To relax after her second virus shot, Gretchen hoisted 50-pound bags of fertilizer while we were planting red corn.
![[A few hours after second virus shot]](http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/pictures/2021-03-22--gretchen-fertilizer-shot/20210322_162634.jpg)
A few hours after second virus shot
Seems like a fair distribution of labor. After all, I drive the tractor.
Today she got five more bags, and loaded them in the truck herself.
-jsq
Dr. Mario Bartoletti appears unchanged since I first met him five years ago.
An exploration of the aging process and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as perceived by an octogenarian.
Here’s
a bio in the VDT from 2011,
and
a VDT review from 2013 of Dr. Bartoletti’s autobiographical book,
Becoming a Man.
Here he is
in 2011 at almost 79, marching again as he did for civil rights many decades before.
And
in 2014 reminding the Lowndes County Commmission there are things they can do.
Apparently one of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle is remaining engaged in the community.
You can register now Continue reading
We are doing this for our health, and yours, too. And Traci Gosier’s talk is about health:
What is the program? Georgia Working on Health Initiative. The initiative aims to reduce the burden of chronic disease by partnering with Georgia businesses to create and enhance healthy worksite environments and improve employee health.
How do they get involved? Take the online pledge at dph.ga.gov/working-on-health then you will receive the following:
- Commitment letter with sample policies
- An electronic version of the Work Healthy Georgia toolkit
- Window decals to post (tobacco free-environment, Continue reading
Research, including studies presented at the conference in Istanbul, is showing that organic agriculture can deliver reliably high yields ”and that organic fields thrive in the face of disaster and duress, where chemical-reliant crops falter. Organic fields, for example, fare significantly better than chemically managed ones in the face of extreme weather, such as droughts or floods.
Anna Lappe, for takepart, 4 November 2014, Yes, Organic Farming Can Feed the World, Continue reading
Well, this is unexpected.
Recent research shows a compound in okra
“promotes selective antitumor effects in human breast cancer cells and may represent a potential therapeutic to combat human breast cancer.”
Here’s the abstract, Biotechnol Lett. 2014 Mar;36(3):461-9. doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1382-4. Epub 2013 Oct 16. Lectin of Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) promotes selective antitumor effects in human breast cancer cells.
The anti-tumor effects of a newly-discovered lectin, isolated from okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (AEL), were investigated in human breast cancer (MCF7) and skin fibroblast (CCD-1059 sk) cells. AEL induced significant cell growth inhibition (63 %) in MCF7 cells. The expression of pro-apoptotic caspase-3, caspase-9, and p21 genes was increased in MCF7 cells treated with AEL, compared to those treated with controls. In addition, AEL treatment increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in MCF7 cells. Flow cytometry also indicated that cell death (72 %) predominantly occurred through apoptosis. Thus, AEL in its native form promotes selective antitumor effects in human breast cancer cells and may represent a potential therapeutic to combat human breast cancer.
Don’t get your hopes up about that 72% figure: that seems to be that when cancer cell death occurred, 72% of it was related, not that 72% of cancer cells were killed. The 63% cancer cell growth inhibition does seem promising, though.
There are even hints in another paper that okra may be related to lower rates of prostate cancer: Continue reading
One of the easiest “convenience foods” to make at home is mayonnaise. Once you make your own, to your own taste, you’ll never go back to store bought.
Some time back, I stumbled across the book Make Your Own Convenience Foods by Don and Joan German and my kitchen and pantry haven’t been the same since.
Basic Recipe:
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lecithin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (actually to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (again to taste)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (depends upon size of yolks)
Actually making the mayo is really pretty easy.
Step one: get out ingredients
Step two: put yolks into blender with vinegar, mustard and salt
Step three: put top on blender and mix this up well.
Step four: take out little plug from top of blender and slowly add oil in pencil thin stream. (about 20-25 seconds)
Step five: scoop mayo out of blender into a jar and label
And now you have delicious home made mayo, no preservatives, no chemicals, and just the herbs and spices you like.
–gretchen
Today Lowndes County Partnership for Health picked up some OPF red potatoes to sell at their Mobile Market. Next week probably OPF okra. And every week other good vegetables and fruits from other farmers.
Here’s a South Health District facebook post of 10 June 2014:
It’s Tuesday – know what that means? The Mobile Market, full of fresh fruits and vegetables, will be at Barnes Drug Store Downtown Valdosta from 2:30-4:30! They’re there every Tuesday! Come by and see them…they accept all forms of payment.
-jsq
Elizabeth (B) Fraleigh O’Toole, President of O’Toole’s Herb Farm will speak at South Georgia Growing Local 2014:
This presentation will touch on growing herbs for pleasure, growing herbs for the fresh cut market and growing herbs in greenhouse production for wholesale and retail sales. I will cover the joy and positive healing energy these plants give, the passion of growing and using them and how I got to this place.
Her farm was featured in the April-May, 2012, edition of Home & Design:
“A village is happening out here,” B said during a tour of her 114-acre farm’s greenhouses, gardens, retail shops and resident flock of sheep. “If you think Walmart, we’re absolutely the opposite. Small, local, knowledgeable, none of our plants genetically modified with man-made chemicals.”
Also on
facebook.
Her conference bio: Continue reading
Connie Hayes of Healthy Hollow Farms will speak at South Georgia Growing Local 2014,
How do we prove to customers that our products are free of genetically modified ingredients? while many homesteaders choose to be not certified or certified naturally grown, consumers are becoming more concerned with GMOs. We will offer practical tips for insuring consumers, as well as how to on certifications & non-GMO testing.
Here’s her conference bio:
Members of Coastal Organic Growers (COG), Connie & Jimmy Hayes own & operate Healthy Hollow Farms near Stilson, GA, which has been certified organic since 2007. They grow organic peanuts and raise Belted Galloway cattle. They are in the process of setting up an
on-farm processing facility for their peanuts. Connie serves on the board of Georgia Organics and has trained under Jeffery Smith with The Institute for Responsible Technology to speak on GMOs.
Come to
SOGALO2014 and hear Connie about getting certified organic!
-jsq
Update 2 January 2014: Or pay online.
Update 31 December 2013: Early registration extended to January 15, 2014!
Registration is now open for the South Georgia Growing Local 2014 Conference
This two day event will begin with farm tours on Friday, January 24th ($50 and includes lunch). Dinner and a movie ($5), on Friday evening is sponsored by the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce. The Saturday conference ($40 and includes lunch) will be a multi-track day, filled with informative talks about local growing, homesteading, multi-generational learning, and more.
The Saturday schedule currently includes the following: Continue reading