agriculture

Solstice
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Solstice

Hail Brave hearts!

It’s officially fall. The autumn colours of the landscape are changing and a new brilliant hue of colour is upon us. This almighty man, is the land of our forefathers. The land of pristine beauty, of awesome wonder, of dreams fulfilled, of courageous challenge. A land for bold and daring adventure, a life of freedom. A new way, a new path to follow a new quest.
Here, almighty man, is the great land! All of your strength, all of your courage, all of your skills, all of your brilliance and all of your compassion.
Fine negotiator who accepted cultural diversity and multiculturalism as a natural human condition. Fine negotiator, whose attempts to assimilate brought peace and prosperity to the land. Clever peacemaker who spied an opportunity and felt a responsibility to save.
Save us! Called the dying as they slipped away. The path to prosperity was too difficult and too isolated.
Compassionate human, who lived so well, with such apparent ease, with prosperity, luxury and time for leisure pursuits. Art, games, athletics, tests of skills and feats of daring.
This is the new world. Lucky are we to be the fortunate ancestors of accepted mankind in a world so daunting and dangerous.
The pristine wilderness unfolds before us and calls it endless call to follow. Come, great human, into the great wild, whispers the forest, sings the rivers and howls the wind. Experience this peace and hear our song, we sing to you mankind, freedom!
Freedom! It echoed in the ears of our forefathers as they arrived by the boatload to inhabit a land of unknown challenges. A promise of lives fulfilled, dreams come true, plenty for all. The negotiated peace brought with it nation building, agriculture, economics, land, contentment and relaxation. Escape to the new world.
Gone was the overburdening landlord and the endless struggle against taxation. The homesteaders came to farm the land and now there is a harvest. It is fall, the colours are changing, the fruit is ripening, the food is abundant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homesteading
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/living-the-good-life-zm0z12aszkon.aspx
Still, in our modern homes, we hear the voices of wisdom persistently nudging us. Move forward, brilliant human, but keep the past with you. Don’t forget your daring ancestors, that brave wilderness birth, the fear, the sorrow, the overwhelming pain. Don’t forget us mankind. Don’t leave the past behind. Remember the great peace that saved us and that is our duty to retain. The great peace, in a world of hardship, with a call to duty to overcome the challenges, inhabit all of the land, build a civilization, farm the land, be the almighty human! No so, bravehearts. Without the great peace, all would be lost.
Now, in this time of joy, when the crops are harvested, food is plenty, the winter is cared for, survival is promised. Now we rejoice in the autumn, with it’s changing colours, it’s cooler temperatures, it’s gifts from the earth.
The animals mate and they too will survive. The great earth, full of miracles, provides again.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
September 22,2013
http://www.bbcanada.com/10895-html
http://www.empowernetwork.com/?id=louisehayes

Paint your palet
by

Paint your palet

Still the wild calls us. It’s perfect hues. It calls to our instincts, our passions and our joy.
Here, almighty man, whispers the forest. Come walk my trails, into the secrets of my wooded landscapes. It is autumn and my continually changing attire is now ablaze in fall colour. My own berry harvest is ripe and ready. I fed your ancestors, they walked these trails, full of purpose and determination. Yes, mankind, you will survive. The negotiated peace prevails and you, brilliant one, have achieved your goal.
Your goal to prosperity, to the rugged landscape, to the great wild, to the pursuit of inner peace.
Hail, almighty man, for the great negotiation of a multi culture society.
The great Earth cloaks itself in the unrivalled beauty of its colourful landscape. The changing populations of flowers each with delightful colour and purpose. The early bold display arising from a winters sleep is soon overwhelmed by the spring blooms. Now it is fall, time to put it all away. Time to harvest the crops and to bring the abundance of the land into your home.
The Earth sustains us, as it sustains all of its creatures. The powerful bear, preparing for a long winters nap, will fill itself on the fall berries. Berries for the pregnant mother, berries for the tiny infant to be born next spring. All in a prepared cycle of life and living.
The powerful bear will sleep a blissful winters sleep, away from the curious, the elements and the cold. The wild land will provide a soft, dry den of quiet protection and the mighty bear will drift into a tranquil rest. The earth provided an abundant harvest and the bear will arise with cubs in the spring.
The changing seasons is a changing world for us as well.
The season of the harvest is a time of plenty.
No one is hungry here. No humans, no wildlife, no creatures. The earth provides for what it creates and the wild sustains the wild.
No plunder here. The immense landscape protects a tiny fraction of the populace of wildlife that the earth creates. This small tract of land continually provides for grazing animals, hungry predators and contented birds. The web of life and the interwoven dependence of life is fulfilled in some small, protected lands where encroachment is limited and hunting prohibited. These select few are an example of the biodiversity of the planet. One small area of pristine environmental integrity, set aside for the earth to decide.
In these small areas, the earth chooses the numbers and variety of the species of plant and animal life. Mankind is a visitor to these realms. These realms of abundance, no poverty, no plunder, no starvation here. These are the sanctuaries of the planet, no matter how large, they are too small. Too small for the vast numbers of fishes in the waters, too small for the vast numbers of birds in the sky, too small for the populace herds of ungulates and too small for the density of predators. Here, the earth lives, its populations thrive, it plants its seeds of joy, of regrowth of rebirth.
Almighty human, sighs the earth, I need more.
http://www.pccanada.com
http://www.nps.com

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
September 16,2013

http://www.bbcanada.com/10895.html
http://www.empowernetwork.com/?id=louisehayes

The St Lawrence River
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The St Lawrence River

English: Map of Jacques Cartier's second voyag...

English: Map of Jacques Cartier’s second voyage to North America in 1535-6. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good Day!  You Awesome Human.

As we explore our great country through Rivers to Oceans week, we celebrate the daring, the courage, the monumental feats of bravery.  The country was explored and opened by brave hearts.

The exploration by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to 1542 was the first European exploration of the St. Lawrence River.

The oceans brought the European to the already well inhabited land.  The country had been populated for thousands of years already, by migrants who crossed the northern land mass and settled in  the continent.

The Europeans crossed the oceans in a daring adventure of exploration, to discover what lies beyond the horizon and to unite worlds separated by water, tides, waves, weather, distance and fortitude.

Only your dreams will push you on, only your nightmares will stop you!

The bold adventurers came, onward, onward, into the straits of the St. Lawrence and pushed their crafts farther into the heart of the nation.  The contact was made, the discovery excels.  A new people, a new world, new trade, new prosperity.   The St. Lawrence River was the channel of discovery for these fortunate mariners.  It brought them fame, fortune, trade and the exhilarating right of conquest.  It secured their mission, proved their aptitude, yes, almighty human, the doors to the nation opened and the country let them in.

The mighty St. Lawrence River was the pathway to prosperity, negotiation, settlement and pride.  Oh, you worthy stalwart, to set sail on that day, one day, for the quest of your lives, for the rest of your lives.  To be the history, the making of a great nation.  To be the almighty man.

That one awesome, inspired day, became the might and greatness of several great nations.  Jacques Cartier for France visited a country named for a collection of huts.  Kanata!  And so it was born.  Born from the passage of a great river, born from the passage of a great ocean.  Born from brilliant aptitudes of navigation, sailing, shipbuilding, negotiation, leadership, compassion and daring.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_cartier

The bold adventurer seeks the challenge and the brilliant aptitudes achieves it.

The consequential negotiation brought fantastic prosperity to France.  The oceans yielded a seemingly unlimited harvest of fresh fish for the hungry. Food in abundance, led early settlers to a new land, a new life of promise.  The negotiation was successful, colonization was possible.  The impossible dream would be attempted.

For France the colony meant new lands, new life, new wealth.  The daring challenge was met, the conquest told.  Oh you fortuitous stalwarts, climb aboard.  Climb aboard for the adventure of you life.  There’s no looking back.  And so they did.   Pioneers who could settle an unknown nation, with unknown plants and soil.  To cut a tract of land for farming, build houses, invent.   To set the course of history.  To be the indomitable human.

http://suite101.com/article/jacques-cartier-and-charlesbourgroyal-a173492

The first colony was on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River.  It didn’t last, but the failure didn’t stop  them.  Another attempt would be made.

Rivers to Oceans.  This week is for us. This is our cultural heritage.  From rivers and oceans our nation was born.

Hail, almighty human.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

June 12, 2013

www.bbcanada.com/10895.html

http://www.empowernetwork.com/?id=louisehayes

by

Recycling

English: A picture of compost soil

English: A picture of compost soil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Feel the earth under your feet.  The life producing quality of the soil.  Rich in nutrients for our harvest, the soil is key to our survival.  Healthy soil, healthy food.  No pollution or contaminants for the earth

Our land fills are overflowing with recyclable debris.  Recycling reduces waste and increases our productivity.  It increases our ability to make use of used products and to turn discards into useful products.  It helps us to use our imaginations in discovering a purpose for items that would otherwise have been discarded to the landfill.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/recycling/?gclid=CIDhn_3Yz7cCFYo-Mgod32sAJw

The landfill is a nasty brew of toxins.  Although it may be possible to the cover mess with soil, burying toxins contaminates the soil and makes it dangerous for plantings.

http://www.edmonton.ca/for_residents/garbage_recycling/what-can-i-recycle.aspx

http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-recycling

Some of your recyclables are very good for the soil.  A composting bin where you can recycle vegetable food scraps, leaves, lawn cuttings and egg shells reduces itself to a highly nutricious black soil.  This soil is very beneficial to your garden and to the earth.  Even a small composter will help to reduce the amount of food waste that is dumped unnecessarily into our landfills.  Black earth is an expensive product to purchase.  That nutricious soil comes to you via your own discarded vegetable waste.

Since it is environment week, please consider the beneficial effects of recycling for yourselves and for the earth.  There are many products that can be recycled and reused.  A healthy, productive garden is only one of the many benefits of recycled materials.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

June 7, 2013

Environment Week
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Environment Week

http://www.ec.gc.ca/sce-cew/

Listen to the Earth song.  The rapture, the glory.  The song from the mighty planet, it fills our lives.  Hear the sounds of the planet, with joy, with gladness.  Great, bountiful Earth with songs of praises, songs of joy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCJ5DwPWIIw

The brilliant, beautiful displays of colour.  All the hues of the forest, all the vibrance of the meadows,  all the showy flowers and the cascading waters.  The Earth.  So magnificent, so powerful.  All life comes  to us from this mighty planet.

Here, you awesome planet, the oasis for us.  We live our lives with gratitude, with compassion. For the world presents itself with boundless  discovery!  Each day gives us the opportunity for more knowledge, more sport, more information, more aptitude.  The mighty Earth with its seasons and  changes.  The great, good Earth, how to praise it.

This week, this short space in time, we contemplate the protection of the planet. How to save it, how to save ourselves.  One short week of sharing ideas, information and knowledge.  Too little.  To take a week out of our year to concentrate on environmental protection, is  not enough time.  In the lifespan of the mighty planet,  the needs for protection of the planet is constant.

Constant striving for zero pollution, constant striving for human population control, constant striving to reduce the impacts of development.

Environment week praises the planet for all of life.

http://www.edmonton.ca/environmental/programs/environment-week.aspx

Thank  you, sighs the great planet, Earth, for the protection of that ecosystem. for unpolluted waters, unpolluted skies, unpolluted soil.  Thank you for no plunder, all life survives.  Thank you, almighty human, for compassion, nurturing, reforestration.  Without the forest, the planet will suffocate, it will die.  Without oxygen in the mighty ocean, it will die.

The mighty planet sighs, with the burden of pollution.  Too much for its natural abilities to recover.  Too much waste, too much plunder.  Too much hardship for the great planet.  It’s immense variety of animal life is being destroyed, it’s wonderful  forests, for air to breathe are vanishing,  it’s mighty oceans are dying.

Brilliant mankind, sighs the great planet.  Thank you for your efforts.  Each ecosystem is fragile, each is needed, each is a creation of its own divinity.  Each is a refuge to a world of it’s own.

Brilliant mankind, sight the great planet.  Thank you for environment week, even this small gesture, is worthy of praises.

written by: Dr Louise Hayes

June 4, 2013

Food – Part 4
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Food – Part 4

Food, Part 4

The shepherd is a weaver. She keeps six sheep on her small property and plants enough potato and root vegetables for her survival. She also has a cherry, a mountain ash and an apple. Her sheep provide wool or weaving, meat and skins to sell. Her one goat gives her milk, butter, cheese and yogourt. She dyes the wool from natural products and weaves beautiful blankets. The yearly lammps are slaughtered for meat and the skins are used for furnishings and clothing. There is trade in propogating the livestock. The goatherd and the shepherd keep bucks for breading. The hortaculturalist brings her ewes for fertiliztion. The lactating ewe provides milk and the offspring are butchered for meat and skins.
The poultry farmer has a dozen chickens and a rooster. She has a dozen eggs to sell every day or raises chickens for meat. She plants sunflowers to supplement their diet and her own. She plants corn for flour, currants, potato and spice. Her trade is obvious, a dozen eggs for milk, but eventually, she buys her own goat. It’s easier that way.
There are other homesteaders, each doing a variety of this kind of production on their own properties.
The plantings are easy, two fruit bearing trees per corner and perhaps another along the hedgerow. The hedgerow is a row of fruit bearing shrubs, berries and currants and the entire property is fenced this way. Under the shrubs are spices and strawberries.
The property is divided in half, 50’x100′ for the animals and 50’x100′ for the house and gardens. The garden consists of rhubarb, corn, potato and whatever other vegetables they desire. Sunflowers and other flowers add to their yield.

These are examples of cottage industry homesteaders. There are other wonderful uses for property that add to the benefit of the people in this community. There is other small cottage industry that the property provides for. A florist, soap production, perfume ( essential oil). These people can be self-sufficient without very much land, even in cooler climates.
The homesteaders need to be careful in choosing the location for planting the trees, because of how much shade is cast and the spread of the canopy. In order to maximize the light, the trees need to be planted so that the shadow isn’t too dark. If the shadow is too dark, the other plants will struggle to survive. Paying attention to the light and dark, as the sun travels throughout the day, will help to indicate the correct area for the trees.
Your call to action, share this post. Please comment on the post, if you would like to.
In most locations, people can do some of the production that is indicated by these posts. You might not be able to have livestock, but you can have trees and a vegetable garden. If you live in an apartment, inquire as to the availability of garden plots in your community, or you can grow some vegetables in a sunny window in your home and on the balcony.
The garden catalogues are now out. One is http://www.offers@springgarden.ca
written by: Dr. Louise Hayes
April 10, 2013

Health Benefits of Kiwis: •Increased Immune Function  •Reduced Cancer Risk  •Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer  •Protection Against Heart Disease  •Protection Against Dementia  •Alleviation of Cardiovascular Disease  •Alleviation of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)  •Promoted Eye Health  •Alzheimer’s Protection  •Osteoporosis Protection  •Alleviation of Inflammation Kiwi fruit contains nutrients and antioxidants believed to help protect DNA from damage, it can also be used as a blood thinner. Kiwi fruit has a protein dissolving enzyme called actinidin, thus it can be used as a meat tenderizer, like papaya. *Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Kiwis, and may not necessarily be related to Kiwis.  Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Kiwis: Vitamin C | Vitamin K | Vitamin E | Calcium | Dietary Fiber | Copper

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/kiwi.php#fUWXlkRBkCyEMRtC.99

Health Benefits of Strawberries: •Increased Immune Function  •Protection Against Heart Disease  •Slowing Aging  •DNA Repair and Protection  •Alzheimer’s Protection  •Osteoporosis Protection  •Antioxidant Protection  •Prevention of Epileptic Seizures  •Prevention of Alopecia (Spot Baldness)

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/strawberry.php#BxMBLAq2GvfuJvPK.99

Health Benefits of Watermelon: •Increased Protection from Bacterial and Viral Infections  •Increased Immune Function  •Reduced Cancer Risk  •Protection Against Heart Disease Watermelon is high in the carotenoid lycopene which is thought to be beneficial for preventing cancer. *Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Watermelon, and may not necessarily be related to Watermelon.  Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Watermelon: Carbohydrates | Vitamin A | Lycopene | Vitamin C |

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/watermelon.php#OUeue4CBhqPYxvdV.99 Health Benefits of Rhubarb: •Increased Immune Function  •Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer  •Protection Against Heart Disease  •Alleviation of Cardiovascular Disease  •Alleviation of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)  •Alzheimer’s Protection  •Osteoporosis Protection  •Stroke Prevention  •Antioxidant Protection  •Prevention of Epileptic Seizures  •Prevention of Alopecia (Spot Baldness) The anthocyanins that give rhubarb their characteristic red color may help to fight and prevent a host of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and aging. *Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Rhubarb, and may not necessarily be related to Rhubarb.  Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Rhubarb: Vitamin C | Vitamin K | Calcium | Dietary Fiber | Manganese | Potassium |

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/rhubarb.php#Gh3qvffJPvaUroSh.99

Food Part 3
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Food Part 3

Food, Part 3

Her neighbour has the same amount of land. On this plot he houses seven pigs, one boar and six sows for regular pig production. Usually there are 16 maturing pigs, 16 young pigs and 16 piglets at a time. In the first year, they produce 48 piglets which he will raise large enough to provide meat for himself and some to sell. He has a smoke house for making ham and bacon, so his product is highly valued and he easily sustains himself.
The hides are tanned for leather. He also has a garden and an orchard. His trees are four crabapple, a mountain ash and a chokecherry. He puts in a hedge of raspberry and plants rhubarb, potato, corn for flour and pig food and other root vegetables. He will easily survive. There is enough fruit for pies, jam and pemican ( if needed) He will also trade with his neighbours some spun wool for smoked meat. All of this on a small plot of land 100’x100′.
The next property is a gardener. He puts in his crops of potato and other vegetables. He turns most of his property into a vegetable garden. He has to have his sheep, goat and chickens to survive, but they are kept in a small pen behind his house. He starts vegetables indoors and plants in containers, as well to add to his yield. There are zuccini, pumpkin and squash. He also plants lavendar and roses and starts a soap production. He purchases a still to make purfumes.
The next property is a goatherd. He has six goats on his land. His primary purpose is dairy. The goats provide milk for cheese, cottage cheese, yogourt, butter, milk and ice cream. He plants currants, raspberry, blueberry, saskatoon and oregano, savory, dill, mint ,thyme, sage and chives. He needs the berries to flavour his yogourt and ice cream and spice to flavour his cheese. He has plenty for trade and sale.
All of this without a tractor or a rotatiller.
These people all needed to gather seeds to plant their gardens.
Fortunatley, there are many seed companies to access online instead. visit:http://www.StokesSeeds.com or http://www.mckenzieseeds.com for information and to purchase seeds for your gardens.
There is now a growing trend to plant gardens in small garden plots, provided by the community. More and more people are becoming aware of the need for fresh, organic produce to help them survive. Planting and growing gardens has intrinsic rewards, as well as the obvious reward of the food production. The city of Hamilton, Ontario has set aside garden plots for decades, for those garden enthusiasts who don’t have land of their own. To see it for yourself, visit, http://www.growinggreenhamilton.com.
If you’re interested in garden plots in your own community, contact your local municipal government for information. Usually, if there are garden plots already available, this information is online if you google, community garden plots, food societies or garden plots, in your area.
For those of you with larger properties who are looking for trees and plants, there are some northern nurseries that have zone friendly plants.
Please visit: http://www.cheyennetree.ca and also, http://www.kiwinurseries.com. The Kiwi Nursery is the only one that I’ve seen who has black walnut, if it interests you.
written by: Louise Hayes
April 9, 2013

Health Benefits of Grapes: •Increased Immune Function •Protection Against Heart Disease •Alleviation of Cardiovascular Disease •Alleviation of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) •Alzheimer’s Protection •Osteoporosis Protection •Stroke Prevention Grapes are known for their flavonoids which can help reduce blood clots and artery damage. One flavonoid in particular, resveratrol, is thought to help slow the aging process in humans. *Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Grapes, and may not necessarily be related to Grapes. Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Grapes: Carbohydrates | Vitamin C | Vitamin K | Potassium | Copper |

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/grapes.php#q4Qc0bJOMYzEM0yj.99

Health Benefits of Peaches: •Increased Protection from Bacterial and Viral Infections •Increased Immune Function •Reduced Cancer Risk •Protection Against Heart Disease

*Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Peaches, and may not necessarily be related to Peaches. Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Peaches: Carbohydrates | Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Dietary Fiber |

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/peach.php#7x4PhZojusVeaglY.99 Health Benefits of Pears: •Increased Immune Function •Protection Against Heart Disease

*Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Pears, and may not necessarily be related to Pears. Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Pears: Vitamin C | Dietary Fiber | Copper |

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits/pear.php#vLcMEd7XfsOJtIhl.99

Foods Fruits Vegetables Recipes Blog FAQ

Plums (prunus domestica) are round or oval shaped fruits with a thin outer skin, mushy inner flesh, and single inner pip found in the center. Depending on type plums can range from yellow to dark red to purple.

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Health Benefits of Plums: •Increased Protection from Bacterial and Viral Infections •Increased Immune Function •Reduced Cancer Risk •Protection Against Heart Disease •Alzheimer’s Protection •Osteoporosis Protection •Constipation Relief

*Some of these health benefits are due to the nutrients highly concentrated in Plums, and may not necessarily be related to Plums. Natural vitmains, minerals, and nutrients found in Plums: Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin K |

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/fruits