HOW TO MAKE SOYAMILK

When people think of milk, they usually associate it with goats, cows, or carabaos. Seldom will anyone think of plants as a source of alternative milk like soya milk.
Soya milk is cheaper than dairy or animal milk. It is also low in fat or lactose, whereas cow’s milk can have as much as 4%-5% saturated fat. What’s fantastic about soya milk is that it is high in protein and free from cholesterol.
According to the book Tofu & Soya, soya milk has the same protein content as goat’s milk and the same level of calcium as cow’s milk. A 100 ml of soya milk contains 0.63 mg riboflavin, 3.2 mcg vitamin B, and 1.5 mcg vitamin D, and has a total energy of 430 kilocalories.
Soya milk is just one of the popular products of soybean. Our Asian neighbors, especially the Chinese, have known about the value of soybean for over 400,000 years. But for most of us Filipinos, we only realized its value these past few years.
For instance, in Negros Oriental, our province, there have been soybean farms there since the `60s. But what farmers only knew about soybean then was that it was used to make plastics, soy sauce, or feeds for poultry and pigs. They did not know then that it was a highly nutritious food that can be processed into milk.
Another instance was during the height of Imelda Marcos’ Green Revolution Program. Our school was growing soybeans, and a German agriculture consultant gave us seeds to grow. He was probably thinking that being Asians we were familiar with the uses of soybeans. Unfortunately, due to the ignorance of most, our soybeans werejust wasted for nobody knew back then how to prepare it either as food or beverage.
As for me, I only learned how to make soya milk when I worked in Hong Kong in the `90s. And here’s how.
1. Wash 1/2 kilo of soybeans for two to three times. Put it in a large basin and add water of about thrice the volume of the soybeans. Soak overnight and then drain.

2. Rinse the soybeans and drain again.

3. Put 1 cup soybeans in the grinder. Add 2 cups boiling water. Grind or blend until transformed into a puree. Repeat until all the beans are pureed.

4. Put the puree into the muslin cloth then squeeze it to extract the milk. After squeezing all the puree, add 1-2 cups of boiling water to the pulp then squeeze again to extract more milk.

5. Pour the extracted milk into the big pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Put the soya milk in a clean container or bottle. Cool and then refrigerate.
Because soya milk has a bland taste, add sugar or honey. You can also add fruits to it, or if desired, add flavoring. And one more thing, after extracting the soya milk, the pulp need not be thrown away as it still contains nutrients. Mix it with little flour and seasonings, and fry it as patties or meatballs.

Making Coconut Shell Candle in 3 Simple Steps

Here’s another unique business idea to help you earn more!
Materials needed•

Coconut halves• Wax (soy, paraffin, beeswax, etc)• Scent cubes• Wicks• Belt sander (optional)• Sand paper• Aluminum soup can• Pot for boiling water• Stove• Stirring device (like a knife, etc)• Oven mitts• Coconut stabilizers

Prepping:

your coconut You have a choice. You can either leave the fiber on your coconut halve, or sand it down. Some choose to sand it down using a belt sander and strip the fiber away, and then use sand paper to really smooth it out.
Clean the outside of the coconut with warm water. Once dry, rub a little piece of your wax on the outside of the coconut. Use your fingers to rub the wax in and evenly. Your coconut should now be a pretty dark brown. Set your wicks at the bottom of your coconuts. Don’t worry if your coconuts are at an angle.
Wax time:

Fill your pot half full of water (The can will displace water). Put it on the stove and heat it slowly. You do not need it boiling.
Once water is hot , place cubes of wax in the aluminum can. With knife, stir the cubes until completely melted. Add scent cubes, if desired (follow direction on package). Stir again. Put on oven mitts and prepare to pour wax. After, start the process again until you have finished making the candles.
Pour the wax:

Stabilize your coconuts on the plastic containers. If you wanted the coconuts to be horizontal, but they still tilted when finished; this step really is more about the coconuts being stabilized. If you pour carefully, you don’t need to use the containers.Slowly and carefully pour the wax in. You may want an extra hand to hold the coconut or wick. Let the coconuts set for a few hours.

Repeat from Step 2.
Coconut Shell Candle Holder:

You will need 3 half coconut shells and some joining wire. Drill two holes in each shell. Join shells with wire. This works great with tea lights or any pillar candles.

Strawberry farming: gains popularity in northregion in Bangladesh

BANGLADESH - Strawberry farming has started gaining popularity everywhere in northern region for the last couple of years as the fruit has tremendous economic prospect for the grassroots farmers.Many farmers, including the amateur ones, have been showing interest to cultivate strawberry and searching for its saplings during the current plantation season that will continue till middle of this month. Talking to BSS on Monday, concerned experts said the growers' level extension of strawberry cultivation as well as its higher value could bring a new dimension to the country's agriculture. Referring to the bright prospects of strawberry cultivation in Bangladesh except the coastal districts, the experts called for an effective motivational campaign for commercial farming of the soft red-juicy fruit. Professor Dr. Monzur Hossain of Botany Department of Rajshahi University, the pioneer of strawberry research and variety innovation in Bangladesh, said huge enthusiastic growers are coming here from different parts of the country to collect strawberry saplings every day. "We have already sold 45,000 saplings to 105 farmers out of around 75,000 to 80,000 saplings produced at my farm against the estimated demand for about two lakh," Dr Hossain said adding, "We were astonished by witnessing the farmers' interest in this field. Whereas, he said some 3,500 saplings were sold to 35 farmers during the last season. The cultivation process of the cash crop is similar to potato, tomato and brinjal, but its market value is much higher. He said Genetic Engineering Laboratory under Botany Department of RU innovated three varieties of strawberry through applying tissue culture method for the first time in Bangladesh. In the demonstration plot, they were found suitable for the country's soil and environment. Joint Director of BADC Sarder Salahuddin, who is the president of Bangladesh Strawberry Association (BSA), said one kg of locally produced strawberry is being sold at Taka 1,000 to Taka 1,200 in different markets in the capital city at present. Strawberry is rich in varieties of lifesaving proteins as well as vitamin A, C and E, folic acid, selenium, calcium, polyfenol, alagic, feralic and kumaric acid and cuertcitin, janthomycin and phytostebol. Some of these nutrients can prevent cancer and AIDS, he added. He said emphasis should be given to dissemination of technological ideas about strawberry farming and its marketing process side by side with innovation of ways and means for further expansion of cultivation of this cash crop. "We have no alternative to bring diversification in the agricultural activities and to detect the potential fields in the greater interest of bolstering the agricultural economy," Sarder Salahuddin viewed and suggested more need-based supports for the farmers to make the strawberry farming more popular in the country. Due attention should be given to proper utilisation of the existing natural resources in the agriculture sector for socio-economic development of the countryside, he said. Source:The New Nation 2008
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Corn : The Early Bird Advantage

We have tackled on planting corn in the off-season and the risks and benefits associated with it. But you may ask, how about planting early or ahead of the regular season? Plenty, of growers have this belief that it is good to be an early bird. Planting early can mean better environment, lesser pest infestation, better crops and better yields. Oftentimes, nothing can beat a corn crop planted ahead of ‘the regular season and farmers would rather opt for early planting than doing it in the off-season.

Farmers in Mindanao took advantage of the early rains in February and planted right away when the weather permitted. Last year, some corn farmers from Luzon planted as early as September and October for the dry season. Why not? A large percentage of our corn areas are rainfed and planting ahead is an insurance of avoiding losses due to drought in the later part of the season. Grain prices are likewise very encouraging, staying for most part of the year above P 10/kg.
PLANTING PERIODS
The optimal planting date for corn across the country varies. Being a tropical country and with four climatic types, planting corn all year round is possible. In general, Luzon’s planting calendar for the dry season starts in November while September in Mindanao. The wet season, on the other hand, starts June in Luzon and March in Mindanao. Those planting weeks before these months can be considered early plantings and results are usually better than the regular and off season crops. In the US, yields begin to decline in general if corn is planted after the optimal date due to the limited planting window they have.

LOWER PEST PROBLEMS
It has been proven that there are lesser insect pests and diseases to manage when you plant early. In fact, it is a standard recommendation to plant early to save on expenses from pesticides and other control measures. This can be explained by the fact that first generation corn borer populations are just starting to build up. If one happens to plant late, the second generation of borers would have increased dramatically (normally a month later), eventually leading to serious infestation. The early crop would have evaded this problem already. Hence, late planters are strongly advised to plant Bt corn.

BETTER WEATHER
If one plants corn early in the dry season, minimal rains can still be expected which can give the young crop a good headstart. Fertilizers can be dissolved and absorbed properly. Weeds can be managed by an early ground cover. Healthier crops can manage drought and diseases better than malnourished corn fields.

Planting early means early harvest. This translates to better conditions for drying grains just before the wet season.

AVOIDING DROUGHT
One of the most compelling reasons to plant early is the risk of drought. If irrigation is not possible, planting early is the best alternative as soil moisture is still enough to support a good first 40 days in the corn plant’s life. Drought just before and during pollination is the worst problem a farmer would have in absence of any source of artificial irrigation. It can lead to total crop failure and loss of income for the farmer. Lack of rain can also interfere with your fertilization schedules. One can be forced to defer side-dressing of nitrogen fertilizers when soil moisture and dry weather do not favor root absorption. Indirectly, most late planted crops suffer nutrient deficiencies induced by poor nutrient absorption.

TAKING PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
While it is best to plant early, there are some things we need to consider when planning to be ahead of the others. One consequence of planting early is the shortened fallow period. This is especially true among corn-corn cropping systems. Such “rest” for the field is normally done to ensure that the soil can somehow regain its fertility and sustainability by allowing a portion of the time for other crops such as legumes to grow.

In disease-prone areas, early plantings may not be advisable all the time without a fallow period. The fungi causing a number of diseases in Mindanao can survive on crop residues and their spores can be dispersed and transported by air. I have heard of reports coming from farmers getting into trouble with northern leaf blight after foregoing their usual practice of fallowing.

Benefits of Planting Early
In general, early planted corn results in better yields. Germination is expected to be better due to favorable soil moisture levels. The early vegetative stages can be supported likewise by an environmental condition of less pest pressure. With an early and healthy plant emergence, ground cover can be quickly established, saving precious moisture for the possible dry conditions in the later stages. On top of this, manual labor won’t be as difficult to find as demand for it is yet to peak.

Management Tips for Early Planting
1. Manage your crop residues. With the expected high yields, a good amount of residues can be returned back to the soil. Upon decomposition, these residues shall aid in maintaining the soil’s physical and chemical properties.
2. Plowing the crop residues under the soil shall minimize or lessen the possibility of diseases moving on to the next crop.
3. Select high-yielding hybrids with good vigor and disease tolerance.
4. Know your local weather.
5. Early planters may have another opportunity of the off-season crop.
6. Talk to your Pioneer agronomists on more tips when planning to plant early.

Invest In Goat Farming

Looking for a farming venture that is not only environment friendly but profitable as well? PCARRD suggests raising goats

Goats are very popular among Filipinos because they require low initial capital investment, fit the small hold farm conditions, and multiply fast,” explained the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resources Research Farming and Development (PCARRD) in its investment briefer. “Culturally, goats are integral to every special occasion such as birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and fiestas. Hence, they command a higher price compared with other meats in the market.”

Goats require low maintenance because they eat tree leaves, grasses, weeds, and agricultural by-products. “Goats require less feed than cows and carabaos,” said Rowe Celeste, the livestock supervisor of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc. in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

About 10 native goats can be fed on the feedstuffs sufficient for one cattle. And about 6-7 purebred dairy goats can be fed on the feedstuffs adequate for one dairy cow. “Although a goat is small, it can produce as much as four liters of milk a day if it is purebred and is given a ration to meet all of her nutritional requirements,” Celeste informed.

In a study conducted by a government agency, it was found that goats are multi-purpose ruminants producing 58.4% milk, 35.6% meat, and 4.3% hide, and 1.7% fiber. According to them, these small ruminants can provide the answer to improve nutritional requirements of the predominantly rural farm families scattered all over the archipelago.

As goat production requires low initial investment and small risks compared to other livestock, it is therefore an attractive undertaking among resource-poor families. In addition, women and children can raise the animals, making it a sound option to augment the country’s programs on livelihood. Goats provide livelihood to about 15 million Filipinos across the country, according to PCARRD.

Despite this, goat farming is still not very popular among Filipinos and no one exactly knows how many goats are there in the country. PCARRD claims that the total goat inventory is “steadily increasing” at 2% per year. This supply is still not enough to meet the current demands. “We expect that the increased demand will last to 2020 when the project supply can meet the demand of the consumers,” PCARRD said.

The optimum potential of goat as one of the main sources of milk and meat has not been fully tapped in the country. The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics of the Department of Agriculture reported that the total number of goats in the country is about 3,355,574. Most of the goat farms are concentrated in Southern Luzon and various parts of Mindanao.

In Mindanao, goat farming is considered a “sunshine industry.” The country’s second largest island has a large Muslim population and goat meat is considered Halal food. There is also a big demand in the international market, particularly the Middle East.

In Davao, more and more people are raising goats in their farms. Take the case of Darwin Tinasas, a young marine engineering graduate who decided to raise goats as his main business. lie does not only raise goats in his own farm, he also disperses breeders to farmers who would like to raise the ruminants.

Aside from providing him a steady income from the milk and sales of breeding stocks, he discovered one thing about the animals. “Their manure is a good source of fertilizer,” he said. His stock of about 300 goats provides organic fertilizer for his four farms in Davao City. He plants rice, and grows pummelo, coconuts, durian and other fruits on 30 hectares. The 34-year-old Tinasas noticed that more and more farmers - particularly fruit growers - started raising goats, not only in Davao City but also in their provinces. “Since fertilizer costs have gone up, more and more farmers are turning to goatraising,” he said.

Antonio Partoza, who had raised chickens and mixed chicken manure with commercial fertilizer, said raising goats is becoming more profitable. He has 85 goats on his 15-hectare and 10hectare farms in Davao City where he grows durian, passion and mangosteen fruits. “I must be saving about 30% of what I would spend if I used pure commercial fertilizer,” he said.

There are at least 12 known goat species but only a relatively small number of breeds are used economically. The Philippine or common goat is small but hardy. It weighs about 25 kilograms at maturity. Its average daily milk production is about 35o grams, with a butterfat content of around 4.6 percent. Its color range is either red or black or a combination of these colors.

The Dadiangas goat is common in Dadiangas (now known as General Santos City), South Cotabato. The breed is a mixture of native, Nubian and Jamnapari goats and some animals may even have some Alpine or Saanen blood. The milk production and butterfat content are marginally higher than native goats and they do best in the drier areas of the country.

Of the introduced breeds in the country, Anglo Nubian performs the best along with the newer introduced Boer goats. The dairy breeds such as the Saanen, Toggenburg and French Alpine perform relatively poorly.

“If you cannot secure purebred stock, you can start with the best female goats available in your area,” Celeste suggested. “Breed them with purebreds or upgraded stock. Then, select only their offspring and discard the undesirable ones (you can either sell them or butcher them for meat). Continue this procedure each year, and you will soon have desirable goat stocks.”

To start a profitable goat venture for backyard operation, you need the following production inputs: investment (goat house and breeding stocks), operating expenses (veterinary medicines, vaccines, concentrates and additional feed supplements).

For commercial or large-scale operation, the production inputs are aplenty. Fixed investment includes land, goat house, fences, pasture area, water pump, feeding trough, spade, wheelbarrow, and ropes. You have to buy breeding does and breeding bucks. Operating expenses include veterinary medicines, drugs, and vaccines; feed supplements and goat rations; and repair and maintenance of goat house, fences, equipment, and pasture. Fixed and seasonal labor is also required.

Goat is highly profitable, PCARRD said. With minimal initial capital investment of Php67,250 for 25-doe level; Php174,500 for 60-doe level; or PhP349,000 for 100-doe level, positive net income and return-on-investment (ROI) are realized, even as early as the first year. The ROI for five years is 67% from a 25-doe level operation under semi-confinement scheme and 60% from 50- and 100-doe level operations under pure confinement system. Payback period is two years.

Pigeon Pea : A Nutritious Drought-Resistant Crop

Pigeon pea better known as “kadios” in Tagalog and “kardis” in Ilocano, is a minor crop that is usually grown in backyards or some insignificant portion of the farm. Actually, however, it is one crop that has a big potential, both for small-scale and large-scale production.

Dr. William D. Dar, executive director of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), believes that pigeon pea should be promoted not only as a vegetable crop but also for other agricultural purposes. He calls it a super crop for dryland agriculture. He explained in an interview sometime back that pigeon pea is an excellent animal feed aside from being a protein-rich human food. It is also useful in increasing soil fertility, in preventing soil erosion, and in suppressing weeds in upland farms.

Of course, the main reason why pigeon pea should be produced by more farmers is its importance as nutritious food. Young pods as well as mature fresh The pod with four seeds are cooked in dishes together with seeds is pigeon pea while other vegetables. In other countries, the the other is that of soybean. dried seeds are also prepared into different food preparations like noodles, baked products and even wine, according to Dr. Dar.

Pigeon pea is an important source of protein and is consumed in big volumes in India, said Dr. Dar. In fact, although the crop is being produced in big quantities in that country, it still imports three million tons of the commodities every year. Thus, if the Philippines can produce in excess of its requirements, it could export the same to India.

Pigeon pea is one crop that will thrive even in areas where the rainy season is short and dry periods are long, like many parts in the country. It will grow even in hilly areas where many other crops will fall. Pigeon pea is drought-resistant because it is deep-rooted. Being a legume, it can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, hence enhancing soil fertility.

It is fortunate that a Filipino is the head of ICRISAT that is based in India where research studies on pigeon pea and other crops for drylands are conducted. Thanks to Dr. Dar, new high-yielding varieties have been introduced in the Philippines. A local program has been started to promote the production of this crop. Dr. Heraldo Layaoen of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City has been involved in the program.

After testing several introduced hybrid varieties, Dr. Layaoen said they have observed two to be highly suitable for Philippine conditions. One is called ICP7035 which is a perennial plant, meaning it will stay productive for several years. It produces a lot of fruiting branches resulting in high yields. The fruits come in bunches.

   The other hybrid that grows well in the country is ICP88039. This bears fruits throughout the year as it is not sensitive to the length of daylight. It is very resistant to drought because it is very deep-rooted. Seeds of these two recommended hybrid pigeon peas are now being multiplied for sale to other farmers from other parts of the country. Some farmers in Ilocos Norte are making money by producing seeds which are sold through the help of Dr. Layaoen. Rue Ramas, a livewire do-gooder from General Santos City, says she has been ordering a lot of seeds for planting from Dr. Layaoen. She distributes the seeds in Mindanao.

Other countries, China in particular, are discovering the advantages of growing pigeon pea, using hybrids produced by ICRISAT. Dr. Dar said that in 2000, China had only 5,000 hectares planted to pigeon pea. Today, the area has increased to 150,000 hectares. It is being planted even in rocky mountains, river banks and other wastelands.

According to Dr. Dar, the Chinese process the seeds into noodles, snack foods and even wine. The lcaves, on the other hand, are fed to rabbits, cattle, chickens and even fish. The young leaves are gathered and thrown into fishponds.

Meanwhile, Dr. Dar said that the growth of pigeon pea is affected by the time of planting. When the seeds are planted at the beginning of the rainy season (May and June), the plants will grow tall up to four meters. On the other hand, when it is planted in September and October, the plants will grow up to 1.5 meters only. That’s the personal experience of Dr. Dar himself in his own mango farm in San Miguel, Bulacan.

After harvesting the last fruits of the tall plants, Dr. Dar recommends that the plants he cut back to about one meter above the ground. New growth will develop for the next harvest.

While pigeon pea will grow in marginal lands, it will grow even better under ideal soil conditions like well drained loamy soils. At planting time, there should be adequate soil moisture so there will be uniform germination of the seeds.

So far, there are no disease problems observed to attack pigeon pea in the Philippines. It has been observed, however, that when the plants start to flower, leaf-eating insects are prevalent. To prevent or control insect damage, the experts recommend a weekly spraying with insecticide like Decis, Lannate and others.

Pigeon pea is one crop that is easy to produce. It does not require a big capital. A kilo of seeds for planting costs just about a hundred pesos. More farmers should take a good second look at this vegetable crop. Even urban dwellers should consider planting some in a corner of their backyard. A few plants could provide them with protein-rich pods for use in their own cooking.