View allAll Photos Tagged cloud-based
052_GHP_SoireePortraits_2019.jpg -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Training engineers watch at one station while Commercial Crew astronauts Eric Boe and Suni Williams practice docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
728_GHP_SoireePortraits_2019.jpg -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Father and daughter, Salvador Prieto and Nadya Prieto use a six-wheeled utility vehicle to check the irrigation system in the family?s Hass avocado and Meyer lemon orchards in Somis, CA, on Nov 15, 2018.
Salvador Prieto grew up watching and helping his father grow corn and beans on a small farm in Mexico. The journey from bean fields to 20-acre orchard owner with his wife Martha Romero was not a straight and narrow path to Somis, Calif. In fact, it was music that brought him to the United States. Today the passion is agriculture.
Similarly, Romero didn’t follow a career in agriculture to her beautiful and healthy avocado and lemon orchard. Romero grew up a city girl in the heart of Los Angeles. Now sharing this farm with her husband and two children, she quickly credits her success to the support and assistance from her family to navigate the learning curve.
Constantly seeking improvement on the family’s orchard, Romero discovered the local Farm Bureau and the Ventura County Agricultural Irrigated Land Group (VCAILG) coalition. VCAILG put Romero in touch with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Ventura Resource Conservation District, for technical and financial assistance to implement conservation and management practices.
NRCS California District Conservationist Dawn Afman, Soil Conservationist Elizabeth Keith, and Resource Conservationist Brooks Engelhardt, have all provided technical assistance and invested their time and expertise in helping Prieto and Romero incorporate conservation practices in their orchard. Prieto and Romero were immediately intrigued by NRCS’s efforts to improve soil health.
“At first it was overwhelming, but many other farmers I know are members, so it is comforting to know that I am not alone,” said Romero. “We need to make a profit, obviously, but, for me, I want to do it while protecting mother nature and precious resources like water. I am able to do this with NRCS’s help.”
Prieto and Romero learned a lot from trial and error. Romero admits that she even bought her trees before the land was ready. But learning opportunities, like an early community garden project, gave them critical knowledge and experience.
A big first conservation practice they learned was mulching to save water and reduce weeds. NRCS helped Prieto and Romero with this, through an Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract, to apply mulch to their orchard floor to conserve soil moisture and improve soil health in the Fall of 2018.
“Every time we have a question or need assistance, NRCS has been nothing but helpful,” added Romero. “They let us know about other programs out in the community and invited us to their annual Latino Farmer Conference, where my husband and I learned about other helpful resources.”
Recently, Prieto and Romero entered into a new NRCS contract to implement Irrigation Water Management (IWM) to their orchard. The IWM plan includes installing moisture sensors into the ground, which transmit continuous data to cloud-based storage, and accessed through a smart device app on their phones. The information lets them know when, where and how long to irrigate. This knowledge will help them toward their goal of producing 6,000 pounds of produce per acre.
Looking toward the future, Romero expressed that knowledge is key. “Before we plant further, we need to get educated on how to do it best,” concluded Romero. “From the planting of a seed or planting of a tree, we need the entire process to be profitable. It's not just about planting it. It's about preparing the land and using the resources wisely.”
In the meantime, Romero enjoys the weekends because she does not need to be worried about picking up the kids from school or rushing around. She just wants to be out in the orchard, making it better From mulching to pruning or irrigating and weeding. The family’s goal is to make the farm “better tomorrow than it was today.”
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department’s focal point for the nation’s farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and services supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
NRCS has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners for more than 80 years. USDA helps people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
From weather to pests, and from a lack of time to markets, each American farmer faces a unique set of challenges. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) helps agricultural producers confront those challenges – all while conserving natural resources like soil, water, and air.
This voluntary conservation program helps producers make conservation work for them. Together, NRCS and producers invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations.
Through EQIP, NRCS provides agricultural producers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement improvements, or what NRCS calls conservation practices. Using these practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations. Through EQIP, you can voluntarily implement conservation practices and NRCS co-invests in these practices with you.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
For more information, please see:
USDA
FPAC
ww.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/mission-areas
NRCS
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/
EQIP
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/program...
Training engineers watch at one station while Commercial Crew astronaut Eric Boe practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
390_GHP_SoireePortraits_2019.jpg -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Training engineers watch at one station while Commercial Crew astronauts Eric Boe and Suni Williams practice docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
260_SoireeWall_11Nov21 - Greater Houston Partnership Soirée annual gala celebrating Houston as a truly global city at Hotel ZaZa chaired by Margaret and Thad Hill November 11, 2021. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Commercial Crew astronaut Eric Boe practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
649_GHP_SoireePortraits_2019.jpg -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Forced down in fog.
I was heading to the LAA Rally at Sywell in Northampton on Saturday departing from Halfpenny Green - flight time 45 minutes. Prior to take off the weather was glorious, and the weather report along my route was all clear; sun shining, nil wind. I took off at 07:45 entering Birmingham airspace and Basic Service at 08:00. I flew around the controlled airspace as requested and decided to have a peep at Warwick Castle and then out to Southam to the Cement Works VRP.
From nowhere, fog descended upon me and I flew around to find a way out. The cloud was coming down quickly and reduced my height to 500ft; that's very dangerous when you have no visibility.
Option 1: Turn back.
I did, no way out, I was surrounded by fog.
Option 2: Fly through the fog to find the ceiling.
No chance, that's how people die.
Option 3: Ditch it in a field:
Time was running out as the fog was coming down very quickly. I did numerous patrols at very low level to inspect all available fields and landed. Unfortunately, from the air you can't see if the ground is hard or soft. Upon landing, I very quickly discovered to my horror that it was soft and filled with tractor tyre ruts; too late I was down, but thankfully alive and all in one piece.
I heard a friend on the radio in a fixed wing flying through Birmingham airspace at 4,000 ft so I contacted him by telephone. He informed me the fog layer was very thin and would burn off in 30 minutes.
I sat in the field and considered my options.
Call a buddy with a trailer to get me out, or try to take off when the fog has cleared.
Getting collected would have taken a few days, but that was the safest option. Another option is to inspect the field to see if I can take off again. I walked around for and hour waiting for the fog to clear and finally found a possibility which was 300 metres long with a tree hedge at the end approximately 3 metres high. Hmmm.
I knew that with such a short take off and nil wind I'd be behind the power curve when first airborne so I took the aircraft to one edge of the field to give me the best option of flying around the inside perimeter of the trees to gain speed if I wasn't able to clear the hedge.
After a full aircraft and runway inspection, I marked out my abort point and started the engine. I'd made every safety precaution I could possibly think of and decided to attempt a take off.
After 10 minutes, engine temperatures and pressures were all good, prop was full fine and I started the pre-rotation process. The rough ground will sap all of the energy out of the rotors as it bounces so I needed to get off the ground as quickly as possible so I took all the power to the absolute limits, pre-rotation was faster than I'd ever been before, engine was full throttle and I let the brakes go and shot forward.
Thankfully, The nose wheel came up almost immediately, and she started to lift and take off. Phew, stage 1 complete, but this was the most dangerous phase. I was far below the power curve as my airspeed as 30 mph with the 3 metre hedge racing towards me.
My training took over and I pushed the stick forward, nose down flying less than 1 metre from the ground. My speed picked up rapidly, 40, 50, 60, 70 and I was close on the hedge now. At this speed I knew I'd have enough lift to clear the hedge so I pulled back very gently and flew clear of the hedge whilst still purchasing as much speed as I could muster. I circled the field as I knew it was free from obstructions and power cables.
At 90mph, I decided to climb, all readings were good and the aircraft was stable but I could only reach 400 ft due to the cloud base; still far too dangerous fly, so I back to square 1.
I tried to fly back home but the fog was cutting me off again. Here we go, I've been in the air a few minutes and now I have to find another field and do it all over again... and that's exactly what I did.
Now on the ground for a second time, I sat there for another 90 minutes waiting for the fog to clear.
After going through it all over again in the second field, I took to the air and continued my flight to Sywell. What a glorious sunny day for the LAA Rally... Who would have thought it!
Many lessons learned and an invaluable experience, although I'm not sure I'd want to experience it ever again, although I cannot ignore the fact that I probably will and I must be fully prepared for it as I was on this occasion.
I believe my favourite mantra saved me on that morning which is "Never compromise speed for height". I held my nerve at only 1 metre from the ground to gain speed which gave me all the flight control I needed. Trying to gain height without sufficient speed would have ended in disaster.
Whilst at Sywell, I met with my instructor, shook his hand and thanked him for everything he'd taught me.
007_GHP_SoireeCandids_2019.JPG -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
104_SoireeWall_11Nov21 - Greater Houston Partnership Soirée annual gala celebrating Houston as a truly global city at Hotel ZaZa chaired by Margaret and Thad Hill November 11, 2021. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
258_SoireeWall_11Nov21 - Greater Houston Partnership Soirée annual gala celebrating Houston as a truly global city at Hotel ZaZa chaired by Margaret and Thad Hill November 11, 2021. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
305_SoireeWall_11Nov21 - Greater Houston Partnership Soirée annual gala celebrating Houston as a truly global city at Hotel ZaZa chaired by Margaret and Thad Hill November 11, 2021. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Commercial Crew astronaut Suni Williams practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a simulator known as a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
074_GHP_SoireePortraits_2019.jpg -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Introducing FIELDMOTION
By being always connected to the office Jack’s Fieldworkers are regularly on time, efficient and he has improved customer service.Administration is dramatically reduced and bookkeeping is up to date at all times helped by providing immediate and accurate invoicing. With Fieldmotion customer satisfaction is at an all time high and so are sales.
Fieldmotion is designed by Fieldworkers for Fieldworkers and is an affordable, intelligent and easy to use cloud based software. Customer requests a job by phone, you can schedule the appointment and allocate the closest fieldworker
During the visit the Fieldworker can;
• Create quotes (if needed) and get an immediate approval from the customer.
• carry out on-site risk assessment
• equipment checked and certified
• locations inspected
• Parts used recorded and automatically added to the invoice
• Carry out schedules work
• capture photographic records
• provide client signature approval
…all instant and synchronized with the back office. In addition the maintenance of customer machinery or equipment can be automatically and scheduled for regular service intervals.
Management can monitor;Daily Progress, costs including Parts, Vehicles, Assets, Staff time keeping and efficiency andcustomer experience.” (93 words)
Fieldmotion removes all paperwork,as data input work is now carried out on site. Creating forms, invoices and multiple page documents is only the click of a ‘button ‘ away…no more sitting in the evenings or weekends.Freeing up valuable time and being able to ‘slot in’ small ad-hoc work in between scheduled appointments, providing valuable customer service
Fieldmotion willallow you to take complete control of YOURBusiness and significantly reduce YOUR time to manage paperwork.At last you have the business he always wanted.
Fieldmotion has been successfully implemented in 100’s of businesses like YOURS…and Fieldmotion WILL make you money!
…take the opportunity to look at FEILDMOTION today.
visit: www.fieldmotion.com
105_GHP_TMC_20Sept22 —Greater Houston Partnership State of the Texas Medical Center at the Hilton Americas September 20, 2022. (photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Commercial Crew astronaut Suni Williams practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a simulator known as a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
In an effort to align with the USAID Digital Strategy and recognize USAID Missions, Bureaus and partners that are empowering countries in a digital age, USAID launched the 2022 Digital Development Awards (the Digis), the fourth round of these awards. The Digis recognize and celebrate USAID-funded projects and activities that use digital technology to sustain open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems in order to improve measurable development and humanitarian-assistance outcomes. After receiving nearly 200 applications from USAID Missions around the world, five winners were selected for the 2022 Digital Development Awards, including USAID/Nepal: Building Hope Along the Karnali River Basin (BHAKARI), implemented by MercyCorps Nepal.
The remote Karnali River Basin is home to some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded communities in Nepal, and, when a crisis hits, reaching families with life-saving humanitarian assistance can be extremely difficult. Organizations often provide cash and vouchers as assistance so that participants can satisfy their own specific needs. However, it can be complex and costly to meet with rural participants in person to enroll them in these types of programs.
The USAID/Nepal Building Hope Along the Karnali River Basin (BHAKARI) program, implemented by Mercy Corps Nepal, deploys a suite of digital solutions to address these and other challenges throughout the phases of an emergency. BHAKARI partnered with Viamo, a global social enterprise, to transmit free, trustworthy, and accurate messages to complement the cash and voucher assistance to over 3 million people in Nepal. BHAKARI has used Viamo’s Platform (hotlines, IVR calls and mobile trainings) to provide training on cash and voucher assistance and spread educational, informational, and interactive messages about nutrition, hygiene and health, disasters, gender equality and social inclusion, and how to maximize effectiveness of cash assistance to ensure food security and nutrition.
BHAKARI also uses cloud-based software Laligurans, developed by Aria Technologies Nepal, for cash and voucher project management. The software helps BHAKARI register cash and voucher assistance participants, distribute cash and vouchers, and connect local vendors to wholesalers.
Pushpa, a single mother in a small village in Nepal’s remote Karnali River Basin, is part of a Community Disaster Management Committee (CDMC), along with many other women in her community. As part of this committee, the women work together to help their community prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Additionally, as part of BHAKARI’s emergency response program, she and other vulnerable households from her community receive support in the form of cash and vouchers which can be redeemed for food and supplies.
She shares, “The program staff use their phones to make a list of what we need…rice, eggs, soap. They provide us vouchers after which we come to the shop and receive the items from our list, which is packed and ready for us when we arrive. The items are provided to us after the shop owners scan our voucher in their phones.” These vouchers help Pushpa, and others in her community, provide for their families during the dry season when food is more scarce.
The BHAKARI program has intentionally designed each intervention to make cash and voucher assistance more accessible to the most marginalized and underserved groups—including poor laborers and their families, women, and people with disabilities. Interactive voice response “push messaging,” which disseminated key program messages by calling participants’ mobile phones, allowed BHAKARI to reach even those with low digital literacy.
BHAKARI has been incredibly collaborative, partnering with a national technology service provider, 101 local vendors, two transfer service providers, 22 regional and local agriculture input suppliers, and multiple departments of the Nepal Government and district governments. Additionally, private sector actors and local vendors can be mobilized quickly to respond to communities in remote geographical regions in the case of shocks or disasters.
Photo Credit: Suraj Ratna Shakya for USAID
These appear to be Asperitas Clouds, as described by the International Cloud Atlas:
"Well-defined, wave-like structures in the underside of the cloud; more chaotic and with less horizontal organization than the variety undulatus. Asperitas is characterized by localized waves in the cloud base, either smooth or dappled with smaller features, sometimes descending into sharp points, as if viewing a roughened sea surface from below. Varying levels of illumination and thickness of the cloud can lead to dramatic visual effects. Occurs mostly with Stratocumulus and Altocumulus."
References
- International Cloud Atlas: cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/clouds-supplementary-features-asper...
- Astrum--Earth's Rarest Cloud Type (YouTube) youtu.be/EX_uwZAgfOg
That "rarest cloud type" is perhaps an exaggeration, but they were formally described as a separate type of cloud only in 2009.
These photos were taken 15 January 2016 in Durham NC (USA). Checking weather records, weather was mild, about 52 F with a light wind, with some showers that evening. Two days later, there was a big temperature drop down to low 20's (F), quite cold for this area.
www.marketingweek.co.uk/analysis/cover-stories/on-the-pul...
On the pulse
By Michael Barnett
In developed countries, populations are ageing and individuals are living with medical conditions for longer. This trend is creating a market for new kinds of healthcare services.
Many consumer and business brands are moving into the healthcare sector to take advantage of the opportunities. Some are adapting their existing technology and expertise to meet demand for innovations in health; others are seeking to change the way healthcare is delivered.
Companies better known for selling anything from cars to mobile phone contracts are now seeking to become known as providers of medical services and products. Ford, for example, is bringing health technology to its cars with the development of an electrocardiogram (ECG) seat that measures the heart rate of the driver without the need to wear any additional monitoring equipment.
click here
Pim van der Jagt, managing director of the Ford Research Centre in Aachen, Germany, says this innovation was a strategic business decision made on the basis of substantial market research. “Health and wellness is the new area where people will spend a lot of money and have a lot of interest,” he says (see Q&A, below).
Van der Jagt notes that consumers’ lives are becoming busier, while Ford’s customers are getting older. The ECG seat aims to meet a very real demand for a product that would constantly check the health of the driver without taking time out of the person’s day to visit a doctor.
“A very large percentage of our customers are going to be above 65. Data shows that among people above 65 there is a significant percentage with some form of heart problem. These people want to monitor their heart rate and check they are in good condition,” says van der Jagt.
The seat is not yet on production lines, but should it be approved for installation in Ford’s cars, data would be collected by the vehicles using the car’s Sync entertainment system and transmitted wirelessly over the internet to a third-party organisation.
Exactly what would then be done with the information is a matter still under consideration, along with other technical details that still need to be worked out. Van der Jagt says Ford is unlikely to provide real-time feedback to the driver. “If he is going full speed on the autobahn, you do not want to tell him he should go to the nearest hospital,” he says.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect motion capture gaming device, usually part of a family’s video game entertainment system, is being used by surgeons at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. The motion sensor technology allows doctors to use physical gestures to switch between medical images on a screen without leaving the sterile area of the operating room and scrub in again.
The American Optometric Association has also suggested that Nintendo’s 3DS portable games console and other 3D viewing technology could help to diagnose problems in the vision of young people.
As well as creating new products or repurposing existing ones with new medical applications, some consumer brands are repositioning themselves as providers of comprehensive health services.
O2 last year launched O2 Health (see case study, below), while Virgin paid £4m for a 75% stake in Assura Medical in March 2010, 18 months after pulling out of plans to open its own primary care centre in Swindon. Both companies work in partnership with the NHS to deliver care services and products both to the industry and directly to patients.
According to Gaurav Batra, corporate development director of Virgin Management, which determines the business strategy of Virgin Group, the new opportunities for consumer-driven brands exist because patients have new priorities in what they seek from their healthcare providers. The current political climate, which aims to decentralise NHS healthcare, also supports this.
Batra says: “In terms of policy and how we as a society are evolving, people want to take greater control over their healthcare. That means they want more information about it. It means they want to exercise greater choice about what their treatment is, who is going to treat them, where, how and when.”
He adds that companies such as Virgin can bring experience in customer service into the NHS, an organisation that he claims has been poor at providing this. The general aims of Virgin’s involvement in health are to ensure this customer-centric ethos improves patient care, shortens waiting times, brings care closer to home and saves taxpayers money.
Healthcare professionals may need convincing of this, if the opposition of some medical associations to the government’s NHS reforms is any indication. But O2 Health managing director Keith Nurcombe expects the splitting up of some NHS services to pick up pace, allowing more private companies and consumer brands to position themselves as healthcare providers.
As with Virgin’s Assura business, all of O2 Health’s marketing is currently targeted at medical professionals. In the second half of 2011, however, it will launch its first consumer-facing campaign to accompany the introduction of a new mobile alternative to the panic buttons given to frail people in their homes.
Private companies have been involved in delivering services within the UK health industry for many years, but this could mark the beginning of their rise to prominence as recognisable consumer brands.
Virgin, which already has a health incentives business in the US called Virgin Health Miles, is building its profile among medical professionals in the UK and Batra says that “over a period of time we will see a greater role for a brand director at the patient interface”, although no decision has yet been taken to rebrand Assura Medical under the Virgin banner.
He explains: “I think the time will come when the Virgin brand means as much as the Assura brand does today to those various groups. That will be the right time to go.”
While Virgin’s Batra and O2 Health’s Nurcombe are clear on the motives for stretching their brands into new areas, it might take longer for British consumers to grasp the concept. Both would have to overcome the unfamiliarity in healthcare of consumer brands better known for telecoms or transatlantic flights.
Technology company HP, which is the largest IT provider in the healthcare sector worldwide according to director of global health Paul Ellingstad, prefers not to draw patients’ attention to its branding. “We are not displacing providers today. We are working with and enabling the healthcare providers,” he says.
HP’s marketing is directed towards communicating its use of technology in order to solve medical problems. Indeed, prior technological expertise is an area common to nearly all of the brands newly exploring health and wellness. It is also one where there is perhaps a natural basis for marketing healthcare brand extensions to consumers.
Van der Jagt says Ford, for example, already employs medical doctors for research to aid its ergonomic design, making sure its cars are comfortable and easy to use. So the expertise already exists in the company to explore other health-related applications for its technology. The ECG seat is just one of many developments to come about in this way, he says.
Similarly, O2 Health makes significant use of the mother brand’s telecoms experience. It has recently tested a system in the Western Isles of Scotland that allows patients to have remote consultations with a GP rather than a hospital, which might be a boat or plane journey away.
Called Side by Side, the video-link system allows the consultant to show the patient information such as MRI scans, X-rays, blood tests and whiteboard diagrams that can be drawn on the screen. O2 Health’s Nurcombe says: “It is obviously a much better service for the patient because they do not have to travel so far. It is much more efficient for the NHS because the consultant’s time is better used. Ultimately, it delivers a significantly lower cost of care.”
Using technology to cut the costs of delivering healthcare is a growing area. Forty-two per cent of chief information officers in hospitals across North America, Europe and Australia expect to spend more on IT this year than last, compared with only 17% who expect a drop, according to consultancy Ovum.
Brands can also get involved in this world by helping consumers or organisations take more control of their health-related data through technology. One new company started for this purpose is Massive Health. The San Francisco start-up raised $2.25m (£1.35m) from venture capital in February, and intends to launch mobile apps that update consumers’ health data in real time. The model can be compared to the Nike+ iPhone app, which records data associated with joggers’ running routes, and Google Health, which acts as an online health record for users in the US.
Massive Health co-founder Aza Raskin, previously a developer for Mozilla’s Firefox web browser, says he wants the company to be “the Apple of healthcare”. Its apps will enable diabetics, for example, to monitor their condition with feedback on data entered. As a result, Raskin says, they will provide information to help patients live healthily, infrastructure for which is currently lacking in the medical profession.
“If you are going to your doctor once every six months or every year, it does not really tell you about a problem you are having that was caused by what you had for lunch three days ago. The real problem with health is not that you do not care, it is that your body does not give you the kind of feedback that you need to make decisions. Technology can start adding a feedback loop, so you see the effect immediately,” says Raskin.
While technology at the leading edge is opening up markets in the developed world, comparatively low-tech products are furthering healthcare in poorer countries. Simply establishing an internet connection in areas that have never had one before can have profound impacts on doctors’ ability to save lives. Brands are participating in this both through charities and their own business initiatives.
British charity Computer Aid takes old IT equipment from businesses and puts it to use in telehealth applications in remote parts of Africa. One product, the ZubaBox, consists of an old shipping container filled with monitors and an internet-enabled computer powered by solar panels. Corporate sponsors can put their name on the side, pick the destination from a list of projects and send volunteers (see Q&A, below).
One of the three ZubaBoxes so far sent out was received by Macha Works, a development organisation in the isolated and rural area of Macha in Zambia. According to chief executive Fred Mweetwa, there have been economic and social benefits to the connection with larger towns that the region’s health professionals now enjoy. For one thing, more doctors are encouraged to stay.
“Since the introduction of the internet in Macha and the surrounding areas in Zambia, a lot of lives have been saved. Communication has been a lot easier between and among health experts,” says Mweetwa.
HP has undertaken similar telehealth initiatives in Africa, not just as a charitable cause but as part of its social innovation division, which director of global health Paul Ellingstad says marries its social and business objectives. For example, HP’s Palm Pre 2 smartphones are being used by Botswana’s Ministry of Health to collect geographically tagged data on malaria outbreaks. Coupled with cloud-based analytical tools, the government can now respond to patterns of infection in hours rather than weeks, as was the case when paper-based notes were taken. After an initial one-year pilot, HP plans to develop a cloud-based health services package for consumers in Botswana.
Ellingstad says: “There are clearly commercial opportunities for HP and other companies in driving this tech transformation in the sector. But at the same time, by virtue of where the global health sector stands, and the use or lack of use of technology, there is also an enormous opportunity from the social impact side to see significant improvement in health outcomes by doing very fundamental tech implementation.”
In both the developed and developing world, new business models in health and wellness are coming into existence at an increasing rate. While the move by consumer brands into unfamiliar areas might initially seem unlikely, the technology and customer-centric ethos of these companies could shake up the global healthcare market.
While many companies might never have considered how their brands could help keep people well, it might be time to start doing so. The strategy could have extreme health benefits for their bottom line.
This is a nice, simple and elegant customizable logo suitable for business, marketing, technology, digital, media, software solutions, IT and cloud based business.
503_GHP_Golf_18Nov22 - Greater Houston Partnership 27th annual Golf Classic at Memorial Park golf course November 18, 2022. (Photo by Richard Carson)
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006_GHP_SoireeCandids_2019.JPG -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
If looking for an affordable and user - friendly cloud-based security solution to protect your business data, BitTruster is a perfect choice. It is Microsoft BitLocker’s encryption management tool that ensures data confidentiality while fulfilling all the enterprise’s policies and GDPR/CCPA regulations.
164_GHP_EcoOutlook_5dec19— Greater Houston Partnership's Annual Houston Region Economic Outlook event featuring a keynote presentation by Helen Currie, Chief Economist with ConocoPhillips December 5, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
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This is one from the archive; I chose to post it today because the reason I didn't shoot something new today is I am busy geeking out playing with Amazon EC2 (cloud based servers) and moving my blog and the rest of my domains over to it.
I am a geek, or at least I like to pretend to be one :). And, this stuff is a lot of fun for me. EC2 is about the coolest thing I have played with tech wise in some time :) See ya all tomorrow.
Needs to bee seen on black really...
242_GHP_Diversity_25Oct22 - The Greater Houston Partnership Houston DiverseCity Summit, an inspiring one-day convening to advance equity and inclusion in the greater Houston region held at the Marriott Marquis October 25, 2022. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
A training engineer watches at one station while Commercial Crew astronaut Suni Williams practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
LLNL's fall 2022 hackathon featured an Amazon Web Services DeepRacer machine learning competition, in which participants used a cloud-based racing simulator to train an autonomous race car with reinforcement learning algorithms.
Commercial Crew astronaut Eric Boe practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
Commercial Crew astronauts Suni Williams and Eric Boe practice docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using part-task trainers designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
Commercial Crew astronaut Eric Boe practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
001_GHP_SoireePortraits_2019.jpg -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Commercial Crew astronaut Suni Williams practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a simulator known as a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
Civilian Aerospatiale AS365 Dauphin G-CEYU of Multiflight seen on the apron after lobbing into a very murky Shoreham today.
Having caught her with her undercarriage down and dipping in and out of a very low cloud base routing along the coast I made a beeline for the airport only to find she wasn't quite what I'd hoped for .......!
I'm sure some of you know what I mean!
DSCN4608
517_GHP_SoireeCandids_2019.JPG -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Commercial Crew astronaut Eric Boe practices docking operations for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner using a part-task trainer designed to mimic the controls and behavior of the spacecraft. They are part of a suite of cloud-based and hands-on trainers that Boeing has built to prepare astronauts and mission controllers. The trainers will be shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this year so astronauts can use them daily to practice numerous situations from normal operations to unlikely emergencies. The Starliner is one of two spacecraft in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program that will enable astronauts to fly to the International Space Station on a new generation of spacecraft made in America and launching from Florida's Space Coast. Working at Boeing's St. Louis facility, Boe and astronaut Suni Williams ran through numerous mission phases to assess the simulators before they are shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
105_GHP_SoireeCandids_2019.JPG -- Greater Houston Partnership “Emerald City” Soiree 2019 with photography sponsored by Conoco Phillips at Hotel ZaZa August 24, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
226_GHP_EcoOutlook_5dec19— Greater Houston Partnership's Annual Houston Region Economic Outlook event featuring a keynote presentation by Helen Currie, Chief Economist with ConocoPhillips December 5, 2019. (Photo by Richard Carson)
***DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS***
Download full resolution individual photos/videos by clicking the "down-facing arrow" below the preview image on the right hand side of the page. You will then be prompted to select a destination for the photo on your local computer.
This cloud based gallery will be available for three months in order to enable you to download all of the photos to your computer for safe long term storage. While the gallery may be in the cloud for longer than this time you should endeavor to file and secure the photos for future use in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Humidity and temperature sensors and underground soil tensiometers are strategically located throughout Reiter Berry Farms, in Watsonville, CA, on Thursday, August 27, 2015. Data from this and other sensors will be transmitted to a comunication repeater on the hill in the distance, where it will go to a cloud-based irrigation management system. The farms are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve on the 30% water savings they already achieve with precision micro subsurface irrigation. The use of a Wireless Irrigation Monitoring Network (WIN) to collects data from wireless solar powered soil tensiometers, and weather field stations positioned throughout farms in three counties enable them to track soil, temperature, and humidity conditions with a cloud-based irrigation management system, to better manage watering and soil conservation efforts in more than 700 acres. They actively share their data, methods, and experiences with other producers. Better management by producers using a currently dwindling supply and quality of ground water (wells) in this county will help recharge the aquifer and prevent the migration of nearby Pacific Ocean salt water into the ground water they use. This is one of the ways growers are extending the water supply. Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) has been involved with family farming since 1868; is a leading fresh, multi-berry producer in the world; and a leading supplier of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in North America. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.Reiter Berry Farms, in Watsonville, CA, on Thursday, August 27, 2015, are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve on the 30% water savings they already achieve with precision micro subsurface irrigation. The use of a Wireless Irrigation Monitoring Network (WIN) to collects data from wireless solar powered soil tensiometers, and weather field stations positioned throughout farms in three counties enable them to track soil, temperature, and humidity conditions with a cloud-based irrigation management system, to better manage watering and soil conservation efforts in more than 700 acres. They actively share their data, methods, and experiences with other producers. Better management by producers using a currently dwindling supply and quality of ground water (wells) in this county will help recharge the aquifer and prevent the migration of nearby Pacific Ocean salt water into the ground water they use. This is one of the ways growers are extending the water supply. Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) has been involved with family farming since 1868; is a leading fresh, multi-berry producer in the world; and a leading supplier of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in North America. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Reiter Berry Farms, in Watsonville, CA, on Thursday, August 27, 2015, are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve on the 30% water savings they already achieve with precision micro subsurface irrigation. The use of a Wireless Irrigation Monitoring Network (WIN) to collects data from wireless solar powered soil tensiometers, and weather field stations positioned throughout farms in three counties enable them to track soil, temperature, and humidity conditions with a cloud-based irrigation management system, to better manage watering and soil conservation efforts in more than 700 acres. They actively share their data, methods, and experiences with other producers. Better management by producers using a currently dwindling supply and quality of ground water (wells) in this county will help recharge the aquifer and prevent the migration of nearby Pacific Ocean salt water into the ground water they use. This is one of the ways growers are extending the water supply. Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) has been involved with family farming since 1868; is a leading fresh, multi-berry producer in the world; and a leading supplier of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in North America. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Micro irrigation flexiable plastic hoses (poly tape) with water emitters, tap directly into large flexible distribution hoses at Reiter Berry Farms, in Watsonville, CA, on Thursday, August 27, 2015. They are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve on the 30% water savings they already achieve with precision micro subsurface irrigation. The use of a Wireless Irrigation Monitoring Network (WIN) to collects data from wireless solar powered soil tensiometers, and weather field stations positioned throughout farms in three counties enable them to track soil, temperature, and humidity conditions with a cloud-based irrigation management system, to better manage watering and soil conservation efforts in more than 700 acres. They actively share their data, methods, and experiences with other producers. Better management by producers using a currently dwindling supply and quality of ground water (wells) in this county will help recharge the aquifer and prevent the migration of nearby Pacific Ocean salt water into the ground water they use. This is one of the ways growers are extending the water supply. Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) has been involved with family farming since 1868; is a leading fresh, multi-berry producer in the world; and a leading supplier of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in North America. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
292_SoireeWall_11Nov21 - Greater Houston Partnership Soirée annual gala celebrating Houston as a truly global city at Hotel ZaZa chaired by Margaret and Thad Hill November 11, 2021. (Photo by Richard Carson)
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