Consumers are becoming aware of the health benefits of organic vegetables and organic meat. Now you can go to the market and select between commercial and organic products. But why buy if you can produce? Due to the growing popularity of organic farming, farm owners and hog raisers are switching to organic pig farming and organic feeds. Cooperatives are constantly giving seminars and programs on how to raise pigs using organic methods.

One of the traditional ways on how to raise pigs is as simple as letting them graze in pastures and open range farms. In here, pigs are allowed to grazed grass, plants, and even herbs as its food. The idea is to utilize the natural ventilation and the sun to provide better environment for the pigs. These also serve as an exercise for the pigs to keep them healthy and leaner.

The open range farms also make sure that clean and beneficial plants are scattered around the pasture. Plants like lemongrass and guava leaves are good for the pigs digestive system while turmeric produce tender and juicy meat. Pigs are also introduce to organic diets which include organic corn, flax seed, buckwheat, barley, roasted soybeans, and vitamins and minerals designed for organic production. Corn shots are also given several days before butchering to integrate a sweeter taste to the meat.

Organic farming eliminates the consumption of antibiotics, hormones, and animal products, which can cause certain diseases both to the pigs and the consumers.

De-worming of pigs can also be natural. Garlic is a good alternative for antibiotics and commercial dewormers. Mince the garlic and mix directly to the feeds. Ongoing treatment is recommended to eliminate the worms and prevent them from coming back.

Wondering how to raise pigs at home? If you do not have a grazing land but live near an organic farm then your problem is solved. Purchasing directly from organic farms and farmer’s market assures you of fresh produce. Sometimes organic farms also allow fellow farmers to use their land, as the pigs’ manure can be instant compost for their plants. You can also purchase fruits in the market as a treat for the pigs.

One of the drawbacks of organic farming is the cost. Organic feeds cost more than conventional feeds. If you stay within the pasture area, it may cost a little lower but this will not ensure a proper diet for the pigs. The high cost of organic pig farming will also affect the selling price when it gets in the market. Diseases that require antibiotics may be substituted by natural remedies but sometimes cannot be prevented to cure the sick pigs.

Organic farming is a natural way on how to raise pigs. Pigs produce from organic farms are leaner and healthier. You are assured that it is fresh and is not touched by toxic antibiotics or genetically modified food. Although it may cost more to produce, the benefits and assurance that you get from organic farming cannot be upended by non-organic and commercially produced products.

So keep these points in mind. You will find that learning more about how to raise pigs does not need to be difficult when you’re learning from someone who have experienced. Learn more tips on how to raise pigs here: http://www.howtoraisepigs.com

Don’t forget to claim your FREE “Pig Basics 101 – Everything You Ever Needed To Know About Pigs, But Didn’t Know Who To Ask” eReport!

Commercially Produced Eggs vs Home Grown Organic Eggs

Hands down, home grown organic eggs are much more healthier for you than commercially produced eggs. The vitamins and nutrients you get in organic eggs that have been produced by cage free roaming hens is so much more prominent that commercially produced eggs.

You may be one of those that won’t eat an egg that hasn’t been commercially produced and examined for defects, etc. More than likely, you probably will think differently after you read the following.

Cage Free Roamers: When a hen is allowed to roam cage free and eat bugs, vegetables, etc., the eggs are rich in protein and/or vitamins that our bodies need in order to be healthy.

Pesticides: Home produced eggs have a much greater chance of being pesticide free – not so with commercially grown eggs. Feed that is fed to commercially grown chickens can have undesirable elements added to it and pesticides are among them.

Rich Color: Perhaps you will remember seeing cake or cookie dough that your Mother prepared when you were very young or heard your parents speak of a much more yellow color of dough that eggs help to provide opposed to today’s egg color. That’s evidence of a healthier hen that has eaten a diet rich in nutrients.

Egg Size: Perhaps you have noticed the size of eggs in more recent years have been getting smaller. Many times small eggs are labeled as large in comparison to the size they used to be. Commercial eggs are produced from hens that are not as happy or healthy as cage free roaming hens; therefore, it stands to reason that the eggs can be smaller.

Less Prone to Disease: Hens that are housed in a good chicken coop safe from the elements and allowed to roam cage free are less likely to get diseases opposed to commercially raised hens. Cage free birds are not cramped in small cages, so therefore, they are happier. Many times commercially raised hens are housed in a hangar or warehouse in cages that are cramped and stacked many cages high. Disease is common in these types of chickens which compounds things since infected birds can cause the eggs to have salmonella. And what happens when infected chickens are processed with chickens that perhaps are healthier than they? It stands to reason that the meat has a really good chance of being contaminated with the diseased chicken meat.

Eggs Not Properly Transported:

Another real possibly of commercially produced eggs is that when transported, the eggs are not stored at the proper temperature thus causing the one consuming them to have a really good chance of getting sick. You will not have that problem when going to your backyard chicken coop to gather the eggs and immediately place them in a cooler. You will know how the eggs have been transported and how they were chilled.

Don’t you think it’s time to get back to a more basic lifestyle where we can be more healthier? Many people will tell you that nutrition is a great place to start in order to get on your way to a healthier, happier you. And raising your own chickens that will provide you with organic meat and eggs is a start in the right direction.

If you do decide to raise your own chickens, they will need shelter from the elements and predators. Need ideas on what type and size of chicken coop to build? BuildingChickenCoops. info offers many plans in various sizes and types for the budget conscious to the person who wants the coolest chicken coop in the neighborhood. The website is located @ http://www.buildingchickencoops.info.

Avocados – contain healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids, helping to lower bad cholesterol. They also contain antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, folate and fibre. Avocados contain many vitamins, mainly the B complex and vitamins A and E, as well as folic acid and iron.

Avocado helps your body to absorb more nutrients from other foods; such as when you eat tomato and avocado together in a salad.

The avocado tree (Persea americana) is an evergreen tree originating from Central America and the West Indies. Their growth habit varies – depending on the variety – from tall and upright to well-shaped and spreading. It is a fast growing tree with deep green, elliptical leaves that tend to drop constantly.

Cultivation

Avocado is frost tender while young, so if you live in a cold climate you will need to grow them near a North facing wall ( in the Southern Hemisphere – South facing in the Northern Hemisphere ) or in a grove of other trees.

Don’t mulch around your avocado trees during winter as you will increase the frost damage on the leaves. Instead grow smaller plants and herbs around them.

You also need to provide perfect drainage as avocado is susceptible to root-rot. Deep, rich soil in full sun, with shelter from the wind are all important factors in deciding where to grow your trees. Water deeply during summer.

Avocados are self-fertile, but if you want good crops it is best to plant at least two compatible trees. If space is limited you could try growing them in the same hole and let the trunks twist around each other.

As avocados are evergreen, you can plant any time of year.

*My own personal tip is to take great care of your young avocado trees by protecting them from direct summer sun and shelter them from the wind for their first few years. Create a hessian shelter for them. You can remove it when your trees are about two metres tall.*

Fertilizing

Growing a green mature crop before planting your avocado tree will enrich the soil giving your new plant the best start. Feed young plants with small amounts of organic fertilizer regularly (about every 8 weeks) during the growing season. Spread the fertilizer evenly around each tree going just further out than the canopy drip line.

For mature trees, fertilize with 10 litres of organic poultry manure per tree applied on top of a layer of organic mulch.

Picking

Avocados won’t ripen until they are picked or they have fallen from the tree. This is of great benefit as it means you can have a long season. You can start to harvest them when they are quite immature – even fruit as small as a golf ball. They won’t taste as nutty or rich, but you can still enjoy them.

You can leave fruit on the tree until it falls naturally, which will give you a long harvesting time.

If you have the space you might consider growing several varieties that fruit at different times of the year and you will have a year-round supply of this wonderful, healthy fruit.

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Throughout the history of the world, food has been grown using techniques described as organic. However, in the last 100 years conventional farming methods have increasingly relied on the use manufactured compounds such as pesticides and fertilizers, as well as using genetically modified seed. Organic fruits refer to produce grown using natural techniques with no chemicals or with only organic compounds.

Many countries have strict certification rules for labeling fruits and vegetables as organic. The United States, Canada and the European Union are some examples. In the United States, certification is outlined by the state departments of agriculture and conditions include no irradiation, no genetic modification, and most pesticides and fertilizers prohibited. The certification process can be quite costly, particularly for small farmers, which is one of the main reasons conventional fruit farming is still used by the majority of growers.

Studies done on organically grown fruit have revealed several benefits in terms of nutrient content, flavor and shelf life. According to research, organic strawberries have higher levels of antioxidants and ascorbic acid. Their shelf life is longer and with certain varieties the flavor and sweetness was much better.

It is unfortunate that many organic products are more expensive (sometimes up to double in price) and less readily available than non-organic ones. Fortunately though, organic foods are now becoming more affordable as consumers are increasingly health conscious and searching for healthier food options.

Organic fruits can be found in many supermarkets and grocery stores, usually in a separate organic foods section. Open air farmer’s markets are also another place to purchase them. Some individual small-scale farmers open up their orchards to members of the public to come and pick their own fruit for a small fee.

Other benefits of organic farming is that it’s healthier for the environment, it reduces the emission of greenhouse gases that cause global warming, and it maintains the biodiversity of fruiting plants. In the latter case, many commercial farming systems have reduced our fruit options to just a few genetically modified varieties, meaning that many indigenous fruit species are in danger of going extinct.

Often times organic produce is grown by small, individual local farmers. Purchasing organic varieties helps to support local economies and reduce the pollution caused while transporting fruits over long distances by road or air.

Organic fruit are not necessarily free of pesticides, however it seems that less of the toxins are retained in the body from organic varieties. Studies done on children have shown that the pesticide levels in the urine of youngsters who ate mainly organically grown produce was five to seven times less than for those who ate fruit grown using conventional farming techniques. This is good news for parents who buy fruit for their children and weaning babies.

Some fruit have a higher tendency for pesticide residue, for example strawberries, apples, grapes, peaches, pears, cherries and nectarines. If you’re wondering which organic fruit varieties you should select first, then these are the ones. Fruits such as pineapples, papaya, avocados, bananas, kiwi and mangoes generally have minimal pesticide residues in comparison to the non-organic varieties.

Our site has a vast amount of information on fruit health benefits as well as lots of great healthy and delicious fruit recipes. Come and visit. http://www.fruithealthbenefits.com

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Organic certification is a process of certification for organic food producers and the producers of other organic agricultural products. Any business that is directly involved in the food production process can seek certification, and this includes the suppliers of seeds and growing materials, farmers, companies that process food items, and restaurants and retailers as well.

From one country to the next you will find that the requirements for organic certification vary, but there are usually production standards in place that dictate growing, storage, packaging, processing and shipping requirements.

These production standards require the avoidance of synthetic chemicals, like pesticides, food additives, fertilizers, antibiotics, organisms that are genetically modified, the use of sewage sludge and irradiation. They also require keeping detailed written records of sales and production, and the use of farmland that has been completely free of all chemical inputs for at least three or more years.

In order to obtain organic certification, it is also required that organic products be completely physically separated from non certified food products, and every certified organic site is required to undergo periodic inspections to show that standards are being maintained.

The concept of organic certification addresses a growing demand for organic food on a truly worldwide level. Certified organic food products exist to assure the quality of the food that we eat, while promoting commerce at the same time. In the earliest days of the organic movement, organic certification was not required but as more consumers turn toward organic food products through the more traditional channels like grocery stores and supermarkets, the need for certification has grown exponentially. In many countries the certification process is overseen by the government, which means that there are legal restrictions on using the term “organic”. Certified organic food product producers are also held to the same level of food health and safety standards as non-certified food producers.

What makes these certifications for organically produced foods such an outstanding idea is that they show consumers which food products can be trusted. Because certified organic food products are held to guidelines and standards, consumers who purchase food items that are certified organic can rest assured that they are grown right, without chemicals or additives, ensuring healthy and risk free food products. The organic movement is growing at a quick and steady pace as more consumers realize the health benefits associated with buying organic.

As more and more consumers turn toward certified organic food products to feed themselves and their families, the guidelines associated with organic certification tend to grow increasingly specific. Growing and processing food organically is not a difficult task at all for most food producers, but it does require that these companies take a long and hard look at the way that they regard the production of food, especially when it comes to growing naturally without pesticides or other chemicals and additives.

Michael Rupkalvis operates the LifeFormulas website, which offers a unique blog about his day-to-day activities with ITV Ventures and their many health-related products. One of the products he sells through that business is ITV Figo Juice, which is a certified organic, unique acai berry based juice that contains antioxidants as well as a host of other nutrients.