Backgrounders
Backgrounders are brief introductions to important and technical topics and Answers to frequently asked questions share key information on a topic.
Use this information to plan an episode or series of episodes on the topic, to prepare for an interview, or to answer questions from callers.
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Rabbits are a Good Source of Low Fat Protein – Part 2: Breeding rabbits and taking care of them
If you have to buy meat, or if you’d like to earn some extra money, think about raising rabbits. Rabbits are popular because they have lots of babies that grow quickly into big rabbits that you can eat. One healthy doe, can produce five litters of six rabbits each year. That is about 30 kilograms…
Rabbits are a Good Source of Low Fat Protein – Part 1: Building a Rabbit Hutch
If you have to buy meat, or if you’d like to earn some extra money, think about raising rabbits. Rabbits are popular because they have lots of babies that grow quickly into big rabbits that you can eat. One healthy doe, can produce five litters each year. That is about 30 kilograms of meat a…
Participant Notes on Natural Pest Control, Onion Seed
Network participants find the following techniques work well. Although these articles have been edited, they have not been verified by DCFRN. Natural pest control Virgilio Quitorio Radio Broadcaster, Agriculture Communications Foundation of the Diocese of Borongan Radio DYVW-AM Borongan, Philippines There are natural ways of controlling yard and garden insects without resorting to dangerous chemicals…
Reuse and Recycle your Garbage
We all produce garbage. Therefore we should take responsibility for reducing the amount of waste we produce. Do you know how much garbage you produce all by yourself? In Costa Rica studies show that each person produces about half a kilogram of garbage a day. Just think how much we all throw out and consider…
The Comeback of Quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN WA) is an ancient food crop of the Inca civilization that lived in the Andes mountains of South America three hundred years ago. In the Andes today, many farmers still grow quinoa because it is nutritious and tolerates harsh growing conditions. Quinoa is again becoming important in the Andes and in other…
Combine Controls to Manage Striga
Striga Striga, or witchweed, is one of the most important parasitic weeds in agricultural crops. It occurs in many parts of Africa, the Arabian peninsula, India, Indonesia and the United States. Local names are buda (Arabic), isona or rooibloem (Southern Africa), ndokoum (West Africa), bilikasa, talap, and urimallige (India). The economically most important species are,…
Retain Nutrients in Stored Manure
Nitrogen is an important plant food that is found in both manure and urine. But if the manure lies around in small piles on the ground in the sun, wind, and rain, much of the nitrogen in it will be washed away or lost into the air. Other plant foods will also be wasted. It’s…
Coping with Tuberculosis
In China they call the disease the “terrible chest”. Doctors call it tuberculosis, or TB for short. By any name, it is a killer. Tuberculosis is an infection, which means that a germ, in this case the TB germ, invades your body and makes you sick. The germ is too small to see with your…
Control Grasshoppers and Locusts on Your Farm
Save and edit this resource as a Word document. Those of you who are troubled by locusts and grasshoppers on your farms should know that there are many methods of locust and grasshopper control that are cheaper and safer than chemical pesticides. Experiment with a combination of techniques to find out which work best on…
Sweet Potatoes: Easy to Grow, Good to Eat
Think of sweet potatoes if you are looking for a crop that grows well in poor soils and fairly dry conditions, doesn’t need expensive fertilizers, and is tasty and nutritious. Sweet potatoes are an excellent crop for small scale farmers. You can eat the leaves and the tubers. Together, the leaves and tubers of sweet…