Page 186 – Green Prophet

When home swaps are not worth it, rent a villa instead

Travel

Karin Kloosterman

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November 13, 2019

When home swaps are not worth it, rent a villa instead

green design, Oxygen Villa, prefabricated house, eco-design, House, Egypt, mashrabiya — *House swaps are cool. But when you have a short time, rent a “green” villa instead.*

I am a fan of house swaps and I have done it 4 times – in Costa Rica, New York, Paris and most recently in Sicily, Italy. There are loads of great reasons why you should swap homes with another family and some conditions when you should not. One reason, is well it’s really the most eco friendly way of travelling, save from staying super local.

Take this advice from an experienced traveller who loves budget deals and who also loves travelling to exotic destinations.

Home Exchanges Pros and Cons

Staying at a decent hotel in places like Spain, France and Italy will cost you a pretty penny. Think about the places where people want to go.

When you swap a home (plenty of sites offer options like Home Exchange and People Like Us or CouchSurfing) you will save lots of money. There is a sweet spot of where the hassle is worth the exchanges and a sore spot where it is not. Consider the following details when you are swapping and when it might be better to consider just splurging for a private no hassle hotel and enjoy one of many villa holidays in Spain.

Your time invested in finding a place: one summer we wanted to go to Manhattan, NYC for a month. It took me a few weeks to find a place and it ended up sort of being less than the value of our home. The effort was probably not worth the savings. Many people who have homes they want to open to other people today often just rent their homes on AirBnB. They don’t bother exchanging. So it takes a very specific person like you. And it might not be easy finding the right match with a similarly valued home.

Your time cleaning the house: When people come to our house in Tel Aviv it’s important that we remove all our personal items, and professional instruments and then the kids’ toys and most of their books. This means putting all the stuff in a bedroom with a lock, and a few days worth of cleaning and the expense of a cleaning helper. We’ve stayed in places where we barely have a shelf to put our underwear so do this as a courtesy. Do to others as you would like it for yourself.

Hassles when you are away: ever get a call in the middle of the night that your dog has escaped and gone missing for 2 days? It has happened to us when we were doing a house swap. Even though we went into great detail and made sure to give them a personal tour of the house, a door in the side yard was left open and the dog escaped twice.

No control over who the families bring: they might say a family of 4 then show up with an entourage. This means extra stains and strain on your personal space.

Managing times/flights around other people: If you are doing a simultaneous swap (them at yours, you at theirs at the same time) you will need to book flights for about the same days/times. This can be a challenge if neither of you live in urban areas. Consider that you might need to spend some nights in hotels anyway as you transfer through to your destination. I spent $1000 in Rome for 2 days during my last swap to Sicily. This was for a family of 4, but most of the money went to the AirBnB which wasn’t so hot.

Unexpected costs of flights: So you have a home in Istanbul and they have a home in Sevilla. But after you get excited and sell the idea to your husband you find out it’s not exactly in the famous city in Spain, but a 3 hour drive away. So this means you need to rent a car. Another expense. And in some countries like Europe you might be barred from doing so unless you have an international driver’s license. It happened to me. Or, in Costa Rica car rentals cost more per day than a decent hotel. We were at a home there in the middle of nowhere. We had no choice but to rent a car.

When Home Swapping is Totally Worth It

Home swapping is worth it when you travel for more than 2 weeks. Like, let’s say a month. It’s great when you travel with your parents or extended family because you can find large comfortable homes.

But for me giving the cons of house swapping and the hassles cleaning, teaching people about our pets (yes, we have a dog walker also) and how not to kill my plants (they died anyway) it is only 100% worth it when you are going for one month or more. When you travel this way you give yourself time to get to know the place where you are staying, the people’s family and friends around you in the new swap, and you know the time you invested in finding the swap, preparing your home, and the worry was sort of worth it.

I get many requests from New York to all over Europe to swap homes for 3 days or a week. For me — not worth it. Better to rent a family villa, go on a booking site for homes or condos or just shell out some cash for a pampering, non personal stay in a hotel with room service. This was you do everything your way. Hope this helps.

Can CBD Gummies Help With Sleep?

Health

Bhok Thompson

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November 12, 2019

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*CBD helps with sleep. Gummies are one way to self-medicate.*

We’ve all heard the hype around CBD, but what do CBD gummies really do for the body? Can they help you sleep? With so many CBD products coming about with the rising market, it can be difficult to sift through all of the information and get to the bare truth; whether or not CBD is actually helpful or not. Keep reading to learn more about CBD and whether or not the gummy form can actually help you get a better night’s sleep.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of 113 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. To be clear, hemp, from which we commercially derive CBD oils from, is a variety of cannabis that contains 0.3% or less of the psychoactive compound Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While both marijuana and hemp are essentially cousin plants of the same genus, it’s important to make the distinction between CBD and THC.

CBD does not give you the “high” you’ll feel from inhaling or ingesting THC. And, while THC and marijuana are still illegal on a federal level, Hemp (and therefore, CBD) has been removed from the national list of controlled substances as of last year’s farm bill and is now legal to grow and cultivate; though some states still enforce their own laws regarding the plant. In order for hemp to be cultivated, it must contain less than 0.3% THC. Anything over this amount is considered to be marijuana, which is still listed as a Schedule 1 Drug.

With this new legislation has come a budding industry with a predicted value of somewhere around $22 billion in the next decade or so. While some estimates are seen as too high or some too low, what is clear is that CBD is making the climb to becoming one of the fastest-growing industries in the country.

CBD Gummies

Among the many varieties of CBD products, there is one that users seem to enjoy quite a bit: CBD gummies. These gummies are easy to ingest and provide a longer-lasting effect due to the digestive process. While you may not feel the effects for an hour or longer, the slow digestive process will keep the CBD absorbing into your system for hours afterward.

Thousands have already benefited from the long-lasting effects of CBD gummies, and with the market booming, we’re sure to see a greater selection of varieties in the future. Companies like Verma Farms are churning out some of the best CBD gummies on the market, and customers are loving the high level of quality in both the CBD and the gummies themselves.

Benefits of CBD

While the health benefits of CBD are still being discovered, preliminary research has shown that the compound may help reduce anxiety, stress, and even assist with relaxation and mental health conditions. Often, poor sleep can be attributed to such causes as anxiety and stress, so there’s a good chance that CBD could help improve sleep patterns by reducing such stressors.

With so many companies advocating for CBD products, sometimes it can be difficult to discover companies that focus on quality and customer service. If you’re looking for great CBD recommendations and more info on CBD itself, Forbes has some great articles you can refer to.

Disturbing Sleep Patterns

Did you know that 35% of American adults report getting less than 7 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period? That’s nearly half of the population that doesn’t get enough sleep! This troubling statistic shows just how badly the American public needs better sleep, and there’s a chance that CBD gummies can help with this problem.

An adult should get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep per night for proper mental and physical function, and when poor sleep occurs, it can seriously affect the following day’s activities. Have you ever woken up feeling unrested? It makes for a seriously challenging day! Often, the stress of the day can be the cause of poor sleep, making CBD gummies the perfect remedy. CBD gummies are available from many providers, but Entrepreneur has some awesome recommendations if you’re in the market.

Why a Good Sleep Matters

So, why does good sleep matter so much, anyway? Besides the obvious (being tired throughout the day is just awful) there are hundreds of benefits one can gain from a good night’s sleep. Among these are improved focus, more energy, improved memory, and cognitive abilities, and many more.

Sleep is a vital part of life, so why spend your time in the bedroom tossing and turning? If you have a stressful life, your first step is to work on reducing the stressors keeping you awake at night, but you can also help ease your mind with CBD gummies or other products. As the research improves, we’re certain to learn more about how CBD can benefit the body, but for now, CBD gummies are the perfect remedy for those who don’t sleep well.

Conclusion

The short answer is that yes, CBD gummies can help you sleep by reducing stress and anxiety, which are usually the causes of a poor night’s sleep. Try CBD gummies today and see how they can help you get a more restful night’s sleep.

Bedazzled fruits twist your perception of decay

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November 11, 2019

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Bedazzled fruits twist your perception of decay

“Bad Lemon (Creep)” (2019)

New York-based artist Kathleen Ryan creates small glittering sculptures that conjure up conflicting emotional responses. Stay with me on this.

She encrusts common fruit forms in precious and semi-precious stones, meticulously curating placement, texture and color to produce realistic versions of rotten molding flesh. The result is grotesque and stunningly pretty.

“Bad Peach” (2019)

Ryan creates coated polystyrene bases, larger than real fruit, onto which she paints her desired extent of surface decay.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ekksLBx-2/?utm_source=ig_embed

Her extensive palette of gemstones includes opal, malachite, onyx, quartz, rhodonite, jasper, unakite, amazonite, sesame jasper, olive jade, fluorite, lodolite, amethyst, lapis lazuli, agate, Russian serpentine, marble, ruby in zoisite, abalone shell, bone, coral, freshwater pearl, petrified wood, and glass.

“Bad Lemon (Sour Sparkle)” (2019), detail

She places each stone individually, securing each with steel pins and occasionally mastic. The finished pieces ranging from 6 to 29 inches.

“The sculptures are beautiful and pleasurable, but there’s an ugliness and unease that comes with them,” the artist told The New York Times. Ryan artist studied Studio Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College and received a Master’s of Fine Arts from U.C.L.A.

This reminds me of a long-ago Green Prophet story about a French artist who employed insects to craft spectacular “jewelry”. Hubert Duprat uses adolescent caddisflies to create gorgeous tubular forms out of gold leaf, pearls and gemstones.

Impeccable craftsmanship reinterprets decay. Creepy insects create fine jewelry. Often our most evocative experiences involve a straddling of contradictory concepts and incompatible emotions.

Are these pieces monstrous of amazing? That’s yours to decide.

Ryan is represented by London-based Josh Lilley, and Los Angeles-based François Ghebaly and explore her work on their gallery websites. See more of Ryan’s wide-ranging artistic practice on Instagram.

IMAGES:: All images courtesy the artist and Josh Lilley, London. Photographs by Lance Brewer.

Take a Lazy Day to Clean Out You and Your Friends’ Closets

Fashion

Bhok Thompson

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November 10, 2019

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Take a Lazy Day to Clean Out You and Your Friends’ Closets

ziad ghanem clothing runway — *This is upcycled clothing. We aren’t all that creative when it comes to unwanted clothes.*

Though it isn’t spring yet, you do have the chance to get ahead of the game before winter and get rid of some things you no longer need. It can be difficult to let things go — there is sentimentality in keeping items that you might no longer need but you want. Understanding the line between necessity and desire for your items is an essential part of cleaning out your closet.

Everything you learn about cleaning out your own closet you can then use on others’ overflowing ones! Sometimes all we need is a little extra help. Before you start cleaning out your friends’ closet though, you’ll want to make sure that your own is in tip top shape.

If you live by certain rules with not only buying clothes but getting rid of them, your closet will probably transform just by doing these simple things. Moving forward, you’ll probably have to clean out your closet less frequently than ever because you’re not buying as many items, and you have an easier time getting rid of them when you really need to.

If you want to be an expert closet cleaner, save money and potentially make money, and you want to do some good for your community, just follow this advice. Once you’re done, reward yourself with https://www.foodpanda.pk/restaurant/s3jr/burger-lab-smchs.

Do You Love It?

Before you purchase an item, it’s always worth it to ask yourself this question as you examine it in the mirror: ‘do I love this?’ If the pieces of clothing you buy, you love, then you’ll want to keep them for a long time and take better care of them because they’re special. Imagine if you had a closet full of things you loved?

You might be asking how do I know I love it? There’s a pretty quick way of answering this question. For example, if you try something on in a store and are not sure if you want to buy it or not, leave it at the store and continue elsewhere. If you don’t want anyone else to buy the item or it’s the last one in your chosen size and color, then put the item on hold. If you find yourself thinking about the item as you walk around, go back to the store and purchase. If the item isn’t holding your attention, then you probably don’t love it.

When is the Last Time You Wore it?

We like to keep strict rules about how long you should keep a piece of clothing if you haven’t worn it in ages. If you haven’t worn an item in a year, it’s probably best to get rid of it (unless it’s a family heirloom or other very important item not to be disposed of unless you have moths!).

Donate or Make a Buck

Once you’ve cleaned out your closet, donate the items that could still be used by the community, and try and sell any clothes in really good shape to thrift stores, consignment stores, or online.

Is Your Internet Use Destroying The Environment?

Act

Bhok Thompson

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November 10, 2019

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internet and the environment — *The internet has changed our lives for the good, but think about the ecological impact.*

With our interaction with the internet being often superficial or surface-based, the environmental impact of the internet can easily be ignored. After all, we never have an opportunity to see what makes the internet run, beyond the devices that use it and the routers and modems that support it.

As the concern over environmental change ever increases, it is important to ask if the tool that we use without thought is impacting the environment, as well as what we can do to help improve our own carbon footprint.

Modems and Routers

To begin with, let’s take a look at the devices that you use within your home that already are present. A modem is a device used by your internet provider to supply your home with internet. If you have a fiber connection, you will have an ONT box instead. The router is what directs your internet throughout your home. Most of us use a wireless router so that we can easily access the internet on our wireless devices.

The easy answer here is no. The modems and routers present in our homes are not causing any adverse environmental effects, outside of the plastic and production of them. The amount of radio output that these devices have is 100,000 times less than using a microwave. So you can safely peruse the list of best routers for Comcast or Spectrum without guilt.

Servers

The use of servers is essential to the operation of the internet and, unfortunately, they can be harmful to the environment. It is not that a server by itself is dangerous or harmful, but instead, the amount of electricity that is required to power the thousands of servers all around the world is harmful. It is estimated that the internet use causes the CO2 equivalent of 1.6 million petrol cars driven around the world every year.

Servers are the only way that we have that the internet can operate. They are essential to the process and cannot be ignored or dropped.

The Positive

While we have so far focused on all of the negative impact that comes from the internet, let’s also look at the positive. The internet has eliminated the use of paper in many forms. Correspondence, either personal or work-related, is now done electronically, without the use of ink and paper. This cuts down on the impact to trees as well as the production of ink itself.

Additionally, we no longer have to physically travel somewhere to see something or learn something. Much of what we need to know about can be discovered through the internet. We do not need to drive to the library to see if a book is in. We can look it up online first or can even download it digitally.

Solutions

There are some steps that we can take to improve our overall environmental impact without losing the usefulness that comes from the internet. Working from home a day or two a week is one possibility. Not driving into work will reduce the greenhouse gases produced by your car.

The other big help that we could do is to confirm where our power is coming from. Through the use of alternative energy sources, even for servers, we can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are currently being produced from the sheer volume of servers. Sustainable energy solutions such as solar and wind are excellent options.

Going Forward

For now, all we can hope is that technology will produce servers that do not require the amount of power that is needed to work the internet. In our constant desire for faster, better internet, there is always a struggle to maintain the status quo. With that, servers of the future should hopefully be smaller and more energy efficient.

Until this kind of progress is made, however, we need to focus more on our carbon footprints beyond just the internet. Buying electric cars instead of petrol cars is one way, recycling is always necessary, and purchasing items second-hand rather than new can help reduce your carbon footprint overall. This is a universally team effort, however, and it is going to take all of us to succeed.

Ways to Clean Indoor Air At Home

Bhok Thompson

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November 10, 2019

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how to clean air in our home — *Plantware plants grow with the home. But in the real world we need to intervene with technology that doesn’t take 20 years to grow.*

When we think of cleaning our home, we often think about the walls, the floor, and the furniture. But what we don’t think about is what surrounds us every single day and influences everything about us: the air we breathe. What we take into our bodies is not limited to the food we eat and the liquids we drink. What we breathe in has a direct link to our bloodstream via the alveoli of our lungs. And if it gets past our internal filters–things like microorganisms and viruses, then we can be looking at some nasty illnesses that we don’t want around our pets, our children, and ourselves. In order to combat this potential contaminant situation, here are some good ways to make sure the air in your home stays clean and crisp for you to breathe.

Throw Away Your Garbage

The first thing you want to do is to keep garbage disposed of and not let it sit. There are situations in which we may not be able to take the trash out multiple times a day. But leaving it there for long periods of time can attract flies and maggots. Once we hear the buzzing, that’s a sure sign to take out the garbage. Flies and other insects can serve as vectors for diseases. There are bacteria and amoebas that can get caught in their foot and end up in your food. Taking out the trash is a good and easy way to keep the air and your entire surroundings free from certain unwanted organisms.

Ozone Generator

If you’re trying to bring out the big guns for odors, you can get an ozone generator. An ozone generator is used primarily for older and more worn spaces with potential mold growing on the outer surface of the floor or walls. If you’ve ever smelled a moldy carpet, this is your best bet. If you check out ozone generator reviews, the top tier ones are usually under $100. That’s less than professional carpet treatments that will only scratch the surface of the issue. Be sure to treat your home when nobody is in it and air the place out after you’re done. As much as ozone is considered safe, it is still a generated gas that you’d want dissipated after it gets the job done.

In order to avoid the occurrence of mold growth in your home, check out this guide on the best home air dehumidifier to prevent the mold and mildew that can appear in high humidity within your home.

Air Purifier

If you’re looking to get into the habit of actively cleaning the air in your home, you can get an air filter. An air filter simply traps particulates from the air to make sure it doesn’t get into your lungs. They’re simple, easy, and low cost. You can get them at almost any major department stores, or even online at your favorite vendor. Having one is more than easy. All you have to do is keep it on and change the filter every once in a while. You’ll be surprised at the pillows of black and gray dust that gets caught in, all of which was going to end up in your lungs if you didn’t actively do something about it.

And there you have it! Some good ways to clean your air at home, ranging from passive to heavy duty. But rest assured that either way, you’re making the right choice in actively making sure your home is free from all the nasty things that can fly through the air.

Going Green: How to Make Your Los Angeles Property More Eco-Friendly

Cities

Bhok Thompson

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November 7, 2019

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biodome house desert — *What if we all treated our homes like its own environment, a little biosphere. Would we be kinder to the planet?*

Many people from across the globe are becoming more aware of the environment we live in and what we can do to help save the planet. If you’re looking to live a greener lifestyle, you should start by making changes to your property. Being eco-friendly will not only help you contribute towards a sustainable environment, but it can save you money in the long run too. If you’re serious about doing your bit for the environment, here are a few things to consider to make your Los Angeles property more eco-friendly.

Install a Smart Meter

None of us want to open our utility bills to find a nasty surprise, so to help save on your energy consumption, you may want to consider having a smart meter installed. In the winter months in particular, it can be all too easy to leave your heating on for longer than intended, which can lead to a lot of wasted money and energy. Installing a smart meter can give you more control, meaning they only turn on at certain points of the day e.g. beginning to heat up before you arrive home. If you’re serious about decreasing your energy bills and want to reduce your carbon footprint, installing a smart meter is a no-brainer.

Get Serious About Water

When we think of the word ‘sustainability’ we tend to only relate it towards energy consumption, however, if you’re wanting to be truly eco-friendly, you need to be just as serious about saving on your water. To begin, you should go around your property to make sure there aren’t any leaks. Even if you find no leaks in your home, there are tons of lifestyle changes that you can make to help save water. For instance, make sure not to leave the faucet running while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving. It’s also advised to install a low-flow showerhead, which has been proven to save close to 160,000 liters of water for families of four.

Use Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

You may not realize it, but the light bulbs you use in your home can have a massive impact on how much energy you use. While energy efficient light bulbs have been around for a long period, it’s only been in recent years where people have taken more notice of the benefits that they can bring. One of the main advantages of energy efficient light bulbs is that they use less electricity, as well as last longer, meaning you don’t have to shell out money on replacing them frequently.

Embrace Natural Cleaning Products

We all like to keep our homes spick and span, however, if you’re prone to using harmful chemicals to clean, you may not realize the damage you could be doing for the environment. When you wash it all away, you’re simply putting all the harmful chemicals into the water supply, meaning that the water will need to undergo more purification before it’s safe to drink and use again. The good news is that you don’t need to purchase expensive and toxic chemicals to get household chores done. For most day-to-day cleaning tasks, using natural products like citric acid, bicarbonate of soda, and vinegar can work just as well as help you live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Install Solar Panels

Known as an essential component for any eco-friendly home, solar panels can help save on your energy bills and provide you with completely clean electricity which you can sell back to the grid if you make enough energy. While they may be pricey to install, you need to think of them as a long-term investment, especially as it can take up to 20 years for you to break even – however, this will depend on where you live.

For those living in Los Angeles, the weather may be glorious and sunny all year round, but constant heat goes hand in hand with rising energy bills. With that in mind, you may want to consider contacting a reputable solar panel company like Semper Solaris who can install solar panels on your property. Semper Solaris also provide roofing services, heating and air conditioning, as well as battery storage for your solar panels. If you have any problems with your solar panels, the company also provide solar repair.

Speak with a Sustainability Consultant

Each property is different, so if you’re serious about improving the green credentials of your home, but you’re unsure what route to go down, you’re best engaging with a sustainability consult who will be able to give you more advice and guidance on the best changes that you can make to your property.

Create Your Own Compost

Whether you live alone, with friends, or a family, it’s important not to waste any of your leftover food and kitchen scraps. Instead, why not turn it all into compost? You would be amazed at how much of the food that you throw in the trash can be recycled and transformed into compost. To do this effectively, all you need to do is place a compost bin in your backyard and fill it with any waste.

Insulate Your Home

One of the best ways to improve your property’s eco-friendliness is to make sure that you consume as little energy as possible. A great way to do this is by investing in insulation, which can help trap in the heat, meaning you do not need to burn energy reheating your home all the time. There are lots of areas that can and should be insulated, such as your living area, kitchen, and attic. It’s also advised to invest in double glazing for your windows if you’ve not done so already.

Cook Intelligently

For those who love to cook up a storm, there are tons of tips and tricks that you can use to your advantage as a way to live more eco-friendly. For example, when leaving the oven door open, you may not realize how much heat you could be losing. Even if it’s only open for a brief period, your oven will need to use a significant amount of energy to heat it back up. Another huge problem is coffee pod waste, which could be contributing towards a global environmental disaster. If you love your cup of joe, consider switching to a conventional drip coffee maker, rather than relying on plastic and sleek aluminum capsules that end up in landfill every year.

Buy Recycled

Another great idea to try out is purchasing recycled products only. Whether it’s kitchen roll or toilet tissue, the more you go down the recycled route, the more you will be doing to benefit the environment. When you’re next out grocery shopping, make sure that you check whether there is a recycled option on the packaging. There are lots of electronic devices that you can buy recycled too, such as gaming consoles, and cell phones.

These are just a few key tips to help make your Los Angeles home more eco-friendly. If money is no issue, you may want to consider making big changes to your home, such as insulating your property, or installing solar panels which can help you save money on your utility bills.

5 Tech Investments That Are a Must For Your Startup

Technology

Bhok Thompson

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November 7, 2019

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5 Tech Investments That Are a Must For Your Startup

eddy flux biodome grow food on mars — *Artificial Intelligence is used in this biodome to grow bio-organic food with zero waste using the Eddy robot by flux.*

For startups everywhere, there a few tech tools that simply aren’t negotiable; these are must-haves for your success in business. As technology continues to evolve, we’ll likely see new tech taking the place of these items, but for now, these are the five tech investments that are a must for your startup. You’ll want to set aside some money to ensure you’re getting the best technology to help make your startup a success!

1. Website/Mobile App

If you aren’t considering a mobile app and mobile app development costs for your startup, think again. The majority of US adults access the internet through a mobile device; the days of using computers to access the internet are (sadly) in decline. Having a mobile app, or at the very least, a mobile-friendly site, is no longer an attractive extra; it’s a requirement.

If your customers can’t access your site via their smartphones and other mobile devices, there’s a good chance you’ll lose out on sales and potentially productive interactions. Mobile devices, such as smartphones, are used by around 42% of the world’s population! Let that sink in for a moment; how much business could you be missing out on by not appealing to this market?

Setting up an attractive and practical website and/or mobile app is going to require some help. You’ll need a professional designer/developer to get it right, and it’s best to steer away from those DIY sites like Wix or Weebly; especially if you’re running an eCommerce store.

2. AI

AI, or artificial intelligence, is on the rise as the tech continues to evolve, and it’s quickly becoming a must-have for businesses everywhere. From the ability to automate social media accounts to managing billing and payments to more effective marketing techniques, AI is limitless in its potential; and it’s still only in its infancy!

Imagine a world where you can let a computer run your business. This computer uses machine learning to improve sales, market research, customer reach, and much more. While the tech certainly has its drawbacks, developers are continuously working to improve and perfect this amazing tool every year.

Pretty soon, you won’t even have to reach out to customers, the AI will do it for you! Once a connection is established, you’ll then be able to take over the interaction, but with an AI system, your reach will be further than ever.

3. Digital Conferencing Services

Remote meetings are becoming the new standard for businesses all over the world. No one likes those long in-person meetings if we’re being honest, and digital conference software has provided just the escape we needed from the bland conference rooms of the past.

Digital conference services take the worry out of multi-caller and long-distance calls and completely slash the price of such services. Traditional landlines charge an arm and a leg for long-distance calls, but with digital conferencing, you won’t pay long-distance fees. Anyone with an internet connection can join your call anywhere in the world!

Ditch the old landlines and upgrade to a digital conference tool for a completely revolutionized conference experience. With extras like video conferencing and screen sharing, you can take your calls to the next level; making them even better than those boring in-person meetings.

4. Cloud Storage

Don’t settle for simple hard drive storage for your startup. Cloud storage is the new standard for business, as it provides a secure and shareable network that you can pretty much save anything to. The more storage you need, the higher the cost will be, but somewhere around 1TB of storage is usually enough for most startups.

Google Drive offers up to 15GB of cloud storage for free with a Google account, but you can also opt for something like Microsoft’s OneDrive; which provides Microsoft Office and 1TB of storage for just $7/month! How’s that for affordable storage?

5. A Good Network

A good network for employees to work on is essential. Fiber optic internet is about the best you can currently get, but there are other options like satellite and hotspot. Whichever option you choose, you’ll want to sign on with a reputable company and be sure you’re providing enough bandwidth for daily tasks.

Good networks can make all the difference in the productivity of your startup, as faulty internet connections can leave projects unfinished and team members frustrated. It’s irritating enough when a home connection is spotty, but imagine working in an office where the internet constantly goes out!

The Take-Away

These tech tools will help your startup flourish and reach the goals you’ve set for the year. From improving conference calls to internet connections and utilizing AI, these five tech investments are well worth the cost in the end. Don’t be afraid to enlist technology to help with your success!

Creating a World Seed Bank? Meet the UN in Rome

Food

Karin Kloosterman

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November 5, 2019

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Creating a World Seed Bank? Meet the UN in Rome

emmer or emer wheat from Israel being sifted by a woman — Emer wheat is one of the world’s oldest cultivated grains. What about plant diversity in this species and thousands of others? How can we hold onto the past for our future? We need a world seed vault.

Emer wheat from the Levant. Pest resistance to crop disease located only in Syria. How often do you stop to ponder about where the food on your plate came from? Chances are that everything on your dinner plate either started as a seed, or used or needed seeds. And likely it all started from the area of the Near Middle East, and countries including Israel, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. The bread basket of the world.

Plant genetic resources form the basis for all our food from plants. They are a precious resource that most of us take for granted, but we should not. Why? Because the diversity of these valuable resources has been either diminishing or disappearing.

Thousands of varieties of food plants have vanished in our lifetime alone. That means that the diverse sources of our food from plants are being depleted, while our numbers are increasing. This is an untenable situation.

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which this year turns 15 years old, has been working around the world to stop the loss of agro-biodiversity.

Through this global pact, member countries work together to conserve and sustainably use the world’s precious plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

From 11-16 November at FAO’s headquarters in Rome the Treaty’s governing body will hold its 8th Session, bringing together delegates from 146 member nations, plus experts, observers, non-governmental organizations, scientists, farmers’ representatives and other international organizations.

Together, Governing Body delegates will be making a series of decisions for the future work and activities of the International Treaty.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu will deliver an address at the GB-8 Opening Ceremony that will commence at 10.00 hours on Monday, 11 November 2019 in Rome.

Key people meeting there include:

Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO

Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, India

Robert Watson, chemist, UK

Evalyne Adhiambo Okoth, smallholder farmer from Kenya

Christine Dawson, Governing Body Chair, USA

Here’s Why Electricians Are About To Be In High Demand

Technology

Bhok Thompson

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November 5, 2019

0

Here’s Why Electricians Are About To Be In High Demand

*Barefoot College teaches rural Bedouin women in Jordan how to be electricians. The world needs skills, not just lawyers and doctors. Learn why more parents help their kids find technical careers.*

Among the high demanding jobs now, and in the near future, electrical technicians are ranked near the top of the list. With a lot of intensive training for oftentimes complicated procedures, electricians are highly skilled workers whose jobs involve dangerous encounters that need better results. With every passing day, our reliance on technology, gadgets, and electricity is increasing more and more. Electric technicians are not only required for the repair of these, but also for regular checkups and constant maintenance.

Here are more reasons why electricians are about to be in high demand in the near future:

Alternate power generation

With ongoing progress, alternate power generation, such as solar and wind energy will massively replace the existing nonrenewable energy resources. There will exist a need for specialized and trained staff to manage, link, and install these resources to existing grids, and thus, the demand for electric technicians is increasing.

Old electrical infrastructure

With the electrical infrastructure developed in the olden days, the existing architecture is deteriorating day by day. Many electricians are already required to get hands on to upgrade the grids. When guided by the people at Aspect, you quickly realize that a lot of technicians, and skilled ones at that, are required regularly as the infrastructure is becoming more critical day by day. Having the right people on hand can make all the difference.

Skilled labor shortage

Being qualified as an electrician requires going through an apprenticeship of at least 3 to 4 years, which is a long time. Also, the field involves a lot of everyday risks on the job. Many people drop out in the initial years, forcing the existing qualified linesmen to fill in for the required jobs. There has been a significant fall in the enrollment of new students to be qualified as electric technicians, hence the increasing demand for skilled labor.

The rise in new technology

With the increasing innovation of new technology, there has been a shortage of technicians who specialize in their installation and management. Special training and the imparting of knowledge about the new technologies is essential for the electricians to be able to work with it.

High cost leading to lower settlement

Many skilled electric technicians have taken the benefit of this shortage and demand a higher wage. People who cannot afford the higher prices, but want the job to be done desperately settle for the inexperienced, lower costing electricians. This increases the risk and danger involved with the job, threatening multiple lives. This is a key issue that must not be overlooked by those intrigued.

These are only a few aspects which illustrate the reasons why electricians are about to be in high demand soon. There will also be a need to attract potential future electric technicians, who are even slightly interested in this discipline to learn more about it through specialized courses and fixed apprenticeships. They also need to be paid higher wages and provided more comprehensive benefits due to the amount of risk involved. But now as awareness, increased with regard to the growth in demand for electricians, it has started gaining more traction, and enrollments are increasing with each passing year.

Health Benefits for Matcha Tea

Health

Bhok Thompson

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November 4, 2019

0

Matcha has been trending for a long time, and in case, if you are wondering, this trend is not going anywhere, It has become quite a famous drink over time and is now readily available in many coffee shops too. Unlike a lot of other beverages, matcha has earned a lot of wellness perks also. It has a lot of excellent advantages that are good for you and your health.

Matcha belongs to the green tea family and is unique from the actual type of tea that is derived from it. When the leaves are extracted from the stem of the plant, matcha is collected in powder form. This is why it contains a lot of nutrients in comparison to regular green tea. In this piece of article, we have put together some of the best health benefits of matcha tea that you probably didn’t know about.

Packed with antioxidants:

Green tea is popular due to antioxidants. These antioxidants are high in dosage in matcha powder which is why it is more powerful and useful. This helps in repairing the damaged cells and also prevents chronic illnesses. They flush out toxins and free radicals from the body, which can be highly dangerous for cellular growth.

Good for the Liver:

Matcha green tea is famous for shielding your liver. We all know that the liver is responsible for eliminating toxins from the human body and processes the nutrients as well. Thus, protecting your liver and maintaining its health is crucial. Studies show that matcha tea can help do so. Various researches suggest that matcha can protect the liver from damage and many states that it lowers the risk of liver disease. Matcha has proven to have positive effects on the human liver.

Boosts Brain Functionality:

Matcha consists of L-theanine, which is a useful compound for the brain. It makes the mind more alert and also prevents the energy levels from crashing down. Matcha tea and latte are a fantastic source to boost your brains function. Studies also suggest that matcha can be helpful in this regard. It is now easily accessible online, as well. You can have a cup of matcha green tea in the morning to boost your productivity throughout the day.

Helps in Weight Loss:

Matcha green tea is certainly not designed initially for losing weight, but it can contribute to your diet plan significantly. A lot of weight loss supplements consist of matcha as their ingredient. But why rely on a supplement when you can quickly get organic and 100% natural matcha at various places. Matcha enhances your weight loss efforts. You can sip on a cup every day or every second day to boost your metabolism. It also fastens the body’s ability to shed the bad fat.

CONCLUSION:

Matcha tea is gaining a lot of popularity over time and for all the right reasons. It is one of the best herbal teas. You can sip on it in the morning or evening too. It tastes almost close to green tea but has a slightly stronger taste due to the powder form.

5 Major Ways That GPS Vehicle Tracking Can Help you Run a Greener Business

Transportation

Bhok Thompson

-

November 4, 2019

0

5 Major Ways That GPS Vehicle Tracking Can Help you Run a Greener Business

Road train — *The Road Train can help you get better fuel efficiency. Using your GPS can help as well.*

It’s no secret: business fleets guzzle a lot of fuel and grind out nasty emissions – carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) being the key culprits. And given that, in 2018, a chunky 27% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions came from the transport sector (links to PDF) it can feel as though managing a fleet of vehicles and being environmentally friendly are mutually exclusive.

Actually, that’s not the case. While you may run a fleet of fossil fuel-eating, carbon-spewing petrol or diesel vehicles, it’s possible to drastically cut the amount of fuel they use, and the volume of emissions they, well, emit – by using a GPS vehicle tracking system.

Comprised of GPS tracking hardware that records vehicle data (such as location, speed, condition, and more) and software that collates and displays this data, these systems can give an insight into your fleet’s activity that you simply wouldn’t have otherwise.

So, how can this insight help you to boost your fleet’s environmental credentials? Well, there are five key ways…

1. Optimise your journeys

Whether you manage taxis that ferry customers about, HGVs that haul goods cross-country, vans that deliver online orders to doorsteps, or something else – these journeys are the lifeblood of your business. Doesn’t it make sense to maximise their potential?

This is where vehicle tracking systems come in – and with one feature in particular: advanced route planning. While there’s an enormous variety of excellent vehicle tracking companies out there – and they don’t all offer the same features – you’ll find that the majority offer some form of live route planning.

Using this powerful tool, you’ll be able to identify the most fuel-efficient route for a job, dispatch the closest available driver with the click of a button (meaning they won’t need to use lots of fuel to get to the job’s starting point), and avoid traffic and roadworks that would otherwise have them crawling along the road, churning out noxious emissions as they go. As a result, your business will be using fuel more efficiently – that is to say, completing more jobs despite spending less time out on the road. That’s a win-win all round!

2. Promote cleaner driving

Driver monitoring – as Big Brother-esque as it may sound – is another key vehicle tracking feature that can prove incredibly valuable. Many vehicle tracking devices are able to tell when a vehicle is accelerating too quickly, braking too harshly, speeding, or idling excessively – all wasteful practices that burn through fuel unnecessarily (links to PDF).

With this revealing information in hand, you’ll have the knowledge (and evidence!) you need to approach any troublesome drivers, and ask them to work at dropping the bad habits. If they need a helping hand, you’ll have the insight you need to book them onto a suitable training course.

Some vehicle tracking systems even introduce an element of competition, giving your drivers scores and ordering them on a leaderboard based on how safely and cleanly they drive. This, in particular, is great for encouraging greener driving behaviour – after all, who can resist a bit of competition?

3. Keep your vehicles in peak condition

Poorly maintained vehicles release more emissions and gobble more fuel than they would if they were in top working order. To ensure your vehicles are as environmentally clean as possible, you’ll need to keep on top of maintenance and have them serviced regularly. A little goes a long way – according to the RAC, you can improve fuel consumption by 2% simply by keeping your vehicles’ tyres pumped up to the right pressure.

If remembering when to service which, and how, sounds like too much hard work, you’re in luck. Lots of vehicle tracking systems feature preventative maintenance schedules, which keep a calendar of service dates and alert you when one is coming up. You’ll also be able to see a record of previous services and their costs so you’re 100% in the loop. Plus, if any mechanical problems rear their ugly heads in the meantime, you can use the system to make note of the issue and plan in a fix. Easy peasy!

4. Go paperless

The country may have eschewed plastic straws in favour of their paper counterparts, but that doesn’t mean we should be using paper excessively either. Historically, fleet businesses have been some of the worst offenders for paperwork mania – there were logbooks, vehicle inspection reports, proof of work forms, delivery documents… the list goes on.

Fortunately for the planet (and for your poor overworked printer), many vehicle tracking systems now record and store the breadth of documents needed for each job electronically, saving you (and your drivers) space and time, slashing the volume of paper you use, and – just as importantly – ensuring your records are accurate, and don’t get lost or damaged.

5. Adopt alternatively-fuelled vehicles

With the UK government currently deciding whether to bring its ban on new diesel and petrol vehicles forward to 2035, if you haven’t started to think about alternative vehicles yet… well, we’re sorry to say you’re a little behind the curve.

Thankfully, vehicle tracking providers have also sniffed change in the air. Innovative players such as Geotab, FleetCarma, and more have developed solutions that are geared towards helping cleaner, alternatively-fuelled fleets thrive on the road.

Electric vehicle (EV) management in particular is getting an overhaul. So-called ‘charge anxiety’ and ‘range anxiety’ (worries over how scarce charge points are and how far an EV can travel on a single charge) are being addressed, with new digital charge point maps and battery status reporting. Watch this space!

What else can vehicle tracking do?

Vehicle tracking isn’t just better for the environment – it’s also good for your customers, your wallet, and your productivity.

Crucially, with GPS tracking, you’ll be able to keep tabs on your vehicles at all times. This will enable you to quickly recover them from accidents, breakdowns, and even theft, reducing vehicle downtime. In addition, many systems will send geofence alerts: real-time notifications that ping when a vehicle crosses any boundaries you’ve set. So, you’ll know immediately if one of your prized assets is taken somewhere it shouldn’t go.

Similarly, vehicle tracking also empowers you to provide accurate ETAs to customers and clients, and send updates when something changes. Knowing exactly when to expect your driver can save your customers a real headache – and boost your business’ rep as a communicative, customer-focused service.

Finally, installing a vehicle tracking system can help you to secure cheaper insurance premiums. A handful of UK insurers will offer you a discount outright simply because you have a vehicle tracking system in place, while all will appreciate the fact that your vehicles are better protected against theft. You’ll come across as a more attractive customer, and so it’s more than likely you’ll be offered a good deal.

So what’s next?

As we’ve explored, vehicle tracking comes with more benefits than you can shake a stick at – with some major strides towards eco-friendliness among them. Paying for vehicle tracking certainly comes at a decent cost, but the return on your investment can be huge, for both you and our beleaguered planet. So why not investigate vehicle tracking options today? Good luck!

Author bios

Julia Watts

Julia is the Content Manager at Expert Market, a leading b2b publication that empowers businesses to grow and succeed. Having spent years immersed in the world of startup entrepreneurship, she now specialises in business energy, vehicle tracking, and fuel cards, helping businesses to optimise their operations.

What Is the Difference Between CBD Capsules and CBD Oil?

Health

Bhok Thompson

-

November 4, 2019

18

cannabis powder and CBD oil — *We all know that cannabis products may be a greener way to mitigate pain and health problems. But what dosage when?*

Everyone reaches the same point after first trying and enjoying CBD oil; you know you like it, you realize how useful it is, but you want to try more. However, trying to break into more CBD varieties can sometimes feel a bit daunting. To make it easier, the best thing to do is to try and only move a step at a time.

A significant first step is to switch from CBD oil to CBD capsules. But what exactly are CBD capsules? What is the difference between CBD capsules and CBD oil?

What Are CBD Capsules?

To be able to make a choice, it would undoubtedly be helpful to understand what CBD capsules are.

CBD capsules are a measure of CBD oil that has been encased in a readily soluble capsule container. These capsules are usually either made from pure sugar or are made from gelatin and are designed for you to chew them.

The critical thing about CBD capsules is that they are frequently made from CBD isolate, which means that they have a very neutral flavor profile. Not tasting of anything whatsoever makes it incredibly easy to take your CBD without having to worry about the complications of getting your CBD oil dropper out.

But which is the better option? Which is better between CBD capsules and CBD oil?

Main Benefits of CBD Capsules

#1 Convenience

CBD capsules are incredibly portable and easy to take. Due to the fact that they are incredibly small and simplistic, you can easily carry them inside your bag or pocket and take them when you like.

This is helpful for those that lead busy lives. Instead of having to take out a fiddly CBD oil dropper, you can take a pill out of its pot and plop it in your mouth.

Even better than convenience is discretion, however.

#2 Discretion

One of the most significant benefits of CBD capsules is the fact that you can take them privately. Being able to quickly and securely take your CBD capsules without anyone knowing what you are doing is perfect for those situations where people might judge you for your medication choice.

Instead of having to worry about prying eyes, you can easily take your CBD capsules without others knowing what you are doing.

#3 Simplicity

One of the main problems with trying to get into the CBD oil world is the apparent complexity of CBD itself. With a myriad of different flavors, types, and intensities, it can feel incredibly baffling to try and immerse yourself in this new community.

One significant benefit of CBD capsules is that they are incredibly simple. There are no flavors and types to choose from – you can just pick one brand and take your CBD capsules.

Main Benefits of CBD Oil

#1 Way More Flavors

Though some people don’t care about the tasting experience when imbibing CBD, CBD oil allows you to immerse yourself in a whole host of flavors.

Instead of the tastelessness of CBD capsules, you can enjoy all kinds of different flavored CBD oils. Some made from coconut oil, some from hemp seed oil; all of them have a flavor profile and distinct tasting experience.

#2 More Precise Dosages

Many people look for convenience and simplicity in their CBD, but others prefer a more precise medical experience.

With CBD oil, you have way more options with regard to CBD intensity. You can choose between smaller, more moderate dosages, or venture into the other end of the spectrum and get CBD oil with more than 1000mg of CBD per 5ml.

This amount of choice makes it perfect for those needing to medicate specific conditions, rather than generally treat themselves with CBD.

Final Thoughts on Differences Between CBD Capsules and CBD Oil

The ultimate difference between CBD pills and CBD oil is one of preference. While they each have their own individual benefits and drawbacks, the choice of which one to pick is going to be entirely up to you.

If you are the type of person that prefers simplicity and ease of use, then CBD capsules might be the best bet for you.

If, however, you prefer taking precisely the right amount of CBD you need each time, with careful control of frequency and amount, then CBD oil is likely the best candidate.

If you are struggling with the decision, why even choose at all? Nothing is stopping you from happily using both CBD oil and CBD capsules interchangeably, provided the dosage is similar. There is a whole host of different brands available that offer both, many of them showcased on websites like Marijuanabreak.

Lots of people prefer to take CBD capsules while they are at work or out and about, leaving the CBD oil for when they are at home.

Just pick whatever works for you, and you will likely be just fine.

Israelis want to know: Where has all the butter gone?

Food

Miriam Kresh

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November 3, 2019

0

Israelis want to know: Where has all the butter gone?

“It was the best butter, you know,” said the March Hare.

The current butter crisis in Israel evokes the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. The same surreal logic reigns here.

Once there were two dairies producing butter in Israel, Tara and Tnuva. Tara, citing profit loss for reasons explained below, stopped producing butter. And the Tnuva brand butter has been as scarce as hen’s teeth for over a year now. Shoppers drive from market to market in hopes of finding, and pouncing on, the familiar silver package with its logo of a little red cow shed. When a butter cache appears in a local store, people light signal fires to one another via the social media: “I found it here – hurry up and get some before it’s gone!”

Almost everyone is hoarding a cache of butter in their freezer. And the feeling is almost of buying on black market, with a lucky score something to brag about.

People are taking the butter drought in fairly good humor now, but the grumbles are gathering weight and starting to sound louder, as shown by this photo showing a package of increasingly rare Tnuva butter posed next to a silver necklace.

The public has been offered a variety of imported butters – from Holland, Belgium, Lithuania, France, and other countries. A strange product made of mixed butter and oil sits on the shelves, rightly viewed with disdain. These imported butters are far more expensive than the dear departed Israeli stuff. But where has the native butter gone?

Tnuva, Israel’s largest food company, began close to 80 years ago as a cooperative owned dairy farmers from kibbutzim and moshavim. By 2007, the British firm Apax owned 56.05% of Tnuva. The Israeli investment company Mivtach Shamir held, and still holds, 20.67% of Tnuva, and a minority of 23.3% is owned by kibbutz partners who refused to sell their shares. In 2014, Apax sold its shares to Bright Food, China’s second largest food conglomerate.

Bright Food has been acquiring more foreign food companies in the last few years. In 2018, they bought the US meat processing giant Smithfield Foods. Previously they acquired the UK cereal company Weetabix. Meat, dairy, and breakfast cereal. One gets the feeling that all this conforms to a 10-year plan.

The Chinese takeover of Tnuva wasn’t popular in Israel. Voices against the purchase were heard in the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee at the time. There was strong concern over the fact that a critically important food producer was going to be controlled by a foreign government. The Committee Chairman, MK Avishay Braverman asked the government to prevent the sale of Tnuva, to no avail.

Former Mossad director Efraim Halevy warned that the sale could jeopardize Israeli food security, and possibly go further.

“The fact that Israel’s largest food company is owned by the Chinese government will lead to a situation where the company implements policies that serve the interests of China [and not Israel],” he said in an interview with Ynet. “For China, Tnuva isn’t just a food company,” Halevi added. “China is doing everything it can to involve itself in Israeli research and development. The Chinese are very creative and flexible. If we do not wake up in time we will find that they will take over not only our food, but our academia. We must organize in order to defend Israeli assets, which are part of our national security conception.”

Dairy farmers protested in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, worried that the Bright Food takeover would jeopardize previous supply contracts with Apax. The public expressed disgust but had no say in the matter.

The butter shortage has complex roots. This report from the Israeli newspaper and website Calcalist defines part of the economic problem:

“Regulated butter is sold in Israel for a maximum price of NIS 3.94 (approximately $1.1) per 100 grams. Many estimated that the 2018 shortage was the result of an intentional move by Tnuva, brought about by the finance ministry’s refusal to raise the regulated price of butter. Actuality, however, the company increased its production that year by nearly 20%, from 3,569 tonnes of butter produced in 2017 to 4,273 tonnes in 2018, according to a report published by Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in May.”

Now in the latter half of 2019, we hear more recent news:

…”In the first half of 2019, both Tnuva and Tara cut back on butter production as it became less profitable, producing just 1,869 tonnes and 28 tonnes respectively, according to data from Israel-based sales data research company StoreNext Ltd.”

From Calcalist, some of whose sources insist on remaining anonymous:

“A Tnuva spokesperson said that the only cause for the butter shortage is a shortage in milk-derived fat, due to the limited milk production quota set by the government. Tnuva’s stock of milk fat, which it uses for butter and cream production, began running out in December last year, which could explain its decision to cut butter production in early 2019. In order to meet the demand for butter, Israel must increase milk quotas, several people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity told Calcalist. The industry requested 60 million liters of milk a year be added to its quota to allow it to extract more fat to use for butter production, the people said.”

Israeli consumers turned to expensive imported butters. But there’s less of even imported butter now. Until recently, imported butter bore a heavy tax (from 126-140% for table butter and 144-160% for industrial butter), which importers were reluctant to pay because the government forbade selling it for more than the regulation price of NIS 3.94 per 100 grams. Many importers simply declined to bring butter in.

Attempting to save the situation, the Agriculture and Economy ministries recently decided to open a tender for importing up to 5,000 tonnes of customs-free butter, with no market price restrictions attached. But this was done too late to avert the crisis. In spite of Israeli’s reluctant acceptance of high-priced imported butter, less and less of it appears on the shelves.

In point of fact, there are currently hundreds of containers of imported foods, and butter among them, sitting in Haifa and Ashdod ports. Due to the High Holidays that occurred in September and October, the containers have not been inspected by the Ministry of Health, and so have not been released.

For the consumer, all this wrangling ultimately means less butter, and when it’s available, it’s expensive. People are currently complaining that there’s no butter at all on market shelves. This at a time when demand has only gone up, due to nutritional trends encouraging consumers to eat less GMO-based oils and trans fats.

The Economy and Industry ministries recommend getting rid of tariffs on imported butter and opening the Israeli market to competition. But under Israel’s current interim government, policy changes are unlikely to be made any time soon. In the meantime, the Agriculture and Economy ministries cite unequal distribution of import quotas and blame each other for it.

The mystery is, given the proved demand for more butter, why not allow Israeli farmers to increase milk production, thus allowing Tnuva to obtain the milk fat needed to make it? And where does Bright Food fit into this puzzle, if indeed it does?

Iranian Tahcheen – the Eggplant and Mushroom Rice Recipe

Food

Miriam Kresh

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November 3, 2019

0

Iranian Tahcheen – the Eggplant and Mushroom Rice Recipe

eggplant-tahcheen-recipe — A vegetarian take on this traditional Iranian dish.

Pungent saffron and turmeric give a deep yellow color to this vegetarian version of a traditional Iranian dish. As many traditional dishes do, this one requires several cooking phases. The easy part comes later, when all you have to do is pop it in the oven and let it finish cooking while you’re doing other things. This is an impressive, and delicious, party dish.

Vegetarian Tahcheen

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups white basmati rice

1 1/4 tsp saffron strands

A pinch of sugar

3 tbsp freshly boiled water

3 medium eggplants (around 1 1/4 lb), cut lengthways into 1-inch slices

Sea salt and black pepper

Sunflower oil

3 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

4 Portobello mushrooms, sliced into large chunks

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 egg yolks

Scant cup Greek yogurt

For the topping:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp barberries or dried cranberries

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped

1 tbsp sugar

You will need a large, flat platter to take the cooked dish when it’s cooked.

Pre-heat your grill to medium-high.

Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then leave to soak in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. (Don’t worry about the large amount of salt here, the rice has a very short time to absorb the water and the final result won’t be too salty.) Add the rice and cook for 4–5 minutes over a medium heat. Taste to test; the rice should be soft on the outside but still hard and firm in the middle. Drain, then rinse with tepid water to stop it cooking any further and set aside.

Make a saffron liquid by using a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron strands with a pinch of sugar and then add the boiled water. Leave to steep.

Drizzle the eggplant slices with some sunflower oil and season generously with salt. Grill for 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the eggplants are cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the rest of your filling. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a small pan for a minute and then crush them with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder, and add them too. (Green Prophet note: you can pour the seeds into a wooden bowl and crush them with the bottom of a jar or bottle, too.) Cook until the mushrooms are soft and then take off the heat.

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the yogurt, saffron liquid, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Fold the rice in until it is evenly coated with the yogurt and saffron.

Rub 1 tablespoon butter over the base and sides of a 10-cup ovenproof glass dish. (GP note: you can also use a 10-cup capacity casserole dish.) Spoon half of the rice into the dish and press it down evenly. Add a layer of eggplants and mushrooms and finish with a final layer of rice.

Dot with the remaining butter, cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 1 1/2–2 hours or until the base of the tahcheen is crisp and golden brown.

When the tahcheen is ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly while you make your topping. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the barberries, pistachios, and sugar for 2 minutes until the sugar has melted and the dried fruit has plumped up.

To serve, run a butter knife around the sides of the tahcheen to separate it from the dish. Place a large board (or platter) over the top and quickly invert the whole thing. Garnish with a sprinkling of the barberry and pistachio topping.

Bon appétit!

:: The Saffron Tales, by Yasmin Khan

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