Kudumbi

The Kudumbi, also referred to as the Kunubis, the Kurumbi, or the Kunbi, are traditionally a Konkani-speaking farming community residing in Kerala, India. The majority of the group are farmers, laborers, and petty workers, settled across central and southern Kerala. Kudumbis are part of the larger Kunbi–Kurmi diaspora, a generic farming community spread out over India, with the probable exception of only Jammu and Kashmir.
History.
Goan legacy.
According to Goan historian Anant Ramakrishna Dhume, the Kunbi caste are modern descendants of ancient Mundari tribes. In his work, Dhume mentions several words of Mundari origin in the Konkani language and also elaborates on the deities worshipped by the ancient tribe, their customs, methods of farming, etc. The Portuguese, who ruled over Goa for over 500 years, considered the Kunbi, Velip and Gowada communities as "Tribu", which means tribes. The Central Government failed to extend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order 1950 to the Union Territory of Goa, Daman, and Diu immediately after the liberation of Goa in 1961 and that was perceived as an injustice by many. Kunbis are included in ST list in Goa state in 2002. G. S. Ghurye says that "Kurmi, Kanbi and Kunbi perhaps signify the occupation of the group, viz., that of cultivation, though it is not improbable that the name may of tribal origin."
In 1510, Goa was captured by the Portuguese general Alfonso Albuquerque from the Adil Shah dynasty of Bijapur, and Portuguese rule was established. In 1545 St. Francis Xavier, sent a letter to John III of Portugal, requesting an Inquisition to be installed in Goa. The inquisitor's first act was to forbid any open practice of the Hindu faith on pain of death. The Portuguese colonial administration enacted anti-Hindu laws to encourage conversions to Christianity. Prohibition was laid upon Hindu rituals as well. In all, over 42 Hindu practices were prohibited. All the people above 15 years of age were compelled to listen to Christian preaching or otherwise be punished. Several Hindu temples were destroyed as well. An order was issued for suppressing the Konkani language and making it compulsory to speak the Portuguese language. The law provided for dealing toughly with anyone using the local language. Following that law all the non-Christian cultural symbols and the books written in local languages were sought out to be destroyed. In the first hundred years, the Inquisition burned 57 alive at the stake and 64 in effigy. Others were sentenced to various punishments, totalling 4,046. The Kudumbi were forced to migrate from Goa following religious persecution by the Portuguese during the said infamous Goa Inquisition. The Kudumbis, along with Gouda Saraswat Brahmins (Malayalam: ഗൌഡ് സാരസ്വത്), Daivajnas and Vaishya Vanis who wanted to preserve their religious and cultural identity, migrated from Goa along the west coast of India, primarily through sea voyages.
Some of the groups that fled Goa landed in coastal districts of state of Karnataka, that is, the Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, and some groups voyaged further to Kerala.
The "Census Report of India", 1961 – Volume VII, Kerala (page 210) refers to the Kudumbi community, and it is recorded that,
Early Cochin Princely State.
A group of Kudumbis may have migrated from Cochin to Travancore at the invitation of a Maharaja, Marthanda Varma and on arrival been given (free of tax) a coconut garden and land to grow rice. In return they were required to supply Avil to the palace and temple free of cost.
Current status.
K. R. Gowri Amma, a prominent figure in the communist movement in Kerala and former Minister, in her autobiography narrates the backwardness of Kudumbi Community as:
V. K. Valath says that the main agricultural labourers in the islands around Kochi have been from the Pulaya and Kudumbi castes. He adds that, whilst many people of the Pulaya and Mukkuvar castes converted to Christianity during the Portuguese period, the Kudumbis retained their traditional religious beliefs.
The community is officially classified as being within the Socially and Economically Backward Communities (SEBC) by the State Government. Many students have utilised the benefits of reservation legislation to improve their lives. A mass struggle and hunger strike were organized by the social organization Kudumbi Seva Sanghom (KSS) during 2006–2007, demanding a 1% reservation for Kudumbis seeking admission to various professional courses in Kerala. In 2008 the State Government finally acceded to the demand vide GO (MS)No.95/08/SC/ST dated 06.10.2008. Further, the Kudumbi community is totally exempted from the creamy layer. Kudumbi Community is one among eight communities having hereditary occupations/calling, which had been excluded from the category of 'creamy layer' on account of its "Social Backwardness" as per GO (P) No.81/09/SCSTDD dated 26 September 2009.
Caste status.
The KIRTADS submitted a report stating that the Kudumbis should be included in the Scheduled Caste list.
After his election on 23 March 1987, and when challenged in court, K. Karunakaran, former chief minister of Kerala, supported inclusion of Kudumbis in the list. United Democratic Front (UDF)had assured to use maximum pressure on the center for including the Kudumbies in the SC list. However the legitimate claim of the Kudumbi Community stands in the ST list and not in SC List.
On 10 March 2008, Veerendra Kumar, member of parliament (MP) of the 14th Lok Sabha, writer and chairman and managing director of Mathrubhumi press, made mention before the parliament under rule 377 concerning the classification of the Kudumbis. He pointed to the community's poverty, low level of literacy, and lack of ability to take any important government position. On 4 May 2012, K. P. Dhanapalan MP, also made a special mention to the parliament about the classification of the Kudumbis. In December 2011 in New Delhi, and on 30 May 2012 in Kochi a public protest was organised by supporters of the rights of the Kudumbi, including the Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy (Association for Defence of Democracy, J.S.S.) to demand inclusion of the community in the list of Scheduled Castes.
In her autobiography, political activist, K. R. Gowri Amma wrote,
Kudubis of Karnataka (who were migrated from Goa and settled in the coastal districts of Kartaka) are non – scheduled tribes . They are also suffering from problems including non – recognition as a tribe in Karnataka (Caste Practices and influences Affecting Tribals – A Case study of Kudubis of Karnataka by Dr. Y Ravindranath Rao) Kudubis of Karnataka has also urged state government to include them in the Scheduled Tribe list.
Cultural diffusion and language convergence.
For decades the Kudumbi led a socially secluded life. During the late 19th century in Kerala, when a socio-cultural revival took place in many backward communities, the Kudumbi opened themselves up to mainstream socio-cultural and economic developments. Unfortunately, newer socio-economic and cultural changes in the community spurred a slow reverse cultural diffusion.
Kudumbi temples.
According to Kerala tradition, the ceremony of "Talapoli", as a procession of ladies carrying oil lamps accompanied by "chenda" (percussion instruments) or "tappu melam", can be seen during the festivals in these "devi" temples. The traditional "haampu" (multi-stacked portable brass lamp or a similar stone lamp) found in a number of Kudumbi temples is lit on special "puja" days. Votive items made from Aval (puffed rice) or beaten rice and "jaggery" are still offered as "prasadam" in many Kudumbi temples. "Holi", the festival of colors, is celebrated in many Devi temples by the Kudumbi. During this festival, "Kamadeva" (Bodhan) the symbolic entity of "Kama" will be burnt to fire, purifying the life of all who participate in the festival. There will be a procession on the streets where all the participants will be applying colour each other, dancing with songs sung in Kudumbi language. Youngsters and children go in a group, pour yellow water from the pot kept in front of every house, and finally gather at their local "devili" temple. In the night there will be a special group dance by women ("fuguda") by gathering in a circle and clapping and doing brisk movements. After this there will be delicious dinner and food will be offered to souls. Even Kudumbis of Karnataka, who had migrated from Goa along with their brethren in Kerala and other places continue to celebrate their traditional festival 'holi' by preserving their own unique culture.
Social organizations.
Kudumbi Seva Sanghom (KSS), Kerala Kudumbi Federation, Kudumbi Seva Samiti, Kudumbi Samajam, Kudumbi Karayogams, and Kudumbi Mahajana Sabha-Vypeen are the social organizations representing the community in Kerala. KSS is the predominant organization representing the majority of Kudumbis in Kerala, and it supports the social, educational and cultural uplifting of the community.


Du Qinglin

Du Qinglin (; born November 1946 in Panshi, Jilin City, Jilin) is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He formerly serves as vice chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and a Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee. From 2007 and 2012 he served as the director of United Front Work Department of Communist Party of China.
Du graduated from law department of Jilin University with a master's degree. He joined the Communist Party of China in March 1966.
In early years, Du served in FAW Car Co., Ltd in Changchun and Communist Youth League Jilin committee. From September 1984 to 1991, he served as vice secretary of CPC Changchun municipal committee, a standing committee member of CPC Jilin committee, director of organization department in Jilin, and vice secretary of CPC Jilin committee. In March 1992, Du became the vice secretary of CPC Hainan committee. He was elected the chairman of Hainan People's Congress in February 1993. From February 1998 to August 2001, Du was the secretary of CPC Hainan committee. From August 2001 to December 2006, Du served as Minister of Agriculture. In December 2006, he became the secretary of CPC Sichuan committee, and was elected chairman of Sichuan People's Congress in January 2007. In December 2007, Du succeeded Liu Yandong as the director of United Front Work Department of CPC.
On March 13, 2008, Du was elected vice chairman of CPPCC. In November 2012, he was elected to the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, while continuing his term as Vice Chairman of the CPPCC.
Du was a member of 15th, 16th, and 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He is a current member of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.


Red Deer Lumber Company

The Red Deer Lumber Company was a forestry company that had approximately 10 logging operations along the Red Deer River, and owned and operated a sawmill on the south shore of Red Deer Lake.
The Red Deer Lake sawmill was one of Manitoba's three largest sawmills, with the other two being those at Grandview and The Pas.
History.
The company began operations in 1901, and was founded by the following people:
All five of the above became the first directors of the company, with Robertson being the President, and Lynch being the Secretary.
The initial investments were used to build a sawmill on the south shore of Red Deer Lake. From the sawmill, a rail spur was also built to connect the mill to the Canadian Northern Railway line to the south, which had been built to Erwood in 1900 from Swan River.
The company also created two settlements to serve the mill: the community of Red Deer Lake was built near the mill on the lakeshore, and the community of Barrows was built at the railway junction.
By 1907, a controlling interest in the company was owned by Union Lumber Company from Chicago.
The sawmill closed in 1926, and the company was then sold to The Pas Lumber Company, who received their permit to operate and restarted the Red Deer Lake Mill in 1928.
Operations.
Wood for the sawmill was cut along the Red Deer River, and the logs were floated down the river to the lake when they were caught and then processed in the mill. Logs were also floated down the Etomami, Little Swan, and North Armit Rivers, which all eventually flowed into the Red Deer River. In the late summer and fall, an emphasis was put on getting logs cut. In the winter, once a snowpack was established, horse-drawn sleighs could be used to transport the cut logs from the fall down to piles on the nearest riverbanks. In the early summer, once the ice cleared on the rivers, the logs would be set in the river and the log drive would begin.
Some of the logging areas had work camps where workers could live, and these camps could accommodate around 200 people per camp. Approximately 2000 people were employed by the company in total.
The company owned a steamboat for transporting workers around the lake, and up and down the river, and various other barges known as "wangans" or "wannigans". The wannigans had flat bottoms for navigating shallow rivers, and a house in the centre with a kitchen and storage.
Most of the lumber produced at Red Deer Lake was exported to the United States, but this practice stopped once the US closed their border to Canadian lumber, and this border closure was one of the factors that eventually led to the downfall of the company.


Murgoo Station

Murgoo Station is a pastoral lease and sheep station located in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
Situated approximately to the north of Yalgoo and to the west of Cue, the station has an area of and consists of saltbush plains and mulga country, with an elevation of approximately above sea level.
The station was established in 1873 by Edward and Frank Wittenoom and possibly owned for a time in 1875 by the Mungarra Squatting Company, which was run by A. Brown and J. H. Monger.
In 1880 the Wittenooms established the homestead at the current site. In 1891 the Wittenooms sold the property to Richard Holmes and H. Maloney. Holmes later sold his share to Maloney who ran the station until his death in 1903.
Th station was on the market in 1905 and had a flock of 19,000 sheep, 500 cattle and 55 horses. There were many shallow wells and 23 windmills. Divided into 15 large sheep paddocks, one large cattle paddock and ten smaller paddocks for horses or other stock, the station was sold later that same year to agents of Charles Atkins for the sum of £23,200.
The Atkins imported Merino rams to the station from Victoria in 1908.
In 1918, the Atkins sold off 298 rams from the property.
From 1919 the station was being managed by R. W. Fremlin, who steadily improved the property's situation. The property contained between 60 and 70 windmills by 1928 and had of five and six strand fencing erected. Fremlin retired from managing Murgoo and other Atkins Brothers holdings, including Mount Narryer and Tibradden Station, in the 1930s and moved to Mullewa where he died in 1954, aged 80. The combined properties run by Fremlin ran over 40,000 sheep and routinely produced 1200–1400 bales of wool per year.
During the 1920s the station would often transport sheep to Derby for export by truck; the journey would take two days.
20,000 sheep were shorn in 1920, increasing to 28,000 in 1922 then following a drought only 23,000 in 1924. In 1924 the Atkins also sold 5,000 wethers to Mr. McKenna of Carlaminda station at 42s. per head. This was a record sale at the time.
By 1926 over 31,000 sheep were clipped and in 1927 the station shore 32,000 producing over 900 bales of wool. In 1928 the station was owned still by the Aitken Brothers, who were originally from South Australia. The station also sold off 21,000 sheep from both Murgoo and the adjoining Mt. Narryer station, which was also owned by the brothers.
The current lessee is Reginald Seaman, Murgoo is operating under the Crown Lease number CL573-1966 and has the Land Act number LA3114/578.
The Seaman family have been on the property since 1974 and in 2010 had to take the drastic step of destocking the property as a result of severe drought. Murgoo had below average winter rainfall between 2000 and 2010, receiving only of rain in 2010.
Races.
In 1915, Charles Atkins decided to hold a race meeting in the area to "liven things up a bit". The first race was held in 1917 at Manfred Station, approximately 75 miles from Murgoo, which at the time was owned by Frank and Edward Wittenoom. Races were held at Manfred until 1920 when the Murgoo Picnic Race Club was formed in 1920.
A race track was made and Atkins made use of the shearing shed as a clubroom and for the race ball. In the early days women were only allowed in the clubroom when invited by a member and always received champagne as a refreshment.
Two day meets were held from 1920 to 1929 and then halted over the course of the Great depression and a couple of years of drought before resuming in 1935. During World War II the Murchison Patriotic Funds Committee took over and ran the race biannually, and normal race meets resumed again in 1947.
No meetings were held in the drought years of 1950, 1951, 1955 and 1956, but were run regularly since until at least 1963.
No bookmakers were allowed on the course and all jockeys were station hands and overseers.


Farmcare

Farmcare Trading Limited is the largest lowland farming organisation in the United Kingdom. Farmcare traded as The Co-operative Farms while a subsidiary of The Co-operative Group until it was sold to the Wellcome Trust in 2014.
History.
The Co-operative Farms.
The first farm was acquired at Roden, Shropshire in 1896 in order to supply potatoes to local societies' stores. By 1918, the then Co-operative Wholesale Society already farmed a total of 32,648 acres (13,212 ha) across England.
Following the merger of CWS and Co-operative Retail Services in 2001, CWS Agriculture became Farmcare Limited. It was rebranded as The Co-operative Farms in 2007.
Wellcome Trust.
On 4 August 2014, the business was sold to the Wellcome Trust for £249 million, to reduce The Co-operative Group's debt following its financial crisis in 2013. At the time of the sale, The Co-operative Farms owned of land organised as 15 farms, and more than 100 residential and 27 commercial properties.


Isaac Mulindwa

Isaac Mulindwa is a businessman and former politician in Uganda. He is the founder and owner of Makinawa Motors Limited, an automobile dealership based in the Kololo neighborhood in Uganda's capital, Kampala.
History.
He was born in Ruharo Village in modern-day Mbarara Municipality, circa 1941. He is a descendant of the Baganda chiefs who went to Ankole at the invitation of the prime minister of Ankole at that time, Nuwa Mbaguta in 1886. One of Mulindwa's great-grandfathers was a "Gombolola chief (Sabawali) of Buyanja Sub-county in Igara, now Bushenyi District".
Mulindwa attended Kabwohe Muslim Primary School in 1949. He then studied at Kibuli High School for his high school education. He then attended Arapai Agricultural College in Soroti, which today is part of Busitema University.
In the late 1950s, Mulindwa opened a hides and skins shed at Kabwohe. He also opened a store dealing in beans, millet, maize, and coffee. In 1960, he relocated to Stanleyville in the then Belgian Congo, living there for two years. In that period, he persuaded five Congolese jazz bands to relocate to Uganda, earning a commission of between UGX:4,000 to UGX:6,000 on each band. He opened Makinawa Motors in 1964 and ran it successfully until 1980 when he was forced to go into political exile, spending five years there before returning to Uganda in 1985.
Businesses and investments.
He owns or controls the following businesses:
Political career.
In 1955, he was one of the founders of the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) with Augustine Kamya, Mary Nkata, and Godfrey Binaisa. UFM was at the forefront of organizing the boycott of Asian businesses and establishments, to protest discrimination and racism practiced by whites and Asians against Africans.
Personal life.
In 1962, Mulindwa married Safina Nnaku and together, they produced six children.


Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station

The Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station is a research facility located on the campus of Oklahoma State University-Stillwater (OSU), and part of its Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. It conducts research in agriculture, natural resources, rural economies and social issues, and accounts for 37% of the research conducted at OSU.
The station was established by the Hatch Act of 1887.


Khadim Nagar National Park

Khadim Nagar National Park () is a major national park and nature reserve in Bangladesh. The park is located at Sylhet Sadar Upazila, Sylhet District in the North-East region of the country. It is located mainly on the Hills and is surrounded by Kalagool, Bhurjan and Goolni tea estates.
Khadim Nagar National Park covers approximately of evergreen forests Biome. The British colonial people cleared the land for extensive tea plantations. After 1950 tree plantations of teak, Garjan, Bamboo, Champa, Agar, Akashmoni, Eucalyptus and Acacia Mangium was carried out by Forest Department. The Forest was declared as national park by the Bangladesh government on 13 April 2006 under the Bangladesh wildlife (Preservation) Amendment Act of 1947. The present forest is divided into 6 forest working circles. The forest area has LR plantations- 380 Ha, SR Plantations-10 Ha, Bamboo Plantations-150Ha, Cane plantations-258Ha and Agar Plantations-40ha.
Location.
It is located 13 km East of Sylhet town.
The area is much undulating and dissected by streams and hill spurs. The overall appearance of the forest is various patches of artificial plantations of different ages. The park is 10 km in length and 0.50 km in width.
The climate is generally humid and warm. The park enjoys tropical monsoon from June to September every year. The soil is loamy, clay and sandy loam at various places.
Plants and animals.
Flora.
The general walk in the forest is not easy due to undulating terrain and dense vegetation. About 352 plant species belonging to 81 families have been recorded. Some plant species recorded are "Aquilaria malaccensis" (Agar), "Dipterocarpus turbinatus", "Artocarpus chaplasha", "Chukrasia tabularis", "Toona ciliata", "Syzygium grandis", "Tectona grandis", and "Quercus gomezyiana". The trees are covered with good number of parasites and orchids. Some of the common orchids are "Aerides multiflora", "Aerides odorata", "Dendrobium formosum", and "Bulbophyllum lilacinum". Plants species like "Vitex peduncularis" (Awal), "Litsea glutinosa" (Menda), "Sterculia villosa" (Udal) and "Dehaasia Kurzii" (Modonmast) are under threat due to overexploitation. Some of the threatened plants found in the park are "Swintonia floribunda", "Aglaonema hookerianum", "Aquilaria agallocha", "Globbs multiflora", "Pterospermum semisaggittatum", "Steodnera calocasioides", "Pinnaga gracilis", "Rauvolfia serpentina", "Mangifera sylvatica", "Calamus guruba" and "Cyathea gigantean".
Fauna.
The fauna consists of 20 reptile species, 25 Birds species and 26 Mammal species. The majority of animals found are spotted deer. Other animals seen here are Jackals, Mongoose, Monitor lizard.
Human settlement.
There are scanty human habitation inside the National park area.


Marillana

Marillana Station, often referred to as Marillana, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station but has previously operated as a sheep station.
BHP Billiton currently own the property, which is run in conjunction with Ethel Creek Station; together the two properties have a combined area of .
The Marillana Pastoral Company was established in 1920.
In 1949 approximately 15,000 sheep were shorn to produce 336 bales of wool.
Alex L. Spring was the part owner and station manager of both Marillana and Roy Hill Stations in 1952 when he started to use road trains to transport cattle to Meekatharra.


Ahr (wine region)

Ahr is a wine region ("Anbaugebiet") for quality wine in Germany, and is located in the valley of the river Ahr, a tributary of Rhine, and is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. With only of vines as of 2008, it is one of smaller of Germany's 13 regions. Despite its northern location (it is for example situated north of Mosel region) it primarily produces red wines, and red grape varieties account for 86% of the vineyard area, which is more than in any other German wine region.
History.
It is believed that vines were cultivated in the Ahr valley already in Roman times, as is the case with nearby Mosel, although definite documentary evidence to this effect seems to be lacking. However, a property list of the Benedictine Prüm Abbey drawn up in the year 893 AD, called the "Prümer Urbar", lists vineyards in eight Ahr locations, so at least at this time, winemaking in the Ahr region was established.
Geography and climate.
Situated between 50° and 51° north, Ahr is the world's most northern region dominated by red wine grapes. So far north, very good sites with a warm microclimate are needed to properly ripen red wine grapes, and the Ahr vineyards are said to have a "Mediterranean" microclimate. Most vineyards are located on terraced slopes facing southwest to southeast along the middle and lower portions of river Ahr, over a stretch of 25 kilometers, from Altenahr to the Rhine. The wine-growing parts of the Ahr valley enjoy protection from the Eifel mountains resulting in a favoured mesoclimate.
Soils vary between slate, basalt and greywacke clay of volcanic origin.
Ahr consists of a single district ("Bereich") called Walporzheim-Ahrtal, only one collective vineyard site ("Großlage") called Klosterberg, and 43 single vineyard sites.
Grape varieties.
At 61.3% or in 2008, Ahr grows a higher proportion of the much-appreciated Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) than any other German wine region. Other common grape varieties, by area of cultivation in 2008 are:
Wine style.
While Ahr primarily grew red wine before the current red wine trend in Germany, until the 1980s the wines were almost invariably very light-colored, bordering on rosé, and often were significantly sweet. While this style of wine was perhaps rather unimpressive by international standards, Ahr could rely on its vicinity to the populous Ruhr Area to sell its small production to weekend tourists. In the 1980s, Werner Näkel of Weingut Meyer-Näkel started to experiment with extended maceration and a significant influence of oak, which then was a style of red wine which hardly existed in Germany. After his wines won their first award in 1989, his style was followed by many other Ahr wineries as well as in other German regions. This style is now firmly established as the style of the best wines of the top Ahr producers: dry, fairly tannic and with a heavy oak influence. In comparison with Pinot noir wines of Burgundy, Ahr wines tend to have a paler red color and being more oak-dominated.
The top red wines used to be classified as dry ("trocken") Auslese, but nowadays they are either called Grosses Gewächs or are classified as plain Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete and are sold under estate-specific wine names.
The best red wines of Ahr are quite expensive, and are routinely priced significantly higher than Germany's top dry Rieslings. Prices in excess of 50 euro are not uncommon for the top of the range at more well-known producers, although cheaper entry wines also are produced. Due to the limited production, and the high domestic demand for red wines in Germany, Ahr wines have only limited international (export) availability.


Dale Deppe

Dale Deppe is an American horticulture industry innovator of proprietary woody plants. Deppe has received numerous awards in various organizations within the woody plant industry.
Dale and his wife Liz Deppe founded Spring Meadow Nursery in 1981. Spring Meadow Nursery is located in Grand Haven, Michigan US and is one of the largest providers of "proprietary" plant materials in North America In 2004, Spring Meadow joined with Proven Winners as their exclusive woody plant licensee to select, develop, distribute, and market Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs.
Early life.
Dale Deppe's ancestors were Dutch and immigrated to West Michigan. The Dutch established a rich tradition for horticulture. Deppe got his start working with plants by picking onions. He found out about a job at Arthur L. Watson Nursery and started working there at age 14. Jim, a local botany teacher, worked at the nursery and mentored Deppe and two of his friends.
“He took me and my friends under his wing and treated us as students,” Dale Deppe said in an interview with Green House Management Magazine. “Jim loved plants and he just couldn’t stop himself from being a teacher. He was passionate about the nursery business and he passed it on to us.”
He pursued that interest further and graduated with a horticulture degree from Michigan State University in 1971.
Spring Meadow Nursery.
After graduating from Michigan State, he worked as a contractor for Zelenka Nurseries in Grand Haven. In those days, Zelenka was a large nursery. Deppe farmed a 20-acre tract he owned. He took retail-ready shrubs and potted them and shipped them to Zelenka’s dock.
He said to Green House Management Magazine, “I was an energetic young man, working night and day on both jobs and the market was good,” he says. “I built a house on the 20 acres, brought my first crop to Zelenka and bought another 40 acres down the road thinking I’d do more contract growing.”
He worked with Zelenka for 11 years. He bought forty additional acres. Three months after closing on those forty acres, Zelenka discontinued their arrangement and Deppe had to move on to something else. They sold the forty acres, Liz got a job and Deppe began selling plants.
Spring Meadow Nursery was born. The year was 1981.
Contributions to the woody plant industry.
Since the 1980s, Deppe played a role in developing and marketing a business model for proprietary woody plants. Before that time, few plants were developed for their hardy genetics.
He prioritized the hunting of woody plants with excellent genetics. He hired a horticulturist, plant breeder and plant hunter named Tim Wood to travel around the globe to find excellent plants.
Jeremy Deppe, his son (General Manager of Spring Meadow) was quoted in Green House Management magazine as saying, “Dale was instrumental in driving the push into branding as a way to differentiate from commodities,” Jeremy says. “Branding has provided a way for each part of the supply chain to add value and introducing new varieties has made gardening easier for consumers.”
Green House Magazine interviewed Deppe on what he thought his contributions to the Woody Plant Industry entailed. He focused on how the new business plan for woody plants (shrubs, vines and trees) allowed for branding and marketing for better customer service.
Breast cancer research.
Dale Deppe made Spring Meadow the vehicle to raise over one million dollars for breast cancer research to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and BCRF-funded investigators who have been deeply involved in every major advance in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
Personal life.
Dale Deppe is married to Liz Deppe and they have a son, Jeremy working in their business as the General Manager.
Horticulture awards.
MNLA Grower of the Year - 1995.
Presented by the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA). To be a recipient of the MNLA Grower of the Year Award a grower must exhibit excellence in the areas of growing plant materials, contributions to the Green Industry and the MNLA, and should set a standard of professionalism for all to follow.
IPPS Fellow Award - 1999.
The Fellow Award was created to acknowledge outstanding members of the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS), Eastern Region North America, who have contributed to the advancement of the IPPS Eastern Region and to the field of Plant Propagation and Production. This recognition is for contributions to the IPPS through participation, service, leadership, research, teaching or extension work.
IPPS Award of Merit - 2008.
The Award of Merit is the highest honor that IPPS-ER can award to its members for outstanding contributions to the organization and to plant propagation and production. The Award of Merit recipient is recognized for significant contributions to plant propagation or production in one or more of the following areas: 1) scientific discovery or application of facts to the propagation or production of plants; 2) development of new plant propagation or production practices or techniques; 3) services rendered to the science and practice of plant propagation or production; 4) extraordinary service to the Society.
IPPS International Award of Honour - 2010.
Presented by the International Plant Propagators Society (IPPS) Directors of the International Board to acknowledge exceptional and distinguished service to the Society and its members. IPPS honors an active member of the Society at the conference of the region hosting the international tour and International Board of Directors' meeting each year.
Scott Medal and Award - 2016.
Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College made Dale Deppe the 2016 Scott Medal and Award recipient. "The award is given annually to an individual, organization or corporate body who, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, has made an outstanding national contribution to the science and the art of gardening"
Jackson Dawson Memorial Award - 2018.
The Jackson Dawson Memorial Award was presented by The Massachusetts Horticultural Society. This award is given for exceptional skill in the science or practice of hybridization or propagation of hardy, woody plants. Jackson Thornton Dawson raised more than 450,000 plants during his 43 years as propagator and superintendent of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
Horticulture Industry Leadership Award - 2019.
The Horticultural Industries Leadership Awards (HILAs), is the only national awards program to honor leaders from the greenhouse and nursery industries. Deppe received the award in honor of his significant contributions to the horticulture industry through innovation and expertise and environmental stewardship, and for enhancing the lives of employees, customers, communities, and the industry at large through charitable giving.
Western Legend Award - 2019.
Western Legend Award was given to Deppe from Western Nursery & Landscape Association (WNLA). The Western Legend Award recognizes a lifetime of sustained and significant professional achievement and public service to the green industry.


StarAgri Warehousing and Collateral Management Limited

StarAgri is an India based agricultural marketing company providing warehousing, Procurement and Collateral Management of Agri-Commodities. Staragri was established in April 2006 by former ICICI Bank associates, the company has presence in 190 locations across 16 states. It has 800 agri commodity warehouses under its control, with a cumulative capacity of around 1.2 million metric tons. It has over 500 employees.
The company has five post-harvesting focus areas: agri-warehousing, procurement, collateral management, lab testing and logistics. A bulk of its revenues (65%) are derived from warehousing services.
History.
StarAgri was founded in April 2006 by four former ICICI associates: Suresh Goyal, Amith Agarwal, Amit Mudawala and Amit Khandelwal. The company was formed with an initial paid-up capital of Rs.5 lakhs. The paid-up capital was raised to Rs.50 lakhs in 2007–08.
Business Strategy.
The company currently has a direct relationship with over 50,000 farmers. The organization has enabled various banks to disburse a credit of Rs.30,000 crore as rural credit over the last five years. Its turnover in 2012-13 was Rs.73 crore with a net profit of Rs.24 crore. It is expecting a turnover of Rs.120 crore in 2013–14. StarAgri has achieved ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 22000:2005 accreditation. It was recently announced to be one of the four unlisted companies participating in the Religare Consumer Conference 2014.
Customers.
The Company collaborates with over 375 food processing companies, including Cargill India and Archer Daniels Midland and meets their demand by buying from farmers and mandis (wholesale markets). It has 15 labs to ensure purchases meet client-specifications in terms of quality and quantity. StarAgri caters to customers ranging from banks to international bulk commodity buyers, food, health & FMCG companies and commodity exchanges. It is authorized to hold commodities worth Rs.25 billion over 110 collateral management locations through tie-ups with some of the country's leading financial institutions.
Tie-Ups.
StarAgri has tie-ups with 32 banks and financial institutions that give farmers credit, using agri-commodities in the warehouses as collateral.
In July 2014, StarAgri entered into Memorandum of Understanding with Karnataka Bank for extending storage facilities to farmers and finance against the warehouse receipts.
In February 2014, StarAgri tied up with Canara Bank. The partnership is to assist farmers in financing their requirements at all stages of the supply chain, ranging from pre-harvesting to the marketing and export stages.
In 2013, the company signed Memorandum of Understanding with Corporation Bank for providing finance against warehousing receipts.
In 2012, StarAgri collaborated with State Bank of India, for farmer funding and collateral management. It also entered into a partnership with Dena Bank in the same year for warehousing receipt funding.
In 2009, StarAgri tied up with Axis Bank and Punjab National Bank, for collateral management services. During the same year, the company also entered into a strategic alliance with NCDEX as a warehousing service provider.
In 2008, it tied up with IndusInd Bank for collateral management services and started operations in Haryana.
In 2007, the company launched its warehousing services with Rs 303 crore credit facility from ICICI Bank, for warehouse receipt-based funding. This was the largest ever credit facility provided by ICICI Bank.
In addition, StarAgri has collaborated with Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, IDBI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank among others. Among financial institutions, it has collaborated with Reliance Capital and L&T Finance.
Investments by Temasek & IDFC Private Company.
In 2014, Temasek Holdings invested Rs. 250 crore for a significant minority stake in the company. The funds will be utilized in developing assets like warehouses, supply chain & logistics facilities.
In 2012, IDFC Private Equity, invested Rs.150 crore in the company through IDFC PE Fund III for a significant minority stake. This was IDFC's first PE first transaction in agri-services company and its maiden investment in an “Integrated Independent Post Harvest Management Company”. StarAgri will direct this investment towards expanding high quality warehouse network and also for creating a pan India footprint of the allied post-harvest management services.
Future.
Over time, the company plans to spin off its agri-finance division into an NBFC. In addition, it intends to create 50 private mandis licensed by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee, which will provide infrastructure services to farmers which are not easily available at regular mandi. Further, StarAgri aims to create silos that will create additional capacity of 2.5 million tonnes to its existing warehousing capacity.
Joint Venture.
Taaza Plaza is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between Star Agriwarehousing & Collateral Management Ltd. (StarAgri) along with Fuzion Inc. Pvt. Ltd. (Fuzion) and the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB. It is built on the model of sourcing directly from farmer groups across agri-states and making fresh produce available to the end consumer by bypassing intermediaries. The "retail on wheels" shops visit housing societies and similar busy intersections where common people like homemakers can buy their daily produce.


Keystone Agricultural Producers

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is Manitoba’s largest general farm policy organization, with over 4,000 members that include farmers and farm commodity groups. KAP is one of the province's most active lobby groups and is a member organization of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
KAP was formed in 1984 to replace the former Manitoba Farm Bureau, and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Activities.
The organization lobbies government and industry on issues that affect Manitoba farmers. For example, KAP was part of the effort to develop legislative sanctions for Canadian railways that failed to transport minimum grain volumes for farmers in 2013. As a result, the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway were fined a combined $150,000, and the federal government brought in the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act in 2014, which required railways to move a minimum amount of grain per week.
KAP uses the news media bring attention to issues facing producers. During heavy flooding in 2014 when nearly 2 million acres in the province were lost to water damage, KAP was vocal in the media about the need for better crop insurance coverage.
KAP promotes agriculture’s contributions to Manitoba and Canada. Through a 2012 busboard campaign entitled "Sharing the Harvest," KAP advertised the fact that farming, along with the food and beverage-processing and food-service industries, generated over $10 billion per year in Manitoba in 2010.
Organizational structure.
Keystone Agricultural Producers is funded by its members, and governed by an elected executive and board of directors. Presidents are elected from the KAP membership, and may serve up to four one-year terms. The current president of KAP is Bill Campbell, who replaced Dan Mazier in 2018.
KAP policy is developed by members, through resolutions passed at the annual general meeting and at general council meetings held three times per year. Once passed, a resolution becomes organizational policy


Talia Station

Talia Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a sheep station in South Australia.
It is situated about north of Elliston and south west of Wudinna on the Eyre Peninsula.
The name of the station is derived from the Aboriginal word meaning "near water".
The run was originally owned by J. T. Symes in 1856 but was named by John Harris Browne who acquired the property shortly afterward. By 1865 the property was being managed by John Strange and Mary Irvan Dinnison but the property was still owned by Browne.
Archibald Graham Thompson and his brother William acquired Talia and Calea Stations from Browne in about 1880. William died in 1884 leaving Archibald with sole ownership of both properties. In 1888, Talia occupied an area of when Thompson renewed the lease on the property. In 1907 he sold from the lease. Archibald retired in 1912 leaving Talia to his three son, and died in Adelaide in 1919.


Central Plantation Crops Research Institute

The ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CPCRI) is a research institute established for coconut, arecanut and cocoa. It is one of the agricultural research institutes in the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) since 1970. The institute is located at KAYAMKULAM in Kerala on the National Highway 66.
History.
The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) was established in 1916 as Central Coconut Research Station, and was later taken over by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The ICAR established CPCRI in 1970 by merging Central Coconut Research Stations at Kasaragod and Kayamkulam as well as Central Arecanut Research Station, Vittal and its five substations at Palode (Kerala), Kannara (Kerala), Hirehalli (Karnataka), Mohitnagar (West Bengal) and Kahikuchi (Assam). The research centers of CPCRI for spices, cashew, oil palm and coastal agriculture had been upgraded to independent institutes and directorates.
At present, CPCRI focuses on research in coconut, arecanut and cocoa. The headquarters of the institute is situated at Kasaragod, Kerala and the two regional stations are at Kayamkulum (Kerala) and Vittal (Karnataka). There are four research centres for the institute viz., Mohitnagar (West Bengal), Kahikuchi (Assam) and Kidu (Karnataka).
Besides, there are two KVKs (Kasaragod and Kayamkulum) under the institute. All India Co-ordinated Coconut and Arecanut Improvement Project (AICCAIP) started functioning from 1972 at CPCRI, Kasaragod and later renamed as All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms (AICRP) in 1986. The AICRP has 14 centres on coconut, 4 on oilpalm and one on palmyrah.


List of forests of the Western Cape

This is a list of forests of the Western Cape province of South Africa.
List of Forests in the Western Cape, South Africa.
These are generally examples of Southern Afrotemperate Forest, the predominant indigenous forest-type in the Western Cape.


Beechworth

Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s. At the , Beechworth had a population of 3,859.
Beechworth's many historical buildings are well preserved and the town has re-invented itself and evolved into a popular tourist destination and growing wine-producing centre.
History.
Originally used for grazing by the settler David Reid, the area was known as Mayday Hills until 1853, when it was renamed Beechworth. The Post Office opened on 1 May 1853 as Spring Creek and was renamed Beechworth on 1 January 1854.
Lieutenant-Governor La Trobe visited the settlement in May 1853 and instructed Government Surveyor Robert Brough Smyth to lay out the principal streets of the town and survey allotments.
One Indigenous name for the area of unknown origin and language is Baarmutha.
Gold.
Between 1852 and 1857, Beechworth was a gold producing region and centre of government; but its power, wealth and influence were short lived. According to Carole Woods, an early party of prospectors retrieved a pan of gold from the area weighing . Another lucky party cleared some of gold in a week. And so began a rush into this remote region. During the first election campaign in 1855, one candidate, Daniel Cameron, rode a horse shod with solid gold horseshoes. The extravagance of this event is still commemorated as the logo for Beechworth is a golden horseshoe.
At the time, Beechworth was far removed from the centre of colonial administration in Melbourne both in distance and time taken to travel. The local debates around the potential railway into Beechworth encompassed a broad gauge () option or a narrow gauge () system, between Wangaratta and Beechworth and these debates and options appeared in the "Ovens and Murray Advertiser" newspaper. Ironically, in the 1890s a narrow gauge system did eventuate nearby, running from Wangaratta to Whitfield. Finally a broad gauge railway arrived at Beechworth in September 1876, but by that stage the town and its gold production was waning. The rail line was closed in 1977 and dismantled, after 101 years of service.
During its boom times, Beechworth town boasted a range of industries including, a tannery, jewellers, boot makers, a brewery, blacksmiths, livestock sale yards. It had schools, a convent, hotels, a prison with imposing stone walls, a hospital, a mental hospital, court house, police barracks, stage coach companies and a powder magazine.
In its golden days, men and women arrived from the United States, United Kingdom and China. At its peak, Beechworth town had over 3,100 residents. Surrounding areas and mining camps sprang up as thousands of miners rushed into areas such as Spring Creek, Reedy Creek, Silver Creek, the Nine Mile Creek and the Woolshed increasing the population on the Ovens to around 22,000. The Chinese were not allowed to live in Beechworth town and resided on the outskirts. Numerous controls, regulations and licence checks were enforced on the Chinese miners (see: Woods; also McWaters; also O'Brien; and Cronin). Beechworth Cemetery has a large preserved section of early Chinese miners/pioneers. The presence of the Chinese goldminers around Beechworth and throughout Victoria's north-eastern region created social unrest and these are recorded in O'Brien's; Woods'; and Cronin's works below.
Recent years.
The Beechworth Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1990.
Notable figures.
Like many Australian country towns associated with the early goldfields, Beechworth had its share of colourful characters and villains. Among the infamous during the 1870s was the one-time Livery Stable owner, later the 'Dog Officer', at some other time the 'Pound Officer' and another time shire revenue officer, John Phelan. Phelan was a continual litigant, correspondent to the newspapers and advertiser. His official and officious escapades were mockingly reported in the local paper.
Robert O'Hara Burke.
Robert O'Hara Burke, leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition was stationed in Beechworth as Senior Inspector of Police from 1854 to 1857. Policeman John Sadleir, one of the Kelly Gang pursuers, was also stationed in Beechworth during its early days.(Harvey)
The Burke Museum is located in Loch Street and holds primary materials on Beechworth and the surrounding district's past. Source materials include newspapers, photos, artefacts, clothing, paintings, exhibitions, published local histories and unpublished theses on the district and displays dating back to the gold discoveries, early Chinese miners and workings of the 1850s.
Sir Isaac Isaacs.
Isaac Isaacs was Australia's first native-born Governor-General, appointed in 1931. The Isaacs family moved to Beechworth to help their son to gain a better quality education, in 1867, first enrolling him in the Common school then in the Beechworth Grammar School. He became dux in his first year. In his second year he was employed part-time as an assistant teacher at the school, and took up after school tutoring of fellow students. In September 1870, when Isaacs was just 15 years old, he passed his examination as a pupil teacher and taught at the school from then until 1873. Isaacs was next employed as an assistant teacher at the Beechworth State School, the successor to the Common school.
From 1875 Isaacs moved to Melbourne for work and to undertake law studies. His connection to Beechworth was re-established when he was elected as the member for Bogong in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from May 1892 until May 1893 and between June 1893 and May 1901. Isaacs further represented Beechworth and surrounding areas when he was elected to the first Federal Parliament in 1901 to the seat of Indi. He served until 1906 when he was appointed to the High Court.
Ned Kelly.
The outlaw Ned Kelly had many links to Beechworth – he spent time in HM Prison Beechworth and fought a famous boxing bout with Isaiah "Wild" Wright in the back of a local hotel. Aaron Sherritt and Joe Byrne of the Kelly Gang came from the Woolshed goldmining camp, outside of Beechworth town. It was in Beechworth gaol that twenty-one men, suspected Kelly Gang supporters, relatives and other sympathisers were held without trial or evidence for over three months, by the Chief Commissioner of Police Captain Standish, under the "Outlawry Act".
George B. Kerferd.
George B. Kerferd (1836–1889), a longtime resident of Beechworth, became a Premier of Victoria and was a major participant in ensuring Beechworth had a railway connection to Melbourne.
John Buckley Castieau.
Castieau (1831–1885) was the Prison Governor at Beechworth from 1856 to 1869. The prison, famous for its huge granite walls was known as "Castieau's castle". As the Governor of the Melbourne gaol in 1880 he was an official witness to the hanging of Ned Kelly. His diaries were later published (2004) as "The Difficulties of My Position". In this book a drawing from "the Australian Sketcher", 14 August 1880 shows Castieau sitting with Ned Kelly during his remand (p. 278) and also a photo of his signature as one of the witnesses to the Kelly hanging (p. viii). Castieau was an early member of Melbourne's Garrick Club.
Sir Albert Edward (Bert) Chadwick.
Born in 1897 died in 1983. Sportsman, businessman and sports administrator.
Alfred William Foster.
Born in 1886, died in 1962. Judge.
Climate.
Beechworth features an oceanic climate ("Cfb") with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters. As one of the higher towns in Victoria, several light to moderate snowfalls can be expected each year, sometimes falling heavily.
Newspapers.
In its golden heyday Beechworth boasted two influential newspapers: "The Ovens and Murray Advertiser" and "The Constitution and Mining Intelligencer". These papers engaged in fierce competition and for a while were daily issues. The papers circulated far and wide throughout the district and the colony of Victoria.(O'Brien) Both papers represented the views of their respective readerships sometimes to the exclusion of all others.(O'Brien) Even today, these old papers are an important historical research tool, as most editions from the early 1850 survive and are micro-filmed and are available at the Burke Museum, and most state and National libraries throughout Australia. These two local papers provide rich primary sources for many historians of Beechworth and its surrounds, plus the Kelly Gang historians.(See: Woods (1985); McMahon (2000); Lane (1978); McQuilton (1979); Jones (1995); McWaters (2002); O'Brien (2005); and Wild & McMahon (2006))
"The Ovens and Murray Advertiser" still survives as a local paper.
Tourism.
Beechworth is a popular tourist destination. Attractions include Ned Kelly themed displays at the old court house and Ned Kelly Weekend, which is Australia's most significant recreation of the Kelly legend it commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw's committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880. Other popular draws to the area are its many annual festivals, including the famous Golden Horseshoes Festival Easter Parade through centre of town, The Burke Museum, waterfalls, Gun Powder Magazine, Newtown Bridge (Stone Bridge), Tail Race (Mining Race), Spring Creek Water Falls, Spring Creek Gorge, Beechworth Lunatic Asylum ghost tours, lakes, historic buildings, goldfields, walks, the Beechworth Bakery, Beechworth Honey, brewery, the lolly shop and night tours, the restaurants and wineries. The town is one end point of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail.
The music video for famous singer/actor Jason Donovan's 1989 hit "Too Many Broken Hearts" was filmed in Beechworth.
Sport.
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Tallangatta & District Football League.
Golfers play at the Beechworth Golf Club on Balaclava Road. A dedicated cross-country and downhill mountain biking track, the Beechworth Mountain Bike Park, is maintained by the Beechworth Chain Gang Mountain Bike Club. Beechworth skate park is located close to the Beechworth pool. It has three bowls: one big, one medium and one small. Beechworth also has a swimming complex consisting of three pools of varying sizes for babies, kids and adults. The adult pool is about 25 metres long. It has five lanes and it is not very deep. It has an electric barbecue and also has a canteen with cold drinks and snacks.
Books on Beechworth.
Considering the present nature of the town, a surprising range and variety of books exist on Beechworth town, its adjoining goldfield camps, its surrounds and its heady goldfield days. These include numerous histories, a treasure of local histories, theses, material on bushrangers, police, Chinese, riots, the coming and going of the railway and novels set in the district.


Coombing Park

Coombing Park is a farming property situated in western New South Wales just off the Mid-Western Highway about 5 km west of Carcoar, 260 km west of Sydney and 54 km south-west of Bathurst. The property is of considerable note because of its relationship with convicts, bushrangers and the Cobb & Co coaching company. The property was offered as an estate to its owner Thomas Icely by the early New South Wales Government in 1826. It was one of the first estates created on the western side of the Blue Mountains that border the area of Sydney.
History.
Thomas Icely enlisted (not of their own free-will) the help of 62 convicts to build the original homestead and outbuildings between 1838 and 1842 and indeed the original shearing shed and stables are still standing from their construction date of 1848.
The eastern boundary of the property borders the Mt Macquarie road which leads directly to the town Carcoar, which was specifically created in 1839 so as to service the Coombing Park estate and is situated about 1 kilometre away. The town required the presence of about 27 Mounted and Foot Police, specifically with the aim of controlling the frequent appearance of bushrangers in the area. One notorious bushranger directly related with the Coombing Park property was Mickey Bourke who shot and wounded an employee of Coombing Park whilst he was stealing a racehorse from the stables.
Thomas Icely's original cottage was replaced by a large single storey but elegant brick villa that was designed and built by G.A. Mansfield in 1900. This was some 20 years after the property had been purchased in 1881 by the Cobb & Co coaching company and occupied by a partner of the Cobb & Co firm, a Mr William Franklin Whitney. Whitney's descendants still own and live on the property. It retains much Cobb & Co memorabilia.
Thomas Icely had identified the presence of copper ore close to the homestead, as early as 1847. He had shafts—referred to as the Coombing Mine—sunk to mine the lode from 1848 to 1851. In 1875, this mine was reopened—by Lewis Lloyd and Saul Samuel—and, in 1876, a copper smelter was built close to it. A separate location on the property—about 2km south-east of the homestead, close to the modern-day Fell Timber Road—was, from 1876 to 1878, the site of the Geraldine copper mine.
There was a quarry on the property, which provided iron ore from around 1899, for use as flux at the Cockle Creek Smelter. Later and more significantly, it provided ore—around 500,000 tons—for the Lithgow Blast Furnace, from late April 1907 up to May 1923, when the lease expired and was not renewed. This second ore mining operation included a railway line, 1¼ miles in length, connecting the quarry to the Blayney–Demondrille railway line south of Carcoar. The iron ore quarry was located south of Coombing Creek and just west of modern-day Fell Timber Road. The formation of the former railway line remains discernible in aerial views.
Holistic management.
The property is still a working farm. Once on the verge of ruin, with severe land degradation, the farm was turned around using Allan Savory's holistic management farming techniques, where the livestock are grouped together and herded to mimic the migrations in nature of herds of wild herbivores.


Canadian Federation of Humane Societies

Humane Canada is the largest national animal welfare organization in Canada, representing humane societies, SPCAs, and animal rescue organizations. Humane Canada aims to speak with a strong national voice, promoting the welfare and humane treatment of animals, and working to end animal cruelty.
History.
Based in Ottawa, Humane Canada is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1957. Some of its founders were Richard Taylor, president of the Ottawa Humane Society; Alne Cameron, former Veterinary Director General for Canada and president of the Ottawa Humane Society; Senator Frederic McGrand; and former lawyer Gord Gunn, who had witnessed the suffering of horses in World War I.
Currently, the organization is led by Chief Executive Officer, Barbara Cartwright, who joined Humane Canada in July 2011. Recent prior CEOs include: Steve Carrol (2006-2011) and Robert Van Tongerloo (2000-2005).
In 2018 the organization re-branded its name to Humane Canada, though its legal name remains the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.
Programs.
Humane Canada's program work focuses on companion animals, livestock and legislation. The organization works to improve legislation to improve the prosecution of some animal abusers. The Federation works with the Canadian livestock sector to improve standards of care for animals on farm, as well as in transit and at slaughter. As a founding member of the National Companion Animal Coalition, Humane Canada has been involved in setting the standard for microchip identification for pets, and has worked on such issues as dog bite prevention, puppy mills and municipal bylaws for dogs and cats. Humane Canada is also a member of the Animal Welfare Committee of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
National Animal Welfare Conference.
The organization holds national animal welfare conferences. The 2014 conference included presentations by Jane Goodall, veterinarian Michelle Lem on a Community Veterinary Outreach Program in Ontario, and a discussion of trap-neuter-return to humanely reduce community cat populations. Animal testing was also discussed.
The 2015 conference took place in May in Richmond, British Columbia.
Funding.
Humane Canada does not receive any government funding. It relies on donations from the public, corporate sponsorship and some membership fees to fund its programs.
Governance.
Humane Canada is governed by a volunteer-based Board of Directors. Board members may be employed by member societies. The members of the Board meet four times each year (two face-to-face, two conference calls), while both the Executive and Finance Committees meet monthly. The CFHS website maintains a current list of directors.
Membership.
In 2013, the organization's members included 45 animal welfare organizations, humane societies and SPCAs operating across Canada.


Sunbury wine region

The Sunbury wine region is an Australian Geographical Indication for wine made from grapes grown in a region surrounding the town of Sunbury northwest of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. It is one of five regions in the Port Philip zone surrounding Melbourne. The wine region covers suburbs and inner rural areas in the northwestern sector of the Melbourne urban area, extending as far west as Bacchus Marsh and northeast to Beveridge on the Hume Highway.
The oldest vines date back to the 1850s. They were planted by James Goodall Francis in 1858 at "Goona Warra" and James Johnston at "Craiglee" in 1864. Top grape varieties grown in the Sunbury region include Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay.


James Martin (Irish politician)

James J. Martin (1905 – 3 October 1969) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1965 to 1969. He was elected to the 11th Seanad in 1965 by the Agricultural Panel. He was re-elected at the 1969 Seanad election but died in office in October 1969.
He had stood unsuccessfully for Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil candidate for the Laois–Offaly constituency at the 1957, 1961 and 1965 general elections.


Rodolfo Cabangbang

Rodolfo P. Cabangbang was a Filipino agronomist. He was a fellow of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños in the province of Laguna. He previously taught in the department of agronomy of the university. In 1982 he was named an Outstanding Young Scientist by the National Academy of Science and Technology, for his work on the development of locally adapted varieties of cotton.


Wine from the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a major consumer but only a very minor producer of wine, with English and Welsh wine sales combined accounting for just 1% of the domestic market.
Wine production in the UK has historically been perceived as less than ideal due to the cold climate. The current market, however, is growing. Recent warmer summers have played a role in increasing investment and sale of wines. Most of the wine produced is of a white and sparkling variety, with the majority of vineyards in existence across Southern England and Wales where the climate is warmer than that of northern areas. Vineyards are becoming more commonplace in counties such as Essex, Sussex and Kent, where more varieties of wine can be produced due to the drier and warmer climate.
Geography.
English wine.
The limestone soils (technically chalk) of Sussex, Kent and other portions of southern England are suitable for growing the grapes used to produce sparkling wine, and particularly on south-facing slopes, the climate, at least in recent years, is warm enough. At the last official count, the Wine Standards Board reported that there were just over 450 vineyards producing wine throughout England. The largest of these is Chapel Down in Kent, as of mid-2018 when they became the largest winery and vineyard in England.
"English wine" is also a common generic term used in India meaning "Western spirits". The most northerly commercially producing vineyard is in Leeds, Yorkshire.
Welsh wine.
Welsh vineyards were first planted by Romans, and in the 1970s, modern vineyards were planted in South Wales with the intention of creating Welsh wine. Despite a slow start, by 2005 Wales had 20 vineyards, producing 100,000 bottles a year, primarily white wines, but also a few reds.
According to the Wine Standards Board, by September 2015, there were 22 operational vineyards in Wales.
Scottish wine.
In 2015 Scotland's first home-grown wine, produced by Christopher Trotter, in Fife at a vineyard started in 2012, was described as "undrinkable" by experts. One merchant described it as sherry-like with "nutty" notes, and thought that it might complement a "very strong cheese".
British wine.
The term British wine is used to describe a drink made in Britain by the fermentation of grape (or any other fruit) juice or concentrate originating from anywhere in the world. It cannot be used for :wine in the legal sense, which must be produced from freshly pressed grapes. The most common style is a medium or sweet high-strength wine that is similar to sherry, and was formerly known as British Sherry.
History.
Roman era to 19th century.
The Romans introduced winemaking to England, and even tried to grow grapes as far north as Lincolnshire. Winemaking continued at least down to the time of the Normans, with over 40 vineyards in England mentioned in the Domesday Book, although much of what was being produced was for making communion wine for the Eucharist.
From the Middle Ages, the English market was the main customer of clarets from Bordeaux, France, helped by the Plantagenet kingdom, which included England and large provinces in France. In the 18th century, the Methuen Treaty of 1703 imposed high duties on French wine. This led to the English becoming a main consumer of sweet fortified wines like sherry, port wine, and Madeira wine from Spain and Portugal. Fortified wine became popular because unlike regular wine, it did not spoil after the long journey from Portugal to England.
When Henry VIII was crowned in 1509, 139 vineyards were recorded, 11 of which produced wine for the royal household.
In the 1660s Lady Batten, wife of Sir William Batten, Surveyor of the Navy, had a vineyard at their estate at Walthamstow; Samuel Pepys thought the wine (which was red) "very good".
Just as English wine began to recover from the epidemics of phylloxera and powdery mildew in the mid-19th century, brought back by the explorers of New America, commercial English wine was dealt a heavy blow. In 1860 the government, under Lord Palmerston (Liberal), supported free trade and drastically cut the tax on imported wines from 1 shilling to twopence, a decrease of 83%. English wine was therefore outcompeted by superior foreign products that could be sold at a lower cost to the customer.
Later in the 19th century, many upper and upper-middle-class people started to drink wines from many parts of Europe like France, Spain, Italy and Germany.
20th century.
The twilight of British winemaking tradition was brought to an end with the onset of the First World War, as the need for crops and food took priority over wine production. The rationing of sugar pushed the knife even deeper until, for the first time in 2000 years, English wines were no longer being produced in Wessex, nor the rest of the country.
It was not until 1936 that George Ordish planted vines in Wessex and the South of England, bringing about a voyage of rediscovery for English wines and winemaking. With many individuals keen to produce their own wines from home, and with equipment and methods becoming more available, the government outlawed the production of homemade alcohol at the beginning of the 1960s, only to retract the law after five years as the homebrew fashion escalated considerably.
Other small commercial vineyards in Britain followed in the 1960s with growers such as Joy and Trevor Bates in Kent, Norman Cowderoy in West Sussex, Nigel Godden in Somerset, Gillian Pearkes in Devon and Philip Tyson-Woodcock in East Sussex. Wales also had George Jones, Lewis Mathias and Margaret Gore-Browne.
Viticulture was revived in the 1970s onwards, possibly helped by a rising local temperature due to global warming, making many parts of Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Berkshire and Cambridgeshire dry and hot enough to grow grapes of high quality. The first English wines were influenced by the sweet German wines like Liebfraumilch and Hock that were popular in the 1970s and were blended white and red sweet wines, called "cream wine" (creams). The largest vineyard in England is Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey, which has under vines, and a visitors' centre that is open all year round.
From a peak of over 400 vineyards in the late 1980s, by 2000 one third of these had given up, but plantings have since accelerated, helped by the growing success of English sparkling wines. In 2004, a panel judging European sparkling wines awarded most of the top ten positions to English wines – the remaining positions going to French Champagnes. Similar results have encouraged an explosion of sparkling wine plantings. English still wines too have begun to pick up awards at most big wine competitions, notably Decanter, and the IWSC.
Winemaking has spread from the South East and South West and also to the Midlands and North of England, with Yorkshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lancashire boasting at least one vineyard each as of 2007.
21st century.
Significant plantings have been happening across the south of the country with a number of farmers contract growing vines for some of the major English producers. Farmers are looking at the potential benefits of growing vines, as the return per tonne for grapes over more traditional crops is not to be ignored. A field of wheat might yield 3 tonnes per acre at around £120 per tonne. Growing grapes could yield 3 to 4 tonnes per acre at around £950 to £1100 per tonne. One concern is that growers need to invest money for no initial return, as crops tend to come in the third or fourth year. Another concern is that grape production in the climate is highly variable: "In England, it is only in about 2 years in every 10 that grape production will be really good, 4 years will be average and 4 years poor or terrible – largely due to weather and/or disease exacerbated by weather." However English vineyards share in common European weather patterns, so 2006 was a bumper year, 2007 saw ripe grapes but low volumes, 2008 was very poor, but both 2009 and 2010 were good years. 2011 was average, 2012 dreadful, and 2013 good. Total British cereal production is not so variable.
Another explanation for the growth in viticulture in the UK is the local food movement, and the desire by consumers to cut the amount of food miles connected with the produce that they buy, including locally produced wine.
English wine was given added prestige when the Duchess of Cornwall became the new President of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association on 25 July 2011.
In June 2012 there was also a boost for English wine during the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
Grape varieties.
According to the English Wine Producers over 1300 HA had been planted by 2009, and with further major plantings of sparkling wine varieties the total was likely to be in excess of 1500 HA by 2012. As of 2004, Seyval blanc was the most grown variety, with Reichensteiner next, with Müller-Thurgau and then Bacchus following closely behind. However, Müller-Thurgau, which was one of the first to be grown during the 20th century renaissance , has recently lost favour, dropping from 134.64 ha (1st) in 1996 to 81.1 ha (3rd) in 2004. Other widely grown varieties of white grape include Chardonnay, Madeleine Angevine, Schönburger, Huxelrebe and Ortega. Red varieties include Dornfelder, Pinot Meunier and Pinot noir, and a few others, but red grapes tend to be grown less often, with 20,184 hL of white wine and only 5,083 hL of red wine made in 2006.
Surviving British grape varieties.
With the decline of wine producing most of England's grape varieties were lost. However a known survivor of these lost varieties is Wrotham Pinot which has been found to be a distinctive clone of Pinot noir and is speculated to be up to 2,000 years old and to have possibly been introduced with the Romans. Wrotham Pinot was found by accident growing wild up a cottage wall near the village of Wrotham in Kent. The variety is noted for its unusual furred leaves and great disease resistance, particularly to powdery mildew. In appearance it more closely resembles Pinot Meunier but DNA testing has revealed it to be a clone of Pinot noir. It has a higher sugar content than Pinot Meunier and ripens two weeks earlier.
Greenhouse table and wine varieties.
Cheap coal, glass and labour meant that the wealthy could easily maintain heated greenhouses throughout the year during the 19th century. During this period many grape varieties were grown under glass, with one of the most popular varieties being Black Hamburg.
However, a number of seedlings arose accidentally or through careful breeding that were propagated for eating or wine. Most of them barely survive, but some such as Foster's seedling are still available.
Effect on the British economy.
Most of the wine consumed in Britain is imported from other countries. Now that English wine is being produced in larger quantities, more people in Britain are buying it as opposed to imported wines. The quantities produced are small compared to the volumes consumed, less than 1% according to DEFRA. Production doubled from 1.34 million bottles to 3.17 million from 2008 to 2009, and in 2010 4 million bottles of English wine were produced. By 2018 production had risen to 15.6 million bottles.
Supermarkets tend to sell all wines at the market rate irrespective of their country of origin.
Rules of wine labelling.
Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) is the top category official category of wine in the UK. PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) is next and then varietal wine. PDO and PGI wines must have a full post bottling analysis and pass a tasting panel (or win an award at a recognised competition). These are established via the UK Vineyards Association (UKVA) and the UK Government's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
English sparkling wines are made from grapes grown close to the limit for viticulture. All vineyards are positioned at above 49.9 degrees north leading to long daylight hours in the growing season. The climate is temperate with few summer days above 30 °C. The diurnal temperature range is high.
These wines are made from the classic sparkling wine grape varieties. In England these varieties reach full phenolic ripeness at moderate sugar levels and with high acid levels. Wines from this PDO are made entirely from must containing only natural acid. These wines exhibit stronger aromatic flavours of the underlying grape varieties than wines from the same varieties grown at warmer latitudes.
The northerly latitude of the vineyards in this PDO creates the long growing season and long daylight hours that are key to the development of strong aromatic flavours. The moderate temperatures lead to the high acidity and low pH which is the backbone of fine sparkling wines.
English sparkling wines are made from the following vine varieties:
Where the conditions for the use of the terms "bottle-fermented", "traditional method" or "bottle fermented by the traditional method" have been met, the term "traditional" can be used on the label.
References.
The Great British Vineyards Guide www.gbvg.uk


Melangata Station

Melangata Station is a pastoral lease that has operated as a goat transhipment location, as well as sheep station in Western Australia.
It is located north of Yalgoo and west of Mount Magnet in the Murchison area of the Mid West region of Western Australia. It was the only private property in Western Australia to have a John Hawes designed structure.
The pastoral lease and station of Melangata is smaller than its neighbours Jingemara Station (to the west), Dalgaranga Station (to the east), and Meka Station to the north, and has rougher country compared to the adjacent stations. Originally a sheep station it has been more recently a goat export receival station. The station is on the older Yalgoo to Cue track that was a route much more direct than rail connection between Yalgoo and Cue that travels to Mount Magnet.
It lies at the upper reaches of the Greenough River catchment (which drops to the west), and to the north of the Sanford river catchment.
On the northern border of the lease is a named feature Nooloojoo Hill.
A short road across the south west corner is known as '"Melangata Road"; it links Yalgoo North Road with the Dalgaranga and Cue Dalgaranga roads.
Like most stations in the area it has its own airstrip, and because of its position maps of the area are named after the station.
Most of the leases surrounding Melangata were taken in the 1880s, but Melangata was not leased until 1897. C.C. Williamson acquired the property in 1915 and had the homestead commissioned in 1917.
The station was on sheep shearing lists as early as 1915, with a scheduled number of 2500 sheep to be shorn.
The Seaman family had a long interest in the station.
Melangata was sold in 2013 for 475,000, the property was stocked with approximately 1,500 damaras at the time.
Homestead.
The John Hawes designed homestead was built in 1917 and is constructed of stone with a corrugated iron roof. It consists of six bedrooms, a large living area, an unusual turret and a chapel with altar.
The breezeways are without doors, allowing a constant flow of air throughout the structure. Another feature is the hand-painted pressed metal ceilings, similar to those at Noongal and Carlaminda Stations.


Gary Verity

Sir Gary Keith Verity, (born July 1964) is a British businessman and sheep farmer. He was Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire from 2008 until he resigned in March 2019.
Welcome to Yorkshire.
From October 2008 to March 2019, Verity was Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire. He led the successful campaign for the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France to be held in Yorkshire.
On 22 March 2019, Verity resigned from his post with Welcome To Yorkshire citing health reasons. He also admitted that he had "made errors of judgement regarding his expenses". He voluntarily offered to repay the incorrectly claimed expenses. He was also accused of unacceptable behaviour and bullying, with the former head of communications Dee Marshall suggesting that he had "really hurt people". Allegations were made concerning his behaviour in 2014 and 2016: he was issued with a final written warning and required to attend "behavioural management counselling".
Honours.
In July 2014, Verity was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York. In the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours, it was announced that he had been appointed a Knight Bachelor "for services to Tourism and the Tour De France Grand Depart 2014". In April 2017, he was made a "Chevalier" (knight) of the National Order of Merit by the President of France in recognition of his role in bringing the Grand Départ of the Tour de France to Yorkshire in 2014 and for creating its spiritual successor, the Tour de Yorkshire.
In May 2018, Verity was made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) to the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.
Personal life.
Verity was born and raised in Leeds, and attended Leeds Grammar School. An affinity with the Yorkshire Dales led him to buying a sheep farm in Coverdale. He has a daughter, Lily (born 2003) with his late wife, Helen.


Forestry in Bangladesh

Wood is the main fuel for cooking and other domestic requirements. It is not surprising that population pressure has had an adverse effect on the indigenous forests. By 1980 only about 16 percent of the land was forested, and forests had all but disappeared from the densely populated and intensively cultivated deltaic plain. Aid organizations in the mid-1980s began looking into the possibility of stimulating small-scale forestry to restore a resource for which there was no affordable substitute. Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) is the government organization under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for research in this sector which was established in 1955 at Sholoshahar, Chittagong city.
The largest areas of forest are in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Sundarbans. The evergreen and deciduous forests of the Chittagong Hills cover more than and are the source of teak for heavy construction and boat building, as well as other forest products. Domesticated elephants are still used to haul logs. The Sundarbans, a tidal mangrove forest covering nearly along the Bay of Bengal, is the source of timber used for a variety of purposes, including pulp for the domestic paper industry, poles for electric power distribution, and leaves for thatching for dwellings. The total percentage of forests are 10.98%.
Forestry universities.
There are three universities in Bangladesh where a student can enroll for an undergraduate degree in forestry. Among them the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences under Chittagong University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees both in Forestry and in Environmental Sciences. This is the premier institute for Forestry education in Bangladesh. The three universities of Bangladesh offering undergraduate and graduate degree in Forestry are:


Balmoral Show

The Balmoral Show is Northern Ireland's largest agri-food event. It takes place during May in Balmoral Park, Lisburn.
Sponsored by Ulster Bank, it typically includes showjumping competitions, motorcycle displays, bands, shopping, tasting, a children's farm, and displays of falconry, pedigree horses, ponies, cattle, sheep, poultry, pigs and goats.
History.
Formed in 1854, the North East Agricultural Association of Ireland held the first shows at Belfast Corporation Markets between 1855 and 1895. In 1872, the first three-day show was held in Ormeau Park in association with the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland.
In 1894, the showgrounds at Balmoral were purchased and works were completed in time for the opening of the yearly Annual Show, subsequently renamed the Balmoral Show, on 30 June 1896.
The King's Hall, Belfast opened its doors at the Balmoral site in 1934. In 2012, RUAS members voted to purchase and relocate the show to the site of the former HM Prison Maze, near Sprucefield, in Lisburn.
In 2018, the RUAS celebrated the 150th Balmoral Show at the new Balmoral Park site.
The event was cancelled in the years from 1915 to 1918 (World War I), from 1940 to 1945 (World War II) and in 2020 (as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland).


Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters

The Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters are a historic ranch headquarters complex on Wyoming Highway 313 in Chugwater, Wyoming. Organized in 1883 in Scotland, the Swan Company was one of the largest ranching operations in the nation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, managing more than one million acres of land. Now a much smaller operation, its former headquarters complex was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
Description and history.
The Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters complex is located on the south side of Chugwater, at the junction of Happy Hollow Road and Lone Tree Road (Wyoming Highway 313). The four surviving buildings are arrayed in a north-south line along Happy Hollow Road, a former stagecoach route. All are single-story frame structures finished in wooden clapboards. The general store, at the northern end, has flanking shed-roof sections and was built in 1913. To its south is the former manager's residence, built in 1876 and featuring some finely crafted Stick style decoration. To its south are the utilitarian office building and a barn, the former built in 1918 and the latter c. 1876. The property is adorned by mature cottonwoods planted by the company in 1888.
The Swan Company was founded in 1883 by Scottish investors with an initial capital investment of $3 million. At its peak in 1887-88, the company had more than 113,000 head of cattle and controlled more than one million acres of rangeland across eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. In 1904, it converted its business from cattle to sheep, peaking in 1911 with 112,000 head. The company began liquidating its holdings in 1945, and it managed just when this property was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.


William Wilks

Reverend William Wilks (1843–1923) was a notable British horticulturalist and clergyman. He served as secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society from 1888 to 1919 and as editor of its journal, he was instrumental in getting the work of Gregor Mendel translated and published in English for the first time in 1901. This translation of Mendel's 1865 paper was made by Charles Thomas Druery with the involvement of William Bateson.
Details.
Following education at Oxford University, William Wilks served as Curate in the parish of Croydon. In 1879 he became the incumbent of the parish of Shirley.
Wilks attained some fame as a horticulturalist and was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society for his work. He also served as one of the most distinguished Secretaries of the Royal Horticultural Society, and the ornate wrought iron gates at the Society's garden at Wisley commemorate him and his flower.
The Shirley poppy.
Wilks was extremely interested in the phenomenon of hybridization. As secretary of the RHS, he organized several conferences on hybridization. It was in the third conference that Wilks organized that Bateson coined the word "genetics". Wilks' most famous horticultural work concerned the breeding of the Shirley poppy. Wilks noticed an unusual poppy in a corner of his garden ("abutting on the fields"). This was a minor variant of the wild poppy, "Papaver rhoeas", in which the petals were bordered by a strip of white. From this slight variation, by patient crossing and selection, he bred the varied and ornamental "Shirley poppies".


William Bowie (agrarian)

William Bowie (January 29, 1776 – 1826) was an agrarian and delegate to the state convention to charter the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.
Born at "Locust Grove" in Prince George's County, Maryland on January 29, 1776 to Walter Bowie and Mary (Brooks) Bowie, William Bowie was the only member of his family who did not engage in politics. He was appointed Justice of the Peace from 1808 to 1810 and became a member of the Levy Court in 1820.
In 1825, Bowie was selected by Joseph Kent, governor of Maryland at that time, to be a delegate to the state convention to charter the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.
He married Kitty Beans Duckett and had several children including William Duckett Bowie and Walter Baruch Bowie.


John Billingsley (agriculturist)

John Billingsley (1747–1811) was an agricultural pioneer in 18th century Somerset, England.
The writer of the 1794 Survey of Somerset, Billingsley was a leading agriculturalist who was one of the founders of the Bath and West Society, known today as the Royal Bath and West of England Society. He lived all his life at Ashwick Grove.
Family life.
He was born in 1747, the grandson of Nicholas Billingsley, a Presbyterian dissenter who was minister at Ashwick from 1699 to 1729. Little is known about his early life but by 1782, he was listed as Brewer along with Ryan Gosling of the Oakhill Brewery in the neighbouring village of Oakhill, and may have been involved in the wool trade before that.
He was described as a leading member of the Presbyterian church although at some stage he was reconciled with the Church of England.
"General View of the Agriculture of the County of Somerset".
The 18th century was largely one of peace in Somerset, but the Industrial Revolution in the Midlands and Northern England spelled the end for most of Somerset's cottage industries. Farming continued to flourish however, with Billingsley farming about , and the Bath and West of England Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures and Commerce was founded in 1777 to improve farming methods. Despite this, 20 years later John Billingsley conducted a survey, for the Board of Agriculture, of the county's agriculture in 1795 and found that agricultural methods could still be improved. He provided estimates, based on his local knowledge, of the land use of the one million acres (4,000 km2) in the county. He suggested that 584,500 were enclosed meadow and pasture land, 260,000 were enclosed arable and convertible land with smaller areas for other purposes. were considered uncultivated wastes.
It advocated ways of modernising farming practices, particularly through mechanisation, which including instructions for hedge building and crop rotation (also how to treat sick animals with hay tea and improve cucumber production with horse dung!). It also includes a chapter on political economy related to the narrow margin of British food supplies, in view of the outbreak of war with France in 1793, and mentions developments on the Somerset coalfield.
His "General View of the Agriculture of the County of Somerset" divided the county into three districts- north-east, middle and south-west. It included proposals for the enclosure of Exmoor and the building of a village at Simonsbath. For the middle section the plans he advocated improved drainage, including the straightening of sections of the rivers Brue, Axe and Parrett, were more successful and lead to some significant reclamation of the Somerset Levels. He also deplored the failure of many farmers to manure the land, exhausting it by constant cropping and overstocking.
In 1798 he wrote about the water-meadows of the Brendon and Quantock Hills describing them as the best in the country.
Other activities.
Billingsley was also actively involved in turnpike trusts, and canal building, including the Kennet and Avon Canal, Somerset Coal Canal and the Dorset and Somerset Canal. One eulogy by Sir Benjamin Hobhouse, President of the Bath and West Society, exaggerates considerably, referring to him as having "drained Sedgemoor and enclosed Mendip"!
Because of the moribund state of the lead mines in the Mendip Hills, he proposed to drive a level from Compton Martin to Wookey Hole at a depth of below the surface to remove the water which was flooding the mines – nothing came of this plan.
He was also responsible for the introduction and adoption of the double-furrow plough.
Atthill considers that his greatest achievement was the enclosure of the Mendip Hills. The first Mendip commons to be enclosed were those in the parishes of East and West Cranmore, which had been completed by 1769. By 1794, Billingsley estimated that had been enclosed by Dry stone walls, leaving 11,550 unenclosed.
Memorials.
At the west end of the aisles in the Church of St James, Ashwick two memorial tablets can be seen. These are dedicated to John Billingsley, his wife Mary, and their family.
Soon after his death the Bath and West Society commissioned Samuel Woodforde (the nephew of James Woodforde) to copy in oils a crayon portrait of Billingsly. Another portrait by Joseph Hutchinson now hangs in the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath.


William Curran Dawson

William Curran Dawson (September 17, 1818 - June 11, 1893) represented Russell County, Alabama in the state legislature in 1855. He fought in the Creek War of 1836 and was a merchant and planter at Glenville, Alabama. He was born in Greene County, Georgia, the son of Thomas Dawson.


Kasaragod Dwarf cattle

Kasaragod Dwarf cattle (/) is a breed of cattle in Kerala. They originated in the mountain range of Kasaragod district. The cows are known for their excellent milking ability and give mineral rich milk with high feed to milk ratio. The cattle require almost zero inputs and can be free ranged. They are one among the three prime dwarf cattle in India along with Malnad Gidda and Vechur Cattle.


Balearic donkey

The Balearic donkey, , , is a breed of domestic donkey indigenous to the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean off the eastern coast of Spain. Although found mainly in Mallorca, the largest island of the group, it is found also in Menorca, where it was much used for mule-breeding; it is no longer present in the islands of Eivissa and Formentera. It is officially called the ; until 2006 the breed was known as the , and was also referred to as the Ase MallorquÍ, Asno Mallorquín or Mallorquin donkey.
History.
The Balearic donkey shares common origins with the Catalan donkey and the Baudet du Poitou. The donkey was in the past the most highly valued animal in Mallorca, and could be sold for very high prices. In the early twentieth century it was prized outside the islands too, and many were exported to England, and later to the United States. The breed population fell rapidly in the first half of that century, and it came close to disappearing; the number of pure-bred animals is now stable.
A herd book was established for the Mallorquín donkey, as it was then known, in 1990. A breeders' association, now called the Associació de Criadors de Pura Raça Asenca de les Illes Balears (ASIB), was formed. In 2002 the breed was officially recognised, and a genealogical stud book was established. From 1997 the Balearic donkey was listed by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, as "under special protection, in danger of extinction". In 2006, at the request of the breeders' association, the name of the breed was changed to "Raça Asenca Balear". Its conservation status was listed as "critical" by the FAO in 2007 and as "endangered" by the SAVE Foundation in 2008.
At the end of 2013 the total number recorded in the stud book was 464, all of which were in the Balearic Islands.
Characteristics.
The Balearic donkey is similar to the Catalan breed, but smaller and with lighter bone. Jacks stand about and weigh about , while jennies stand about and weigh about . The coat is black or nearly black in colour, shading to pale on the belly, muzzle and surround of the eyes.
Use.
Before the mechanisation of agriculture, Balearic mares were used in all kinds of agricultural work, both for burden, carrying sacks of olives and the like, and for draught, pulling small carts; jacks were used to sire mules.


Jacques Gourde

Jacques Gourde (born January 13, 1964 in Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage, Quebec) is a farmer and the Conservative Member of Parliament for Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière. He was first elected in the 2006 federal election and, on February 7, 2006 was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, for Official Languages and for the Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec.
Gourde has a diploma in farming management and was a producer and exporter of hay in Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage. He is married to Chantal Beaudoin and have five children.