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  • Reflections for World Environment Day

    When 2021 to 2030 is declared by the United Nations as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, we know that it is in response to the seriousness of the situation at hand. Our activities as a species are destroying our mother earth and her ecosystems and we are now in crisis!!

    This situation calls urgently for a renewed understanding, commitment and actions to be taken by us all to make a change. No action in the right direction, by individuals, corporations and governments are too small; every little helps.

    So what issues need attention:

    Deforestation:
    1. To create our ever more expanding cities and farmlands, leading to the loss of natural habitats of our neighbors and, therefore, the rise of infections such as coronavirus; previously known only to wild animals, is spreading like wildfire among humans. We are losing our carbon sinks of forests and peatlands at a time that we need them the most.
    Plastic pollution:

    Non-degradable, polluting our oceans and waterways; endangering our sea creatures, and animals, and finding their ways into our foods, and contributing to disease burdens.

    Desertification:

    We keep cutting down trees mindlessly, our farming methods are creating lifeless giant dust bowls, the rains runoff, eroding the land because we leave our soil bare.

    Global Warming:

    Global greenhouse gas emission continues to increase with the devastating impact it has on our climate; we continue to see even more hurricanes, floods, and forest fires with consequent destruction of lives and properties.

    Food wastage:

    We are a very wasteful species; 40% of food that we produce ends up in landfills, that crooked carrot and the blemished banana still taste just as good.

    What can we do about them:

    We can support the global call for change, every one of us can make a difference, and when a critical mass of us can commit to change, every small action that we take will help create the positive result that we desire.

    Take Personal Responsibility:

    The only person whose action we can control is ourselves; we can choose to dispose of our waste properly, we can reuse, reduce and recycle by avoiding single-use items, by reducing our consumption, by recycling. Choose to buy local, and from only ethical companies, eat more plant-based food, chose fabrics from sustainable sources, minimize food waste by preserving appropriately and compost any leftovers. Plant a tree or more and we can all conserve our water use.

    Stopping the use of pesticides:

    As Farmers we can stop the use of chemicals and pesticides, we can farm more sustainably by growing varieties and intercrop, we can adopt no till or minimal tillage and we can grow more trees and make our farms food forests that encourage and sustain biodiversity.

    Government policies:

    As a Government, we can commit to sustainable sources of energy, invest in efficient waste management, conserve green areas that will perpetually remain undisturbed, ban single used plastics, and limit the importation of food, and finally; encourage peaceful coexistence and avoid wars.

    We can all commit to make our immediate environment cleaner, we can all commit to doing something towards the Restoration of our Ecosystem.

    #WorldEnvironmentDay

    #ReimagineRecreateRestore

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  • World Milk Day 2021.

    Milk; one of the drinks of paradise

    Milk takes a central position among all drinks; in the same league as honey, pure water, and non-alcoholic wine, and its most prolific producer; the cow, has a whole chapter named after it in the holy book.

    Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals, including breastfed human babies, before they are able to digest solid food and for cow milk; baby cows (calves).

    Livestock, mainly cows as well as sheep and goats are raised for commercial milk production and the way this is done in many cases raise a number of ethical questions.

    There are many who advocate the boycott of cow milk due to the inhumane conditions under which some of these animals are kept, but there is a better way.

    Humane treatment of cows & others
    When livestock is grass-fed, when livestock is pastured, when the milk is shared with the baby cows, so they are not deprived completely of nourishment from their mothers when the cows are not over milked or pumped with hormones so they produce milk beyond their natural rhythm, then we have milk that is wholesome and safe for human consumption too.

    Milk has an impressive nutritional profile.
    Milk contains a wide array of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, good quality protein (with all the 9 essential amino acids), healthy fats, and antioxidants.

    Protein is necessary for many vital functions including growth and development, cell repair, and immune system regulation.
    It may help reduce age-related muscle loss and promote muscle repair after exercise.
    Drinking milk has long been associated with healthy bones.
    This is due to its powerful combination of minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and (in grass-fed, full-fat dairy) vitamin K2.

    Studies suggest that consuming milk and dairy products may prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fractures.

    Whole milk as part of an healthy diet can aid weight loss.

    Milk Is a Versatile Ingredient

    It can be used fresh, evaporated, condensed, powdered, and skimmed, it can be made into cheese, whey, butter, and cream and it can be a key ingredient of cakes, biscuits, bread, and sauces. It can be added to smoothies as well as coffee, tea, and cereals.

    But milk is not for everyone
    Many people can’t tolerate milk because they’re unable to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. They can use milk alternatives especially plant-based options like almond, soy, and coconut milk.

    We celebrate cows and their friends and the milk they produce, we advocate for humane treatment of livestock so that we can share the wholesomeness of milk healthily and guilt free.

    WorldMilkDay2021

    HappyWorldMilkDay

    JamsOrganicFarmsAndKitchens

  • Bee engaged: Build Back Better for Bees.

    A little about bees…

    Bees are flying insects of the order Hymenoptera with over 20,000 different species in the world. They live in organized societies (colonies) for the collection of pollens and nectar and the production of honey and wax.

    There are 3 types of bees in each colony; the queen, the worker and the drone. All drones are male whilst the queen and her workers are females.

    The workers clean the hives, collect pollens and nectar and nurse the baby bees. The Queen lays the eggs and the drone die after fertilizing a queen. Old drones that return to the colony because they did not find a queen become a drain on the colony and would often be discarded by the workers.

    Bees are important and invaluable because they are essential to sustaining life. They pollinate flowers and crops and the honey produced has immense economic and health benefits, being the most important product of the hive .

    Honey should be haravested humanely, always leaving behind enough to sustain the colony. Honey is a healthier alternative to processed sugar due to its high content of anti oxidants and it is beneficial for the treatment of coughs, colds and wounds.

    Beeswax, the second important product of the hive is used in the manufacture of candles, wood and leather polish and artist’s materials. It is used also in pharmaceutical industry as drug carrier and binding agent.

    It is estimated that the human race will only survive for 5 years if bees were to disappear today.

    WorldBeeDay

    BuildBackBetterForBees

    HappyBeeDayMay20

    JamsOrganicFarmsAndKitchens