We have seen the news stories about food shortages. The shocking truth about food shortages is even documented by the news.  Video footage of young children with bloated stomachs that are barely alive. Mothers and fathers asking for help from whoever will listen and help.  Drought and famine seems to be growing in the news. Drinkable water is quickly becoming more and scarce.  Chemicals are added to our drinking water to “protect” end users from disease and bacteria.

Desalination technology is growing quickly as the need for more water continues to rise.  Without clean healthy water, our food quality diminishes also.

What is the shocking truth about food shortages? 

In my opinion, there does not need to be any food shortages. We have technology that can provide food even in the desert, using Hydroponics, Aeroponics and Aquaponics. We can grow fodder for animals using hydroponics like Foddertech systems that can produce up to 6,000 pounds (3 tons) per day.

I want to share with you an article that was shared with me from Eat Drink Better.com On April 8, 2013 Jennifer Kaplan shared the following report:

The article suggests that companies dealing in fertilizers/grains/trading, seeds/chemicals and farm equipment all stand to gain from the global food shortage. And, it comes as no surprise that environmentally unpopular companies like Archer Daniels Midland, DuPont and Monsanto are on the list.

From valuestockguide.com:

The inflation in the food prices is set to continue globally. The demand is rising faster than the supply can keep pace and in 2007 and 2008 there were riots in 60 countries due to run up in the prices of corn, wheat and soybeans …

Agriculture has the potential to be one of the most promising investment themes for the coming decade (sorry Facebook investors!). Here are some of the selected stocks that you can use to play the agriculture theme.

The post goes on to accurately point to two factors causing rising food prices globally:

Increased demand from China. Valuestockguide.com asserts that financial opportunities exist as “established players jockey to lock in supplies of essential grains and position themselves as a supplier to China.” They site the recent bid from the Japanese trading house Marubeni to acquire the US based grains merchant Gavilon (a spinoff from Conagra Foods) as being an obvious way of getting a footing in the Chinese supply channel.

Diversion of agricultural resources to produce biofuels.The articles suggests that global agriculture giants are investing, and diverting grain, for the Ethanol market.

The Great news is this: We are readers of such magazines as Grit , Mother Earth News, Cappers and others who believe that we are the solution are growing, literally, in numbers.

We have seen that in this world, that there is truly no “lack” of food or water. There is a lack of knowledge on many peoples part, but not those of us who thrive on the lifestyle of growing our own food. It does not stop there either. Look at all of the innovations that are shared in each edition of Grit magazine.

We are growing our own food in extreme conditions here in Colorado. We use the food4wealth growing system, because of the ease of growing smaller gardens and food plots. Last year we grew enough food for ourselves and 2 other families. Even though we were in the middle of a drought, our harvest was plentiful.

I am excited as the time to plant our garden outside is getting closer. We have a new farm that is at 8,800 feet in elevation. We just got the well tested. It provides 6 gallons per minute. The water test is not complete, but there are others that are living in the area. They too grow their own food and live where city power or water is not available. This is a going to be a great year!

The best news is this: As we grow locally and grow healthy natural food or organic food, the food shortage myth can be eliminated. Again, this is my opinion, but I do believe that you feel the same way. Looking forward to hearing how you are living a life of Abundance!

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living 

I want to share with you the top 10 profitable spices to grow for your farm.  But first, let me share what the most expensive spices that you can buy are.

The most expensive spices in the world are considered to be Saffron, Cardamom and Pure Vanilla beans.  Saffron being the most expensive due to high labor cost.

• Saffron sell for approximately $1,000 per pound!
• Cardamon sells for $60 per pound in the pod, but $100 per pound ground up.
• Then the third most costly spice that I could find is Pure Vanilla Beans.  Pure vanilla will sell between $50 and $200 per pound.

That is just the bean!  Even though these spices are the most expensive does not mean that they will be profitable for you to grow.  They are labor intensive to harvest and where would you sell them?

One of my trusted sources for finding  profitable spices to grow

I have shared how the top 10 profitable spices to grow for profitable small scale farming is an important part of growing.  I read articles by Craig Wallin quite a bit.  His website is Profitable Plants.com   I have also grown many of the herbs and spices that he shares.  I wanted to share his views of the ten most profitable spices to grow, because they are my pick also.  Except for catnip,  I am sure that it is great, but I am a bit of a dog lover.  I have a mental block about catnip.  All the rest I use and grow myself.  Thank you Craig for your article!

1. Basil. Basil tops the list at number on of the top 10 profitable spices to grow.   Basil is a very tender plant and should be kept indoors until there is no danger of frost. Growing basil starts in plug trays can work great for basil. Expect to be selling lots of these, so keep the fresh plants coming.

2. Chives. Standard chives are a steady seller. These will start to germinate after a week or so. And unlike basil, these can actually do quite well in cooler weather.

3. Cilantro. Cilantro is another popular culinary herb. In addition to its cooking values, it also has many other ones. It is particularly good for digestion and other medicinal values. Expect to sell lots of this at the Saturday farmer’s market.

4. Oregano. Oregano is one of the most popular herbs that you’ll find in Italian cooking. Unforgettable taste and aroma give this herb its main appeal. Oregano is a commonly used garnish for stews, soups, and gravies.

5. Parsley. Parsley is so popular it even has historical significance. The ancient Greeks used it at the athletic games, weaving it into victory crowns. They also fed it to their horses to make them run faster.

6. Catnip. Catnip is commonly used for cats, but can also be a soothing sedative for humans. It has been known to provide pain and stress relief and to also help with flu and cold symptoms.

7. Chamomile. Chamomile can make for a nice, soothing tea. It also has medicinal values, such as a digestive, sleep, and calming aid. Plus it’s very easy to grow!

8. Lavender. Lavender has so many uses it’s been called the “Swiss army knife” of herbs. The medicinal values include usefulness for skin care, women and children’s health, pain relief and nervous system conditions. The essential oil that is found in lavender is one of the top ten in the fragrance industry.

9. Marsh mallow. This herb has many medicinal values, such as being good for coughs and bronchitis, the digestive tract, and several skin conditions.

10. St John’s wort. St John’s wort is highly known as a mood-boosting substance, but it has many other values too. It is particularly useful for cold and flu prevention, immune support, and skin treatment. The healing ingredient in St John’s wort is called hypericin and is found in the top of the plant.

These are just a few of many profitable herbs to grow. Given the right care, these herbs can grow into something that will bring joy to your customers and put money in the bank.

(Resource: http://www.profitableplants.com/ten-most-profitable-herbs-to-grow/

When deciding which of the top 10 profitable spices to grow, ask yourself these questions:

• What will it cost your to grow these spices and herbs?
• Who is your customer?
• What price will you be able to sell them for?
• Can you pre-sell your spices and herbs?
• Do you have restaurants, schools or other businesses in your network?

One of the best ways to start growing a new crop, is to pre-sell your top 10 profitable spices to grow by using  Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  The other way is to start small an grow your business like you do your crops.  The Food4Wealth Program makes life easier for starting spices to grow for profitable small scale farming.  There is less work to get started and less daily maintenance.  I invite you to check it out.

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com

Hydroponics, is it the answer to thriving during drought?  Many farmers say yes. Here in Colorado, as well as Texas and other states we have gone through a long drought.  I had the opportunity to speak with Johnathon Wood from Majestic Hydrogardening this last weekend. 

Meet Johnathon Wood

Johnathon has been involved with hydroponics since the 1970′s. He started his first garden when he was just 8 years old and has passion for growing food. He also enjoys growing other plants as well. He has seen the need for change in the United States.  More people are growing their own food. Concerns about GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is becoming a major concern.  GMO foods put our health as risk.  Even Mother Earth News has  started sharing information on hydroponics.

Johnathan started with Hydroponics when the first Space Station was experimenting with growing food in space.  NASA chose hydroponics as the best solution.  So what better place to start than following the NEW space age technology?

Johnathon found that the US Government was doing a study on growing hemp using hydroponics. The study contained information on the products and health benefits of hemp. He shared with me that durability  is the reason Levi jeans were so popular with farmers.   By adding hemp fibers,  the clothing  lasted a lot longer. Hemp is refined into many products:

• Hemp oil
• Food
• Fiber
• Seeds
• Clothing
• Textiles
• Resin
• Wax
• Rope
• Pulp
• Fuel

Hemp is still used today, and Virginia is looking to legalize it once again for the fibers and food value.

Government Experimentation

The US Government completed a study on how to make the other types of cannabis (what most people call marijuana) more potent.  They also studied its health effects.  That type of marijuana is now legal in Colorado and Washington States.

Johnathan’s Hydroponics Passion

Jonathan has a passion to get people growing!  Lettuce, Tomatoes, spinach or anything that will help them become self-sufficient.  Health comes from healthy nutrition, he shared. It is easy to get caught up in his passion for growing food and herbs using hydroponics when you talk to him.  Johnathon is going to start to teaching hydroponics soon.  His will also be teaching Botany and other tips and tricks needed to be successful growing food and plants indoors and out.

Water Conservation at its best

Hydroponics is water conservation at its best.  As I shared before, water has become a very sacred commodity. Cities, states and the federal government is doing whatever it can to control our water. Rain water, wetlands, even small lakes are being claimed by different governmental agencies. In some states it is illegal to catch rain water for your own use. Even if it falls onto your own property.

Johnathon Wood has a website: http://www.Majestichydrogardening.com is where you can see his videos and tips and tricks. He also has products that you can purchase to make your hydroponic food crops flourish and remain clean and safe for consumption.

We will be releasing videos of our conversation. These videos will tell when his classes are available. In addition Johnathon will be writing more books and reports as well.  These will be available soon to feed your  passion and  desire to grow indoors as well as outdoors. Johnathon is an expert in all aspects of growing and sustainability.

We will be sharing more information with you in the coming Growing Newsletter.  We will be sharing the videos of Johnathon in our newsletter members area.

P.S. Our next newsletter will be sharing information about Fodder Tech. This is a high-tech hydroponic growing company that is revolutionizing the feed for farmers and rancher who raise animals for sale. Lower cost, Lower workload and happier animals who produce more.

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com

I keep getting this same question about troubleshooting garden equipment.  Whether large or smaller motorized or electrical equipment, I have found a simple way to troubleshoot gardening equipment.

So I have come up with an acronym that I have been using for decades.  It is S.O.A.R, or Seek, Observe, Act and Reap.   Whenever I have been asked to “fix” something, I do the following.

SEEK:

• What is its purpose
• How do I think it works?
• Do they have a manual
• Can I call the manufacturer or find it online?

Observe:

Once I know what it is supposed to do, and how I think it works, it is time to find out how it really works.

• Do I have one that works?
• Do I need a manual, or can I just take it apart and see how it is built.
• Can I get spare parts
• Does it make sense to repair this item, or should it be replaced

So I am observing how it works or doesn’t work.  Then I am looking for manuals or information about this equipment.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what the equipment is, you can look at everything in this way to get it working again properly.

What do you want to learn from observing and asking how it should work when it is working properly.

• Is this equipment worth repairing?
• Would it be more cost effective to purchase a new one of better quality?
• Can it really be rebuilt or repaired?
• Can we purchase a used one for less money?
• Is it a unique piece of equipment modified for the owner?
• Accept the situation and be creative in repairs and options

Now that I have observed and discovered the answers in the observation phase of troubleshooting, it is time to act.

ACT:

• Depending upon the equipment, take it apart and discover what failed
• Purchase replacement parts if cost effective
• Repair the defective parts by making them yourself.  If the equipment is older and very effective, you can also have someone else make the parts for you, or buy them used.

In 1990 we were living on a private island.   The road grading tractor was a 1958 for tractor.  It has a small 4 cylinder engine and a 3 speed manual transmission.  It was a common tractor and usable by the homeowners.   One day, as I was backing it out of the shop, the transmission would not shift out of reverse.  The clutch worked fine but I could not shift it into first or second gear.

When I finally was able to get the tractor to neutral, I found that the tractor would not shift.  I got some help and we pushed the tractor back into the shop. I removed the gear shift from the top of the transmission.  I quickly discovered that there was parts of the transmission gears stuck in the shift lever.

The solution was to split the tractor in half, and take the broken gears out.  I then found a couple of places that had the replacements at a reasonable price.

I replace the gears, tested them and put the tractor back together.  It works fine even today.  We spent about $250 to repair the tractor.  If we had sent it to the shop off the island, it would have cost $300 for the barge to get it to the mainland.  So for that it was a great deal for the homeowners association.

REAP:

Reap what you sow.  By sowing the seeds of good maintenance, you reap items that last longer

By learning about what you own and keeping records, you can discover trends and how long certain things last.  The more information you have the better!

If you are unsure about equipment, learn all you can about your equipment. Find a good mechanic shop that will listen to your concerns.  Be wise about spending your money, purchase quality products and keep them maintained meticulously.

An Eagle keeps its feathers in good condition so that it may SOAR high above the earth.  You can keep your equipment in good condition and SOAR in your garden and farm.

Food4wealth is a great way to learn about growing an organic garden without all of the hard work.

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com

When I first got out of the service, and was living on Oahu I became homeless.  The housing was expensive and even though I had a job, the money was not that great.  I could rent a room or a couch every once in a while so that I could stay clean, but to eat, that was another story.  There was fast food, but I could only eat so much of it, not a steady diet.

I would pick up coconuts on the beach, but too much coconut would cause me to have to go to the bathroom a lot.   After I had not eaten for a couple of days, I started looking in dumpsters at different grocery stores and restaurants.  The “throw away” food was tremendous!   Some of the food was fresh and of great quality.  Potatoes that were a little small, fresh heads of lettuce, tomatoes and even boxes of bananas that were just starting to turn too ripe for their sales bins.

What brought this back to the front of my mind, was a story on CBS Sunday Morning on 18 November 2012.  They shared how much food is thrown out annually by Grocery Stores, Restaurants, as well as by food left in the fields and plowed under because of the lack of transportation.  There are actually TONS of food left to rot in this nation.

Sustainability, to me, means to be able to maintain an operation or a way of life.  Sustainability is a way to keep life healthy and happy through proper nutrition.  This includes people, animals, water, food and the earth.  There has been much talk about energy, unemployment, food, water, air, land and life in general in the last year here in the United States because of the elections.

But now that the elections are over, do we not pay attention to the same things anymore?  Sure, there are many other things that are in the news, but nothing hits home more than being hungry, truly hungry to the point that there is no food in the house.  How do you feed your children?  Where do you go for help if you have a “Special needs” diet?

Chow.com has shared some more information on food waste in this story here.  With all of this waste, what is it that we can do to help feed all of the people that are going without.  Lots of things, but the most difficult of all will be this:

Involvement

Yes, I am talking about making the things that are increasing our costs for living and creating waste in our lives and those who are looking for help.  Here is a list of items that have been used to cut energy costs, and to stop food waste all while helping feed people who need a hand up.

• Rescue wasted food to fight Hunger 
• Learn about the “Hidden Harvest” 
• Start or join an organization like “Loaves and Fishes”
• Become involved in a local Food Bank like this one in Northern Illinois
• See how you can help your local grocery store.  Jewel-Osco shows how they share
• NRDC the National Resources Defense Council shares some ways that you can help
• Go to your local Farmer or commercial gardener and see about joining their “Food Club”

Sustainability and Food waste is greatly affected when you buy local food.  Another great way to lower waste and make a great contribution to the health of not only your family and the environment, as well as your money, is to grow your own food.

Food4Wealth is a way of growing your own food that is less time consuming and you do not have to dig up the earth.  It has been a great way for my wife and I to grow 2 gardens this year, both in extreme conditions.

Get involved and be part of the solution.  You never know who you may meet and become great friends with while you are volunteering or growing your own food.  Life is a Journey, embrace it!

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com

That is a great question. In California, they are working to legislate proper food labeling, due to modified food products being used in processed foods.

This will raise the cost of foods in the stores, as well as put some companies out of business. Lawyers will of course make a bunch of money and the government will once again grow due to increased “policing” all of those requirements.

Does that lower your living expenses?

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of what will really help you lower your living expenses.

Here is the game of choice.

1. Does the FDA monitor large corporation closely for compliance?
2. Can they be everywhere all at once to verify healthy food?
3. Do you have time to read and understand all of the legal language of the new laws?
4. How do you know if the food you eat is healthy?
5. How involved do you want to be in your food choices?
6. What steps can you take to improve your options?

Let me answer these questions one at a time.

1. The FDA is a large bureaucracy where most of the people are interested in your health. But they are limited in what they can do, due the fact they can’t be everywhere all at once.
2. FDA also can not verify all of the food to be healthy, and there are so many rules and regulations that I believe that there is not one person that knows them all. A complex system with many leaders is a hard program to manage efficiently. Thus increasing costs to the consumer.
3. I am not a lawyer and I believe a yes should mean yes, and no mean no. I do not think changing a definition of a word to get your way is an honorable way of living.
4. The best way to know if the food you eat is healthy is to grow it yourself. If you can’t grow your own food, find a reputable local farmer and go meet them on their farm. Then ask them if they have food for sale on a regular basis.
5. The more you get involved in your food choices, the healthier food you can consume. We are all responsible for our own choices. If you do not want to be too involved in those choices, you can always hire someone else to choose for you. You actually do that now if you only buy from the local grocery store or big mega store.

What steps can you take to improve your options?

I am glad that you asked! Here are some that you can do yourself:

• Write down the vegetables you normally purchase
• Talk to your neighborhood organic food store and compare prices
• Find a local farmers market and look for the USDA organic label
• Choose a local farmer who grows organically and join their CSA (community supported agriculture) group, and if they do not have one, ask them to start one and pre-sell you a portion of their harvest!
• If you want to grow your own garden, choose a good place to put a garden at your home and start growing!

Lowering your living expenses with organic farming or gardening will be an adventure. Our neighbors children and the parents themselves would come over and just spend time in the garden with us. The children learned about where their vegetables came from and what it tasted like right out of the garden.

Healthy food, learning new ways to save money while at the same time educating yourself and your children is priceless. 

We have had many “Garden Parties” spontaneously erupt when we are outside in the garden. The joy of the new growth and eating fresh off the vine or out of the earth continues to be “Priceless” moments in our lives.

You can learn for yourself how we experimented and found new ways to garden, just follow the link!

Search and ask questions, it is the best way to know what it is that you want and need. 

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com

I started working with horses in 1968, and we always looked at what works best for horse stalls as the material composts.  It can be a mess to choose what to use, and how to make it pay in compost, as bedding can be expensive.

What are some of the options?

• Shavings
• Straw
• Hay
• Sand
• Dirt
• Peat Moss 

My Observations:

I had encountered all of these while I was growing up, except the peat moss.  Everyone had their favorite idea on what was best for their horse.  I worked at a race track that had been turned into a boarding ranch, as well as for high end quarter horses trained for show halter.  We used shavings.  But we also had 200 stalls that we maintained for horse shows in the pacific northwest right at the border of Washington and Idaho near hwy 90.  Every trainer had their own idea what was best. 

 What Bedding Material is Best for Horse Stalls and Composting?

The good and bad part for me, was that I had the job of cleaning each stall, for a fee of course, and making sure that they were stripped of all material.  Some of the stalls were easy, as they did not use much material, especially those that just let their horses sleep in the dirt.  And then there were those trainers that threw in about 4 or 5 bales of straw for the horse to make a comfortable bed with.

Since we had a big compost pile, we would spread it on a field, or give it to whoever wanted to take it home for their purposes.  Landscapers or gardeners would come and take it if it was 3 years old, but some of the hay had not fully composted properly yet.

We did not turn it or work the pile at all.  The next ranch I worked on, we took the time to turn the manure pile about once per month.  It speeded up the composting process, and we used shavings.

It took us two years to get a good compost to spread on the hay fields.

Chance to Experiment

While managing a Thoroughbred Breeding Farm, We tried an experiment using Peat moss as the bedding in the stalls.  Peat moss can get dry, but the farm is in the Pacific Northwest north of Seattle, and if you have ever heard of the “Seattle Blues”, it is because of the constant high humidity.  Or in other words, lots of rain!

The Peat moss, once the packaging was opened, would stay damp and not produce dust.  It was such a great option for us!

Benefits:

• Acted like Kitty litter for horses
• Decreased the smell of urine in the stalls
• Was great for daily pick up of manure and urine
• Cut back on time to clean the stalls
• More time between complete clean out of stalls
• More desirable compost for sale.

My thoughts

Getting rid of the smell in the barn, as well as making the barn smell and look more professional,  made a great impression on visitors.  It made it easier to work with the horses, as I was not spending as much time cleaning stalls, or paying someone else to do it.

The horses seemed to enjoy it, as it is a soft bedding for them to lay down on.  If you live in a dry area, it may not work for you, unless you can mist the bedding if it is dusty.

For us, it even helped create an atmosphere clean and elegant enough to hold “Kentucky Derby” day parties in and around the barn.  A wonderful experience for all attending!

Where you can find larger quantities to save money.

There are many ways to purchase peat moss, but for use as Stall bedding, you will want to go to your local feed store or co-op.  We purchased it through our local feed store and found it best to purchase a tractor trailer load at a time.  We averaged 25 horses of which 14 stalls were available for Mares.  We also had one birthing stall that we could use for daily use.

Note that we would lay lots of straw on top of the peat moss during birthing to ensure the baby would not inhale any accidentally.  We would also clean the stall out completely after the mare and foal were outside the first day.

The more we can experiment and make our own lives easier and healthier for the horse, the calmer and more relaxed our four legged friends become.

Turning Your Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams 

Chris Downs, the Caretaker 

Founder hisfarm.org and Ambassador of Natural News and Sustainable Living on How to Live on Purpose.com