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In these days when food is regularly shipped around the world, and local means anything within 1000 miles, it is just amazing to find a thriving grocery business that practices what a lot of us believe and sources its produce locally or at least regionally.

At the moment ‘local’ means getting fresh leafy greens from Geleblands, a market garden just 2 miles away. It will soon mean harvesting veg as it’s needed from a new field 14 miles up the road. Although not on the doorstep that is just about as close as you can get to most city centres.

All this might not seem like anything special but it’s probably unique for a medium sized grocery store. It  shows a total commitment to the principles on which the founders started the project and proves what can be done where there is the will to be different.

This IS the way forward and is a real model of good practice. I sincerely hope that many more shops like Unicorn will emerge from the ‘credit crunch’, the end of oil and the effects of climate change.

Anyone who is interested in learning how to grow hydroponics should understand what a huge resource the Internet is going to be to them here. Whether you are looking for a hydroponics grow box, any other type of hydroponics equipment or just want to use the fabulous resources available on the Internet to use as a hydroponics grow guide, this is an opportunity that you are going o want to be aware of.

If you are looking for websites to use as a hydroponics grow guide, here are a few of the first websites that you are going to want to check out.

Hydroponics Online

One of the top sites by far that you can use as a hydroponics grow guide is the Hydroponics Online Company. Here they offer tons of useful information on the art of hydroponics, and this includes information on how to get started, how to properly care for your plants, what sort of plants you should grow, and so on.

Hydroponics Online Company is certainly one of the most accurate options available to you for use as a hydroponics grow guide. You can trust them to offer information that is constantly updated for the most advanced, reliable and up-to-date information.

Hydroponicist

Another great option for a hydroponics grow guide that you have is this, Hydroponicist. They represent an education, in-depth, up to date guide that covers all the most basic to the most advanced aspects of hydroponics, including how to get started, which plants you should choose, how to care for them, and so on.

They offer intriguing daily chapter excerpts which offers a great opportunity to get you talking about different issues having to do with your hydroponics growing. They even offer a list of secrets of successful indoor gardening, so if you want to know the secrets of the professionals, you can learn them all here.

So you can see from the two online companies discussed here that the internet is a great resource when it comes to learning about something like hydroponics growing. It doesn’t matter if your a beginner or have no idea where to start or have been growing for years and just want to touch up on information and get some helpful tips, these websites are worth checking out, and there are always new and exciting options as well.

ALMOND
Almond oil, like the nut, is good for Vata. Usually, however, it is
more commonly used as a massage rather than cooking oil; the same is
true of its relative, apricot.
Both are good demulcent and expectorant oils for cough and
wasting diseases of the lungs and kidneys. They have a soothing
effect upon the skin and muscles, being good for muscle tension and
pain. Almond makes a good massage oil as it is absorbed well and does
not leave the skin greasy like sesame oil. Almond oil has many of the
tonic usages of the nut.

AVOCADO
Avocado oil is sweet, astringent, and slightly warm. It
decreases Vata and increases Kapha. It does not overly increase
Pitta. It strengthens the liver and nourishes the skin and is a good
massage oil. It also strengthens the muscles. It goes well with
salads. The flesh of the avocado has the same properties but is more
generally nutritive.

CANOLA OIL
Canola is a light oil that reduces Kapha and Pitta but
aggravates Vata. Its low cholesterol content makes it good for high
cholesterol and obesity but it is not good for debility or dryness
conditions.

CASTOR OIL
Castor oil is bitter, sweet, warming and pungent in post-
digestive effect. It decreases Vata but increases Pitta and Kapha. It
is an effective purgative for chronic or severe constipation and can
be used on children; Care should be given here as it can cause sever
cramping. It is a good antispasmodic and analgesic for nervous
system disorders like epilepsy and or pain conditions like arthritis.
Externally, as in castor oil packs, it promotes the healing
of sores, wounds, sprains and injuries. It also draws out toxins and
helps reduce tumors and swellings. It is good externally for
abdominal pain, including menstrual cramps. Edgar Casey was a big
advocate of castor oil packs for tumors.
A teaspoon of castor oil in a cup of warm milk with a half
teaspoon of dry ginger taken before sleep is a strong remedy for
clearing the channels (Srotas) and cleansing Ama (toxins).

CORN
Corn oil has some drying properties and hence is one of the
better oils for Kapha, though it still tends to increase it. It
increases Vata and decreases Pitta; it can be used by Pitta types
with high cholesterol who cannot use such anti-Pitta oils as coconut
or other palm oils because of their high cholesterol content. Corn
oil is demulcent and diuretic and good for difficult urination and
nourishes the skin.

COCONUT
Coconut is sweet and cool. It decreases Pitta and Vata but
increases Kapha. It is specific for Pitta. It is tonic, emollient and
refrigerant.
It nourishes and softens the skin and helps counter
inflammatory skin diseases, psoriasis, eczema, sunburn and burns,
chapped lips. It is also good for dry cough with fever or burning
sensations in the lungs. It increases the reproductive tissue and is
one of the easier oils to digest. However, it can increase high
cholesterol, particularly for Kapha types,

FLAXSEED / LINSEED
Linseed oil is pungent, sweet and warm in post-digestive
effect; it decreases Kapha and Vata but increases Pitta. It is a good
expectorant for the lungs and helps stop cough. It is also a good
lubricating laxative. It serves to loosen congestion or phlegm and
pull mucus out of the system.

MARGARINE
Margarine is made by combining various vegetable oils. It is
better for Kapha and Pitta but may aggravate Vata. It usually only
slightly increases Kapha. It depends upon the oils that compose it,
but is often of a low quality. Soy margarine is usually better and is
particularly good for Kapha.

MUSTARD
Mustard oil is pungent, and warm in post-digestive effect. It
decreases Kapha and Vata and increases Pitta. It is specific for
Kapha and is their best cooking oil.
It is stimulant, demulcent and anti-cough and helps loosen
mucus from the lungs, for which purpose it can be rubbed in
externally also. It is good for congestion, cold and feelings of
heaviness in the joints and can be used for arthritic pain and
abdominal pain.

OLIVE
Olive is sweet and neutral. It decreases Vata and Pitta and
increases Kapha. It works primarily on the liver and helps soften
gall stones and congested bile, and is a mild laxative. It also
nourishes the skin and hair.
It is a useful massage oil like sesame but is less heavy and
less sedative and so often better for general use or usage during the
day. It is commonly used in salads.

PEANUT
Peanut is sweet and slightly warm. It decreases Vata but
increases Pitta and Kapha. It is a commonly used inexpensive cooking
oil and often used to adulterate other oils but does not have the
nutritive quality of sesame oil. It is laxative, demulcent and
diuretic and is a little greasy.

SAFFLOWER
Safflower is sweet, pungent and warming. It decreases Kapha
and Vata but increases Pitta. It is a lighter oil and so better for
Kapha. It helps promote circulation, nourishes the heart and blood
and is a good laxative and emmenagogue for difficult or delayed
menstruation.

SESAME
Sesame oil is sweet and slightly warm. It decreases Vata and
increases Pitta and Kapha. It is tonic, rejuvenative, sedative and
laxative. It is highly nutritious and strengthens all seven tissues
and all seven layers of the skin.
It strengthens the lungs, kidneys, liver and brain. It is
excellent for debility, convalescence and rejuvenation. It calms the
nerves, relieves muscle tension and spasms and allays pain. It helps
relieve anxiety, tremors, insomnia and convulsions. It is also good
for dry cough and chronic constipation and improves voice and vision.
It aids in the growth of hair, nails, teeth and bones. It is good for
children and the elderly. It is the most deeply penetrating of all
the oils. Sesame is the best general oil for Vata and the most
nourishing of the vegetable oils. It is highly Sattvic (pure) and the
best oil for the yogic diet.

SOY
Soy is astringent, slightly cool and sweet. It is one of the
better oils for Pitta and Kapha but may aggravate Vata. It is
demulcent, diuretic and nourishes the skin.

SUNFLOWER
Sunflower is sweet, slightly cool and sweet. It is one of the
better oils for pitta and Kapha and will not aggravate Vata. It is
good for cough and heat in the lungs and nourishes the skin.
It is much like coconut oil in its external usage. It is good
for sunburn, burns, skin rashes, wound and sores.

Sesame oil is the preferred oil in Ayurveda unless you have a Pitta
or kapha problem… hope this was helpful…

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy, safe Halloween! ...

This article is about installing your deck and deck railing styles of your choice. It gives directions on the process.

Installing Deck Railing Easily

Installing your deck may sound like a complicated affair, but it’s easier than you think with easy to follow directions. Sometimes, the most difficult parts of making a deck are choosing from the different deck railing styles available today. If you’re not the DIY type of person or don’t have the correct tools and equipment, you may want to hire a deck contractor or get help from a friend experienced in installing a deck. However, with good directions, installing a deck is not that complicated.

Installing Deck Railings

Deck railings serve two purposes: to provide safety for your family and friends and to bring beauty to your deck and home. They are the most visible part of your deck so you want them to be attractive. They also need to meet the requirements set by the law involving the distance (maximum 4 inches) as well as height requirements (between 36 and 42 inches). When installing your deck railings, you’ll find many different styles and designs available. If you have the correct tools and skills, you can have your deck railing installed in a couple of days.

Baluster Spacing and Installation

When installing your balusters, it’s important that you space them evenly on your deck. Assuming the distance between two posts is 60 inches, your baluster width is 2″ and the required spacing between the two balusters is 4″, you add 4″ to the 2″ to get a total of 6″. Divide 60″ by 6″ and you get 10. This is the total number of balusters that you’ll need for your deck railing. To figure out the exact spacing, multiply 10 (number of balusters needed) by the width of each baluster (10X2=20). Subtract this figure from the distance between posts (60-20=40). Divide this number by the number of spacing plus one (10+1=11 then 40/11=3.64 inches). It’s actually easier than it seems, especially if you have basic math skills and a tape measure.

Working with Railing Posts

Installing the rail posts includes measuring the distance required for the posts and cutting them with a circular saw or table saw the required length, making sure to cut a 45-degree bevel on the outside bottom of the post. Be sure the post is flush against the joist and drill two holes through the post and the joist then secure them together with a 5-inch long carriage bolt. The balusters need to be cut from 2X2 stock. Clamp together 6 pieces and cut them all at the same time. Install the top and bottom rails 2″ thick and 4 inches wide spaced the correct distance apart. Measure both rails for fixing the balusters. Nail them in place, making sure the nails are not too big so they don’t splinter the wood. Stand back and admire your work.

Read more articles about deck railing styles and outdoor railings at this website.

In California growers of leafy salad crops have been told to eliminate all wildlife from their outdoor growing areas. If they don’t then the packers can reject their produce. Evidently this is a way to control ecoli, or that’s the excuse. In one report a farmer poisoned a pond to kill frogs to stop them jumping around on his land.

Packers have rejected whole fields of salad and other leafy veg if they find any evidence of animal intrusion in the field. They are now also penalising growers if they find ‘alien plant species’, i.e. weeds!

There is no mention of the possible effects of using so much poison on the land. Nor is there any mention of such ludicrous amount of food being wasted.

Why are they doing this? Because we have been so conditioned to think that quality is associated with ‘clean’ food - food that looks nice must be good.

Remember that lots of bagged salad in UK supermarkets comes from the US.

Check out the report here

7 of Wands – Galaxy Collision
A collision of galaxies is like a car crash in slow motion. Over hundreds of millions of years two galaxies draw out long streams of stars and cosmic dust from each other, causing many new stars to be born. The collision is productive but both galaxies are irredeemably altered by the process. Likewise, the 7 of Wands indicates that you have crashed into someone or something, and its stopping you from getting where you want to go. This is a serious fight, unlike the playful conflict of the 5 of Wands. The energy of the sevens demands you stretch yourself to the utmost to embrace change, and in Wands this takes its most direct form. You have a battle on your hands, but this is a challenge which you must meet with everything you’ve got.

7 of Cups – Red Giant
A red giant looks very colourful and impressive but actually it’s a dying star. The dramatic clouds of red dust hide a collapsing core that has run out of fuel. Its size is an illusion, and illusion is at the heart of the 7 of Cups. Here the battle is to distinguish between what is and isn’t real; this is the card of dreams and imagination. Our creative minds can conjure many visions and possibilities. Some of these visions are beautiful and inspiring, some are born of fear. The challenge of the 7 of Cups is to tell which of our visions is true, and which false.

7 of Swords – Radioactivity
Certain kinds of atomic nuclei are inherently unstable. They may spontaneously and unpredictably release particles, and these particles are what we know as radioactivity. All radioactive particles are potentially dangerous, but some are more harmful than others. The weakest type of radioactivity, alpha particles, can be blocked by a sheet of paper, whereas gamma radiation can only be stopped by lead.
Radiation is invisible and pernicious. We cannot detect it without proper measuring equipment. In the same way, the 7 of Swords describes a situation where unknown, indirect or underhand forces are at work. This seven uses a subtle approach to battle, in contrast to the straightforward charging-in of Wands. The 7 of Swords is at best the clever strategist, at worst the sneak, con-man or deceiver. This seven can often have a negative connotation, but it reminds us that an open, direct approach does not always serve us best. Sometimes we need to calculate, to play our cards close to our chest and take a less obvious approach to getting what we want.

7 of Pentacles – Quarks
Quarks are fundamental particles that make up the protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus. They come in six varieties, but only two are stable – the up and down quarks. The other four – charmed and strange, top and bottom – quickly decay into the two lighter varieties.
Quarks are the building blocks of our world. Without them there would be no atoms and therefore no matter and no universe! The 7 of Pentacles symbolises a situation where we have gathered all that we need to build our future. Often showing a gathered harvest, it reminds us that we have an abundance of resources and options, more than we’ll ever need. The battling energy of the sevens is grounded in the 7 of Pentacles. We have already won – or the means for doing so is at our fingertips – and this card encourages us to count our blessings.

This was not on the week’s posting agenda, but there's no help for it: Go check out Thomas Hager’s new blog, ThinHouse. from Tom's Blog, Oct. 23, 2008 It records his family’s ongoing attempt to cut their energy consumption by...

More so for individuals who enjoy horticulture as an thought. This is not something, which most individuals take up, so you should think of yourself to be lucky one, if you are able to produce things and add to nature. Organic horticulture has various aspects to it, which you must be familiar with, for example, what type of land you have, what you want to grow on them, and how you might tend for the plants.

All this might seem puzzling to a beginner but if you are an experienced hand, then these aspects are already well-known to you and you could comfortably start the organic way to grow things. First of all, this method of horticulture is different from the regular means of horticulture as the effort needed could be virtually double.

The fundamental rule of organic horticulture is that synthetic tools are used only when it is necessary and not otherwise. This will include the essential components such as the fertilizers and the pesticides. Procure all that you need for your horticulture from the earth and then use them for your efforts. This would enable you to produce anything you wish, like plants, veggies or any other green you wish. Do you get the picture? To look at it from a bird’s eye view, it is like working closely with nature or as others might say, this is like being one with nature.

If you are questioning if this is at all feasible, it is, and you are there to make it. You can actually perform composting on the materials found on your garden. Things that you would require are fallen leaves and twigs and animal muck but it would count of the type used and other elements.

It is not recommended to use synthetic pesticides in organic gardening. But if you can’t afford to pick the worms and other insects one by one by your bare hands, then you can go to your local grocery store and ask for an organic pesticide that is available commercially. The conventional way is to keep a vigil on your garden and as soon as some insects are located, kill them. Go for organic pesticide, when things tend to go out of hand and it is no longer manageable. You can also try to bring in the animals that eat those pests. This way, you’ll have some help in picking those pests up and this also helps the other animals satisfy their hunger.

As is evident, all these things take up a lot of time and unless you can devote as much time to this pursuit, or find someone who can partner the obligations, it is wise to drop the idea altogether till such times that you are more organized with manpower and time. Organic horticulture is a laborious process so you have to be prepared to face the hardship. To ease your tiredness when you are already into it too deep, just think that what you are doing is serving nature. This is your way of giving back what nature has bestowed on you since the day you were born.