Monday, February 27, 2006

Marajuana Bust!

An elaborate marijuana-grow operation was uncovered early Saturday when 409 plants were confiscated with a street value of more than $250,000, according to Hurley Chief of Police Dan Erspamer.

A bond hearing for two Illinois men, Dale Maki, 41, and Robert Vedernack, 56, each charged with two Class I felonies of manufacturing marijuana and possession with intent to manufacture-deliver marijuana, was scheduled for later today.

Additional charges are pending, Erspamer said.

When officers from the HPD, Iron County Sheriff's Department and Ironwood Public Safety Department executed a search warrant at 1:43 a.m. at 209 Cary Road, scales, lamps and other paraphernalia used in a hydroponics growing operation were also confiscated, he said.

Additional search warrants relating to the case were executed in Ironwood and Ironwood Township, with negative results, Erspamer said.

The search warrants were executed by officers from the IPSD and Gogebic County Sheriff's Department, he added.

Saturday's arrests and seizure followed a month-long investigation by HPD Sgt. Chris Colassaco, patrolman Don Packmayer and ICSD Lt. Tony Furyk.

The investigation was funded through a Cannabis Enforcement and Suppression Effort annual grant which the ICSD has been receiving since about 1996, sheriff Bob Bruneau said.

"This is the largest and most elaborate growing operation I have seen in Iron County," Bruneau said. "Lt. Furyk, Sgt. Colassaco and Packmayer did an excellent job."

Erspamer said he would like to "thank all of the law enforcement agencies for their cooperation. This is a good example of our entire area working together."

From www.ironwooddailyglobe.com

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Small Hydroponics project caters for community in a big way

A SMALL agricultural project started with little capital in Humansdorp is going strong and produces vegetables which are sold to businesses and local people in the Kouga area.

The Loerie-Humansdorp Community Project produces 750kg of tomatoes and green peppers monthly and supports the local children’s home and soup kitchen with leftover vegetables. The land they are using was given to local people by the Kouga municipality five years ago and the municipality has continued to supply the project with free water and electricity.

Although it is only one hectare in size, about 8000 plants are grown at the hydroponics project at a time. The project received a government grant of R10 000 as financial capital at the start.

It was established with technical assistance from PPC Cement. The head of the Loerie PPC quarry Joe van Heerden said the project had blossomed from the start.

“The special tunnel tomatoes grown here are the best crop because they have a long shelf life and are available throughout the year,” said Van Heerden.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Hard line on hydroponics

SHOPS selling hydroponic equipment would be licensed and customers would require photo identification before they can buy anything if the Liberals win government in March.

The policy, proposed by Opposition police spokesman Robert Brokenshire, would also require those buying hydroponic equipment to detail the purpose and place in which the equipment would be used.

Mr Brokenshire said illicit drug use would be slashed by the initiative, which also proposes to root out connections between the industry and bikie gangs.

"We recognise legislative reform is needed to stamp out illegal activity which stems from many of these hydroponic stores," he said.

"A licensing system will ensure police can better scrutinise activities within hydroponic stores."

There are no regulatory controls on ownership or association with a hydroponic shop.

But under the proposed legislation, police would be able to inspect the registers of hydroponic shops and the homes of people buying the equipment.

"This becomes an additional tool for police in fighting drug-dealing and growing by allowing them to inspect the registers of shops that give addresses of buyers," Mr Brokenshire said.

"And therefore they can inspect that property. We would expect the normal checks and balances that police put into other powers they have, so people not involved (in cannabis production) won't have to worry."

Mr Brokenshire said when he was police minister he was advised 41 of the 61 hydroponic shops in the Adelaide metropolitan area were operated by people who had recorded criminal involvement in the cultivation or distribution of cannabis.

He said 17 of the 61 operators were alleged to be either full members of or linked to outlawed motorcycle gangs.

"It is also understood that a number of shops are strategically placed across the metropolitan area and allegedly employ people with drug-related criminal records, or who are suspected of drug-related activity," Mr Brokenshire said. Some hydroponic shops in SA were reportedly recording annual turnovers of more than $1 million.

"It is fanciful to believe that such large turnovers are generated purely by avid gardeners trying to grow the perfect lettuce or tomato," he said. "In many cases, police suspect illegal activities are taking place but do not have sufficient powers to monitor and stop them."

Police Association of SA president Peter Alexander welcomed the proposal and said current laws were insufficient.

"We support that because obviously what has started out as a cottage industry has grown and grown in terms of criminality," he said.

"Certainly there's evidence of significant involvement of bikie groups.

"The legislation needs to reflect improper use by anybody in terms of drugs, and people with legitimate purposes have nothing to fear."

When asked whether police could effectively enforce the proposed legislation, Mr Alexander said police resourcing was another issue entirely.

"We're talking to the Government and Opposition about that in the lead-up to the election," he said. "We want it to be at an appropriate level so they can combat these issues.

"Obviously there needs to be legislation that gives police the power to do this."

article quoted from:
www.theadvertiser.news.com.au

Green ‘grass’ of home

From the outside it looks like a normal suburban detached house. But inside police found it had been converted into a cannabis factory with more than 700 plants crammed into the rooms - one of the biggest drug-growing operations ever discovered in Herts.

The house at the bottom of Oakridge, a quiet cul-de-sac in Bricket Wood, was a highly organised 'hydroponics factory' cultivating the plants. It is estimated that the operation could have been making more than £30,000 a month.

When police raided the house at 10.30am today (Wednesday) they found five of the rooms were full of the plants. Each room was devoted to plants at different stages of development and were fitted with special lights and fans to create optimum growing conditions for the crop.

Sergeant Lynda Coates said: 'This is a very big find especially for this area.'

The police were tipped off by bailiffs and have arrested one person. People living near-by were startled to find the area crawling with police and had their electricity cut while officers assessed the situation.

A 39-year-old Vietnamese man is due to appear in court in connection with the cannabis farm.

San Antonio Current - front page - 02/01/2006 - Food & Drink It’s hydroponic

Sometimes a restaurant’s back story is just as interesting as its food. A few minutes in the door suggested that might be the case with Big Kahuna: Not only did the place have a funky, handmade look, with plastic leis and fugitive-from-fast-food seating, but also the menu was all over the map, from wraps to shakes, and the well-meaning waitstaff had a friends-of-the-family feel. And sure enough, there is a story here — far above, not below, the surface.

Big Kahuna owner and chef Jason Weaver inspects a chili pepper plant next to his 160-site aeroponic system, which he uses to grow all of the restaurant’s lettuce. (Photos by Mark Greenberg)

Cook-owner-manager-cashier Jason Weaver’s culinary adventures began with a stint at Luby’s, where he was a manager and “problem solver.” After leaving the cafeteria chain, he took up landscaping and then hydroponic gardening, in part because living in Barcelona (whilst racing motorcycles for Ducatti, no less) had attuned him to the use of every small urban space, including rooftops, for gardening.

With more than a kitchen garden in mind, Weaver purchased the nondescript 4,000-square-foot building at Ashby and North Flores across from the San Pedro Playhouse to house his nascent business. “I wound up growing so much produce here that I was giving a lot of it away,” he says.

Weaver grows hydroponic lettuce — 160 heads! — peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, and, on a smaller scale, sprouts and wheat grass. From the street, you won’t see this bounty. Though he starts some of his plants from seed, under fluorescent lighting, much of Weaver’s produce is grown from organic sprouts shipped from Canada, acclimated under shade cloth at the rear of the building, then moved to the “farm” on the roof. Weaver says that with several tiers of hydroponic equipment the 4,000 square feet of roof becomes “almost 10 acres.”

Story taken from:
www.zwire.com

Best Container Gardening Kits

Container gardening ‑- the latest green-thumb trend ‑- just got easier. Now, you can buy kits that come with almost everything you need to start a small indoor or outdoor garden, so you save time and money. To find the best planting packages, the Good Housekeeping Institute got its hands dirty. Here, its recommendations:

The EzGro Outdoor Hydroponic Kit ($59.95; 800-651-1701; www.theezgro.com) lets you stack up to five pots on a vertical pole so you can grow a cascade of plants in a small space. Plus, the easy-to-assemble system includes fertilizer, flower packets and vegetable seeds. Note: The container was heavy to move around, so think carefully about where you want it to go.

Ready to grow your own organic patch? Check out the 4' by 4' Gardens Alive! Organic Garden kit ($74.95; 513-354-1483; www.gardensalive.com). Since it has a fabric barrier to prevent grass and weeds from growing through, it can go anywhere ‑- even on the lawn. The kit took longer than the others to assemble (and be prepared to get lumber cut to size).

For a fast way to add color to your deck or patio, try the Jackson & Perkins decorative kits ($59.95 for the Medallion Planter and $79.95 for the"

Article taken from:
http://magazines.ivillage.com

Hydroponic Gardening Grant

The DeSoto County Education Foundation received a $1000 contribution from the Citigroup Foundation recently. DCEF obtained the annual grant because it allows two teams of teachers to collaborate on a creative classroom-based student-learning project during the school year. The project joins a new teacher (defined as someone with less than five years experience) and a veteran teacher (one with five or more years of experience) and is a mentorship-based experience.

West science teacher Gretchen Turner said, 'We used the grant money to purchase a hydroponic gardening system. We are setting up a time for Mr. Brown, who works at Bethel Farms, to give a presentation to the students on the Vertigro system as well as agricultural methods. Then the students will be measuring, planting, planning and journaling about the experience."

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Hard line on hydroponics

Quoted from:
www.theadvertiser.news.com.au

SHOPS selling hydroponic equipment would be licensed and customers would require photo identification before they can buy anything if the Liberals win government in March.

The policy, proposed by Opposition police spokesman Robert Brokenshire, would also require those buying hydroponic equipment to detail the purpose and place in which the equipment would be used.

Mr Brokenshire said illicit drug use would be slashed by the initiative, which also proposes to root out connections between the industry and bikie gangs.

"We recognise legislative reform is needed to stamp out illegal activity which stems from many of these hydroponic stores," he said.

"A licensing system will ensure police can better scrutinise activities within hydroponic stores."






There are no regulatory controls on ownership or association with a hydroponic shop.

But under the proposed legislation, police would be able to inspect the registers of hydroponic shops and the homes of people buying the equipment.

"This becomes an additional tool for police in fighting drug-dealing and growing by allowing them to inspect the registers of shops that give addresses of buyers," Mr Brokenshire said.

"And therefore they can inspect that property. We would expect the normal checks and balances that police put into other powers they have, so people not involved (in cannabis production) won't have to worry."

Mr Brokenshire said when he was police minister he was advised 41 of the 61 hydroponic shops in the Adelaide metropolitan area were operated by people who had recorded criminal involvement in the cultivation or distribution of cannabis.

He said 17 of the 61 operators were alleged to be either full members of or linked to outlawed motorcycle gangs.

"It is also understood that a number of shops are strategically placed across the metropolitan area and allegedly employ people with drug-related criminal records, or who are suspected of drug-related activity," Mr Brokenshire said. Some hydroponic shops in SA were reportedly recording annual turnovers of more than $1 million.

"It is fanciful to believe that such large turnovers are generated purely by avid gardeners trying to grow the perfect lettuce or tomato," he said. "In many cases, police suspect illegal activities are taking place but do not have sufficient powers to monitor and stop them."

Police Association of SA president Peter Alexander welcomed the proposal and said current laws were insufficient.

"We support that because obviously what has started out as a cottage industry has grown and grown in terms of criminality," he said.

"Certainly there's evidence of significant involvement of bikie groups.

"The legislation needs to reflect improper use by anybody in terms of drugs, and people with legitimate purposes have nothing to fear."

When asked whether police could effectively enforce the proposed legislation, Mr Alexander said police resourcing was another issue entirely.

"We're talking to the Government and Opposition about that in the lead-up to the election," he said. "We want it to be at an appropriate level so they can combat these issues.

"Obviously there needs to be legislation that gives police the power to do this."

Food & Drink It's hydroponic

Story quote from here:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16040493&BRD=2318&PAG=461&dept_id=484045&rfi=6

Sometimes a restaurant’s back story is just as interesting as its food. A few minutes in the door suggested that might be the case with Big Kahuna: Not only did the place have a funky, handmade look, with plastic leis and fugitive-from-fast-food seating, but also the menu was all over the map, from wraps to shakes, and the well-meaning waitstaff had a friends-of-the-family feel. And sure enough, there is a story here — far above, not below, the surface.

Big Kahuna owner and chef Jason Weaver inspects a chili pepper plant next to his 160-site aeroponic system, which he uses to grow all of the restaurant’s lettuce. (Photos by Mark Greenberg)

Cook-owner-manager-cashier Jason Weaver’s culinary adventures began with a stint at Luby’s, where he was a manager and “problem solver.” After leaving the cafeteria chain, he took up landscaping and then hydroponic gardening, in part because living in Barcelona (whilst racing motorcycles for Ducatti, no less) had attuned him to the use of every small urban space, including rooftops, for gardening.

With more than a kitchen garden in mind, Weaver purchased the nondescript 4,000-square-foot building at Ashby and North Flores across from the San Pedro Playhouse to house his nascent business. “I wound up growing so much produce here that I was giving a lot of it away,” he says.

Weaver grows hydroponic lettuce — 160 heads! — peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, and, on a smaller scale, sprouts and wheat grass. From the street, you won’t see this bounty. Though he starts some of his plants from seed, under fluorescent lighting, much of Weaver’s produce is grown from organic sprouts shipped from Canada, acclimated under shade cloth at the rear of the building, then moved to the “farm” on the roof. Weaver says that with several tiers of hydroponic equipment the 4,000 square feet of roof becomes “almost 10 acres.”

No wonder he decided to launch a restaurant to make use of it. Big Kahuna, named for long-boarder Weaver’s surfing moniker, opened in October of last year in the former gas station (once the home of Zinfandeli’s) next door to the urban farm. Today, only peppers are growing, but Weaver expects to start cucumbers and tomatoes soon, and a sprout shipment arrives from Canada in February. While these veggies will get a head start indoors, Weaver also operates a conventional farm in Floresville, where he and his father grow oranges, grapefruits, melons, and even avocados — a climate experiment. “I should have a grasp on everything by summer,” says Weaver, who expects to supply all of Kahuna’s produce needs, with the exception of certain fruits.

Big Kahuna’s sliced oven-roasted turkey breast with provolone, served with a side of potato salad and a slice of Weaver’s homegrown Asian melon.

Fruits are a big factor in Kahuna’s smoothies. I tried a thick one made with soy milk, blueberries, and mango. Blueberries dominanted the blend; next time, I’ll balance the mix by adding banana to the mango. Or, I may skip it and try the special Blue Hawaii shake, an ode to Elvis made with banana, peanut butter, and vanilla ice cream. Only slightly less indulgent is the Rocky My Coffee. Consisting of four shots of espresso, two scoops of Bluebell Rocky Road, a shot of chocolate Bianca flavoring, and sweetened condensed milk, this is a killer concoction, pushed only slightly over the top in chocolatey sweetness by the Bianca.

Saner drinks, from coffees to black, green, and herbal teas, are less pushy companions to Big Kahuna’s large list of salads and sandwiches, which now feature Boar’s Head deli meats. The Nilhau is composed of house-made tuna salad on a hoagie roll with melted provolone; lettuce, tomato and sprouts can be added. The provolone doesn’t count for much, but the tuna salad, adorned simply with red onion, celery, and black olives (annoying, even if they are finely chopped) is top notch. There’s nothing fancy about the potato salad, either: Made with spuds, eggs, a little pickle, and fine pimento, the side dish needed only salt to sing.

The Volcanic Nori Roll with tofu is an example of the menu’s shotgun attitude;

I’d like the roll better if it were rolled tighter and was served with more spicy mayo.

A Chocolate Gnash Cake, in need of some hydroponic moisture, failed to thrill as well.

Free dessert and coffee are offered with any sandwich purchase and a San Pedro Playhouse ticket stub, but few patrons had taken Weaver up on the offer until the opening of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which attracted a more “down-to-earth” crowd, he speculates. SAC students, neighbors, and, from the look of it, friends of the chef, currently make up most of Kahuna’s audience. Awareness of the only in-house garden-to-table operation in town should expand that audience come summer — assuming the food’s sophistication grows along with the produce