Posts Tagged ‘Hour’

Family Farm Profits Up in 2014 But Water/Soil Conservation is Key Reports OSU Extension on Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water

Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) August 14, 2014

There are more small family farms in the United States in 2014 than ever before and if well managed, they can be immensely profitable, says Oregon State University Farm Extension faculty member Maud Powell (citing the 2014 USDA Farm Census), speaking on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show. The key to family farm profitability, according to Powell, is to maximize crop yield while conserving water and maintaining natural soil health. This can be economically achieved through cover crops, off-season niche crops, mulching, and increasing spoil organic content.

Maud Powell has an M.A. from Antioch University Seattle in Environment and Community Studies. A member of the Oregon State University Extension Faculty stationed at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, Powell is also owner-operator of Wolf Gulch Farm. Powell was interviewed by Sharon Kleyne on August 11, 2014.

The globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show, with host Sharon Kleyne, is heard on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. Kleyne is Founder of Bio Logic Aqua Research, a research, technology and product development center and the only company in the world specializing in fresh water, atmosphere and health. Natures Tears® EyeMist® is the Research Center’s signature products for dry eyes.

The primary considerations in intelligent farming, according to Powell, are water conservation and soil science. Powell and Kleyne agreed that the two are closely related. Healthy, nutritious, bio-active soils with high organic content retain far more water than soils with lower organic content. Crops grown in high organic soils require far less watering to achieve the same yield.

Soil organic content, Powell explains, is increased by not removing crop residue, mulching and off-season cover crops. Off season cover crops are especially important in states like Oregon, where Powell works. Oregon has very distinct seasons but the winters are normally not cold enough to freeze the ground. Cover crops hold the soil in place during the winter rainy season, prevent the heavy rains from leeching out nutrients and help maintain organic content. Common winter cover crops include various grasses, rye and oats. Intermingling legumes such as fava beans, clover or alfalfa alongside the grasses will improve the soil’s nitrogen content. Soil should always be kept covered with a mulch layer to inhibit water evaporation.

Organic content also creates heat as the material decomposes, Kleyne notes, which reduces the threat of soil freezing.

The suggested small farm practice, according to Powell, is to grow commodity crops in summer, such as hay, wheat, soy or corn, and “niche crops” in winter. Niche crops are small specialty crops sold directly to the local market. The purpose is to maintain organic content and maximize yield and profit between major harvests. The list of potential niche crops is endless and includes medicinal herbs, vegetables, heirloom crops and ethnic foods such as mung beans and chili peppers.

Niche crops may also be grown in greenhouses or in “high tunnels” in the off season, says Powell. A high tunnel is a temporary greenhouse or tent in which crops are planted directly into the ground and protected by the tent, which may be 100 feet long. Kleyne notes that some niche crops may also utilize the land underneath a forest canopy. Forest understory niche crops include morel mushrooms, hazelnuts, little princess pine for root beer, elderberries, blackberries, huckleberries, truffles, and much more.

Perennial commodity crops that are not replanted every year, such as grapes, apples, pears, walnuts or hay, do not require a winter cover crop but they will benefit from mulching and improvement of soil organic content.

OSU-SOREC’s homepage; http://extension.oregonstate.edu/sorec/        

Reference:

Jenner, A, “5 things you need to know from the new farm census,” Modern Farmer, Feb.20, 2014. http://modernfarmer.com/2014/02/6-things-need-know-new-farm-census/

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Drink More Water to Reduce Stress Says Chinese Medicine Practitioner on Sharon Kleyne Hour

Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) June 19, 2014

Psychological stress can cause the human body to lose water and become dehydrated and diseased. Conversely, physical dehydration, or loss of water, can cause psychological stress. Because of the complex relationship between stress and water, any treatment for dehydration or stress must include drinking more water, reported Chinese Medicine Practitioner and presidential appointee Effie Chow, PhD, during her June 16, 2014 interview on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show.

Effie Chow was born in China and grew up in a traditional family. After moving to the United States, she became a registered nurse. Although she supported Western medical practice, she concluded that Traditional Chinese Medicine, particularly Qi-Gong, had enormous potential value in maintaining health. Chow is Founder of the East-West Academy of Healing Arts in San Francisco, has authored several books, and in 2000, served on President Clinton’s White House Conference on Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.

The globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show, with host Sharon Kleyne, is heard on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. Kleyne is Founder of Bio Logic Aqua Research, a fresh water, atmosphere and health research, and product development center. Natures Tears® EyeMist®, a 100% pure water mist, is the Research Center’s global signature product for dry eyes. Effie Chow is a frequent Sharon Kleyne Hour guest.

In the traditional Chinese healing discipline of “Qi-gong,” according to Chow, water is one of the “Five Elements of Life.” The others are earth, fire, wood and metal. Qi-Gong philosophy teaches that each element controls a different part of the body and a different emotion, and that water is the element that integrates all other elements and prevents dehydration. The organs most directly affected by water are the kidneys and bladder.

The words “Qi-gong,” Chow explains, mean “life force.” Since life on Earth can not exist without water, and since human bodies are 75 percent water, water is recognized in Qi-gong as the basis not only of all life but of the essential life force that sustains life.

A large percentage of her patients, says Chow, show symptoms of both emotional stress and physical dehydration in addition to their health complaints. Kleyne adds that the aging process is basically a dehydration process – the skin becomes thin and dry, the mouth produces less saliva, the eyes produce fewer tears, etc. Chow and Kleyne agree that increasing one’s daily water intake can significantly slow the aging process. Kleyne cautions that no two people are alike, we each have different water needs, and we all age differently.

Chow recommends drinking four glasses of water upon rising in the morning and Kleyne recommends drinking at least eight glasses per day in addition to all other fluid intake.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, according to Chow, always includes looking at the general health of the whole body and finding out what’s going on in the patient’s life. If the patient complains of a cold, Kleyne adds, the practitioner can treat the cold symptoms but should also investigate whether the patient’s lifestyle might be making them more susceptible to colds. Dehydration can increases susceptibility to colds and many other diseases.

Qi-gong teaches that the body is a microcosm or the Earth and the Universe, Chow explains. The body even has its own humid atmosphere, says Kleyne.. If the body dries out, the skin reacts the same way the skin of the Earth reacts – the surface dries up, life slows down, and it takes much longer for disturbances to repair themselves. Disturbances in both the body and in the Earth’s ecosystems have a domino effect that can result in many additional unintended disturbances.

And the cure could be as simple as an extra glass of water each day.

©Copyright 1997-, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.