Composting - What Can I compost?

In a previous post we talked about composting. Here is a list of items that can be composted.

• All yard trimmings - Leaves, Grass clippings, Weeds, Thatch and remains of garden plants
• Ground brush, Wood ash,
•  Kitchen scraps - fruit & vegetable peelings, egg shells, cocoa pods - Do not compost meat, bones, fatty foods ( cheese, salad dressing, cooking oil)
• Papers, books 

Happy Composting Today

Fruit of the Day

Also referred to as June Plum, Jocote Fruit, Spanish Plum, Hog Plum, Mombin, Circuela...

Jocote, also called Mombin, is a small fruit (2-3 cm in diameter) that can be eaten either when it is still unripe and green, or when the fruit has ripened and has a dark red color. There are two principal species of jocote, both with a large number of different varieties (the total number of varieties in Nicaragua is estimated at 50). 

Plum Strew

One of the species is the yellow jocote, harvested during the rainy season mostly from July thru September; and the other is the red jocote, mostly available in the dry season. 

The yellow jocote is grown in many different regions in Nicaragua, but mostly in the Pacific and Central areas. The unripe fruit is green, and it turns yellow as it ripens, and it is normally eaten with some salt.  It can also be cooked. 

The other species, red jocote, is also present mostly in the Pacific and Central regions. The color of the unripe fruits varies between green and yellowish, before they turn dark red. Before ripening they are eaten with salt, but ripe fruits are sweet enough to be eaten plainly. They are also used as an ingredient for drinks.

During the harvesting seasons, jocotes are offered in abundance by street vendors at main traffic intersections or routes, often sold in plastic bags that include 20-30 jocotes and a small bag of salt that can be used to flavor them. Smaller bags are also sold on the street to pedestrians, again with some salt.

Enjoy

Eat Well

Just Eat....

ENJOY the WEEKend

Q: In What Ways Is Agriculture Important To The Caribbean?

Carrots

Family Name

Carrots belong to the family Umbelliferae and are related to Parsley and Celery.

Seasonality

Carrots can be produced all year round, giving better quality roots in the dry season with the use of irrigation.

Duration of Crop

Carrots take 12-16 weeks from seeding to maturity depending on the variety.

Varieties

The two (2) recommended varieties are Danvers Long Yardley 2. Both varieties are long, slender golden in appearance and tender in quality.

Soil Type

Carrots give highest production on well drained, light sandy soils as well as deep, loose, loamy soils. Avoid heavy clamp because this causes the roots to become distorted.

Carrots produce poor yields on Acid soils. The best Ph is between 6-6 ½.

Land Preparation

1.       Stale bed preparation could be carried out 2-3 weeks before planting using Round UP or 2-4D.

2.       The land should be thoroughly prepared before seeding.

3.       Plough to the depth of 12” and work to a fine tilt on flat or gently sloping lands.

4.       Prepare flat-topped beds 4ft wide as long as practicable along the contours.

5.       On heavier soils use effective drains.

Spacing and Planting

Carrot Juice

Carrots are direct seeded. Seeds should be planted ¼” deep and thinned to 3” apart within rows and 9” apart between rows. About 3lbs of seeds will be required to plant 1 acre. When planting, avoid times of heavy rainfall. Such rains can result in heavy loss of seeds seedlings.

Fertilizing Application

Incorporate NPK (16-8-24) or (13-7-23) at final land preparation at a rate of two (2) sack/acre. If TSP is available also incorporate one (1) sack/acre.

Follow-up this for heavier soils fertilizer at four (4) weeks and seven (7) weeks after germination at a rate of 1 ½ sacks to acre. For lighter soils fertilizer at two (2), five (5) and seven (7) weeks after germination at a rate of one (1) or two (2) weeks after germination.

TSP should be placed in the root area. If soil acidity is a problem use Limestone as necessary.

Weed Control

1.       Pre-emergence Herbicide

Apply Pendimethalin (Prowl 42.3 EC) at 3 1/3 pints (1575 ml)/acre

2.       Post-emergence Herbicide

To control annual and perennial grass weed, apply Fusillade at 1 ½ to 3 pints per acre. Where hand weeding is done be careful not to disturb carrot roots.

Harvesting

Harvesting of carrots generally entails pulling and topping the field leaving approximately half inch of leaf base attached to the tuber. Carrots must be topped soon after pulling, and protected from direct sunlight.

Yields

In-season approximately 15 000lbs per acre can be obtained. Yields may be adversely affected during the rainy season.

Pruning

In order to maintain a successful garden, pruning is required.  Knowing what you are doing is the key to success. One doesn't have to be an expert to prune but learning and practice is vital. When pruning, its key to remember that it is being done for the removal or reduction of certain plant parts that are not required, no longer effective, or that are of no use to the plant. Often it is done to supply additional energy for the development of flowers, fruits, and limbs that remain on the plant.

Pruning, which has several definitions, essentially involves removing plant parts to improve the health, landscape effect, or value of the plant.

Tools:

Reasons for Pruning

• to train the plant
• to maintain plant health
• to improve the quality of flowers, fruit, foliage or stems
• to restrict growth

When to Prune

• Can done at any time of the year; however, recommended times vary with different plants. 
• Do not prune at the convenience of the pruner, but rather when it results in the least damage to the plant. 
• the best time to prune most plants is before new growth begins. 
• The least desirable time is immediately after new growth develops. A great amount of food stored in roots and stems is used in developing new growth. This food should be replaced by new foliage before it is removed. 
• Prune plants damaged by storms or vandalism or ones with dead limbs as soon as possible to avoid additional insect and disease problems that may develop.

During Pruning

• Removes all dead, broken, diseased or problem limbs by cutting them at the point of origin or back to a strong lateral branch or shoot. 
• Make any training cuts needed - By cutting back lateral branches, the tree or shrub is trained to develop a desired shape, to fill in an open area caused by storm or wind damage or to keep it in bounds to fit a given area. 
• Always avoid destroying the natural shape or growth habit when pruning unless maintaining a close watch over the plant, for after a period of time it attempts to assume the more natural growth habit.
• Make additional corrective prunings to eliminate weak or narrow crotches and remove the less desirable central leader where double leaders occur. 
• After these cuts have been made, stand back and take a look at your work. Are there any other corrective pruning cuts necessary? If the amount of wood removed is considerable, further pruning may need to be delayed a year or so. 
• Remove water sprouts unless needed to fill a hole or to shade a large limb until other branches develop.

Pruning is an art thus the beauty of its natural shape should be still in tact at the end.

Tables are turned

Broccoli - How To

Broccoli is fastly becoming a stable in the West Indies dining experience. A bit of green goes a long way in developing a healthy lifestyle. Lets take a more detail look at Broccoli.

Broccoli is a member of the mustard family and its cultivation is similar to that of cabbage. This crop would grow in most locations where other vegetables are grown, however it prefers or likes rich deep well manured soils.

Recommended Varieties

Green Comet                       Hy Crown

Nursery Management

1.       Prepare seed boxes with soil mixed with well rotted pen manure.

2.       Treat with sevin to protect from ants and other soil insects.

3.       Place seeds ½ inch deep in soil.

4.       Wet as often as necessary.

Your seedlings should be ready for transplanting in approximately 3-4 weeks.

Land Preparation

1.       Clear land from weeds and shrubs. Leave to rot or burn.

2.       Make beds 3ft wide; raised 6 inches high. Place beds 8-10 inches apart.

3.       Incorporate (mix) pen manure into soil.

Planting

1.       Moisten soil in seedlings boxes 1 hour before transplanting.

2.       Plant your seedlings 1 ft apart; two rows per bed.

NB: Remember to transplant early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent shock.

Time not ENough

On the job, with deal lines looming...there just seem no time. But I highly doubt that any working man or woman would love to extend their hours at the office.. Putting in 8-10 hrs per day is sufficient, especially if one hates the job.

Skipping through breaks and lunch, spending unadulterated time bent at the computer, researching, pinning away at the loads piled so high.. It needs to be done, it has to be done...

Perhaps change will come.... new hired hands..........sharing of the load...Who Knows. Yet with all the complains, I won't give it up to hit the unemployed line.

Questions of the Day

Why is the Caribbean Single Market Economy Initiative  (CSME) not working? 


What can be done to fix the problems?

Please feel free to add your two-cents

The Power of Breadfruit

Growing up in my wonderful island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines my love of breadfruit has been unwavering. This fruit has been a saviour when hunger strikes.. One slice of this pleasantry fills the body so wonderfully. 

Boy did I miss this stable for the 8 or so years that I lived abroad. Yes I know it was there and readily available in certain cities of the USA, i.e Brooklyn..but the taste wasn't the same... For some reason fruits and vegetables never taste good outside of the Caribbean. 

Disclaimer: In my humble opinion, Fruit, vegetables anything esle from mother earth always seem to have this "force ripe" taste to them when grown outside the Caribbean.....

Breadfruit & Saltfish - SVG National Dish

Can you imagine having to roast your breadfruit on stove tops instead of enjoying the cookout in the great outdoors? Kills the spirits, doesn't it? 

Where's the coal pot, the wood fire? I think fondly of my childhood as I savoured the sweet smell of black fish.........stewed chicken back....saltfish.....fried fish.... with my plate of breadfruit slices.. After such a meal I was ahungered no more...... Oh the memories..........

The breadfruit plant was introduce to the Caribbean as a means of cutting cost to plantation owners.. Instead of having to import goods from overseas to feed slaves, breadfruit was introduces as the new stable. Thank goodness for that foresight. Captain Blight brought this worthy commodity to the Island of SVG.

Roasting on wood fire

We in SVG have a strong love of this gift, ask one former prime minister, The Right Hon. James F Mitchell, who stated that we "Vincentians" "have a breadfruit mentality", for which he came under fire for... Applaud the opposition for spewing the rhetoric.. But he wasn't wrong at all.. We do crave our delicacy, after all it is part of our national dish along with saltfish.. 

A stable available year round, happy to be seeing so much of it at the market though the prices are a bit steep $5. But for such a commodity..roasted or cooked I am not complaining at all... 

Bite into one of nature's best gift 

Sustang D. Fergus

Is Tourism the Driving Force of any Economy?

Now I know I have been missing in action from here, and it has been a long time... way to long.

I just two weeks at an all inclusive massive hotel. The hotel gave me all that I can eat and drink anytime of the day and night. I had a ball of a time.  

Sitting under the coconut tree enjoying my tropical rum drink, with a spectacular view of the ocean (nothing in sight to disturb my thoughts), during my indulgence, it struck me that every day I am only seeing the same people morning, noon and night. Just the visitors and workers.

A couple questions came out of tipsy head:

1.       What benefits do all inclusive hotels bring to the surrounding communities?

2.       Where does my food come from, is it from the local farmers or is it all imported?

3.       As a visitor what report can I bring back home about the country, is this what the entire looks like?

I am sure outside those walls; the reality will be far different and even too much for me bear.

Now when a tourist visits a country, they hardly get a clue what is taking place there. Most times the hotels are not even from local investors. The sad reality is that foreign investors do get easier access than the locals in many ways because of trade relations. (I will emphasize on sure topic later).  

Foreign hotel =foreign purchases=monies will remain/ go foreign. The foreign cycle continues will little for the host country.

It time our Governments of the region wake and realise that Tourism takes a way a huge slice of the economic gains.

Solution:  Any economy needs to try to develop locally, feed the people first, then education, after anything else.

Please don’t get me wrong I appreciate the time, there but reality is reality and feed one billion people is a dream can be done once our leaders make it their priority to invest in sustainable small scale agriculture. Don’t just give me free food, but teach me how to grow my own, so I don’t become dependent on donors for the rest of my life. PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sorry for the bad English but I need to get this out in any way possible. I will continue as my thoughts become clearer.

Have a bless week. This song is your understanding....

Food For Thought

If any thought lingered from my conference in St. Kitts, this take sthe mark... Kirk asked,

"Why is it that when organizations fail to fixed problems another organization is formed to fixed what the previous organizations couldn't?  Why can't the fixing be done in the original establishment?"

Brilliant......Really..Is this anything new....What's your thought?

Caribbean Agrolinks Project

For the next few days I will be out of the office.. A most welcome departu re as I will be attending the Caribbean Agrolinks Project forum. to be held in in St. Kitts and Nevis from 27-28 January, 2011. 

I will definitely keep you posted on the events of the forum.. Hope to have a few pics to share alongside.

This is my first visit to the island, so I hope to enjoy a bit of the country, granted that will be a hard task to accomplish unless I spend my nights out.. Two full days of work... and a little fun between.................

Sustang D Fergus

Waste Management

The Quest for Black Gold

All for the Quest of Black GOLD
Will Caribbean Nations whether big or small ever be able to tackle the effects of an oil spill?  
What will happen to our so called priced white sandy coastlines?
What will happen to the tour operators?
How will the people on the coastline move away from fishing to just doing nothing?

The once crystal clear blue waters we once knew can be gone in a second!!!!!!!!

Now the quest for goal whether liquid or solid or whatever from that price may be, seems like most are sort of with huge investments.

Black Gold for many countries are not found in oil but are found many times in a single crop that hold the economy together, for example

Jamaica: Akee

Grenada: Nutmeg

Guyana: Rice/ Sugar cane

St. Vincent:  Rootcrop production

St. Lucia: Banana

Mexico: Corn

Etc. what is your Black Gold?

I laugh because I wish such investment go to Agriculture development.

Letting It all Hang out

Oh By, the dreaded 'Office Party". One often ask "Must I really attend?" " Do I seriously have to be a part of this".

Lucky for us all, one gladly attends, after all who else would record the fun...... Singing, food, karaoke - carry your own key, love, romance, alcohol, laughter, fun an embarrassment.. Yep, that about sums it up.

Every good show must have a cast of characters.. From J - The Brandy King, N - The High Note Carrier, R J - The Over dressed Princess and S - I am to drunk to know that I just declared my love.

Where to begin? Let me introduce J, who single-handedly drank an entire bottle of Brandy along with other drinks of that nature. Under the brew of Brandy, J gave us all a show, bellowing tunes of the olden times, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye and others.. dancing with his beloved.... and becoming the speaker of the house, just talk, talk, talk.. Yet his singing was beautiful that I admit..perhaps an undisclosed amount of alcohol can do the body good. Who knows

Our second not to be outdone performer Ms N.. what more can be said. The overly skinny, the beautiful, the talented, the voice to die for began pitching notes to the heaven. I am certain that the angles heard the notes so high. Perhaps she might be invited to join the choir. From Abba's "Chiqquitita to something of Beyonce..her performances were to die for...

Might I tell you that Ms Office Essential who arrived at the function thoroughly overdressed. and ....yet what else can we expect from such an individual. I mean, the memo clearly stated casual - slacks, t-shirts, jeans... Ms R decked out in her finest with heels to match... She perhaps mistakenly believed she was going to the Prime Ministers dinner... Hmmh.. I wonder what she was thinking.

Mr "I am to drunk to know what I am talking about", S. ...funny..a good dancer and the stand by emergency rescue for N....Need I say more..

The minor cast of characters comprised A who brought his new lady love, who like Ms Office essential, was way beyond overdressed.. What in the word is A doing with her is anyones guess... Not forgetting A's side kick R .. As the night went on A decides to sing a love song "If I could turn back the hands of time" ..Why or why? Is that a tear drop I see? Gosh i hope not..... R for reasons known only to him decided to romance R J... This was to funny for words...but hey, every one has to try their luck sometime...

As the night wore on, so much to eat and drink....oh the singing and the dancing..just perfect..just perfect.

All in all it was a great night of family, friends and acquaintances.. It was a great night for all.. Thanks to the G household for such an amazing night... Let's please do it again soon.

After all, All work and no play...............................

What in your food

We are what we eat or more what we buy!!!!

Agribusiness vs Hunger

When you go to the super markets to buy all the nicely packaged imported products, have you ever considered where these foods might be coming from or the mere process of its birth.

Take the time to look at this video. The decisions you will make are only dependent on you...

However I urge you to support local and small farm holders.

Let’s stop hunger buy not support Large scale production.

Happy New Year

To all, Our apologises for ringing in the new year three days late... 

Happy 2011 with the hope of only the best in love, in work, in the pursuit of happiness............

Happy New Year with the hope of fruitfulness, with hope of progress in agricultural policies....................................

Happy New Year, with the hope of continuing knowledge, with the hope of passing along traditions of the lands....................................... with the hope of family and great friends..

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 to ALL

Sustang D. Fergus & Renortha Penny