Going, Going, Gone - Our Turn

"Best we have a Clearing Sale," I'd said, quite nonchalantly. "Our 'trash'...hmm-mm...someone else's 'treasure'?" Seemed simple enough...as a concept - an answer to the looming problem of Moving Day, and the items that would be unwanted on the new farm - the new focus - the new plans.

"I was just thinking the same thing," said the man of the house. "There's a heap of things we really don't need anymore. Pretty dumb to pay good money to cart them to the new place...different needs now, you know?"

SO true. When we'd started our farming endeavour as share-farmers, we'd had next to nothing of farm equipment - and had haunted other farm clearing sales to gather together our 'stash' of bargains. Money was pretty thin on the ground in those early days - and we were the ones 'treasuring' other farmers' so-called 'trash'. And now, here it was - our turn. And the decision-making began, as we started the long and wearisome job of sorting out what we would no longer need in our new enterprise.

Somehow, nothing had prepared us for the degree of attachment we had developed for impossibly ugly and worn farm 'stuff'. Memories all but overwhelmed us and filled our minds and hearts as we picked up one item, ran hands over another, and found ourselves looking way past the item - back to a time long gone. Maybe it had been an event that touched or terrified; inspired or irritated; alarmed or angered...whatever...these feelings were innumerable, but so very real. "Do you remember....?" became the most often used words in our vocabulary - making the chore of choosing 'rejects' impossibly slow, and often quite painful, given the trials and tribulations; the tragedies and triumphs; in fact, the whole gamut of Life...as we had lived it for 16 years.

Every single item required at least some cleaning - many required much attention and sprucing up - and there were some that simply demanded a complete paint job, in order to present them in their best light. We had often been the happy purchasers of bargains - specifically because they were grubby and grotty, neglected and in need of much TLC. 'Ours' would not go down this particular path.

At last, it was time to call in the Auctioneer - for his advice, opinions, and suggestions on various aspects of the sale. He looked at the items we had chosen - added a few more, and then, together, we planned the advertisement for local papers - noting the 'order' that the sale would follow. He was the expert on the wording of the advert., the timing and date of the sale (some weeks hence), and how to list enough items to grab interest and hold onto it.

And he would check for us as to who might wish to cater for the teas and lunch....maybe Red Cross, or Flying Doctor, or local CWA (Country Women's Assoc.)...perhaps the local Lions Club, or bowling club. He would check and book and work out with these 'caterers' an estimate of the food/drink requirements.

Now there was just the simple matter of whether we wished to put 'reserve prices' on the larger or more valuable items (This means placing a 'lowest' price we would accept, at which point we would be given the choice not to sell - or to signify willingness to negotiate an acceptable price with the highest bidder, privately, after the sale). Thankfully, this was one thing we didn't have to decide just then. We had until just a few days before the sale to make this particular decision.

Did we sign some type of Auction Agreement at this time? Maybe...I guess so. Was he as exhausted as us by the end of this amazingly detailed 'executive' decision-making exercise? I think 'yes'. Were we stressed and emotionally drained...whilst simultaneously feeling relieved that we had finally 'bitten the bullet' and committed to selling these once essential elements of our farming livelihood? Most definitely!

Now it was time for the truly physical workload - moving items into logical groups - and then choosing which could be outside, impervious to weathering for the short time ahead - and these must be placed in rows a certain distance apart. This was required firstly to allow the anticipated crowd of bidders to gather closely to the item under the auctioneer's scrutiny, and later, to allow vehicle access on one side or the other for pick-up and removal.

Uh-oh...we nearly forgot - one clean paddock (rocks, branches, logs...and of course, cow-pats removed), with a road gate - or at least close to the main farm gate - would be required for vehicle parking. And yet another sign - simply declaring 'Parking'. The road edges both sides would soon fill with an amazing number and variety of vehicles. Fascinating to see the neat, politely and thoughtfully distanced rows of cars, leaving ample space for arrival and departure of others, and allowing comfortable manoeuvrability for those towing trailers.

The setting up continued inside appropriately sized sheds with the items that were not weatherproof - and of course, household items. Once again, all in rows, with countless boxes of all manner of things lined up on tables and makeshift trestles, sometimes on wooden pallets - low down, but at least, off the floor. And our 'old faithful' truck trailer was laden high with boxes of those famous 'Sundries', to be spread out on more trestles outside, on the day. The local supermarkets had seen it all before - this sudden, urgent and tremendous demand for cardboard boxes of all sizes and shapes. They understood.

It seemed we had finally accepted that we had more 'stuff' than we needed (how come it's always 'a flood or a famine' in this area?) - and it was our turn to provide 'treasure' to someone else. Old sheets emerged, to cover and screen off items that were NOT for sale in the sheds, with a few large signs pinned on declaring 'NFS'. And countless tarpaulins were used in the 'great outdoors', to protect items for sale (that couldn't be stored inside the now-bulging sheds).

And still we had to find areas suitable for the Agent/Auctioneer's temporary 'office' for all sales to be recorded, written out and totalled for the buyers when their day's purchasing was completed. AND never forget - an area for the 'catering corps'. Oh wow! Where would it ever end, we wondered. Another visit or two from the Auctioneer found his suggestions and approval most welcome and reassuring. We were actually 'on track'.

At last, Clearing Sale Eve arrived - after our last days had been spent frantically organising all those pesky last minute details. I seem to remember the need for a few stiff drinks before bed to 'dumb-down' the jitters, and ensure at least a few hours of rest before 'THE DAY' dawned. (A dawn we would no doubt be featuring in largely...as we prepared the final presentation of a major period of our farming years).

© 2011 Christine Larsen All Rights Reserved Worldwide

If this story has whet your appetite for more information and atmosphere of the Farm Clearing Sale, please enjoy my other articles starting with the prefix - 'Going, Going...Gone - '

And if you want to get the true 'flavour and atmosphere' of the whole Farm Clearing Sale picture, have a look at my Squidoo lens - The Farmer Needs a Wife

I particularly love the fantastic YouTube video of an auction in the USA - not Australian - but so true to reality...just listen to that auctioneer! I have also written a section about the long-suffering Farmer's Wife's extra duties involved in these sales - whether 'Home or Away'. Enjoy!

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Going, Going, Gone - Finally

"Wake up love. It's Sale Day - at last." Despite the late night and sporadic sleep, interrupted by nightmares of things forgotten - things going wrong - there was an instant wakefulness, a mental standing to attention.

We've all heard of Father Christmas 'making a list and checking it twice'...well-ll...we had made countless lists and checked them all a heap more times than just twice, and still I fretted about oversights.

All of our sale items sorted and cleaned; tentatively priced; moved here and moved there, and sometimes moved back to the first position again; until finally all were in their 'order of sale'...check.

Advertising of the Clearing Sale in the local paper and other rural newspapers further afield, a few weeks ago, and again last week....check.

Catering organized (local Red Cross)...check.

Agent's signs up on roads leading to our place - and on our property itself...check.

And yet, after all that prior organization, there were still a myriad of items to be moved out of sheds, garage and our home itself - all those things that couldn't be outdoors until the day itself in case of unfriendly weather. Just when we'd thought we were SO organized, and had been congratulating ourselves on all our planning and hard work - these last minute chores deteriorated into a serious scramble.

Although the sale was not due to start until 10am, the first of the potential buyers (or was that just 'lookers'?), started to arrive before 8am, whilst we were still flat out in the midst of all this final 'shuffling' and arranging. Politely, but in vain, we tried to encourage them to go for a wander down the rows of farm machinery and 'stuff', so we could get these last items in place (without side-stepping and/or tripping over an alarmingly fast-growing number of parents - and kids...and their toys!).

Some of the earliest and most inquisitive fossickers start poking around in boxes, even as you are carrying them out...whilst other more unscrupulous types change the contents of some boxes to include and/or exclude unwanted items. This can prove disastrous for the first 're-arranger', as the same action is repeated by others, sometimes several times over - until the final boxes bear no resemblance whatsoever to their original, (vendor-packed) content. Karma, maybe?

In the last hour or so before the action begins, the crowd swells to amazing proportions as the designated 'parking paddock' fills with all manner of farm vehicles and trailers, until it looks like a major auto-yard. And each side of your road in both directions - AND up your driveway, all but blocking it. They are everywhere...like measles. But it is, after all, a good sign - the numbers should make for spirited bidding...you hope!

"SALE-O...SALE-O", the auctioneer shouts, and as the crowds draw close around the starting point - the tray top of countless boxes and other unlikely containers of farm sundries, at last, the Clearing Sale begins. And I can take a short break and a sit down with a cuppa...inside my house...blissfully alone for just a short reprieve - far from the 'madding crowd'.

All too soon, it was necessary to be present - hovering around the outskirts, trying to keep an unobtrusive eye on other potential disaster areas, particularly of the type involving vehicles and machinery with working parts. Imagine the horror of the engine that is extremely difficult to 'fire up' or won't even start at all. Especially after being described confidently by the auctioneer, - "goes like a possum up a gumtree" - or perhaps, 'runs on the smell of an oily rag".

So how is it possible for there to be a problem? In a word - SABOTAGE! A seemingly innocent but close examination of an engine by a dodgy buyer, can result in a rotor being removed from the distributor - or turning the ignition key on and off repeatedly (without actually starting the motor), floods the firing chamber, causing great difficulty in starting next time (when the auctioneer's offsider cheerfully tries it). Simply and speedily achieved - and the end result, of course is a decrease in value, so that the saboteur will pay considerably less - maybe even get the 'bargain of the day' - for what appears to be a faulty or unreliable vehicle or piece of machinery. Lucky for the buyer - diabolical for the vendor.

We are told that today's Clearing Sales commonly expect to include actual theft in the 'normal' agenda. The creativity of these thieves makes you wonder what levels of success they could achieve honestly, instead of hurting their fellow-farmer. Thankfully, the majority of would-be buyers are a happy, friendly and supportive group - as evidenced by their willingness to help each other to gather their purchases at the end of the sale.

In the meantime, the large buying group move along with the auctioneer and his assistants in a reasonably quiet fashion, compared to his loud voice chanting - "...do I hear 20, 20, 20?...or 15?...come on, someone must have 15?...OH, COME ON!...10, surely 10? This is an insult!". And then the prices can go all the way up again, as the bidding starts in earnest.

It's a bitter-sweet time for the vendor, as the sale progresses. The amount many items get 'knocked down' for surprise you - both happily and regretfully. On the day, at that particular moment - it's anybody's guess where the interest and the bidding will start...and eventually stop. This would be true of all auctions, but a Clearing Sale moves along at a 'bone-rattling' pace.

After all those weeks of planning and preparation - it's suddenly all over. The auctioneer has ended (somewhat hoarsely) with his thanks and last instructions about attending the temporary 'office' to finalise payments - and requesting a patient and orderly collection of purchases. For some considerable time after this, bedlam ensues as queues form at the 'office' and then traffic jams of all manner of farm vehicles, trucks and trailers bank up between the long lines of goods, to collect their purchases, many previously gathered together into motley heaps.

There is much dust, and maneuvering of vehicles, and barking of dogs, and shouted directions for backing up to the chosen 'heap'. More often than not, the finest traditions of mateship are witnessed, as farmers pitch in and heave together to lift and man-handle that heavy load that one man can't manage... up onto the back of that ute...or trailer. 'She'll be right, mate" would be the most common phrase heard at this time. And over to one side will be a couple of low-loader semi-trailers, ready and able to be hired to take home the large machinery - and maybe another with a large crane for lifting oversized and over-weighty items.

At last, the final items have been collected, and the last vehicle drives away. The silence is deafening until the birds remember to sing again, and the sheep and cows in the paddocks to discuss the day. Most shocking is the huge barren space where first of all so much farm gear has been lined up for days and weeks - and then covered in all those people and their vehicles.

Once again, that bitter-sweet feeling engulfs you. Sad to think of all that 'stash', once upon a time your treasures - now no longer absolutely necessary...now no longer yours - and yet...when you come to pack up the rest, how much easier it will be. And suddenly, you lift your head and straighten your back, and stop looking over your shoulder.

It's time to look forward, to the future...and it's all good.

© 2011 Christine Larsen All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Many years ago when we worked on the farm in my story Farmers? Are You Serious? we were on our 'L' plates - only just beginning our very own farming career, owning nothing of farm equipment ourselves...and so, we would frequent Clearing Sales far and wide to build up our 'stash'. This particular article about aspects of these farm sales relates to a time some 18 years later, when it was finally our turn to have our own Clearing sale, preparatory to moving on to a different farming enterprise. If this last story has whet your appetite for more information on the various aspects and atmosphere of the Farm Clearing Sale, please enjoy my other articles starting with the prefix - 'Going, Going...Gone - '

And if you want to get the true 'flavour and atmosphere' of the whole Farm Clearing Sale picture, have a look at my Squidoo lens - The Farmer Needs a Wife I particularly love the fantastic YouTube video of an auction in the USA - not Australian - but so true to reality...just listen to that auctioneer! I have also written a section about the long-suffering Farmer's Wife's extra duties involved in these sales - whether 'Home or Away'.

Enjoy!

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Is Opting for Mushrooms Farming a Good Idea?

Mushroom farming is a heady business, and if you are thinking about farming mushrooms, then you really have to put your heart in it if you wish to get any results out of it. Proper dedication and devotion is required for people who wish to farm mushrooms, mainly because of the different processes that are involved in farming mushrooms. Mushroom farming is a pretty good idea if you are interested in it, and a lot of money can be generated from it if you know how to grow good quality mushrooms.

However, as mentioned, it is important that you actually stick to the task, because unlike other crops that you can easily grow at home, mushroom farming is different and requires appropriate care throughout the growth and cultivation process of the mushrooms. If you have decided to start a mushroom farm, the first step that you need to take is to find a space for land and then choose the type of mushrooms that you will grow. Different kinds of mushrooms require different growing conditions, plus the weather also has a major impact, so you will have to make a list of the type of mushrooms that you will grow.

One of the ways that many farmers adopt is to set up a mushroom tunnel. This tunnel provides a completely controlled environment for the mushrooms to grow properly. However, a lot of investment is required to set up a mushroom tunnel because i) you need a large amount of land and ii) the installation of a tunnel requires a large amount of money. Climate control systems and water sprinklers can also installed if you are opting for large scale farming. If you can carry it out properly, mushroom farming can easily turn out to be a highly interesting and a profitable profession for many people.

Before you venture in to this profession, it would be wise to talk to various other mushroom farmers in order to get a better idea. It is always wise to get knowledge about this type of farming, and conversation with other farmers will also help you get crucial tips that will be profitable for you later on when you start your own farm. Take a training course and read a few guides in order to understand what you need to do at the beginning, so that you have no confusions in your head when you begin.

Feel free to visit our site for more information on mushrooms farming.

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Security Concerns for the Agricultural Industry

Agricultural theft is on the rise according to the NFU Mutual rural crime survey.

In England agricultural theft cost farmers £42.8m during 2010. This represents a 26% increase on the previous year.

Scotland saw thefts totaling £1.4m an increase of 57% over the same period, and in Northern Ireland theft had risen by 28% to £3.8m. Theft in Wales was recorded at £1.7m a reduction of 48% over the previous year.

These figures do not include the cost of lost revenue, replacing stolen equipment, or increased insurance premiums. Often insurance companies will only offer the current market value of stolen equipment including depreciation leaving owners in the tough situation of having to make up for the shortfall to replace the machinery.

The survey found that most theft occurred from outbuildings during the night and early hours of the morning. In fact the most common time reported for theft was between midnight and 6am, although tractor theft was often reported during broad daylight hours.

The countryside is proving to be a difficult area for crime prevention agencies to police effectively and the high value of agricultural equipment together with the lack of built in security devices makes them a prime target for thieves.

Theft of tractors is on the increase in part because over the years the car industry has upped its game, with manufacturers routinely equipping vehicles with alarms, immobilisers, high tech key fobs with rolling codes, and even tracking devices.

This makes them a much less attractive target for thieves who have moved on to agricultural vehicles which have typical security levels as seen thirty years ago in the car industry.

The One key fits all policy of agricultural manufacturers for their brands has been adding fuel to the fire, with large tractors being worth more than top of the range cars and often left unattended, this is something which the industry will need to address.

In many cases a single reported theft can involve several machines at the same time. In a recent case Farmer Nigel Hicks of Wallingford had three Massey Ferguson tractors stolen in just one night, along with a loader and a bailer.

It is not always possible to lock valuable equipment away when carrying out work away from your premises for a period of time. Earlier this year a Farmer in Wormingford reported the theft of two John Deere tractors, two dumper trailers, and a barrel of red diesel to the police. The machinery was taken while they were parked up for few days while digging a lake.

In the survey 71% of NFU branches said they believed rural crime was planned and carried out in an organised fashion, this was most often by thieves from outside of the area and the growing trend is for this machinery to be stolen from fields and outbuildings, and transported to warehouses, often to be stripped down for parts and shipped overseas.

In one recent case reported in the news, a tractor which was stolen from a farm in the Cotswolds turned up 2000 miles away in Cyprus.

Thieves will often park up stolen tractors in remote areas incase they have a hidden tracker installed. If after a period of time they have not been recovered by police they can assume there is no tracker fitted and move them on. This means that machinery fitted with tracking devices benefit from a high rate of recovery without loss or damage.

Having a good tracking device fitted can also combat the theft of agricultural machinery if it is capable of actively alerting on any attempt to move the equipment, thus allowing the crime to be prevented before it happens.

There are a wide selection of tracking devices for machinery and assets online.
For more information on ways to combat agricultural crime please visit our website http://www.shieldbase.co.uk/

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Forage Facts: Soil Health Important Factor in Forage Production

I was asked to write a small piece about the pros and cons of irrigation, its input costs and benefits and I have struggled with this topic because irrigation, though beneficial in the right circumstances, is not always the answer to the problems associated with forage production. I think of irrigation as an enhancement to an already good forage production program rather than a cure-all for survival-which it is not.

That being said, I think that soil condition is the most ignored and the most limiting factor to a productive forage stand, because how your soil interacts with nutrients, water, air and microbial activity is the basis for a better understanding of root development and plant growth.

The forage producer must have a basic knowledge of soil profiles, soil types, soil composition, soil fertility and soil tilth.

Soil tilth is defined as the "harmony" between the basic soil elements, which are: mineral, air, water, and organic matter. The correct balance of these elements boosts soil productivity by allowing the efficient interactions of all these soil systems. Plain and simple, air and water balance, in the soil profile, is the key to good root growth; the precursor to optimal forage production.

Before getting involved in irrigation; which is an enhancement to an already good program; I believe that by "fixing" known deficiencies, we can improve our productivity and spend less money, time and effort doing it. This is what we did, years ago, before getting into irrigation.

One other very important aspect of forage production improvement; and sadly, much overlooked, is the self-inflicted limitations brought on by soil compaction.We can have soils with an optimum pH, N; P, K and micro-nutrients, but if compaction exists, many detrimental scenarios arise.

Soil specialists are in agreement that the physical condition of the soil is a key factor in this biological and chemical harmony, which further determines the amount of biomass our forage plants can produce. Compaction stresses our forage plants by removing air and water from the soil profile. The biological and chemical system that depends on this interaction becomes constrained; root growth weakens and production suffers.

Compaction affects both wet and dry soil conditions, equally; as it reduces the water holding capacity making drought conditions worse and inhibits drainage to make wet conditions more difficult. Correcting compaction makes a dramatic improvement in soil tilth. By fracturing the soil both vertically and laterally; air infiltration increases, root development improves, water and nutrient holding capacities improve and microbial activity increases.

After aerating our pastures and hay meadows, for two years, we could see a 40% increase in the biomass produced in the perennial warm season grasses. This made a huge difference and we were able to increase our stocking rates and/or bale more hay.

Three Main Causes of Compaction

Tractors and farm equipment break down soil particles and they bind together, which reduces the space needed for air and water movement within the soil profile. In wet conditions this is made worse, because soil particles move unrestricted.

There has been much confusion about livestock traffic; it is true that the grazing of livestock can break up the soil surface crusting, but deep soil compaction does develop over time, which is highly detrimental to air and water movement.

Heavy rainfall disturbs the smallest particles (clayey soils) on the surface and forces them together, creating layers of crust increasing run-off.

The Solution: Aerated Soils

Since soil compaction is a physical problem, the best solution is mechanical aeration. We aerate our pastures every 90 days from March until October.

The Benefits

Increased pore space in the soil profile for air movement

Efficient nutrient and water infiltration

Improved root penetration

Improves drainage and reduces erosion

Increased microbial activity within the soil profile

Less nutrient leaching due to less run-off

Rapid crop emergence and better crop stands

Well developed plants with better root systems

Better drought tolerance and an improved soil-borne disease resistance

Increased yields

Fix the land, first; then enhance it with irrigation.

Here, we strive to produce the best possible forage, year-round, in order to limit those costs associated with supplementation. Optimal forages begin with the "land" (soils) and is the first building block of the cattle business. Productive soils are proving that an optimal forage base and health program is increasing cattle performance:

- In '08 - '09, cows and first-calf heifers bred back in a 58-day season.

- In '09 - '10, cows and first-calf heifers bred back in a 36-day season.

- In '10 - '11, cows and first calf heifers bred back in a 36-day season.

Pasture Maintenance and Management

- Our pastures are aerated 3 times per growing season

- Aeration invigorates the growth of warm season perennials like Bermuda grass

- The tools, we use in land management practices, are simple, inexpensive, yet effective

- Air and water balance is the key to good root growth

- Rotational grazing, Limit Grazing, Creep grazing

For more articles related to soils, hay, forages, cattle, ranching and the ranchlife; read them through these reliable authors:

Pearl Snaps' Ponderings and The Seedstock Producer.

About Me - I have been in the purebred cattle business, now, for 29 years raising Simmental, Angus and SimAngus. I started this business to provide both the seedstock producer and the commercial cattleman/woman a resource for better than average breeding stock. Over several decades of genetic improvement and harsh culling practices; today, our cattle rank in the top 5% nationwide. We also run some commercial cattle for a beef business we began several years ago. My education includes a B.S. in Wildlife/Fisheries Biology and Management and a M.S. in Animal Science/Reproductive Physiology. With the advent of social media; which, for me, hasn't been that long ago, I started a website, then recently, a blog to share information and ideas with others that are interested in this business. I believe that the best information will always come from those that have actually done it or do it on a daily basis.

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Aronia Plants Often Called Chokeberries, Their Characteristics and Uses

Introduction

All natural pesticide free aronia berries chokeberries, also known as chokeberries, are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. These small berries have a flavorful, tart taste. Use aronia berries in baked goods, juices, wines, other beverages, and snacks. They can be added to fruit salads and baked with pies, cakes, muffins. Some also use aronia berries to make jelly yogurt, or ice cream.

The aronia black berry bush is often used as an ornamental shrub in gardens and is also grown for fruit production. The variety called Autumn Magic while not suitable for fruit production but makes a nice ornamental shrub for the garden. For fruit production the varieties Viking and Nero are the plants of choice.

Plant characteristics

The glossy bright green leaves are quite showy and emerge in April. They are 1-3" long, they are usually free from disease and pest problems. The leaves catch the sunlight quite nicely. The aronia shrubs have small black glands along the upper surfaces of the midribs of the leaves. This is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the plant. A spectacular white flower display is produced in the spring. The flowers set nicely against the lustrous foliage; the whitish- pink flowers grow in loose clusters of up to 8. Opening in mid-May, these clusters can reach 2" in width. The plant leaves darken as the season progresses. They produce glossy, pendulous clusters of black fruit suspended beneath lustrous green leaves in the late summer and fall. The purplish-black fruit is about 1/4" in diameter, hanging down in clusters of 10 or so. The berries are usually ready to harvest in mid September. The fall colors are excellent with colors ranging from crimson to wine-red to apricot, the leaves are splendid in late October and November.

Growing conditions

Seemingly phased by nothing, This shrub will tolerate almost any growing condition: swampy ground, dry sandy soil, clay soil, drought, salt, and pollution. It has a good root system and is sometimes used to stabilize banks to help keep them from eroding. It is needs good light but will tolerating partial shade but becoming leggier and under poor lighting conditions is sometimes affected by mildew.

Aronia is an extremely adaptable shrub for almost all seasons. Its pollution, drought, insect and disease tolerance are all reasons why it is favored to become and more and more popular plant as the health benefits of its fruit become more widely known. It has a high tolerance to varying conditions from boggy areas to drought, soil compaction, salt and mine spoils make it an ideal plant in parking lots, along roadsides and highways,.

Fruit production

From a fruit producing standpoint Viking and Nero varieties are very heavy producers of fruit yielding 20 pounds or more per plant making it a profitable crop to grow for fruit production. It was listed in "The Top Ten-Plus-One Shrubs for Minnesota", Minnesota Horticulturalist 106(6)152-154, June-July 1978.

Medicinal uses:

Aronia melanocarpa has a high concentration of polyphenols and anthocyanins, stimulating circulation, protecting the urinary tract, and strengthening the heart. The fruit is also nutritionally beneficial. Aronia berries have an antioxidant content three times the level of blueberries, and contain a high concentration of anthocyanins, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Some diabetics use aronia berries to help regulate blood sugar, and studies show they may be helpful in lowering weight and cholesterol. Aronia berries also contain many vitamins. Ongoing studies also suggest that Aronia may include compounds that fight cancer and cardiac disease.

Summary

Aronia Plants Often Called Chokeberries can grow under many different conditions and are useful as an ornamental shrub for the garden or as a an ideal plant in parking lots, along roadsides and highways. It is also a profitable fruit producing plant.

Purchase your pesticide free aronia and blueberries from (Blueberry Croft Farm and Nursery). We understand both the theory and practical applications of growing aronia and blueberries. The farm is a reputable source for quality aronia and blueberry plants. Over 30 varieties of blueberries are grown and sold. Viking aronia plants are available for sale. Purchase your plants and get more information from http://www.blueberrycroft.com/. Get free S/H on orders of $75+. © 2011 May be reproduced in entirety with live link

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All About Mushroom Growing

For many people who are interested in mushroom growing, there are a whole host of different things that they must care for if they wish to properly grow mushrooms. The first and the most important thing that you must understand is that mushroom growing is completely different than planting standard plants. Mushrooms are unlike any other plants, and you need a dedicated environment in order to control the growth of the plants and make sure that they are healthy once they have sprouted.

First of all, choosing the type of mushrooms that you wish to grow is very important. There are a whole host of different flavors of mushrooms, and each of these have different growing conditions. You can get different types of mushrooms across the globe. Generally, the mushrooms that you will grow on your farm will be for edible purposes, so you will have to take care that they don't turn bad. On a general basis, there are approximately 20 different types of mushrooms that people can grow, and restricted conditions of weather are required in order to get these different types of mushrooms to grow properly. The average time that is required for mushrooms to grow takes around fifteen weeks, so you will have to be patient with the farming process.

Taking care of the moisture in the soil, rain patterns, external temperatures and the compost percentage of the soil is very important. You should know that mushroom growing is not really a cheap task, so a substantial amount of investment is required in order to start up a mushroom farming business. You can also set up a cleaning and packaging facility on your farm if you wish to have the mushrooms delivered to various places. One of the best ways by which mushrooms are grown is inside mushroom tunnels, which are proper tunnels in which all of the requirements for a certain type of mushroom are provided to ensure healthy growth.

When it comes to mushroom growing, one of the things that is very important is to get appropriate mushroom farming equipment. Unless you have proper farming equipment for your mushrooms, you will not be able to get them cut properly. There are various other processes that must be carried out, ranging from casing and pinning, which also require the use of machinery in order to complete. For this reason, you will require a proper investment if you wish to enter the mushroom growing business and earn significant profits.

Feel free to visit our website to find out more information on mushroom growing!

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