Sprucehaven Farms

Most people aren’t born with pearly white teeth, and these days, it’s important to have white teeth because it’s a sign of good hygiene, can boost your confidence and improve the quality of your life in general. Luckily, it’s easy to get white teeth on a small budget these days with whiten your teeth home solutions available on the internet and over the counter at most drug stores. But which whiten your teeth home solutions are the best ones, which ones work the quickest and are most convenient? Sit tight, because I’m about to tell you…

Basically, if you want to whiten your teeth with home solutions, you have 3 options:

1) Whitening stips
2) Dental trays
3) Whitening pens

Out of these 3, you’ll have to make a choice as to which one is right for you. Here’s my opinion of all 3.

I think white strips are great, and they’ve worked very well for me. In my opinion, they’re easier to use than dental tray, but not as easy as whitening pens. They take about 3-5 days to see results, and the results will last for about 6 months in my experience.

Whitening pens are my favorite of the 3. They’re the easiest to use, they work great, and they don’t take up nearly as much time. I just tried them for the first time, so I’m not sure how long the results will last, but I’m very happy so far.

Personally, I strongly dislike dental trays. I’ve found that they work very well, but I really just can’t be bothered having a mouth guard in my mouth for 3 minutes per day. Maybe it’s just me, but I can never find the time.

So, there it is, whiten your teeth home solutions that work great. Enjoy that confidence boost that comes with your new sexy white smile!

And by the way, if you want to try a product out for free before you buy, try these whitening pens on the next page…

Why is organic farming bad, if it is? We have been told that organic farming is good for our health. Proponents have trumpeted the message that organic farming is good for the environment. How could it possibly be bad?

It seems that, increasingly, life is being divided into traditional and alternative. Each side claims their methods to be better than the other’s. Each tries to win people to their side. Traditional schooling fights alternative schooling. Conventional medicine fights alternative medicine. Mainstream culture fights alternative subcultures.

Farming, too, is involved in a battle, conventional farming against organic farming. Environmentalists and those concerned with their health assure us that organic farming is preferable in many ways. But others argue that organic farming is bad.

Why is organic farming bad?

Research Results

In 2002, Swiss scientists at the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture published in “Scientist” a highly publicized study. Their study, which covered 21 years, compared four types of farming. Two of those types were organic farming. The other two types were conventional farming.

Reporters quickly stated that the study proved organic farming was more efficient. Organic farming’s advocates said the study showed that organic farming uses 50% less energy. The facts?

1. Conventional farming is 20 percent more productive than organic farming.

2. Crop yields were significantly lower in organic farming.

3. The above two facts meant energy savings in organic farming were actually only about 19 percent per unit of crop produced, not 50 percent.

4. The study did not test organic farming against the most current methods of conventional farming. If it had, experts say, the 19 percent advantage of organic farming would disappear.

5. Current conventional farming matches organic farming when it comes to environmental advantages. Both have beneficial insects, produce less pesticide and fertilizer runoff, and reduce soil erosion.

6. Food quality was almost identical in conventional and organic farming. Advocates of organic farming had long claimed their food was far superior.

7. Current conventional farming methods produce the same or greater yields mentioned in number 1 above.

This research does not, of course, conclude that organic farming is bad. On the face of it, the conclusion is more that organic farming is not very different from current conventional farming. There most be other reasons for people believing organic farming is bad.

Organic Farming Can Kill

Many took from the Swiss study a realization that, as Cambridge chemist John Emsley said, “the greatest catastrophe the human race could face this century is not global warming, but a global conversion to ‘organic farming’- [where] an estimated 2 billion people would perish.”

Organic farming may supply food for small markets, but how can it feed starving nations? Its adversaries claim that current conventional farming is the only hope for these people. If we turn entirely to organic farming, they say, we will doom billions to die of starvation.

Challenging Organic Farming

Alex Avery, Director of Research and Education for the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues, recently published a new book, “The Truth About Organic Foods.” (2006) In this book, Avery offers an unemotional look at the odd origins and unscientific basis for organic farming.

Nobel Peace Prize Winning Agricultural Scientist, Dr. Norman Borlaug, says about this book, “The Truth About Organic Foods gives consumers a thorough and straight-forward explanation of why organic foods offer no real health or safety benefits. More importantly, Avery communicates why organic farming’s lower yields and reliance on scarce organic fertilizers represents a potential threat to the world’s forests, wetlands and grasslands. The book offers scientifically sound evidence that more-affordable conventional foods are healthy for families and also good stewardship of nature.”

Skimming Mr. Avery’s book, one finds statements that indicate:

1. Organic farming started in the 1920s when a German mystic advised use of only animal manure because synthetic fertilizers had no cosmic energy.

2. Soon, the wealthy decided manure-fertilized produce was better.

3. J.I. Rodale first published his “Organic Gardening Magazine” in 1942, and the organic farming / organic gardening movement was named.

4. In 2007, organic farming advocates still have no credible science to support their beliefs.

5. Organic farming does not avoid pesticides. About 5 percent a vegetable’s weight is natural pesticides, some of which are cancer-causing.

6. Foods from organic farming have more illness-causing bacteria. (The January 2007 issue of “Consumer Reports” showed that chicken from organic farming has 300% more Salmonella than that from conventional farming. University studies have found more bacteria in vegetables from organic farming than in vegetables from conventional farming.

7. If organic farming, which decries synthetic fertilizer, was chosen over conventional farming, we would have a choice. We could kill millions of people to reduce global food needs, or we could sacrifice wildlife habitat in the amount of millions of square miles so we could produce more manure.

Why is organic farming bad? Mr. Avery believes he has the answer.

Notwithstanding Mr. Avery’s new book, I am not sure whether organic farming is bad or not. It is often difficult to sort through rhetoric and find fact. I do know that my forefathers had large organic farms. The produce was good and it was nourishing. Before I can turn my back completely on organic farming and organic gardening, I need clearer evidence. You probably want to do more research, too.

Once people realize all of the benefits cedar outdoor garden furniture has to offer, they quickly begin to realize why this type of outdoor furniture is so popular. Not only does cedar outdoor garden furniture resist warping, the naturally-occurring oils in the cedar prevent the furniture from rotting as well. Because of this, cedar outdoor garden furniture is considered to be one of the best outdoor furniture types on the market.

While the strength and durability of cedar outdoor garden furniture is indeed impressive, it is by far not the only thing cedar outdoor garden furniture has to offer. Comfort and beauty are also characteristics of cedar outdoor garden furniture. Cedar has the uncanny ability to stay cool, even during hot weather. While most outdoor furniture gets hot when the temperature rises, cedar outdoor garden furniture allows for comfortable seating regardless of the weather.

cedar outdoor garden furniture also features the aroma that so many people have come to love. Many people enjoy the scent that emanates from cedar wood. Better yet, many creepy-crawly bugs abhor it. Nothing is worse than relaxing outdoors, only to notice a nasty bug or two making its way around on your clothing or skin. cedar outdoor garden furniture helps abate this problem.

In addition to durability, comfort and beauty, cedar outdoor garden furniture may actually offer the people who buy it better health standards than outdoor furniture made with other woods would offer. cedar outdoor garden furniture doesn’t need to be treated with the same harsh chemicals other woods are treated with. If you don’t like the idea of sitting on wood treated with chemicals like arsenic, then cedar outdoor garden furniture is probably the way you want to go.

cedar outdoor garden furniture becomes even more appealing once you realize that it doesn’t cost more than outdoor furniture made with other types of woods. In fact, cedar outdoor garden furniture can often be less expensive than other wood outdoor furniture on the market, allowing you to stretch your dollar further without any sacrifice.

Small garden bridges have become an all-time favorite form of garden decor. They add just the right touch that will turn a mediocre garden into something quite splendid.

This small structure is an ancient design that has been used across the ages for foot traffic and decoration, and it goes by many descriptive names: Foot bridge, ornamental bridge, landscape bridges, timber bridge, oriental bridge, Japanese bridge and garden bridge are just a few.

Small garden bridges are gently arched structures that span lengths from 5 feet to 20 feet, and are usually about 3 feet wide. Some bridges feature a flat platform.

The simplest garden bridge is the arched or flat plank structure without hand or side rails. More decorative garden bridges are built with ornamental and functional posts and side rails. Some side rails are specifically designed to protect children and other pedestrians; other side rails are strictly for decoration.

Garden landscaping bridges are not just for large, elaborate gardens. Many gardens that are small in size are large in beauty simply because garden bridges have been added in just the right places. Used over a small stream, rough terrain or even a little pond, bridges can add a wonderful, new dimension to any garden.

With such popularity, small garden bridges are easy to find. Garden centers and home improvement depots carry them, and one of the best places to find and compare garden bridges is online. Most bridges are shipped requiring some assembly.

How To Select Small Garden Bridges

Choosing the right garden bridge is easy with just a little planning. Look at the space you have and decide where a bridge would fit in. Consider more than one area and then choose your favorite. Always measure the area you intend your bridge to span.

When you measure the distance you want an arched garden bridge to reach across, you need to know exactly how long the bridge will span. Measure the actual span length of the distance you wish to cover and not the arch length. Some bridge builders may sell an “8 foot bridge” but it will actually only span about 6 or 7 feet.

Make sure the bridge is made of weather and water resistant wood, or sealed and stained wood. Most small garden bridges are constructed of cedar, teak, pressure treated pine, spruce, redwood, and birch planks and posts. You can also find garden bridges made with an attractive steel frame with wooden planks. The construction of the bridges should also use only stainless steel or galvanized hardware such as bolts, washers, nuts and screws.

Try to find a garden bridge that is very easily assembled with only a few tools required. Find out if the manufacturer numbered and labeled each board, each post and rail – so when it’s time to assemble it, you just match the numbers and put in the screws and tighten.

For Do-It-Yourselfers, building a small garden bridge is a great project. Garden foot bridge plans are always available at the same places you can find the actual bridges for sale.

Small garden bridges can be used in a host of garden and landscape settings. As a foot bridge over a stream, or as a decorative accent through a large flower bed, these simple structures instill a functional and captivating charm.

Copyright 2006 Robert Mosse

Trees can make a lovely addition to your yard. They add color and beauty, not to mention the environmental benefits. Trees produce oxygen, protect the soil against erosion and attract many beautiful birds. If you like wildlife, especially birds and squirrels, and you haven’t already done so, you should plant some trees in your yard. Even a nice bushy hedge works wonders.

Trees come with some downsides, though. If they are too big or too close to your house, you could have branches smashing your windows during a bad storm. Not to mention all the leaves you have to rake in the fall. That can be quite a tedious job. Many people have started using leave blowers. Leaf blowers produce a lot of pollution in the air as well as noise pollution, driving your neighbors crazy.

Lawnmowers make a lot of noise too, but that is something we have all become accustomed to and generally accept as part of summer. Besides, it is quite difficult to cut your grass without a lawnmower. Leaf blowers, on the other hand are unnecessary. If you are too lazy to rake your leaves, hire a neighborhood youngster. He will be more than happy to earn a few bucks. Plus, your neighbors will thank you for not using the noisy blower.

Some cities have leaf and yard waste pick up on certain days of the week, while in some cases, you might have to take the leaves and fallen branches to a leaf drop off zone. These are usually located in parks. A section of the park is dedicated for this purpose. An area out of the way of normal park use, or in ball parks that are not used too often in the fall.

The little bit of extra work trees might cause is far outweighed by the beauty and other benefits they will bring to your property.