As the coffee beans mature more slowly in the shade, natural sugars increase and enhance the flavor of the coffee. Next to tobacco, coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other product consumed by humans, but shade grown coffee is most often organically grown, free of chemical use. Farmers who grow coffee in shady environments are promoting local wildlife populations, protecting bird habitat and using responsible and sustainable farming methods, using little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Coffee plants are grown in thick forests among giant trees which filter carbon dioxide and aid in soil moisture retention, minimizing erosion that is normally a formidable problem for clear cut coffee farmers. Migrating bird populations have been in rapid decline since the introduction of “sun” coffee and the consequent destruction of rainforest for more coffee plantations. As many as 150 species of birds have been identified on shade coffee farms.

Traditionally, all coffee was shade grown. Most varieties of coffee are actually quite intolerant of direct sunlight, and prefer a canopy of sun-filtering shade trees. The trees not only protect the coffee from direct sun, they also mulch the soil with their fallen leaves, helping to retain soil moisture.

In 1972, new hybrid varieties of coffee were developed to help increase production of the valuable crop. These new varieties produced significantly more coffee beans, were smaller and easier to harvest, and produced best in direct sunlight. As a result, many growers cut their shade trees and switched to the new varieties. Of the 6 million acres of coffee lands, 60% have been stripped of shade trees since 1972. Only the small, low-tech farms, often too poor to afford chemicals, preserved their shade trees.

Unfortunately, the new varieties of “sun” coffee came with an additional cost: they were dependent on high amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and it soon became apparent that this new method of growing coffee was unsustainable.  In fact it led to massive soil erosion and water runoff, as well as an estimated 20% decline in native bird populations due to habitat loss.

In 1996, the movement to support shade grown coffee was sparked by the Smithsonian Institute’s Migratory Bird Center, which gathered environmentalists, farmers and coffee companies to address the problem and promote awareness of shade coffee.

Garden arches come in a variety of designs.  Some fit the themes of mansions, while others, particularly the minimalistic ones, are suited for simple homes.  You check the internet for all the styles of garden arches available.  There, you will surely find more than a few that would suit your home, perfectly.  If you have trouble picking, you can always consult a landscape artist.

photo credit: tombothetominator

t is just one of those things you can do to free up some extra weekend time.

It is a great way to explore new parts of the country, or even abroad. And you will be able to enjoy the great outdoors any time of the year. It is a nice feeling to have a home away from home.

As far as the advantage of using the diesel heater over propane heating, the most obvious advantage is that you can fill up on diesel just about anywhere, whereas it is not always that easy to find a place to fill up your propane bottles, especially the further away from town you get.  Diesel is also much safer to transport and to use than propane.

So if you’re looking for a portable heating system for your campervan, something to use instead of having to be hooked up only to the electricity, you should check out the options for installing a diesel heating system into your van. Most campers and portable homes convert over to diesel heating very easily.

Although the upfront cost of synthetic grass may seem a little steep the reality is that what you lose in the initial costs, you more than make up over the life of the product.

Savings can be made on the watering, mowing and, for some people, fertilizing the grass. With synthetic grass there is no longer any need for these tasks although the occasional rinse down might be required if the grass becomes dirty.

Not only that but there will be time savings to be made too. No-one really enjoys getting out on hot summer days to mow the lawn and clipping the edges. With synthetic grass you will save time, money and your energy and, ultimately, will enjoy your backyard even more than you do now.

Unlike olden days, where gun safes were made of wood and glass front, today’s gun safes are made of steel. Manufactures use heavy gauge steel, usually half inch thick to make the regular gun safes. Some of the gun safes have 2 layers of steel walls with ball bearing in between them. The doorjambs, door and the ceiling are made of 3 layers of steel to prevent damage from any attempted break-in. Nowadays gun safes are made fire resistant by adding a layer of insulator. This prevents the damage of any contents of the safe in the event of fire disasters. Gun safes also come with additional features like water resistant and rust resistant.

Gun safe can also be used to protect important documents and jewelry and other valuable investments. The high end gun safes are expensive, but when considered the protection they give to the valuables, every penny spent is worth.