News travels fast, and nowhere does it travel faster than the Social Web. In his 2009 Wired article “Twitter-Yahoo Mash up Yields Better Breaking News Search,” writer Scott Gilbertson put it this way: “Whenever there’s breaking news, savvy web users turn to Twitter for the first hints of what might be going on.” What’s important in a business context is this: In both the bus schedule and laptop fire examples, the person offering the information is probably carrying a social-technology-capable, Internet connected mobile phone. It is very likely that Twitter or a similar mobile service is also this person’s first…
Author: John Leo
A friendly voice—the chief content officer from ad:tech, the world’s largest digital marketing conference, has an offer I can’t refuse. He asks me to run a Marketing Masters double session at the next event to review the state of the industry for social technologies, all current trends and data, and to present case studies and best practices from smart brands—all in two hours. I say, “Sure!” (I know I have an ace in my pocket.) The ace in my pocket is Dave Evans. Dave has a “catalogic” perspective of social media. Has this Jimmy John Shark picture has changed your opinion on…
At just over 100 pages, Part I will get you up-to-speed quickly on the primary aspects of social technology and how it applies to business. Its four chapters include plenty of examples and references to experts and thought leaders freely accessible via the Web, along with a set of “hands-on” exercises that will provide you with a firm grasp of social technology, applied to business. Part II takes you deeper into the application of social technology to your business or organization, showing you how business decisions are informed through collaborative software and surrounding processes. Part II provides a starting point…
Loosen the soil an additional 12 inches. OPTIONAL (ONE TIME): Spread a ½-inch layer of compost on the loosened soil of the first trench. 5. Dig out the upper part of the second trench and move it forward into the first upper trench. 6. Loosen the lower part of the second trench. 7.Continue the double-digging process (repeating steps 7 and 8) for the remaining trenches.Rake every 3 to 4 trenches to ensure even bed height. 8. Fill in the final trench. Shape the bed by raking it. Evenly spread compost and any needed fertilizers over the entire area. Sift in…
You may choose to add compost at di)erent points for the initial double-dig and when working with a soil with very low amounts of organic matter. Instead of applying compost only after the double-dig, consider spreading a ½-inch layer over the bed before double-digging and/or a ½-inch layer during the dig by incorporating it thoroughly into the 12-inch-deep trench. Check the soil moisture.The soil should be evenly moist to facilitate digging, but not saturated. If needed, water the area to be dug. For hard, dry clays that have not ever been cultivated, this may mean up to 2 hours with…
The double-dig is the principal way one prepares a GROW BIOINTENSIVE bed until good structure is established. Afterwards, one will depend on surface cultivating the top 2 to 4 inches. Another way to keep cultivating the top 2 to 4 inches. Another way to keep soil loose between double-digging is to single-dig (loosening the top 12 inches with the spading fork). We recommend doing so between crops in the same growing year. Spread a layer of compost over the entire area to be dug. After marking the bed, place the digging board on the bed, leaving approximately 24 inches from…
Reparing the raised bed is an important step in GROW BIOINTENSIVE gardening. A correctly prepared bed facilitates proper soil structure. Proper soil structure and nutrients allow uninterrupted and healthy plant growth. Loose soil with good nutrients enables roots to penetrate the soil easily, and a steady stream of nutrients can &ow into the stem and leaves. How di)erent from a situation in which a plant is transferred from a &at with loose soil and proper nutrients into a hastily prepared backyard plot or a chemically stimulated +eld. The plant su)ers not only from the shock of being uprooted, but also…
The GROW BIOINTENSIVE method of horticulture is a quiet, vitally alive art of organic gardening that links people with the whole universe—a universe in which each of us is an interwoven part of the whole. People End their place by relating and cooperating in harmony with the sun, air, rain, soil, moon, insects, plants, and animals rather than by attempting to dominate them. All of these elements will teach us their lessons and do the gardening for us if we only watch and listen. We become gentle shepherds providing the conditions for plant growth. Biologically intensive farming dates back to…
These food-growing techniques are only part of a sustainable future.To preserve the plant and animal genetic diversity upon which we all depend, we will need to keep one-half of the world’s farmable land in a wild, natural state. As we begin to use sustainable, landand resource-conserving food-raising approaches, more wilderness areas can remain untouched so more of the endangered plant and animal diversity on this Earth can be preserved. This wealth of genetic diversity is necessary if the planet on which we live is to support abundance. Generally, the challenges of world hunger, soil depletion, and diminishing resources seem so…
There is an exciting challenge ahead of us. How can we revitalize our extraordinary planet, ensuring life and health for the environment, the life-forms of a myriad of ecosystems, humankind, and future generations? The answer is as close to us as the food we consume each day. We can begin to create a better world from right where we are—in home gardens and mini-farms. Millions of people in over 140 countries are already using GROW BIOINENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming techniques to work toward this better world. We “farm” as we eat. If we consume food that has been grown using methods…