Help Poor By Growing Food----Robin Emmons, USA.

                                                

More than 72,000 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, lack access to fresh produce. When Robin Emmons discovered this problem, she took action. "I decided to rip up my whole backyard and make it all a garden for people in need," she said. Since 2008, Emmons has grown more than 26,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables for area residents.

Emmons’s Sow Much Good (SMG) was founded to eliminate socio-economic, racial, and ethnic health disparities that result from a lack of access to nutritionally dense food products in marginalized populations. She works to achieve food justice through programming and community based initiatives designed to provide equal access to organic food sources; to inspire individuals to take charge of their health and to promote healthy lifestyles through cheap food and nutrition.

The Facts
• An urban food desert is an area in a city where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. Mecklenburg County has 60 neighborhoods with over 73,000 residents living in urban food deserts. Hard to believe it is America, same thing happens to poverty country like India people short of access to food- money.

• Since its inception in 2008, Emmons has helped spare hundreds of people from nutritional starvation through education, the Grow Your Own program and local farm stands, smart move.

• Diabetes, hypertension and obesity are no one’s birth right – these chronic health problems can be greatly reduced through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Emmons marginalized communities access to the nutritious produce and education they need to combat these devastating diseases.

Emmons is committed to growing healthy communities in underserved neighborhoods by:

1. Providing direct access to fresh, affordable food cheaper than local supermarket.
2. Educating and engaging residents to adopt healthy eating habits.
3. Advocating for the right of every person to have real food security.

Vision:
Neighborhoods that suffer from food insecurity will be transformed into well-served communities.

Reality:
Do you have a big backyard to grow food for poor? If not, why not choosing Taiwan professional hydroponics plant factory equipments to grow at your basement? The one of the greatest benefits is the amount of space that is use. Conservation of resources. Less water is necessary. No pesticides and fungicides are used.

Chicfarm Hydroponic gardening has less labor and garden maintenance, pests and diseases are easily avoided as the climate can be controlled, plants are free from weeds and will thus grow healthy, giving good and non-toxic food.Hydroponic growing provides you increased efficiency, greater production, control over the growing environment, and better tasting fruits and vegetables.

   Come On!  Let's Grow Yout Own Good.  And Add It To Your Table Today.
Hydroponics Systems from Taiwan Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

                                     

The Horror Truth of The 800 million Hunger In The World Today

According to the UN radio reports , FAO , IFAD and the World Food Program (WFP) jointly issued October 1 the latest one " SOFI " the report pointed out that global efforts to fight hunger progress , the number of hungry has decreased, but there are still 800 million 42 million people suffering in hungry, not getting healthy food to support their lives.


Promote GM (Genetically modified) food of multinational companies claiming GM can solve the problem of hunger in the world. However, after careful analysis, people will find GM will only make the problem of world hunger even worse.There are 800 million hungry population in the world. Of those who died of hunger, only 10% died from famine caused by natural disasters or war , the rest 90% were mostly because of extreme poverty , unable to obtain adequate food and nutrition caused a chronic hunger death .

Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO, 1999 ) pointed out that world 1.3 billion tons food production is sufficient to feed everyone in the world. United Nations Development Program ( 1998 ) also pointed out that the world's richest 20% people consume nearly 50% of meat and fish , the poorest 20% people consumed only 3%. Many hungry people live in countries of rich in food. India is one of the best global hunger kingdom, more than two hundred million people out of 900 million population were chronically famine state. Meanwhile, India's agricultural exports accounted for 30% of its GDP, in 1999 , India's wheat and rice reserves amounted to 40 million and 400 tons , exceeded 20 million tons than its standard. However, after hoarding plenty of food, poor people are still hungry.

The real cause of hunger is not lack of food, but poverty and unequal distribution of resources. Hunger is often poor, lack the resources to make a living , prevention fatigue, and lack of social security , even if the food more, they have no money to buy food , the only option: an empty belly.
GM technology is definitely not the answer to solve the problem of hunger and it will only make the situation lot worse. GM technology will worsen multinational consortia of seed market monopoly , so that farmers can not do the old school way from thousands of years , to get a storage, exchange and planting different seeds. They are more likely to pay huge royalties to buy genetically modified seeds in the future without other options.

Food production and biodiversity are the basis of improved varieties . No biodiversity, farmers and scientists will be difficult to take advantage of the different species and short of genetic resources to cope with complex natural environment against unpredictable natural disasters. GMOs will cause the loss of biodiversity , and therefore food security is going to be big challenges. In addition, GM crops pollen and seeds accidentally spread to neighboring fields, make similar crops changed in traditional varieties , such as weed herbicide-resistant genes in the draw. They may become " super weeds " , so that not only disturbed ecological balance , but also pose a hazard to food production ; planting crops can resist herbicides , farmers also lead to increased use of herbicides to soil and cause more damage to our environment . So what will happen to our next generation?

Now the world 's genetically modified crops planted most are herbicide-resistant GM crops. Sadly it does not increase food production , neither no increase in food nutrition.

Big misunderstanding ( A ) : food shortage lead to hunger ?

Truth (A): There are 800 million people worldwide suffering from chronic hunger , of which 2/ 3 live in developing countries in Asia and the Pacific region , such as India, Bangladesh , China , 1/4 live in sub-Saharan region ( FAO, 1999 ) . However, a lot of information data has pointed out , the real reason causes of hunger is not lack of food , but poverty and unequal distribution of resources . In 2002, global food production per person per day is sufficient to provide the required 2,800 calories (Hunger Report, 2003), but the hunger problem persisting as well , showing that the problem is not production ,but in the food assignment. Whether engaged in famine research scholars , such as the 1998 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics , Indian scholar Xin Er (Amartya Sen), or Oxfam , Action Aid (Action Aid) and other long-term focus and organize emergency famine relief efforts of civil society, they pointed out that modern causes of famine , poverty and inequality are the main reasons,  nothing to do with the lack of food at all.

Big misunderstanding (B) : poor food production less , people naturally  starve.

Truth (B): Many chronically hungry people live in countries rich in food. India is one of the best global hunger kingdom, more than two hundred million people out of 900 million population were chronically famine state. Meanwhile, India's agricultural exports accounted for 30% of its GDP, in 1999 , India's wheat and rice reserves amounted to 40 million and 400 tons , exceeded 20 million tons than its standard. However, after hoarding plenty of food, poor people are still hungry.

Big misunderstanding ( C) : too many people to live on earth.

Truth: In a report , the FAO ( 2000 ) pointed out that global food production is able to meet the needs of the population . In the past three decades, although the population growth of 70% more , but growth in food production per capita on food increased by nearly 20%. So, in the starvation death of those , only 10 % died of famine caused by natural disasters or war , and the remaining 90% are due to extreme poverty , unable to obtain adequate food and nutrition , chronic hunger death .Sadly, the 20% of the rich people do not take care of 80% of the poor people. Their heartless attitude - is the TRUE and ONLY cause of the earth chronic hunger!


                  Grow Yout Own Good.   Add It To Your Table Today.
Hydroponics Systems from Taiwan Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

                                       

Growing Gardens in the Walls, Ceilings of Buildings In Tokyo

The vast number of high-rise buildings constructed of concrete and glass make Tokyo one of the least likely places that you’d expect to find fresh produce. That was, until a recent movement integrating farm space and urban hydroponics with other aspects of this expansive concrete jungle was put into motion.

                              
Turning small plots between buildings into a usable farm space is only the beginning. From rooftop community gardens, to floors specifically designed to incorporate farming into an otherwise typical office space, to other spaces within high-rises filled with racks of perfectly lined leaf vegetables, companies in Tokyo are participating in this farming revolution.

                                  

These urban farms not only bring fresh produce to the big city, but they also reflect ideals in farming. Most, if not all, urban farms in Tokyo are organic and are located in a very controlled environment.
This is a relief, particularly to the mothers of infants who are concerned about the safety of foods grown in Japan after the nuclear disaster of March 2011. In addition to being organic, urban farms allow citizens to eat local vegetables. These local vegetables grown in small plots around office buildings allow customers to enjoy seasonal dishes created from traditional ingredients in Marunouchi, one of Tokyo’s largest financial districts.

PASONA, a recruitment agency, has incorporated vegetation both indoors and outdoors at their Marunouchi location to carry out the concept, “coexist with nature.” Here, every floor has space dedicated to vegetation, including crop vegetables, which serve a variety of purposes. Creative designs are employed to maximize the space available for plants, including the support beams in the café, which are used to support vine vegetables. The most surprising may be the white radish, broccoli and mustard sprouts that are cultivated under benches in break areas.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries also has a plant factory and an indoor urban farm powered by solar power in Tokyo, which the company has incorporated into its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Leaf vegetables are cultivated at this facility including baby leaf varieties of lettuce. They have teamed up with chain restaurant company New Tokyo to create recipes for healthy dishes using these vegetables and to raise awareness about local and organic ingredients.
With major companies such as PASONA and Mitsubushi creatively leading the way, urban farming technology is sure to advance and become more widespread in the near future.

Hydroponics Systems from Taiwan Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

Growing City, Japan Tokyo

                                          

Small-scale hydroponic food production from a new Japanese Subway fast-food restaurant in the Marunouchi Building, across the street from the ever busy Tokyo Station is open. The sandwich shop grows some of their own greens in an enclosed hydroponic production unit, without use of agrochemicals or inorganic solutions.  The organic lettuce is the freshest ingredient that the store can offer, giving new meaning to Subway's "Eat Fresh" motto.

Tokyo Subway restaurant with hydroponic food production

Currently, the hydroponics unit provides only 5% of the lettuce required for daily operations of the restaurant, and the cost of the operation is greater than trucking the lettuce in as normal. But to be fair, the application of new technologies always comes with a cost, and without innovative interventions such as this, that cost would never come down. 

More importantly, there is a high social value here - not only in terms of raising awareness overall, but very specifically in terms of connecting people to their food source in the largest metropolitan area in the entire world (39 million people). Small growing unit, large impact. So yes, this is more of an experiment than a new and more efficient urban food system, but without experimentation, we will never arrive at the new urban food system that many of our cities desperately need. 

There are those who belie the efforts of Subway, with some commenting that lettuce production is boring. However, if we take a look at the company, Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with over 33,000 restaurants in 92 countries, and it is the largest single-brand restaurant chain globally. (If you are now wondering, yes, Subway has more locations worldwide than McDonald's, which has an estimated 31,000 locations.)

Basically, subway likely uses more lettuce than any other single organization in the world. In terms of food production, lettuce has a very quick harvest cycle at approximately four weeks. When compared to the harvest cycles of tomatoes (60-100 days), onions (70-125 days), or peppers (65-95 days), lettuce is a perfect vegetable with which to experiment, especially in the setting of a public Subway restaurant.

Hydroponics Systems from  Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

The science of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a Non-circulating hydroponics method

                                              

1. All plant roots must have oxygen. In a hydroponic environment it is essential to ensure your plant’s roots are supplied with oxygen. Growers must be well versed in the science of dissolved oxygen (called DO).
                        

2. Most crops seem to prefer about 9 PPM DO, some crops like lettuce have demonstrated little to no difference in fresh weight or dry weight when grown in DO levels ranging from 2.1 PPM to 16.8 PPM (Albright et al, 1996). So lettuce is the best crop to grow in hydroponics.

3. Dissolved oxygen levels in tap water are typically between 5-7 parts per million (PPM) at room temperature. Temperature has a powerful effect on how much oxygen can be held by water molecules. The warmer the water is, the less gas it is able to hold. Fully oxygenated water at 68° F will hold about 9 PPM of DO, while the same water at 86° F only holds about 7.5 PPM (over 15% less DO). It should come as no surprise then that the ideal temperature for maximizing root growth in hydroponic systems is 68° Fahrenheit, the temperature at which water naturally holds the 8-9 PPM of DO, which is the very amount of DO necessary to support vigorous plant growth in most crops. Water holds both dissolved solids like fertilizer as well as dissolved gases like CO2 & O2. The higher the PPM (dissolved solids), the less gases water can hold, so be aware that over fertilizing often occurs in conjunction with oxygen eprivation.
                                 

4. There are 2 most cost-effective ways to increase DO in the water: grow air roots and pump air into water. First way is totally free. You just need to help plants to generate air roots as many as they can , so O2 will be delivered by leave to the air roots and transformed into DO in the solution.

5. The other way is to use Air Pumps & Air Stones
Air diffuses into water whenever water comes in contact with air. This commonly occurs when water on the surface of a reservoir touches the air in a grow room or when air bubbles rise through a column of water in a reservoir. Many growers employ the combination of an air pump and air stone to add oxygen to their solution (the mixture of water and nutrients). This is a viable option for many growers which is able to increase DO levels fairly inexpensively. An air pump pumps air through plastic tubing to the bottom of the reservoir, where it is attached to an air stone. The air stone then diffuses the air into small bubbles which rise through the water, increasing the DO level as they rise. This also happens to be a great method for keeping one’s water and nutrients mixed, preventing the nutrients from settling to the bottom of the reservoir.

             
The size of the bubble that an air stone produces makes a significant difference in their ability to add dissolved oxygen to water. If a single large bubble and 8 small bubbles have the same total amount of air inside of them, then the surface area of the smaller bubbles will always be greater. Additionally, smaller bubbles are less buoyant and rise through the water slower, allowing them to diffuse more oxygen into the water.

                                        

Hydroponics Systems from  Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

Reasons Pot is Better Than Alcohol

Reasons Pot is Better Than Alcohol

There’s a list of pot smokers to show the reasons weed wins over booze:
1. Marijuana Curbs Brain Damage Caused by Drinking
Unless you’re seriously in denial about alcohol’s negative effects, you’re probably aware that alcohol is less than good for your brain. Marijuana, however, may actually help prevent alcohol-associated brain damage and treat depression.

2. Marijuana May Help Treat Cancers Caused by Alcohol
Alcohol consumption is carcinogenic, and contributes to head and neck, breast, liver, esophageal and colorectal cancers. In fact, more than 19,500 cancer deaths in 2009 were deemed alcohol-related. Cannabis has been proven to help treat cancer and its symptoms.

3. Violent Behavior vs. Utter Chillness
Whether it’s used as an excuse for or directly causes aggression, alcohol more than any other substance promotes violent behavior. In case you’re unaware, marijuana tends to chill people out.

4. Alcohol Addiction is Extremely Dangerous
Alcoholism is an international problem, and withdrawal can lead to death or permanent brain damage. Cannabis addiction exists, but it is less harmful and generally less severe than addiction to other substances.

5. One Kills People. Guess Which One.
The first four points highlight alcohol’s lethality, but they don’t tell the whole story. Alcohol abuse kills 2.5 million people worldwide each year. The green stuff has led to exactly zero recorded deaths. Ever.

6. Alcohol Prevents Muscle Growth
Alcohol can prevent muscle growth in a variety of ways, from decreasing testosterone levels to interrupting sleep. Weed doesn’t directly affect muscle growth at all.

7. One Has Legitimate Medicinal Uses
Marijuana has a long, long list of physician-approved medical uses and the list is growing. Other than red wine’s ability to lower blood pressure, alcohol does just about nothing positive for a person’s health.

8. Drunk Sex is Sloppy, High Sex is Tingly
Alcohol decreases your ability to perceive stimuli. That can be a good thing when you’ve just faceplanted at a party and want to play it off like nothing. Losing feeling when you’re getting intimate, however, is pretty lame. Enter marijuana, which, as our very own Hypatia Lee can attest increases sensitivity and can improve sex.

9. Long Term Alcohol Abuse Could Kill You
Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to liver failure or other life-threatening conditions. Marijuana’s effects over a lifetime are still not entirely understood, but they do not include any of the potentially lethal ailments caused by alcohol.

10. Drunks Decisions Bad, High Decisions Slow
Alcohol leads to risky decision-making, period. That can be fun sometimes but dangerous at others. Scientist’s have yet to fully grasp marijuana’s effects on decision making, but this study shows that smokers more or less come to the same conclusions as sober peeps. They just take a little bit longer to arrive at those conclusions.


               
Hydroponics Systems from  Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

Shutdown affects food safety? Time to grow your own food.

Time To Grow Your Own Food, It Is Fun!

Now that the entire economy is in a slump, people are responding by tightening up and reducing consumption in general. The cost of everything seems to be higher these days, especially at the grocery store, a trip you can't skip. Maybe you can, or at least slash your bill, by growing your own food.

Growing fruits and vegetables seems overwhelming to most people, but it’s actually much simpler than it sounds. All you need is a few square feet of the great outdoors, or indoors, and a little time. Your grandparents did it, and so can you.

Benefits:
1. Improve your family's health. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the most important things you and your family can do to stay healthy. When they’re growing in your backyard or your kitchen, you won’t be able to resist them, and their vitamin content will be at their highest levels as you bite into them straight from the garden.

2.  Save money on groceries. Your grocery bill will shrink as you begin to stock your pantry with fresh produce from your backyard. A packet of seeds can cost less than a dollar, and if you buy heirloom, non-hybrid species, you can save the seeds from the best producers, dry them, and use them next year.

3. Reduce your environmental impact. Home gardening helps the planet in many ways. If you grow your food organically, without pesticides and herbicides, you’ll spare the earth the burden of unnecessary air and water pollution.

4. Get exercise. Planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting add purposeful physical activity to your day. If you have kids, they can join in, too. If you grow food indoor by hydroponics, you will enjoy fresh O2 every day releasing out by your plants. Gardening is also a way to relax, de-stress, center your mind, and get fresh air and sunshine.

5. Enjoy better-tasting food. Fresh food is the best food! How long has the food on your supermarket shelf been there? How long did it travel from the farm to your table? Comparing the flavor of a homegrown tomato with the taste of a store-bought one is like comparing apples to wallpaper paste. If it tastes better, you’ll be more likely to eat the healthy, fresh produce that you know your body needs. In fact, hydroponics food is more juicy and crispy then soil cultivation. Try it, and you will know what I am talking about.

6. Stop worrying about food safety. With recalls on peanut butter, spinach, tomatoes and more, many people are concerned about food safety in our global food marketplace. When you responsibly grow your own food, you don't have to worry about contamination that may occur at the farm, manufacturing plant, or transportation process. This means that when the whole world is avoiding tomatoes, for example, you don't have to go without—you can trust that your food is safe and healthy to eat.

7. Reduce food waste. Americans throw away about $600 worth of food each year! It's a lot easier to toss a moldy orange that you paid $0.50 for than a perfect red pepper that you patiently watched ripen over the course of several weeks. When it's "yours," you will be less likely to take it for granted and more likely to eat it (or preserve it) before it goes to waste.

                         

8. Reduce food carbon footprint. Eating your own grown food helps in the fight against global warming. Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture reports that the average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1,500 miles to get there. Growing your own produced

So, everyone, let’s start to grow some vegetables at home to eliminates the transport required to get food to your table. It also gets you no chemical food since yu won't poison yourself from a kitchen or backyard. And all that fuel-guzzling transportation, your food has zero carbon footprint.

Hydroponics Systems from Taiwan Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net