the day. Morning is always the best time to water. The plant's roots are most able to receive water in the morning, and will utilize any moisture you provide most efficiently. Plants are also most to receive water in the morning, because the cells of the leaves 'open up' to accept the morning dew. This is the reason early morning is the best time of the day for foliar feeding using compost tea directly on plants. Never Water While the Sun Shines! Late afternoon or early evening is the worst time to water because the plant cells have shut down and will not open up again until the sun goes down!

Drip irrigation

Use drip irrigation system for your aronia shrubs and may save up to 375 gallons of water each month. Make sure your drip irrigation watering heads are not clogged or broken. Check to see that the system does not leak and that the water is directed to your plants

Fix leaks

Fix leaks supplying in your irrigation water system and save many gallons each month. Plants once established if your property does not receive sufficient rain each year you should water your plants as needed. Most plants generally need at least 1 inch of water per week. However frequent watering risks the plants' roots staying wet, over watering and standing water can cause the plants roots to drown and rot in the ground. The plant's roots need to dry out between watering. These easy tips will save water, help protect the environment and reduce utility costs for the water and the energy required to pump it.

Organic Matter

Increasing the amount of organic matter is probably one of the most important things you can do to improve your soil. Decomposed compost in the soil is a necessity for successful aronia planting. Add your own compost, leaves, grass clippings, or manure to the soil and mix it in well. A soil mix should contain about 2% to 5% organic matter. Sandy soil should contain closer to 2% or 3% and clay soil needs 4% to 5%. Spreading a layer of about 4 inches of organic mulch around plants helps retain moisture and saves water, time and money.

Mulching

Mulching is one of the most important ways to maintain healthy plants. Mulching reduces the amount of evaporation from the soil surface and reduces irrigation needs by about 50 percent. Using about 4 inches of organic mulch can save up to 750 gallons of water each month. Mulch helps keep plants cool, reduces evaporation, provides nourishment and helps control weeds.

Green manure crops

Cover crops, also referred to as called green manures, are an important way of improving texture, soil aeration and adding nitrogen. Cover crops support and encourage microorganisms and worms. Planting a "green manure crop," is an effective method of improving poor soils. Crops such as buckwheat or winter wheat serve as good green manure crops. Other green manure crops may include legumes such as cowpeas, soybeans, annual sweet clover, vetch, sesbania, and velvet beans. Rye (Secale cereale) is perhaps the best overall small grain cover crop. It can be seeded from August in northern and eastern Kentucky through mid-November in western Kentucky. Extremely winter-hardy varieties, such as Aroostook, should be considered if late planting is necessary. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is very effective in suppressing weeds and can also be used as a winter cover crop. It can survive over winter and will need to be mowed or by using No-Till rolling down the cover crop in spring instead of mowing it, the cover crop takes longer to decompose and becomes a weed-suppressing mulch. Use about the same seeding rate as annual ryegrass. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) can be used as a winter cover crop even though it is not an annual grass. It can be seeded mid-August through September and can provide a good ground cover before winter. Broadcast 20 to 30 pounds of seed per acre on clean-tilled soil. Use a corrugated roller (cultipacker) to firm the soil and press in the seed. The seed should be covered no more than ½-inch deep. Fescue can be grazed or cut for hay in early May. If it is to be used for hay. These crops improve the soil by the nutrients they bring up from the lower soil and converting them into plant organic matter. This actively growing organic matter is plowed under to incorporate the roots and leaves into the soil. This is an effective, cheap, and ecologically sound way to build organic matter into the soil.

Control weeds

Weeds compete with plants for sunlight, water, nutrients, and growing space. Weeds are one of the major threats to your crop they grow faster than your plants and successfully out compete them for available resources. Consider using permeable landscape cloth to control weeds if it is requires too much labor to control weeds otherwise. Weeds are a major factor in reducing farm productivity.

Setting fruit

Pollination or fertilization is not required to set aronia fruit because the flowers are bisexual and thus the plants are self-fertile. Aronia violet-black berries are firm 1/3 inch in diameter and produced in loose clusters of about 8 to 15 berries. The fruit ripen in mid September and can be harvest over the next four to six weeks however the berries tend to start shriveling up after ripening. The fruit and the foliage are not bothered much if at all by insects or diseases. Birds do not eat the developing fruit. Bird depredation is an indicator of when to harvest. If not harvested, birds and game birds will eat the fruit during the winter

Yield

In one site three-year old Nero plants planted in clay loam soil with a pH of 5.7 the plants produced over 20 pounds per plant. For an acre of 670 plants this was of about 14,000 pounds per acre for the third year of planning in the field. This is a pretty typical yield for Viking and Nero varieties. Typically Viking and Nero aronia variety shrubs produce about two pounds of berries per bush two years after planting. By the fourth year after planting, aronia berry production is about 20 pounds per bush. Production levels off at around 20 pounds or more per plant by the fifth or sixth year after planting.

Planting density

Planting density for machine harvest is usually about 600 to 700 plants per acre. For mechanical harvest, plants are spaced 3 to five feet apart in rows that are 12 feet apart. The plants produce numerous new shoots that will grow up from the roots of established plants. These will form a hedgerow by filling in the space between the plants. Most new growers who are just getting started initially plant one-half to five acres and expand the number of plants later.

Nutrient Composition

The rising interest in eating healthier foods has help make aronia berries and their products gain in popularity in recent years. The levels of vitamins, minerals and folic acids are high in the berries. Aronia berries are a little known super food that is gaining in recognition that has tremendous nutritional value. The aronia berries are also one of the richest plant sources of phenolic substances, mainly anthocyanins and proanthocyanins. Tests on aronia grown show that juice has a pH of about 3.5 and a brix of around 16.

Antioxidant capacity of fruit

Aronia berries top the list of more than 100 foods that have been scientifically tested for antioxidant capacity. Aronia berries have a huge potential as a healthy super food. Researchers have investigated at how aronia berries affects cardiovascular disease, liver failure, colon and breast cancers, and obesity.

How To Grow Aronia Berries - A Super Fruit

Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

Tube. Duration : 19.97 Mins.

Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

Barack Obama 2013 Inauguration Speech

Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

No URL Barack Obama's Complete 2013 Inauguration Speech

Is Avocado a Fruit Or a Vegetable? 4 Reasons That Make it a Fruit

Is avocado a fruit or a vegetable?

If you ever wondered, yes an avocado is a fruit and 4 reasons that make it a fruit is:

One, an avocado is a Persea, which is a genus of about 150 different evergreen trees that belong to the laurel family (Lauraceae). This region is known for its fruit, and the avocado is the best known member.

Two, like all other fruit, avocados grow in tropical or temperate climates.

Three, the name "avocado" also means fruit. Basically a large berry.

Four, avocados go well with desert items like other fruit. You can add it to ice cream, or puree it with sugar and milk to make a desert drink.

The avocado originated in south-central Mexico around 7,000 B.C. There are seven different varieties of avocados grown in California. The Hass, by far is the most popular kind of avocado accounting for 95% of the total crop. The California Hass avocado is most popular because of its creamy texture and rich flavor. avocados are not a vegetable, they are a fruit. avocados are sodium and cholesterol free with only 5 grams of fat per serving, mostly mono-unsaturated fat.

Once a luxury food item eaten only by royalty, avocados are now enjoyed by everyone. Brazilians like to add avocados to their ice cream, while the Filipinos like to puree their avocados with sugar and milk to make a desert drink. avocados are available year round and California is the leader in avocado production, producing 90% of the nations avocados. San Diego county is considered the avocado capital in America, because it produces 60% of all avocados grown in California. There are 7,000 avocado groves in California and a single Californian avocado tree can produce around 500 avocados (200 pounds of fruit) a year.

Most avocados darken when they are ripe. Also most avocados when ripe, yield to pressure. Look for fruit that is average to large, oval-shaped and heavy. To prepare an avocado, slice it open and remove the seed, then peel the skin from the flesh. The texture of the flesh should be silky smooth and the color of the flesh should be a rich green color. Like other fruit, avocados have different varieties available as certified organic fruit.

Is Avocado a Fruit Or a Vegetable? 4 Reasons That Make it a Fruit

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

Video Clips. Duration : 2.93 Mins.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

We're pleased to present the opening cinematic for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm in full HD glory! The expansion arrives March 12, 2013. Avoid the (Zerg) rush on launch day and pre-purchase the game digitally on Battle.net now: blizzard.com

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

No URL StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic

America's Best Tasting and Keeping Blueberry Varieties

Introduction

The following are varieties for a season of fresh great tasting and keeping blueberries. This is a listing of some of the best tasting and keeping varieties listed according to ripening time (i.e. Early-Season, Mid-Season, Late Mid-Season, and Late Season) and variety type (i.e. northern and southern varieties). Northern varieties are generally plants for growing zones 3 to 7. Southern varieties are generally for growing zones 5 to 10 depending on the variety. Always select your plant by the growing zone for which it is suited. This list is based on reports from various users and does not claim to be exhaustive and complete. However it does give a good cross-section of good tasting and keeping blueberry varieties.

Best-tasting and keeping Early Season Varieties

Northern Varieties

a) Hannah's Choice (Early season) this is a sweet blueberry with good flavor. It represents an improvement in sweetness, flavor and firmness over currently grown early varieties. It yields 10 to 12 pounds per bush at maturity. It is the best flavor of all early ripening northern varieties.

b) Patriot is an excellent flavored early variety. Its yield is high, averaging 10 to 15 pounds at maturity. Patriot is adaptable to many diverse soil types and performs better in heavier soil than some other varieties. This plant works well as a container plant. It is self-pollinating having an average height of 3 to 4 feet tall. Patriot's low growing bush reflects its partial low-bush parentage.

c) Sierra is an outstanding edible hedge with large blueberries having excellent flavor.

Southern varieties

a) O'NEAL will have yields of 10 to 20 pounds at maturity with large size fruit. O'NEAL is the major leading early southern variety. It is one of the very best flavored blueberries of the southern varieties with consistent quality throughout harvest

b) Star was the highest yielding early southern variety in one study.

c) Premier is a rabbit-eye type with early to mid-season ripening Large, light blue, good quality fruit; excellent flavor and it stores very well and is highly productive.

Best-tasting and keeping Mid-Season Varieties

Northern Varieties

a) Blue Gold is a beautiful, compact, rounded bush. It grows only four feet tall but bears large clusters of easy-to-pick berries. It has Very high production of truly superior fruit. Its fruit stores well. In test Blue gold blueberries have maintained good quality for up to five weeks! The beautiful blueberries form large clusters that are easy to pick and are superb for baking.

b) Draper is a recently developed, highly productive, early mid-season variety with outstanding flavored berries that have superior shelf life. The fruit are eaten fresh, frozen or processed into products like jams, and jellies.

c) Jersey is a mid-season medium size plant with sweet berries. The blueberries have a good shelf life

Southern Varieties

a) OLYMPIA BLUEBERRY is said to be the best tasting of all the blueberries

b) Hardy blue is known for its superior flavored, exceptionally sweet berry. Hardy blue is a tried and true variety that is known for heavy crops of berries. The fruit is perfect for pancakes and muffins. Hardy blue is known for being adaptable to many types of soil, including heavier clay soils.

c) Jubilee is a consistent producer of very high quality fruit even in dense soils and very hot summers and sudden winter cold. Its blueberries have good shelf life.. We particularly like the taste of these easy picking, bountiful crops.

d) Georgia Gem is an early to mid-season ripening variety. The fruit has excellent flavor and firmness. It is quite cold hardy, yet tolerant of high temperatures.

e) Tifblue is thought to be one of the best rabbit eyes. It has mid-season ripening. The Tiftblue blueberries are among the most flavorful rabbiteye blueberries. Tifblue is the most cold-hardy of all other rabbiteye blueberries varieties. It is often recommended to be the predominant rabbit eye variety in any planting.

Best-tasting and keeping Late Mid-Season Varieties

Northern varieties

a) Brigitta is a mid-late season variety with large berries, good sweet flavor and tremendous keeping quality in your refrigerator. This makes Brigitta one of the best late season blueberries. In test this variety remained firm with high soluble solids for five to six weeks of storage

b) Nelson - Fruit quality very good. In test Nelson blueberries have maintained good quality for up to five weeks!

Southern Varieties

a) Legacy fruit has a mid to late-season ripening time. This variety has high quality fruit and stores well. It keeps its leaves through the winter in mild climates, offering a very different look for blueberries in the landscape. Its foliage will turn bright orange in colder climates. The fruit of this variety remains firm with high soluble solids for five to six weeks of storage. The variety seems to adapt to most soils and cold to moderate climates. Legacy was rated as one of the best flavored varieties in USDA trials.

b) Premier is a rabbit eye type with early to mid-season ripening. Its blueberries are large, light blue, good quality with excellent flavor and it stores very well. Premier is highly productive.

c) Ozark blue is a late mid-season variety. The quality of fruit is excellent and the shelf life of the fruits is superior. Its flavor is sweet to sub acid, which means high flavor. It can tolerate heat well and its irrigation requirements are not as great as some other blueberry plants. It resists spring frosts and is highly productive producing high quality blueberries. Ozark blue ripens just before the rabbit eyes. Ozark blue is usually listed as a southern variety, but its outstanding performance further north deserves consideration by growers in cooler climates.

d) Sunshine Blue is a semi-dwarf, versatile evergreen blueberry. It yields large crops of delicious blueberries. Sunshine Blue will better tolerate higher pH soils than many other blueberries. It is self-pollinating and is one of the most popular plants for container growing and landscaping. It has a low chilling requirement of 150 hours making it suitable for Southern California, but it is also surprisingly cold-hardy.

Grow your own blueberries

Purchase your own pesticide free plants from a reputable nursery and grow your own healthy blueberries. Select plants for your growing zone and plants with the flavor and keeping quality that suits you.

America's Best Tasting and Keeping Blueberry Varieties

Bastille - Pompeii

Video Clips. Duration : 3.88 Mins.

Bastille - Pompeii

Pompeii is released 24th February. Pre order now: smarturl.it Album out 4th March. Pre Order now: smarturl.it Visit Bastille's VEVO Lift channel: www.vevo.com Join Bastille online: www.facebook.com twitter.com bastilleuk.tumblr.com instagram.com soundcloud.com www.bastillebastille.com Music video by Bastille performing Pompeii. (P) 2013 The copyright in this audiovisual recording is owned by Virgin Records Ltd

Bastille - Pompeii

Bastille - Pompeii

Bastille - Pompeii

Bastille - Pompeii

No URL Bastille - Pompeii




Pompeii is released 24th February. Pre order now: smarturl.it Album out 4th March. Pre Order now: smarturl.it Visit Bastille's VEVO Lift channel: www.vevo.com Join Bastille online: www.facebook.com twitter.com bastilleuk.tumblr.com instagram.com soundcloud.com www.bastillebastille.com Music video by Bastille performing Pompeii. (P) 2013 The copyright in this audiovisual recording is owned by Virgin Records Ltd

Tags:



Organic Fruit Variety

America's Best Tasting and Keeping Blueberry Varieties

America's Best Tasting and Keeping Blueberry Varieties
America's Best Tasting and Keeping Blueberry Varieties

Organic Fruit Variety


We're pleased to present the opening cinematic for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm in full HD glory! The expansion arrives March 12, 2013. Avoid the (Zerg) rush on launch day and pre-purchase the game digitally on Battle.net now: blizzard.com

Tags:



Organic Fruit Variety

Is Avocado a Fruit Or a Vegetable? 4 Reasons That Make it a Fruit

Is Avocado a Fruit Or a Vegetable? 4 Reasons That Make it a Fruit
Is Avocado a Fruit Or a Vegetable? 4 Reasons That Make it a Fruit

Organic Fruit Variety


Barack Obama 2013 Inauguration Speech

Keywords:



Organic Fruit Variety

How To Grow Aronia Berries - A Super Fruit

How To Grow Aronia Berries - A Super Fruit
How To Grow Aronia Berries - A Super Fruit

Organic Fruit Variety


Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Tags:



Organic Fruit Variety

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics
Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

Organic Fruit Variety


Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Keywords:



Organic Fruit Variety

Eco-Growing Newly Discovered Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables for Fun or Profit

Eco-Growing Newly Discovered Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables for Fun or Profit
Eco-Growing Newly Discovered Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables for Fun or Profit

Organic Fruit Variety


Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Keywords:



Organic Fruit Variety

A Guide to Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate Companies

A Guide to Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate Companies
A Guide to Fair Trade, Organic Chocolate Companies

Organic Fruit Variety

Tags:



Organic Fruit Variety

Organic Food History and Current Trends

Organic Food History and Current Trends
Organic Food History and Current Trends

Organic Fruit Variety


Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Tags:



Organic Fruit Variety

Eating Organic - Why and How to Start

Eating Organic - Why and How to Start
Eating Organic - Why and How to Start

Organic Fruit Variety


Check out what happened to this crew on a photoshoot for the EcoBubble washing machine. They were near Manning Park, BC.

Keywords:



Organic Fruit Variety

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics
Fruit Smoothie Recipes: Healthy Smoothies for Diabetics

Organic Fruit Variety

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

History Of Citrus

History Of Citrus

The pleasing appearance of citrus trees and the fruit was mentioned by many ancient travelers, even though the fruit of citrus trees had not evolved to the point as an important food staple, the fragrance of all parts of the citrus trees, including the flowers and fruit, were desirable perfumers of rooms and were thought to repel insects.

History Of Citrus

The occurrence of citrus in Europe and Mideast were thought to have been natural occurring native trees and shrubs, but historians today believe that the ancestor of the citrus trees, Citrus medica L., was introduced by Alexander the Great from India into Greece, Turkey, and North Africa in the late 4th century BC. The most ancient citrus was called 'citron.'

Organic Fruit Variety

History Of Citrus

There are ancient clues from wall paintings in the Egyptian temple at Karnak that citrus trees had been growing there. There were other suggestions that citrus trees may have been familiar to the Jews during their exile and slavery by the Babylonians in the 6th century BC. Even though speculations suggest that citrus trees were known and grown by the Hebrews, there is no direct mention in the Bible of citrus.

History Of Citrus

History Of Citrus

The first recording of citrus, Citrus medica L., in European history was done by Theophrastus, in 350 BC, following the introduction of the fruit by Alexander the Great.

In early European history, writers wrote about Persian citrus, that it had a wonderful fragrance and was thought to be a remedy for poisoning, a breath sweetener, and a repellant to moths.

Citrus was well known by the ancient cultures of the Greeks and later the Romans. A beautiful ceramic tile was found in the ruins of Pompeii after the city was destroyed by a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Another mosaic tile in the ruins of a Roman villa in Carthage, North Africa, in about the 2nd century AD, clearly showed the fruit of a citron and a lemon fruit growing on a tree branch.

Early Christian tile mosaics dating back to 300 AD of both oranges and lemon were shown in lemon-yellow and orange colors surrounded by bright green leaves and freshly cut tree branches; the relics can still be seen in Istanbul, Turkey at mosques that once were churches of Emperor Constantine.

It is not known how, where, or when the exceptional present day varieties of citrus trees developed, such as the sweet orange, lemon, kumquat, lime, grapefruit, or pummelo, but there appears to be a general consensus of opinions that all these citrus developments and improvements were obtained by natural and artificial selection and natural evolution. It is well known, that the Romans were familiar with the sour orange, Citrus aurantium L. and the lemon tree, Citrus limon. After the fall of Rome to the barbarian invasions and the Muslims, the Arab states rapidly spread the naturally improving cultivars of citrus fruits and trees throughout much of North Africa, Spain, and Syria. The spread of sour orange, Citrus aurantium L., and the lemon, Citrus limon, extended the growing and planting of these trees on a worldwide scale by planting the seed, which produced citrus trees very similar to the parent trees. The Crusades conquest of the Arabs later spread citrus planting and growing throughout Europe.

The sweet orange, Citrus sinensis, appeared late in the 1400's, near the time of Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. After trade routes were closed when the Turks defeated the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453, centered in Constantinople (Istanbul), many European kings began to seek alternate, trade, sea routes to open trade by ships with China and India. The sweet orange tree introduction into Europe changed the dynamics of citrus fruit importance in the world. The voyage of Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gamma, recorded that in 1498, there were multitudes of orange trees in India, and all the fruits had a sweet taste. The new sweet orange variety, known as the "Portugal orange" caused a dramatic surge in citrus planting, much like the much later appearance of the "Washington navel orange" tree introduction into California.

The lime, Citrus latifolia, was first mentioned in European history by Sir Thomas Herbert in his book, Travels, who recorded that he found growing "oranges, lemons, and limes" off the island of Mozambique in the mid 1600's. Lime trees today are available in many cultivars.

In 1707, Spanish missions were growing oranges, fig trees, quinces, pomegranates, peaches, apricots, apples, pear trees, mulberries, pecans, and other trees according to horticultural documents.

The Mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata, was described in Chinese history in the late 1100's, but was unknown in Europe, until it was brought from a Mandarin province in China to England in 1805, where it spread rapidly throughout Europe.

The pummelo, Citrus grandis, also called the shaddock and the 'Adam's Apple' was growing in Palestine in the early 1200's and was planted and grown by the Arabs. The pummelo is believed to have an Asian origin and was planted as seed in the New World.

The grapefruit, Citrus paradisi, is believed to have arisen as a mutation from the pummelo tree. Grapefruit were so named because they grew in clusters like grapes, but most gardeners considered them to be inedible until A.L. Duncan found an outstanding seedling grapefruit that was named Duncan grapefruit in 1892; the original tree is still alive and growing in Florida.

Christopher Columbus introduced citrus on the island of Haiti in 1493. It is believed that he brought citrus seed to be planted and grown of the sour orange, the sweet orange, citron, lemon, lime, and pummelo fruits. Records show that these citrus trees were well established in the American colonies in about 1565 at Saint Augustine, Florida, and in coastal South Carolina.

William Bartram reported in his celebrated botanical book, Travels, in 1773 that Henry Laurens from Charleston, South Carolina, who served as a President of the Continental Congrees, introduced "olives, limes, ginger, everbearing strawberry, red raspberry, and blue grapes" into the United States colonies after the year 1755.

William Bartram in his book, Travels, reported that near Savannah, Georgia, "it is interesting to note that as late as 1790, oranges were cultivated in some quantity along the coast, and in that year some 3000 gallons of orange juice were exported."

Many of these wild orange groves were seen by the early American explorer, William Bartram, according to his book, Travels, in 1773, while traveling down the Saint John's River in Florida. Bartram mistakenly thought these orange trees were native to Florida; however, they were established centuries earlier by the Spanish explorers.

The citrus industry began rapidly developing in 1821 when the Spanish gave up their territories and its many orange groves to the United States. Wild orange tree groves were top-worked with improved cultivars and residents traveling to Florida realized how refreshing orange juice tasted; thus began the shipments of oranges, grapefruit, limes, and lemons that were sent to Philadelphia and New York by railway and ships in the 1880's.

Citrus plantings were extensively done in California by the Spanish missionaries; however, the commercial industry began to grow with the 1849 Gold Rush boom, and efforts to supply the miners from San Francisco with citrus fruit were successful. The completion of the Transcontinental Railway further stimulated the citrus industry, since citrus could be rapidly sent to eastern markets. Later improvements of refrigeration helped to increase citrus growing and planting, mainly oranges, lemons, and limes throughout the world in 1889.

Florida at first dominated citrus production in the United States, but because of some devastating freezes in 1894 and 1899, Satsuma orange trees were virtually wiped out in the Gulf States. Thousands of acres of Satsuma orange trees were wiped out in Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana in the hard freeze of 1916; thus the citrus production of the United States began to shift from Florida to California.

Citrus is marketed throughout the world as a beneficial health fruit that contains Vitamin C and numerous other vitamins and minerals in orange and citrus products lime marmalade, fresh fruit, and frozen and hot-pack citrus juice concentrates.

Copyright 2006 Patrick Malcolm

History Of Citrus

Organic Fruit Variety

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Growing Organic Watermelon

Growing Organic Watermelon

When to Plant

Growing Organic Watermelon

Growing Organic Watermelon

---

Growing Organic Watermelon

Growing Organic Watermelon

A long growing season (at least 3 months of warm weather) is needed to mature and develop sweet watermelons. In short summer areas, a warm indoor start can count towards the long-season requireMents. If you live in the North, starting your watermelon seeds indoors 2-4 weeks before your last frost date will allow you to take advanTAGe of any warm, sunny days outdoors and still be able to bring them in at night or on cooler days. Planting too early will cause the plants to develop tendrils or more than four leaves which may cause your plants to have difficulty setting roots once they are transplanted to the garden. In the warmer southern climates, watermelons can be direct-seeded in the garden once soil temperatures have reached a steady 75-80F.

Where to Plant

The key to growing a successful watermelon crop is to provide as many sunny, warm days as possible for the growing plants and protect them from cold temperatures. The more exposure warmth the vines receive, the more fruit your plants will produce in the summer.

Watermelons require full sun and plenty of heat. Give your watermelons the sunniest spot available with good Air circulation. This will help the plants dry out quickly after a rain to prevent diseases.

Preparing the Soil

Watermelons prefer well-drained, sandy loam soils with a pH level between 6.0 and 6.5. Soils with a pH less than 6.0 will produce plants with yellowed foliage and fewer perfect flowers. Good drainage is critical for preventing disease in your melon plants. If your soil doesn't drain water well, mix a generous amount of organic matter into the soil before planting. We recomMend mounding your soil into hills. Raised hills improve drainage and helps keep the soil temperatures up. If you water with soaker hoses, mounding up a row (rather than hills) will make watering easier.

Mix in a shovel full of well-aged manure where you plan each hill. This is especially important if a spring crop has already been planted in this area and taken nutrients from the soil. Mound your manure aMended soil into hills about 12" tall and 2'-3' wide. Space each hill 4'-6' apart, depending on how much space your variety needs. Adding 2-3" of aged manure or compost before planting your melons will give the plants a nutrient boost and improve your soil's structure.

As much as I'm not a fan of plastic, it's almost a necessity when trying to grow watermelons in a shorter growing season. This is something you will need to decide for yourself. Watermelons build up sugar and develop sweetness in their final days of growth so providing the necessary warmth is critical for a growing a good watermelon crop.

Covering your planting area with plastic a couple weeks before transplanting will warm the soil more quickly. Depending on the weather, this can allow you to transplant your seedlings outdoors up to 7 to 10 days earlier than without the use of plastic.

If plastic is left throughout the growing season, it will reduce ground rot in your fruit (fruits rotting from sitting on soil). Clear plastic mulch will heat the soil up 4-5 degrees warmer but black plastic will prevent weed growth.

Ventilation holes must be made in your plastic mulch to allow oxygen into the soil. If your plastic doesn't have pre-made ventilation holes and it is still on the roll, you can use a ¾" drill and drill your own holes through the layers at an 8"x8" spacing.

Choosing the Right Seeds

When choosing a watermelon variety, consider how much space the plant requires to spread out. If you have a limited growing area, choose a bush type that is more compact. Some heirloom or more vigorous varieties can take up 100 square feet per plant and only produce 2-3 fruits.

Seeds and Germination

Watermelon seeds germinate optimally between 70 and 90 degrees F. At these temperatures, seeds will germinate within 5-10 days. At temperatures below 60F, germination will not occur.

Getting Started Indoors

Watermelons don't survive frost or maintain proper growth at temperatures below 60F. In areas with short summers, seeds must be started inside and later transplanted outdoors; be extremely careful not to disturb the roots. Watermelon plants do not thrive well if their roots are disturbed, even when young seedlings.

Plant your seeds in loose potting soil (not seed germinating mix as it contains no nutrients for the developing seedling).

Plant 2 seeds ½" deep per 4" individual pot (I plant 2 seeds in case one seed does not germinate, and as the seeds get older I might add 1 or 2 more just to be sure I get one good plant). Watermelon seeds remain useable for 5 years after your initial purchase.

Keep planted seeds in a warm, sunny area (such as a south-facing window) where soil temperatures maintain between 70F-95F. Use bottom heat if necessary to maintain around 75F soil temperature. Once your seedlings are 2" tall, thin each pot to the one strongest plant by cutting the other seedlings off at soil level.

Transplanting to Outdoors

Starting your seeds indoors can extend your melon growing season 2 to 4 weeks but melons are particularly sensitive to transplanting. If the roots are disturbed, your plants growth will be stunted.

Vines may not set fruit if they're chilled when seedlings so be sure the soil temperatures remain steady at all times and the garden soil has warmed to 70-80F before transplanting outside. Planting in cooler soil will also increase the chance of soil-borne root diseases developing.

To prevent disturbing the roots, 4" use peat pots or other bio-degradable planting pots instead of plastic seedling pots. Peat pots will decompose quickly and allow you to plant the pot directly in the garden bed when you transplant the seedlings.

Carefully tear or cut out the bottom of the peat pot before planting in the ground to allow the roots to spread more quickly. Be very careful not to cut the roots. If the roots are too dense (root bound) at the bottom, don't cut the bottom out as you may damage the roots.

Transplants should have 2-3 mature leaves and a well-developed root system when they are moved into the garden. Planting seedlings that have developed 4 or more leaves may have difficulty setting roots once transplanted to the garden.

If you covered your soil with plastic to help bring up the soil temperature, you can remove the plastic before planting or leave the plastic down to continue locking in the heat. Cut slits in the plastic every 4 to 6 feet and plant seedlings through the slits.

If you choose to leave the plastic down, be sure to anchor it well. Plastic that is not anchored well can blow off during a windy day, breaking your plants in the process. If growing watermelon in rows, space seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart within the row. Space rows 5 to 6 feet apart. In shorter season areas, only plant one plant per hill so it will not compete for nutrients with other vines. In warmer climates, 2-3 plants can be planted per hill.

Crop Covers

To protect your young plants from wind damage, which can retard growth and reduce the amount of fruit the vine will set, place hot caps, plastic tunnels, or a row cover over the plants the first 2-3 weeks until the plants have a chance to better establish themselves.

The use of one of these coverings will also protect your plants from cooler Air temperatures and early insect pests. Remove the covering within 2-3 weeks to avoid high temperature plant injury and to allow bees and other pollinators easy access to the flowers.

Direct planting (planting seeds directly into garden bed)

Follow the above instructions for preparing your soil and forming hills. Once your hills are formed and aMended with well-aged manure or compost, plant the seeds ½" - 1" deep, sowing six seeds per hill.

When your watermelon plants have reached 2" tall, thin seedlings to 2-3 plants per hill by leaving the healthiest and most vigorous seedlings and cutting the remaining plants off at soil level.

If planting in rows, plant 2 to 3 seeds together ( a couple inches apart from each other) every 18 to 24 inches within the row. Once the seedlings are 2" tall, thin to the best plant per group by cutting the remaining plants off at soil level.

Don't pull weeds up by hand. Hand-pulling could disturb the root systems of the other plants and pull them out of the soil.

Mulching

Applying 2-3" of mulch around the plant will conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth. Organic mulches like woodchips or straw can also be used when growing watermelons, but do not apply organic mulches until soils are warmer than 75ºF. Applying organic mulches too early keeps the soil cool, resulting in slow growth and shallow rooting.

Weeding

The roots of melons grow close to the surface of the soil, so it's important not to cultivate too deeply or too close to the plants. Cultivate just deeply enough to cut the weeds off below the surface of the soil. Continue cultivating until the vines begin to spread between the rows. Then pull large weeds by hand.

Watering

Regular deep watering is especially crucial during the first 3 to 4 weeks that growing watermelon vines are growing in your garden. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are the best way to give watermelons a steady Supply of moisture. Water deeply and infrequently (1-2 times per week); provide a total of 1-2 inches of water per week.

Cut back on the water once the plants have started to set fruit; over-watering will dilute the melon's sugars, causing it to be less flavorful and lose sweetness. Too much water could also stress the plant and cause less fruit to develop. There is very little benefit in a light watering that only wets the soil's surface. Deep, infrequent, but consistent watering is extremely important especially in the last 2 weeks of growth. Excessive watering at this sTAGe can cause the fruit to split.

Companion Planting and Rotation Considerations

Watermelon doesn't allow much room for companions, and does best when it can sprawl out freely without competing for nutrients with other plants.

You can try planting Marigolds or Nasturtiums in the area which deter beetles, or Oregano which provides general pest protection but it is likely the vines will smother them if planted too close. They need to be in their own pot or raised bed, out of the reach of the encroaching vines.

Because watermelons are in a different class than muskmelons (cantaloupe) and both require the same care, they're good companions. Watermelons and muskmelons share the same nutrient requirements and have the same watering needs; and because they are in a different class, their seeds won't cross-pollinate.

When to Harvest

Ripe watermelon doesn't slip from the vine when it is ripe, so it takes a little more know-how to tell when a watermelon is ready to pick.

Use this combination of indicators to check for ripeness:

Tendrils near the fruit stem have become brown and dry;

The fruit surface is rough to the touch and the fruit color is dull;

The bottom of the watermelon (where it lies on the soil) has changed from a light green to a yellowish color;

Look for 'black sap spots'. These are caused by bees extracting the juice from the melon. If there are several beads of hard black sugars, you know you've got a sweet melon.

Preventative and Natural solutions to Common Pests and Problems

The use of row covers will help prevent infestations of most pests (see Row Covers, Hot Caps, & Plastic Tunnels)

Striped and Spotted Cucumber Beetles

These pests spread bacterial wilt throughout your crop when they feed; they tend to attack around the time the plants begin flowering. Note: Male flowers will appear first, at leaf joints on the main stem and female flowers will appear. About one week later, female flowers will develop off of secondary side-shoots.

Your best defense against these pests is to cover your plants with row covers until flowering. The covers must be removed once the female flowers appear so that the bees can access the plants for pollination.

A severe infestation can be controlled with pyrethrins; the pyrethrins are a pair of natural organic compounds that have potent insecticidal activity.

Melon Aphids

Aphids are tiny pear-shaped insects with long antennae that suck sap from the plant, causing the leaves to become distorted and drop.

A strong spray of water can often knock the insects off your plants. Crushing several cloves of garlic into a spray bottle filled with water and spraying mixture on the plants can often deter these pests. Insecticidal soap, pyrethrins, and neem oil are also effective organic insecticides for heavy infestations.

Squash Vine Borers

Squash vine borers look like 1" long white caterpillars. They bore through the stem of the plant and may be unnoticeable to the gardener until the vine begins to wilt.

In April (in the South) and in late June or early July (in the North), keep a lookout for an orange and black wasp-like moth. This is an adult borer which lays eggs at the base of the stem during this time. The tiny orange and red eggs are laid just below the surface of the soil. Remove and crush any eggs you can find.

Once the season progresses, keep an eye for entry holes at the base of the stems. If the hole is surrounded by a yellow dropping that resembles sawdust, cut a slit in the stem and remove any larvae. An injection of Bt can also be used (Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, is a soil-dwelling bacterium, frequently used as an organic alternative to chemical pesticides).

Environmental Factors

Vine crops that have recently been transplanted or that have been direct-seeded outside and recently germinated have been known to suddenly wilt and die. Most often this occurs when you have a stretch of 4 or more days of rainy, or overcast weather with no protection over your plants to retain heat. If soil temperature drops down below 60F, the plant roots stop absorbing water from the soil.

When the sun does reappear, water evaporates from the leaves Faster than the roots absorb water, which results in sudden wilting and death. To prevent this from happening, keep your plants protected when cool wet weather is predicted with the use of row covers or hot caps. In humid climates, watering the roots directly rather than soaking the leaves helps prevent many common foliar diseases.

Disease

Most diseases can be avoided by following these rules:

When growing watermelon choose varieties resistant to common diseases such as powdery mildew. Wait until the soil has warmed to a minimum of 70F before planting seeds or transplants and keep soil temperatures consistently warm throughout the enTire plant cycle. Keep seeds and seedling beds moist but not water logged.

If starting indoors, plant seeds in 4" pots or larger to lessen root disturbance and allow more room for roots to develop properly. Transplant seedlings once they have 2-3 true leaves. Avoid over-applying Nitrogen (such as animal manure). Too much nitrogen, especially during fruit set, can encourage "hollow heart" and bland flavor. Provide good air movement around plants by keeping weeds under control and planting with proper spacing.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew, a fungus, can cause leaves to prematurely die, and reduce yield and fruit quality. Damage can include brown spots, tattered holes in leaves, sunken brown lesions on vines, and rotted fruit. Powdery mildew infections are usually caused by warm, humid conditions (68-81F), or the plant being damp too long from rain or overhead watering.

In warm, dry conditions, new spores are produced in leaf spots and can easily spread disease by being blown by the wind and infecting other leaves. To avoid these diseases do not grow melons in an area where any member of the squash family has been grown for 3 years or more. Reduce moisture on leaves by providing plants with proper space, controlling weeds, and using drip irrigation or a soaker hose instead of sprinkler irrigation. Apply a natural fungicide when a single spot of powdery mildew is spotted. Sulfur products can be applied to both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves. Remove severely infected plants and any debris from the garden.

Plant disease resistant varieties whenever available. Resistance is virus specific and it is necessary to first determine which mosaic virus is common in your area. A reputable seed company in your part of the country will have this information. If not, ask your county extension.

Purchase clean seed from a reputable supplier. If saving seeds, do not collect seed from infected plants. Control weeds within and around the planting area. Especially perennial weeds that can carry the virus from one season to the next. Control aphids and cucumber beetles early on to keep populations low. If disease appears in a few plants, bury or dispose these plants to prevent further spread of the disease. Wash hands and tools after working with infected plants.

Storage

Watermelons will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, but not only will flavor and sweetness diminish, so will nutrition levels. The best way to store a watermelon is at a room temperature of 50-60°, such as a basement. Watermelons will last up to 2-3 weeks and retain their flavor, sweetness and nutrition. Melon flesh can be frozen (think watermelon smoothie) and rinds can be pickled.

Growing Organic Watermelon

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)