View allAll Photos Tagged Weed_Control
Kudzu is a plant that was introduced to the southeast as a way to prevent erosion quickly and easily. The problem is, it does way too good a job! Kudzu grows quickly over almost anything - other plants, trees, buildings, anything that doesn't move. Once it gets established it is almost impossible to get rid of.
The usual approaches to kudzu eradication are heavy machinery or harsh chemicals but there is another way. The city of Roswell is using goats to help clear away this problem plant and they seem to be doing a good job. The goats seem to be non-stop eating machines. They have stripped the leaves from heavy patches of kudzu pretty quickly.
Word has gotten around and these hard-working animals are attracting lots of interested city folk to come watch them at their jobs. It's a bit of a walk through the weeds to see them up close and it definitely smells of the barnyard but it is fun to see them. There is a low-voltage electric fence surrounding the grazing area. It won't really hurt you but I saw several kids grabbing on and getting a little shock. (Some of the kids didn't learn the first time but the goats knew to stay away from the fence.)
Not sure how much longer they will be here so, you should take a ride over soon if you want to see them.
Kudzu eating goats from Get Your Goat Rentals
Old Mill Park
95 Mill View Ave
Roswell, Georgia, USA
Nikon D7100
Tamron 16-300 Di II VC PZD Macro
110mm @ f/6 – 1/200 sec – ISO 200
A patch of weeds in a zero tillage wheat field in Fatehgarh Sahib district, Punjab, India. The field was was sown with a zero tillage seeder known as a Happy Seeder, giving a generally excellent and uniform wheat crop. However, weeds can be troublesome in conservation agriculture (CA) systems. Weed control is a key component of good CA practices, and requires focused attention.
The crop belongs to farmer Chamkaur Singh, one of the farmer leaders working in partnership with the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). CIMMYT is one of the many partners involved in CSISA, a collaborative project designed to decrease hunger and increase food and income security for resource-poor farm families in South Asia through development and deployment of new varieties, sustainable management technologies, and policies, led by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the USAID.
Photo credit: Petr Kosina / CIMMYT.
There’s a sense of pride that comes with doing something for yourself, and growing food is a major part of being self-sustaining, healthy and whole.
A one-acre community garden on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota is connecting tribal members with the land, with food, and with their past.
“It’s about food sovereignty. It’s about having the choice of where and how you get your food, knowing how to feed yourself,” said Matte Wilson. “If that grocery store wasn’t here, would you know how to feed yourself and your family?”
Born and raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Wilson is now director of the recently re-branded Sicangu Community Development Corporation (CDC) Food Sovereignty Initiative. One of its major projects is the Keya Wakpala Garden. Since moving back home in 2018, food sovereignty has played a major part of Wilson’s life.
“It is something that really excites me, something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life,” he said.
Vegetable Harvest on table
The food sovereignty movement has gained significant momentum throughout the country in recent years and is largely being led by indigenous communities. According to Wilson, you don’t have to be indigenous to appreciate delicious, locally grown foods.
“Food has the power to bring people together – it’s always been an essential part of all of our social interactions, whether or not you are Lakota,” he said.
For Keya Wakpala garden manager Ed Her Many Horses, the garden and learning how to grow food has been nothing short of trans-formative.
“It’s impacted me in a lot of different ways,” he said. “It helped give me a reason to get up in the morning – it still does. There is so much to appreciate in the garden.”
But it’s more than food, he’s found. Caring for a garden fosters community. The Keya Wakpala Garden is a place where interns, volunteers, community members and children come together to work, and they take pride in the outcome.
“It’s a beacon of hope, I think,” Her Many Horses said.
The Boys and Girls Club brings kids to the garden where they can plant, pick vegetables and even harvest indigenous foods such as ceyaka, wild mint, in the nearby wetlands. They learn to identify foods as they’re grown and harvested, and follow up field work with cooking sessions. Starting with young kids, the project aims to make gardening and producing food something that’s second nature – something they’re able to pass on to future generations.
Learning by doing is key, according to Wilson.
“When they are able to see it in person and participate in the process, it is really powerful. It makes people appreciate food and agriculture more,” he said.
Garden Row signs in lakota
Foster Cournoyer-Hogan is a student at Stanford University from the Rosebud Indian Reservation who interned for the summer at the Keya Wakpala Garden. His additions to the garden plot included the signs that identified the plants with Lakota words. There was wagmu (squash), tinpsilazizi (carrots), phangi sasa (beets) and mastincatawote (lettuce).
Using the Lakota language is a way to stay connected to traditional culture. That’s especially important when children and elders visit the garden, he said.
Along with strengthening connections to culture and community, the garden is helping solve another issue on the reservation – addressing health challenges. Diabetes and diet related illness is high on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, but the produce from the garden gives people access to nourishing food.
“Our food is everything,” Cournoyer-Hogan said.
“Food is medicine,” added Wilson: “The way we treat our garden, the way we treat the land is how we treat ourselves … we take care of the land, and it takes care of us.”
The group has some expert resources when it comes to taking care of the land and the plants. Master Gardeners and university extension experts have volunteered their time and advice, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides support and funding through soil health programs.
The mission of NRCS is “helping people help the land.” That land usually refers to range land and farm acres, but the same programs and principles can apply to community gardens.
“We're trying to get people together to go back to some of the things that were important years ago to our people for self-sustainability,” said Mary Scott, a Rosebud Indian Reservation member and tribal liaison with NRCS.
Student gardner holding out herbs for the camera
The reservation’s growing environment presents some significant challenges. The garden site had been a conventional field, growing sunflowers, corn, soybeans and wheat. The heavy clay soils made it difficult to hold enough water for the garden, especially given the sloping hillside where it sits. Long, hot days would burn up the plants one day, and they next they’d be hit by torrential downpours, hail and wind.
“There are a lot of things outside of our control,” said Her Many Horses, “and that can be tough in such an extreme weather environment”
Rather than give up, however, the team has simply learned to adapt and make the most of what they have.
“We have to be really strategic about how we plan out our year to make the most of this short window,” Wilson said. “We have branched into utilizing some year-round growing structures to expand our season.”
The garden is tended with organic methods, using fish emulsion and compost for fertilizer. Local ranchers have donated hay bales – the more beaten-up and weather-worn the better. As ground cover, they help with weed control. Adding mulch or organic matter has helped break up the hard, clay soil and has been a huge asset for moisture retention as well.
We’re using a regenerative approach to agriculture,” said Her Many Horses. “We’re always trying to give back to our soil.
The garden also incorporates time-honored growing techniques of the tribal community. Produce is grown with the three sister’s method – beans, corn and squash grow in rows and benefit from one another.
“Beans help fertilize the soil by providing nitrogen,” Wilson explained. “The corn, when it grows up the stalk, the beans are able to wrap around the stalk, and the squash actually helps keep out pests and other weeds.”
7 workers talking in the garden
It’s one of many ways the garden is bringing the community back to its roots. It also brings youth and elders together, sharing a positive outlook while producing something for the whole community. It connects people with land and community, giving them knowledge to pass along wherever they go.
Sharing knowledge is a big part of the project, Scott said, because it’s how cultures and traditions are kept alive.
“Growing our own produce is very important, so that this community can become self-sustaining, not only as a people, but as a tribe,” she said.
The ultimate goal is to completely change the food system on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
“My vision is that our community becomes a food center where we have restaurants and food trucks sourcing their foods locally,” Wilson said, “and the garden is the first step to helping change our community mindset about food.”
But it goes even deeper than that.
“I hope that our community can be healthy and happy, that we can be sovereign,” said Her Many Horses. “And for us, that starts with everyone knowing where their food comes from.”
- Written by Janelle Atyeo
CAPTION: "Signs in the Lakota language identifying plants, enriching connection to traditional culture."
NRCS ARTICLE 4/2020: There’s a sense of pride that comes with doing something for yourself, and growing food is a major part of being self-sustaining, healthy and whole.
A one-acre community garden on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota is connecting tribal members with the land, with food, and with their past.
“It’s about food sovereignty. It’s about having the choice of where and how you get your food, knowing how to feed yourself,” said Matte Wilson. “If that grocery store wasn’t here, would you know how to feed yourself and your family?”
Born and raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Wilson is now director of the recently re-branded Sicangu Community Development Corporation (CDC) Food Sovereignty Initiative. One of its major projects is the Keya Wakpala Garden. Since moving back home in 2018, food sovereignty has played a major part of Wilson’s life.
“It is something that really excites me, something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life,” he said.
Vegetable Harvest on table
The food sovereignty movement has gained significant momentum throughout the country in recent years and is largely being led by indigenous communities. According to Wilson, you don’t have to be indigenous to appreciate delicious, locally grown foods.
“Food has the power to bring people together – it’s always been an essential part of all of our social interactions, whether or not you are Lakota,” he said.
For Keya Wakpala garden manager Ed Her Many Horses, the garden and learning how to grow food has been nothing short of trans-formative.
“It’s impacted me in a lot of different ways,” he said. “It helped give me a reason to get up in the morning – it still does. There is so much to appreciate in the garden.”
But it’s more than food, he’s found. Caring for a garden fosters community. The Keya Wakpala Garden is a place where interns, volunteers, community members and children come together to work, and they take pride in the outcome.
“It’s a beacon of hope, I think,” Her Many Horses said.
The Boys and Girls Club brings kids to the garden where they can plant, pick vegetables and even harvest indigenous foods such as ceyaka, wild mint, in the nearby wetlands. They learn to identify foods as they’re grown and harvested, and follow up field work with cooking sessions. Starting with young kids, the project aims to make gardening and producing food something that’s second nature – something they’re able to pass on to future generations.
Learning by doing is key, according to Wilson.
“When they are able to see it in person and participate in the process, it is really powerful. It makes people appreciate food and agriculture more,” he said.
Garden Row signs in lakota
Foster Cournoyer-Hogan is a student at Stanford University from the Rosebud Indian Reservation who interned for the summer at the Keya Wakpala Garden. His additions to the garden plot included the signs that identified the plants with Lakota words. There was wagmu (squash), tinpsilazizi (carrots), phangi sasa (beets) and mastincatawote (lettuce).
Using the Lakota language is a way to stay connected to traditional culture. That’s especially important when children and elders visit the garden, he said.
Along with strengthening connections to culture and community, the garden is helping solve another issue on the reservation – addressing health challenges. Diabetes and diet related illness is high on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, but the produce from the garden gives people access to nourishing food.
“Our food is everything,” Cournoyer-Hogan said.
“Food is medicine,” added Wilson: “The way we treat our garden, the way we treat the land is how we treat ourselves … we take care of the land, and it takes care of us.”
The group has some expert resources when it comes to taking care of the land and the plants. Master Gardeners and university extension experts have volunteered their time and advice, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides support and funding through soil health programs.
The mission of NRCS is “helping people help the land.” That land usually refers to range land and farm acres, but the same programs and principles can apply to community gardens.
“We're trying to get people together to go back to some of the things that were important years ago to our people for self-sustainability,” said Mary Scott, a Rosebud Indian Reservation member and tribal liaison with NRCS.
Student gardner holding out herbs for the camera
The reservation’s growing environment presents some significant challenges. The garden site had been a conventional field, growing sunflowers, corn, soybeans and wheat. The heavy clay soils made it difficult to hold enough water for the garden, especially given the sloping hillside where it sits. Long, hot days would burn up the plants one day, and they next they’d be hit by torrential downpours, hail and wind.
“There are a lot of things outside of our control,” said Her Many Horses, “and that can be tough in such an extreme weather environment”
Rather than give up, however, the team has simply learned to adapt and make the most of what they have.
“We have to be really strategic about how we plan out our year to make the most of this short window,” Wilson said. “We have branched into utilizing some year-round growing structures to expand our season.”
The garden is tended with organic methods, using fish emulsion and compost for fertilizer. Local ranchers have donated hay bales – the more beaten-up and weather-worn the better. As ground cover, they help with weed control. Adding mulch or organic matter has helped break up the hard, clay soil and has been a huge asset for moisture retention as well.
We’re using a regenerative approach to agriculture,” said Her Many Horses. “We’re always trying to give back to our soil.
The garden also incorporates time-honored growing techniques of the tribal community. Produce is grown with the three sister’s method – beans, corn and squash grow in rows and benefit from one another.
“Beans help fertilize the soil by providing nitrogen,” Wilson explained. “The corn, when it grows up the stalk, the beans are able to wrap around the stalk, and the squash actually helps keep out pests and other weeds.”
7 workers talking in the garden
It’s one of many ways the garden is bringing the community back to its roots. It also brings youth and elders together, sharing a positive outlook while producing something for the whole community. It connects people with land and community, giving them knowledge to pass along wherever they go.
Sharing knowledge is a big part of the project, Scott said, because it’s how cultures and traditions are kept alive.
“Growing our own produce is very important, so that this community can become self-sustaining, not only as a people, but as a tribe,” she said.
The ultimate goal is to completely change the food system on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
“My vision is that our community becomes a food center where we have restaurants and food trucks sourcing their foods locally,” Wilson said, “and the garden is the first step to helping change our community mindset about food.”
But it goes even deeper than that.
“I hope that our community can be healthy and happy, that we can be sovereign,” said Her Many Horses. “And for us, that starts with everyone knowing where their food comes from.”
- Written by Janelle Atyeo
Former DL&W Utica branch is slowly being restored to service, new culvert , ties, brush cutting and weed control.
CAPTION: "Rather than give up, however, the team has simply learned to adapt and make the most of what they have."
NRCS ARTICLE 4/2020: There’s a sense of pride that comes with doing something for yourself, and growing food is a major part of being self-sustaining, healthy and whole.
A one-acre community garden on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota is connecting tribal members with the land, with food, and with their past.
“It’s about food sovereignty. It’s about having the choice of where and how you get your food, knowing how to feed yourself,” said Matte Wilson. “If that grocery store wasn’t here, would you know how to feed yourself and your family?”
Born and raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Wilson is now director of the recently re-branded Sicangu Community Development Corporation (CDC) Food Sovereignty Initiative. One of its major projects is the Keya Wakpala Garden. Since moving back home in 2018, food sovereignty has played a major part of Wilson’s life.
“It is something that really excites me, something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life,” he said.
Vegetable Harvest on table
The food sovereignty movement has gained significant momentum throughout the country in recent years and is largely being led by indigenous communities. According to Wilson, you don’t have to be indigenous to appreciate delicious, locally grown foods.
“Food has the power to bring people together – it’s always been an essential part of all of our social interactions, whether or not you are Lakota,” he said.
For Keya Wakpala garden manager Ed Her Many Horses, the garden and learning how to grow food has been nothing short of trans-formative.
“It’s impacted me in a lot of different ways,” he said. “It helped give me a reason to get up in the morning – it still does. There is so much to appreciate in the garden.”
But it’s more than food, he’s found. Caring for a garden fosters community. The Keya Wakpala Garden is a place where interns, volunteers, community members and children come together to work, and they take pride in the outcome.
“It’s a beacon of hope, I think,” Her Many Horses said.
The Boys and Girls Club brings kids to the garden where they can plant, pick vegetables and even harvest indigenous foods such as ceyaka, wild mint, in the nearby wetlands. They learn to identify foods as they’re grown and harvested, and follow up field work with cooking sessions. Starting with young kids, the project aims to make gardening and producing food something that’s second nature – something they’re able to pass on to future generations.
Learning by doing is key, according to Wilson.
“When they are able to see it in person and participate in the process, it is really powerful. It makes people appreciate food and agriculture more,” he said.
Garden Row signs in lakota
Foster Cournoyer-Hogan is a student at Stanford University from the Rosebud Indian Reservation who interned for the summer at the Keya Wakpala Garden. His additions to the garden plot included the signs that identified the plants with Lakota words. There was wagmu (squash), tinpsilazizi (carrots), phangi sasa (beets) and mastincatawote (lettuce).
Using the Lakota language is a way to stay connected to traditional culture. That’s especially important when children and elders visit the garden, he said.
Along with strengthening connections to culture and community, the garden is helping solve another issue on the reservation – addressing health challenges. Diabetes and diet related illness is high on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, but the produce from the garden gives people access to nourishing food.
“Our food is everything,” Cournoyer-Hogan said.
“Food is medicine,” added Wilson: “The way we treat our garden, the way we treat the land is how we treat ourselves … we take care of the land, and it takes care of us.”
The group has some expert resources when it comes to taking care of the land and the plants. Master Gardeners and university extension experts have volunteered their time and advice, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides support and funding through soil health programs.
The mission of NRCS is “helping people help the land.” That land usually refers to range land and farm acres, but the same programs and principles can apply to community gardens.
“We're trying to get people together to go back to some of the things that were important years ago to our people for self-sustainability,” said Mary Scott, a Rosebud Indian Reservation member and tribal liaison with NRCS.
The reservation’s growing environment presents some significant challenges. The garden site had been a conventional field, growing sunflowers, corn, soybeans and wheat. The heavy clay soils made it difficult to hold enough water for the garden, especially given the sloping hillside where it sits. Long, hot days would burn up the plants one day, and they next they’d be hit by torrential downpours, hail and wind.
“There are a lot of things outside of our control,” said Her Many Horses, “and that can be tough in such an extreme weather environment”
Rather than give up, however, the team has simply learned to adapt and make the most of what they have.
“We have to be really strategic about how we plan out our year to make the most of this short window,” Wilson said. “We have branched into utilizing some year-round growing structures to expand our season.”
The garden is tended with organic methods, using fish emulsion and compost for fertilizer. Local ranchers have donated hay bales – the more beaten-up and weather-worn the better. As ground cover, they help with weed control. Adding mulch or organic matter has helped break up the hard, clay soil and has been a huge asset for moisture retention as well.
We’re using a regenerative approach to agriculture,” said Her Many Horses. “We’re always trying to give back to our soil.
The garden also incorporates time-honored growing techniques of the tribal community. Produce is grown with the three sister’s method – beans, corn and squash grow in rows and benefit from one another.
“Beans help fertilize the soil by providing nitrogen,” Wilson explained. “The corn, when it grows up the stalk, the beans are able to wrap around the stalk, and the squash actually helps keep out pests and other weeds.”
7 workers talking in the garden
It’s one of many ways the garden is bringing the community back to its roots. It also brings youth and elders together, sharing a positive outlook while producing something for the whole community. It connects people with land and community, giving them knowledge to pass along wherever they go.
Sharing knowledge is a big part of the project, Scott said, because it’s how cultures and traditions are kept alive.
“Growing our own produce is very important, so that this community can become self-sustaining, not only as a people, but as a tribe,” she said.
The ultimate goal is to completely change the food system on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
“My vision is that our community becomes a food center where we have restaurants and food trucks sourcing their foods locally,” Wilson said, “and the garden is the first step to helping change our community mindset about food.”
But it goes even deeper than that.
“I hope that our community can be healthy and happy, that we can be sovereign,” said Her Many Horses. “And for us, that starts with everyone knowing where their food comes from.”
- Written by Janelle Atyeo
SF Bay RR, 21 June 2018
The San Francisco Bay RR operates on the southeast side of San Francisco on and near the port. It uses two Alco S2 switchers that were built for the State Belt RR, later the San Francisco Belt RR, the line that served the piers of the Port of San Francisco for many years.
As shipping companies moved to containerization, the Port of Oakland became the big northern California container terminal and most of the piers of the Port of San Francisco were abandoned or converted to uses other than marine freight, so the SF Belt RR found itself out of a job. After 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Embarcadero Freeway, which had run over the SF Belt for most of its length, the freeway was removed, opening up San Francisco's waterfront and much of the Belt's trackage as converted for use by the Muni F line, which runs historic streetcars to Fishermen's Wharf, and the Muni lines that now server the Caltrain station.
Meanwhile, Pier 96, near Hunter's Point was converted to a container facility and the railroad's operations survived there. The line was renamed the San Francisco Bay RR and continued to use Alco S2s 23 and 25 to switch its customers.
Today, the railroad's main business is transloading dirty dirt from constructions and clean up sites in the Bay Area from trucks to railcars. It is owned by Waste Solutions Group, which also owns a fleet of hopper cars. The SF Bay and UP interchange on an as needed basis, with UP's South City job running into the SF Bay's yard on Cargo Way with empties and taking away loads.
A couple of railfans, Ryan and Ben, work for the railroad and Ryan invited me to come by for a visit. I had stopped by one afternoon a couple of years ago, and lucked out to see an S2 running around the yard a bit, but the railrroad usually goes on duty betweeen 4 and 5 am, switches cars for a few hours and then is done for the day. So, a visit to the SF Bay from Sacramento entailed a night in a hotel. It took a few tries for me to get time off from work scheduled on the same day the railroad was running.
Eventually, it all lined up and my alarm went off at 0315 at a hotel in Daly City, just south of the SF city limit.
I was at the yard by 4 and met Ben, who went out and started Alco 23. 25 is out of service with a bad bearing on the radiator fan drive shaft. Ryan explained that the SF Belt had done a jerry rigged repair of the shaft at some point and it was never documented, so nobody knew about the bearing until it failed. As a new low emission unit will be delivered in the next few months, there is no reason to repair 25. 25 will be put on display somewhere, perhaps near the Ferry Building, while 23 will be held as backup for the new unit.
But for now, an S2 built in 1944 is doing the job it was built to do. If you think about it, that is as though the Virginia and Truckee had still been using the Reno and Genoa during WW2.
Shorty after I got there, Ben went out and fired up the 23. It has a block heater, so it started easily with a puff of white smoke. He did an inspection of the engine, including checking the journal boxes. We then went back into the office and waited for Ryan, brakeman Johnny, and engineer Nick to arrive. The crew plotted their switching moves for the day. Ryan, who is yard operations manager, suggested that I get some blue hour photos from the ground as empties were switched and then we rode 23 while they switched loads.
Each car has dirt from one particular construction site and the dirt from sites cannot be mixed as different sites will have different contamination. UP ships it to a dump site in Nevada, where it is processed. Ryan explained that sometimes they can use dividers in a car to separate dirt from different projects if there is not that much.
Right now transshipping dirty dirt is the SF Bay's only business, but there a couple of other industries are interested in bringing new business. The line that crosses the Illinois St. bridge has been out of service for a couple of years as there currently no customers north of Islais Creek.
We rode the S2 for a while after the day brightened, then got down and Ryan drove me around in a company car to get some more angles as they switched. He then had other work to do and I shot the end of 23's work day as well as 25, some spare Alco parts and another project of Waste Solutions, goats that are leased out for natural weed control. Ryan said that since Waste Solutions got more cars, they can't use their goats as much for weed control in the yard as most of the yard tracks are occupied.
The crew called it a day for switching about 0800 and then would be doing other work in the yard for the rest of their work day.
All of these photos were taken with permission after signing a release and while wearing required PPE.
I want to than Ryan, Ben, Johnny and Nick for their hospitality. I had a great time.
CAPTION: “When they are able to see it in person and participate in the process, it is really powerful. It makes people appreciate food and agriculture more.”
NRCS ARTICLE 4/2020: There’s a sense of pride that comes with doing something for yourself, and growing food is a major part of being self-sustaining, healthy and whole.
A one-acre community garden on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota is connecting tribal members with the land, with food, and with their past.
“It’s about food sovereignty. It’s about having the choice of where and how you get your food, knowing how to feed yourself,” said Matte Wilson. “If that grocery store wasn’t here, would you know how to feed yourself and your family?”
Born and raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Wilson is now director of the recently re-branded Sicangu Community Development Corporation (CDC) Food Sovereignty Initiative. One of its major projects is the Keya Wakpala Garden. Since moving back home in 2018, food sovereignty has played a major part of Wilson’s life.
“It is something that really excites me, something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life,” he said.
The food sovereignty movement has gained significant momentum throughout the country in recent years and is largely being led by indigenous communities. According to Wilson, you don’t have to be indigenous to appreciate delicious, locally grown foods.
“Food has the power to bring people together – it’s always been an essential part of all of our social interactions, whether or not you are Lakota,” he said.
For Keya Wakpala garden manager Ed Her Many Horses, the garden and learning how to grow food has been nothing short of trans-formative.
“It’s impacted me in a lot of different ways,” he said. “It helped give me a reason to get up in the morning – it still does. There is so much to appreciate in the garden.”
But it’s more than food, he’s found. Caring for a garden fosters community. The Keya Wakpala Garden is a place where interns, volunteers, community members and children come together to work, and they take pride in the outcome.
“It’s a beacon of hope, I think,” Her Many Horses said.
The Boys and Girls Club brings kids to the garden where they can plant, pick vegetables and even harvest indigenous foods such as ceyaka, wild mint, in the nearby wetlands. They learn to identify foods as they’re grown and harvested, and follow up field work with cooking sessions. Starting with young kids, the project aims to make gardening and producing food something that’s second nature – something they’re able to pass on to future generations.
Learning by doing is key, according to Wilson.
“When they are able to see it in person and participate in the process, it is really powerful. It makes people appreciate food and agriculture more,” he said.
Foster Cournoyer-Hogan is a student at Stanford University from the Rosebud Indian Reservation who interned for the summer at the Keya Wakpala Garden. His additions to the garden plot included the signs that identified the plants with Lakota words. There was wagmu (squash), tinpsilazizi (carrots), phangi sasa (beets) and mastincatawote (lettuce).
Using the Lakota language is a way to stay connected to traditional culture. That’s especially important when children and elders visit the garden, he said.
Along with strengthening connections to culture and community, the garden is helping solve another issue on the reservation – addressing health challenges. Diabetes and diet related illness is high on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, but the produce from the garden gives people access to nourishing food.
“Our food is everything,” Cournoyer-Hogan said.
“Food is medicine,” added Wilson: “The way we treat our garden, the way we treat the land is how we treat ourselves … we take care of the land, and it takes care of us.”
The group has some expert resources when it comes to taking care of the land and the plants. Master Gardeners and university extension experts have volunteered their time and advice, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides support and funding through soil health programs.
The mission of NRCS is “helping people help the land.” That land usually refers to range land and farm acres, but the same programs and principles can apply to community gardens.
“We're trying to get people together to go back to some of the things that were important years ago to our people for self-sustainability,” said Mary Scott, a Rosebud Indian Reservation member and tribal liaison with NRCS.
The reservation’s growing environment presents some significant challenges. The garden site had been a conventional field, growing sunflowers, corn, soybeans and wheat. The heavy clay soils made it difficult to hold enough water for the garden, especially given the sloping hillside where it sits. Long, hot days would burn up the plants one day, and they next they’d be hit by torrential downpours, hail and wind.
“There are a lot of things outside of our control,” said Her Many Horses, “and that can be tough in such an extreme weather environment”
Rather than give up, however, the team has simply learned to adapt and make the most of what they have.
“We have to be really strategic about how we plan out our year to make the most of this short window,” Wilson said. “We have branched into utilizing some year-round growing structures to expand our season.”
The garden is tended with organic methods, using fish emulsion and compost for fertilizer. Local ranchers have donated hay bales – the more beaten-up and weather-worn the better. As ground cover, they help with weed control. Adding mulch or organic matter has helped break up the hard, clay soil and has been a huge asset for moisture retention as well.
We’re using a regenerative approach to agriculture,” said Her Many Horses. “We’re always trying to give back to our soil.
The garden also incorporates time-honored growing techniques of the tribal community. Produce is grown with the three sister’s method – beans, corn and squash grow in rows and benefit from one another.
“Beans help fertilize the soil by providing nitrogen,” Wilson explained. “The corn, when it grows up the stalk, the beans are able to wrap around the stalk, and the squash actually helps keep out pests and other weeds.”
7 workers talking in the garden
It’s one of many ways the garden is bringing the community back to its roots. It also brings youth and elders together, sharing a positive outlook while producing something for the whole community. It connects people with land and community, giving them knowledge to pass along wherever they go.
Sharing knowledge is a big part of the project, Scott said, because it’s how cultures and traditions are kept alive.
“Growing our own produce is very important, so that this community can become self-sustaining, not only as a people, but as a tribe,” she said.
The ultimate goal is to completely change the food system on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
“My vision is that our community becomes a food center where we have restaurants and food trucks sourcing their foods locally,” Wilson said, “and the garden is the first step to helping change our community mindset about food.”
But it goes even deeper than that.
“I hope that our community can be healthy and happy, that we can be sovereign,” said Her Many Horses. “And for us, that starts with everyone knowing where their food comes from.”
Farmers learn how to calibrate sprayers during a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
GBRf weed control at North Blyth, South East Northumberland. 69005 "Eastleigh" and 69002 "Bob Tiller CM&EE" on 3Q99 from Tyne Coal Terminal 14.16 and back again via the Blyth&Tyne and Morpeth. Running 5 early.
Tuesday 09-05-2023. 15.41 hrs.
Bill
SF Bay RR, 21 June 2018
The San Francisco Bay RR operates on the southeast side of San Francisco on and near the port. It uses two Alco S2 switchers that were built for the State Belt RR, later the San Francisco Belt RR, the line that served the piers of the Port of San Francisco for many years.
As shipping companies moved to containerization, the Port of Oakland became the big northern California container terminal and most of the piers of the Port of San Francisco were abandoned or converted to uses other than marine freight, so the SF Belt RR found itself out of a job. After 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Embarcadero Freeway, which had run over the SF Belt for most of its length, the freeway was removed, opening up San Francisco's waterfront and much of the Belt's trackage as converted for use by the Muni F line, which runs historic streetcars to Fishermen's Wharf, and the Muni lines that now server the Caltrain station.
Meanwhile, Pier 96, near Hunter's Point was converted to a container facility and the railroad's operations survived there. The line was renamed the San Francisco Bay RR and continued to use Alco S2s 23 and 25 to switch its customers.
Today, the railroad's main business is transloading dirty dirt from constructions and clean up sites in the Bay Area from trucks to railcars. It is owned by Waste Solutions Group, which also owns a fleet of hopper cars. The SF Bay and UP interchange on an as needed basis, with UP's South City job running into the SF Bay's yard on Cargo Way with empties and taking away loads.
A couple of railfans, Ryan and Ben, work for the railroad and Ryan invited me to come by for a visit. I had stopped by one afternoon a couple of years ago, and lucked out to see an S2 running around the yard a bit, but the railrroad usually goes on duty betweeen 4 and 5 am, switches cars for a few hours and then is done for the day. So, a visit to the SF Bay from Sacramento entailed a night in a hotel. It took a few tries for me to get time off from work scheduled on the same day the railroad was running.
Eventually, it all lined up and my alarm went off at 0315 at a hotel in Daly City, just south of the SF city limit.
I was at the yard by 4 and met Ben, who went out and started Alco 23. 25 is out of service with a bad bearing on the radiator fan drive shaft. Ryan explained that the SF Belt had done a jerry rigged repair of the shaft at some point and it was never documented, so nobody knew about the bearing until it failed. As a new low emission unit will be delivered in the next few months, there is no reason to repair 25. 25 will be put on display somewhere, perhaps near the Ferry Building, while 23 will be held as backup for the new unit.
But for now, an S2 built in 1944 is doing the job it was built to do. If you think about it, that is as though the Virginia and Truckee had still been using the Reno and Genoa during WW2.
Shorty after I got there, Ben went out and fired up the 23. It has a block heater, so it started easily with a puff of white smoke. He did an inspection of the engine, including checking the journal boxes. We then went back into the office and waited for Ryan, brakeman Johnny, and engineer Nick to arrive. The crew plotted their switching moves for the day. Ryan, who is yard operations manager, suggested that I get some blue hour photos from the ground as empties were switched and then we rode 23 while they switched loads.
Each car has dirt from one particular construction site and the dirt from sites cannot be mixed as different sites will have different contamination. UP ships it to a dump site in Nevada, where it is processed. Ryan explained that sometimes they can use dividers in a car to separate dirt from different projects if there is not that much.
Right now transshipping dirty dirt is the SF Bay's only business, but there a couple of other industries are interested in bringing new business. The line that crosses the Illinois St. bridge has been out of service for a couple of years as there currently no customers north of Islais Creek.
We rode the S2 for a while after the day brightened, then got down and Ryan drove me around in a company car to get some more angles as they switched. He then had other work to do and I shot the end of 23's work day as well as 25, some spare Alco parts and another project of Waste Solutions, goats that are leased out for natural weed control. Ryan said that since Waste Solutions got more cars, they can't use their goats as much for weed control in the yard as most of the yard tracks are occupied.
The crew called it a day for switching about 0800 and then would be doing other work in the yard for the rest of their work day.
All of these photos were taken with permission after signing a release and while wearing required PPE.
I want to than Ryan, Ben, Johnny and Nick for their hospitality. I had a great time.
Farmers learn about conservation agriculture during a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
Farmers learn how to calibrate sprayers during a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
This CSX weed control unit was in Bells, TN on October 4, 2013. Below is a quoted portion of an article I found related to it.
"CSX Transportation’s engineering department tries to aggressively combat weeds, too. Engineering managers constantly gauge the weather to determine the best times to spray, says Manager of Engineering Programs Kelly Goedde.
“If you spray too soon and the rains come late in the spring, a lot of the herbicides have effectively run their half-life, so you don’t get the maximum efficacy out of them,” he says. “If you think it might be a late spring and the rains come early, then you can’t get out there to spray and the weeds get a head start on you.”
The Class I sprays herbicides in areas covering about 43,000 miles, or 131,000 acres, annually. CSXT’s contractor determines which herbicides to use.
“There are new formulations of the old products, and other new products are always trickling in,” says Goedde. “We’re finding out what the best use for those herbicides are in our system.”
There will always be a demand for new chemicals to control herbicide-resistant weeds, says BNSF Railway Co. Manager of Vegetation Control Gary Nyberg.
“We include herbicide rotation as part of the program to help break up the cycle of resistance, but additional products are needed,” he says. “We now know of several weed species that are resistant to glyphosate, which is a recent development.”
BNSF applies herbicides on 32,000 route miles, or 50,000 operated miles, annually. The Class I divides its system into territories and contracts spraying to five companies: RWC, Right-a-Way Applicators, Rumble Spray Inc., Dakota Helicopters and Asplundh Canada.
Where possible, BNSF uses a combination of chemical spraying and mechanical cutting to control vegetation.
“Mechanical cutting alone stimulates re-growth, but by treating the cut stumps and stubble when they’re cut, we can prevent suckering and resprouting,” says Nyberg.
The two-fisted technique enables BNSF to maximize maintenance dollars and track time, and extend brush-cutting cycles by five years or more, Nyberg says, adding that there’s an industry need for equipment that can apply herbicides during the cutting process.
Brush cutting remains an equally important part of other railroads’ vegetation management programs.
CSXT focuses brush-cutting operations mostly at crossings to increase visibility for motorists. The Class I cuts brush along 2,200 to 3,000 miles annually, both on a contract basis and with its own crews.
“It depends on timing, where you’re cutting, how busy the line is and the number of machines available,” says CSXT’s Goedde.
The Class I plans to purchase brush-cutting equipment for its workers.
The railroad is considering a machine with two heads — a high-production head designed to cut off whole limbs up to six inches in diameter and a flail head for mulching. The heads can only operate one at a time, but having both options available at once would help improve CSXT’s brush-cutting efficiency.
“With this variable head, we can switch between the two depending on the application,” says Goedde."
Taken from goo.gl/m6zgW6 as it appeared on 10/05/2013 in the section "Weather Watchers".
Farmers examine wheat residues as they learn about conservation agriculture during a training course on wheat cropping, hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
SF Bay RR, 21 June 2018
The San Francisco Bay RR operates on the southeast side of San Francisco on and near the port. It uses two Alco S2 switchers that were built for the State Belt RR, later the San Francisco Belt RR, the line that served the piers of the Port of San Francisco for many years.
As shipping companies moved to containerization, the Port of Oakland became the big northern California container terminal and most of the piers of the Port of San Francisco were abandoned or converted to uses other than marine freight, so the SF Belt RR found itself out of a job. After 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Embarcadero Freeway, which had run over the SF Belt for most of its length, the freeway was removed, opening up San Francisco's waterfront and much of the Belt's trackage as converted for use by the Muni F line, which runs historic streetcars to Fishermen's Wharf, and the Muni lines that now server the Caltrain station.
Meanwhile, Pier 96, near Hunter's Point was converted to a container facility and the railroad's operations survived there. The line was renamed the San Francisco Bay RR and continued to use Alco S2s 23 and 25 to switch its customers.
Today, the railroad's main business is transloading dirty dirt from constructions and clean up sites in the Bay Area from trucks to railcars. It is owned by Waste Solutions Group, which also owns a fleet of hopper cars. The SF Bay and UP interchange on an as needed basis, with UP's South City job running into the SF Bay's yard on Cargo Way with empties and taking away loads.
A couple of railfans, Ryan and Ben, work for the railroad and Ryan invited me to come by for a visit. I had stopped by one afternoon a couple of years ago, and lucked out to see an S2 running around the yard a bit, but the railrroad usually goes on duty betweeen 4 and 5 am, switches cars for a few hours and then is done for the day. So, a visit to the SF Bay from Sacramento entailed a night in a hotel. It took a few tries for me to get time off from work scheduled on the same day the railroad was running.
Eventually, it all lined up and my alarm went off at 0315 at a hotel in Daly City, just south of the SF city limit.
I was at the yard by 4 and met Ben, who went out and started Alco 23. 25 is out of service with a bad bearing on the radiator fan drive shaft. Ryan explained that the SF Belt had done a jerry rigged repair of the shaft at some point and it was never documented, so nobody knew about the bearing until it failed. As a new low emission unit will be delivered in the next few months, there is no reason to repair 25. 25 will be put on display somewhere, perhaps near the Ferry Building, while 23 will be held as backup for the new unit.
But for now, an S2 built in 1944 is doing the job it was built to do. If you think about it, that is as though the Virginia and Truckee had still been using the Reno and Genoa during WW2.
Shorty after I got there, Ben went out and fired up the 23. It has a block heater, so it started easily with a puff of white smoke. He did an inspection of the engine, including checking the journal boxes. We then went back into the office and waited for Ryan, brakeman Johnny, and engineer Nick to arrive. The crew plotted their switching moves for the day. Ryan, who is yard operations manager, suggested that I get some blue hour photos from the ground as empties were switched and then we rode 23 while they switched loads.
Each car has dirt from one particular construction site and the dirt from sites cannot be mixed as different sites will have different contamination. UP ships it to a dump site in Nevada, where it is processed. Ryan explained that sometimes they can use dividers in a car to separate dirt from different projects if there is not that much.
Right now transshipping dirty dirt is the SF Bay's only business, but there a couple of other industries are interested in bringing new business. The line that crosses the Illinois St. bridge has been out of service for a couple of years as there currently no customers north of Islais Creek.
We rode the S2 for a while after the day brightened, then got down and Ryan drove me around in a company car to get some more angles as they switched. He then had other work to do and I shot the end of 23's work day as well as 25, some spare Alco parts and another project of Waste Solutions, goats that are leased out for natural weed control. Ryan said that since Waste Solutions got more cars, they can't use their goats as much for weed control in the yard as most of the yard tracks are occupied.
The crew called it a day for switching about 0800 and then would be doing other work in the yard for the rest of their work day.
All of these photos were taken with permission after signing a release and while wearing required PPE.
I want to than Ryan, Ben, Johnny and Nick for their hospitality. I had a great time.
A farmer practices tractor use during a field practice session using tractors with different implements at CIMMYT's new Boximo site, as part of a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
Ranchers in California set aside portions of their farms for collaborative studies on methyl bromide alternatives for strawberries. Adria Bordas and Carolee Bull evaluate biologically based methods for weed and disease control at Rod Koda's ranch. USDA photo by Scott Bauer.
SF Bay RR, 21 June 2018
The San Francisco Bay RR operates on the southeast side of San Francisco on and near the port. It uses two Alco S2 switchers that were built for the State Belt RR, later the San Francisco Belt RR, the line that served the piers of the Port of San Francisco for many years.
As shipping companies moved to containerization, the Port of Oakland became the big northern California container terminal and most of the piers of the Port of San Francisco were abandoned or converted to uses other than marine freight, so the SF Belt RR found itself out of a job. After 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Embarcadero Freeway, which had run over the SF Belt for most of its length, the freeway was removed, opening up San Francisco's waterfront and much of the Belt's trackage as converted for use by the Muni F line, which runs historic streetcars to Fishermen's Wharf, and the Muni lines that now server the Caltrain station.
Meanwhile, Pier 96, near Hunter's Point was converted to a container facility and the railroad's operations survived there. The line was renamed the San Francisco Bay RR and continued to use Alco S2s 23 and 25 to switch its customers.
Today, the railroad's main business is transloading dirty dirt from constructions and clean up sites in the Bay Area from trucks to railcars. It is owned by Waste Solutions Group, which also owns a fleet of hopper cars. The SF Bay and UP interchange on an as needed basis, with UP's South City job running into the SF Bay's yard on Cargo Way with empties and taking away loads.
A couple of railfans, Ryan and Ben, work for the railroad and Ryan invited me to come by for a visit. I had stopped by one afternoon a couple of years ago, and lucked out to see an S2 running around the yard a bit, but the railrroad usually goes on duty betweeen 4 and 5 am, switches cars for a few hours and then is done for the day. So, a visit to the SF Bay from Sacramento entailed a night in a hotel. It took a few tries for me to get time off from work scheduled on the same day the railroad was running.
Eventually, it all lined up and my alarm went off at 0315 at a hotel in Daly City, just south of the SF city limit.
I was at the yard by 4 and met Ben, who went out and started Alco 23. 25 is out of service with a bad bearing on the radiator fan drive shaft. Ryan explained that the SF Belt had done a jerry rigged repair of the shaft at some point and it was never documented, so nobody knew about the bearing until it failed. As a new low emission unit will be delivered in the next few months, there is no reason to repair 25. 25 will be put on display somewhere, perhaps near the Ferry Building, while 23 will be held as backup for the new unit.
But for now, an S2 built in 1944 is doing the job it was built to do. If you think about it, that is as though the Virginia and Truckee had still been using the Reno and Genoa during WW2.
Shorty after I got there, Ben went out and fired up the 23. It has a block heater, so it started easily with a puff of white smoke. He did an inspection of the engine, including checking the journal boxes. We then went back into the office and waited for Ryan, brakeman Johnny, and engineer Nick to arrive. The crew plotted their switching moves for the day. Ryan, who is yard operations manager, suggested that I get some blue hour photos from the ground as empties were switched and then we rode 23 while they switched loads.
Each car has dirt from one particular construction site and the dirt from sites cannot be mixed as different sites will have different contamination. UP ships it to a dump site in Nevada, where it is processed. Ryan explained that sometimes they can use dividers in a car to separate dirt from different projects if there is not that much.
Right now transshipping dirty dirt is the SF Bay's only business, but there a couple of other industries are interested in bringing new business. The line that crosses the Illinois St. bridge has been out of service for a couple of years as there currently no customers north of Islais Creek.
We rode the S2 for a while after the day brightened, then got down and Ryan drove me around in a company car to get some more angles as they switched. He then had other work to do and I shot the end of 23's work day as well as 25, some spare Alco parts and another project of Waste Solutions, goats that are leased out for natural weed control. Ryan said that since Waste Solutions got more cars, they can't use their goats as much for weed control in the yard as most of the yard tracks are occupied.
The crew called it a day for switching about 0800 and then would be doing other work in the yard for the rest of their work day.
All of these photos were taken with permission after signing a release and while wearing required PPE.
I want to than Ryan, Ben, Johnny and Nick for their hospitality. I had a great time.
3Q99- NR/GBRf operated weed control train- top and tailed by 66736 and Golden 66301- arrived right time 1519 departed 1520
Aerial Farming
In an article on "Aerial Farming" the "Quarterly Survey" of the Australia and New Zealand Bank Limited states that "Aircraft have become the instruments of one of those lesser-known revolutions assisting rural industry's progress in recent years. They are making a special contribution to the present drive to expand primary production, particularly in New Zealand, but also to some extent in Australia."
After describing the use of aircraft in spreading fertiliser, sowing seed for pasture and cropping, pest control, weed control and laying of baits, the "Survey" points out the "While small aircraft are suitable for small-scale operations where manoeuvrability around trees and hillsides is essential and small landing stripes and small paddocks are the rule, they are less suitable for large-scale work at some distance from the airstrips or from the source of materials."
The article concludes that "The aircraft's efficacy in saving valuable crops from pest invasions is undoubted. Furthermore, the gradual increase in the number of adjacent properties to be treated, establishment of better airstrips and use of larger aircraft, together with improvement of transport and loading arrangements, may be expected to reduce the costs of seeding and fertiliser spreading, in 'easy' country as well as in hill country."
Description source:
Queensland Country Life, 9 October 1952
View the original image at Queensland State Archives:
ben simon from GWLAP - the goolwa to wellington local action planning association - leads a watercourse restoration guided walk along the finniss river
finniss conservation park, fleurieu peninsula, south australia
Farmers watch as another member of their group practices tractor use during a field practice session using tractors with different implements at CIMMYT's new Boximo site, as part of a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
Mac Do it Best Hardware is a full service hardware store serving St. Louis, Webster Groves, Rock Hill, Brentwood, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, Crestwood, Kirkwood and Glendale for more than 30 years. We provide friendly service, helpful advice, convenient parking and competitive prices to homeowners, contractors and businesses. Mac Hardware carries an extensive inventory of home and garden supplies. Paint: Valspar Paint, Cabot Wood Stains, Minwax Wood Finishing Products, Rust-Oleum, spray paint, color matching, paint mixing, paint brushes, rollers Barbecue: Smokin Brothers Wood Pellet Grills, Weber Grills, Wood Pellets, charcoal, propane, grilling accessories Lawn and Garden: grass seed, fertilizer, weed control, pesticide, lawn edgers, leaf blowers, chain saws, Nut Wizard, garden hoses, lawn sprinklers, lawn chairs, swimming pool chemicals, solar landscape lighting, bird feeders, bird seed, leaf bags, snow shovels, ice melt Electrical: light fixtures, ceiling fans, electrical wire, switch plates, light bulbs, batteries Plumbing: Plumbing tools, drain cleaner, sump pumps, faucets, pipe sealer, pipe cutting, pipe threading HVAC: furnace filters, thermostats, fan belts Cleaning Supplies: Bona Floor Care Products, carpet cleaner rentals, mops, brooms, cleaners, trash cans, trash bags Housewares: Kitchen gadgets, coffee makers, crock pots, drawer pulls, candles General Hardware: hand tools, power tools, nails, bolts, screws Seasonal: Christmas lights, Christmas Tree stands, extension cords, American flags
Mac Do it Best Hardware
40 E Lockwood Ave
Webster Groves, MO 63119
Phone: (314) 961-4522
Contact Person: Bob Margherio
Contact Email: macdoitbest@gmail.com
Website: machardware.doitbest.com
You Tube URL: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cGMIzUQMWw
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Northern Beaches mayors are perplexed by Tony Abbott's plan to build more seawalls.
The Opposition Leader launched his proposal this month for a Green Army of young people to undertake environmental projects.
Potential projects include planting trees, weed control and building seawalls.
But Warringah Mayor Michael Regan said there was a lot of concern around addressing the issue of erosion through seawalls as they can adversely impact neighbouring properties.
"It's the opposite of what direction councils are going in," he said.
Councils have also been looking at how to deal with privately built seawalls, due to ownership and maintenance issues.
Pittwater Mayor Jacqui Townsend said there needed to be a more holistic and longer term view on protecting vulnerable coastlines.
While Manly Mayor Jean Hay said there could be a role for the Green Army to restore seawalls but not on private property.
A spokeswoman for Mr Abbott said the teams would not work for private owners and building seawalls was just one project suggestion. Community members can put forward other ideas.
try transplaneting paulus like a vine but if the see sprouts for a short time corrupts dirty boy on phone collection I"LL kill you I"ll bring my shot gun come ito the office then and $20 i owed snow panza where's my money cunt like a little art pulling all thir monkey faces you supposed to meet me here get it right $20 here at wednesday drinks..jug night...and then they "build" try transaplanting like a vine but if they keep corruptiing "build" as parnic in sybils cheeck and the preist came and dirty girl and chained her to the pinao it'[s a shitfight here and sabirs family comes to visit him at work he's out to lunch just like the girl on big brothers family came to vist "build" shron osborne OF MAN tortuer devices so they won't blackout and then the turnt cia says i need blapheme wormy "com" but at fort hood the muslim thunkers go postal cause they start cacking at him lyou notice amazing things when you study pasychology as a hobby in jngian myers briges..they "build" what was ment by that..i know beamy deep secrets of satan so called CLUNG...st paul provide a solution....we don' know why a T there's someting wrong it keeps and abbot says a word SMash rusian swing a swung it looks smashed smashed drunk "build" and neibourhood watch man comes round thuns he taking it off me smash and then letterman screams at my agent after screaming at the austrlian ed sullivan threatre in gentle where's the rent the mortage is paid off and rod taylor came to help errol flyn and the agent says under newyourk law they'll say i just went to clinton and "lostered" it here'sthe new york case produce you clemancy list...lost it drunk smash...theve got the deeds their wiondering where the rent is where is all this money coming fro and they check the boxes where is "it" where are all the holes and of all the frigging in the rigging luck
Northern Beaches mayors are perplexed by Tony Abbott's plan to build more seawalls.
The Opposition Leader launched his proposal this month for a Green Army of young people to undertake environmental projects.
Potential projects include planting trees, weed control and building seawalls.
But Warringah Mayor Michael Regan said there was a lot of concern around addressing the issue of erosion through seawalls as they can adversely impact neighbouring properties.
"It's the opposite of what direction councils are going in," he said.
Councils have also been looking at how to deal with privately built seawalls, due to ownership and maintenance issues.
Pittwater Mayor Jacqui Townsend said there needed to be a more holistic and longer term view on protecting vulnerable coastlines.
While Manly Mayor Jean Hay said there could be a role for the Green Army to restore seawalls but not on private property.
A spokeswoman for Mr Abbott said the teams would not work for private owners and building seawalls was just one project suggestion. Community members can put forward other ideas.
open the boxes YOU earn that..a big earner a bi typist and the head of the goodfellas never forgave him for getting himin jail
Farmers and future farmers return home after an on-field question-and-answer workshop on crop rotation and weed control. This photo showing rural “mechanized” transport near Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, was taken in October 2013.
Jelle Van Loon/CIMMYT
Mac Do it Best Hardware is a full service hardware store serving St. Louis, Webster Groves, Rock Hill, Brentwood, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, Crestwood, Kirkwood and Glendale for more than 30 years. We provide friendly service, helpful advice, convenient parking and competitive prices to homeowners, contractors and businesses. Mac Hardware carries an extensive inventory of home and garden supplies. Paint: Valspar Paint, Cabot Wood Stains, Minwax Wood Finishing Products, Rust-Oleum, spray paint, color matching, paint mixing, paint brushes, rollers Barbecue: Smokin Brothers Wood Pellet Grills, Weber Grills, Wood Pellets, charcoal, propane, grilling accessories Lawn and Garden: grass seed, fertilizer, weed control, pesticide, lawn edgers, leaf blowers, chain saws, Nut Wizard, garden hoses, lawn sprinklers, lawn chairs, swimming pool chemicals, solar landscape lighting, bird feeders, bird seed, leaf bags, snow shovels, ice melt Electrical: light fixtures, ceiling fans, electrical wire, switch plates, light bulbs, batteries Plumbing: Plumbing tools, drain cleaner, sump pumps, faucets, pipe sealer, pipe cutting, pipe threading HVAC: furnace filters, thermostats, fan belts Cleaning Supplies: Bona Floor Care Products, carpet cleaner rentals, mops, brooms, cleaners, trash cans, trash bags Housewares: Kitchen gadgets, coffee makers, crock pots, drawer pulls, candles General Hardware: hand tools, power tools, nails, bolts, screws Seasonal: Christmas lights, Christmas Tree stands, extension cords, American flags
Mac Do it Best Hardware
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Webster Groves, MO 63119
Phone: (314) 961-4522
Contact Person: Bob Margherio
Contact Email: macdoitbest@gmail.com
Website: machardware.doitbest.com
You Tube URL: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cGMIzUQMWw
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This Windhoff/Network Rail train runs several times a week from Wigan to Wigan covering much of the central Northern Rail network. It is seen here today passing through Luddendenfoot on a rail treatment service. The tanks contain materials for several different applications - they can also do de-icing, weed control etc.
We normally use workers with mowers and other gas-powered machines to clear these areas. Goat power has decidedly less greenhouse gas emissions and is better for the environment. Goats also sterilize weed seed through their digestive process, preventing new plants from taking root. And, four legs are also better than two when it comes to storming some rocky, weed-infested areas.
CIMMYT staff demonstrating tractor use during a field practice session using tractors with different implements at CIMMYT's new Boximo site, as part of a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/
SF Bay RR, 21 June 2018
The San Francisco Bay RR operates on the southeast side of San Francisco on and near the port. It uses two Alco S2 switchers that were built for the State Belt RR, later the San Francisco Belt RR, the line that served the piers of the Port of San Francisco for many years.
As shipping companies moved to containerization, the Port of Oakland became the big northern California container terminal and most of the piers of the Port of San Francisco were abandoned or converted to uses other than marine freight, so the SF Belt RR found itself out of a job. After 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Embarcadero Freeway, which had run over the SF Belt for most of its length, the freeway was removed, opening up San Francisco's waterfront and much of the Belt's trackage as converted for use by the Muni F line, which runs historic streetcars to Fishermen's Wharf, and the Muni lines that now server the Caltrain station.
Meanwhile, Pier 96, near Hunter's Point was converted to a container facility and the railroad's operations survived there. The line was renamed the San Francisco Bay RR and continued to use Alco S2s 23 and 25 to switch its customers.
Today, the railroad's main business is transloading dirty dirt from constructions and clean up sites in the Bay Area from trucks to railcars. It is owned by Waste Solutions Group, which also owns a fleet of hopper cars. The SF Bay and UP interchange on an as needed basis, with UP's South City job running into the SF Bay's yard on Cargo Way with empties and taking away loads.
A couple of railfans, Ryan and Ben, work for the railroad and Ryan invited me to come by for a visit. I had stopped by one afternoon a couple of years ago, and lucked out to see an S2 running around the yard a bit, but the railrroad usually goes on duty betweeen 4 and 5 am, switches cars for a few hours and then is done for the day. So, a visit to the SF Bay from Sacramento entailed a night in a hotel. It took a few tries for me to get time off from work scheduled on the same day the railroad was running.
Eventually, it all lined up and my alarm went off at 0315 at a hotel in Daly City, just south of the SF city limit.
I was at the yard by 4 and met Ben, who went out and started Alco 23. 25 is out of service with a bad bearing on the radiator fan drive shaft. Ryan explained that the SF Belt had done a jerry rigged repair of the shaft at some point and it was never documented, so nobody knew about the bearing until it failed. As a new low emission unit will be delivered in the next few months, there is no reason to repair 25. 25 will be put on display somewhere, perhaps near the Ferry Building, while 23 will be held as backup for the new unit.
But for now, an S2 built in 1944 is doing the job it was built to do. If you think about it, that is as though the Virginia and Truckee had still been using the Reno and Genoa during WW2.
Shorty after I got there, Ben went out and fired up the 23. It has a block heater, so it started easily with a puff of white smoke. He did an inspection of the engine, including checking the journal boxes. We then went back into the office and waited for Ryan, brakeman Johnny, and engineer Nick to arrive. The crew plotted their switching moves for the day. Ryan, who is yard operations manager, suggested that I get some blue hour photos from the ground as empties were switched and then we rode 23 while they switched loads.
Each car has dirt from one particular construction site and the dirt from sites cannot be mixed as different sites will have different contamination. UP ships it to a dump site in Nevada, where it is processed. Ryan explained that sometimes they can use dividers in a car to separate dirt from different projects if there is not that much.
Right now transshipping dirty dirt is the SF Bay's only business, but there a couple of other industries are interested in bringing new business. The line that crosses the Illinois St. bridge has been out of service for a couple of years as there currently no customers north of Islais Creek.
We rode the S2 for a while after the day brightened, then got down and Ryan drove me around in a company car to get some more angles as they switched. He then had other work to do and I shot the end of 23's work day as well as 25, some spare Alco parts and another project of Waste Solutions, goats that are leased out for natural weed control. Ryan said that since Waste Solutions got more cars, they can't use their goats as much for weed control in the yard as most of the yard tracks are occupied.
The crew called it a day for switching about 0800 and then would be doing other work in the yard for the rest of their work day.
All of these photos were taken with permission after signing a release and while wearing required PPE.
I want to than Ryan, Ben, Johnny and Nick for their hospitality. I had a great time.
Pronounced Foster... There is a note on an old NSW map that we visited Hallidays Point on 25/09/94
Screen grab from Memory Map, on the iPad..
It is a good basic map for clearly seeing road network and places....
This App is used by ACT Gov to map rabbit warrens and weed control.
See Landnews April 2014..
The gpx files can be sent as shape files to Windows DNR GPSTM program and ArcGIS and MM off line maps. ESRI. Etc..
Can be used off line! This has been successful since 2012..
Vegetation mapping. k2c.org.au/files/3_Botha_-_Blakely's_Red_Gum_Dieback_Mapp...
Rabbit warren mapping..
Will add more details of what maps to travel with..
We like the Readers Digest Maps of Australia....
Hema maps in the National Parks of Australia from 19..
The Hema Map based Camps Australia.
The Geoscience Australia, GA ex National Mapping 1:250,000 maps on CD
The Cartoscape free regional maps are very good along the East coast.
But lots of info POIs missing if they do not pay for advertising!
Etc... You need 3 different map sets
One Mile Beach not shown.
I have not checked this one out yet for road detail in the bush and disappearing tracks...
itunes.apple.com/au/app/maps-me-offline-map-with-navigati...
From left: Rich Batiuk, Associate Director for Science, Analysis and Implementation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program; Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee; Scott Willey; Ted Layton; Eddie Jewell of Allen Harim Foods; Delaware Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch; and Delaware Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende.
Poultry farmers Ted Layton and Scott Willey have been recognized for their efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2016 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.
Layton and Willey are co-owners of T&S Farms near Milford, growing broiler chickens for Allen Harim Foods on a 44-acre farm. They have four poultry houses, with a capacity of 134,000 birds per flock. As part of their efforts, they have installed a manure shed and composter, have a stormwater pond, and will plant a tree buffer. They focus on weed control, lane maintenance and pad cleanliness, and have all manure transported by Ellis Farms.
Awards to Layton and Willey and three runners-up were presented Monday during Delaware Ag Week by Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende and Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch.
"These farmers are great examples of how Delaware's farm families are wonderful stewards of our land and water," Brosch said. "It is due to their hard work and dedication that has made Delaware a leader in nutrient management efforts."
Runners-up were:
>> Alvin and Norma Warner of Milford, who grow for Perdue Foods growing the Coleman Organic Program, with a capacity of 62,000 organic broilers. They have created 15 acres of riparian buffers and wildlife habitat, planted tree buffers, and installed heavy use pads and a composter.
>> Tracey Hill of Laurel, who grows for Mountaire Farms, with a capacity of 116,000 broilers. He has grassed waterways and all pipes lead to a fish-stocked pond which treats stormwater from the production area.
>> Jim Nguyen of Georgetown, who grows for Amick Farms, with a capacity of 110,000 broilers. He has installed heavy use pads, planted trees to reduce exhaust emissions, graded swales to direct stormwater into a one-acre pond, planted apple trees and berry bushes for wildlife, and uses freezers for mortality.
Layton and Willey will receive $1,000, a plaque and a sign for their farm. The runners-up will receive $500, plaques and signs.
Past recipients of the Environmental Stewardship Award include Chris Lesniowski of Marydel (2015); Georgie Cartanza of Little Creek (2014); Connie Carmean of Laurel (2013); Marilyn and Lee Ellers, Sparrow’s Song Farm, Houston (2012); Douglas and Deborah Vanderwende, Locust Grove Farm, Greenwood (2011); Frank Robinson and family, Dead Broke Farm, Harrington (2010); Mary Bryan, Laurel (2009); Joe Bauer, Harrington (2008); Scott Peterman, Milford (2007); and Guy and Nancy Phillips, Georgetown (2006).
The awards are supported by Allen Harim Foods, Amick Farms, Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms.
A herd of 17 goats got back to work grazing invasive weeds at a stormwater pond in Vancouver. You might remember we deployed several herds of four-legged weed warriors around the state in a pilot-program last year. We found that goats as a mowing tool have some advantages over mechanical mowing, but only in certain, specific areas, such as those that are already fenced or an area that’s steep or hard to reach.
In many cases, the costs of temporary fencing to keep drivers and the herd safe outweighs the environmental cost/benefits of using goat power. The program works along Clark County area highways, where we already have several fenced locations that can support the use of goats, without increased overhead costs. The end result; goats will remain one of many tools we use to remove overgrown vegetation in our stormwater facilities.
More info: wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/goat-weed-warriors-ready-f...
From left: Rich Batiuk, Associate Director for Science, Analysis and Implementation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program; Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee; Beth Sise of Mountaire Farms; Tracey Hill; James Hill; Delaware Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch; and Delaware Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende.
Poultry farmers Ted Layton and Scott Willey have been recognized for their efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2016 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.
Layton and Willey are co-owners of T&S Farms near Milford, growing broiler chickens for Allen Harim Foods on a 44-acre farm. They have four poultry houses, with a capacity of 134,000 birds per flock. As part of their efforts, they have installed a manure shed and composter, have a stormwater pond, and will plant a tree buffer. They focus on weed control, lane maintenance and pad cleanliness, and have all manure transported by Ellis Farms.
Awards to Layton and Willey and three runners-up were presented Monday during Delaware Ag Week by Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende and Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch.
"These farmers are great examples of how Delaware's farm families are wonderful stewards of our land and water," Brosch said. "It is due to their hard work and dedication that has made Delaware a leader in nutrient management efforts."
Runners-up were:
>> Alvin and Norma Warner of Milford, who grow for Perdue Foods growing the Coleman Organic Program, with a capacity of 62,000 organic broilers. They have created 15 acres of riparian buffers and wildlife habitat, planted tree buffers, and installed heavy use pads and a composter.
>> Tracey Hill of Laurel, who grows for Mountaire Farms, with a capacity of 116,000 broilers. He has grassed waterways and all pipes lead to a fish-stocked pond which treats stormwater from the production area.
>> Jim Nguyen of Georgetown, who grows for Amick Farms, with a capacity of 110,000 broilers. He has installed heavy use pads, planted trees to reduce exhaust emissions, graded swales to direct stormwater into a one-acre pond, planted apple trees and berry bushes for wildlife, and uses freezers for mortality.
Layton and Willey will receive $1,000, a plaque and a sign for their farm. The runners-up will receive $500, plaques and signs.
Past recipients of the Environmental Stewardship Award include Chris Lesniowski of Marydel (2015); Georgie Cartanza of Little Creek (2014); Connie Carmean of Laurel (2013); Marilyn and Lee Ellers, Sparrow’s Song Farm, Houston (2012); Douglas and Deborah Vanderwende, Locust Grove Farm, Greenwood (2011); Frank Robinson and family, Dead Broke Farm, Harrington (2010); Mary Bryan, Laurel (2009); Joe Bauer, Harrington (2008); Scott Peterman, Milford (2007); and Guy and Nancy Phillips, Georgetown (2006).
The awards are supported by Allen Harim Foods, Amick Farms, Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms.
Coppins Crossing road hidden in background. Southern slope of Black Mt across skyline.
Spraying Contracted out to Col Johnson. 1990's
Canberra Times p12 Fri March 31, 2023
“More than a hectare of pink tail worm lizard habitat considered low quality, will likely be impacted during development, down from 2.7 ha the rest of what was once farmland owned by world War one veteran Aubrey Blewett is now owned by the ACT Government and the Australian National University. Plans for its development are still uncertain..
Similar B&W shot in Annual Report 1993-94 p5
Just North of here is the new suburb, Whitlam, just announced on ABC Canberra 666. The old Blewitts Block, see below!
The future of this block..
Denman Prospect... looking NE to the Arboretum..
www.google.com.au/maps/place/245+Cooma+St,+Karabar+NSW+26...
Further North of here is the just-opened new Suburb of Whitlam today 24-11-20
See the same area in 2018 and future Molonglo Valley Developments...
suburbanland.act.gov.au/molonglo/about
The BLUETTTS tag will take you to other people’s shots on their walks …
Photography happens on earth, and earth needs its champions. If you’ve been around Flickr at all, you know how seriously we take our conservation and sustainability: We’re Certified Evergreen. We’re a Climate Pledge signatory and Climate Neutral Certified. We’re a member of The Conservation Alliance. And today, we’re pleased to join 1% for the Planet, a coalition of businesses who donate 1% of all sales, not just profits, to support verified environmental causes and organizations.
Think about it like this: Photography has existed for a little less than two centuries, but its impact on humanity is immeasurable. As the world’s largest photo community, our mission is to build a better world through the power of photography. Sustainability and conservation are baked right into our very core, and it’s our duty and privilege to protect the open and wild spaces that inspire photographers.
To further our efforts, we also joined the Mobilizing for Monuments Coalition and produced the Mobilizing for Monuments film, advocating for environmental conservation and the preservation of open spaces. And just recently, we conducted a report on how precious these places are to photographers.
OPEN SPACES REPORT
A report on open spaces conducted by Awesome, Inc. on behalf of Flickr surveyed 1,767 photographers, including hobbyists, professionals, and small business owners. Key findings include:
95% of photographers surveyed agreed that limiting access to open spaces would adversely affect their business or craft.
9 out of 10 photographers derived at least a portion of their income from open spaces.
We’re doing what we can to protect these locations and our planet for endless future generations of photographers.
blog.flickr.net/en/2024/06/17/flickr-joins-one-percent-fo...
Over the weekend, it was announced that Blocks 403 and 12 of Ngununggula/ Bluetts Block will be protected as a Nature Reserve. This is a significant win for the community, the Conservation Council and Friends of Bluetts Block, who have been advocating for the protection of the whole of Ngununggula/ Bluetts Block for many years.
Ngununggula/ Bluetts Block, bordering the Molonglo River, in Canberra’s Western Edge is home to many plants and animals, including the critically-endangered Gang-gang cockatoo, vulnerable species such as the Scarlet Robin, the Superb Parrot and Pink-Tailed Worm Lizard, and many significant orchids. The area also provides important landscape connectivity from the Murrumbidgee River Corridor to Black Mountain.
The declaration of this reserve is a huge win, and we should all be celebrating the amazing work that it has taken to reach this point! But, we can’t rest yet – there’s a lot still to be done to protect Canberra’s Western edge.
28th Aug 2024
SF Bay RR, 21 June 2018
The San Francisco Bay RR operates on the southeast side of San Francisco on and near the port. It uses two Alco S2 switchers that were built for the State Belt RR, later the San Francisco Belt RR, the line that served the piers of the Port of San Francisco for many years.
As shipping companies moved to containerization, the Port of Oakland became the big northern California container terminal and most of the piers of the Port of San Francisco were abandoned or converted to uses other than marine freight, so the SF Belt RR found itself out of a job. After 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Embarcadero Freeway, which had run over the SF Belt for most of its length, the freeway was removed, opening up San Francisco's waterfront and much of the Belt's trackage as converted for use by the Muni F line, which runs historic streetcars to Fishermen's Wharf, and the Muni lines that now server the Caltrain station.
Meanwhile, Pier 96, near Hunter's Point was converted to a container facility and the railroad's operations survived there. The line was renamed the San Francisco Bay RR and continued to use Alco S2s 23 and 25 to switch its customers.
Today, the railroad's main business is transloading dirty dirt from constructions and clean up sites in the Bay Area from trucks to railcars. It is owned by Waste Solutions Group, which also owns a fleet of hopper cars. The SF Bay and UP interchange on an as needed basis, with UP's South City job running into the SF Bay's yard on Cargo Way with empties and taking away loads.
A couple of railfans, Ryan and Ben, work for the railroad and Ryan invited me to come by for a visit. I had stopped by one afternoon a couple of years ago, and lucked out to see an S2 running around the yard a bit, but the railrroad usually goes on duty betweeen 4 and 5 am, switches cars for a few hours and then is done for the day. So, a visit to the SF Bay from Sacramento entailed a night in a hotel. It took a few tries for me to get time off from work scheduled on the same day the railroad was running.
Eventually, it all lined up and my alarm went off at 0315 at a hotel in Daly City, just south of the SF city limit.
I was at the yard by 4 and met Ben, who went out and started Alco 23. 25 is out of service with a bad bearing on the radiator fan drive shaft. Ryan explained that the SF Belt had done a jerry rigged repair of the shaft at some point and it was never documented, so nobody knew about the bearing until it failed. As a new low emission unit will be delivered in the next few months, there is no reason to repair 25. 25 will be put on display somewhere, perhaps near the Ferry Building, while 23 will be held as backup for the new unit.
But for now, an S2 built in 1944 is doing the job it was built to do. If you think about it, that is as though the Virginia and Truckee had still been using the Reno and Genoa during WW2.
Shorty after I got there, Ben went out and fired up the 23. It has a block heater, so it started easily with a puff of white smoke. He did an inspection of the engine, including checking the journal boxes. We then went back into the office and waited for Ryan, brakeman Johnny, and engineer Nick to arrive. The crew plotted their switching moves for the day. Ryan, who is yard operations manager, suggested that I get some blue hour photos from the ground as empties were switched and then we rode 23 while they switched loads.
Each car has dirt from one particular construction site and the dirt from sites cannot be mixed as different sites will have different contamination. UP ships it to a dump site in Nevada, where it is processed. Ryan explained that sometimes they can use dividers in a car to separate dirt from different projects if there is not that much.
Right now transshipping dirty dirt is the SF Bay's only business, but there a couple of other industries are interested in bringing new business. The line that crosses the Illinois St. bridge has been out of service for a couple of years as there currently no customers north of Islais Creek.
We rode the S2 for a while after the day brightened, then got down and Ryan drove me around in a company car to get some more angles as they switched. He then had other work to do and I shot the end of 23's work day as well as 25, some spare Alco parts and another project of Waste Solutions, goats that are leased out for natural weed control. Ryan said that since Waste Solutions got more cars, they can't use their goats as much for weed control in the yard as most of the yard tracks are occupied.
The crew called it a day for switching about 0800 and then would be doing other work in the yard for the rest of their work day.
All of these photos were taken with permission after signing a release and while wearing required PPE.
I want to than Ryan, Ben, Johnny and Nick for their hospitality. I had a great time.
Farmers learn about conservation agriculture during a training course on wheat cropping hosted by CIMMYT at its Toluca experiment station during 01-05 March 2010. The course was part of an agreement between CIMMYT and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) to collaborate in science and technology transfer. Thirty-three farmer leaders with high levels of knowledge and skills participated, from different wheat producing areas in Mexico, with the expectation that they would share what they learned with other farmers in their respective production areas.
Toluca station superintendent Fernando Delgado conducted the course, covering land preparation, planting alternatives, weed control, efficient use of planting machinery, and diverse farming implements. A second course held in August 2010 focused on crop management, identification of common plant diseases, seed health, and grain quality.
Photo credit: X. Fonseca/CIMMYT.
For more information, see CIMMYT's blog story at: blog.cimmyt.org/index.php/2010/03/wheat-cropping-course/.
From left: Rich Batiuk, Associate Director for Science, Analysis and Implementation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program; Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee; Scott Willey; Ted Layton; Eddie Jewell of Allen Harim Foods; Delaware Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch; and Delaware Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende.
Poultry farmers Ted Layton and Scott Willey have been recognized for their efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2016 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.
Layton and Willey are co-owners of T&S Farms near Milford, growing broiler chickens for Allen Harim Foods on a 44-acre farm. They have four poultry houses, with a capacity of 134,000 birds per flock. As part of their efforts, they have installed a manure shed and composter, have a stormwater pond, and will plant a tree buffer. They focus on weed control, lane maintenance and pad cleanliness, and have all manure transported by Ellis Farms.
Awards to Layton and Willey and three runners-up were presented Monday during Delaware Ag Week by Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende and Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch.
"These farmers are great examples of how Delaware's farm families are wonderful stewards of our land and water," Brosch said. "It is due to their hard work and dedication that has made Delaware a leader in nutrient management efforts."
Runners-up were:
>> Alvin and Norma Warner of Milford, who grow for Perdue Foods growing the Coleman Organic Program, with a capacity of 62,000 organic broilers. They have created 15 acres of riparian buffers and wildlife habitat, planted tree buffers, and installed heavy use pads and a composter.
>> Tracey Hill of Laurel, who grows for Mountaire Farms, with a capacity of 116,000 broilers. He has grassed waterways and all pipes lead to a fish-stocked pond which treats stormwater from the production area.
>> Jim Nguyen of Georgetown, who grows for Amick Farms, with a capacity of 110,000 broilers. He has installed heavy use pads, planted trees to reduce exhaust emissions, graded swales to direct stormwater into a one-acre pond, planted apple trees and berry bushes for wildlife, and uses freezers for mortality.
Layton and Willey will receive $1,000, a plaque and a sign for their farm. The runners-up will receive $500, plaques and signs.
Past recipients of the Environmental Stewardship Award include Chris Lesniowski of Marydel (2015); Georgie Cartanza of Little Creek (2014); Connie Carmean of Laurel (2013); Marilyn and Lee Ellers, Sparrow’s Song Farm, Houston (2012); Douglas and Deborah Vanderwende, Locust Grove Farm, Greenwood (2011); Frank Robinson and family, Dead Broke Farm, Harrington (2010); Mary Bryan, Laurel (2009); Joe Bauer, Harrington (2008); Scott Peterman, Milford (2007); and Guy and Nancy Phillips, Georgetown (2006).
The awards are supported by Allen Harim Foods, Amick Farms, Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms.