Bethel Heights Vineyard

Bethel Heights Vineyard is an Oregon winery in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley. Founded in 1977 by twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel, their wives Pat Dudley and Marilyn Webb, and Pat's sister Barbara Dudley, the vineyard was one of the earliest plantings in the Eola-Amity Hills region. A winery soon followed, with the first estate wines produced in 1984. Bethel Heights specializes in Pinot noir, offering several individual block and vineyard designated bottlings, but also produces wines made from Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Gewürztraminer.
Today, the winery is still owned by members of the Casteel-Dudley-Webb families. The winery has earned a reputation in the region as a pioneer in "sensible and sustainable" viticulture, with Ted Casteel being one of the co-founders of the Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) certification program in the state of Oregon. In 1997, Bethel Heights was one of the first vineyards in Oregon to be certified Salmon-Safe, and it is a member of the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW). In 2007, it was among the first Oregon wineries to join the Oregon Global Warming Commission and pledged to go carbon neutral by 2010.
History.
Hearing about the growing Oregon wine industry and the work of pioneering winemakers making Pinot noir, the Casteel brothers and their wives sold their houses in Seattle, Washington and purchased land that was slated to become a trailer park in the Eola Hills northwest of the city of Salem, Oregon. The land was deemed "not suitable for farming," but the Casteels found the south-facing slope with good exposure and shallow, well-drained soils to be ideal for viticulture, so they purchased the land and planted of Pinot noir vines in 1977. The Casteels named the area Bethel Heights after the unincorporated area of Bethel, Polk County, Oregon where the estate is located.
Over the years, the Casteels expanded and planted more acres to Pinot noir and other varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot blanc. In 1984, a winery was built on the estate and they began producing wine under the Bethel Heights label with Terry Casteel taking over the main winemaking duties. By 1992, the winery operation had grown enough that the vineyard stopped selling fruit to other wineries and began using all of the estate grapes for the Bethel Heights label.
Many of Ted and Terry Casteel's children have followed in their parents' footsteps and are working in the winery. In 2007, Terry and Marilyn's son Ben Casteel took over head winemaking duties, as Terry's sense of smell declined due to the advancement of Parkinson. Ted and Pat's daughter Mimi was the general manager and viticulturist until 2016, when she left Bethel Heights to focus on her own vineyard, Hope Well. Today, the winery is still owned by members of the Casteel-Dudley-Webb families.
Vineyards.
Bethel Heights Vineyard is a site located on the west slope of the Eola Hills just northwest of Salem in the shadow of Mount Jefferson. The grapevines are planted on south facing slopes at elevations between 480–620 feet above sea level. The estate has a diverse soil profile with soils at the 300 feet elevation being among some of the oldest soils in the Willamette Valley including sandstone and marine sediment that was laid over 35 million years ago when what is today Oregon was still part of the Pacific Ocean. At 500 feet elevation, the soil is much younger with red clay and volcanic soils from previous eruptions in the Cascade Range.
As of 2008, Bethel Heights had planted with dedicated exclusively to Pinot noir that is partitioned into individual blocks. These include:
Bethel Heights first started as a vineyard selling its grape to other winemakers and soon got a reputation for the high quality of their Pinot noirs. In 1983, California wine producer Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard even purchased grapes from Bethel Heights to produce an Oregon style Pinot noir that wine critic Anthony Dias Blue reviewed favorably. As the winery operation grew, Bethel Heights stopped selling its estate fruit to other wineries in 1992 and in by 1995 they were sourcing grapes (including Riesling, Pinot gris, Grüner Veltliner, and Gewürztraminer) from several well-known and well-respected vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. These include:
With several vineyards and designated blocks, Bethel Heights has adopted the Burgundian practice of producing several different bottlings of Pinot noirs from the individual blocks and vineyards. Terry Casteel noted to "Wine Spectator" that they do this because the grapes from the different blocks "...have distinct personalities, and they're complete wines." Casteel also notes that the reputation of a vineyard is enhanced by vineyard designated wine more than they would be going into a wine with a more generic Oregon wine or Willamette Valley wine label.
Sustainability.
The winery has earned a reputation in the Oregon wine industry as a pioneer in "sensible and sustainable" viticulture with co-founder and vineyard manager Ted Casteel leading the efforts to create the Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) certification program. At the vineyard, Casteel and his daughter and viticulturist Mimi Casteel utilize elements of both organic and biodynamic viticulture practices that minimizes the use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyard. This includes using sulfur sprays (similar to the Bordeaux mixture) until post-bloom. Later in the season they do use some synthetic products for reliability and to lessen the overall environmental impact of fuel, emission and labor cost that repeated organic spraying would require.
In 1997, Bethel Heights was one of the first vineyards in Oregon to be certified Salmon-Safe and they are a member of the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW) with their wines carrying the OCSW logo since 2008. Under this criteria Bethel Heights commits itself to producing wine that is "... made using environmentally responsible agricultural practices and responsible winemaking practices, and those are verified by an independent, third-party certifying agency." In 2007, they were among the first Oregon wineries to join the Oregon Global Warming Commission and pledged to go carbon neutral by 2010. To further these efforts, the winery installed solar panels in their vineyards which supplies about 40% of their energy needs.
People.
Twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel founded Bethel Heights with their partners and other family members in 1997. The Casteel brothers graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington with Ted going on to teach European History at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Terry working as a clinical psychologist in Seattle. Soon after the Casteel purchased the vineyard, Ted went to study viticulture at the University of California-Davis while Terry did apprentice work at various Willamette Valley wineries. In 2010, Terry Castel was honored by Salud! for his contribution to the Oregon Pinot wine industry. Ted has become an industry leader when it comes to sustainable viticulture, co-founding the Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) certification program in Oregon.
Ted's wife, Pat Dudley is the president and marketing director for Bethel Heights. A graduate of Stanford University and Duquesne University, she was one of the co-founders of Oregon's Pinot Camp and is a former executive director of International Pinot Noir Celebration. Terry's wife, Marilyn Webb is the chief financial officer and celebrated chef who created "Marilyn's Kitchen" which designs recipes and meals that pair with Pinot noir and other Oregon wines. The second generation of the Casteel-Dudley-Webb family includes winemaker Ben Casteel, who learned winemaking in Burgundy and at Rex Hill Vineyards in Oregon and Mimi Casteel, a botanist and viticulturist. Jon Casteel, son of Terry and Marilyn, apprenticed at wineries in New Zealand and Oregon and today co-owns and runs Casteel Custom Bottling-a mobile bottling line that serves several wineries in the Willamette.
Influence on other winemakers.
In its 35 years, Bethel Heights has also employed winemakers who have gone on to work at other notable wineries including Master of Wine David Lake, long time winemaker at Columbia Winery in Washington State, Véronique Drouhin from the notable Burgundian wine family of Maison Joseph Drouhin and winemaker at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon, and Gary Horner, head winemaker for Erath Winery in the Dundee Hills AVA who began his winemaking career on the bottling line of Bethel Heights.


Elliottdale

The Eliottdale is a breed of domestic sheep originating from Tasmania. It is a carpet wool breed raised primarily for its wool. Due to the amount of wool grown by the Eliottdale, it needs to be shorn twice per year.
Characteristics.
The wool has a fibre diameter of 38 - 40 microns. At each shearing, the wool is approximately in length and weighs about . On average, rams weigh and ewes weigh at maturity. Rams can be horned or polled (hornless). Ewes are always polled. The breed is uni-colored and white.
History.
The Elliottdale is a dual purpose meat/wool sheep. When the flock was at the Elliott Research station (Tasmania) it was performance recorded, and breeding indices were developed by geneticists for both wool and meat. Though current breeders do not have the resources to continue this methodology, one has used traditional stud phenotypic selection, with an emphasis on confirmation, and carcass market suitability, as this is where the economics of the [sheep] enterprise is based at present.
In the late 1980s the World Sheep Convention and Show was held in Launceston, Tasmania. It can be argued that the Elliottdale breed was the most successful breed in the carcass competitions held. This was mainly due to the timing of the show however, as most of the traditional meat breeds entered were overfat in the heavier classes and the Elliottdale lays down its fat more evenly and had better confirmation than other breeds in the lighter classes. Sheep entered came from only five breeders, and featured in the placings in most classes entered; some classes had up to 50 entries.
The Elliottdale breed was developed at the Elliott Research Station in Tasmania in the 1970s. In 1986 the breed was being commercialised and the Australian Carpet Wool Industry established. The effect of the Elliottdale gene (El) is similar to the Drysdale, Tukidale and Carpetmaster genes (N series genes) in the Romney breed, and is at a different locus on the chromozone. The El gene is semi-dominant (allowing homozygous lambs to be identified at birth), and is not associated with the gene for horns (ewes are always polled, rams may be horned or polled). The breed was developed in Australia from a mutant Romney ram rather than in New Zealand.
The Elliottdale project was terminated in 1993, the Research Station becoming a Dairy research centre. Several of the sheep were purchased by a member of the Elliott Research Station team, Carl Terrey. He has continued with them as a stud to this time. There are only two Elliottdale flocks left, with a total of about 300 ewes so the breed is in serious risk of extinction. Carl's attention to the genetics has been fortunate. He still maintains 120 ewes which are kept in six families, about 20 ewes in each group.
Current Standing of Breed.
The breed is at serious risk of extinction with these low breeding numbers. Carl is concerned about the future of the breed and specifically his flock as he reaches an age he will need to retire.
References.
4. Conversations with Carl Terrey, A member of the Elliott Research Station team and Elliotdale breeder from 1986. Tasmania


William Rennie (horticulturist)

William Rennie was a Canadian farmer who became a successful seed merchant, educator, and writer on agriculture.
Rennie's parents were farmers. Rennie started farming his own 120 acre section in 1860.
But in 1867 he rented out his farm, moved to Toronto, and opened a seed company that sold both vegetable and floral seeds. Most of his customers purchased their seeds through a colorful mail order catalogue.
Rennie retired in 1889, turning over management of his business to three of his four sons, Robert, John and Thomas Rennie.
After his retirement Rennie became the first official farm manager of the model farm at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Guelph, where he authored two book on farm management.


GBK Dairy Products Limited

GBK Dairy Products Limited, often referred to as GBK Dairy, is a dairy processing company in Uganda.
Location.
The head office and factory of GBK Dairy Products Limited are located at 70–80 Mbarara–Kabale Road, in the central business district of Mbarara, the largest and most populated city in the Ankole sub-region of the Western Region of Uganda. This is approximately , by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. The geographical coordinates of the head office of the company are:0°36'25.0"S, 30°39'42.0"E (Latitude:-0.606944; Longitude:30.661667).
Overview.
GBK Dairy was opened in 1996, with capacity of 2,000 liters a day. As of May 2015, the plant's production capacity was 100,000 liters per day, although often the factory was under-utilized, producing only 20,000 to 30,000 liters daily, primarily due to a small market. The company's products are marketed locally within Uganda and to neighboring countries within the East African Community.
Ownership.
GBK Dairy is a member and subsidiary of the GBK Group of companies which include (a) A milk-processing factory (a) A water purification plant, producing bottled drinking water and (c) A juice-extraction plant, manufacturing natural drinking juices. The factory manufactures the following products among others:
(a) pasteurized fresh milk (b) UHT milk (c) yoghurt and (d) ghee.


Natali Vineyards

Natali Vineyards is a winery in the Goshen section of Middle Township (mailing address is Cape May Court House) in Cape May County, New Jersey, USA. Formerly a pasture for horses, the vineyard was first planted in 2001, and opened to the public in 2007. Natali has seven acres of grapes under cultivation, and produces 1,800 cases of wine per year. The winery is named after the vintner and co-owner of the winery.
Wines.
Natali Vineyards is located in the Outer Coastal Plain AVA and produces wine from
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Merlot, Muscat blanc, Nebbiolo, Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Trebbiano, Viognier and Zinfandel grapes. Natali also makes fruit wines from bananas, beach plums, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, pineapples, plums and strawberries. It is the only winery in the world that produces wine from beach plums ("Prunus maritima"), a fruit that grows in coastal areas, and is often used to make jams. Natali is also the only New Jersey winery that uses bananas.
Licensing and associations.
Natali has a plenary winery license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which allows it to produce an unrestricted amount of wine, operate up to 15 off-premises sales rooms, and ship up to 12 cases per year to consumers in-state or out-of-state. The winery is a member of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association.


Marans

The Marans, , is a breed of chicken from the port town of Marans, in the département of Charente-Maritime, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. It was created with the local feral chickens descended from fighting game chickens carried from Indonesia and India. Those original Marandaise fowl were "improved" for the table through recombination with imported Croad Langshans. A favourite at poultry shows, it is a dual-purpose fowl known both for its extremely dark eggs and fine meat qualities.
History.
The Marans originated in Marans, France, and were imported into the United Kingdom in the 1930s.
Characteristics.
Ten colours are recognised in the French breed standard for large fowl: white, wheaten, silver cuckoo, golden cuckoo, black, copper-black, silver-black, copper-blue, black-tailed buff and Columbian. Bantam colours are black, white, copper-black and silver cuckoo. Fourteen colours are listed by the Entente Européenne. In the United Kingdom only five are recognised – black, copper-black, dark cuckoo, golden cuckoo and silver cuckoo.
They should have orange eyes. The shanks are usually slate or pink, the soles of the feet should always be white as Marans have white skin, not yellow. Though the original Marans could also be feather-legged birds, British breeders preferred the clean-legged version, and thus feather-legged Marans are now mainly found in France and the United States. The Australian Poultry Standard recognises both feather- and clean-legged. The American Poultry Association only recognises feather-legged.
Use.
Marans hens lay around 150–200 dark brown eggs each year depending on the variety. Marans are historically a dual-purpose bird, prized not only for their dark eggs but for their table qualities as well.


Schramm Park State Recreation Area

Schramm Park State Recreation Area is a state recreation area in southeast Nebraska, United States, on the north side of the Platte River in Sarpy County.
The area currently has of scenic nature trails, picnic areas, the Schramm Education Center and the Gretna State Fish Hatchery, the oldest fish hatchery in the State of Nebraska, established in 1882. The hatch house is now operated as a fish hatchery museum.
The Schramm Education Center features multiple viewing tanks with a variety of fish species. The facility also features multiple terrariums featuring reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
The park is a day use park only, but overnight camping is available east at Louisville State Recreation Area, on the south bank of the Platte River.
Schramm is accessible from Interstate 80, exit 432. It is on Nebraska Highway 31 south of Gretna, Nebraska.


Hohes Holz

The Hohes Holz (literally: "High Wood") is an extended forest area on the western rim of the otherwise open, agriculturally intensively-farmed Magdeburg Börde region in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Geography.
The hilly region forms the southern part of a ridge that stretches from the Lappwald range in the north along the upper Aller river to the Bode basin near Oschersleben. This ridge is bordered in the northeast by the Upper Aller. Three of the Aller's source streams rise on the northern slopes of the Hohes Holz, which thereby forms part of the Weser-Elbe watershed.
The highest elevation in the Hohes Holz is the "Edelberg" at . The Bode, flowing a few kilometres to the south, is only about 80 m above sea level. Politically the region of the Hohes Holz belongs to the municipalities of Ausleben, Eggenstedt, Stadt Oschersleben (Bode) and Wormsdorf im Börde district.
The Hohes Holz hills, designated as a protected area, extend over about . In the middle of this mainly beech covered region there are of nature reserve.
Flora and fauna.
Amongst the numerous species of wild flower in the Hohes Holz are the "Anemone"s, liverwort, woodruff, "Primula", lily of the valley, Gentian, hyacinths and several orchids (lady orchid, heath spotted orchid and bird's-nest orchid).
The fauna of the region includes the buzzard, red kite, goshawk, sparrowhawk and grey heron as well as fox, weasel, marten, red squirrel and badger.
The Hohes Holz is also a recreation area and "green lung" of great importance for the region about 30 km, located as it is 30 km west of the city of Magdeburg. In addition to a nature trail several signposted cycle ways and footpaths have been established in recent years.


Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps

Charles Wedge (1746–1842), English farmer and surveyor, was the son of Sir Francis Wedge of Aqualate Park at Forton, Staffordshire, and the brother of John Wedge and Thomas Wedge. In 1776 he married Elizabeth Fletcher, at St Mary Woolnoth, London. They had seven surviving children. The second son was John Helder Wedge (1793–1872), emigrant to Tasmania.
Charles Wedge practised as a surveyor and assisted John Rennie in the construction of canals. He was often appointed a Commissioner of the Inclosures and also practised modern agricultural techniques on his farms at Little Wilbraham and Shudy Camps, in Cambridgeshire.
Charles Wedge died in 1842, aged 96 years. He is buried with his wife at St Mary’s Church, Shudy Camps.


The Climate Corporation

The Climate Corporation is a digital agriculture company that examines weather, soil and field data to help farmers determine potential yield-limiting factors in their fields.
History.
The company was founded as WeatherBill in 2006 by two former Google employees, David Friedberg and Siraj Khaliq.
The company began as a startup focused on helping people and businesses manage and adapt to climate change, by providing weather insurance to ski resorts, large event venues, and farmers. In 2010 it decided to focus exclusively on agriculture, and launched the Total Weather Insurance Product in fall 2010 for corn and soybeans.
On October 11, 2011, WeatherBill changed its name to The Climate Corporation.
In June 2013 the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency authorized the Climate Corporation to administer federal crop insurance policies for the 2014 crop year.
In October, 2013 Monsanto announced that it was acquiring the company for approximately $1.1 billion.
In November 2013 the company launched Climate Basic and Climate Pro, a set of advisory tools for farmers utilizing data science to help farmers make optimal decisions.
In February 2014 the company announced it merged with Monsanto’s Integrated Farming System and Precision Planting divisions. In February 2014 the company also acquired Solum, a soil-testing company based in Ames, Iowa.
In December 2014 the company acquired 640 Labs, an agricultural technology startup based in Chicago.
In July 2015 the company sold its crop insurance business to AmTrust Financial Services, enabling The Climate Corporation to focus exclusively on its digital agriculture platform. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.
In September 2015 the company re-branded its Climate Basic and Climate Pro products as Climate FieldView.
In November 2015 the company signed a definitive agreement with John Deere to sell Precision Planting LLC.
In March 2016, the company announced data connectivity agreements with several agronomic retailers and retailer software systems through the use of APIs.
In May 2017 the agreement to sell Precision Planting LLC to John Deere was terminated. In August 2016 the U.S. Department of Justice had filed a lawsuit to block the sale, arguing the deal could make it more expensive for farmers to use fast, precise planting technology. Precision Planting CEO Michael Stern stated: "We just didn't see that there was a clear path going forward, that the DOJ was going to approve the transaction. We have a valuable business and people in limbo and it was just time to move on."
Products.
Formerly Climate Basic and Climate Pro, the Climate Corporation re-branded its product to Climate FieldView, making the announcement at the 2015 Farm Progress Show. The Climate FieldView Platform uses data science based on historical crop, field and weather data to provide farmers insights and data of their fields.
Nitrogen Advisor provides farmers a look into nitrogen levels in soil based on historical weather data helping them to determine when to make applications.
Field Health Advisor provides farmers satellite images of their fields depicting crop health and vegetation maps.
Script Creator allows farmers to create variable-rate prescriptions before planting.
Climate FieldView Drive is a Bluetooth enabled device that plugs into a tractor or combine and reads machine data during planting and harvest. The data is displayed in real-time to the Climate FieldView Cab app.
Climate FieldView Prime includes weather and scouting. It allows farmers to see a weather forecast up to three hours in advance and the ability to scout potential issues in the field. Farmers can drop a pin on that location on the map to scout the precise location throughout the season.


Western Plains


John Thomas Sproule

John Thomas Sproule (5 December 1876 – 10 November 1940) was a Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Lambton County, Ontario and became a farmer, a livestock dealer, and a businessman in the oil and cement industry.
Sproule served on the Oil Springs municipal council for 25 years and was the village's reeve for 11 years. He became a director of the Ontario Good Roads Association in 1924. Sproule was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1926 Ontario election.
He was first elected to Parliament at the Lambton East riding in the 1930 general election. After serving one term in the House of Commons, riding boundaries were changed and Sproule was a candidate for the new Lambton—Kent riding where he was defeated by Hugh MacKenzie in the 1935 election.


Forests of Canada

The forests of Canada are located across much of the country. Approximately half of Canada is covered by forest, totaling around . Over 90% of Canada's forests are owned by the public (Crown land land and Provincial forest). About half of the forests are allocated for logging.
Named forests are found within eight distinct regions. These forests may also be part of ecosystems, a number of which extend south into the United States. For example, the Northern hardwood forest is an ecosystem located in large areas of southeastern and south central Canada as well as in Ontario and Quebec. This system extends south to west and even into the United States.
Canada had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.99/10, ranking it 11th globally out of 172 countries.
Regions.
The forests of Canada are located within eight regions:
By Province.
The following is a list of forests, ecoregions, ecozones, forested parklands and provincial parks.


East Warrah Woolshed

East Warrah Woolshed is a heritage-listed shearing shed at Merriwa-Murrurundi Road, Warrah Creek, Liverpool Plains Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Samuel Craik and built from 1863 to 1864. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 August 2018.
History.
Pre and Contact Aboriginal Custodianship.
The land on which the huge former Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) pastoral station, Warrah Station was established was part of the traditional lands of the Kamilaroi people who cared for the land and sustained themselves hunting the birds, insects and animals of the plains and gathering and processing vegetables. There were strong trade and ceremonial ties with the Wonnarua Aboriginal people whose main country lay in the inland regions of the Hunter and Upper Hunter Valley.
The Kamilaroi were a large nation of Aboriginal people extending from the Upper Hunter through to the Warrumbungle Mountains in the west and to the lower reaches of south west Queensland. This nation was made up of many smaller family groups who shared the Gamilaraay language.
The Kamilaroi had a reputation as fierce warriors who defended their familial hunting grounds from other intruding bands and who also actively resisted European settlement for many years. One source noted that more than 500 Aboriginal and 15 Europeans were killed between 1832 and 1838 as European fortune hunters flooded into the Upper Hunter and Liverpool Plains area to settle.
Exploration and settlement.
The opening up of the Upper Hunter and Liverpool Plains area was facilitated in the first instance by explorers Benjamin Singleton and John Howe in 1818 and again in 1821. In this later journey Howe reached as far as the current location of Maitland which he appraised as being good sheep country. In 1824 it was Henry Dangar who reached land to the west of Murrurundi in search of new grazing land. The next ten years saw an influx of hundreds of settlers to take up Crown lands grants in the Valley and Plains beyond.
Despite the Aboriginal resistance to this invasion, sometimes characterised as "a state of warfare", pressure from Europeans settling on and restricting access to land and its resources and the appalling effects of western disease on the indigenous peoples, resulted in their complete dispossession from their traditional land. By the mid to late 19th Century many Aboriginal people in the area had either accepted European life and settled in villages and towns or, perhaps more commonly, found residence on government reserves in the area such as Caroona near Quirindi or at St Clair reserve (later, 1905 St Clair Mission) between Singleton and Carrowbrook. The reserves allowed Aboriginal people to survive by farming and also using traditional hunting and gathering skills.
The Australian Agricultural Company.
The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) was formed under an act of British Parliament in 1824 as a result of the recommendations of Commissioner Bigge. Bigge recommended that private investment and enterprise, possibly in the growing of fine wool, was a crucial measure in the viable future of the Colony of NSW. Working capital of A£1 million was recommended to be granted as was the promise of a Crown Grant of .
A group of potential investors headed by John Macarthur (son of John Macarthur of the notorious NSW Corps) soon formed and in June 1824 the AACo was enacted in Parliament. By November 1824, a Royal Charter was issued and agents appointed in the colony to act on behalf of the company. These were James Macarthur, H. H. Macarthur and James Bowman, later husband to Miss Macarthur. Survey General John Oxley was consulted on the possible location of land suitable for growing fine wool. After rejecting his suggestions of land in the Liverpool Plains, Upper Hunter, Bathurst and Upper Hastings River on the grounds these areas were either too far from the coast and transportation, or too densely settled, land at Port Stephens was chosen and the company began to establish itself there by 1826.
In the first years of its operation the AACo struggled to establish its ambitious enterprise and this was not helped by the fact that the land at Port Stephens was not particularly suitable for raising sheep. It was not until after 1829 when Sir Edward Parry was appointed commissioner of the company that the search for suitable fine wool growing land began in earnest and Parry proposed a swap of land at Port Stephens for another more appropriate tract of land. In 1831 on the advice of surveyor Henry Dangar, Parry made the decision to select two large runs at Warrah Creek and Goonoo Goonoo which were considered favourable for raising fine-wool sheep. Finally in 1833, after the initial rejection of the scheme by Governor Bourke and then the insistence of the Colonial Office in London, two grants of (Warrah) and (Goonoo Goonoo) were made to the AACo.
East Warrah Station.
Development of the pastoral lands at Warrah was slow due to the shortage of available water on the run and the downturn in the demand for wool during the 1840s. In fact the company's aim to establish a leading fine wool growing enterprise in the colony was sidelined by the fact that the AACo put most of its energy and resources into its profitable coal mining enterprises. It was not until the company came under the management of a new commissioner, Mr Hodgson, that it refocused on developing its fine wool growing enterprise and in 1862 received an allocation of A£30,000 to develop sheep breeding and shearing facilities at Warrah which had been chosen for development as the AACo's head station for its wool production enterprise in the colony.
The Stock Superintendent, Samual Craik designed the new woolshed to be constructed at East Warrah in 1863. It was completed in time for shearing the property's new flock of 13,799 sheep in 1864. In that year also further investments were made in increasing the flock. The new sheep were pastured at West Warrah and an overseer was stationed at Windy Point (The Newcastle Chronicle and Hunter River District News 21 October 1865). The flock size continued to increase with a total of 84,719 sheep shorn at Warrah in 1870. This number steadily increased through the 1870s and in 1875 there were a total flock of 110,000 sheep on the whole run, 92,413 of which were shorn in the Warrah woolshed in 1875.
Warrah woolshed began as a blade shearing shed. During the 1880s the race to develop a successful mechanised shearing system was reaching a peak. At this time the AACo bought into the debate, offering both Frederick Wolseley and rival inventor, John Suckling the opportunity to install 25 machines each. As Wolseley declined the offer, the shed was fitted with 50 of John Suckling's air compression-driven shears which in the course of time failed and the shed returned to blade shearing. Nevertheless, the experiment marked Warrah Woolshed as one of the first mechanised sheds in NSW and Australia (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate 9 June 1888).Wolseley's successful shears were first installed at Dunlop Station on the Darling River and at "Toganmain" on the Murrumbidgee near Hay.
Warrah Station continued to increase its productivity in the 1890s with 159,000 sheep shorn at Warrah in 1896.The woolshed had expanded to include 64 stands and had been fitted out with an hydraulic dump and press capable of baling 60 bales of wool per day. The extended woolshed could now hold 6000 sheep.
Associated with the woolshed from soon after its construction in 1863 is the bake house which still stands and adjacent barrack accommodation for shearers which no longer exists. The core of the station's earliest homestead and associated buildings lies in ruins on the adjacent property – Warrah Ridge which was subdivided and sold off early in the 20th century. In the 1890s a new homestead and associated buildings was established around the East Warrah woolshed. These buildings included a school house (1889), a meat house and store, stables and cart shed (1891) several staff cottages and the new Warrah homestead (1896).
The focus of activity on the large Warrah station began to change at the turn of the 20th century when work began on the design and construction of a large and handsome woolshed at Windy Station in 1901.
The pressure for closer settlement brought to bear on Warrah Station at the turn of the20th century and the eastern part of the run around Willow Tree was subdivided in 1908. A further government resumption of 45,000 acres occurred and was sold in 1911 and still further subdivision and sales of east Warrah occurred in 1914, 1935 and 1967 resulting in the gradual withdrawal of the company from Warrah station to other properties. In 1969 the Warrah homestead was sold and the company interests in the area comprised about 33,000 acres on Windy Station in the north west corner of the original grant. Romani Pastoral Company purchased East Warrah Station in 1999. Cattle are currently run on Warrah Station.
Description.
East Warrah Woolshed is a large 1864 woolshed constructed of timber cut from the property. The original building consists of a number of large catching pens at the north of the building. South of this runs two shearing boards and the southernmost part of the building is the large wool room. The sweating sheds and wool room are set on huge bed logs.
The roof of the shearing boards and wool room originally featured by a double gable roof covered with locally split shingles. The shingles were replaced with corrugated iron prior to the 1890s. The wool room roof was converted to a very large single gable structure sometime after 1900.
In 1896 an additional two wings of sweating pens were added to the north eastern side of the original woolshed. The sweating pens were constructed using sawn timber. The 1890s sweating pens are connected to the original woolshed by a long sheep bridge.
Condition.
, The building is in generally good condition. The site has moderate archaeological potential. Despite modifications to the original sweating pens, western shearing board and wool room the Warrah Woolshed maintains a relatively high degree of integrity as do the other historic buildings in the precinct.
Heritage listing.
East Warrah Woolshed is of state heritage significance as the working heart of the first head station established by the AACo, the first private enterprise in the colony charged with the establishment of the fine wool industry in NSW. The management of the enterprise, its core business of sheep growing and fine wool production is clearly demonstrated through the layout of the woolshed. The considerable achievements of the AACo in the development of the industry are also demonstrated in the size and fabric of the woolshed. It is also one of the largest woolsheds in NSW established before the 1870s.
The state significance of the item is enhanced through its association with the AACo and its achievements, the first private enterprise to engage in fine wool growing in NSW. There are numerous personal associations with noted figures who managed and developed the company.
In addition the state heritage significance of the woolshed is demonstrated in its great potential to provide information on the operation of a large pastoral head station and technical developments in the fine wool industry.
It has state significant rarity values as a rare example of a woolshed associated with the AACo. The woolshed is a rare example of a large woolshed built in the 1860s and is likely the oldest woolshed of that decade. In addition the woolshed is representative of the work of large pastoral stations in the mid to late 19th century. (The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available and there is a copyright and disclaimer.)
East Warrah Woolshed was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 10 August 2018 having satisfied the following criteria.
The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.
East Warrah Woolshed is likely to be of state heritage significance as the working heart of the first head pastoral station established by the AACo, the first private enterprise in the colony charged with the establishment of the fine wool industry in NSW. The woolshed contains the evidence of the scale of the pastoral enterprise in the industry and clearly demonstrates the size and intensity of the primary production activity of the station - the growing of sheep for the production of fine wool.
East Warrah Woolshed is one of the few very large woolsheds (it initially contained 30 stands and when later extended, 64 stands), still intact today, to be constructed prior to the 1870s after which time surviving sheds are more numerous. In addition, the East Warrah Woolshed was one of the first woolsheds in NSW to take up mechanised shearing. Although the Suckling system was not entirely successful, its trial at East Warrah contributed to the development of that technology.
The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history.
The East Warrah Station Woolshed's state heritage significance may be enhanced through its direct associations with the AACo and its objective of developing a fine wool industry in NSW. It also has associations numerous pioneering AACo officials such as Company Superintendent E. C. Merewether and the company's first Stock Superintendent, Samual Craik.
The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.
East Warrah Woolshed has local heritage significance for its aesthetic values. The woolshed is a fine example of a vernacular style woolshed constructed in the 1860s.
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
The East Warrah Woolshed may be of state heritage significance for it has the potential to demonstrate the development and operation of a large pastoral head station during the mid to late 19th and 20th centuries.
East Warrah Woolshed is likely to be of state heritage significance for its important role in the development of the Australian wool industry and the heritage fabric provides important information on the developments in this industry. The shed was constructed from timber logged on the property and the form of the shed demonstrates the type of rectangular lineal workflow sheds being constructed prior to the advent of the T-shaped woolshed of the 1870s. Additionally, in 1886, the shed hosted a trial the Suckling Patent compressed air shearing system. The failure of this system at East Warrah helped secure the Wolseley Patent shearing system as the preferred option for woolshed across NSW and beyond.
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
East Warrah Woolshed may be a rare example of a large woolshed on runs beyond the limits of location in the 1860s and is likely to be the oldest surviving woolshed from this decade.
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales.
The item may be of state heritage significance as a fine example of a woolshed dating from the mid to late 19th century in NSW. It is also representative of the substantial investment into fine wool growing undertaken by the Australian Agricultural Company from 1862.


Minara Station (Western Australia)

Minara Station is a pastoral lease that has operated as a sheep station and now currently as a [[cattle station station in [[Western Australia]].
It is situated approximately east of [[Leonora, Western Australia|Leonora]] and west of [[Laverton, Western Australia|Laverton]] in the [[Goldfields-Esperance]] region.
The station was established prior to 1920, when it was running sheep and owned by Messrs Fawcett and Robinson. By 1924 the owners were Fawcett and Venn.
In 1928 Minara was stocked with 12,000 sheep and the shearing shed was being constructed.
The station is currently owned by [[Minara Resources]] along with three other nearby properties: [[Nambi]], [[Yundamindera Station|Yundamindera]] and [[Glenorn]].
By 2018 all four stations were running a herd of cattle of 6500 head.
References.
[[Category:Homesteads in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Pastoral leases in Western Australia]]
[[Category:Stations (Australian agriculture)]]
[[Category:Goldfields-Esperance]]


League of Independent Workers of the San Joaquin Valley

The League of Independent Workers of the San Joaquin Valley is a union in the U.S. state of California.
Founding.
Between 2002 and 2005, the cost of living in Livingston, California, increased substantially. In particular, house prices doubled and rents went up.
In 2003, workers at the Foster Farms poultry plants around Livingston voted to leave the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1288.
In 2004, the workers organized the League and voted to be represented by it.
In 2005, the League negotiated with Foster Farms. The League proposed a union shop contract with substantial pay increases; Foster Farms proposed an open shop contract with nominal pay increases. The League affiliated with the International Association of Machinists. Foster Farms refused to recognize the League's affiliation with the IAM. A three-day strike occurred in October 2005.
In 2006, Foster Farms and the League agreed to an open shop contract with nominal pay increases. The League's members ratified the contract on October 29, 2006.


White Draw Fire

White Draw Fire was a wildfire in South Dakota, United States, that started on Friday, June 29, 2012. The fire burned a total area of 14 square miles (8640 acres), mainly the U.S. Forest Service land. The fire did not harm any civilian population or livestock; however, a military C-130 MAFFS air tanker crashed in the Black Hills during firefighting.
Origin.
The fire was sparked by a vehicle 80 miles southwest of Rapid City on Friday afternoon. On the first day, it moved five miles due to wind gusts. It was fueled by dry bush and dry trees.
Description.
By Sunday, the fire was 30% contained. The fire was primarily burning  U.S. Forest Service land, and five homes were asked to evacuate. On July 5, the fire was 80% contained and had burned almost 9000 acres. The fire was fully contained by July 6 due to the efforts of 400 firefighters, helicopters, aircraft, and rainfall. The fire did not harm any people or livestock but affected some ranches. On July 1, an airforce C130 firefighter aircraft operated by North Carolina National Guard crashed with a crew of six, after it got stuck in a microburst, a small and intense thunderstorm.
Plane crash.
On Sunday, July 1, a military C-130 MAFFS air tanker crashed in the Black Hills while fighting the White Draw Fire. The plane crashed at 6:00 p.m. after making two drops of retardant on the fire. The cause of the crash was a microburst. Four out of the six-member crew were killed. The four killed in the crash included Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal of Mooresville, Master Sgt. Robert Cannon of Charlotte, Maj. Joe McCormick of Belmont, and Captain Major Select Ryan Scott David of Boone. Immediately after the crash, a helicopter landed and took two survivors to a Rapid City hospital.
Memorial site.
On July 1, 2013, a memorial site was dedicated to honoring the four people who died in the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) C-130 air tanker crash in White Draw Fire in 2012. The memorial site is located near the point of origin, approximately 6 miles northeast of Edgemont on Highway 18. It consists of a gravel parking area with room for about six vehicles, and it has two interpretive panels.
Closure.
The Black Hills National Forest management ordered a temporary closure of the White Draw Fire to limit the use of land by the public. The residents, persons with permits, people involved in firefighting activities were exempted from the closure.


Lawson Omar Clifford

Lawson Omar Clifford (22 June 1878 – 7 December 1937) was a Liberal party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was born in Oshawa, Ontario and became a farmer, fruit grower and rancher.
He was elected to Parliament at the Ontario South riding in the 1921 general election. During his only federal term, the 14th Canadian Parliament, riding boundaries were changed so that Clifford became a candidate in the new Ontario riding. In the 1925 federal election, Clifford ran under an unknown party banner and was defeated by Thomas Erlin Kaiser of the Conservatives.


Ruby Plains Station

Ruby Plains Station is a pastoral lease and cattle station located about south of Halls Creek in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is situated along the Tanami Track and is used as a stopping place along the Canning Stock Route.
Ruby Plains and the Sturt Creek Outstation covers an area of . Sturt Creek alone covers .
History.
The station was established some time prior to 1900. In 1900 the property was owned by Messrs Cahill and Button. Button found some small nuggets of gold by accident not far from the homestead while on his way home. The value of his find was about £100.
By 1901 the station was carrying about 700 head of cattle.
The area has a tropical climate and often receives high rainfall during the monsoon. In March 1904 the station recorded just under of rain in 45 minutes.
Two men named Shellie and Hansen struck gold while drilling for water at Ruby Plains in 1931. Gold was found at a depth of about and the two men lodged a claim shortly after at Halls Creek.
An Aboriginal woman named Judy was murdered at Ruby Plains by another Aboriginal woman named Topsy in 1944.
In 2008 it was placed on the market and passed in at auction for 38 million. S. Kidman & Co. were hoping to attract a price of 44 million.
James Darcy.
James "Jimmy" Darcy was a stockman at Ruby Plains who fell from his horse while mustering cattle in 1917. The seriously injured Darcy was transported by buggy for 12 hours to Halls Creek for treatment, despite there being no hospital or doctor in town. The postmaster, Mr Tuckett, telegraphed Perth using morse code for advice and was told the stockman had a ruptured bladder and would need to be operated on immediately. With no medical instruments or anaesthetic, Tuckett operated while being advised by Dr Holland; the operation took seven hours to complete. The following day complications set in, and it became essential that a doctor come to the town. By this stage Darcy's plight had caught the imagination of the Australian public who were avidly following the story.
Holland made his way to Derby on a cattle boat and was driven the final to Halls Creek by T-Model Ford and a horse and silky, only to find that Darcy had died the day before he arrived.
This event was what inspired John Flynn to establish the Royal Flying Doctor Service.


Taiping houkui

Taiping houkui (; pronounced ) tea is grown at the foot of Huangshan (黄山) in the former Taiping Prefecture, Anhui. It has been grown since the Ming Dynasty and was harvested for emperors during the Qing Dynasty. The tea has been produced commercially since the beginning of the 20th century and is produced around the small village of Hou Keng (猴坑). It won the "King of Tea" award at China Tea Exhibition 2004 and is sometimes listed as a China famous tea.
The best Tai Ping Hou Kui is grown in the villages of Houkeng, Hougang and Yanjiachun. Teas produced in the surrounding areas are called by the same name, but cost much less.
It is renowned for its "two knives and one pole": two straight leaves clasping the enormous bud with white hairs. The oven-made leaves are deep green in color with red veins underneath. The tea shoots can be as long as . They are plucked from the Shi Da Cha, a large-leaf variety found only in Anhui Province.
Falsification is rampant. Factories can produce symmetrical looking Hou Kui tea that looks even better than the authentic handmade variety.
Sources.
Tea: History, Terroir, Varieties; Second Edition; The Camellia Sinensis Tea House: Kevin Gascoyne, François Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais, Hugo Américi; Firefly Books, 2017; page 79


John Mannion Snr

John Mannion (4 June 1907 – 10 September 1978) was an Irish Fine Gael politician from Clifden, County Galway. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for three years and a senator for 11 years.
A farmer before entering politics, Mannion was elected to Dáil Éireann for the Galway West constituency on his first attempt, at the 1951 general election. He lost the seat at the 1954 general election, and although he stood again at the 1957, 1965 and 1969 general elections, he never returned to the Dáil. After his 1954 defeat, he was elected to the 8th Seanad Éireann by the Agricultural Panel. He was defeated at the 1957 Seanad election, but regained his seat at the 1961 election and held it until he retired at the 1969 Seanad election.
His son, John Mannion Jnr, succeeded him in the Seanad, and also served one term as a TD.


Volcano Winery

Volcano Winery is one of three commercial wineries in the U.S. state of Hawaii, and the first winery founded on the Big Island of Hawaii in the town of Volcano, Hawaii, near the summit of the active shield volcano Kīlauea. It is the southernmost winery in the United States. The winery is located on a fault line that runs near Mauna Loa.
History.
Volcano Winery was founded in 1986 by retired veterinarian Lynn “Doc” McKinney. The winery was sold in 1999 to Del Bothof, and the Bothof family still owns and runs the winery. The winery receives over 40,000 visitors a year.
Wines.
Volcano winery makes several wines from the Symphony grape as well as fruit wines from and jaboticaba berries and guava fruit. The Symphony Mele wine won the gold medal at the 2004 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in the Finger Lakes region, scoring higher than 3000 other wines in the competition.
External links.


Bourbonnaise (chicken)

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The Bourbonnaise is a French breed of chicken.
It is included on the Slow Food Foundation Ark of Taste.
Description.
The breed is a good farm bird, both a good layer (up to 200 eggs per year) and a good source of meat.
The essential characteristic of Bourbonnaise is its high productivity. In addition, it is very vigorous, knows how to feed and defend itself. The breed acclimates to most conditions. Although preferring to be kept free-range, the breed can be raised in a chicken coop without a problem.
Well-nourished young grow quickly and reach adulthood by six months.
Origin.
This hen is from the province of Bourbonnais, where white poultry, like the original Gâtinaise breed, have been raised for a very long time. Crosses between these and Brahmas made it possible to obtain a race called Bourbonnaise herminée, the white ones kept the name of Gâtinaises.


Nizamabad Agriculture Market

Nizamabad Agriculture Market also NAMC is an agriculture market located in Nizamabad, Telangana, India.[1] It is second-biggest grain market in Telangana. It is spread over 67 acres. The market won the award for the best eNAM market in India in 2016.
History.
The market was started in 1933 during the time of the Nizams, the second largest market yard in Telangana. It is run by the Agriculture Market Committee of Marketing Department, Government of Telangana. The market is spread over 67 acres.
The Market.
The market receives commodities like paddy, maize, turmeric, pulses, soybean, sunflower, aamchur, onions, and other crops. It is known for its turmeric in India.
e-NAM project.
The Nuizamabad market was selected one among 40 markets in Telangana by Government of India for National Agriculture Market Project (NAM project) on 14 April 2016. Using of electronic weighing scales was one of the reasons for its selection. This project helps with its new electronic trading platform called e-NAM, any trader from participating markets can buy produce at the market and also reduce middlemen.
Before eNAM project the turmeric farmers use to visit Sangli market in Maharashtra to get better price.
Award.
The market won the national award for best eNAM market in the country.


Ian Marshall (farmer)

Ian Marshall (born 1968) is a farmer and politician from Markethill, County Armagh, in Northern Ireland. He is from a unionist background and campaigned against Brexit. He was elected to Seanad Éireann in Dublin in 2018.
Farming.
Marshall is a dairy farmer in the agrifood sector and was president of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) from 2014 to 2016. In 2015 he invested in the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive scheme and later complained that its critics made no distinction between legitimate investors and those who misused the scheme. In February 2017 the UFU successfully challenged a 2012 reduction by DARD in Marshall's CAP grant, provoked by nitrate pollution detected by NIEA near his farm in 2010–2011, on the basis that the pollution was unintentional. In August 2017, Marshall was appointed Business Development Manager at the Institute for Global Food Security in Queen's University Belfast.
Seanad.
Marshall was elected to the 25th Seanad on 27 April 2018 in a by-election for the Agricultural Panel. The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Denis Landy. He was approached to stand by then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael leader; his candidacy was also supported by Sinn Féin. He has never been a member of a political party and sat as an independent. He was the first unionist member elected to the Oireachtas since the 1930s.
He lost his seat at the 2020 Seanad election. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2021 Seanad by-elections.


Willie Corduff

Willie Corduff (born 1953) is an Irish environmental activist from the farming community of Rossport, Kilcommon, Erris. Corduff's parents first arrived in Rossport in 1947, and reclaimed a farm by hand out of bogland. He became a campaigner against Royal Dutch Shell's activities in his local area when the Corrib gas controversy began. He is married to Mary and they have six children and four grandchildren.
Beginning of activism.
His farming existence changed with the discovery of gas eighty-three kilometres offshore, to the west of Broadhaven Bay. In 2000 the Corduffs discovered the exploitation of the gas involved the construction of a high pressure pipeline, 70 metres from their house, to a new refinery to be built in Bellanboy townland, just across the bay from his farm. They were also concerned about the proposed refinery site, its suitability and its proximity to the primary source of water for the region. Their concerns were echoed by neighbours who demanded more information.
Rossport Five.
In 2004 Frank Fahey, then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources signed a Compulsory Acquisition Order to force the raw gas pipeline through his land. Landowner Willie Corduff said that "allowing Shell to construct a pipeline would be the same as having a time-bomb in the vicinity". Corduff refused Shell access to his land and was subsequently jailed for 94 days in 2005 as one of the Rossport Five for defying a court order not to interfere with Shell's work. In 2006 he said he was "prepared to die" rather than see the pipeline cross his land.
Shell to Sea.
He is one of the founding members of the Shell to Sea campaign group which worked with no name since 2001 to oppose the Shell/Corrib Gas project until it adopted the name Shell to Sea in January 2005, five months prior to the jailing of five men in June of that year. Its aim is to have the gas processed at sea, get a fair and just return on Ireland's natural resources and to highlight human rights abuses alleged against Shell and the Irish state.. He has actively campaigned with them and has been arrested on numerous occasions.
Pobal Chill Chomáin.
He is also a founding member of Pobal Chill Chomáin, a parochial pressure group of residents in the parish of Kilcommon who split from Shell to Sea to focus solely on health and safety issues of the Shell/Corrib gas project. In June 2009 PCC members Vincent McGrath with Willie and Mary Corduff had a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador to discuss local concerns about the project.
Goldman Environmental Prize.
He was awarded the European winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2007 for his part in the protest campaign, which led to a halt of the construction of a pipeline through their land by Shell. He is the first Irish recipient ever of this award which is known as the "Nobel green prize" and is awarded to six people from the six continental regions every year who have taken great personal risk in the name of environmental protection.
""This year's Prize recipients have succeeded in combating some of the most important environmental challenges we face today"," said Goldman Prize founder Richard N. Goldman. "Their commitment in the face of great personal risk inspires us all to think more critically about what ordinary people can do to make a difference."
2009 alleged assault.
In April 2009, Shell resumed laying the offshore section of the pipeline after its environmental management plan was approved by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan. Mr Corduff and two others climbed under a lorry at midday on Wednesday 22 April in a bid to stop work at a Glengad compound. He remained there until 4am on 23 April when he took a break. Following this, he was allegedly assaulted by several balaclaved men, including being hit on the head with a baton or torch, by security men working at the site.
 The Registrar of Mayo General Hospital confirmed Corduff's injuries were consistent with his account of the assault, and photos obtained by Village Magazine, taken while he was in hospital and in the days after his release, show bruising on his head, face and body. Jim Farrell, a director of I-RMS, stated that he and his employees had intended to remove Corduff, but found him standing up, and had him taken away by ambulance when he complained of chest pains.
Nobel peace prize winner, and patron of Afri, Archbishop Desmond Tutu condemned the alleged assault and called for a national and international investigation into it.
On 27 April 2010, an independent report for the Frontline human rights organisation based in Dublin recommended that gardaí from outside Mayo carry out a new investigation into the alleged assault on Rossport farmer Willie Corduff.
The analysis by barrister Brian Barrington, who has extensive experience relating to policing and human rights in Northern Ireland, of a number of incidents relating to the Corrib gas dispute was critical of Shell, the Garda, I-RMS security employed by Shell, the Department of Energy and a minority of protesters. In his analysis of the alleged assault on Mr Corduff, Mr Barrington obtained hospital records which stated that Mr Corduff had "been kicked all over the body" and experienced loss of consciousness, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Mr Barrington sought the opinion of Dr John Good, who has worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross assessing asylum seekers who have made claims of assault or torture, on the medical reports. Dr. Good found that Mr Corduff's injuries were "totally consistent with a history of assault".
Featured in the media.
Willie has featured in several recent documentaries; 'Pipe Down': Winner of the Best Feature Documentary, Waterford Film Festival and 'The Pipe' – Winner Best Feature Documentary Galway Film Festival (July) 2010.
In October 2009 he and his wife were featured in an episode of "Would you believe" on RTÉ television in Ireland. The documentary was entitled "Living on the Edge". As it is part of a religious Affairs series Willie revealed he stopped attending church when the Bishop and the local priest blessed the gas rig and became advocates for the gas project.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.
He has made a complaint, regarding an alleged assault by a Garda in April 2009, to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).
Willie's wife Mary, who received treatment for injuries, was one of 14 people who were told in October 2007 their complaints were deemed admissible, to the GSOC, in relation to their treatment and alleged assault by Gardaí at a protest at Pollathomas pier in June 2007. The GSOC has recommended that disciplinary action be taken against a senior member of An Garda Síochána in relation to the handling of this.


Yokohama chicken

The Yokohama is a German breed of fancy chicken, with unusual colouring and very long tail-feathers. It was created by in the 1880s, and derives from ornamental birds brought to Europe from Japan in the second half of the nineteenth century. Some of these were shipped from the Japanese port of Yokohama, and so were known by that name. In Germany, the Yokohama name is used only for white or red-saddled birds; in the United Kingdom, it is used also for the birds known elsewhere as Phoenix, in various colours.
History.
From 1639 to 1854 – almost all of the Edo period – Japan was effectively closed to foreign trade. Under the Convention of Kanagawa of 1854, five ports were to be constructed for trade with the rest of the world. One of these was Yokohama, which opened in 1859. Among the goods exported to Europe were unusual traditional Japanese long-tailed chickens; the first documented export was in 1864. In that year, some of the birds reached the Jardin Zoologique d'Acclimatation in Paris, where they were named Yokohama for their port of origin. Within a few years some had been taken to Germany, where , the first president of the , the German national poultry association, began to breed them. It is not known whether he created the red-saddled colouring by cross-breeding, or if birds with that colouring had been brought from Japan; it is no longer found there. The Yokohama was among the breeds illustrated by Jean Bungartz in his "Geflügel-Album" of 1885.
Some birds were exported to the United Kingdom, where a breeders' club was formed in about 1904. There the Yokohama name was used both for du Roi's Yokohama birds and for another, quite distinct, breed he had developed, the Phoenix, which has a single comb and a different range of colours.
The bantam Yokohama was bred in Germany in the usual way, by cross-breeding standard-sized birds with suitablycoloured bantams of other breeds.
Characteristics.
The Yokohama is a small chicken with an unusually long tail, and long trailing saddle feathers. It has a pea- or walnut-comb. The beak, legs and feet are yellow.
In Germany two colours are recognised, white and red-saddled. In the United Kingdom, where the name Yokohama is used also for the birds known in Germany as Phoenix, there are several more colours in addition to red-saddled and white; these include black-tailed buff, blue-red, spangled, black-red, golden duckwing and silver duckwing. In the United States, the red-saddled (red-shouldered) and white varieties were added to the Standard of Perfection in 1981.
Use.
The Yokohama is kept mainly for showing. Full-sized hens lay about 80 eggs per year; they are tinted and weigh about Bantam hens lay about 90 eggs averaging in weight.


Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburger

The Alt-Oldenburger and Ostfriesen are representatives of a group of horse breeds primarily from continental Europe called heavy warmbloods. The breed has two names because the same horse was bred in two regions in the most north-western part of Germany: East Frisia and the former grand duchy of Oldenburg. The name "Alt-Oldenburger" - "alt" meaning "old" - simply distinguishes this horse from its descendant, the modern Oldenburg, which is bred for sport.
The AO/OF is bred by preservationists to fit the pre-World War model. Unlike the registries of the sport horses that followed them, their studbook is partly closed. However, external evaluation and performance testing of the breeding stock is still a key element in these registries.
Traditionally, the region settled by the Frisians was highly agricultural, based on the fertile though marshy soil. Though Hanover is geographically close by, its terrain is more hilly and their cultures were far apart. Furthermore, the region of Oldenburg was passed back and forth between Denmark and Germany. This unique cultural mixture gives the region a distinct identity all its own, and horse breeders there responded to a dynamic market.
Geographic origins.
The damp, low-lying region of Germany which lies between the Weser River and the Ems River is called Ostfriesland ("East Friesland"). It borders the Netherlands, and is part of a greater region traditionally known as Frisia. Frisia is characterized by the languages and dialects of the peoples who settled it, but also by its low-lying, coastal geography. In the west, it includes what are now the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen; centrally, the Oldenburg region of Lower Saxony, and its northeastern region includes much of what is now Schleswig-Holstein to the border of Denmark. Frisia is the region best known for heavy warmbloods.
Foundation.
The word "Oldenburg" was first mentioned in reference to a town in 1108, and has had many meanings over the centuries. The name applies both to the city of Oldenburg, and also the surrounding rural district, and historically a state or Grand Duchy.
Prior to the 17th century, the horses of Oldenburg were of the same types found throughout Europe in the Middle Ages: small, hardy farm horses, smooth-stepping saddle horses, quicker "coursers", and a very few highly prized, powerful destriers. However, as the availability of firearms grew, heavily armored knights and their heavy mounts became impractical "relics of the past."
The Spanish horses, ancestors of the Andalusian, the Danish Fredriksborg, and the Neapolitan horse were particularly popular among the German nobility during the 17th and 18th centuries. As they collected these stallions, the residents bred them to their heavy mares, setting a foundation we would identify today as "baroque". From this base of thick, primarily dark-colored horses, the Groningen, Friesian, East Friesian, and Oldenburg would eventually be born.
The horses of Oldenburg have never had a State Stud, and they first gained recognition under Anton Günther (1583–1667), Count of Oldenburg, who is said to have taken great personal interest in the breeding of horses. Count Anton Günther returned from a trip lasting several years with a number of horses he admired in Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Poland. Later, a gift of Oldenburg horses kept the Count of Tilly from sacking Anton Günther's dominion.
While the breeding of horses in Ostfriese and Oldenburg was driven primarily by the nobles, without the aid of a studbook registry, the world's first ever stallion Körung occurred in the region. In 1715, Georg Albrecht Prince of Ostfriese adopted this practice of rigorous evaluation of potential herd sires. The Körung process spread to Oldenburg in 1755 even though state-mandated stallion inspections were almost 100 years in the future. The results were excellent, and the products were in high demand and exported for carriage driving.
While the breeders at Celle developed a more refined cavalry mount around 1800, those of the Frisian marshlands sought out Cleveland Bays and Yorkshire carriage horses in greater numbers. The results were solid, good-natured heavy coaching horses, which were molded into a stable mare base by the mid-17th century.
Following the state regulation of stallion inspections in 1820, the breeders of Oldenburg horses formed their own registry in 1861 and the breeders of the Ostfriesen horses did the same in 1869. Both employed rigorous selection along similar breeding goals, though up until the 20th century, few breeders kept pedigrees, and many mares and stallions were unregistered. However, participation improved as the 19th century came to a close and the threat of obsoletion became quite real. At this time, technological and economic developments were rendering irrevocable changes for the horse. Suited for the simple labor of unmechanized agriculture, the horses were now overshadowed by the versatile, powerful horses of Hanover, England, and Normandy.
The Karossier.
The heyday of the elegant heavy carriage horse was the years between 1880 and 1920. Reporting from a local horse market in 1864, an observer writes that each year the sale has more horses to offer, all well-bred and beautiful, and that their buyers came from far and wide. "Trading is brisk, especially for the luxury horses, for which high prices are paid". Producing Ostfriesen and Oldenburg horses had become quite lucrative. They were exported even to the southern reaches of the German-speaking region; Oldenburg stallions populated the freshly rebuilt Bavarian State Stud of Schwaiganger from 1870 on. Their success was such that in a very important decision, the stud commission of the Saxon State Stud of Moritzburg developed a heavy warmblood plan in 1873 which aimed to produce a horse "similar in type to that of the Oldenburger". From 1877 and 1920, two thirds of the state stallions were Oldenburgers. The first part of the 20th century saw the State Stud of Zweibrücken follow suit.
The population of horses in Ostfriesland alone exceeded 30,000, about 40% of which were 3 years old or younger. The new breeding direction, calling for a strong, attractive, heavy horse "for use as both an elegant, high-stepping carriage horse and a work horse" was fruitful. The Körkommission in particular looked for excellent trot mechanics in the stallion selection.
In Oldenburg, the progress towards the Karossier type hinged on the use of Anglo-Normans, Cleveland Bays, and halfbred Hanoverians, and had advanced so well that already a considerable number of Oldenburgs were being sent to Ostfriesland. Soon all the Ostfriesen stallion lines were headed in the same, new direction. 1910 was the height of Ostfriesen horse breeding.
The type was described as possessing a distinct outline, strong foundation and a friendly, expressive head, not to mention the "certain elegance about the whole appearance."
In 1911 a spectator at the Körung in Aurich noted that three types reappeared year after year:
A) A horse similar to the Oldenburg, a type of noble, heavy Karossier with a swinging gait and great nerve, though slightly drier than most Oldenburgs;

B) A horse with reference to the Oldenburg type, though they are not always very distinctly outlined, and are without much nobility and usually quite common, but they are massive, robust, compact and strong. These stallions are excellent sires for agricultural horses,

C) An elegant, easy-mannered horse, which is influencing the Hanoverian and which the Hanoverian is more or less approaching. This type is most often an elegant chestnut, and is relatively rare.
These are the horses that made Oldenburg famous for elegant carriage horses.
War era.
After World War I broke out, the market for luxury horses suddenly became the market for military remounts. The increased availability of cars and tractors limited the roles that horses could play in agriculture and transportation. Starting in the forties, technical advancements in agricultural machinery initially required a new type of horse, but soon after made the horse superfluous altogether in the field. So to adapt, starting in 1920 the direction changed radically: a heavy warmblood of great economy with a good walk, calm temperament, which matures early and utilizes its feed well. The type was so heavy, it stood on the boundary with the lighter coldbloods.
The coldbloods of Germany were already well-suited to the new demands of farming given their immense power, and the Ostfriesen had to prove it could offer these same qualities. The one advantage for the warmbloods was their versatility. They were subsequently bred to have greater depth, breadth and strength, at the expense of the dryness, nerve, expression and gait qualities for which they had previously been selected. From 1908 to 1940, the average height of Ostfriesisches decreased 4 cm while average weight increased from 630 kg to 760 kg. Other regions began to breed heavy warmbloods: Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Silesia. While they were founded on their own stock, horses from Oldenburg and Ostfriesland were sold there each year to help them realize their goals.
The end of World War II saw the breeding in Ostfriesland reach record-breaking numbers, as these horses had become indispensable agricultural horses.
In 1923 the two registries merged to form the Verband der Züchter des Oldenburger Pferdes e.V. (Oldenburg Horse Breeders' Association), which today serves the modern Oldenburg.
Post-war era.
By 1964, in the face of the superiority of tractors, the breeding of the heavy warmblood had completely collapsed. Stallions covered 10% of the mares that they had 20 years before. This scene played out in the 1950s and 60's throughout German horse breeding. During this time, though, increasing leisure time meant that horses soon found their modern cultural niche: recreational riding. The breeders of Ostfriesland aimed to develop their horses along this path, producing a lighter riding horse with all the economical traits that had made them popular before. Fearing that the Thoroughbred would detract from the amenable nature of their horses, the Ostfriesen breeders chose to use Arabian blood instead. Beginning in 1948, such stallions were made available to the breeders, who scarcely used them, being hard-put to change their beloved horses so drastically. However, the evidence was convincing, as the Freisen-Arabs were horses of excellent character, great capacity and riding quality. Unfortunately, they had missed the mark: the market demanded a light, elegant, but tall riding horses, and the Freisen-Arabs were smaller than their warmblood mothers. Limited in their competitiveness in dressage and jumping, the Freisen-Arabs did not sell, and the Ostfriesen horses seemed doomed to extinction.
Meanwhile, the Oldenburg horses were being systematically redirected by the use of Anglo-Norman stallions like Condor, Thoroughbreds like Adonis xx, and Anglo-Arabs like Inschallah AA. Though the blood remained in their pedigrees, the Alt-Oldenburg mares could not produce stallion sons.
Purebred Ostfriesisch-Oldenburg stallions were replaced in the studrows by Hanoverians, Trakehners, Thoroughbreds and Arabs. In 1967, 71% of the original mares had riding horse mates. The Ostfriesen mares were permitted into the Hanoverian forebook after producing a "noble" warmblood foal, but could not become stallion mothers. The last körung at Aurich took place in 1973, and in 1975 the Ostfriesische studbook became a district association of the Hanoverian Verband.
The products of this new breeding direction became the modern Oldenburg (horse).
Rescue.
By the mid-eighties the stock of purebred mares had dwindled to just a handful, though there were some mares only a generation or two removed. In 1983 a group of supporters formed a special breed association under the jurisdiction of the Weser-Ems Studbook, approving stallions that were half-Hanoverian, half-Ostfriesen or Alt-Oldenburg. However, as the mares themselves were typically only halfbred, the foals did not have the desired type, and furthermore the genepool was simply too small. To replenish it, the breeders looked to the studs where Ostfriesen/Alt-Oldenburger stallions had stood for generations, picking up a few horses here and there. More horses came from greater strongholds: Silesian Heavy Warmbloods of Poland, the Danish Oldenbourgs, and the Groningen horse of the Netherlands. But the efforts of Dr. Herta Steiner, Moritzburg State Stud Equerry, were the keystone to saving the breed. She had championed for the last remaining heavy warmbloods in Saxony and Thuringia. Soon the old type was revived.
Since 1995, two Dutch Harness Horse stallions have been chosen to add elegance and responsiveness, though it is worth noting that these stallions had primarily Ostfriesen and Groningen pedigrees themselves, and no Hackney blood.
The Zuchtverband für das Ostfriesische und Alt-Oldenburger Pferd e.V. ("Association for the Breeding of East Freisian and Old-Oldenburg Horses") was founded in 1986, and was recognized as an independent organization in 1988. Even after 20 years of hiatus, the goal is to produce a heavy, quality horse, responsive with an exceptionally good temperament. The unique character of the former farm horse is of paramount importance, as it was the peasant farms that led such kind horses to be bred in the first place. The breeding objective these days stretches back before the horses were called to haul tractors and artillery, to when they were heavy, elegant, and impressive Karossiers.
The Ostfriesen and Alt-Oldenburg today.
Today there are 20 approved stallions and 160 broodmares in the northern population of heavy warmbloods. They are bred with a pure-breeding scheme, using Ostfriesen/Alt-Oldenburg, Groningen, Saxony-Thuringian Heavy Warmbloods, and Silesian Heavy Warmbloods. The goal is a versatile, correct and balanced horse with a calm temperament. Desirable is a horse with a strong constitution, peaceful companionable temperament, which utilizes its feed well, has high fertility, and is suitable as a riding and driving horse. The walk and trot should be efficient and expansive, the latter with some action. The physique should speak of a moderately elegant horse of great depth and breadth, well-sprung ribs and a strong hind end. The head should be expressive with a large, friendly eye. The neck is muscular, medium-length, well-formed and set high on a long, sloping, muscular shoulder with defined withers. The back is medium-long, solid and elastic with a broad loin, the croup slightly sloped, wide and muscular. The limbs should be correct and dry with great bone strength, very strong joints suited to the horse's size, ending in the all-important well-shaped hooves.
At three years the horse is expected to stand between 158 and 165 cm tall, with a canon circumference of 22 to 24 cm. The primary colors are black, seal brown, and dark bay, though bay, chestnut, and grey do occur. Typically, they are conservatively marked. They are traditionally shown in a wide white leather bridle without the cavesson.
Because of their gentle natures, Ostfriesen/Alt-Oldenburgers are useful not just in sport and driving, but for recreation, police work and therapeutic riding. They are also used in forests for ecological reasons.
Fourteen black Ostfriesen/Alt-Oldenburg geldings were sold recently to the Household Cavalry.


Forestry in Estonia

Forests cover about 50% of the territory of Estonia, or around 2 million hectares, and so make out an important and dominating landscape type in the country. National law and policies recognize that forests are a natural and ecological resource, and the importance of forests is to be considered from an economic, social, ecological and cultural aspect.
Overview.
History.
Before the advent of agriculture in Estonia, the land area covered by forests was approximately 80%; however, due to human activity it fell to about 34% by 1939, and Estonia has traditionally been a country dominated by agriculture. However, after World War II and the ensuing Soviet occupation of Estonia, large parts of former agricultural land fell into disuse and was reforested. In the 1960s, attempts were made to improve the output of silviculture by e.g. draining swamps. Agricultural reforms during the 1990s have further increased the amount of land with forests growing.
Forest types.
Despite its relatively small size, Estonia displays a great variety in forest types. Two main types are forests growing on mineral soil (about 70%) and so-called swamp forests (about 30%), growing in the numerous wetland areas of Estonia. The forest types can further be broken down into smaller categories, many with their own ecosystem and unique biotope. In addition, large variations can be found within a single small area of land. The most common tree species are pine, birch and spruce.
Forestry management.
About 70% of Estonian forests are commercially used (circa 1.5 million hectares), with another 30% enjoying some kind of protection (as of 2005).
Commercial use.
Of harvested timber, around 60% is made up of coniferous wood, mainly pine and spruce, and the rest deciduous trees, dominated by birch. The forest-based industry of Estonia encompasses all aspects of the trade; however, the pulp and paper industry remains relatively small. Round wood is exported mainly to Finland and Sweden, while Estonian sawmills also import logs, mainly from Latvia and Russia. Wood pellets is another product which is almost exclusively exported.
Wood makes out the second largest source of domestic fuels in Estonia (the largest being oil shale). Wood is commonly used both on an industrial scale by large boilers fed by wood waste and chips, and in the residential sector via traditional firewood-burning stoves. Since 2008, there are also two combined heat and power plants, in Tallinn and Tartu respectively.
40% of the forests of Estonia belong to the state and are governed by the State Forest Management Centre (abbreviated RMK). National policies and legislation is aimed at safeguarding that an economically profitable yet ecologically sustainable silviculture is maintained. However, the State Forest Management Centre has been criticised (2010) for not pursuing a sustainable forest management.
Protected forests.
The proportion of protected forests in Estonia is relatively large, when compared with other similar countries which also pursue commercial forestry on a large scale. The first forests to be placed under protection were given the status of nature reserve in the 1920s.
Research.
Estonia's main research institution dealing with forestry-related research is the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu.


Happy Bottom Riding Club

The Happy Bottom Riding Club (1935–1953), was a dude ranch, restaurant, and hotel operated by aviator Pancho Barnes near Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley of California's Mojave Desert. Barnes and the club were both featured in Tom Wolfe's 1979 book, "The Right Stuff", and the 1983 film adaptation.
Also known as the Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch, the establishment was a favored hangout for both test pilots and the Hollywood elite during the 1940s, boasting over 9,000 members worldwide at the height of its popularity. When the United States Air Force intended to buy the club via eminent domain in order to extend their runways, a long and contentious series of lawsuits ensued. Barnes eventually won the lawsuits, but after the club was destroyed by fire in the 1950s, her plans to re-open in a nearby location never came to fruition.
Establishment.
In 1935, Barnes originally purchased the property where the club would later stand to grow alfalfa, raise pigs and cattle and start a dairy. As the nearby U.S. Army Air Corps base at Muroc Army Air Base expanded in the post World War II period, the ranch's other business as a restaurant, bar, and hotel quickly outgrew its humble beginnings. Eventually, the ranch also included a hospitality business with an all-female staff and it became a destination of choice for test pilot relaxation.
Amenities.
Along with a swimming pool and a rodeo stadium, Rancho Oro Verde had an airstrip that was the first amenity Barnes created in 1935 to stay in touch with her aviator-friendly social circle from south of the San Gabriel Mountains. Visiting civilians and military men alike flew into the strip to stay at the Rancho Oro Verde, with Barnes often holding events to entertain her guests that included barbecues and a treasure hunt for 200 silver dollars. The rodeo stadium held three-day weekend rodeos jointly sponsored by the local VFW post in Lancaster.
The original swimming pool was rectangular, and was one of the first built in the Antelope Valley, but was destroyed by the 1952 Kern County earthquake. The replacement pool was circular and had a circular ramp which reportedly allowed Barnes to ride her horse into the pool. This later pool was modeled after one Barnes had owned in the Pasadena area. The pool was lit at night — an aid to visual air navigation.
As depicted in the book and film "The Right Stuff", a tradition was started when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 and Barnes provided him with a free steak dinner. After that, pilots were given a free steak dinner when they personally broke the sound barrier for the first time. Following Yeager's achievement, the sound barrier was broken frequently from Edwards AFB in the late 1940s and early 1950s with Barnes giving free dinners multiple times during the course of a week.
Fire and sale.
Despite a friendship between Barnes and the military, relations grew sour after a change of command in 1952, four years after Muroc Army Air Base became Edwards Air Force Base. One reason for friction between Barnes and the base commander was the increase in flights out of Edwards, along with an increase in flights at the club's landing strip. After he assumed command at the base, General Albert Boyd, an admirer and friend of Barnes, would berate her if her clientele came too close to military airspace and flight paths. Allegations surfaced that the club was a brothel, something Barnes believed was connected to her refusal to sell the ranch to the government for a runway expansion. The rules Barnes posted for hostesses were strict, and many seemed to discredit the allegations. Acting on the rumors, however, the Air Force prohibited servicemen from visiting the club, destroying the vast majority of her business. Since she and the government were in the middle of negotiations regarding establishing a fair price for her business and property, Barnes felt betrayed by the prohibition.
When the government added a suit to appropriate the ranch, Barnes counter-sued for slander, harassment, unlawful acquisition of land, and conspiracy. The ranch was destroyed by fire on November 13, 1953, shortly before the lawsuit concluded. Barnes ended up resettling in nearby Cantil and the land was purchased by the Air Force via eminent domain. The proposed runway expansion was never implemented.
Barnes' plans to reestablish the Happy Bottom Riding Club on her and her husband's land in Cantil never materialized.
Legacy.
Along with depictions in "The Right Stuff", the club was also immortalized in Lauren Kessler's biography of Barnes, "The Happy Bottom Riding Club". Barnes' life was chronicled in a 2009 documentary film for PBS station KOCE-TV, entitled "The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club".
A made-for-TV movie aired on the CBS TV network, "Pancho Barnes" (1988), starring Valerie Bertinelli, featured a fictionalized version of Barnes' life and events relating to The Happy Bottom Riding Club.
Chuck Yeager, who made a cameo appearance in The Right Stuff film as a patron of the club, stated "if all the hours were ever totaled, I reckon I spent more time at her place than in a cockpit over those years."
Pancho's Happy Bottom Riding Club was listed on the Promenade directory as located in section 02-11 in the television series "".
Air Force personnel from Edwards hold an annual barbecue on the site of the Happy Bottom Riding Club in remembrance of Barnes and the ranch. Visitors may still see the remains of the pool, the restaurant's foundation (including chimney), and the barn. From the air, an outline of the airstrip is visible.<ref name="Edwards.af.mil/news"></ref>


Rainforest of Xishuangbanna

The Rainforest of Xishuangbanna in the Yunnan Province of China is one of the largest forests in Asia at .
In recent years the region has been opened up to use in a large scale and the primary forests, especially rainforests, have been severely destroyed.
Biodiversity.
Xishuangbanna is included in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots and contains over 5,000 species of vascular plants, comprising 16% of China’s total plant diversity.
This rainforest entails also a very diverse fauna of birds, mammals, and reptiles, and amphibians, which represent 36%, 21%, and 14% of China’s biodiversity, respectively.
Among others, the area gives home to Asian elephants, Indo-Chinese tigers, and green peacocks.
Vegetation types.
The tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna can be divided into two vegetation subtypes pertaining to tropical rainforest vegetation, the tropical seasonal rainforest and the tropical montane rainforest.