ON FARM COMPOSTING RESCHEDULED . . .SAYUR MANIS: DELICIOUS, BUT DEADLY, GREENS FROM BORNEO . . .CANOLA GROWERS TURN TO MORE PROFITABLE HEMP  . . .PELLET PLANT FEASIBILITY STUDY LAUNCHED IN THE MIRAMICHI . . .OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

ON FARM COMPOSTING RESCHEDULED Source: NSFA The On Farm Composting Course that was previously advertised has been rescheduled for September 17 and 18, 2014. http://www.nsfa-fane.ca/

SAYUR MANIS: DELICIOUS, BUT DEADLY, GREENS FROM BORNEO
Source: NPR
Sayur manis has all the traits of a “superfood.” It’s packed with protein, antioxidants, and other nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and a compound called lutein, a key pigment in human retinas. It’s easy to grow, at least in the tropics. It’s the kind of thing health-food nuts would put in smoothies. But sayur manis smoothies are a bad idea; though it can be eaten raw, doing so in even moderately large quantities has proven deadly. Sayur manis is hardly alone in this; the same chemicals with health benefits might also do damage. Despite years of research, scientists still don’t understand the toxicity mechanism. (read more)

CANOLA GROWERS TURN TO MORE PROFITABLE HEMP
Source: The Globe & Mail
Jim Rogers admits it: He’s not sure how this experiment of his will work out. Rogers is a lifelong farmer – a wheat-and-canola kind of guy. But he is dabbling in something new. He sowed hemp in some fields this year, hoping to cash in on a growing slice of Canada’s agriculture industry. Mr. Rogers did the math before he put seeds in the ground and figures his hemp crops could be worth much more than traditional crops. At today’s strong prices, experts say farmers can earn twice as much growing hemp as they can growing canola. (read more)

PELLET PLANT FEASIBILITY STUDY LAUNCHED IN THE MIRAMICHI
Source: NBDNR
The provincial government’s forestry plan has stimulated a $400,000 private investment from Northern Energy Solutions to examine the potential of constructing a pellet plant in the Miramichi region. The company has received a letter of intent from the Department of Natural Resources stating that if the project is feasible, the company will receive 378,000 cubic meters of softwood from forestry Region 3 (Nepisiguit-Miramichi). (read more)