Labor rights in American meatpacking industry

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regulates union organization in the American meat packing industry. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates the safety and health conditions applicable to workers in the American meat packing industry. According to scholars of the American meat packing industry, despite federal regulation through OSHA and industry oversight, workers in meat production plants have little agency and inadequate protections. Workers in the industry perform difficult jobs in dangerous conditions, and are at significant risk for physical and psychological harm. In addition to high rates of injury, workers are at risk of losing their jobs when they are injured or for attempting to organize and bargain collectively. Several of studies of the industry have found immigrant workers - "an increasing percentage of the workforce in the industry" - especially at risk of not having their labor rights sufficiently protected.
Characteristics of the American meat production industry.
Within the meat production industry, "meatpacking" is defined as "all manufacturing of meat products including the processing of animals." This includes production of beef, pork, poultry, and fish. The scope of the American meat production industry is large; it slaughters and processes over 10 billion animals per year.
Since 2004, four companies essentially control the American meat production industry. Broken down, the companies managed 81% of the beef production, 59% of the pork production and 50% of the poultry market. Within the poultry industry, Tyson and Perdue control each stage of chicken production, from raising the chicks to shipping the meat to grocery stores.
The number of animals butchered in the meat production industry appears to be growing. In 2010, nearly 10.2 billion land animals were slaughtered and raised for food in the United States. According to a report by the Farm Animal Rights Movement, based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), these numbers indicate a 1.7% increase from the 2009 data. There was a 0.9% increase in U.S. population between 2009 and 2010, "meaning that animals [slaughtered] per-capita increased slightly" by 0.8%.
Meatpacker demographics.
While American agriculture has largely been dependent on migrant workers for the last century, thousands of immigrants, mainly from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador, now travel north to work in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants. According to a study in the "Drake Journal of Agricultural Law," "most meatpacking employees are poor, many are immigrants struggling to survive, and most are now employed in rural locations." In 1998, the Immigration and Naturalization Service estimated that about a quarter of meatpacking workers in Nebraska and Iowa were illegal immigrants. The USDA published similar numbers, estimating the percentage of Hispanic meat-processing workers rising from less than 10% in 1980 to almost 30% in 2000. The lack of rights of undocumented workers makes them invisible to the public. In addition, following the 2002 Supreme Court decision in "Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board", "immigration law takes precedence over labor law," which challenges undocumented workers' ability to get compensation benefits.
Slaughterhouse employee turnover rates tend to be extremely high. One company, ConAgra Red Meat, reported a 100% annual turnover rate in the 1990s. Such high turnover rates makes it harder for the workforce to unionize and, consequently, easier for the industry to control its workers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2000, 148,100 people worked in meatpacking and over 250,000 worked in poultry processing. Despite the growth of the meat production industry, slaughterhouse workers' wages have been decreasing rapidly. Slaughterhouse workers' wages were historically higher than the average manufacturing wage. This trend reversed in 1983 when slaughterhouse worker wages fell below the average manufacturing wage. By 2002, slaughterhouse workers' wages were 24% below the average manufacturing wage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006, the median wage for slaughterhouse workers was $10.43 per hour which comes out to $21,690 per year.
Workers' rights in industry.
Historical context.
In the 19th century, the south side of Chicago became the main home of American slaughterhouses. In order to avoid paying higher wages for a skilled workforce, the larger slaughterhouses in Chicago established an (dis)assembly line process; the mass production system eliminated the need for skilled labor.
The original slaughterhouse workers were largely recent immigrants of Irish, German, and Scandinavian background. In the slaughterhouses, they worked in difficult conditions. Not only were they required to slaughter and dismember enormous numbers of animals each day, but they were exposed to poor environmental conditions, including leaks of contaminated water, liquid waste and sewage across the floors, and poorly lit, cold rooms. Both injuries and illness were commonplace among workers. In addition, most workers lived in slums next to the slaughterhouses.
In the early 1880s, workers attempted to organize, calling for higher wages and better working conditions. In response, slaughterhouse owners used ethnic differences to maintain control: they "recruited vulnerable Poles, Serbs, Croatians, Slovaks, and other recent Southern and Eastern European immigrants as workers." When the white workers were able to organize and go on strike in 1894, slaughterhouse owners instead began recruiting African American workers to break the strike.
Upton Sinclair's polemical 1906 novel "The Jungle" revealed the alleged abuses of the meat production industry, and was a factor in the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) and the Federal Meat Inspection Act (1906). However, representatives of the Federal Bureau of Animal Industry reported to Congress that Sinclair's novel was inaccurate in many particulars, was "intentionally misleading and false", and furthermore engaged in "willful and deliberate misrepresentations of fact". The American public "paid little attention to the...abusive working conditions and treatment" workers were sometimes subjected to. It took large-scale unionizing by the newly established Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and the effects of the National Labor Relations Act (1935) to improve working conditions for slaughterhouse workers.
From the 1930s to the 1970s, pay and conditions improved for meatpacking workers. According to a report by the Human Rights Watch, "master contracts covering the industry raised wages and safety standards." However, standards began decreasing in the 1980s as companies began relocating to rural areas and certain companies became "industry powerhouses." Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) especially transformed the meat production process so that, in each stage, workers have a mindless, repetitive movement to complete "in what the industry calls a disassembly-line process." IBP and peer companies increased the speed of the lines and decreased wages.
Even if companies chose not to relocate, many companies simply shut down their plants, let their established and organized workers go, and reopened with a non-unionized, immigrant workforce. Employers strongly resisted attempts workers made to unionize in relocated or reopened plants; the recent history of plant closures gave employer threats significant credibility. A Human Rights Watch report on conditions of meat and poultry plants asserted that "as the twentieth century turned into the twenty-first, the meatpacking industry was returning to the jungle" Sinclair wrote about a century before.
Industry working conditions.
Workplace conditions have made meatpacking an extremely dangerous job. The repetitive motions place severe stress on workers' hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and backs. In addition, the disassembly lines move extremely quickly; according to investigative journalist Eric Schlosser, "one of the leading determinants of the injury rate at a slaughterhouse today is the speed of the disassembly line."
The more quickly a line moves, the more difficult it is for a worker to keep up and the higher the chance of injury. To contextualize the speed of disassembly lines today, the old meatpacking plants in Chicago would process about 50 cattle an hour. The newer plants in the 1980s would process about 175 cattle an hour. Today, in the 2018s, some plants process up to 400 cattle an hour. Not only do the disassembly lines move quickly, but workers also reported constant pressure from their supervisors to keep up to pace the line set. According to the Human Rights Watch, federal regulation of speed of disassembly lines only considers two factors: avoiding adulterating the meat and poultry, and not obstructing a plant's productivity.
In his book "Fast Food Nation", Schlosser also asserted that workers are pressured to not report injuries. Because the bonuses of managers and foremen are often tied to the injury rates at their plant, slaughterhouse supervisors are not incentivized to report incidents.
Other risks of injury come from the close quarters in which workers cut the meat and the types of jobs they perform. The spacing between workers, as well as the height of the disassembly lines and work surfaces, are the same - despite differences in worker body types. For some workers, this forces them to make an extra effort to complete a given task and creates additional risk of injury. Furthermore, despite the growing automation in slaughterhouses, many of the tasks involve heavy lifting, shoving, and turning animals, animal parts, or equipment.
Although slaughterhouse workers are provided with protective gear, the inevitable condition of the work areas means workers are exposed to "blood, grease, animal feces, ingesta (food from the animal's digestive system), and other detritus from the animals they slaughter."
2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
See Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the meat industry in the United States.
Industry response.
Pro-industry organizations, such as the American Meat Institute (AMI), have pointed out that the number of staff injuries in meat processing facilities have decreased in recent years. According to a 2005 article in "The New York Times", "the [meat production] industry also asserted that packing companies did not violate laws allowing workers to unionize and did not treat workers more harshly because of their immigration status." The article quoted Patrick Boyle - president of the American Meat Institute - dismissing the 2005 Human Rights Watch report as "replete with falsehoods and baseless claims."
Representatives of processing plants have also responded to accusations of workers' rights violations. A spokesperson for Tyson Foods said, "we're disappointed by the [Human Rights Watch] report's misleading conclusions, but not surprised given the author's extensive ties to organized labor." Smithfield's vice president, Dennis Treacy, similarly criticized the report, faulting it for reporting on violations from a decade ago rather than recent and relevant circumstances.
When asked about the pace of poultry processing in their plants, Tyson Foods official told the Human Rights Watch that the speed of their lines conform to federal regulations. According to the officials, "line speed varies depending on the type of product," and is regulated by the USDA. While the historical standard speed was slower, it increased with automation which Tyson officials said results in "much less hand work."
Implications for workers.
The meat production industry employs thousands of low-wage workers who are at risk of being exposed to physical and psychological dangers.
Physical.
The significant demand for meat has imposed large quotas on slaughterhouse workers. The work is physically demanding and difficult, based on repetitive motions. Meatpacking workers might need to make a cut every two to three seconds: this comes out to approximately ten thousand cuts over an eight-hour shift. In addition to working with knives, meatpacking employees often have to repeatedly lift and move heavy objects during a shift and are exposed to dangerous machinery. An employee at Excel (a division of Cargill Meat Solutions) reported lifting bags of meat weighing up to forty pounds every three seconds, while other accounts from meatpacking workers indicate that some jobs including flipping an entire hog. A hog slaughtering plant manager went on record during an unfair labor practice trial as saying, "there is a lot of heavy lifting and repetitive work." Consequently, according to data published by the "Drake Journal of Agricultural Law", approximately 25% of meatpacking workers are injured or become ill each year. Records of workplace injuries in Iowa showed a yearly average of 9.8 injuries per group of hundred full-time employees; there were an average of 51 injuries or illnesses per hundred meatpacking employees each year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of injury and illness for the meatpacking industry is double the average of other American manufacturing jobs.
While the types of injuries vary, lacerations are the most common. Workers often accidentally stab either themselves or fellow employees who are nearby. Other common health problems include workers developing tendonitis, cumulative trauma disorders, carpal tunnel, back and shoulder problems, and "trigger finger" - a condition in which a finger is frozen in a curled position. In addition, dull or worn knives place additional pressure on workers' tendons, joints, and nerves.
Another "commonplace hazard and source of injury" is the wet floors of meat production plants. A health care provider who services poultry industry workers in Northwest Arkansas told the Human Rights Watch, "I see leg and knee injuries too from people slipping on the wet surface, fighting to keep their balance."
Psychological.
Typical slaughterhouses are fast-paced. The production is fast-paced and does not allow time to ensure the animals do not suffer. According to a 2008 study in the "Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy", the pain and terror animals go through in their final moments create "an employment situation ripe for psychological problems." Another study by Rachel McNair (2002) suggests that slaughterhouse workers may be susceptible to perception-induced traumatic stress, and their situation merits close study. Perpetration-induced traumatic stress (PITS) is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in which psychological damage arises "from situations that would be traumatic if someone were a victim, but situations for which a person was a causal participant." Essentially, by being involved in creating the traumatic situation, a victim of PITS would suffer PTSD symptoms, including anxiety, panic, depression, increased paranoia, or disassociation. All these symptoms are tied to the psychological consequences of the act of killing.
According to the 2008 study in the "Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy," there is ample anecdotal evidence of slaughterhouse workers exhibiting symptoms of PITS. First, the study asserts the substance abuse that is characteristics of PITS is prevalent among slaughterhouse workers. Second, it cites reports workers recounted of nightmares relating to slaughterhouse work. "Virgil Butler, a long-time slaughterhouse worker, recalled having nightmares of chickens and reported a fellow worker being 'hauled off to the mental hospital' for severe recurring dreams."
Policy protections.
Human rights standards.
There are several international human rights protections for the workplace. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and the United Nations' "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" both called for just and safe conditions of work. In 1981, the International Labour Organization (ILO) wrote the Occupation Safety and Health Convention No. 155, which calls for national policies that minimize the hazards of the working environment. Other aspects of the ILO's workplace safety conventions maintain standards of workers' compensation in the event of injury; the ILO calls for legal protections and regulations that offer fully paid medical care and rehabilitation for workers disabled or injured while on the job, as well as compensation for time taken off due to workplace injuries.
According to a study by the Human Rights Watch, "the human rights standard for workplace safety and health centers on the principle that workers have a right to work in an environment reasonably free from predictable, preventable, serious risks." While such standards do not require countries to eliminate all risks - whether major or minor - workers do have the right to know that when they go to work and complete their tasks, "they will be able to leave the workplace at the end of the day with life and limb intact."
U.S. law.
American workplace protections laws generally conform to international labor standards. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an agency of the United States Department of Labor that set and mandated national standards for workplace safety. The Act gave OSHA several critical powers including the ability to inspect workplaces for noncompliance, impose penalties for safety violations, and remove a health or safety hazard. When determining fines, the agency has wide discretion: OSHA considers many factors including the employer's previous compliance with safety standards, size, good faith, and the severity of the violation. OSHA standards apply to all workers, included those who are undocumented or not citizens.
There have been more recent legislative responses to the concerns of labor advocates. In 2000, the former Nebraska Governor Michael Johanns (who later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture) issued the "Nebraska Meatpacking Industry Workers Bill of Rights," which recognized an employee's right to organize, work in safe conditions and access state and federal benefits. In 2001, Congress overturned some OSHA ergonomics standards that had been approved by the Clinton administration. President Bush signed the repeal.


Ranch A

Ranch A, near Beulah, Wyoming, was built as a vacation retreat for newspaper publisher Moses Annenberg. The original log ranch structures in Sand Creek Canyon were designed in the rustic style by architect Ray Ewing. The principal building, a large log lodge, was built in 1932. Other buildings constructed at the time included a garage with an upstairs apartment, a barn, a hydroelectric power plant, stone entrance arches and a pump house. The lodge was furnished with Western furniture and light fixtures made by noted designer Thomas C. Molesworth. Many of these furnishings, among the first of Molesworth's career, are now the property of the state of Wyoming and are in the Wyoming State Museum.
History.
Annenberg bought the property around November 1927 from Frank LaPlante. Annenberg and his son Walter were going to Yellowstone National Park and stopped to eat in Beulah. Impressed with the trout he was served, Annenberg inquired after the property where the trout was raised. He bought the ranch from LaPlante on the spot the next day for $27,000 [today worth around $303,000 in 2010 dollars] in cash, which Annenberg produced from his pocket. Annenberg added more parcels to bring total acreage to more than . Moses and Walter Annenberg were the chief users of the ranch; Sadie Annenberg and her daughters came to the ranch only once. Guests arrived by rail at Aladdin, Wyoming, where the tracks ended, on private railcars owned by Annenberg. As publisher of the "Daily Racing Form", Annenberg had a telephone communication center installed in the basement for coordination of horse racing information.
The design work was done by South Dakota architect Ray Ewing, who hired the Juso Brothers to build the structures. The Jusos were Finnish immigrants who used traditional Finnish log building practices to fell, trim and erect the logs for the lodge and supporting structures. Work took place during the Great Depression, employing sixty to seventy workers, a significant project for the local economy. Site planning and landscape architecture were done by South Dakota landscape architect J.R. McKay.
Annenberg came under Federal investigation for his business practices in the late 1930s and was convicted of income tax evasion in 1940, was imprisoned, and died shortly after his release in 1942. Annenberg's heirs sold the ranch to Wyoming governor Nels Smith, Bill Walker (Cheyenne, Wyoming) and Sam Keener (Salem, Ohio). Ranch A was used as a dude ranch for twenty years, and was featured in an October 1956 issue of "National Geographic". In 1963 the Fish and Wildlife Service bought the ranch, using it as a genetics laboratory for salmonid research under the name "Spearfish Fisheries Center Complex." After 1979 the genetic research was replaced by fish diet research. The ranch was deeded to the state of Wyoming in 1996 for educational purposes.
Description.
Sand Creek is a spring-fed stream with a consistent water temperature that is ideal for raising fish. The complex is located on the floor of the canyon with sandstone cliffs rising to either side. The lodge is sited near the northern canyon wall. Square in plan, the two-story lodge measures about by . The second story overhangs the first, creating a long veranda across the front of the building, supported by stone piers with standing log sections as columns. The entrance is a knotty pine double door with iron strap hardware. The second story is a side gable dominated by shed dormers extending nearly the full width of the building, front and back. A small cross gable marks the center of the second story. A walkway extends directly from the rear of the second floor to the hillside behind. The interior features an atrium extending to the roof, surrounded by living spaces on both levels, framed in log construction.
The garage is also of log construction, measuring by , with three bays for vehicles, one of which has since been closed in. The second floor is framed as a smaller version of the lodge, and houses a three-bedroom caretaker's apartment.
The barn was built about 1935 and measures about by . The peeled log walls rest on a concrete foundation. A gambrel roof crowns the two-story structure. Other contributing structures include the pump house (1932), built in stucco with applied half-timber detailing and a rolled roof edge. The 1933 hydroelectric plant is similar in style and construction. Dams are associated with each building. A root cellar, stone walls, a lily pond and its feeder canal all date from the historical period.
Additional buildings include the fish hatchery lab, a 1967 brick building, the distinctive Sawtooth Building (ca. 1964) or Wet Laboratory, another hatchery building with a sawtooth roof profile, and several apartments.
Ranch A presently comprises , owned by the state of Wyoming. It is managed by the Ranch A Restoration Foundation as an education center. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Legislation.
On April 23, 2013, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis introduced the Ranch A Consolidation and Management Improvement Act (H.R. 1684; 113th Congress). If passed, the bill would require the federal government to transfer 10 acres of federal lands in the Black Hills National Forest to the state of Wyoming. Wyoming would use the land to connect different, separated pieces of Ranch A. The bill would also remove current restrictions placed on the land that prevents the foundation managing the site from some types of fundraising. Currently, outside groups are not allowed to rent any of the property, which would change under this bill, increasing revenue.


John McIntosh (farmer)

John McIntosh (August 15, 1777 – c. 1845) was a Scottish-Canadian farmer and fruit breeder, credited with discovering the McIntosh Red apple. Through the apple, his surname is the eponym of the Macintosh (or Mac) computers and operating systems by Apple Inc.
Early life.
John McIntosh was born in Mohawk Valley near Harpersfield in the Province of New York in 1777, the son of a Scottish immigrant who was a loyalist during the American Revolution. McIntosh emigrated to Upper Canada sometime between 1795 and 1801 and settled in Matilda Township, now part of South Dundas Township.
Discovery of the McIntosh apple.
While clearing his property, McIntosh discovered a number of seedling apple trees growing wild. He transplanted them to his garden, and by the following year only one had survived. Several years later, the tree was producing the crisp, delicious fruit that is now well known. The discoverer eventually dubbed it the 'McIntosh Red', which is still the apple's official name.
McIntosh farmed the original property until his death, sometime between September 19, 1845 and January 10, 1846, near St. Lawrence Valley, Ontario.
Original tree.
The original tree that spawned this legacy was damaged by fire in 1894. The McIntosh family nursed the old tree along until 1908; the last year it produced a crop; and, in 1910, it fell over. A flat headstone now marks the spot where the stump had remained for years. At least three plaques commemorating the site's historic value are also located in the vicinity. In 1962, the Ontario Heritage Foundation erected a plaque outside the former McIntosh homestead.
In 2001 the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled another plaque in a nearby park and declared the apple's discovery and development an "event of national historic importance." The park, which belongs to the Township of South Dundas, also features a large hand-painted mural depicting the apple's history.


Hugh Roche

Hugh Lewis Roche (5 November 1893 – 15 July 1962) was an Australian politician who served as a Country Party member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1940 to 1960.
Roche was born in York, Western Australia, to Maria Josephine (née Lockyer) and Hugh Henry Roche. He completed his early schooling in York before boarding at Christian Brothers' College, Perth. Roche enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in January 1915, and during the war served with the 10th Light Horse, reaching the rank of warrant officer by the war's end. He was discharged in February 1920, and worked in Perth as a clerk for a period before going to farm in Kojonup. He served on the Kojonup Road Board from 1926 to 1940. Roche entered parliament at the 1940 Legislative Council elections, replacing Charles Wittenoom in South-East Province. He was re-elected in 1948, appointed to South Province in 1950 after a reconstitution, and then re-elected again in 1954. Roche left parliament in 1960 and died in Perth in July 1962, aged 68. He had married Mariane Florence Reid in 1944, but had no children.


Shavei Tzion

Shavei Tzion (, "lit." Returnees to Zion) is a moshav shitufi in northern Israel. Located between Acre and Nahariya and covering 2,000 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council. In it had a population of .
History.
The village was established on 13 April 1938 as part of the tower and stockade settlement scheme. Its founders, immigrants from Rexingen in Germany, arrived during the Fifth Aliyah fleeing from Nazi persecution. The village's construction was financed by Arthur Loewengart, a former resident of Rexingen and wealthy leather manufacturer who immigrated to the United States in 1937. Shavei Tzion is considered one of the most beautiful towns in the Galilee due to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea.
Seven of the Acre Prison break fighters who were killed during the operation are buried in the local cemetery.
A memorial was erected on the beach in 1999, commemorating the death of 12 IDF naval commandos who fell during an ill-fated mission into Lebanon on 5 September 1997. It is composed of a dozen sandstone slabs leaning on each another, and a separate block carrying the names of the casualties – including a young officer from Shavei Tzion. The wreck of an old ship of the Israeli Navy, Kidon, which had been sunk just offshore as a tourist attraction for scuba divers, has also become a memorial site in recent years after a 2016 remembrance day ceremony organized by a local dive club, at which a memorial of Israeli flags and 12 chairs representing each of the 12 soldiers who died during the operation was set up on the wreck.
Archaeology.
In 1955, remains of a Byzantine church were found along the beach path that leads from Acre to Tyre and was dated to the 4th century. The excavations were led by Moshe Prausnitz and the findings included Mosaic floors and walls as well as remains of an Artesian aquifer.
Twin towns.
Shavei Tzion has a friendship relationship with:


Agricultural Development in the American Pacific

The Agricultural Development in the American Pacific (ADAP) Project was formally organized by the five directors of the Land Grant institutions in Hawaii and the United States-affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) in 1988, with the deans/directors of the Land Grant institutions serving as the Board of Directors. The purpose of ADAP is to strengthen existing Land Grant programs by sharing and focusing resources on priority areas of common concern and interest. Priority areas are often unique to the Pacific region, having to do with tropical/subtropical island agriculture and cultural practices. Due to the unique natural and human resource base of the Pacific island agro-ecosystems, it is often not possible or appropriate to transfer results from temperate zone agricultural research, and materials for extension and teaching used by continental US Land Grant programs. ADAP supports applied research within the region, and the development of effective extension materials that are culturally appropriate.
ADAP represents a partnership of the University of Hawaii, American Samoa Community College, College of Micronesia, Northern Marianas College, and the University of Guam.


Colio Estate Wines

Colio Estate Wines is a vineyard and winery in Harrow, Ontario, Canada that opened in 1980. Located at 42 degrees north latitude, the Lake Erie North Shore VQA region is at a latitude similar to that of northern California or the Tuscany region of Italy. Colio Estate is south of Detroit, near the southern border of Michigan. It is also south of the latitude of New York's Finger Lakes wine region.
Their brands include CEV Signature Series-Limited Edition Wines, Colio Estate Vineyards Ultra Premium, Colio Estate VQA Varietals and Premium, Colio Varietals and Blends and Girls' Night Out. They produce icewines, sparkling wines and St. Tropez Non-Alcoholic Cocktail. Products are available at 14 Colio Estate Retail Boutiques located in Mississauga, Kanata, Windsor, Peterborough and Toronto and in LCBOs across Ontario.
Carlo Negri, master wine maker.
Immigrated from Italy in 1980, Carlo Negri was Colio Estate Wines' first wine maker. His 30 year long career is credited with the flourishing wine/tourism of the Lake Erie North-Shore area. Carlo won the "Tony Aspler Cuvée Award of Excellence" in 2005, an honor awarded to those who have " done most to further the aims and aspirations of the Ontario Wine Industry". Carlo and the winery won two Gold Medals in 2002 for the CEV Merlot Reserve in the Red Wine Category and for CEV Carlo Negri Signature Meritage in the Limited Edition Red Wine category. They also won "Best in Category" honours the same year. After his passing in July, 2014, Colio Estate Wines set up a $10,000 scholarship. Partnering with both St. Clair College and Brock University, the scholarship offers $5,000 to students studying culinary arts and hospitality and another $5,000 to a student studying wine making.
In 2003 the winery brought winemaker Tim Reilly on board and moved their vineyard manager Kevin Donohue to the winemaking team. They have seen an steady increase in awards for their white wine program. Tim took the head winemaking reins in August 2007 – 2012. The winery has since acquired in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region.
Girls' Night Out.
The Girls' Night Out product line includes nine wine beverages, specializing in chardonnay, sparkling wines, rosés and sangria. Their products are marketed to women as a reason to get together and celebrate friendship. Their label design, three cocktail dresses, won a Silver Medal for label design at the Ontario Wine Awards in 2009. Their products have received acclaim in magazines such as "Food and Wine", "Elle" and "Hello Canada".
Thornbury Beverage Co..
Thornbury Beverage Company is a cidery and brewery located in the Georgian Bay region. Established in 2006, the cidery operates on 7,500 acres of apple orchards. They produce Ontario craft ciders and beers. The company was bought by Colio Estate Winery in early 2016.
Awards.
Thornbury Village Cidery has won 7 awards:


Alentejo wine

Alentejo ("Vinho do Alentejo", Alentejo wines) is a Portuguese wine region in the Alentejo region. The entire region is entitled to use the "Vinho Regional" designation Alentejano VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher "Denominação de Origem Controlada" (DOC) level under the designation Alentejo DOC. VR is similar to the French "vin de pays" and DOC to the French AOC. In the southern half of Portugal, the Alentejo region covers about a third of the country and is sparsely populated. In 2005, South Oregon University scientist Gregory V. Jones identified Alentejo ("southern Portugal" in his words) as the world's most challenged wine region (out of 27 world wine regions) from a climate change perspective. The region is noted for it vast cork production but has in recent years garnered attention for its table wine production. Some producers of this region still do wine in great potteries as in Roman times.
Subregions.
There are eight subregions of the Alentejo region that are entitled to the Alentejo DOC designation. The names of the subregions may be indicated on the label together with the name Alentejo, for example as Alentejo-Borba. These subregions were initially created as separate "Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada" (IPR) wine regions, after which some were elevated to DOC status. In 2003, these separate DOCs and IPRs were put together as the Alentejo DOC. Listed from north to south the eight subregions are the following.
Grapes.
The principal grapes of the Alentejo region includes Abundante, Alfrocheiro Preto, Alicante Bouschet, Antão Vaz, Arinto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Diagalves, Fernão Pires, Grand noir, Manteudo, Moreto, Palomino, Periquita, Rabo de Ovelha, Tempranillo, and Trincadeira.


Ormiston House Estate

Ormiston House Estate is a heritage-listed plantation at Wellington Street, Ormiston, City of Redland, Queensland, Australia. It was built from to . It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
History.
Ormiston House, a large, single-storeyed brick residence, was erected in stages between c.1858 and 1865 for the Hon. Louis Hope, a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council.
Hope had arrived in New South Wales in 1843, was an active participant in early Queensland economic and political life, and was instrumental in the development of the sugar industry in Queensland. In the 1850s he purchased and/or leased extensive landholdings in the Moreton region, including Kilcoy Station (in partnership with Robert Ramsey) in 1853, Shafston House at Kangaroo Point in 1854, and land in the Cleveland area overlooking Raby Bay, 1852-55.
Ormiston, said to have been named after a Hope ancestral name in Scotland, was farmed from , and the slab hut which is now the kitchen wing at Ormiston House appears to date from this period. In the early 1860s Hope experimented first with cotton, then sugar cane.
By late 1862 the estate comprised just under of fenced land. Improvements included an established ornamental garden, under sugarcane, under corn, saltpans producing up to of salt per day, a small brick house, a slab hut containing a kitchen, oven and two small rooms, huts for the farm workers, an overseer's house, a barn, stockyard and milking yards. Water was obtained from wells and waterholes on the property. In 1863 Hope acquired extensive adjacent lands from Post-Master General Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior.
In 1864 Hope erected Queensland's first sugar crushing mill, supplied by Cook & Co. of Glasgow, on the banks of Hilliards Creek. The first commercially milled sugar in Queensland was produced there in September that year.
Accompanying the establishment of his sugar plantation and mill, Hope erected on the property a substantial brick residence in 1864-65. The earlier small brick house appears to have been incorporated into the new structure, which featured gas lighting (probably a by-product of sugar manufacture), hot water and cisterns. Reputedly, Hope brought out Scottish workmen to erect the house, and sent cypress pine logs from Ormiston to England to be turned for the tuscan columns along the verandahs. The bricks were made on the property, and the timber was felled and sawn on site. The roof was shingled originally.
In 1865 the sugar plantation at Ormiston was the largest in Queensland. From September 1867 Hope was employing South Pacific islanders in his canefields, and producing 50- of sugar in a season. Most of this went directly to the station trade rather than to merchants in Brisbane. In 1869 the mill and a distillery were in active operation, with Hope both buying cane from smaller growers and operating the plant as a central crushing mill on the half-produce principle.
Hope continued with sugar crushing at Ormiston until when, following protracted litigation with a neighbour who claimed that Hope had reneged on a promise to crush his cane, the mill machinery was sold. In the same year he leased the bulk of the property west of Hilliards Creek to his former manager Gilbert Burnett, retaining about with the main residence.
In mid-1881 Hope advertised Ormiston House for sale in anticipation of leaving the colony. The house was described as a large brick and stone residence of sixteen rooms, with wide verandahs to three sides, a detached kitchen, servants' quarters, and laundry. A lead-lined cedar tank in the roof supplied water for baths and three cisterns. The house and a four-roomed brick lodge sat in of ornamental gardens. Ormiston House was not sold at the time, but Burnett purchased from Hope the property he had been leasing since 1875.
In 1882 the Hope family returned to England, leaving Kilcoy and Ormiston under the supervision of manager William Butler, who leased out Ormiston House. Hope died in 1894, but Ormiston House remained in the family until 1912, when it was sold to grazier John Arthur Macartney of Waverley Station.
In 1935 the International Society of Sugar Technologists erected a cairn in the front grounds of Ormiston House to commemorate Hope's pioneering work in the Queensland sugar industry.
In 1959 the house on just under was acquired by the Carmelite Nuns, and subsequently a brick monastery was built in the grounds. With their permission, Ormiston House now functions as a house museum, operated by the Ormiston House Restoration Association, established in the mid-1960s.
Description.
Ormiston House Estate consists of a complex of buildings including the main house, a slab kitchen, former store, laundry, lodge and extensive grounds. A large monastery was built to the north. The property overlooks Raby Bay to the east, with the grounds extending to the water's edge with terracing to mangrove wetlands along the foreshore.
The single-storeyed brick house has a T-shaped plan form, encircled by verandahs, and two small rooms on the northwest. The building has a hipped corrugated iron roof, with the south section having two parallel hips with south gables and lower unlined skillion roofs to the verandahs.
Built in stages, the earliest southeast section is of Flemish bond face brick with the later stages, a north wing and western addition, being of English bond face brick. The south wall is painted.
The eastern verandah has brick paving, but elsewhere the verandahs now have sandstone paving. The north wing verandahs have paired, white painted timber, tuscan columns with stone bases; those to the southern wing have square chamfered timber posts with curved timber brackets at the corners and are partially lattice screened to the west.
The northern wing has French doors with large fanlights and timber shutters. The southern wing has casement windows and timber doors with glass panels. The entry hall, in the junction between the two wings, has a panelled cedar door with clear glass fanlight and sidelights at either end.
Internally, the entry hall walls are rendered, and walls elsewhere are rendered and papered, mostly to picture rail height. The principal rooms have ceilings high. Most rooms have pressed metal ceilings, with the entry hall ceiling raking down above the west entry door with the fanlight cut into the rake.
The floors are timber and joinery throughout is of cedar with deep skirtings, wide architraves and sills, panelled doors, fireplace surrounds, French doors and casement windows. The water closet contains an early flushing cistern, and gas piping for the light fittings. The present kitchen has pressed metal sheets to the walls with wall mounted gas light fittings.
The split-log slab kitchen, sitting on large timber sleepers, has a corrugated iron gable roof and is situated to the west of the house. It has a brick paved east verandah with a lower pitch roof. Internally, the building has a boarded ceiling, casement windows and the original brick chimney and kitchen oven at the north end.
The former store, now containing toilets, is built of brick and is located to the north of the slab kitchen. The building shares the same roof and verandah as the kitchen.
A single skin timber laundry, attached to the western side of the slab kitchen, has a corrugated iron skillion roof and is open to the north. The laundry has a copper, a brick chimney and an attached timber lean- to the south.
A white painted brick lodge with a steep, corrugated iron gable roof is located to the south. The building has enclosed north and southwest verandahs, a west porch with a gable roof and casement windows.
The grounds include an avenue of Bunya Pines to the southeast, mature exotic trees between the house and the road, large areas of lawn and other remnants of earlier plantings.
To the east stands a 1935 memorial cairn.
A two-storeyed brick monastery lies to the north of the main house, and they are separated by a high fence.
Heritage listing.
Ormiston House Estate was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria.
The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history.
Ormiston House Estate, established in the late 1850s to early 1860s, is important in demonstrating the evolution and pattern of Queensland's history, being closely associated with the establishment of European settlement at Cleveland and with the establishment of the sugar industry in Queensland.
The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage.
Ormiston House demonstrates a rare aspect of Queensland's history, providing evidence of early and uncommon gas, hot water and water closet facilities.
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Queensland's history.
Ormiston House Estate has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Queensland's history, containing the site of early agricultural and industrial activity and extensive 19th century gardens.
The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places.
The place is important in demonstrating the principle characteristics of an 1860s country house and rural estate, and house and grounds make a strong aesthetic contribution to the Ormiston district and to the Raby Bay foreshore, which is valued by the community.
The place is important because of its aesthetic significance.
The place is important in demonstrating the principle characteristics of an 1860s country house and rural estate, and house and grounds make a strong aesthetic contribution to the Ormiston district and to the Raby Bay foreshore, which is valued by the community.
The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.
Ormiston House Estate has a special association with the life and work of Queensland pioneer Hon. Louis Hope, and his contribution to the development of the sugar industry in Queensland.


Ambrose Cobbs

Ambrose Cobbs (1603 – c. 1655) was an early Virginia colonist and planter who established the long lasting social and political Cobb dynasty in the southern states.
Life.
Ambrose Cobbs was born in 1603 in Kent, England. He was the son of Ambrose Cobbs and Angelica Hunt, the sister of Robert Hunt, chaplain of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 1607. Cobbs married before 1627, Ann White with whom he had at least six known children. In 1633, Cobbs and his wife sold their property in Kent in preparation for their immigration to Virginia. It is believed that he, his wife Ann, children Robert and Margaret arrived in Virginia in 1635. In 1639 Cobbs patented 350 acres at the mouth of the Appomattox River as a headright for have paid for the immigration of his family along with Hugh Barker, Thomas Barker and Thomas Harding.
Two of the Ambrose Cobbs children, Ambrose and Jane were born and died in Kent before his immigration. He and his wife Ann bore another two children, sons Ambrose (the younger) and Thomas after their arrival in Virginia. Cobbs died about late 1655 or within the first few days of 1656, his will was probated January 15, 1656. His home-site was later sold to the Bolling family who used the name "Cobbs Hall" for their estate.
Georgia Cobb family.
A number of Ambrose Cobbs descendants migrated to Georgia in the later part of the 18th century founding a powerful dynasty which has continued to hold social and political influence into the 21st century. This prominent Georgia branch of the Cobbs family was founded by Thomas 'Old Tom' Cobbs and John Addison Cobbs, great-great grandsons of Ambrose through his son Robert. The two men would eventually drop the 'S' from their surname as would all their descendants by the Civil War. Cobb County, Georgia was named for his descendant Thomas Willis Cobb, grandson of Thomas 'Old Tom' Cobbs
Descendants and relations of Ambrose Cobbs.
The following is a list of direct and collateral descendants of Ambrose Cobbs .
"The list above is compiled through reference with available genealogical resources from the Library of Virginia, Library of Congress, multimedia referencing through Ancestry.com and through internal wikipedia cross-referencing."


University of Guam

University of Guam () (U.O.G.) is a public land-grant university in Mangilao, Guam. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and offers thirty-four degree programs at the undergraduate level and eleven at the master's level. Of the university's 3,387 students, 94% are of Asian-Pacific Islander ethnicity and nearly 72% are full-time (fall 2012 figures). A full-time faculty of about 180 supports the university's mission of "Ina, Diskubre, Setbe"— which translates to "To Enlighten, to Discover, to Serve."
History.
University of Guam was founded in 1952 as a two-year teacher-training school known as the Territorial College of Guam, established by Governor Carlton Skinner and Maryly Van Leer Peck. In 1960, the college moved to the present campus in the central district of Mangilao. In 1965, the college was accredited as a four-year, degree granting institution. By 1968, enrollment had reached 1,800 students while staff and faculty totaled more than 130. It was designated as a land grant institution by the United States Congress in 1972.
Presidents.
^ Indicates President Emeritus status conferred by UOG Board of Regents
Facility.
The U.S. Census Bureau puts the university into a census-designated place, the University of Guam.
Colleges and schools.
The University of Guam offers bachelor's degrees in thirty-four areas and master's degrees in eleven areas:


Gulbrand Eriksen Tandberg

Gulbrand Eriksen Tandberg (11 November 1775 – 4 February 1848) was a Norwegian farmer and politician.
He was a son of Erich Olsen (1724–1801) and Marie Ellevsdatter Tandberg, who lived at the farm Østre Tanberg. Gulbrand received the farm name as his surname, and also the patronymic Eriksen. He was a great-grandfather of agricultural director Gudbrand Tandberg (1851–1929).
He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 1815. He was later re-elected in 1824, representing the constituency of Buskeruds Amt. He was later a deputy representative during the term 1827–1829. In addition to farming he worked as a timber merchant.


Victor Bonham-Carter

Victor Bonham-Carter (13 December 1913 – 13 March 2007) was an English author, farmer and publisher.
Early life.
He was the son of General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter, who was Governor of Malta (1936-1940), and he was educated at Winchester College and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he studied modern languages and rural economics. After graduating, he worked for "The Countryman" and from 1937 he was a director of School Prints Ltd. During the Second World War, Bonham-Carter joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment and was seconded to the Intelligence Corps, which was based in the War Office. He returned to School Prints after the war, where he remained until 1960.
Career.
He was appointed the historian of Dartington Hall, Devon and his findings were published in "Dartington Hall" (1958), which he co-authored with W. B. Curry. Bonham-Carter managed a farm in Somerset and he wrote extensively on rural affairs. His 1952 work, "The English Village", explored the history of the village. He also composed a textbook for secondary school pupils, "Farming the Land" (1959). "The Survival of the Countryside" demonstrated how changes in the use of land damaged the countryside.
During 1963–64 he was a scriptwriter for the BBC television series "The Great War".
He also wrote on military history, including biographies of Field-Marshal Sir William Robertson (1965) and George Lawson (1969), a surgeon in the Crimean War.
From 1966 until 1982 he was secretary of the Royal Literary Fund and from 1971 until 1978 he was joint-secretary of the Society of Authors.
Personal life.
Bonham-Carter married Audrey Stogdon in 1938 and they had two sons. They divorced in 1979 and in 1980 he married Cynthia Sanford. He died on 13 March 2007, aged 93.


Casa Pueblo

Casa Pueblo is a non-profit environmental watchdog community-based organization in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, headed by Alexis Massol-González, a civil engineer and winner of the 2002 Goldman Environmental Prize. His son, Arturo Massol Deyá, Professor of Microbiology and Ecology at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, is assistant executive director of Casa Pueblo
History.
The organization was established in 1980 as a cultural center named "Taller de Arte y Cultura" (Art and Culture Workshop). In 1985, the organization acquired a house that was converted into a headquarters for the group and as a non-governmental, independent, self-supporting, community cultural center. The house was used as a cultural center, with a meeting and expositions hall, library, carts shop, butterfly garden and museum hall, running on solar energy. The cultural center was named Casa Pueblo, a name eventually adopted by the environmental organization itself. The organization has a radio station, with environmental and cultural programming; it opened an environmental school in August 2013.
Mission.
Casa Pueblo is a community-based organization that promotes, through voluntary participation of individuals and groups, protection of the environment. Its mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places in Puerto Rico; to practice and promote the responsible use of the land's ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist others to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
Conservation policies.
Casa Pueblo has official policies on many conservation issues. They group these into 17 categories: agriculture, biotechnology, energy, environmental justice, forest and wilderness management, global issues, government and political issues, land management, military issues, nuclear issues, oceans, pollution and waste management, precautionary principle, transportation, urban and land use policies, water resources, and wildlife conservation.
Casa Pueblo advocates investment in wind, solar, and other renewable energy ; and restructuring energy markets to favor innovation, creation of green jobs, and efficient energy use.
Achievements.
Some of the achievements of Casa Pueblo are:
Hurricane Maria.
After Hurricane Maria hit the area on 20 September 2017, the island was left without power. Casa Pueblo became the sole energy provider of the community where people came to connect their life-saving equipment. Casa Pueblo became an "energy oasis" and it also distributed 10,000 solar lamps.
Campaigns.
The organization has been involved in the following campaigns:


South German Coldblood

The South German Coldblood () is a breed of draught horse from southern Germany. It is distributed mainly in Bavaria. It is the most numerous of the four principal German draught horse breeds – the others being the Black Forest Horse, the Rhenish German Coldblood and the Schleswig Coldblood – and is the only one not listed as endangered by the FAO or by the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen, the German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds.
History.
The South German Coldblood shares common origins with the Noriker breed of Austria, and the two breeds are sometimes considered an entity. However, genetic analysis has shown it to be not only quite distant from the other German draught breeds, but also to be clearly distinguishable from the Salzburg and Carinthian Noriker populations. The differences may be attributable to Thoroughbred and warmblood influences on the South German Coldblood.
In 1906 a stud book was established for horses of Noriker type in the , the upland region of central southern Bavaria that borders with modern Austria. From 1920 breeding came under Bavarian state control at the former State Stud of Schwaiganger at Ohlstadt; the stud book was closed, and an edelweiss symbol was adopted as a brand. At this time the lighter type of Noriker horse was known in Bavaria as the Oberländer, and the heavier type was called, as in Austria, the Pinzgauer; this distinction was dropped in 1939, and the name Noriker applied to all. In 1948 the present name, Süddeutsches Kaltblut, was adopted.
The breeding population has remained relatively stable since 1997, when it was 2113. In 2013 it was reported as 1921 mares and 129 stallions, totalling 2050.
Characteristics.
Like the Noriker, the South German Coldblood is one of the few horse breeds to sometimes display leopard or "tiger" spotting.
The South German Coldblood is particularly susceptible to the bone diseases osteochondrosis and osteochondritis dissecans. A study of 167 young horses averaging 14 months old found osteochondritic lesions in the fetlock or hock joints of 61.7% of the sample, and osseous fragments in 28.9%. The incidence in fillies was double that in colts, and symptoms were more often seen in horses a year or more old. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with osteochondritis dissecans in fetlock joints have been identified.


Freixenet

Freixenet () is a Cava producer, headquartered in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Spain. It is the largest producer of traditional method sparkling wine worldwide, and the largest exporter of Cava. The company was founded in 1861 and now belongs to Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei.
History.
Freixenet was started after the union of two Spanish families with a lengthy history in winemaking: the Ferrers, owners of La Freixeneda, a 12th-century farming estate in Sant Quintí de Mediona in the Alt Penedès, and the Salas, winemakers since 1830 and the founders of Casa Sala, a wine exporter to Latin America, in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Dolores Sala Vivé, the granddaughter of the founder of Casa Sala, married Pedro Ferrer Bosch of La Freixeneda. This era saw the gradual loss of Spain’s colonies and grape production diminishing due to the phylloxera plague that had destroyed red grape vines across Europe. Inspired by the success of Champagne, Codorníu and others encouraged vineyard owners to replant with white grape varieties like Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel·lo to use for sparkling wine production. These grapes are still the primary grapes of Cava today though some producers are experimenting with the use of the Champagne wine grapes of Chardonnay and Pinot noir.
As a result, the newlyweds joined forces with Dolores' father to switch the focus of the Sala family business to sparkling wines made under the traditional method, or méthode Champenoise. The name comes from "La Freixenada" – a family wine producing estate located in the Alt Penedès region since the 13th Century.
In 1941, Freixenet launched its leading product, the Carta Nevada. In 1974, the company achieved international success with another cava, the Cordon Negro. Nowadays Freixenet offers public tours of the winery in which both cavas are produced; visitors are shown the underground cellars and the bottling plant before tasting the finished product. The winery is situated opposite the main train station in the Catalan village of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Around 95% of Spain's total Cava production is from Catalonia and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia is home to many of Spain's largest production houses.
Freixenet purchased the Australian Wingara Wine Group in 2008. Wingara owns Katnook Estate in Coonawarra and Deakin Estate in the Murray Darling region near Mildura.
In August 2018, Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei (daughter company of Dr. Oetker) took control of Freixenet after acquiring 50.67% of the shares.
Marketing.
This Cava company taps into a world-famous celebrity to be the face of its much-awaited Christmas TV commercial. Celebrities who have appeared in Freixenet's Christmas sparkling wine include Liza Minnelli (1977), Raquel Welch (1985), Paul Newman (1989), Antonio Banderas and Sharon Stone (1992), Kim Basinger (1993), Penélope Cruz (1994 and 2001), Alejandro Sanz (1998), Pierce Brosnan (2004), Demi Moore (2005) and Shakira (2010).
Freixenet is the main sponsor of the roller hockey (quad) team, Club Esportiu Noia, that usually competes in the main Spanish league and also European Competitions:CERH European League and CERS Cup. Due to this sponsorship agreement the name of the team is CE NOIA Freixenet.
Freixenet is also the official cava of the MotoGP World Championship since 2003.


Diana (agricultural machinery)

Diana (Διάνα) is the brand name for agricultural machinery produced by Irene Chrissadakou A.E. a company located in Tavros (Athens), Greece. Founded in 1976, it is one of the most successful in its field, also managing to survive the crisis in Greek manufacturing industry of the 1980s and 1990s. Most of these vehicles used the chassis of the Chevrolet 3100.
Diana has produced a wide range of machinery and accessories. Between 1979 and 1984 it developed and produced a type of light truck in "open" and "closed" cab versions, 18 hp Ruggerini Diesel engine, max speed 67 km/h, 1 ton payload and cross-country capability, as well as a number of light tractor models.


Paul Smit

Paul Albertus Smit (born 23 March 1953 near Otavi, Otjozondjupa Region) is a Namibian politician and farmer.
Education.
Smit attended Etosha High School in Tsumeb, where he graduated from in 1971. Upon graduation in Tsumeb, he left to South Africa, where he attended the University of the Orange Free State in Bloemfontein. He graduated with a BSc in Agricultural Economy in 1973.
Political positions.
A White farmer, Smit considers himself "apolitical" despite being the Deputy Minister of Agriculture since 2000 in an otherwise SWAPO-led government.
Smit has actively worked towards reconciliation between Black and White Namibians through Transformation Namibia. In October 2002, Smit apologized before the National Assembly for the wrongs of apartheid. In May 2003, the organization held a successful rally but a planned apology on behalf of White Namibians did not result.
Political career.
He was the Minister of Agriculture for part of 2004-2005 following Helmut Angula's resignation from the post. He was a Democratic Turnhalle Alliance activist in the 1980s but left the party in 1983. From 1987 to 1997, Smit played a prominent role in the Namibia Agricultural Union, which represents Namibia's prosperous and overwhelmingly white commercial farmers. He served as the NAU's president from 1993 to 1997.
On Heroes' Day 2014 he was conferred the Excellent Order of the Eagle, Second Class.


Haraguchi Rice Mill

The Haraguchi Rice Mill, on Ohiki Rd. in Hanalei, Hawaii, on Kauai, is one of five former rice mills in Hanalei Valley. It was built in 1930 and was a corrugated iron structure on a concrete pad. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It was listed on the National Register in 1983; the listing included one contributing structure and four contributing objects. The listing was shortly after 1982 Hurricane Iwa had collapsed the rice mill structure. Heavy machinery including an engine were not significantly harmed, however, and it was then thought that the structure could be restored.
Origin.
The majority of the extraordinary buildings in the community Hanalei of Hawaii were built within the rice era started from the 1860s.  This was a farming area where there were mostly flat lands and agriculture the main industry, there were crops like tobacco, coffee, and sugarcane.  In the 1884 there was an increase in Chinese farmers, who started leasing lands and rice became the main economic crop eventually. The Haraguchi Rice Farm was founded in Hanalei by Ine and Tomijiro Haraguchi.  Along with being the largest rice farm they also took part in fishing the water of Hanalei Bay.  The Haraguchi Rice Mill was reconstructed in 1930.  It was a one-room shack that had sections for milling, engine operation and an area for the storage of process and unprocessed rice. It had an apex style metal roof. The Haraguchi Rice Mill was shut down in 1960, which made it the last mill out of the five rice mills to be closed in Hawaii. This was due to competition from the United States and damage done by the rice birds, which eventually made the Haraguchi Rice Mill unprofitable.
Rice Production in Hanalei.
Approximately 4 months after planting rice is ready to be harvested.  The rice farmers in Hanalei did not have much time to rest, they planted rice all year round and when the work got intensive farmers would pool together and help each other.  The rice seeds were planted into seedbeds and incorporated with organic manure 3 inches high, within several days the seeds germinate into seedlings.  The most prominent rice pest in Hanalei was the Chinese Sparrow, also called the Nutmeg Manikins.  They would drank the milk from the rice as it matured and ate the kernels as well.  These birds had to be scared away by cans filled with stone which made noise as they pitched on the strings connecting them.  The Hanalei River running through the Hanalei Valley made agricultural production more feasible due to the readily available water supply. This river was available to almost everyone on this Pacific island because of its heavy flow of fresh water.
Hawaii Rice Economy.
The Haraguchi Rice Mill played a huge role in the agricultural history of Hanalei. Rice was first cultivated on the island by the Chinese first and taken over by the Japanese years after. In 1879 farmers were getting approximately $15 to $18 per bag.  The Japanese rice was planted mainly for home consumption, while the Chinese rice was exported or shipped elsewhere.
Natural Disasters.
The Haraguchi Rice Mill was rebuilt in 1930 after it was destroyed by a fire in March of that year.  Following this disaster, in 1959 Hurricane Dot damaged the roof and air vent of the milling machine at the Haraguchi Rice Mill.  Then in 1982 the mill was massively destroyed by Hurricane Iwa in the month of November. The whole milling house collapsed onto the milling machine which was safe and ready to mill again.  In 1992 Hurricane Iniki passed over this disaster prone farm site once again.
Legacy.
The Haraguchi Rice Mill was the fifth rice mill in Hanalei of Hawaii. It impacted families and communities in and around the island. Even though it has gone through many disasters during its time of maximum production, Haraguchi Rice Mill contributed to the islands economy where it provided jobs, increased foreign exchange earnings and established rice as a staple food for the Chinese and Japanese farmers.  Today the farm has no rice on it but instead it has taro and it is a non-profit business that is facilitates personal development for schools and offer back to nature visits.  This farm now makes traditional dishes freshly from taro, which is harvested straight off the farm. It still embraces its originality and traditional values in 2019.
 Currently the Haraguchi Farm is still own today by the Haraguchi family sixth generation, this farm is going over 100 year old.  On the farm presently they have taro production; also this farm in Hanalei, Hawaii is utilized as a back to nature tour, where it's a non-profit entity.  The Haraguchi Farm is now used to serve the Hawaii Island as a recreational center for tours such as schools and other tourists, in the same breathe Hawaiian students are train how to grow and harvest taro. Taro cultivation also supports small businesses in and around the community of Hanalei. From taro the by-products and other ancient dishes are made, which as a lucrative market within the community.   Today the Haraguchi Family Farm is still in progress.


Mozzarella

Mozzarella (, ; ) is a traditionally southern Italian cheese made from Italian buffalo's milk by the pasta filata method.
Fresh mozzarella is generally white but when seasoned it turns to a light yellow depending on the animal's diet. Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day after it is made but can be kept in brine for up to a week or longer when sold in vacuum-sealed packages. "Low-moisture mozzarella" can be kept refrigerated for up to a month, though some shredded low-moisture mozzarella is sold with a shelf life of up to six months. Mozzarella of several kinds is used for most types of pizza and several pasta dishes or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Caprese salad.
Etymology.
"Mozzarella," derived from the Southern Italian dialects spoken in Puglia, Campania, Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, Lazio, Marche, and Calabria, is the diminutive form of ("cut"), or ("to cut off") derived from the method of working. The term is first mentioned in 1570, cited in a cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi, reading "milk cream, fresh butter, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and milk". An earlier reference is also often cited as describing mozzarella. Monsignor Alicandri states that in the 12th century the Monastery of Saint Lorenzo, in Capua, Campania offered pilgrims a piece of bread with "mozza".
Types.
Mozzarella, recognised as a Specialità Tradizionale Garantita (STG) since 1996, is available fresh, usually rolled into a ball of or about in diameter, and sometimes up to or about diameter. It is soaked in salt water (brine) or whey, and other times citric acid is added and it is partly dried (desiccated), its structure being more compact. In this last form it is often used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, such as lasagna and pizza.
When twisted to form a plait mozzarella is called . Mozzarella is also available in smoked () and reduced-moisture, packaged varieties.
"Ovolini" refers to smaller-sized bocconcini, and sometimes to cherry bocconcini.
Variants.
Several variants have been specifically formulated and prepared for use on pizza, such as low-moisture Mozzarella cheese. The "International Dictionary of Food and Cooking" defines this cheese as "a soft spun-curd cheese similar to Mozzarella made from cow's milk" that is "[u]sed particularly for pizzas and [that] contains somewhat less water than real Mozzarella".
Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, widely used in the food-service industry, has a low galactose content, per some consumers' preference for cheese on pizza to have low or moderate browning. Some pizza cheeses derived from skim mozzarella variants were designed not to require aging or the use of starter. Others can be made through the direct acidification of milk.
Buffalo's milk.
In Italy, the cheese is produced nationwide using Italian buffalo's milk under the government's official name "Mozzarella di latte di bufala" because Italian buffalo is in all Italian regions. Only selected "Mozzarella di bufala campana PDO" is a type, made from the milk of Italian buffalo, raised in designated areas of Campania, Lazio, Apulia, and Molise. Unlike other mozzarellas—50% of whose production derives from non-Italian and often semi-coagulated milk—it holds the status of a protected designation of origin (PDO 1996) under the European Union.
Cow's milk.
"Fior di latte" is made from fresh pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk and not water buffalo milk, which greatly lowers its cost. Outside the EU, "mozzarella" not clearly labeled as deriving from water buffalo can be presumed to derive from cow milk. "Mozzarella affumicata" means smoked mozzarella.
Sheep's milk.
Mozzarella of sheep milk, sometimes called "mozzarella pecorella", is typical of Sardinia, Abruzzo and Lazio, where it is also called 'mozzapecora'. It is worked with the addition of the rennet of lamb.
Goat's milk.
Mozzarella of goat's milk is of recent origin and the producers are still few; among the reasons for this new production is the need to offer a kind of mozzarella to those who do not digest cow's milk, because goat's milk is more digestible.
Production.
Mozzarella di bufala is traditionally produced solely from the milk of the Italian Mediterranean buffalo. A whey starter is added from the previous batch that contains thermophilic bacteria, and the milk is left to ripen so the bacteria can multiply. Then, rennet is added to coagulate the milk. After coagulation, the curd is cut into large, 2.5 – 5 cm pieces, and left to sit so the curds firm up in a process known as healing.
After the curd heals, it is further cut into 1 – 1.5 cm large pieces. The curds are stirred and heated to separate the curds from the whey. The whey is then drained from the curds and the curds are placed in a hoop to form a solid mass. The curd mass is left until the pH is at around 5.2–5.5, which is the point when the cheese can be stretched and kneaded to produce a delicate consistency—this process is generally known as pasta filata. According to the Mozzarella di Bufala trade association, "The cheese-maker kneads it with his hands, like a baker making bread, until he obtains a smooth, shiny paste, a strand of which he pulls out and lops off, forming the individual mozzarella." It is then typically formed into cylinder shapes or in plait. In Italy, a "rubbery" consistency is generally considered not satisfactory; the cheese is expected to be softer.
Recognitions and regulations.
Mozzarella received a Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG) certification from the European Union in 1998. This protection scheme requires that mozzarella sold in the European Union is produced according to a traditional recipe. The TSG certification does not specify the source of the milk, so any type of milk can be used, but it is speculated that it is normally made from whole milk.
Different variants of this dairy product are included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF), with the following denominations:
Around the world.
Çaycuma mozzarella cheese and Kandıra mozzarella cheese is a Turkish cheese made of buffalo's milk.


Fairview Wine and Cheese

Fairview Wine and Cheese farm is a South African producer of wines and cheeses based in the Paarl region of the Western Cape province. It is owned and run by Charles Back, who also owns The Goats do Roam Wine Company and The Spice Route Winery.
Location.
The Fairview farm is on the south western slopes of the Paarl mountain range, approximately 60 km from Cape Town. The farm comprises 320 hectares, of which 120 hectares are planted to vineyard. The farm ranges in altitude from 400m above sea level on the slopes of the mountain to 180m on the valley floor. The farm is located at 33°46'21″ south 18°55'25″ east.
Early history.
The current Fairview property was first designated as a farm by the then Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel in 1693, with Steven Vervey the first official owner. Vervey is thought to be one of the French Huguenots who arrived in the Cape in 1688. The earliest recorded name for the property is Bloemkoolfontein (directly translated from Afrikaans as "cauliflower fountain") and hints at the mixed agriculture that took place on the property over the centuries. Towards the end of the 19th century the name of the property was officially changed to Fairview. Charles Back purchased the Fairview farm from a Mr Hugo in 1937 for the sum of 6500 pounds. Fairview has been in the Back family to the present day.
The Backs.
Charles Louis Back was a Lithuanian immigrant to the Cape, who arrived in South Africa in 1902. He settled in Paarl where he set up a butcher shop as well as selling farm produce from the local farmers. Through these dealings he was offered a piece of land on the farm Klein Babylonstoren in the Paarl winelands. In 1916 Charles Back purchased what would later become the Backsberg farm from David Louw and left the butchery behind to become a wine farmer. In 1926 he was awarded the General Smuts Trophy for South Africa's champion wine. After establishing himself and learning the trade, Charles Back purchased Fairview from Hugo in 1937, for the sum of 6500 pounds. Charles Back had two sons, Sydney and Cyril, in whom Back instilled a love for the land, as well as a strong work ethic. When Charles died in 1955, he left Backsberg to Sydney and Fairview to Cyril.
Cyril spent much of his first years at Fairview replanting and planning vineyards. In 1974, Cyril broke away from the KWV; as a result, the first wines under the Fairview Estate label were bottled in this year. In 1975, Cyril held South Africa's first public wine auction and, together with his wife, Beryl, began to recognise the farm's possibilities of public visitation. Fairview become one of the first farms to open cellar door sales to the public.
Cyril's son, Charles, joined Fairview in 1978, after completing his winemaking studies at Elsenburg agricultural college. In 1981, Charles built Fairview's goat tower.
History.
The first recorded wine production on the property was in 1699 and wine grape cultivation has continued to this day. When Charles Back purchased Fairview in 1937 the farm was primarily planted to the then common varietal Cinsau(l)t, and this formed the majority of the wine produced at Fairview in the 1940s and 1950s.
When Cyril Back took over in 1955, following his father's death, he replanted most of the Fairview vineyards. He introduced Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinotage to the property. In 1974 Cyril Back was amongst the first producers to break away from the strictly regulated body controlling South African wine at the time, where grape growers supplied their grapes to the co-operative KWV. He established Fairview as an independent estate and the first wines were bottled under the Fairview label in 1974, from grapes grown exclusively on the Fairview property. The first wines bottled were a Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinotage. In 1975 Cyril Back held South Africa's first public wine auction, with his entire 1975 production selling in under three hours. This auction pre-dated the now famous Nederburg Auction, which started the following year.
With Charles Back joining his father in 1978, Fairview's range of wines began to diversify, with white wines being added to the portfolio and new varietals being planted. Charles also introduced innovative winemaking practices. Using the Gamay varietal, Fairview produced South Africa's first "Beaujolais nouveau" style wine in 1987 using the traditional carbonic maceration method. During the late 1980s Charles began watch the international wine trends more closely, making subtle adjustments to bring the quality of his wines in line with international standards. These markets had always been closed to South African wines due to Apartheid sanctions. Charle's proactive approach meant that when democracy came to South Africa and the markets opened, Fairview's wine style and quality was quickly recognised internationally. Cyril Back died in 1995 and Charles took full control of Fairview. In 1997 Charles Back appointed Anthony de Jager as head winemaker at Fairview.
Current production.
Approximately 50 000 twelve bottle cases are produced under the Fairview label annually. Seventy percent of Fairview's production is exported, with the company's leading export markets being the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany.
In 2008 Fairview launched the "La Capra" range of wines, an endorsed label targeting the retail and value end of the wine market.
Grape varietals.
Fairview produces a wide range of varietals under its label and 70% of production is red wine. Grapes for these wines are sourced from Charles Back's own vineyards as well as from contracted growers.
Amongst others, the Fairview range of wines includes:
White wines: "Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier, Oom Pagel Semillon and Viognier Special Late Harvest."
Red wines: "Shiraz, Pinotage, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tannat, Petite Sirah, Pinotage Viognier, Sweet Red, Solitude Shiraz, The Beacon Shiraz, Jakkalsfontein Shiraz, Pegleg Carignan, Primo Pinotage and the farm's flagship Cyril Back."
Cheesemaking at Fairview.
History.
Cheese production at Fairview started in 1980, when Cyril Back purchased a herd of Saanen milking goats and brought them to the farm. At the time, goats milk cheese was an unknown product in South Africa. Cyril employed the assistance of Michele Agostinelli to begin the Fairview Vineyard Cheesery, producing a small range of goats' milk cheeses for sale from the farm. In 1992, Louis Lourens was employed as head cheese maker. In 1995 Jersey milk was introduced and subsequently the range of cheeses produced expanded to include cow's milk cheeses as well as a range of products combining cow and goats' milk.
Current production.
Fairview is South Africa's leading producer of artisanal and speciality cheeses. In 2008, the Fairview goat herd is the largest commercial goat herd in Africa, numbering 750 does in the permanent milking herd. The milk from these goats, along with the milk from an exclusive single Jersey cow herd are brought to the Vineyard Cheesery daily. There are over twenty permanent lines in the Fairview cheese range, including blue mould, white mould and cream cheese products. These products are available at major retailers throughout South Africa.
Tourism.
Fairview Wine and Cheese estate is one of the most visited attractions in the Cape winelands. The farm offers tasting of its full range of wines and cheeses in their tasting room, seven days a week. There is also an eatery on the farm, which is housed in a converted wine cellar. Wine tourism has seen strong growth in South Africa and Fairview's combination of wine and cheese is very popular amongst locals as well as international tourists.


Edward J. Pitts

Edward John Pitts (1 October 1832 – 30 December 1885) was an artist and pastoralist in the early days of South Australia, noted for founding The Levels as a sheep breeding establishment.
History.
He was born in the North-West Provinces of India; his father was a colonel in the Indian Army, and a friend of Lord Raglan. Edward was educated for the army, receiving instruction at Edinburgh until he was about 12 years of age, and subsequently in France. Impatient of advancement, he decided to try his fortune in the young colony of South Australia, arriving at the end of 1852. His first appointment was as assistant to the Colonial Architect on 19 February 1853. On 1 July he was promoted to second assistant in the Land Office. He enjoyed some success, being one of the best draftsmen in the colony and an artist of great skill. He designed some of the handsome medals the Agricultural and Horticultural Society awarded at its earlier Shows. After leaving the Government service he went to C. B. Fisher's Thurk Station, on the River Murray. (C. B. Fisher was a son of James Hurtle Fisher) After a comparatively short time, he joined the Melbourne stock and station agents, Powers, Rutherford, & Co., as salesman. After serving some years in that position he moved to Queensland as manager of one of Fisher's stations, then was made general manager of his South Australian stations, among them the Bundaleer and Hill River stations. The stock he raised was of the best quality, and the wool and sheep were famous all over Australia. When, in 1876, Fisher sold these properties, he started sheep breeding himself. He chose for his farm The Levels, at Dry Creek. The country was considered very poor, and many freely expressed the belief that Pitt's attempt would result in failure. But with characteristic energy, and the knowledge he had accumulated, he brought The Levels to be one of the richest and best regulated sheep breeding establishments in Australia. His wool was well known all over the world, and always commanded premium prices, while his sheep were acknowledged to be second to none. He also bred trotting horses, which were for many years unequalled in the colony.
Pitts never took any prominent part in politics or public matters, but for about twenty years he was an active and prominent member of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia. He accompanied J. H. Symon, Q.C., M.P. on a tour of Continental Europe; despite his absence from France for about twenty eight years, he was still able to converse fluently in both French and German.
Recognition.
Pitts took the highest prize for wool at the first competition at Goldsbroughs' warehouses in Melbourne.
He was also awarded a gold medal for fleeces at the London Exhibition, while at Paris and Vienna he was equally successful in receiving medals for his wool.
Family.
Pitts never married, and had no relatives in Australia, but had two sisters, one of whom was married to General Ray, of Woolwich, and the other to Major Bannister, a distinguished cavalry officer.
Pitts was buried at the North Road Cemetery on 31 December 1885. His home, "The Levels", contained numerous examples of his artistic abilities, presumably now lost.


Lewis Harris (philanthropist)

Sir Lewis Edward Harris (25 March 1900 – 6 March 1983) was a New Zealand farmer, stock dealer and philanthropist. He was born in Woodville, New Zealand, on 25 March 1900.
In the 1960 Queen's Birthday Honours, Harris was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for philanthropic and social welfare services, especially in the interests of handicapped children. He was made a Knight Bachelor, for services to handicapped people, in the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours.


Excellerator (brand)

Excellerator is a specialty micronutrient fertilizer produced by the U.S.-based company Harsco Minerals. It is a granular pelletized product used on golf courses, athletic fields and in the lawn and garden market. Excellerator aides in the correction of plant and soil nutrient imbalances and metal toxicities. It provides high concentrations of plant-available silicon which has been shown in university and field trials to enhance plant resistance to biological and environmental stresses and improve plant nutrient uptake.
How it's made.
Excellerator is a co-product of downstream stainless steel furnace slag that undergoes proprietary aging processes, fine grind pulverizing, and extensive metal separation to remove impurities. Over 99.95% of all metals are removed. Particular attention is paid to the removal of "free lime" (CaO and MgO), which disrupts product stability and consistency of performance. The final product contains both calcium and magnesium silicates in addition to a micronutrient package (see table below).
Silicon as a beneficial nutrient.
The amount of total silicon in Excellerator is 39%. Silicon has been shown to improve plant cell wall strength and structural integrity in many turfgrass species. Other benefits of silicon to plants include increased drought and frost resistance, decreased lodging and improved plant response to pests and disease. Silicon has also been shown to improve plant vigor and physiology, resulting in increases to plant root and above ground biomass. For turfgrass, these benefits may result in better turf quality, color, density, and wear tolerance. Silicon has also been shown effective in enhancing the suppression of diseases, such as grey leaf spot, in a number of warm and cool season turfgrass species.
Silicon is a naturally occurring mineral and the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. In the soil, silicon attaches to soil colloids, helping to reduce compaction and making tied-up nutrients more available. Silicon also allows for a faster, more efficient movement of calcium and magnesium through the soil and readily ties up toxic elements, like aluminium, reducing metal toxicity. In the plant, silicon strengthens cell walls; improving plant strength, health, and productivity. Although not considered an essential element for plant growth and development, silicon is considered a beneficial element in many countries throughout the world due to its many benefits to numerous plant species when under abiotic or biotic stresses. Silicon is currently under consideration by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) for elevation to the status of a "plant beneficial substance."


Brahma Singh

Brahma Singh is an Indian Horticultural scientist, known for his expertise on protected cultivation and his efforts in developing agro-technologies for the high altitude areas of the Himalayan region of Leh and for identifying and popularizing the fruit crops of seabuckthorn and Indian mulberry (Noni). The Government of India honoured him, in 2014, by awarding him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of science and technology.
Biography.
Brahma Singh was born at a small hamlet of Paladi in Muzaffarnagar district in the India state of Uttar Pradesh, on 15 December 1941. He did his schooling at the Rashtriya High School from where he passed his matriculation in 1959 and completed his junior college in 1961 from the Jat Inter College, Muzaffarnagar in 1961. Singh graduated (BSc Hons) in agriculture and agri-horticulure from the G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in 1964 and passed MSc from the same university in 1966. Subsequently, he did his doctoral studies at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pantnagar and secured PhD in 1970.
After obtaining the doctoral degree, Singh started his career as an assistant professor at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar in 1970 and worked there till 1974, when he joined the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) at their Uttaranchal facility of Defence Agricultural Research Laboratory as the Grade I Senior Scientific Officer. In 1979, he was transferred to the Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysore with a promotion to the post of the Deputy Director. The next assignment as the Director at the Defence Research Laboratory in Tezpur, Assam, a stint of five years till 1990. This was followed by his transfer to the Field Research Laboratory, Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, as the Director, starting a significant chapter in his career. In 1995, Singh shifted to the DRDO headquarters in Delhi as the Director of the Life Sciences with the additional responsibility of the Secretary of the Life Sciences Research Board till his official retirement from DRDO service in 2001.
In 2002, Singh was elevated to the status of "Emeritus Scientist" and was placed at the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences of DRDO for one year and was appointed the General Manager of the Uttaranchal Seeds and Tarai Development Corporation at for another one-year term. In 2004, Singh moved to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, home to the famous Mughal Gardens, as the Officer on Special Duty (Horticulture) at the President's Secretariat where he worked till 2007. His tenure there also resulted in Dr. Singh publishing two coffee table books, "Trees of Rashtrapati Bhavan" and "Roses of Rashtrapati Bhavan".
Brahma Singh is the advisor of the World Noni Research Foundation based in Chennai. He also holds the Presidency of the Indian Society For Protected Cultivation, New Delhi. He is also the Joint Secretary of ISNS.
Brahma Singh lives in Mayur Vihar in New Delhi.
Legacy.
Brahma Singh is known as an expert in protected cultivation and is credited for his efforts in introducing crop cultivation in the high altitude regions of Leh and Nubra. During his tenure as the Director of the Field Research Laboratory at Leh, Dr. Singh is reported to developed have developed vegetable and crop cultivation in the region, thereby earning the accolade as the "person who greened Leh" which he accomplished by identifying and promoting crops suitable and adaptable to the rarified atmosphere of Leh. Seabuckthorn and Indian mulberry are two such crops identified and popularized by him, the latter known to have many uses in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutriceutical industries. He has also contributed towards the development of "Leh Berry", a nutraceutical beverage made out of ripe seabuckthorn fruits, and patent of the preparation is held by him. He has since transferred the technology to the local farmers and the industry in reported to be a flourishing one.
Singh introduced many scientific agro techniques by utilizing solar and soil heat to foster cultivation of six vegetables such as potatoes and capsicum in Leh. He is known to have popularized a chilly variety, Bhut Jolokia, (Capsicum assamensis), one of the hottest chilly varieties in the world and his efforts have contributed to develop potato seed production in the Leh valley. He has also been given credit for the establishment of herbal gardens in Leh, the first one in the region, and, later, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and also for finding breeding techniques of a variety of tomatoes, resistant to root-knot nematodes.
A major contribution of Singh was his advocacy for the Zaniskari ponies, a local breed of ponies believed to be having more resistance and capabilities on high altitude terrain than the imported ones. The efforts led to the induction of Zanskar ponies into the Indian Army, which are believed to have served the country during the Kargil war. He was also involved in the development of "space food" for the first Indo-Russian space mission.
Brahma Singh is reported to be the driving force behind the establishment of agricultural research stations in Pithoragarh, Tawang and Partapur. It was through his efforts, Nang village of Ladakh, situated at 13500 ft above the sea level, developed into a self-sustained place. This was achieved by utilizing animal production and cultivation technologies specifically developed for the cold desert climates. Dr. Singh's advice is also reported to have played a part in the establishment of a permafrost facility at Changtang. He has also put in efforts in documenting the flora and fauna of Ladakh region.
Singh, holder of four patents, is credited with 6 books, 81 articles of which 11 are popular articles, 18 abstracts and one scientific paper, his articles published in national and international peer reviewed journals. He has also presented papers at 44 seminars and conferences, edited 6 technical bulletins and has written 7 text book chapters, besides producing two coffee table books on "Trees of Rashtrapati Bhavan" and the "Roses of Rashtrapati Bhavan".
Positions.
Brahma Singh, an Emeritus Scientist of DRDO, holds many positions of importance. He is the President of the Indian Society for Protected Cultivation and Society for New Age Herbals, both New Delhi based organizations and World Wellness Forum. He is also an advisor to the World Noni Research Foundation, Chennai, and a member of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Allahabad and Indian Science Congress.
Awards and recognitions.
Professor Brahma Singh has been honoured by way of fellowships by many academic and scientific organizations such as Horticulture Society of India, National Academy of Biological Sciences, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) Bio-ved Society and Indian Society of Vegetable Sciences. He is a recipient of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Merit in 1964 during his college days, and the "Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshmitra Award" from the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1995, In 2002, he received the International Plant Scientist Award from the Academy of Plant Sciences. The Agriculture Alumni Association, Patna Nagar honoured Dr. Singh with the Life Time Achievement Award in 2012 which was followed by the Shivshakti Life Time Achievement Award, in 2013, from the Horticulture Society of India. The Government of India honored Brahma Singh with the Padma Shri by including him in the 2014 Republic Day Honours.