Ireland is the home of agriculture and more recently the seat of a spectacular growth in English language schools.

This does not mean that Ireland has turned it's back on farming but rather realised the potential of an English speaking country that loves to speak English or indeed any language all day long.

Many students are tired of the same old English classes that they receive in the typical English school. They may speak plenty of English during class time but find that they are left to their own devices once they leave the lesson and so switch from speaking and learning English to speaking any language but English. Even the Best English schools are guilty of this attitude. This means there is a golden opportunity for English schools based in Ireland to step in with their famous friendliness and the even better Irish craic. (more...)

Agriculture in its simplest sense is the process of producing food from the earth. Whether it is on vast fields, or in your back garden, the process of growing food can be termed as agriculture! Although agriculture normally implies a professional activity, there is no reason why working in a kitchen garden cannot be as wholly satisfying as working on a farm!

If you take care of your garden furniture plants and generally enjoy being in the garden, why not turn a bit of the garden into a little vegetable patch and try your hand at growing some of your own food? Growing vegetables is easy and can be great fun!

It is also possible to get an allotment in the UK and many people who love growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs have allotments. Besides providing excellent exercise and the experience of working in the outdoors, growing your own food gives you the pleasure of enjoying home grown seasonal produce. (more...)

There have been many advances in the natural sciences over the last fifty years, which have dramatically altered the way that we produce food. This has enabled more crops to be grown on the same amount of land than ever before. An important factor with the world's population ever increasing.

Some of agriculture based changes have had side effects though, with the use or even sometimes over use of pesticides which can have unknown, long term consequences. Nowadays, changes are coming in different forms rather than chemical ones.

One that is showing promising signs of future development is in hydroponics. This allows vegetable crops to be grown indoors and with substantially less water than when grown out in a field. The yield is also improved with more than one crop capable in a year. In fact, it is a year around production. (more...)

If you live in the country, you will know that many people in agricultural areas have some sort of industry going, large or small. They may keep hens and sell eggs, or make jam and chutney from their own fruit. Many people grow organic fruit and veg, and sell their surplus in the local village or from their own home. Other people make cheeses or milk from their own cows.

Although local people know about their agriculture-based activities, they can expand their market further to capture passing trade, potential clients who do not know the area, and one way they can do this is with Personalized Yard Signs .

For those not in the know, yard signs are customised signs, of various shapes and sizes according to choice, which can display anything you want them to. You can literally advertise what you sell from your own garden or driveway. (more...)

Organic farming is a way of agriculture that was the only way of growing crops until about a century ago. With the coming of industrial farming and the intensive use of chemicals, organic farming is not the mainstream method of agriculture in most countries, but an alternative to mainstream farming.

Organic farming is catching on once again as we begin to realise the importance of maintaining the ecological balance and begin to realise how much we have to lose, should we lose the health of arable land. Everything from Home Insurance to gardening implements is available online, and it is possible to find a good guide to organic gardening and food growing online.

Different crops can be grown at different times and this is what crop rotation is all about. Monoculture is the farming of just one crop on a field, and this can make the soil unhealthy and reduce its fertility. Organic agriculture recognises the importance of crop rotation in keeping the soil healthy. (more...)

Although I do not claim to be an expert, it seems that many farmers are shutting up shop and going out of business in our area and they will soon be a dying breed.

They face tough competition from foreign exports who sell produce very cheaply and at the same time their costs are rising beyond all belief. With inflation at an all time high, they have increased costs for fuel, animal feed and pesticides and they have other costs such as wages to pay too. Fortunately, there are some cost effective options out there, such as using Pestforce for crop protection.

Many people blame the giant supermarkets who demand unrealistic prices in order to keep consumer pricing down and exerting pressure on the farmers resulting in tiny or even negative margins. (more...)

Farmers' markets have always been a traditional part of our life in the country and yet many people are now saying that they are finding it increasingly difficult to actually make a decent living from them.

They have always been a popular way to make money from selling excess fruit, veg and other produce such as cakes and chutneys and were a great way of connecting with the local community.

Some people do it as a sideline, almost like a hobby while other people do actually make it their main job. However, this is becoming fewer and farther between and many people are having to get catering jobs or retail jobs to plug the gap in the income that they used to get from farmers' markets. (more...)

If the school holidays are approaching and, as an au pair or babysitter, you have been assigned the task of looking after young children, you will more than likely be keen to find new and interesting activities and excursions with which to keep them occupied.

A visit to a children's adventure farm might be a great idea, but it is one that you should, primarily, clear with your employers, and that you will also need to prepare for thoroughly. If you are given the green light, it is a good idea to make yourself a small checklist of items to bring along for the journey.

In a big basket or backpack, you will want to pack a variety of useful items. Begin by including raincoats for all of your charges; you never know when the weather might turn and it is always best to be prepared with children. In addition, bring along some basic first aid: include ointments to treat things like insect bites and stings. Most good establishments are serviced regularly by wasp nest removal companies and the like, but, again, caution should be your watchword. (more...)