Blast From the Past:

I saw this in one of our old newsletters, and thought it was an interesting read:

From 2005....

In a recent speech at a high school, Bill Gates, one of world’s wealthiest men, listed 11 rules that students won’t learn in school:

Rule 1: Life is not fair …get used to it.
Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will not make $60,000 a year straight out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.  Your grandparents …called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They became that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.
Rule 8: In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

      (Source: Gold Coast Bulletin, 1-2 January 04, pg.20)

Here's an extract from a new book we are currently developing on How Children Think. The book will be available in a few months from now, if all goes well.


Understanding an Infant (0-18months)

Physical and Motor Development
Many changes occur in the first 18months of a baby’s life. When babies are first born they have very basic motor abilities. They have a range of inborn reflex responses that occur involuntarily in response to specific stimuli. These reflexes are primarily to ensure the baby’s adaptation and survival in their new world. Basic reflexes include breathing, sucking, blinking and swallowing. These reflexes will stay with the child for life, but become partly, or entirely voluntary responses. Babies are also born with a range of other reflexes that weaken and disappear over a few months. for example the rooting reflex, where the baby turns their head in the direction of touch to the cheek (in order to find breast or bottle to feed), and the grasping reflex, where the child will curl their fingers around objects placed in their palms.

Along with these reflexes, infants start developing motor skills (voluntary movements). Development usually occurs from top down – motor skills develop first in the head, then the torso and arms, then the legs – and from proximal to distal – motor skills in body parts closer to the centre (such as entire arm and leg) develop before motor skills in body parts further from the centre (such as wrists and fingers).
All babies are different in the exact age that they reach specific milestones, but the order of developmental progression is generally the same. Once the infant has mastered one skill, they will build on it and progress to the next skill, and so on. Below shows the general timeline for infants motor development.
 
 Age   Skill mastered
• 4 weeks – 2months  Lift the head when lying on the stomach  
• 2 – 6months   Roll over      
• 3 - 6 months   Reaching and grabbing    
• 4 – 6 months  Supported sitting
• 6 – 8 months  Sitting up without support
• 6 – 9 months  Pulling up to stand with support
• 6 – 10 months  Crawling
• 7 – 10 months  Walking with assistance
• 10 – 13 months Standing alone
• 11 – 16 months Walking alone

Cognitive Development
During infancy, the brain is developing at a rapid rate. Within the brain there are millions of neurons, connected to each other by synapses. All the neurons are created prior to birth, but the synapses, or pathways between the neurons are being constantly created and re-created. The pathways create structure within the brain, so when the baby has an experience, when the same experience appears again, their cognition of the experience occurs faster because the pathway is already in place. These pathways get strengthened, or weakened, depending on how often the event is experienced, and begin to form patterns of thinking that can continue into adulthood. At this stage in development, an infant’s primary caregiver has a vital effect on healthy development. Up until about age three, these synapses continue to form until the brain is dense with connections. This continues until around age eleven, when the brain eliminates pathways that are no longer used, making the remaining pathways more powerful - allowing for more effective and efficient mental processing.

Primary caregivers can have a profound effect on an infant’s cognitive development at this stage. Providing the infant with stimulating experiences (for example colourful toys, frequently being spoken to, interactive toys, interesting sounds and smells, novel environments and stimulus) increases the number of synapses that are formed, which can facilitate learning at a later stage. Infant’s that are not spoken to often, and have had limited experiences exploring their environment can end up with a permanent intellectual disadvantage, despite having a normal genetic make-up.

From a very young age infants begin to develop recognition and memory abilities. Although they can not report their memories, in studies, psychologists measure infant’s heart rates to gauge their response to specific stimuli. Novel stimuli will cause curiosity and a decreased heart rate, whereas familiar stimuli will either cause no change, or an increased heart rate. Studies have shown infants will display recognition for an object, even after a period of time, suggesting a display of memory function.

Extract from a new book we are currently developing for Professional Writers:

MANAGING CHANGE AS A WRITER

The biggest problem for professional writers in today’s world is often “change.” The world is changing fast….places that you can sell or use writing skills are changing fast too.

The type and style of writing required can differ from one situation to another. A writer who can change and adapt their style according to demand is more capable of getting work in the short term and sustaining a career in the long term.

Market Change
The one thing that does not change is that people will always communicate through writing; but the way in which they communicate and the way writers are reimbursed for their work is something that has changed a lot in recent decades; and is likely to continue changing.

In the mid 20th century, the writing market was more straightforward than it has now become. Many professional writers in the past would be employed and paid by publishers of printed books, magazines or newspapers; who generated an income from both selling publications, and from selling advertising. Broadcast media also paid writers (largely with revenue generated from advertising revenue). Public organisations would provide financial support to writers, funding coming from the public purse. Commercial businesses would provide other opportunities, such as writing marketing materials, product manuals etc.

Today’s world is a different world for the media industries, as well as politically and commercially. Government finances are under more pressure than in the past; traditional media is unable to generate income through advertising at the same levels, or in the same way as in the past. The print media has seen reductions in their revenue from advertising and so on.  This revenue funded writers and other aspects of the running print media.  With the advent of the internet, more and more newspapers offer online forums, where people can subscribe to their paper or actually receive it for free. There will also be adverts on their websites as well.

There is also online news from other organisations, such as the BBC, Sky News and so on, they also offer written word online newspapers. This has reduced the need for people to buy a printed newspaper.  This is not to say that people don’t buy newspapers or magazines, but at a lower rate than in the past. Consider before the internet or television, newspapers were the only way really to get the news. Apart from being told by someone else verbally.  So at that time, the print media had a pretty much exclusive opportunity for advertising.

Many other things have changed.

Writers need to recognise not only that changes have occurred in the “writing market”, but that they will continue to occur.

The opportunity for work in newspapers or magazines diminished from 2000 to 2012; but opportunities to sell writing for electronic publishing on the internet increased. Writers who were “in the know” have found opportunities in emerging media, and been able to find new places to sell their skills.  

The world continues to change though; and the rate of change that has occurred over the past decade is only likely to accelerate over the next. Professional writers should be asking themselves how the writers’ marketplace might change over the coming years; and be adapting to changes as they occur.

Deadlines
In the past, publications were often planned well in advance; and writers may have been given greater flexibility in meeting deadlines. Example: If a book manuscript was a month or two late, it might not have mattered so much in the past as it did today.  This has changed as well with the advent of new technology. Look at a news website now and the news is updated virtually as it happens. We also see this on TV with 24 hour TV stations, the news is also updated as it happens. Writers are there writing the news for the newsreaders to read. This has put a more intense pressure on writers, particular in the arena of news and current affairs to be writing NOW.  Even writing novels and fiction deadlines have changed. The market is so fickle and you see writers bringing out one novel after another in quick succession, particularly when they are popular. Look at the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, The True Blood books by Charlaine Harris, The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and so on.  They are popular and the publishers use that popularity to increase their sales.  This puts more demand on writers to get books written and published quickly. Obviously popular and bestselling authors, such as Harris, Meyer and Rowling can work as full time writers, spending their time doing their writing. But this still can affect their creativity and can cause a struggle to find new ideas.

Technological Change
As we have already said, the advent of the internet and television, has changed writing. It has reduced the need for some types of writing and increased the need for other forms of writing.  The internet has changed the way writers get published; but perhaps there will be changes in the future that could impact upon writing opportunities in the future.

EBooks is an area that is increasing rapidly.  EBooks are electronic books. Books can still be bought as hard back and paperback. But many are now also available as a downloadable eBook. But some book sellers and publishers are now only selling via eBook.

Technology changes rapidly. New things become available all the time and we don’t know how this will impact upon writers and how people write. 

Digital writing is the term used to describe those who write online, for any reason.

Writing sound bites for an online magazine requires a different form of writing skill to a writer who is writing romantic fiction.

Look at social media, such as twitter and facebook. With twitter, only 147 characters are allowed in a “tweet”. This has lead to a new “language” almost developing, a short hand for those using twitter. But many people using twitter still write in “proper” words, so this requires a writer to be able to write in a sharp, punchy way. A different style to writing a long description of something, perhaps in a travel article or wildlife article. 

A writer on twitter is often writing to encourage the reader to look elsewhere – at their blog, their adverts, their book, their website, their newsletter, their products and so on. 

Many writers will also write blogs. As we said earlier, this can be for personal use or to encourage a reader to visit their website, buy their novel and so on.  Again, blog writing requires a different skill to novel writing.

Legal Changes
Many of the media laws of the past (in developed countries) were designed for a media industry that was primarily broadcast and print media; operating within state or national borders.

With a rapid growth in electronic media and shifts in the nature and scope of other media; law makers have struggled to keep up to date. Governments are really not equipped to react quickly to change; but with a world that is changing faster than ever; difficulties keep emerging for professional writers.

More in the book -It should be published march/april 2012

EXTRACT from text of our new Herb Book -out soon

GARDENING WITH HERBS

INTRODUCING HERBS

Herbs have a history almost as old as man himself. Used as much for medicines and foods as their colours and scents, herbs have a practical charm unmatched in the world of plants. No garden is complete without them and no kitchen fully stocked.

The scientific definition of a herb is a plant which has no persistent stem above the ground, that is, the leaves and stem die back to the roots after a period of growth. By this definition, strictly speaking, you would call plants such as daffodils and dahlias herbs along with plants such as mint and garlic.
The more popular definition of a herb is any plant whose roots, stems, leaves or flowers are used for culinary flavouring, medicinal or perfumery purposes. Herbs then, are essentially plants which are grown because of the beneficial characteristics of the oils or other chemical components to be found in their tissues.
Herbs have been gathered or grown and used in all parts of the world for thousands of years. They are some of the easiest, hardiest and fastest garden plants to grow and there is generally little cost involved in growing them apart from your own labour. These factors, coupled with a growing preference today for natural alternatives to chemicals, have resulted in a revival of interest in the use of herbs.
Herbs have long been associated, in many different cultures, with things magical or supernatural; perhaps due to the seemingly miraculous healing power of some herbs.
The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used herbs as did most other early civilisations but most of the herbs we commonly use today were developed by European herbalists during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. By the mid 16th century, most European households grew at least 50 different varieties of herbs in the garden.
Many medicinal uses of herbs have been thoroughly tested over the centuries and their credibility firmly established. In recent years there has been considerable interest from scientists and enthusiastic amateurs in determining just what effects herbs produce and what components of herbs cause these effects. Much effort is also being spent in introducing new herbs into widespread cultivation.

GROWING HEALTHY HERBS

Herbs are among the easiest of plants to look after but that doesn’t mean you should plant them and forget them.

There is no one ideal set of growing conditions for herbs. They come from many different plant families which have adapted to different types of environments all over the world – consequently they all require different growing conditions. One of the things they do have in common, however, is that they generally have a scent, and in most cases a sunny position is needed to fully develop the oils or chemicals which give herbs their characteristic scent or taste.
The ideal growing conditions for most herbs are similar to those required by vegetables, namely raised beds, moist but well drained and mulched soil, full sun for at least part of the day but not too exposed to frost and wind, and generally fertile, weed-free soil. Some herbs, however, do prefer soils that are not over-fertile.

WHERE HERBS CAN BE GROWN

Herbs are quite versatile and can be grown in a variety of situations. These include:
 Formal herb gardens.
 Informal herb beds in the garden such as in may cottage gardens.
 In containers such as baskets, herb pots, tubs and window boxes.
 Amongst other plants such as in a vegetable garden as companion plants for insect control or as an additional crop.

John Mason is in the midst of writing a new business book. Here is an extract from part of it. -rough draft at this stage.

New businessmen need to deal with five things:

1. Getting a Product that can be sold
2. Establishing Systems to manage the business
3. Finding Potential Customers
4. Selling to those Potential Customers
5. Delivering the Product

This may be a simplistic view of business, but it is a very helpful way of understanding what needs to be done, and doing it properly.
Think of these as “five key areas of business”.

Businesses Don’t Need to Fail
We’ve all heard stories about how 10% of businesses fail, and those stories may well be true; but businesses that fail will usually fail for one simple reason; because they don’t attend to all five areas of concern above.
Some businesses don’t attend to these things because they don’t have the resources to deal with the things that need doing. For example, it is not good enough to develop a fantastic product, and expect the marketing, sales, customer service and other things to just look after themselves.
When you start a business, you must be conscious of the resources you have at your disposal (including money, time, expertise, networks, property, equipment and anything else). Deciding on the product may well be the first step in starting any business; but that decision must be tempered with an awareness of the systems required to manage that product, the market potential of that product, how well you will be able to sell that product and what is required to deliver that product to customers.  If your product is not matched with your capacity to handle it; you may well be entering a business doomed to failure.

What Products or Services?
Most businesses tend to start with an idea for a product or service.
Common starting points may be:
• Being told by others that you are “so good” at something that you should start their own business.
• Seeing someone else being successful at something, and thinking “I know more about that; and I could do it better”
• Noticing an unsatisfied demand for something –an opportunity waiting to be exploited
• Studying something that qualifies you to work in a job where most people run their own business.
• Creating something (eg. an invention, a very large building, a book, crafts, etc) as a hobby, and wanting to do something positive with your creation.

Do any of these scenarios ring a bell with you?
In themselves, any of these scenarios may be a valid starting point, but alone, none of these things is reason enough for starting a business.

Not every idea is a good one for a new business.
Being capable of supplying a product or service to customers is nowhere near enough for someone to be successful in a business.
Just because you like a product or service doesn’t mean that other people will like it enough to buy it.
Consider the level of demand that may exist for what you propose to offer. Do people need it badly? Can they live without it? Do you have competition for customers? Who would be a potential customer, and how many likely customers are there? Is demand likely to grow over time, or is there a chance that it may decrease? How much control can you exert over the future of your business? (eg. If a single change in government policy or law is able to damage your business; you may be looking at a risky enterprise)
Consider your personality, health and situation in life, not only today, but over the next few years. 
• Start up businesses are often more demanding upon time than what is expected. Families can suffer and stress levels can increase.
• A good business person needs to be healthy, pragmatic and a clear thinker.
• People who overwork, often succeed in establishing a very successful business; but a high proportion of these people will eventually have serious health problems. They may die young, they may be forced by health issues to sell their business.
• People who develop too much of a “personal” stake in their business sometimes find it hard to be “objective” in making business decisions. They can continue doing unprofitable things, because psychologically they cannot accept failure of something the are too close to.
• People who are not serious enough can just as easily fail in a business. Starting and running a business simply does not work if the boss has a heap of other things going on in their life that they consider more important than the business –just as much as if the boss gives priority to working in their business over and above everything else in their life.

How to Manage the Business?
Businesses need to manage all sorts of things, including
• Supply of product or services –Whatever you are selling, you will only have so much that is available to sell over a particular time period. If you are providing a consultancy service, and your business only has one consultant, you may only have 20 or 25 hours a week that you can provide and charge for those services. If you are growing and selling vegetables, you will be limited by the varieties and quantity that can be harvested each week.  You need to set up systems that identify the quantity and quality of what can be supplied; and manage that supply. Contingencies need to be in place (eg. What happens if the consultant gets sick); and any necessary goods must be acquired ahead of being needed, and stored properly so they are available when needed (eg. Office supplies, goods purchased for resale).
• Finances –Businesses are always going to be seeing money going out and coming in. The availability of finance needs to be assured (liquidity); and the level of both spending and income must be controlled and recorded (bookkeeping)
• Legal –Any business will be affected by the laws of the land that it operates in. The business must understand those laws and put procedures in place to ensure staff and the business as a whole is operating in accordance with those laws.
• Staffing –Procedures need to be clear and consistent, to ensure staff do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and in a way that it needs to be done.

So far in this course we have described how to prepare foods from each of the 5 food groups. In this lesson we will consider how a basic dish may be transformed into a gourmet meal by using a complimenting stock, sauce, flavouring or garnish. To do this we will look at each of these in turn and consider basic preparation techniques and dishes where they can work particularly well.

Stocks

A stock is a liquid which is flavoured by meat, poultry and fish, including their bones, and from vegetables and seasonings. Making a quality stock involves the combination of suitable ingredients with correct preparation techniques. Stocks are extremely versatile and provide an ideal foundation for a variety of dishes such as in soups and sauces.

Making stock

A stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water. While it is possible to buy basic chicken/ meat and vegetable stocks, if you have enough time you will find that a homemade stock is able to confer a richer flavour to your final dish.  Also, making your own stock allows you to utilise ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away e.g. chicken carcasses and the bones of roasted meat.

Preparing a chicken stock

When preparing a chicken stock use the raw carcass and chicken bones or wings or the previously roasted carcass from a cooked chicken. Put the bones into a large saucepan along with a large peeled onion chopped in half, a few peeled and halved carrots, 2 halved celery sticks. Add black peppercorns, a bay leaf and some of your favourite herbs e.g. a few fresh sprigs of thyme sprigs and some parsley stalks and bring the pan to a simmer. As you simmer your stock use a ladle to skim of any scum that floats to the top of the pan and ideally cook for about 2-3 hours, tasting often to ensure a good depth of flavour. Once your stock is cooked through pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer/ colander into a large, clean bowl, and skim off any fat from the surface. Either use your stock straight away or refrigerate or freeze until it is required.

Preparing meat stocks

To prepare a meat stock use the same basic technique used to make a chicken stock but this time ensure that the bones from meat are roasted first. If you've are using the bones from beef or lamb place them into a large roasting tray with 2 unpeeled onions chopped in half and roast them in a hot oven for an hour until they are browned, then simmer bones as described above.

Preparing a vegetable stock

Vegetable stocks are a good base for numerous vegetable dishes, as well as for a variety of fish dishes. Vegetable stocks are an ideal way of using up parts vegetables that would otherwise be discarded. Your choice of vegetables should reflect those you most enjoy and also vegetables that are in season. Different vegetables also confer different flavours e.g. corn on the cob provides a distinctive sweet taste, while mushrooms can help to make a thicker ‘meatier’ vegetable stock. Be wary though of using vegetables that are past their best or those with a very strong taste which may overpower the flavour of other ingredients.

To make a basic vegetable stock wash and chop peelings from your chosen vegetables e.g. from carrots, parsnips and leeks and add to a large saucepan with one Celery stick and a variety of cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus stalks which have been washed and chopped.

Add 1 large onion, 6-8 peppercorns,1 teaspoon salt a few sprigs of fresh thyme and parsley or dried mixed herbs, 1 bay leaf  and enough cold water to cover the contents of the saucepan or to make a reasonable amount of stock e.g. up to around 4 pints. Bring the stock to the boil then reduce heat and cover pan with a lid. Skim any surface scum with a ladle. Simmer for about 30 minutes before removing from the heat. Skim any surface scum that has formed then strain the stock into a bowl and allow cooling if refrigerating or freezing it.

General tips for cooking stocks

Remember to simmer and not boil your stock as boiling your stock will cause any surface scum to boil back into the stock.

If you feel that your strained stock is too weak reduce the stock in a cleaned-out to enhance its flavour.

If possible further reduce the fat content of your stock by leaving your stock to go cold and chill it overnight. This allows you to lift off any fat which may have solidified on top of the stock.

Sauces

The word "sauce" is a French word which is taken from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.  Use of sauces in cooking can be traced back thousands of years and even as far back as Roman times (200 AD) where sauces were used to disguise the taste of the food and also a lack of freshness. The most common sauces are made from 3 types of ingredients- a liquid which makes up the body of a sauce or the first layer of flavour, a thickening agent which adds substance and body to the sauce and a seasoning to give a sauce a second layer of flavour. We shall now look at each of these ingredients in turn.

Liquids

The particular liquid added varies according to the purpose of the sauce, e.g. whether it is to be served as an accompaniment to vegetables, fish, poultry or meat or as an integral part of pasta dishes like macaroni cheese. Stocks are among the main liquids used to make a sauce while other commonly used liquids include milk, cream, egg yolks and wine.

Thickeners

Thickeners are used to make sauces thick enough to coat foods. Types of thickeners include a roux which is a cooked paste made from wheat flour and fat, a starch solution made from starch and water e.g. cornstarch or vegetable/ potato starch, or a liaison thickener which is a mixture of cream and egg yolks that are added to a sauce at the end of the cooking time.

How to make a basic roux

To make a Roux you should use equal parts of all-purpose flour and fat e.g. 2 tbsp. butter or oil to 2 tbsp. of flour. A roux is identified by its color – a white roux is made with oil and cooked for a short time and is used in a sauce like bechamel or veloute sauce.  A brown roux is cooked for longer and is commonly used to make gravies and in dishes such as stews.  When using a roux to thicken a sauce it is important to add the roux correctly. If you are using a cool liquid such as a chilled stock, the cooler liquid should be added to the hot roux and you should whisk the mixture as you add the liquid to smooth out any lumps that may form. When adding a roux to a hot liquid gradually add enough hot liquid to dissolve the cold roux and then pour the dissolved roux into the simmering liquid. Sauces thickened with roux need to simmer at least 45 minutes to remove the starchy or pasty taste and gritty feel of the flour. 

Thickening sauce with a starchy solution

A starch solution will thicken quicker than a roux.  To use a starches, stir the starch e.g. cornstarch,  together with a cold liquid until it dissolves and then gradually add the starch solution  to a simmering liquid, stirring continually until the liquid thickens (this usually takes around 2-3 minutes).

Seasoning a sauce

Seasonings and additional flavourings add a 2nd layer of flavour to a sauce. The most basic seasonings are salt and pepper while other flavorings include aromatic vegetables, herbs, spices, and mustard. Some of these flavorings are described further on in the lesson.

Types of sauce

There are hundreds of different sauces whereas most chefs will use and adapt 5 grand sauces (or mother sauces) which are:

1.      Brown sauce, which is a rich dark sauce typically served with meats. A brown sauce generally refers to a sauce with a meat stock base (e.g. those described earlier in this lesson), thickened by reduction or sometimes by the addition of a browned roux.

2.      Veloute sauce, which is a white sauce made by thickening poultry, fish, or shellfish stock with a white roux. Veloute sauce works well with chicken and fish.

3.      Bechamel sauce, which is a white sauce made by thickening milk with a white roux and as described in lesson 5 works well with different pasta dishes.

4.      Tomato sauce, which is made by simmering tomatoes and flavoring ingredients such as basil or garlic until the tomatoes are soft enough to puree (see recipe 1). Tomato sauce works well with pasta and a variety of chicken and meat dishes.

5.      Hollandaise sauce, which is made by blending melted butter into slightly cooked egg yolks. Hollandaise sauce works well with steak, eggs and vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower (see recipe 2)

Tomato sauce (recipe 1):

To make a simple tomato sauce use as many tomatoes as desired but generally around 1.4kg (3lbs) of tomatoes will allow you to make around a pint of sauce. To make the tomato sauce, core each tomato, then cut in half and squeeze tomatoes expelling the seeds. Add the juiced halves into the large stock pot placed over high heat and use a wooden spoon to press the tomatoes. Once enough juice and water have accumulated, cover the pot and leave the tomatoes to cook for 20-30 minutes until pulped stirring intermittently. After tomatoes are cooked press them through a sieve and return the puree to a clean pan and add ½ a tablespoon of salt, 4 oz (110 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 1/4 pint (140 ml) distilled white vinegar. Stir the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the sauce has thickened. A thicker sauce will be achieved by cooking the sauce for longer as this allows more of the excess water to evaporate.

Hollandaise sauce (recipe 2):

Add 3 egg yolks to a small saucepan and whisk until the egg yolks thicken (after about 1 minute) then whisk in 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice and 25g of chilled unsalted butter and place over very low heat. Whisk the sauce constantly while the butter is melting, and continue whisking until it begins to thicken enough so that the base of the saucepan becomes visible between strokes. At this point remove the pan from the heat and beat in an additional 25g of chilled butter. Finally, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Seasonings and additional flavourings

Herbs and seasonings are an essential ingredient of great stocks and sauces and can also be added directly to meats, baked goods and salads to impart flavour and aroma. In this section we shall consider some popular seasonings and flavourings and describe how to prepare them and use them to compliment different foods.

Herbs

Herbs do two common things in the kitchen

1.      They replace salt and sugar as food flavourings.  Which is good for our health as salt and sugar are often consumed in quantities which are detrimental to health.

2.      They greatly expand the variety of tastes which can be experienced.

The quantity produced in a small garden, even off one plant, is frequently much more than would ever be used by one family. The only limitation to the availability of herbs is that your favourite culinary herbs might not produce at all times of the year. Even this, is not really a problem. Herbs can be harvested and kept many different ways ‑dried, frozen, preserved in oils or vinegar etc. until the time you are ready to use them.

Herbs can greatly increase the flavour of a meal, and can supply additional nutritional benefit. They can also increase the health of the vegetable garden. Herbs can be used in cooking many different ways; both as freshly picked parts off the plant, or as dried parts or products.

·      Fresh - most have a stronger flavour if used fresh; and this use is generally preferred.

·      Dried - many retain flavour well on drying; others do not.

·      Products - herbs soaked in vinegar or oil transfer the flavour to the vinegar or oil. The vinegar or oil can then be used when preparing food to add the herb flavour.

Culinary Uses of Herbs

Culinary herbs make two important contributions to food preparation:

·      They replace salt and sugar as food flavourings.  Salt and sugar are widely known to be consumed by most people in quantities which are detrimental to health, so any move to replace them with an increased use of herbs is a positively healthy move.

·      Herbs greatly expand the variety of tastes which can be experienced. They have been used since man’s earliest times to add to the flavour of food. With the tremendous variety of herbs now readily available, today’s cook can use them to provide interest in the form of colour and texture as well as flavour.

In cooking, herbs can be used freshly picked, dried or frozen. The treatment of herbs before cooking can, however, influence their flavour and appearance:

·         Fresh herbs have a stronger flavour, and this use is generally preferred.

·         Dried herbs are widely use in cooking. Many herbs retain flavour well on drying, but others to not. Also, the flavour will diminish with improper storage and time, so do not use very old dried herbs.

·         Herbal infusions in vinegar or oil are often used for flavouring sauces, salads, etc.  The flavour in herbs soaked in vinegar or oil transfers to the liquid, which can then be used when preparing food to add the herb flavour. The flavour will be less pronounced than the flavour of fresh herbs, which can be desirable. Herbs stored in vinegar or oil might need to be removed as they become old, but the infused flavour should remain for quite a while if the products are stored out of the light and in cool temperatures. Many medicinal uses of herbs require the production of herbal infusions.

·         Herbal infusions in hot water are used to produce teas and tisanes.

Some Hints on Cooking with Herbs

·         Grind dried herbs to get the best flavour.  This may be done using a mortar and pestle, or simply the back of a spoon.

·         Never cook fresh chervil as heat destroys the flavour.  Add just before serving.  (Chives are similar.)

·         Do not shake leaves from a storage container into cooking food as vapour from the cooking can get into the container and cause the dried herbs to spoil.

·         Do not store herbs next to the stove or in sunlight, as heat can reduce their flavour.

·         To keep fresh herbs longer, stand with stems in a container of water, keeping the leaves dry, in a refrigerator.

·         If you do need to wash herbs, make sure that the leaves are fully dried, spread them out on a wire rack in a single layer and allow water to evaporate before tying in bundles or freezing.

Learn More

Study our Food Prepartation Course  http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/food-preparation-foundations-of-cooking-572.aspx

A cutting is a piece of stem, root or leaf which is removed from a plant, then treated in a way that stimulates it to grow roots, stems and leaves; hence producing another new plant.

Cutting propagation can be carried out on a very wide variety of plants, and after seed propagation, is the most commonly used method of producing new plants. Cutting propagation is most commonly used for shrubs, indoor plants and many herbaceous perennials. As a general rule, it is not as commonly used to propagate most types of trees.

This book sets out how to grow plants by cuttings, including:-

-          different types of cuttings,

-          where to obtain suitable material for cuttings,

-          how the cuttings can be treated to increase the likelihood of success,

-          different materials and equipment used to take and strike the cuttings,

-          how to take cuttings of a range of popular plants.

Propagation by seed or spore is known as sexual propagation. Propagation by non-sexual methods is known as vegetative or asexual propagation. Other types of asexual propagation are layering, budding & grafting, separation and division.

The Importance of Cuttings.

Plants are reproduced by cuttings for a number of reasons, including:

*Cutting grown plants are identical to their parent.

 A cutting grown plant is identical (genetically) to the parent plant (the plant from which the

 original cutting was taken from). This is not necessarily so when plants are grown from seed.

 Cuttings are the most widely used technique for reproducing "true to type" plants. This ensures that

 the unique characteristics, such as leaf variegation or flower size & colour, of the parent plant are

 perpetuated in the progeny. When a plant is grown from seed, the flower and foliage effects, for example, can be different to the effects on the parent plant

*It is easier to produce new plants from cuttings

For some types of plants, seed production is difficult, due to one or more of the following reasons:

  a/ The plant doesn’t produce viable seed, or produce seed at irregular times,

  b/  Seed is difficult to germinate (e.g. Boronia, Eriostemon),

  c/ Seed that is difficult to collect, for example, plants that have seed pods that burst open

     dispersing the seeds widely,

  d/ Seed is produced at a time when seed cannot be collected, or collection would require

     a further trip to the area (often very difficult for remote areas), or can only be collected

     with difficulty (e.g. plants whose seed matures during wet seasons when access may be

     limited).

*  Producing plants that flower or fruit sooner

  Many plants grown from seeds go through a juvenile stage, in which flowering, and hence seed

  production do not occur. Some plants may take 5, 10 or even more years before they commence

  flowering. Once a plant has flowered, plants propagated from that plant by cuttings will avoid the

  juvenile stage and flower early, often within months of the cutting having struck.

  Many plants also have undesirable growth forms when they are young. These include very

  vigorous growth, thorniness, or unattractive foliage or form. By taking cuttings from adult plants

  these undesirable characteristics can be avoided.

* Maintaining juvenility

  In some cases the juvenile form of a plant may have characteristics that are more desirable than

  those of the adult form. A good example of this is the smaller, immature foliage of the Hedera helix

  cultivars (English Ivy). For some plants cuttings will strike more readily from juvenile material.

WHERE TO GET YOUR CUTTINGS

You may take cuttings from plants growing in gardens, pots, parks or in the wild; and you may successfully produce new plants from cuttings taken from any source; however, you will always get much better results if you carefully choose your source of cuttings.

            -If you know the cultivar name of the plant, you can be more certain of how to propagate

            it, and be confident of the characteristics that will be demonstrated by the new plants.

            -If you take cuttings from healthy plants; they are more likely to develop roots faster, and

            produce healthier plants quicker.

Genotype versus Phenotype

Genotype is the genetic makeup or 'blue print' of an organism. When a plant is propagated by asexual means the genotype of the newly propagated plants, or progeny, will be identical to that of the parent plant. The phenotype of a plant is it's actual appearance and behaviour. The phenotype of a plant arises from the interaction between the genotype of the plant and the environment in which the plant is growing. Factors such as soil conditions, exposure to light, moisture levels, pollutants, pests and diseases, and nutrition will all have an impact on how a particular plant will grow. This means that a batch of cuttings, propagated from the same parent will have an identical genetic makeup, but once planted out there may be some differences between them in outward appearance and performance, such as foliage colour or height, as a result of environmental conditions.

If a plant is propagated due to its appearance and growth habit in a particular district, the resultant plants may not be identical to the parent when it is grown in a different locality, for example, a plant that grows to 2m in one locality is propagated and promoted with those attributes, but may grow up to 4m in a different locality due to factors such as different climate and soil type.

This highlights the importance of selecting plant material with desired traits for use in a specific locality only, or that the progeny is grown (tested) in a variety of environmental conditions (i.e. soil types, climates) before its attributes are described in promotional materials.

Why Cuttings

Despite all the difficulties that can be experienced with various techniques to propagate a plant, the cutting technique still remains one of the easiest and cost effective techniques to produce a number of new plants, whether that be for commercial or domestic production.

The home gardener will find that cuttings are easy, time effective and cheap. The rewards in watching a plant produce roots and develop into a new plant encourages them to propagate even more plants and share them with friends etc.

Commercial production nurseries know the benefits of the cutting technique. Their profit and existence relies upon using the right technique for the right plant. Improving their techniques can increase production and hence increase profit.

Growing plants by cuttings can be a very rewarding exercise, and for commercial propagators may be the most economically viable method for many plants. This book will hopefully provide a valuable resource to anyone with an interest in cutting propagation.

How to grow a Cutting

Most cuttings are pieces of stem, often with some leaves left at the top of the stem. Some plants can be grown from cuttings of other tissue (eg. A piece of leaf, or section of root, or even part of a bulb, with no stem at all).

Cuttings are usually planted into a mix of materials such as sand, peat moss, perlite, rockwool or vermiculite. Part of the tissue is usually below the surface of the mix, and some exposed above the surface.

The cuttings should then needs to be kept moist, and other conditions such as light, temperature, humidity and hygiene should be kept appropriate to the requirements of the variety of plant being grown.

Other things that can be done to enhance development of the cutting, will either speed the rate of growth, or improve the percentage of cuttings that succeed.

Chemical hormones may be applied to stimulate the formation of either roots, or foliage/shoot growth. Pesticides or disinfectants may be used to prevent diseases or pests. Heating may be used to warm the root zone (ie. bottom heat), to encourage faster growth of roots; or periodic misting of the foliage to cool the top of the plant, or prevent dehydration of the foliage.

This article is based upon extracts from John Mason's book "Propagating from Cuttings"     See http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2108-propagating-from-cuttings.aspx

If you want to get even more serious, study Cutting Propagation in our 100 hour distance learning course    See http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/cutting-propagation-309.aspx

DIVERSIFICATION

Many farms today are under financial pressure, with traditional enterprises such as cattle and sheep becoming a less reliable source of income. Farmers are more than ever susceptible to such things as changes in the international market place, land degradation problems, drought and flood, changing cost structures in the market place, etc.

One solution is to diversify, creating more than one source of income for a farm.  In essence, the strategy means that instead of depending mainly on one type of animal or crop for farm income, there is income generated by several different sources.

POSSIBILITIES

With a little creative, lateral thinking, there are all sorts of ways you can make money from a farm property. You already have a major asset in your land, and it might not be too difficult, or disruptive, to develop a supplementary money making venture such as one of those following. In due course, such a new venture may develop into a major part of a farm activity, or simply remain a small supplement to the main source of income.

Accommodation

Farmers in some areas do good business providing on-farm accommodation to tourists and other travellers. This may be in the form of self-contained cabins, providing bed and        breakfast within your own home or camping facilities. Promoting such a venture may be relatively easy and inexpensive to set-up. Contact local or state tourist authorities or motoring organisations (e.g. an automobile association) for information on licensing details, standards and marketing.(Before anything, check local planning regulations i.e. certain permits may be required before operating this type of enterprise).

Depending on what type of accommodation is being offered, you must consider things such as what space will be available, shower and toilet facilities to be used, and what catering will be provided and how much time must be spent with guests.  For instance, offering primitive camping facilities would be inexpensive to start up and require little time from the owners, yet would bring a lower return.  A bed and breakfast would involve more effort, cost and time, such as cooking breakfast and acting as host, yet would provide a much higher income.

Tourism

Farm tourism is a growth industry. For many barely viable farms, a tourist venture can provide a valuable second source of income. These may include such things as a farm shop, guided tours, open gardens, adventure activities (e.g. trail rides, canoeing, etc.), creating an exhibition area (e.g. a museum, animal show etc.), restaurant, or a working farm experience.

Gardens surrounding farms in New Zealand, England and some other countries are often opened to the public. A fee is charged to explore the garden, sometimes guided by the a family member; sometimes left to your own. Similarly, sections of farm buildings, or a farm house may be converted to a gift shop, a craft shop, a small museum, or a produce shop.  There is a high maintenance component to such a venture, to ensure that the visitors feel that they have received value for money.

Farm tours may be developed, to show paying tourists various aspects of farm operation.

Horse riding, hiking, picnicking, bushwalking, abseiling, canoeing and other activities may be appropriate to some properties. Properly organised, any of these can be a good source of revenue.

Agroforestry

Trees can be planted on boundaries, scattered through paddocks, or in blocks; to be harvested and sold for timber at a later point in time. In the meantime, the land around the trees may or may not, still be used for grazing animals. Some rapid growing trees (e.g. Paulownia), under good conditions, may be able to be harvested within a few years of planting, although most agroforestry is usually a long term prospect, taking one or more decades to produce a harvest.

Your choice of tree variety is critical. If you want to graze animals under trees, you will be advised to avoid dense planting or planting species that deter the growth of grass (e.g. avoid pines and other conifers). Different trees are suitable for different markets; some being high value timber used in things such as furniture making, others may only be used for housing frames, pallets, or wood chips. Proximity to markets may influence what is grown - but remember it may take decades to reach harvest; so consider where the market may be in the distant future.

Trees which may be considered for agroforestry (depending on your climate and location) include:

§                     Acacia melanoxylon (Blackwood)

§                     Allocasuarina torulosa (She-oak)

§                     Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

§                     Birch (Betula spp.)

§                     Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) can be pollarded

§                     Black walnut (Juglans nigra) - coppice or pollard

§                     Castenospermum australe (Black Bean)

§                     Cherry (Prunus avium)

§                     Coast redwood (Sequioa sempervirens)

§                     Cricket bat willow (Salix alba ‘Caerulea’)

§                     Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)  

§                     Eucalyptus calophylla, camaldulensis, microcorys, propinqua, regnans

§                     Fraxinus excelsior (European ash)

§                     Grevillea robusta (Silky Oak)

§                     Italian, black and red alder (Alnus cordata, A.glutinosa and A.rubra - nitrogen-fixers that can also can be pollarded

§                     Larch (Larix decidua, L. eurolepis, L. kaempferi)

§                     Lawson’s cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)

§                     Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box)

§                     Melaleuca leucadendron

§                     Platanus acerifolia (London Plane)

§                     Paulownia tomentosa

§                     Pinus canariensis, caribaea var. hondurensis, ponderosa, radiata, Corsican, Lodgepole, Pinus nigra maritima, P.contorta,, P.sylvestris)

§                     Populus delatoides (American Black Poplar) other Populus spp. e.g. boelare, beaupré

§                     Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)

§                     Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

§                     Toona australis (Red Cedar)

§                     Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)

(Most of the above are suitable for sawn timber; many also have other uses).

Alternative Animals

Try thinking about different animals (depending on your locality) such as angora goats, deer, dogs, cats, ostriches, alpacas, emus, crocodiles, crayfish, etc. There are farms that make money from all of these and other types of animals as well.

A kennel or a cattery can make money from breeding animals and boarding pets when owners are on holidays. The pet business is large, and opportunity always exists for a new operator offering a quality service. Many pet owners have the money and inclination to spend on their pets, but are often hesitant to put them into kennels which are "not as comfortable as home".  Providing clean, comfortable accommodation and a caring atmosphere will ensure ongoing business.

There is a growing demand for exotic animals (e.g. ostriches, deer, alpacas etc.), and the products they produce. These are however new industry sectors in which both supply and demand are increasing in a relatively unpredictable ratio. As such, they are high risk sectors which may lead to high profits, but could equally lead to big losses.

Cut Flowers and Foliage

Some types of cut flowers (e.g. bulbs and annual flowers), can require a lot of attention; and these may not be an ideal supplementary enterprise. Other cut flowers, such as proteas or Geraldton Wax (i.e. Chamaelaucium), Buddleia, Caryopteris etc. are woody shrubs. Once established, these plants require relatively little attention, apart from protection from livestock and spraying against pests and disease (provided the climate is suitable for the variety).  Foliage used in floral arrangements can also be grown and sold to the cut flower industry.

Community Markets

Community markets can be profitable, if you are selling the right product in the right market. To be successful, you need to experiment; trying different markets, and also trying different products. Some ideas for market products include:

§                     Fresh produce, eggs, honey, etc.

§                     Crafts or hand-crafted items (dolls, wood furniture)

§                     Home-made foods (preserves, pies, sauces, etc.)

§                     Hand-made clothing

§                     Value added products (spun wool, goat's cheese)

§                     Bunched flowers

VALUE ADD BY PROCESSING FARM PRODUCE

Things which are already produced by a farm may be made more marketable, and sold for a higher price, if they are used to produce something beyond the raw product. Wool shorn on a farm can be processed and used to produce garments. Dairy products can be used to produce cheese or yoghurt. Animal skins may be tanned and used to produce various leather products. Crops such as fruit and vegetables can be used to make preserves. These products may be sold through a farm shop, or local retail outlets.

The major consideration is the price of the necessary equipment to "value add" versus the selling price of the end product.  If you do open a retail shop, then producing some of your own product, while often work intensive, can give a very high return on the investment.

OTHER IDEAS

Farms have found success by diversifying into many other areas, including:

Starting a plant nursery;

Planting an orchard or vineyard (can be expensive to set up);

Earth worm farming;

§                     Leasing land for events (shows, meetings, markets, billboards etc).;

§                     Agistment: lease land to other farmers;

§                     Subdivide (if you are desperate);

§                     Running courses/ workshops;

§                     Hiring land for trials (experimentation) to large companies (e.g. to field trial agricultural chemicals);

§                     Share Farming a section of the property.

With a bit of creativity, hard work and often good marketing, there are many enterprises that can bring extra income to the farm. If you choose to diversify, make sure you choose an activity that you are interested in.

Read More about Improving a farm in "Profitable Farming", an ebook by John Mason   http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2236-profitable-farming-pdf.aspx

CHOOSING PLANTS

We all want the best value when we go to buy a plant, but how do you tell what is a good deal?

The cheapest plants are not always the best to buy. What is the value in buying something cheap if it doesn’t live, or grows slower than a more expensive plant?

There are two decisions to make:

1. What plant variety you should choose.

2. Which plant from those available you should choose.

WHAT VARIETY?

Some plants are very easy to grow but others are a great deal more difficult. Choose plant varieties according to your own capabilities and the amount of time and effort you are able to devote to caring for the plant. For example:

·         If you don’t have the time to water and feed tender annual flowers, you may be better off growing woody flowering plants like roses.

·         If you don’t have the time or skills to identify and spray pests and diseases when they come along, perhaps you would be better off avoiding roses and growing something relatively pest-free, like lavender.

·         If you have limited water available and live in a dry climate, you might be better growing drought-tolerant succulents rather than struggling with water-loving plants.

Too many people try to grow the plants they dream about, and end up with a collection of sick plants. These same people could have had a collection of healthy but different plants, if their choice of plants was better matched with their ability to care for them.

Be prepared to Replace Sick Plants

Plants have a limited lifespan – and that time varies from place to place. For example:

·         Lavender does not last as long in warm temperate or subtropical climates as they do in mild and cool temperate climates.

·         Some bulbs never flower as well again as they do in their first season.

·         Marguerites can become woody and leggy, and produce less flowers.

Grow what you want and discard it when it’s finished - it’s still cheaper than buying a bunch of flowers!

LOW MAINTENANCE PLANTS

The easiest plants to care for can also vary from place to place.

• Plants that are easy care species in one locality may often be declared a weed and illegal to grow somewhere else (e.g. Lantana, a native of the Mediterranean region, is a problematic weed in subtropical Queensland, Australia - but a very hardy prized garden plant in some other places).
• Some plants are not particularly easy to care for when they are first planted, but once established they may require little ongoing care.
• Be careful about who you take advice from - you don’t have to be an expert or be familiar with local conditions in order to sell a plant. Do your own research and take advice from people in your locality, but recognise the fact that the only way you will ever be sure about choosing the best plants is to get to know them for yourself.

Note: Plants suggested here, or in other books, might not all be appropriate in your locality. You should never use a book, website or other published material as a definitive guide for what to grow where you live.

Plants that can be easy to care for include:

·         Gazanias

·         Hebes

·         Callistemons

·         Eucalyptus

·         Plumbago

·         Most daisies

·         Nandina

·         Agapanthus

·         Cliveas

·         Cannas

·         Lantana montevidensis

·         Juniperus conferta

·         Abelia

·         Camellias

·         Oleander

·         Indian Hawthorn

·         Japanese Flowering Quince

·         Red Hot Pokers

·         Agave

·         Aloe

·         Bromeliads

WHICH PLANT?

At the nursery, you’ll be confronted with lots of choices. Even after you’ve decided on the plant variety you may still need to decide whether to buy a large one, small one, one covered with flowers, or one without flowers. Always think about what’s going to give you the best long-term results.

General Guidelines

• Plants that are healthier and not pot-bound are more likely to grow faster and overcome the effects of diseases or insect attack.
• Larger plants often take more effort to establish but if you are prepared to put the effort in, they will give a more immediate effect. If you don’t put the effort in, they are more likely to die.
• Plants with a good, uniform shape i.e. straight stem, symmetrical branches, and a good coverage of leaves will get off to a good start as soon as they’re planted out.
• Watch out for plants with lots of soft, lush new growth – these aren’t necessarily the healthiest or best plants to buy. Unless you can give the plant ideal conditions (moist, fertile soil in a sheltered position), lush growth is likely to wilt and die back once the plant is put in the ground. The plant will most likely recover but it may take several weeks for new shoots to grow.
• A plant covered with flowers is appealing, but isn’t necessarily in good health. Even very sick plants can flower well. Instead, look for sturdy well-formed plants with healthy green leaves. If you really want a plant that will give you flowers quickly, choose one with lots of buds rather than fully opened flowers.
• Check that your plants have not been exposed to a fluctuating water supply that will cause problems later on.
• Try and ascertain whether the plants have been fed, and if so - on what?  A change in their nutrient supply can be devastating.
• If the plants have been stored in a shade house or under a cold frame they may need acclimatising.  Try to replicate their growing conditions in your garden.
• Avoid plants with any sign of insect attack or visible disease.  Not only are these plants potentially going to die on you, but they could devastate the rest of your garden by spreading pests and diseases.
• Observe the standards set around the nursery.  A clean and tidy site where health concerns are readily observed is more likely to produce healthy plants than one where cuttings are left lying around, compost is left exposed, and pots are not sterilised before re-use.     

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Advice

A reputable, well-established nursery will normally give you sound advice on what the best value plants for your garden are, particularly if staff are formally trained and have been working in the industry for 10 years or more.

A good horticulturist won’t try to pressure you into buying their most expensive plants, nor will they attempt to sell you old, tired stock. After all, they need your repeat business.

Give the sales staff a clear indication of what you want in terms of plant size, type, and maintenance requirements – and you’ll be more likely to get the right plants for your garden. 

 Extract from Garden Design Part 1 

 http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2243-garden-design-part-1-pdf.aspx