Yellow Tail (wine)

Yellow Tail (stylised [ yellow tail ]) is an Australian brand of wine produced by Casella Family Brands. Yellow Tail as well as Casella Family Brands as a whole are both based in Yenda, New South Wales.
History.
In 1957 the Casella family, headed by Filippo Casella and his wife Maria, emigrated from Sicily to Australia for a better life.
Yellow Tail was developed for the Casella family winery to enter into the bottled wine market—having previously supplied bulk wine to other wineries. Yellow Tail was developed in 2000 and was originally marketed to export countries. It became the number one imported wine to the United States by 2011.
The namesake of the brand, Yellow Tail, is the yellow-footed rock wallaby ("Petrogale xanthopus"), a relative of kangaroos.
Vineyard.
The vineyard produces approximately three percent of all wine and is around , located in the Riverina, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia.
Wines.
Approximately a third of the grapes that are harvested by Yellow Tail are from their vineyard in Riverina, Australia. The rest are from other vineyards in South Eastern Australia. All Yellow Tail wines have their own specific label color. In addition to sparkling wines, Yellow Tail makes varietal wine from the following grape varieties: Moscato, Riesling, Semillon, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Merlot, Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon in addition to some blended wine and Rosé.
Each wine has different colours, for example Merlot is Orange, Shiraz is yellow, etc.
International sales.
In 2000, the Casellas joined with W.J. Deutsch & Sons, a family-owned marketing and distribution firm, in order to distribute Yellow Tail wines in the United States. In 2001, it sold 200,000 cases, a number that jumped to 2.2 million the next year.
Yellow Tail has enjoyed similar success in the UK which, in 2000, began importing more wine from Australia than from France for the first time in history. In 2005, Yellow Tail sold more wine in the US than all the French producers combined.


Henry Burling

Henry Burling (1 May 1801 – 17 September 1911) was an English-born New Zealand supercentenarian, who was a mail carrier and farmer.
Biography.
He was born in Stratford, Essex (now East London) England on 1 May 1801 to Thomas Burling, a soap maker, and Joanna Pike. He emigrated to New Zealand on the "London" with his wife Mary Worsley, (whom he had married in 27 January 1839 in Marylebone, Middlesex), arriving on 1 May 1842; one son Charle's died on the journey, he had four children at the time he married his wife and they would have another four, she died in 1864.
Burling worked as a silk and satin printer and gardner and purchased land, before joining the mail service, where he carried mail by foot between Wellington and Wanganui, unarmed, during the New Zealand Wars, usually in what was a physical strenuous activity, where he swam rivers with the mail with the clothes attached to his back. As a result, he earned the trust of Te Rangihaeata and other Maori in the area.
Burling died at his home of Waikanae, after 5 weeks of suffering from bronchitis and paralytic stroke, survived by three of his thirteen children: Arthur (73), with whom he was living, Henry (86), and Sarah Goodin (69). At the time of his death, he had over 600 living descendants. He was a supercentenarian, having lived to 110, although the term was probably not coined then, he was mentally alert and strong, but was suffering bad eyesight from an earlier accident


Terje Riis-Johansen

Terje Riis-Johansen (born 15 March 1968) is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party who is serving as County Mayor of Vestfold og Telemark since 2020.
Riis-Johansen was born in Skien. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Telemark in 1993, but was not re-elected in 1997. From 1997 to 1999, during the first cabinet Bondevik, he was appointed political advisor in the Ministry of Finance. In 2005, during the second cabinet Stoltenberg, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food, but changed department in 2008 and served as Minister of Petroleum and Energy. On 4 March 2011 he was succeeded by fellow Centre Party politician Ola Borten Moe.
On the local level he was a member of Skien municipality council from 1991 to 1995. During the same term he was also a member of Telemark county council.
After the 2011 Norwegian local elections the local centre-right alliance was dissolved, and Riis-Johansen became Telemark's county mayor of a new centre-left coalition.
Riis-Johansen was a member of the board of Nei til EU from 1995 to 1997, of Telemark University College from 2000 to 2003 and of the Norwegian Farmers' Union from 2000 to 2005.
As county mayor, Riis-Johansen has launched a programme to attract more foreign investment to Telemark county, Invest in Telemark.


National Agricultural Fieldays

The National Agricultural Fieldays is an annual national agricultural show and field day event held in mid-June at the Mystery Creek Events Centre near Hamilton, New Zealand. It styles itself as "the biggest agricultural trade show in the southern hemisphere".
Fieldays attracts 1,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 visitors through its gates. Smaller shows, held annually in New Zealand's towns and communities, are generally called "agricultural and pastoral shows" (A&P shows). The event has visitor attractions such as sheepdog trials and tractor pulling contests.
Between 1985 and 1998 the Fieldays Society operated a short-term radio station for Fieldays visitors. Ag Week Radio, later known as Fieldays Radio, operated from the Mystery Creek site. It broadcast on 1XR 855 AM in 1985 and 1988, 1296 AM in 1993, 792 AM in 1994, 94.6 FM in 1997 and 97.0 FM in 1998.


Norman Cob

The Norman Cob or Cob Normand is a breed of light draught horse that originated in the region of Normandy in northern France. It is of medium size, with a range of heights and weights, due to selective breeding for a wide range of uses. Its conformation is similar to a robust Thoroughbred, and it more closely resembles a Thoroughbred cross than other French draught breeds. The breed is known for its lively, long-striding trot. Common colours include chestnut, bay and seal brown. There are three general subsets within the breed: horses used under saddle, those used in harness, and those destined for meat production. It is popular for recreational and competitive driving, representing France internationally in the latter, and is also used for several riding disciplines.
The Normandy region of France is well known for its horse breeding, having also produced the Percheron and French Trotter. Small horses called "bidets" were the original horses in the area, and these, crossed with other types, eventually produced the , the immediate ancestor of the Norman Cob. Although known as one of the best carriage horse breeds available in the early 20th century, the became extinct after the advent of the automobile, having been used to develop the French Trotter, Anglo-Norman and Norman Cob. In its homeland, the Norman Cob was used widely for agriculture, even more so than the internationally known Percheron, and in 1950, the first studbook was created for the breed.
The advent of mechanisation threatened all French draught breeds, and while many draught breeders turned their production towards the meat market, Norman Cob breeders instead crossed their horses with Thoroughbreds to contribute to the fledgling Selle Français breed, now the national saddle horse of France. This allowed the Norman Cob to remain relatively the same through the decades, while other draught breeds were growing heavier and slower due to selection for meat. Between the 1970s and 1990s, the studbook went through several changes, and in the 1980s, genetic studies were performed that showed the breed suffered from inbreeding and genetic drift. Breed enthusiasts worked to develop new selection criteria for breeding stock, and population numbers are now relatively stable. Today, Norman Cobs are mainly found in the departments of Manche, Calvados and Orne.
Characteristics.
The Norman Cob is a mid-sized horse, standing between and weighing . The large variations in height and weight are explained by selection for a variety of uses within the breed. The Norman Cob is elegant and closer in type to a Thoroughbred-cross than other French draught breeds. Its conformation is similar to a robust Thoroughbred, with a square overall profile and short back. Selective breeding has been used to develop a lively trot, with long strides.
The head is well-proportioned and similar to that of the Selle Français, with wide nostrils, small ears and a straight or convex facial profile. The neck is thick, muscular and arched. The mane is sometimes hogged. The shoulders are broad and angled, the chest deep and the withers pronounced. The body is compact and stocky, with a short, strong back. The hindquarters are powerful, although not so much as in heavy draught breeds, and the croup muscular and sloping. The legs are short, muscular and strong, with thick bone, but less massive than most draught breeds. The feet are round, wide and solid.
Colours accepted for registration include chestnut, bay and seal brown (the latter called black pangaré by the breed registry, although these horses are genetically brown, not black with pangaré markings). Bays with white markings are the most popular. The Norman Cob is a calm, willing horse with strong personality. Its Thoroughbred ancestry gives them energy and athleticism, and makes them mature faster than other draught breeds. They show great endurance when ridden, and are relatively hardy, accepting outdoor living and changes in climate. Traditionally the Norman Cob had its tail docked, a practice that continued until January 1996, when the practice became illegal in France.
There are three general subsets within the breed: horses used under saddle, those used in harness, and those destined for meat production. Horses may be automatically registered if at least 87.5 percent of their ancestors (seven out of eight) were registered Norman Cobs. Purebred stallions may not be bred more than 70 times per year. Foals produced through artificial insemination and embryo transfer may be registered, but cloned horses may not. In general, breeders look to produce horses with good gaits and an aptitude for driving, while keeping the conformation that makes the Norman Cob one of nine French draught breeds.
History.
The Norman Cob comes from the Normandy region of France, an area known for its horse breeding. Normandy is also the home of two other breeds, the Percheron and the French Trotter. Both of these breeds are better-known than the Norman Cob, although the latter is popular in its home region. The name "cob" comes from the English and Welsh cobs that it resembles, with the addition of "Norman" to refer to the area in which it originated. Although generally considered a member of the draught horse group, the Norman Cob is special among French draught breeds. It has been used almost exclusively for the production of sport horses, and has not been extensively used for the production of meat, unlike many other French draught breeds. This means that its conformation has remained relatively unchanged, as opposed to being bred for heavier weights for butchering.
The original horses in Normandy and Brittany were small horses called "bidets", introduced by the Celts. The Romans crossed these horses with larger mares, and beginning in the 10th century, these "Norman horses" were desired throughout Europe. During the 16th century, Norman horses were known to be heavy and strong, able to pull long distances, and used to pull artillery and diligences. Barb and Arabian blood was added during the reign of Louis XIV. The Norman Cob is descended from this Norman horse, called the . It was also influenced by crossing with other breeds including the Mecklenburger, the Gelderland horse and Danish horses. By 1840, the had become more refined, due to crosses with imported British Norfolk Trotters, as well as gaining better gaits, energy, elegance, and conformation.
The (National Stud of Saint-Lô) was founded in 1806 by Napoleon. This stud and the (Stud of Pin) became the main production centres for the . The Norman horse-Thoroughbred crossbreds produced at these studs were divided into two groups. The first were lighter cavalry horses, and the second were heavier horses, called "cobs", used for draught work in the region. At this time, there was no breed registry or studbook; instead, selective breeding was practised by the two studs, and farmers tested the capabilities of young horses to select breeding stock.
Early 20th century.
At the very beginning of the 20th century, the was considered the best carriage horses available. The arrival of automobiles, and corresponding decline in demand for carriage horses, coincided with a split in the breed. A distinction was made between the lighter, faster horses in the breed, used for sport, and larger horses, used for agricultural work. The lighter horses eventually became the French Trotter (for driving) and Anglo-Norman (for riding and cavalry), while the heavier horses became the Norman Cob. In 1912, when French horse populations were at their highest, there were 422 stallions at the Saint-Lô stud, mainly cobs and trotters. When the original became extinct in the 1920s, breeding focused on the two remaining types, with the Norman Cob continuing to be used for farming and the Anglo-Norman being used to create the Selle Français, the national French sport horse.
In the regions of Saint-Lô and Cotentin, the Norman Cob was widespread in agricultural uses until 1950, and the population continued to increase in the first half of the 20th century, even through the occupation during World War II. Even the Percheron, which was internationally recognised as the Norman draught horse, was not as popular in the homeland of the Norman Cob breed. In 1945, Norman Cob stallions accounted for 40% of the conscripted horses, and in 1950 a studbook was created for the breed.
Like all French draught breeds, the Norman Cob was threatened by the advent of mechanisation in farming. The only option left to many breeders was to redirect their production to the meat markets. However, the Norman Cob avoided this, through the efforts of Laurens St. Martin, the head of the Saint-Lô stud in 1944 and the developer of the Selle Français. He began crossing Thoroughbred stallions with Norman Cob mares to produce Selle Français horses, and the success of this program allowed a reorientation of the Cob breeding programs. Although population numbers continued to decline until 1995, the physical characteristics of the breed remained much the same, not growing heavier and slower as many of the French draught breeds did due to breeding for the production of meat. Even today, some Selle Français from Norman bloodlines are similar to the Norman Cob in appearance.
1950 to 2000.
The modern Norman Cob is slightly heavier than it was in the early 20th century, due to lighter horses of the breed being absorbed into the Selle Français breed. In 1976, the National Stud at Saint-Lô had 186 stallions, including 60 Norman Cobs. In the same year, the breed registry was reorganised, and the Norman Cob placed in the draught horse category. The reorganisation of the breed registry helped to reinvigorate Norman Cob breeding, and to bring attention to the risk of extinction of the breed. In 1980, the and performed demographic and genetic analysis of threatened breeds of horses within France. In 1982, researchers concluded that the Norman Cob has been inbred and suffered genetic drift from its original population. The increasing average age of Norman Cob breeders also made the situation of the breed precarious.
Enthusiasts worked to reorient the breed towards driving and recreation pursuits, and since 1982 have again reorganised the breed association. In 1992, a new studbook was created for the breed, with new selection criteria designed to preserve the quality of the breed, particularly its gaits. The latest editions of the breed registry and studbook are controlled by the (National Union of Farmers and Users of Normandy Cob Horses), based in Tessy-sur-Vire. The association works to preserve and promote the breed throughout France, focusing especially on Normandy, Vendée and Anjou. In 1994, Normandy contained 2000 Percheron and Norman Cob horses, and annually bred around 600 foals of these two breeds. This included approximately half of the Norman Cobs bred in France.
2000 to today.
Today, Norman Cobs are mainly found in the departments of Manche, Calvados and Orne, which form the area where the breed was originally developed. The region of Saint-Lô, which ranks first in the production of Norman Cobs, represents 35 percent of new births. The Norman Cob is also present around the Haras de la Vendée (Stud at Vendée), which represents 25 percent of births, the Haras du Pin and in central Massif. In 2004, there were just over 600 French breeders of the Norman Cob, and in 2005, 914 Norman Cob mares were bred, with 65 stallions recorded as active in France. In recent years, the number of Norman Cobs has remained relatively stable. In 2011, there were 319 Norman Cob births in France, and numbers of annual births between 1992 and 2010 ranged between 385 and 585.
Members of the breed are shown annually at the Paris International Agricultural Show. There are fairs held for the breed at Lessay and Gavray, in Manche. The National Stud at Saint-Lô remains involved in the maintenance and development of the breed, and organises the annual national competition for the breed. The stud also organises events at which to present the breed to the public, including the Normandy Horse Show. The Norman Cob is beginning to be exported to other countries, especially Belgium. In that country, some are bred pure, while others are crossed on the Ardennes to improve its gaits. Approximately 15 horses are exported annually, travelling to Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy for leisure, logging and agricultural uses.
Uses.
A multi-purpose breed, the Norman Cob was formerly used wherever there was a need. It was used in a variety of agricultural and other work by farmers, and was used by the army for pulling artillery. The postal service used it to pull mail carriages, which it was capable of doing at a fast trot over bad roads for long distances. Postal workers appreciated the breed for its willingness to remain calm, stationary and tethered for long periods of time. Due to the modernisation of agriculture and transport, it is now used very little in these areas.
The breed is popular for recreational and competitive driving, to which it is well suited in temperament. In 1997, the rules of driving events in France were modified to take into account the speed of execution of the course, which made lighter, faster horses more competitive. The Norman Cob and the lighter type of Boulonnais were particularly affected. Its gaits, calm temperament and willingness to master technical movements make it an excellent competitor, and in 2011, more than a third of the horses represented in the French driving championships were Norman Cobs. Many Norman Cobs represent France in driving events at international level.
The Norman Cob is also used for riding, and may be used for most equestrian disciplines. It is particularly well suited for vaulting. Elderly and nervous riders often appreciate its calm temperament. Lighter Cobs can be used for mounted hunts. Crosses between the Norman Cob and Thoroughbred continue to be made to create saddle horses, generally with 25 to 50 percent Cob blood. Some Norman Cobs are bred for the meat market. The breed is sometimes preferred by butchers because of the lighter carcass weight and increased profitability over the Thoroughbred, while at the same time retaining meat similar in flavour and appearance to that of the Thoroughbred.


Tommy Solomon

Tame Horomona Rehe, also known by the anglicised name Tommy Solomon, (7 May 1884 – 19 March 1933) is believed by most to have been the last Moriori of unmixed ancestry. Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chatham Islands.
Early life.
Solomon was born at Waikaripi in the Chatham Islands and raised on the Moriori Reserve near Manukau Point. His mother died in 1903 but because of his youthful irresponsibility the interest in her land was vested in his father during his lifetime.
Career as farmer.
Solomon was married in 1903 to Ada Fowler of the Kāi Tahu "iwi" and began learning the trade of sheep farmer first on leased land and then on the family holding which gradually increased in size as the other Moriori people died off. When his father and his wife died in 1915 Solomon was running 7000 sheep and a herd of cattle on the family farm. He remarried in 1916 to Whakarawa, the niece of his first wife and subsequently had five children. During the 1920s Solomon became known as one of the most successful farmers in the Chatham Islands. He took an active part in the social and political life of the Chatham Islands and was widely respected for his generosity and his conciliatory nature; it was as the "last full-blooded Moriori" however that he was best known.
Family.
As the Kāi Tahu are a South Island Māori tribe rather than Moriori, Solomon's children were considered of mixed descent. Modern scholars, however, reject the concept of a phylogenetically much distinct Moriori, and instead consider them a culturally distinct offshoot of an early (pre-Kai Tahu) South Island Māori group, as evidenced by similarities between the Moriori language and the k-dialect of southern Māori. There are still many people of partial Moriori descent both in the Chatham Islands and in mainland New Zealand, and the Moriori are today generally considered a distinct "cultural" rather than racial entity.
Death and legacy.
Tame Horomona Rehe died of pneumonia and heart failure in 1933. Whati Tuuta, the son of his friend George Tuuta, built his coffin. In 1986 a statue was made to commemorate him; it can be found at Manukau close to his farm. His grandson, Maui Solomon, is vice-chairman of the Hokotehi Moriori Trust.


Anwar Ratol

Anwar Ratol (sometimes spelt Anwar Rataul) is a small, yellow variety of mango known for its sweetness and fiberlessness. It is sometimes called the 'mini powerhouse'. It is cultivated in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, and near the village of Rataul in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is very sweet in taste with less fiber.
History.
Anwar Ratol was first cultivated near Rataul, a village in Uttar Pradesh. Sheikh Mohd Afaq Faridi, a Muslim farmer returned to the village after completing his inter college in 1905, he noticed a young mango tree near one of the farms. He asked a gardener to graft the plant, and in a year’s time, four mango trees sprouted. Years later, Afaq Faridi resigned from his job and devoted his life to this ‘sweet mission’. After his marriage, he set up a mango nursery that he called Shohra-e-afaq in 1928 and got it registered in 1935. He named this mango variety Anwar Rataul, now popularly known simply as the Rataul mango. In 1947, someone took sample plants to Pakistan and planted this mango breed in the Multan region. The variety became famous, and symbol of pride for Pakistan.
Variations.
There are two variations of this mango:
The early season variety is fragile and prone to the climate elements. Much of the crop is destroyed by strong wind and heavy rain, but it is also the most popular and sweeter of the two varieties. Its growing season is very short - just a few weeks in May and June.
The late season variety is more stable, with a thicker skin and is less sweet. It grows in July and August.
Mango diplomacy.
Since 1981, Pakistan has been sending Anwar Ratol to heads of state and diplomats as part of its mango diplomacy to promote their mangoes around the world and create better relations with other countries like Australia and India.


Garda, Veneto

Garda is a town and "comune" on the shore of Lake Garda, in the province of Verona, Veneto, northeastern Italy.
Garda is from Verona, and is one of the smallest towns in the whole province.
Main sights.
The historical centre of the town, with narrow streets, is still intact. Sights include:


Havilah, New South Wales

Havilah is an Australian bounded rural locality and a grazing property. It is located 13 km from Mudgee on the Lue Road and has the postcode 2850. The locality also has a limestone and carbonates quarry.
Farm and homestead.
Havilah took its name after a visiting clergyman discovered specks of gold and, citing Genesis, named the area the 'land of Havilah'. The farm was first owned by Nicholas Paget Bayly (1814–1879) and was sold after his death to Henry Charles White (1837–1905). The farm is renowned for a history of producing high quality merino sheep and horses. The homestead has major additions designed by architect John Horbury Hunt.
Memorial church.
Havilah Memorial Church was built in 1905 and gifted to the Anglican Church by Hunter White (1867–1947) in memory of his father, Henry Charles White. It lies on the Lue road and has an adjacent small cemetery.
Literary connection.
Havilah appears as 'Haviland' and H.C. White as 'Old Black' in Henry Lawson's story 'Joe Wilson's courtship'.


John Dardis

John Dardis (born 25 July 1945) is a former Irish Progressive Democrats politician who served as a senator from 1989 to 2007. He is a retired farmer and former agricultural journalist.
Early and personal life.
Dardis was educated at the Dominican College in Newbridge, County Kildare and at University College Dublin, where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science. He is married to Beatrice Lane, and has one son and two daughters. He lives in Newbridge.
Political career.
Dardis served in Seanad Éireann from 1989 until he retired in 2007, being nominated by the Taoiseach in 1989, 1997 and 2002, and elected by the Agricultural Panel in 1992 (this was facilitated by an electoral pact with Democratic Left). He was also a member of Kildare County Council for twelve years, representing the Kildare town electoral area from the 1991 local elections until he stood down from the council in 2003 on the abolition of the dual mandate under the Local Government Act 2001.
He stood for election to Dáil Éireann for the Kildare constituency at the 1992, but was unsuccessful. After the division of the constituency, he stood again in the Kildare South constituency at the 1997 general election and again in 2002, but was defeated on both occasions. He also stood for election to the European Parliament in the Leinster constituency at the 1989 and 1994 elections.
Salmon drift-nets.
In October 2005, Dardis launched a Progressive Democrats (PD) policy document which advocated a ban on the use of drift nets to catch salmon in Irish waters, and called for "fair and appropriate" compensation for licence-holders. The policy was agreed at the party's conference in Galway.
The PDs' policy contradicted that of the coalition government (with Fianna Fáil) of which they were part, and came days before a report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources recommended similar measures. The party was accused of "political opportunism" by the Green Party of only taking an interest in the issue in advance of a Government policy shift, and Tommy Broughan of the Labour Party said "“The PDs had seven years to do something about this and they did nothing. Now they are taking a sudden interest in the issue on the eve of our report coming out." In a letter to "The Irish Times", Dardis – who is a keen angler, – replied that the party had opposed drift-netting since 1999.
The governmented then established an Independent Salmon Group to review policy, and the group's report in October 2006 recommended radical measures to halt "the catastrophic decline of Irish salmon stocks", including both a ban drift nets and on angling for salmon in major rivers including the Liffey, Boyne, Barrow, Nore and Suir.
In November 2006, the government imposed a ban on drift-netting with effect from January 2007, accompanied by a €30m hardship fund. The decision was publicly criticised by the junior minister responsible, Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, whose Donegal South-West was one of the most-important drift-netting area. He said that he did not accept the basis of the scientific report on which the Cabinet had agreed the policy change. The decision was supported by angling groups, but opposed by sea-fishermen, some 400 of whom marched on the Dáil. The drift-netters' anger was directed at the Cabinet Minister, Noel Dempsey, with one poster in the village of Passage East in County Waterford reading "'Noel Dempsey should be hanged, not Saddam – Fianna Fail Out".
Dardis responded that the government had to act on the scientific advice, and said that "the future of a species that has been central to Irish life has been secured by today's decision".
Conflicts of interest in planning.
In June 2006, Dardis raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the planning system, when local council planning officials take up new jobs with development companies operating in the same area. He told the Seanad that "no less than a former county manager of a local authority has taken up a senior position with a development company", noting that the move came only three months after the manager had approved planning permission for a large and controversial development by the same company.
2007 election.
In 2005, Dardis took office as Chairman of the Progressive Democrats Parliamentary Party. He had been expected to stand again in Kikdare South at the 2007 general election, but announced his decision in March 2007. Noting that it would be hard for the party to a win a seat in the three-seat constituency, he said "We had hoped that the most recent electoral boundary changes would result in a fourth seat for Kildare South but this did not happen". He was instead appointed as chair of the party's election campaign.
In the election, the PDs lost six of their eight seats in the Dáil, including that of the party leader Michael McDowell. Dardis subsequently headed a committee to examine the options for the party leadership, which recommended that the role be taken on by a senator or councillor to take on the party leadership (the party rules then required that the position must be held by a TD). A meeting of the party's General council on 16 February 2008 changed the rules to allow any senator, councillor or any party member with the support of 20 other members to stand for the party's leadership.


M. H. Marigowda

M. H.. Marigowda(Maragowdanahalli Hombegowda marigowda) is also known as Father of Horticulture in India.
Dr Marigowda, a horticultural expert, born in a Vokkaliga family, had dedicated his life for the development of Horticulture in Karnataka as it would help in uplifting farmers and provide healthy food for the society as a whole. He had envisaged setting up of farms and farmer outlets in every district and taluk in the State, apart from measures to offer courses in horticulture at Lalbagh, Bengaluru.
When Dr. M. H. Marigowda took charge as the "Superintendent of Horticulture" in Mysore, in 1951, the developmental works in the state started at an unprecedented pace.
8 August is celebrated as "Dr. M. H. Marigowda Foundation Day". Dr Manmohan Attavar is the President of M.H. Marigowda Horticultural Education and Research Foundation.
Thus, he was responsible for elevating the minor Department of Horticulture to a major Department.
Thus, through multifarious achievements and feats, the state of Karnataka became the "Horticultural State of India", and Dr. Marigowda’s name became immortal in the annals of Horticulture development in Karnataka.
A succinct biographical sketch of M. H. Marigowda was well portrayed by noted Indian journalist, writer, critic and editor S. R. Ramaswamy in his book "Deeptimantaru".


Lone Buffalo Winery

Lone Buffalo Vineyards is a winery in Auburn, California in the United States.
History.
Lone Buffalo was started in 2007 by the Maddux family in Auburn, California. They owned a one-acre vineyard. Phil Maddux, who is the winemaker and works as a real estate lawyer, is originally from Sonoma County, California. He has studied oenology at Sonoma State University and University of California, Davis. He started making wine in 1971. He has worked under Dirk Arrowood and Cecil DeLoach. He also made his own home wine prior to opening his own winery. Maddux's wife, Jill, handles the sales, accounting, and also assists with their property management. The couples daughter, Jocelyn, is in charge of public relations. They all work in the tasting room.
The name for the winery came from Phil Maddux's fascination with the American bison. He believes that the comeback of the American bison from near extinction is similar to the comeback that the Sierra Foothills region is attempting to make after its decline in economic success after the Prohibition closed many wineries in the area. The bison is depicted on the wine labels and the wine names have an American West theme. They also make a brand titled "jbrand" which is co-created by Phil and Jocelyn. It is an attempt to make wine of interest to younger consumers.
It took the company three years before they brought in a profit. The majority of their sales come from tasting room visits, online sales, and wine club memberships. They also distribute their wine to regional restaurants and businesses. In January 2013, Lone Buffalo opened a new tasting room northwest of Auburn. It took them three years to find and acquire the property. The new property and facility is larger than the previous, with 12 acres. The facility is 2,400 square feet in size and is modeled after a ranch. The new location allowed them to crush their grapes and complete the entire winemaking process in the same place, unlike the previous building. It is located in the Sierra Foothills AVA and is part of the Placer County Wine Trail.
Wine production.
They produce approximately 1,200 bottles per year, as of 2013. One-third of the wine they produce is estate grown. Estate grown grapes include zinfandel and petit syrah. The rest of the grapes they source come throughout Placer County. Their most widely distributed wine is a Rhône wine called "Where the Buffalo Roam." It is a blend of grenache, mourvedre, and syrah. They also make a port wine called "Pawnee Tawny" which is made of grapes from Madera County, California. The jbrand is small production and consists grenache, syrah and pinot grigio wines.


Oleksandr Moroz

Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Moroz (, born 29 February 1944) is a Ukrainian politician. He was the Speaker of Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine twice, first from 1994 to 1998 and then from July 2006 to September 2007. Moroz is one of the founders and leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine which was an influential political party in Ukraine. Moroz lost parliamentary representation when the Socialist Party failed to secure sufficient number of votes (2.86%) in the 2007 snap parliamentary election, falling 0.14% short of the 3% election threshold.
Biography.
Moroz was born on 29 February 1944 in Buda, Tarashcha Raion of the Kyiv Oblast. After graduating from the local school in 1960, Moroz graduated from the Agricultural Academy of the Ukrainian SSR to become a mechanical engineer. He then worked in many careers, including as a teacher and engineer for twelve years. Moroz joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, moving from the First Secretary of local Regional Committee of the Communist Party to the position of the Head of the Kyiv Oblast Committee and the Oblast Trade Union Committee. He was a recipient of the Medal "For Labour Valour". He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1972 to 1991. He became a deputy of Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) in 1990. During the August 1991 Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, Moroz was Communist majority leader in the Verkhovna Rada. On 26 October 1991, he arranged the congress that formed the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU) as a successor of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine.
Moroz ran as a presidential candidate as a nominee of the Socialist Party of Ukraine in the 1994 and 1999 presidential elections, but he came third both times, with 13.04% of the vote in 1994 and 11.29% in 1999. In 1999, many experts predicted that Moroz had a chance to defeat incumbent Leonid Kuchma in the election run-off and according to many observers the government rigged the election results in favor of Petro Symonenko (of the Communist Party of Ukraine) in order to make sure that unpopular Symonenko, rather than Moroz, would compete against Kuchma in the run-off vote.
In 1996, Moroz together with several other parties prevented President Kuchma's attempt to concentrate most of the powers in the President's hands and led the parliament to adopt on 28 June the new Constitution that includes many positions close to the demands of left-wing parties. After signing the treaty of "Kanev Four" in 1999, he became an acknowledged leader of the non-Communist opposition to Kuchma.
At a 2001 sitting of the Verkhovna Rada, Moroz made public Mykola Melnychenko’s tapes that alleged the involvement of the top leaders of the state (including President Kuchma) in the murder of famous independent journalist Georgiy Gongadze that provoked the political crisis in Ukraine known as the Cassette Scandal. Moroz was a member of a special board "Forum of national salvation", a representative of a Public Committee of Protection of the Constitution "Ukraine without Kuchma" and later "Rise, Ukraine!" in charge of negotiations with representatives of the regime.
In 2002, the Socialist Party (which included Yuriy Lutsenko, Josef Vinski, Mykola Rudkovski and Valentyna Semenyuk) got the fourth place in the 2002 parliamentary election. The Socialists joined the "oppositional four", a group of parties that also included Our Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko Electoral Bloc and the Communist Party of Ukraine.
In the 2004 presidential election, Moroz was nominated by the Socialist Party which he has chaired since 1991. He won third place with 5.81% of the vote. As a longtime leader of anti-Kuchma forces, Moroz quickly announced his support for Viktor Yushchenko's presidential bid against Kuchma's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, thus making Yushchenko the favourite to win in round two. That Yushchenko did not win despite this endorsement was used to argue that there was election fraud in the run-off. Moroz supported the subsequent Orange Revolution, the mass protests that eventually led to the annulment of the vote results and to a revote won by Yushchenko. The support of the Ukrainian Socialists he brought to Yushchenko's campaign was important to widen Yushchenko's appeal to voters. Similarly, the votes of Moroz's Socialist Party faction in Verkhovna Rada (parliament) were crucial for passing several important resolutions during the Orange Revolution, particularly the non-confidence vote in the Kuchma–Yanukovych government involved in election fraud scandal.
After the 2006 parliamentary election, Moroz was elected the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 6 July 2006 (238 ayes, 226 needed for election) with support of the Party of Regions, the Socialist Party and Communist factions. The Socialist Party of Ukraine received 2.86% of the national vote in the 2007 parliamentary election, falling 0.14% below the election threshold, denying them the right of representation and removing Moroz as a member of Ukraine's Parliament.
The Socialist Party chose the party leader Oleksandr Moroz as their presidential candidate for the 2010 presidential election, whose first-round ballot was scheduled to be held on 17 January 2010. 268 out of 422 party congress delegates registered supported the Moroz's nomination. During the election, Moroz received 0,38% of the votes. Public opinion polls did not rate the Socialist Party or its leader Moroz as they were undecided as to their participation in the presidential election. In 2005, Moroz received 5.8% of the national vote. An opinion polls conducted by FOM-Ukraine in April 2009 showed Moroz with less than 1% support, with most analysts not considering Moroz as a serious contender as he would not win sufficient number of votes in the first-round presidential ballot, scheduled for 17 January 2010.
After leading his party for twenty years, Moroz was succeeded as party leader by Vasyl Tsushko in July 2010. However, he was again elected as party leader in August 2011. In April 2012, Petro Ustenko was elected as Moroz's successor as party leader.
Moroz tried to return to parliament in the 2012 parliamentary election, running as an independent candidate, single-member districts number 93 (first-past-the-post wins a parliament seat) located in Kyiv Oblast; but he finished third in this district with 11.94% of the votes.
In the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, Moroz is a candidate for the Socialist Party of Oleksandr Moroz.
Political views.
Since organized the left-leaning Socialist Party of Ukraine, his party ideology largely evolved from orthodox communism to social democracy. He himself is a left-wing social democrat of the European type who uses both Marxist and social democratic ideas. For this reason, he met strong opposition from a more rigid-wing of his party represented by the supporters of Nataliya Vitrenko. Finally, Vitrenko left the Socialist Party, proclaimed the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine and bannered Moroz as "opportunist" and "traitor", much helping Kuchma to fight the opposition of Ukraine of which Moroz' Socialist Party was part. After the last radicals headed by Ivan Chyzh left the party and formed an organization called Spravedlyvist (Justness), Moroz was able to transform his party closer to the European social democratic model.
Moroz and his party supported the political reform and Ukraine's transition towards a more European parliamentary democracy which shifted the power balance in Ukraine stripping the President of some of his powers in favor of the parliament. During the Orange Revolution, his party voted for the changes to the Ukrainian Constitution, changes that made Ukraine a parliamentary and not a presidential republic. This constitution, pushed by Moroz and Petro Symonenko, went into effect in January 2006 despite Viktor Yushchenko's furious opposition. Moroz also speaks in support of the preservation of land for Ukrainian farmers and has made many promises about resolving social problems using socialist rhetoric. The program of his party begins with a statement that demands real democracy for working people.
Bibliography.
Moroz is fond of poetry and chess. He has written the following books:


Mau Forest

Mau Forest is a forest complex in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has an area of .
The forest area has some of the highest rainfall rates in Kenya. Mau Forest is the largest drainage basin in Kenya. Numerous rivers originate from the forest, including Southern Ewaso Ng'iro, Sondu River, Mara River and Njoro River. These rivers feed Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron. Western slopes of the Mau Escarpment are covered by Mau Forest.
Ecology.
Typical tree species in Mau Forest include "Pouteria adolfi-friedericii", "Strombosia scheffleri" and "Polyscias kikuyuensis". "Olea capensis", "Prunus africana", "Albizia gummifera" and "Podocarpus latifolius" are also found there.
Endemic bird species in the area include Hartlaub's turaco ("Tauraco hartlaubi"), Hunter's cisticola ("Cisticola hunteri") and Jackson's spurfowl ("Pternistis jacksoni").
Destruction.
The forest has been traditionally inhabited by Ogiek people, whose hunter-gatherer lifestyle is sustainable. However, due to immigration from other ethnic groups, large parts of the forest area have been cleared for settlement. Human activities, especially logging, have led to deforestation of more than a quarter of the area since 1973. This is due to increased charcoal trade in places like Narok town and supply of logs to saw mills in Baringo, Nakuru and Narok counties.
In 2008, the inauguration of the Sondu-Miriu hydro power plant was postponed due to low water levels, that are said to be resulting from the destruction of Mau Forest.
Mau Forest evictions.
In summer 2008 there was a political row over resettlement of people, who had been allocated land there during the KANU era during the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the settlers are famed politicians, like Franklin Bett and Zakayo Cheruiyot. In 2004 Paul Ndung’u released "Ndungu Report", which listed these land allocations, terming them illegal and recommended revocation of them. Some evictions were implemented between 2004 and 2006, without a resettlement scheme.
On July 15, 2008, Prime minister Raila Odinga issued an order that these evictions to be implemented by October 2008 in order to protect the forest from destruction. The order has been opposed by number of Rift Valley area politicians, led by Isaac Ruto. Some politicians, led by Minister of Agriculture William Ruto, propose that if evictions are implemented, the government should allocate them land elsewhere.
The evictions began in November 2009. Some prominent people are set to lose their land, including family members of former president Daniel arap Moi. Also under threat is the Kiptagich Tea Factory owned by former president Moi.


Swabian-Hall swine

The Swabian-Hall swine ("Schwäbisch-Hällische Landschwein") is a breed of domestic pig originating from Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is a large pig, white in the centre with a black head and rear and narrow grey bands at the transition from white to black skin. They have large litters averaging more than nine piglets.
History.
The breed was started by King George III, who imported from China Meishan pigs in 1820 to crossbreed with the German Landrace with the idea of increasing the fat content.
The nickname is Mohrenköpfle. On the orders of King Wilhelm I, Meishan pogs were imported from Central China in 1820/21, in order to improve pig breeding in the kingdom of Württemberg. This crossbreeding with the "Chinese pigs" was particularly successful within the stocks of domestic pigs in the Hohenlohe region and the area around the town of Schwäbisch Hall.
The breed proved popular and by 1959 totaled 90% of pigs in Baden-Württemberg. However, their popularity declined in the 1960s with the markets preferring leaner pork with less fat than the "Swabian-Hall" could offer. The breed was kept going in small numbers by enthusiastic farmers in the Hohenlohe district, although numbers were down to only seven breeding sows and two boars by 1984. The breed today has a high reputation amongst gourmets, having a darker meat and strong, distinctive flavour. Since 1998, Swabian-Hall pork ("Schwäbisch-Hällisches Qualitätsschweinfleisch") is a name with Protected Geographical Status in the European Union; only pigs coming from the Swabian Hall, Hohenlohe, and some adjacent districts can be sold under that name. There are now only around 1500 sows registered to this breed. All of these are from farms belonging to the "Farmer Producer Association of Swabian Hall" ("Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall"), who implement an inspection regime which strictly controls the quality of feed given to the animals. The "Swabian-Hall Breeders Association" ("Züchtervereinigung Schwäbisch Hällisches Schwein") was formed (2077) before the Producers Association (1607) but the farmer is now a subsidiary of the latter.
Parade Cannstatter Volksfest.
Traditionally a parade also takes place at the Wasen.The most important activities of the festival had been the award for breeding performance and the display of agricultural efficiency of the Württemberg farmers. The crossbreeding of Hohenlohe region and the area around the town of Schwäbisch Hall, the Mohrenköpfle is a pig in the parade . There are still groups in traditional clothes, which have taken part in the festival since 1841. No Piercings und Tattoos. Women: no long open hairs.
Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden Württemberg, will celebrate a quite special double jubilee together with the federal state in 2018 – 200 years Cannstatter Volksfest and the 100th “Landwirtschaftliches Hauptfest” – by holding a Historical Volksfest in the heart of the city.


Robert Crouch

Robert Fisher Crouch (7 February 1904 – 7 May 1957) was a British farmer and politician. In Parliament, as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for North Dorset, he specialised in agricultural issues, and was known as an independent-minded politician. His most notable contribution was to bring to public attention the Crichel Down affair, in which the Government's failure to sell requisitioned land back to its original owner led to the resignation of the Minister responsible.
Family and farming.
Crouch was born in Dorset, to a family who had been clergymen and farmers in the county for 350 years. He attended Milton Abbey School in Blandford Forum, but in 1920 left to immediately start farming in Wiltshire and Dorset. Crouch was a member of the National Farmers Union, and was Chairman of the Sturminster Newton Branch in 1927 and 1928. He served on the Dorset and Wiltshire County Executive of the NFU.
As a recognised authority on growing cereals, Crouch was keenly interested in modernising British agriculture. In 1931 he was the first farmer in Wiltshire to introduce mechanised corn-growing. He was also a member of the Machinery Committee of the Wiltshire War Agricultural Executive Committee throughout the Second World War. In addition to the NFU he was also an active member of the Conservative Party and served as Secretary of the Teffont branch of Salisbury Conservative Association for many years, as secretary and treasurer of Hammoon branch of North Dorset Conservative Association from 1930 to 1942, and as vice-chairman of Salisbury Conservative Association from 1942 to 1947.
Political prominence.
In 1946, Crouch was selected as prospective Parliamentary candidate for North Dorset. The constituency was traditionally Conservative but was then narrowly held by the Liberal Chief Whip Frank Byers, and Crouch was one of the more prominent candidates. He was nominated to make a party political broadcast on the BBC Home Service in October 1948, which he began by saying that he was not sorry to have the chance to do a bit of grumbling on the air. Crouch made the point that farmers often grumbled but never went on strike; he called for a long-term policy for agriculture and endorsed the Conservative Agricultural Charter.
1950 election.
At the 1950 general election, Crouch was helped by the decision of the Labour Party to nominate a candidate in North Dorset, as Byers had been able to take all the non-Conservative vote in winning the seat in 1945. In addition, boundary changes were thought to favour the Conservatives. In the event, the Labour vote was the lowest in the country at 14%, but Byers failed to attract enough Labour voters to the Liberals and Crouch won with a majority of 97. A recount was needed to confirm the victory because it was so close.
Parliamentary privilege.
Crouch's initial Parliamentary career concentrated on technical matters relating to government support for agriculture and attracted little attention. However, in July 1951 he was involved in a dispute over Parliamentary privilege. An article in the "Daily Express" had blamed Labour Co-operative MP William Coldrick for the fact that only Co-operative cigarettes were available in the Press Gallery; Coldrick persuaded the House of Commons to pass a motion declaring it a gross libel because he had had nothing to do with the decision. When a motion was made to require the journalist involved to attend the House to apologise, Crouch supported a protest against it on grounds of injustice. He then co-sponsored a motion to rescind the motion declaring the article libellous.
1951 election.
After only eighteen months, Crouch was forced to defend his seat in the 1951 general election. He again faced Frank Byers, who had remained prominent after his defeat as a frequent panellist on "Any Questions?" on radio; Labour again nominated a candidate. The campaign was a rough one, and on 17 October Crouch's solicitors announced that they had been instructed to issue a writ for libel against the "Farming Reporter" over an article purporting to be an interview with Crouch.
Private member's bill.
Crouch was re-elected with a majority of 747, despite Labour again obtaining its lowest vote in the country and the Labour candidate losing his deposit. In the new Parliament, Crouch was selected to introduce a Private Member's Bill and chose a Bill to amend the law on illegitimacy to increase the amount parents were required to pay for the upkeep of a child under an affiliation order. The Affiliation Orders Bill received Government support and was given Royal Assent in the summer.
Libel case.
However, Crouch was himself taken to court by Frank Byers early in 1953 over a Conservative election leaflet issued at the end of the 1951 election campaign. The leaflet had pointed to the fact that Frank Byers was appealing for Labour support, then observed that "The Socialist Party chairman at a meeting in Blandford on October 15 called attention to Mr. Byers's broken promises in 1945 and 1946. Don't be taken in again." Byers said that he had given no promises to Labour in 1945 and 1946 and so could not have broken them; his solicitors had written to Crouch after the election offering to settle for an apology and withdrawal. Crouch said that what was written was either true or fair comment, and were privileged.
In court, Crouch's counsel called Charles Greenfield who was a Labour Party member in 1945. Greenfield recalled Byers giving him a pledge to oppose legal disabilities on trade union members, and said he had then worked for Byers' campaign. However, when he had challenged Byers for failing to vote for the repeal of the Trades Disputes Act 1927, Byers had asked him if he had any witnesses for his pledge. The jury found for Crouch and the Judge awarded costs against Byers.
Crichel Down.
Later in 1953, Crouch took up the case of one of his constituents in what became one of the biggest political scandals of the decade. In 1938 the Air Ministry had requisitioned of land at Crichel Down owned by Lieutenant-Commander G.G. Marten, for use for Royal Air Force bombing practice. The use having finished, the Ministry of Agriculture handed it over to the Commissioners of Crown Lands who converted it to agricultural land (vastly increasing its value) and sought a tenant to farm it, despite a pledge from Winston Churchill to give the previous owners first refusal to buy the land back. Commander Marten protested and obtained the support of his Member of Parliament. Crouch demanded, and obtained, a public inquiry into the disposal of the land.
At the conclusion of the inquiry, which heavily criticised the Ministry, the Minister of Agriculture Sir Thomas Dugdale blandly announced that the Ministry had a binding contract with the tenant and therefore could not sell it back to the successors of the former owners. Crouch was incredulous, and even more angry about the decision of the Ministry not to take action against the civil servants responsible. He kept up the pressure, and a full debate on the report was put down for 20 July 1954. Anger at the conduct of the Ministry did not subside and when Dugdale spoke in opening the debate, he surprisingly announced his resignation from office. Crouch again insisted that the successors of the original owners must be able to repurchase their land, sitting tenant or no.
Suez group.
In foreign affairs, Crouch was a member of the 'Suez Group' of Conservative MPs who opposed the withdrawal of the British Army from the Suez Canal zone; he voted with the Suez Group against the Government in a debate on the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement at the end of July 1954. At the 1955 general election he no longer had to face Frank Byers as Liberal candidate, and easily defeated Byers' replacement by 7,159 votes. He was able to take time out to be Chairman of the Conservative marginal seats committee. At this election, the parties were anxious to have a clean and friendly fight, and Crouch benefited from the support of Commander Marten despite Marten's grievance with the Conservative government.
Ritual slaughter.
Later that year Crouch called on Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan to cut spending by £500m, to increase tax allowances. In December 1956 he announced that he would seek leave to introduce another Private Member's Bill, on slaughter of animals: he wanted to make it compulsory to stun animals before their throats were cut in the Shechita method practised in Judaism. However, his Bill was opposed by Sir Henry d'Avigdor-Goldsmid who argued that Shechita was humane and that the effect of the Bill would be distressing to Jewish people; permission to introduce the Bill was refused by 178 to 132.
Other matters.
Crouch became a frequent member of Parliamentary delegations to foreign countries, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain and Denmark in 1954 to investigate slaughterhouses, and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria in 1955. In December 1955 he paid a visit to Iraq, returning via Lebanon where he visited Palestinian refugee camps.
On behalf of his constituents, Crouch described the petrol rations imposed by Minister of Transport Harold Watkinson after the Suez invasion as "appalling", complaining that most allocations had been cut by 60%.


Xalda

The Xalda is an endangered breed of sheep indigenous to the Asturias province of Northern Spain.
History.
The Xalda is one of the oldest sheep breeds in Spain. It is first recorded in 27 BCE, by the Greek historian Estruban, who wrote of black tunics being made by the Asturi tribe out of the Xalda's wool. The Xalda likely traces its lineage back to the ancient "Ovis aries celticus", and is related to other sheep of Celtic origin, including the Ouessant, the Black Wales, the morite, and several German breeds. Most of its related Iberian ancestors are extinct, with one notable exception being the very rare Bordaleira of Northern Portugal.
The sheep used to be very popular within its native range, with an estimated 6,000 being alive in the 12th century. During its height, the Xalda was an important part of the culture and history of Asturias. However, the breed began to decline in numbers by the 1940s due to abandonment of the countryside in its native range. It also faced competition from specialty dairy breeds, which became popular among cheese makers. Whatever the reason for the decline, by 1980 only 800 purebred Xalda remained, and by the founding of the breeders association in 1992, only 400 purebred animals remained.
Characteristics.
The Xalda is a small, highly agile sheep, with rams usually weighing around 33 kg and standing 61 cm tall and ewes weighing around 22 kg and measuring 51 cm tall. Their wool is usually black or white, but can take on a reddish tint as they grow. Although it is rare, they can be gray in color, as well. Black and gray individuals can have spots on their heads. It has a similar phenotype to other Celtic sheep breeds in the Atlantic arc.
Uses.
The Xalda is often raised for meat. The meat from Xalda lambs is generally regarded to be of a very high quality. The meat possesses an extremely high protein content and is very tender. They were also raised for wool during the breed's peak, and in some towns their wool would comprise almost all the town's clothing.
Conservation Status.
At the height of the breed's population, the Xalda was very widespread in Asturias, with an estimated 6,000 living in the 12th century. However, the breed decreased in popularity due to abandonment of the countryside in its native range and competition from more commercially viable breeds. By the 1980s, only 800 head remained, and by time the breeders association was founded in 1992, there were only 400 Xalda left. However, the founding if the Xalda breeders association in 1992, ACOXA (Asociaciòn de Criadores d'Oveya Xalda) helped the efforts to conserve the breed greatly, although it still suffers from a lack of genetic diversity. Nonetheless, the breed's population has increased greatly in recent years, and numbers around 1,700 today.


Richard Beresford

Richard Beresford (June 3, 1755 – February 6, 1803) was an American planter and lawyer from Berkeley County, South Carolina. He was a delegate for South Carolina in the Confederation Congress in 1783 and 1784.
Beresford was born near Charleston, South Carolina and was baptized June 3, 1755. He was educated in South Carolina and in England, studying law at the Middle Temple in London. He became a lawyer in private practice and also engaged in planting, with extensive estates in Berkeley County and Colleton County in South Carolina as well as in England.
He took an active part in the American Revolutionary War, serving as an officer in the 1st South Carolina Regiment under General Isaac Huger in the Georgia campaign in 1778. He was captured at the fall of Charleston in 1780 and imprisoned at St. Augustine until 1781, when he was exchanged. He was member of the South Carolina state house of representatives, 1781 and was elected by the South Carolina state general assembly as a member of the privy council in 1782. He was elected the ninth Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina in January 1783, but resigned shortly afterward, having been elected to the Continental Congress. He was a member of the Confederation Congress in 1783 and 1784, after which he resumed planting. He later engaged in literary pursuits and published the "Vigil in Charleston" in 1798. He died in Charleston.
The Confederation Congress had scheduled to meet at the Maryland State House in November, 1783, to ratify the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War. However, by mid-January only seven of the thirteen states had sent delegates, which was not enough to ratify the treaty. On January 13, 1784, Beresford, who was ill, was the last delegate to arrive. Soon after his arrival, the vote was taken and on January 14, the Congress ratified the treaty.


Meerdaal

Meerdaal, also known as Meerdaalwoud and Meerdaalbos, is a woodland lying east of Brussels and south of Leuven, on the loess plateau of Brabant in central Belgium. The bigger part of it has most likely been continuously forested since the Middle Ages, but the archaeological record and geomorphology give evidence of a profound human influence, probably including agriculture, during the Roman era and the Iron Age.
Miradal.
In 1146 Meerdaal was known as "silva de miradal". "Silva" refers to a place dominated by trees; "dal" refers to a valley; the origin of "mira" is unclear.
Free Wood.
From 1406 until the end of the 18th century Meerdaal was endowed with the statute of Free Wood, which, for example, refers to its independent law court and rules.
Oak, pannage and boars.
Numerous documents give evidence of pannage in Ducal Free Woods Like Meerdaal during the dark and cold months of the 16th, 17th and 18th century. This pannage was obviously well-adjusted to forestry, as Meerdaal kept its age-long reputation for high-quality oak timber up to the present day. Pigs were restricted to well-appointed areas and evidently kept out of young stands by swine herders, who also built wooden cages for the animals. But the Free Wood of Meerdaal was not only a place for pannage, coppice or timber. It also had to keep up a reputation as a chase, housing wild boars, their hybrids with domestic pigs, and deer.
Modern forestry.
Today, Meerdaal Forest is managed as a multifunctional forest. High quality timber production keeps to play an important role but is combined with the conservation of high quality nature, recreation and education.
Hiking.
Today, Meerdaalwoud and the adjacent Heverleebos - together covering an area of almost 25 km² - are very popular for hiking.


Chantecler chicken

The Chantecler is a breed of chicken originating in Canada. The Chantecler was developed in the early 20th century, at the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac in Oka, Quebec. It is extremely cold-resistant, and is suitable for both egg and meat production.
History.
At the dawn of the 20th century, no breeds of chicken had been established in Canada, and Canadian farmers and poultry fanciers only had fowl of European and American derivation. This fact was noted by Brother Wilfrid Châtelain, a Trappist monk and Doctor of Agronomy, as he toured the poultry flocks of the Oka Agricultural Institute, an agricultural school at his abbey which is affiliated with the Université de Montréal.
In 1907, the Brother set out to remedy this void and create a practical chicken that would be suited to Canada's climate and production needs. Working at the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac in Oka, Chantelain first combined Dark Cornishes, White Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, White Plymouth Rocks and White Wyandottes, creating the White variant of the Chantecler. It was admitted into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1921. By 1918, the breed was presented to the public. To this day, the Chantecler is one of only two breeds of poultry from Canada, and the only one known to have been created primarily by a member of a monastic order.
At the outset, it was only intended for the breed to be white in color; white birds are preferred for commercial meat production in the West, as they produce a particularly clean-looking carcass. In the 1930s, the Partridge Chantecler was generated by crossing Partridge Wyandottes, Partridge Cochins, Dark Cornishes, and the rose comb type of Brown Leghorns to produce a chicken more adapted to free range conditions. This variant was admitted to the Standard in 1935. There has also been a Buff variety present since the 1950s, but it has never been admitted to show standards.
In 1979, the extinction of the Chantecler was publicized, with what was thought to be the last rooster of the breed dying at the University of Saskatchewan's Department of Animal and Poultry Science. However, despite the disappearance of the breed in institutional and commercial hatcheries, it was still maintained by a few small farms. In the 21st century, the breed persists, but is listed as Critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Characteristics.
The Chantecler is a large chicken that lays respectably well and is a good meat producer. Roosters weigh around , and hens are .The breed possess yellow skin and beaks, and lay brown eggs. With plumage that lies tight against the body but has a good deal of fluff, and an exceptionally small cushion comb and wattles, the Chantecler is one of the most cold hardy chickens. They are gentle birds amenable to taming, but can be temperamental in confinement.


Lady Anne Berry

Lady Anne Sophia Berry (née Walpole, 11 December 1919 – 18 September 2019) was an English-New Zealand horticulturist who founded Rosemoor Garden. She offered the garden to the Royal Horticultural Society in 1988. In 1990 she married Bob Berry and went to live on his farm at Tiniroto, Gisborne, New Zealand. She then created the Homestead Garden of Hackfalls Arboretum.
Biography.
Berry was born in 1919 to the Walpole family in England. Her father was Robert Horace Walpole, the fifth and last Earl of Orford (10 July 1854 – 27 September 1931, New Zealand). He married twice. His second marriage was on 15 September 1917 to Emily Gladys Oakes (thereafter styled as Countess of Orford), daughter of Rev. Thomas Henry Royal Oakes, and the mother of Anne.
One of the Walpole family members had been recorded at the siege of Acre in 1191. Later generations remained an established part of the British political, cultural and literary world. Some famous ancestors were:
Recreated for a cousin in 1806, the title passed through the generations, Berry's father becoming the last Earl in 1894. He was aged 67 when she was born. He had no son, and decided to make over the family estate of Wolterton Hall (North Norfolk) of to a distant male cousin (who became Baron Walpole) in 1928. He emigrated to Manurewa, New Zealand, in 1928, and died in 1931.
In 1923 he had bought a 40-acre () property called "Rosemoor" in North Devon as a fishing lodge. Berry and her mother lived there after 1928, interspersed with three visits to New Zealand in the 1930s. Thus Berry spent part of her youth in that country.
The free life in New Zealand suited her. Berry did not go to school and had a governess, but she used to dodge her, going hunting.
Back in England as a debutante proved to be a restricting time with all the social niceties including being present at Court. Her mother created some of the earliest garden features at Rosemoor, such as the Stone Garden, which still lies at the heart of Berry's garden. On 25 November 1939, Berry married Colonel Eric Palmer. Her early married life was spent "camp following" the regiment, including two and a half years in Northern Ireland. Rosemoor was loaned to the Red Cross as a rest home for Londoners from the East End suffering the effects of the Blitz. Her first son John Robert was born on 6 March 1943, her second Anthony Eric Fletcher was born 4 November 1945. After the war her husband bought more land around Rosemoor and established a dairy farm. Berry's passion was horses in those days.
"Lady Anne's initiation into gardening was somewhat akin to the conversion of St. Paul." In 1959 Berry stayed in Algeciras, Spain, for two weeks to recuperate from measles. There she met Collingwood Ingram, a well-known English plantsman, who opened her eyes to the world of plants. Collingwood Ingram sent loads of plants to Rosemoor from his own garden in Benenden, Kent. This was the start of a marvellous collection. In 1960 serious development of the garden started. Soon there were other mentors such as Lionel Fortescue (The Garden House at Buckland Monachorum), the Heathcoat-Amory family of Knightshayes Court and others.
Berry rapidly grew a knowledge on conditions that plants needed. Travels to New Zealand and Australia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, North America and temperate South America allowed her to see plants and plant combinations growing in their natural habitats, and gave her opportunities to collect material.
In the late 1960s she joined the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Robin Herbert, who later became a president of RHS invited her to join Floral Committee 'B' which judged woody plants and new introductions. She was also a founder member of the National Council for the Preservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG).
In 1965 Berry joined the International Dendrology Society (IDS). In the 1970s she chaired the tours committee for nine years until about 1983. She then became chairperson of the society for nearly five years. In 1970 she visited New Zealand and went to see Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa, Gisborne. Its founder, William Douglas Cook had died a few years before. "Despite its then run-down condition it was to me a very impressive collection, at that time managed single-handedly by Bill Crooks", she remembered. In 1977 a group of members of the IDS visited New Zealand again. She then nominated Eastwoodhill for the first brass plaque presented by the IDS for tree collections of outstanding merit. She then visited Abbotsford Arboretum (now Hackfalls Arboretum), the creation of Bob Berry for the first time.
In 1979 Berry started a small nursery at Rosemoor. By 1987 the catalogue had expanded to over 1000 items. She developed a collection of less common trees, and of Hollies (Ilex) and Dogwood (Cornus), later resulting in Rosemoor holding part of the UK NCCPG National Collection for these plants.
In 1980 her husband died. In 1988 she offered Rosemoor to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS): the house and the garden (), and the remaining of the estate, that was farmland. By 1990 Rosemoor was opened as a "garden for all seasons".
In 1990 Berry led a group of IDS members to Hackfalls Arboretum for the second time. She married Bob Berry later that same year. "The story of Bob and Anne Berry of Hackfalls is a classic one in terms of the bonds created by dendrology". The marriage took place in England, but they came to live at Tiniroto.
In July 2006 Bob and Anne Berry left Hackfalls Station to live in Gisborne town. Bob Berry died in 2018 aged 102; Lady Anne died 18 September 2019, three months short of her 100th birthday.
Rosemoor Garden.
Rosemoor Garden was created by Lady Anne over a period of some thirty years, from about 1960 to 1988. She described it as "a sort of mini Wisley". Wisley is the "flagship garden of the RHS". In 1988 she gave the garden to the Royal Horticultural Society, together with an additional of land.
Christopher Bailes, curator of Rosemoor Garden, stated in 1988: "Lady Anne's garden was (and remains) a very personal garden, largely informal and relaxed in style, with extensive areas of parkland and arboretum. The 'new' RHS developments were intended both to expand upon and to complement the existing garden, featuring diverse and wide-ranging plantings, many in a more formal framework, with particular emphasis on ornamental and productive horticulture."
Hackfalls Arboretum.
Hackfalls Arboretum, Tiniroto, Gisborne, New Zealand, was the creation of Bob Berry, who started planting trees at his station in the 1950s, and created interesting collections of poplars, maples, oaks etc. Bob became a member of the IDS in 1977 and in October 1982 joined a tour to Mexico, which was the beginning of a particular interest in Central American Oaks (Quercus), which would later form the most important part of the collection of Hackfalls Arboretum. In later years other trips to Mexico followed to collect acorns.
When Anne came to live at Hackfalls Station in 1990 the management of the farm had already been taken over by Diane and Kevin Playle (Diane is a daughter of Bob Berry's sister Pet), the name being changed from Abbotsford Station to Hackfalls Station. Hackfalls Station had been the name of the original property of the Berry family at Tiniroto, when they first came to live there at the beginning of the 20th century. The collection of the arboretum at 1990 contained about 3,000 taxa. The number of different species of trees, shrubs and climbers has been enlarged since then. Anne extended the homestead garden at Hackfalls and introduced many new plantings.
In 1993 the arboretum was protected by a covenant with the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust.
Since 2006 Diane Playle takes care of the arboretum and the homestead garden. The collection at the arboretum in 2008 held 3,500 different taxa.


Royal Lancashire Show

The Royal Lancashire Show (RLS) is an agricultural show which takes place every year at different locations throughout the historical county boundaries of Lancashire in North England. The show is organised by the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society (RLAS) and is one of Britain's oldest agricultural shows, first taking place in 1767. In 2017 it took place on 11-13 August.


Daniel Robison

Daniel Julian Robison (born 1960) is an American academic administrator.
Education.
Robison obtained a bachelor's degree in forestry and a master's degree in silviculture and forest influences at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry before completing a doctorate in entomology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1993.
Career.
Robison taught at North Carolina State University for fifteen years, serving for three years as associate dean for research in the College of Natural Resources before leaving for West Virginia University in 2012, where he was dean of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and director of the Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station. He was the first of three candidates considered to succeed Wendy Wintersteen as endowed dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University and director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. Robison's selection as dean of ISU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was announced on 25 October 2018. Robison assumed deanship duties on 21 January 2019, taking over from interim dean Joe Colletti.


Haymarket (Louisville)

The Haymarket referred to an outdoor farmers' market in Louisville, Kentucky. The market occupied the block between Jefferson, Liberty, Floyd and Brook streets. A small section extended south down Floyd Street. It was established in 1891 on the site of the city's earliest rail station, belonging to the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad. The site had been cleared after the station relocated to First Street in 1881.
1891–1962.
Local truck farmers used the spot informally in the 1880s to sell goods directly to consumers. A municipal market house on Market Street closed in 1888, the last of such houses on the street. In 1891 some of the farmers formed a stock company to purchase the former rail station space permanently. Despite the name, the Haymarket did not actually sell hay in any meaningful quantities.
By the end of the 1890s, city regulations allowed hucksters of fruits, vegetables and other products to use three feet of sidewalk to sell their goods. Many of the purchasers were grocers who would arrive at daybreak to buy goods for resale in their neighborhood stores. Consumers who ventured to Haymarket directly were called "curb buyers". While buying directly at the Haymarket required much more haggling than in a grocery, better deals could be had. Many of the early vendors were Italian and Lebanese immigrants.
In the 1920s open sheds were built as cover from the weather for sellers and buyers. The Haymarket started to decline in the 1940s with the rise of chain groceries. Many vendors left for a suburban, rail-connected market in 1962. A few vendors attempted to hang on at the original site, but a ramp to Interstate 65 was built through the site and Haymarket closed after 71 years on September 1, 1962.
1989–mid 2000s.
An enclosed Haymarket was in place later at a different location from 1989 to the mid-2000s, which dissolved after "it was replaced by the Nucleus Building".


JB Gill

Jonathan Benjamin Gill (born 7 December 1986) is an English singer and farmer. He is best known as a member of boy band JLS, who came second on "The X Factor" in 2008. They went on to have five number-one singles and sold over 10 million records worldwide before disbanding in December 2013.
Early life.
Gill is the son of Cynthia and Keith Gill and has one brother, Neequaye. He spent the first five years of his life living in Antigua, discovering his musical talent at a very early age. After completing his exams at university, he decided to audition for "The X Factor" in 2007. It was at this point that he came into contact with the other members of JLS. Gill grew up, mostly, in Croydon and began making music at the age of seven when he played the recorder, piano, flute and guitar. At the age of nine, he joined the choir and went on to perform at the local church. Gill concentrated on his music and began studying at The Centre for Young Musicians.
After leaving the CYM, Gill stayed involved with the school music scene. He was involved with the choir at school. He continued this until he was 15 but had to give it up due to the pressures from the school to concentrate on his rugby career; he was involved with London Irish rugby club until he was 18. He eventually decided that he wanted to sing rather than play rugby and took up vocal coaching during a year out before attending university. During this period, Gill was contacted by Oritsé to try out for the band because of his musical ear and attention to harmonies. He studied theology at King's College London, staying in halls in Russell Square, before dropping out to pursue a music career.
Career.
Gill joined boy band UFO, later known as JLS, in 2007. The group auditioned for "The X Factor" in 2008, managed by Louis Walsh. They finished runners-up behind Alexandra Burke. They later signed a record deal with Epic Records.
In December 2012, Gill won the Christmas Special of the BBC One dancing show "Strictly Come Dancing", performing the Jive with Ola Jordan.
In 2013, JLS announced via Twitter they had decided to split up after their farewell tour and album and book.
In 2014, Gill sang on a song titled "Best Night OML" produced by Charlie Hedges. This made him the first member of JLS to release solo material. Later that year, Gill competed on "Celebrity MasterChef".
Beginning on 1 February 2015, he took part in the second series of "The Jump".
In August 2015, having been involved in the turkey farming industry for some years, he became one of the main presenters on CBeebies programme "Down on the Farm alongside Storm Huntley.""
In November 2015, he appeared on the show, "Countryfile". In September 2016, he appeared on "Who's Doing the Dishes?". In February 2017, he appeared on the ITV show "Dance Dance Dance" alongside his wife Chloe and finished in 3rd place. From 2017, he has been a presenter on the BBC's "Songs of Praise".
Personal life.
Gill used to play rugby but gave it up to concentrate on his singing career. He does, however, still take part in charity matches. He played for England in the 2015 fixture of Rugby Aid, which sees a team of celebrities and professional rugby players take part in an 'England vs The Rest of the World' match to raise money for the charity Help For Heroes.
In late 2008, Gill began dating backing dancer Chloe Tangney. They married in 2014 and have two children. He has a son called Ace Jeremiah Gill and a daughter called Chiara Sapphire Gill. Gill is a Christian.


Peter MacLeod

Peter B. MacLeod (October 26, 1930 – May 29, 2001) was a Canadian politician and farmer. He represented 3rd Kings in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1982 to 1989 as a Progressive Conservative.
MacLeod was born in 1930 in Lorne Valley, Prince Edward Island. He married Glenda Mae MacLeod in 1953. MacLeod was a farmer by career, and also served as a school trustee.
MacLeod attempted to enter provincial politics in the 1978, and 1979 elections, but was defeated both times by Liberal Bud Ings. MacLeod ran again in the 1982 election, and was elected councillor for the electoral district of 3rd Kings. He was re-elected in 1986, but was defeated by Liberal Roberta Hubley when he ran for re-election in 1989.
MacLeod died in Montague, Prince Edward Island on May 29, 2001.


Grana (cheese)

Grana is a type of hard, mature cheese from Italy with a granular texture, often used for grating. Grana cheeses are typically made in the form of large wheels. The structure is often described as crystalline, and the wheels are divided by being split with a fairly blunt almond-shaped knife designed for the purpose, rather than being sliced, cut or sawn. Within the European Union the term "Grana" is legally protected by Grana Padano Protected Designation of Origin; only Grana Padano may be sold using the term in EU countries.
The two best-known examples of grana-type cheeses are Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano. The two cheeses are broadly similar, with the latter being less sharp, crumbly and grainy.
The main difference between the two is that cows producing Parmigiano-Reggiano eat only grass and cereals—no silage, no preservatives, and no antibiotics. Cows that have been treated with antibiotics are suspended from production of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano. Silage is a fermented forage that requires the addition of a natural preservative (lysozyme) to Grana Padano. Feeding of silage and addition of lysozyme are forbidden in production of Trentingrana and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Other Grana cheeses include:
Grana cheeses typically contains cheese crystals, semi-solid to gritty crystalline spots that at least partially consist of the amino acid tyrosine.
History.
Grana originally described a type of hard cheese from the Po Valley (Valle Padana) in Northern Italy, with a distinctive granular texture—the word "grana" in Italian means "grain".


Bailey Farm Windmill

The Bailey Farm Windmill is an historic windmill on Maine State Route 16, north of the village of North Anson, Maine. Built in 1905, it is an architecturally distinctive local landmark, with an octagonal frame and a copper-domed roof. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Description and history.
The windmill is an octagonal wood-frame structure, resting on a concrete foundation, with a wooden shingled exterior and a copper-domed roof. Its base is flared, with the entrance projecting slightly on the west-facing facade, under a gabled pediment. There are four small windows in the structure, all at different heights to provide light to the inside staircase. At the top of its interior is an observation area, which is surrounded on the outside by a broad gallery supported by sawn brackets. The dome is topped by a spire, on which are mounted the rotating mechanism and carriage of the mill. The wheel has retained its spokes, but no longer has paddles to catch the wind. This mechanism was originally connected to a central shaft, now removed, that lead down to a shallow dug well. The shaft was protected from the stairs by a tongue-and-groove partition.
The windmill was apparently built about 1905 on the farm of Benjamin and Chester Bailey, and is one of a very small number of agricultural windmills to survive in the state. It was apparently used by the Baileys and later owners until the 1920s, when the well pump was converted to gasoline power.


Groupe Roullier

Groupe Roullier is a French agribusiness conglomerate founded in 1959 in Saint-Malo, France, by Daniel Roullier. The company specializes in the production and chemical processing of nutrients and feeds for plants, animals and humans. Groupe Roullier employs more than 8,000 people, its products are sold in 131 countries, with a consolidated turn-over of € 2 billion.
History.
Groupe Roullier was established in 1959 in Saint-Malo, France, with the creation of a maerl grinding plant by the founder, Daniel Roullier. Maërl has been traditionally used by farmers in the Brittany region of France as a soil amendment. First under the name TIMAC, the company was focused on the industrial processing of maerl. The business later became Groupe Roullier and included new offers of fertilizers, including maerl combinations with phosphate.
Activities.
Groupe Roullier is organized around seven types of activities: agrosupplies (especially fertilizers), phosphates for the animal food industry, magnesium, industrial products, consumer plant nutrition, plastics industry and the food industry. Agrosupplies are closely linked to plant nutrition through soil amendments to improve fertility, fertilizer products for plants, and root and leaf biostimulants that act on the physiological level of the plant.
In the field of agrosupplies, Groupe Roullier has four subsidiaries: Timac Agro (fertilization and animal feed supplements), Grassland Agro (primarily based in Ireland), Vitas (Portuguese market) and William Houde (Canadian market).
The transformation and production of phosphates is managed by one subsidiary, Phosphea, created in 1976. The production of magnesium is divided among three subsidiaries: Magnesitas Navarras, Magnesium do Brasil, Timab Magnesium.
Business activity also sand exploitation with subsidiary Compagnie Armoricaine de Navigation. One subsidiary manage business around industrial products : Nuwen; Florendi Consumer plant Nutrition and Plastics Industry with Agriplas.
Groupe Roullier has also invested in two food production companies for pastries and biscuits: Maison Colibri and Patisseries Gourmandes.
Business Development.
Since its founding, the Groupe’s activities have expanded to include the distribution and marketing of its own activities, which led to investments in maritime transport and plastics processing. In 1988, Groupe Roullier launched its plastics business with Agriplas for the development of all packaging and containers for its agricultural supplies. At this time, Groupe Roullier also began developing products for animals, particularly food supplements. In the 2000s, Groupe Roullier announced a partnership with Louis Dreyfus to develop shipping activities for the transport of its own industrial products.
International Development.
Groupe Roullier was founded in Brittany, France, where some of the largest accumulations of maerl and other deposits exist at the international level. In the late 1970s, the business expanded to include activities in Europe, South America and North America.
United States.
In 2017, Groupe Roullier announced the expansion of its activities in the US with the acquisition of A&E Ag, LLC and Circle R Fertilize, Inc, by its subsidiary TIMAC Agro USA. As of January 18, 2017, A&E Ag is now a subsidiary of Timac AGRO USA, Inc. and operates under the title A&E Ag – Timac Agro USA. Circle R Fertilize was founded in 1983 and sells liquid and dry fertilizer products, as well as crop protection products and seeds.
Brazil.
The group sold its products in 131 countries, two-thirds of its employees work outside France, and it generates more than 50% of its turnover internationally.
Research & Innovation.
In 2005, Groupe Roullier created the Center for Applied Studies and Research (CERA) in Dinard, France. The center integrates an analytical laboratory and a small pilot plant to serve different subsidiaries in the improvement of industrial tools. In 2016, Groupe Roullier opened its Global Innovation Center (CMI) in Saint-Malo.
EIB Loan.
In 2018, Groupe Roullier became the first company to benefit from the European Investment Bank financing for innovation in agriculture and the bioeconomy. The bank granted Groupe Roullier a EUR 50 million loan to finance its research and developed program to explore the use of microorganisms in plant and animal nutrition. The research activities will be carried out at the Roullier Global Innovation Center and the Centre for Studies and Applied Research. The new division was created to support work on bacterial flora in cattle rumen, the preservation and quality of silage, and biogas production from manure or silage.
Plant Nutrition Innovation Awards.
Following the opening of the Roullier Global Innovation Center – CMI Roullier, the Group created a competition for innovation in plant nutrition. In 2018, Groupe Roullier awarded two researchers working in the field a total of EUR 120,000 with the purpose of promoting scientific collaboration and innovation to develop research activities in the fields of: plant nutrition, natural plant and marine substances, soil life and soil science, biostimulation and biocontrol as well as biotechnology and plant engineering. Each competition winner received EUR 60,000 to develop their own research project over the course of a year in collaboration with Groupe Roullier. Previous winners include: the team of professor Esquerreé-Tugayé’s from Toulouse University and the laboratory of electrophysiology at the University of Florence, Italy, in 2001, and the team from the Rothamsted Agricultural Research Center for its work on Sulphur transporters in cereals in 2005.
SUSFERT.
Groupe Roullier is a member of the consortium for the SUSFERT project, which aims to develop multifunctional fertilizers for phosphorus and iron supply. The SUSFERT project plans to develop sustainable new sources for fertilizers to partly or fully replace existing sources.


Hoia Forest

The Hoia Forest (; ) is a forest situated to the west of the city of Cluj-Napoca, near the open-air section of the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. The forest is used as a common recreation destination. In recent years a biking park has been added to the forest, along with areas for other sports such as paintball, airsoft and archery.
Geography.
The forest covers an area of about 3 square kilometers. Its southern border begins on a ridge which runs east-west. It does not contain the steep southern slope of the hill, which rises from the Someșul Mic River. To the north, the forest ends on a smoother slope, which meets the Nadăș River.
The eastern end of the forest is bordered by the Tăietura Turcului, an artificial valley that divides the hill from north to south and contains a traffic road. The west end of the forest reaches the northeastern slope of the Dealul Melcilor, nearby the Mujai Forest, which extends further westward. The Bongar valley runs along the south end of this side, which contains a downy oak grove unique to the southern steppe. Part of the northeastern end of the forest is bordered by Valea Lungă ("Long Valley"), which passes through Eocene limestone and forms Cheile Baciului, a valley with asymmetric slopes. A small natural lake is located upstream from Cheile Baciului, at the border of the forest. There are several springs with potable water at the north edge of the forest, in Valea Lungă.
Archaeological discoveries.
The oldest Neolithic settlement in Romania (believed to have been established around 6500 BC) belonging to the Starčevo–Kőrös–Criș culture was discovered at the north of Valea Lungă. Tombs and houses from this settlement were uncovered between 1960 and 1994.
Legends.
According to legend, the Hoia Forest is a hotspot of paranormal phenomena. Many ghost stories and urban legends contribute to its popularity as a tourist attraction.
Skeptics say these are just stories for entertainment and lack any testable evidence.
The Hoia Forest has been featured in paranormal documentary TV shows, from "Ghost Adventures" to "Destination Truth".


Horseshoe Bend Station

Horseshoe Bend Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the Alice Springs region of the Northern Territory.
The property occupies and area of and includes approximately frontage to the ephemeral Finke River with a string of semi-permanent waterholes. Situated upstream of Crown Point Station, the homestead is on the Depot sandhills near the junction of the Finke and the Hugh Rivers. The property includes a desert block that has never been developed. The station was originally a staging post for the Overland Telegraph Line and the North–South Road. The former Central Australia Railway line passed approximately from the homestead which once boasted a post office and a hotel.
The area around the station was hit hard by drought in 1897, so much so that several of the surrounding properties were abandoned. The second owners of the property were Sergeant and Elliot who operated a hotel from the homestead. Sargent and Elliot acquired the property some time prior to 1908 when they were restocking the property with cattle. Sargent died in 1912.
Pastor Carl Strehlow, the founder of Hermannsburg, died and was buried at the station. He arrived at Horseshoe Bend in 1922 after a buggy ride from Hermannsburg while en route to reach medical treatment in Adelaide.
By 2018, Horseshoe Bend Station was reported to be run by Viv Oldfield who also owns other properties nearby including Clifton Hills Station, Andado Station and Pandie Pandie Station.


Villa Il Palagio

Villa Il Palagio is a villa and farm estate in Figline Valdarno, in the province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany. The estate has belonged to the musician Sting and his wife Trudie Styler since the late 1990s.
History.
Il Palagio was built in the 17th century. In the late 18th century it was bought by the wealthy Martelli family. They sold it in 1819 to Countess Carlotta Barbolani of Montauto, the widow of the Duke of San Clemente and it remained in this family's hands for some 150 years. In the early 20th century, Duke Simone Vincenzo Velluti Zati di San Clemente was responsible for building an oil mill and grain store and beginning to produce wine in its vineyards. A chapel was added in 1958.
The estate was purchased by Sting and his wife Trudie Styler in the late 1990s. When the couple bought the villa it was in a state of disrepair and they hired architect Arabella Lennox-Boyd to carry out a full restoration of the estate, which took seven years. On 11 September 2001, Sting and a large ensemble of musicians recorded the live album "All This Time" at the villa on the same day at the September 11 terrorist attacks. Sting's song "Fragile" was dedicated the victims of the attacks. In 2009, winter photography of the grounds covered in snow was taken for Sting's album release that year, "If on a Winter's Night...". Both that and his 2006 album "Songs from the Labyrinth" were written at the estate. The second phase of rehearsals for The Police Reunion Tour took place over the course of four weeks at the estate in the spring of 2007. Sting and Trudie often host parties and private concerts for friends and family at Il Palagio.
Features.
The villa was built in the 16th-century Tuscan style and the estate contains four guesthouses and two annexes to the main villa, which can accommodate up to 50 guests, and up to 500 guests for wedding receptions and parties. The estate has a life-size chessboard, a treehouse overlooking a lake, a chapel and a giant statue of Buddha, a yoga centre, a tennis court, and a swimming pool.
Produce.
The estate, of some 350 hectares, is run by Paolo Rossi and his brother Joe who is the head chef. Gluten-free breads and pizzas are on the menu. The estate is a producer of wine, honey, cherries, apricots, peaches and olive oil. It has been making organic olive oil since 1999. As of 2014, the estate produces six different wines.


Hans Uhlmann

Hans Uhlmann (born 11 November 1933 in Bonau, Switzerland) is a Swiss politician from the Swiss People's Party (SVP). A professional farmer, he has left the national political scene in 1999 and now works only behind the scenes.
Ulhman served on the council (1964–1987), the Grand Council (1980–1984) and the National Council (1983–1987). On October 18, 1987, Ulhmann was elected to the Senate for the canton of Thurgau, where he remained until 1999.
He served as president of the canton of Thurgau (1985–1989), and then the President of the SVP, following the presidency of Adolf Ogi.
Ulhmann's declared aim as a national party president was to open it to new voters, and in particular former SP (Social Democratic Party) voters, who no longer felt represented by their party.
Uhlmann is married and has two children.


Simen Fougner

Simen Fougner (1701–1783) was a Norwegian farmer, poet and non-fiction writer.
Simen Amundsen Fougner was born at Fougner in Follebu parish of Gausdal district ("Fougner søndre, Follebu, Østre Gausdal") in Oppland, Norway. He was the son of farmer Amund Olsen Fougner (1652-1723). He was married to Thore Ellefsdatter Fykse (ca. 1704–1792). Fougner was an industrious and creative farmer who made good use of his land.
He is best remembered as one of the earliest Norwegian authors from a rural background. A selection of his poetry was published posthumously in 1920, and his topographical description of Gausdal was published in 1921.