邴杰：美女菜农开拓华中有机蔬菜

在武汉东西湖区惠安生态农业长廊，有一片不起眼的菜地隐藏在林木间。在这200亩土地上，成功产出了华中首批有机蔬菜——健康级别最高的蔬菜，拓荒人就是武汉邴氏生态农业发展有限公司总经理邴杰。

　　第一次见到邴杰，在东西湖菜地里。她皮肤黝黑、穿着牛仔衫，乍一看与普通农民并无两样，但与她交谈后发现，她是一个很有想法，很执着坚强的现代女性。　
每天早晨五点半起床，从武汉广场旁的家直奔东西湖菜地。邴杰曾经和所有城里女孩一样，喜欢逛街购物，可做了“菜农”后，她每天素面朝天，穿着朴实，心思全花在地里。　

　　从城里的时尚女郎，到放弃都市生活，回归田园，每天种地除草，过着乡村生活，有时候在田间地头呆上几天不回家。邴杰开玩笑说，“起得比鸡早，干得比牛累”……

　　创业　从时尚白领到美女菜农

　　2006年，进入而立之年的邴杰想要开创属于自己的事业。她在网上了解到，微生物技术能重塑受污染土地的生命力，是一种功在当代，利在千秋的环保项目。对此，她产生了浓厚的兴趣，拿着自己在汽车、房产销售工作中积攒的资金，开始在城郊物色土地尝试微生物应用。

　　怀旧的她想，菜要种出“小时候吃的味道”。巧的是，东西湖区慈惠农场在惠安大道边规划了200亩土地，准备发展有机蔬菜。在经过协商后，邴杰拿着自己在汽车、房产销售工作中积攒的资金，毅然来到了这片土地上当起菜农。　
开拓有机蔬菜首先必须改良土壤。在最初，邴杰开着车四处搜集牛粪、木渣等有机废物，经微生物技术处理后，变成有机肥，洒到田间。“这项技术投入很 大，一亩地投一万元进去看不到钱”邴杰说，邴杰一口气将多年的积蓄70多万元全部投进蔬菜基地，还获得了政府和慈惠农场补贴资金的支持。在采用有益微生物 菌种改土过程中，虽然干的活又脏又累，邴杰总是亲力亲为，并且乐此不疲。到了晚上还要上网向专家讨教。　
在蔬菜的种植过程中绝不能施化肥、洒农药，除草、除虫、施肥都得靠人工。邴杰亲自上阵外，还雇请当地农工和农技人员种植。值得喜悦的是，邴杰的有机蔬菜基地拿到了华中地区唯一的国家有机蔬菜认证。 付出得到了肯定，美女菜农邴杰更坚定了在这条路上走下去的信念。

更多：

http://union.cnhubei.com/news/show.php?itemid=13506

http://cjmp.cnhan.com/whwb/html/2012-06/08/content_5017538.htm

Sweltering Heat May Wreak Havoc on Corn Crops

06/07/2012

The blistering heat behind the bone dry soil is creating major problems for farmers across the corn-belt states.

"We're in a critical point, could be the beginning of the end," said Dave Kestel, a farmer.

In Manhattan, Ill., where Kestel is a fourth-generation corn farmer, they are praying for rain. His plants are almost two feet shorter than they should be at this point in the season and the next two weeks are critical.

During the next 14 days, Kestel's corn plants begin the pollination period. Without the right amount of moisture, his corn crop will be lost.

"If heat and dry weather continue … kernels will just die," Kestel told ABC News.

It was supposed to be the best corn harvest in decades, but now farmers fear a repeat of the 1988 drought that wiped out millions of acres of corn and caused billions in crop damage, the worst crop setback since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

Experts say consumers could end up feeling the pinch in their pocketbook. As much as 75 percent of the products in your grocery store use corn as a key ingredient. Things like cereal, peanut butter and soda could all be affected in the coming months.

"That's going to raise the price of corn," said Ricky Volpe, a U.S. Department of Agriculture research economist, "which is immediately going to raise the price of feed, of grains that goes into producing a lot of other foods, a lot of our meat and dairy, and so on and so forth. And that's going to translate into an increase in the price of retail."

给儿子的一封信 Interesting and Meaningful Memo From a Father to His Son

梁繼璋先生是香港一位名電台節目主持人，也是一位兒童心理學導師。
這是梁繼璋寫給兒子的信, 看後很感動, 覺得不只給兒子, 其實可以適合所有人看!

Michael Leung, a famous TV Host and MC/DJ in Hong Kong , is also a child psychotherapist.

The letter that he had for his son is quite moving. It would not only provide a guideline for children, but also benefit for all ages.

我兒:

寫這備忘錄給你，基於三個原則：
(一）人生福禍無常，誰也不知可以活多久，有些事情還是早一點說好。
(二）我是你的父親，我不跟你說，沒有人會跟你說。
( 三）這備忘錄裏記載的，都是我經過慘痛失敗得回來的體驗，可以為你的成長省回不少冤枉路。

My Son,

I’m writing this list based on three fundamentals:
1. Life is unpredictable. No one knows how long we’re going to live, so some things are better said earlier than later.
2. I’m your father. I’d be the only one to tell you these things.
3. Everything on this list came from my own experience. I learnt them the hard way, and hopefully that’ll save some unnecessary steps in your life.

以下，便是你在人生中要好好記住的事：
Below are the things you need to remember at all times in your life:

（一） 對你不好的人，你不要太介懷 ，在你一生中，沒有人有義務要對你好，除了我和你媽媽。至於那些對你好的人，你除了要珍惜、感恩外，也請多防備一點，因為， 每個人做每件事，總有一個原因，他對你好，未必真的是因為喜歡你，請你必須搞清楚，而不必太快將對方看作真朋友。
1. To people who are unkind to you, don’t sweat it. Through your lifetime, no one is obligated to be nice to you, besides your mom and me.
As for the people who are kind to you, treasure them, be grateful, but at the same time, be extra cautious. Everyone does everything for a reason. When someone is nice to you, it doesn’t mean they like you. You need to be able to see through the surface, instead of making them your true friends immediately.

（二） 沒有人是不可代替，沒有東西是必須擁有。 看透了這一點，將來你身邊的人不再要你，或許失去了世間上最愛的一切時，也應該明白，這並不是甚麼大不了的事。
2. No one is irreplaceable, and nothing is indispensable. With that in mind, even when you lose the people or things that you love and treasure the most, in the future, you need to understand that it’s not that big of a deal.

（三） 生命是短暫的 ，今日你還在浪費著生命，明日會發覺生命已遠離你了。因此，愈早珍惜生命，你享受生命的日子也愈多，與其盼望長壽，倒不如早點享受。
3. Life is short. While you’re wasting it today, you’ll realize you’re at the end of it tomorrow. So the earlier you start to treasure your life, the earlier you can enjoy it. Instead of hoping for longevity, start to live life fully early.

（四） 世界上並沒有最愛這回事 ，愛情只是一種霎時的感覺，而這感覺 絕對會隨時日、心境而改變。如果你的所謂最愛離開你，請耐心地等候一下，讓時日慢慢沖洗，讓心靈慢慢沉澱，你的苦就會慢慢淡化。不要過分憧憬愛情的美，不要過分誇大失戀的悲。
4. The thing called “The Best Love”, or “The One”, doesn’t exist. Love is a feeling of moments. It will definitely changes over time and moods. If your so-called “Best Love” left you, please be patient and let time heals your wounds. Through time, your heart will come to peace and your pain will ease. Don’t over expect the beauty of Love, nor over exaggerate the pain when you lose it.

（五） 雖然，很多有成就的人士不一定都有受過很多教育，但並不等如不用功讀書，就一定可以成功。你學到的知識，就是你擁有的武器。 人，可以白手興家，但不可以手無寸鐵 ， 緊記！
5. Although a lot of successful people not necessarily received high education, you might not be successful if you don't study hard. The knowledge you consume will become your weapon. You can start from nothing to your name, but you can go nowhere if you are not fully prepared. Never forget that!

（六） 我不會要求你供養我下半輩子，同樣地我也不會供養你的下半輩子 ，當你長大到可以獨立的時候，我的責任已經完結。 以後，你要坐巴士還是 Benz (奔驰)，吃魚翅還是粉絲，都要自己負責。
6 . I don’t expect you to support me for the rest of my life, so I’m not going to do the same for you either. When you’re grown enough to be independent, it will be the end of my responsibilities to you. From that point, it’s completely your own responsibilities and decisions, whether to take the bus or drive a Benz, or whether to eat shark fins or rice noodle.

（七） 你可以要求自己守信，但不能要求別人守信，你可以要求自己對人好，但不能期待人家對你好。 你怎樣對人，並不代表人家就會怎樣對你， 如果看不透這一點，你只會徒添不必要的煩惱。

7. You can require yourself to be accountable to others, but don’t expect accountability from others to you. You can require yourself to be nice to other, but don’t expect the same from others to you. However you decide to treat others, they won’t necessarily do the same in return. You must be very clear on this, or you’ll be very disappointed unnecessarily.

（八） 我買了十多二十年六合彩，還是一窮二白，連三獎也沒有中，這證明人要發達，還是要努力工作才可以， 世界上並沒有免費午餐 。
8. I’ve been buying the Lotto for almost twenty years, but still poor. I had never got the third prize even once. So remember, you have to work hard to be successful. There’s no free lunch in the world.

（九） 親人只有一次的 緣份 ，無論這輩子我和你會相處多久，也請好好珍惜共聚的時光，下輩子，無論愛與不愛，都不會再見。
9. You got your family by karma and it happens only once. Please treasure every moment we spend together, because we don’t know how long it will last. After this lifetime, we won’t see each other anymore.

你的爸爸
梁繼璋

濱海區茶山的道德农夫

雪兰莪滨海区菜农公会为了褒奖对发展农耕技术有功的有机菜农，特地颁发了一面奖状给李锦和，赞扬他转型种植有机番薯的成就。

该公会永久顾问洪国清在颁发这项奖状的时候指出，希望李锦和的技术转型可以作为农友的典范，鼓励更加多农友进行技术提升，同时证明滨海区菜农已经拥有转型的技术模式，向科技农业迈进一大步。

李锦和种植有机番薯将近5年，不但在技术取得突破，而且坚持不用农药和化肥，以传统的方法进行生产。他所生产的有机番薯也受到公众认同，而深入消费者的饮食生活中，成为仁嘉隆东禅寺慈善活动的义卖项目之一。

李锦和已经着手向农业部申请SOM有机认证，期望一纸证书，可以证明他的番薯是符合有机标准之外，也落实他为社会种植健康无毒蔬菜的心愿。

GM foods not served in Monsanto cafeteria

Friday, November 10, 2000 | 11:48 PM ET CBC News

The fight to ban genetically modified foods has won more converts -- some employees of Monsanto the company that is doing the most to promote GM products.

The Independent newspaper reports that there is a notice in the cafeteria of the Monsanto pharmaceutical factory is High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, advising customers "as far as practicable, GM soya and maize (has been removed) from all food products served in our restaurant. We have taken the steps to ensure that you, the customer, can feel confident in the food we serve."

The notice was posted by the Sutcliffe Catering Group.

Monsanto confirms the authenticity of the notice, but company spokesman Tony Coombes says the only reason for the GM-free foods is because the company "believes in choice." Coombes says in other Monsanto locations employees are happy to eat GM foods because they are "sprayed with fewer chemicals."

Adrian Bebb with Friends of the Earth says the notice in the Buckinghamshire plant is hard to misinterpret. "The public has made its concerns about GM ingredients very clear - now it appears that even Monsanto's own catering firm has no confidence in this new technology."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/1999/12/22/gmfood991222.html

Urban Agriculture in Havana - Cuba

The break up of the Soviet Bloc in 1989 plunged Cuba into the worst economic crisis of its history. Cuba lost 85 percent of its trade, including both food and agricultural inputs. The conventional system of agriculture was highly dependent on imported pesticides, fertilizers, and farming equipment, and without these inputs, domestic production fell. This decline in food production, coupled with a drastic reduction in food imports, led to a 50 percent reduction in caloric intake in the early 1990s. Cuba was faced with a dual challenge of doubling food production with half the previous inputs.

Cuba responded to the crisis with a national call to increase food production by restructuring agriculture. This transformation was based on a conversion from a conventional, large scale, high input, mono-crop agricultural system to a smaller scale, organic and semi-organic farming system. It focused on utilizing local low cost and environmentally safe inputs, and relocating production closer to consumers in order to cut down on transportation costs.

Urban agriculture has been a key part of this effort. By 1994 a spontaneous decentralized movement of urban residents joined a planned government strategy to create over 8,000 city farms in Havana alone. The success of these gardens has significantly contributed to the easing of Cuba’s food crisis. In 1998 an estimated 541,000 tons of food were produced in Havana for local consumption. Food quality has also improved as citizens now have access to a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Although the program still faces many challenges, urban gardens continue to grow, and some neighborhoods are producing as much as 30 percent of their own subsistence needs.

http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/273