Practical Advice for Farmers -George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver knew what it was like to be poor. He also knew how to make the most of every penny and resource. When he was 12 years old he started supporting himself. He even supported himself while going to school. He made money by running small laundry businesses, helping out in private homes, and having a small farm.

Carver wanted to share his knowledge and research with other African Americans. He was especially committed to helping poor black farmers. He had lots of advice on how to become more "thrifty and self-supporting." So when he was working at Tuskegee Institute, he wrote many educational booklets for farmers. What do you think he advised in this booklet, "Help for the Hard Times"?



First, Carver said farmers should plant a garden. He said that a "good garden" can provide half of the family food. When Carver was writing, many poor farmers grew only one crop, cotton, for money. While many of those farmers knew a lot about growing cotton, they didn't know much about growing vegetables or herbs. In "Help for the Hard Times," Carver used simple language to explain how to start a garden, when to plant, and what to plant.



There's no need to buy chemical fertilizers to get the soil ready. Carver said to use what nature provides: leaves, soil from the woods and "muck from the rich swamps." He said to plant potatoes, peas, spinach, as well as other vegetables and herbs in February, and to plant cauliflower, collards, and watermelon in March. By April, most of the garden should be growing and only a few things like cabbage, eggplant and cotton seed need to be planted. Carver also had lots of suggestions for making money. Can you guess what they were?




Carver believed in feeding the family, selling the extras, and using the money to buy more resources like animals or seeds. His first suggestion for making money was to have "12 good hens and 1 rooster." The chickens would lay enough eggs to feed the family and there would be extras to sell. If some of the eggs hatched, the new chickens could also be sold. The same went for any extra vegetables, like tomatoes and sweet potatoes.

Carver also believed in making things instead of buying them. In "Help for the Hard Times" he suggested making things to sell: wood shingles, fence posts, baskets, quilts, and lace. He also suggested making and selling fruit and vegetable preserves. What other ways could farmers make money?



Farmers could earn good money with a few hogs. Carver said to buy young hogs. Hogs are cheap to raise because they eat leftover slop, rotten vegetables, and weeds. Once they're big enough, they can be turned into sausage, meat, and lard, which are guaranteed to sell. If a family can afford it, they should also buy a cow, which Carver said would provide "at least half the family's living."

For Carver, there was no waste in nature. Everything could be put to use. Carver believed that even the poorest farmers could improve their standard of living if they put to use all that nature had to offer

Quality public education a critical national challenge | Bay State Banner | Serving the African American communities of Greater Boston since 1965

Quality public education a critical national challenge | Bay State Banner | Serving the African American communities of Greater Boston since 1965

Durham Nativity Keeps King's Dream Alive - Black History - EBONY

Durham Nativity Keeps King's Dream Alive - Black History - EBONY

Making Better Decisions in 2014

Janaury 2014
By Dr. Daryl Green
Can we afford to make the same decisions this year? While politicians and media pundits seize the opportunity of each life-changing event, families seek to make the best of a struggling economy. According to the latest government job report this month, just 74,000 more people were employed in December versus 205,000 expected by USA Today's survey of 37 economists.
Life will become tougher for job seekers as globalization sweeps down on country after country. For some countries, they will become industry leaders while others will fade into the night of obscurity. Many Americans are retreating from the workforce, causing the unemployment rate to fall to 6.7% in December. In fact, only 62.8% of the adult population is participating in the labor market now; participation rates relate to those individuals who have employment or those actively seeking employment. Heidi Shierholz, an Economic Policy Institute economist, explains: "We're going to have a long-term unemployment crisis for a long time." This current low participation in the job market matches the lowest level since 1978.
Sadly, many folks fail to understand the consequences of their decisions. For example, Vanessa Williams was one of these fallen Hollywood icons. In 1983, Williams became the first African-American woman to be crowned Miss America. However, her immediate success was short-lived due to a scandal. Consequently, Williams was forced to relinquish her title; she probably did not think her youthful deed would come back and wreck her dreams.
Yet, the consequences not only damaged Williams but her family, friends, and millions of her fans. Nobel Prize author Albert Camus once noted, "Life is the sum of all your choices." In spite of all wise counsel, some people seem to have a knack for making poor decisions.
Sadly, many poor decisions have unforeseen impacts. Nancy Cavender and Howard Kahane, authors of Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric, argue for better decision making under this financial crisis: "Now, more than ever, we need to think critically about the world we live in and the decisions we make." They point to the dire consequences of poor decision making. In fact, these circumstances often can be traced back to a root cause. The Law of Unintended Consequences relates to any purposeful action that will generate unintended consequences. This law can be categorized into several areas: (a) a positive unexpected benefit called serendipity, (b) a negative effect which is contrary to the original intention, and (c) a potential source of problems which is commonly referred to as Murphy's Law.
Like Murphy's Law, some decisions may appear to afflict some people as if their lives are cursed. Making the right decision is a difficult process. No one will applaud your many good decisions; however, you will probably catch heat over the bad ones. In fact, every person, regardless of their background or social standing, can benefit from good decision-making techniques. In this life, most people make decisions to the best of their abilities. When various things happen, especially bad ones, individuals must be ready to deal with them. Therefore, understanding unintended consequences can assist in helping us make better decisions for the future.
© 2014 by Daryl D. Green

The Testimony that God has given Us Eternal Life pt. 1

Rev. M.D. Rogers


God has set in place in the universe to bring
blessing, peace, and satisfaction. His perfect ways will show the
beauty of all He is and His boundless love for His creation to the
infinite glory of God. Consider all of the things we know of as
sin pain or suffering. Ultimately, a life lived in sin without the
redemption found in Jesus results in eternal death. Rejection of the
plan of salvation will result in eternal separation from God and all
the perfect plans He desires for His children. Acceptance of His
salvation results in abundant life now, and eternal life in the presence of
God.


This is the meaning of the scripture, Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


We see that this life He offers is freedom from the oppression of sin
and death from the moment we receive Jesus as our Savior. Your
eternal life begins at that moment! Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.


But even after salvation we find ourselves committing sins. Paul
says: Romans 7:20-23 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I
who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is
present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the
law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my
members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. What a great
description of the battle we face each day between the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" and the "law of sin and death”. Notice that the law of the Spirit of life is found in
Christ Jesus. The scriptures say John 5:25-276 .Most assuredly, I say to you the hour is coming, and now is when the dead will hear the
say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear
the voice of the Son if God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 1John 5: 11-12.

Out With the Boys - How a Man's Friends Can Make or Break His Marriage

As guys, we all need some time out with the boys, hockey, golf,
cards, whatever, just to shoot the breeze. Our friends meet needs
that can't be met by wives, kids or coworkers. We need the
camaraderie, the jokes, the friendly competitions, and someone to
watch the big game with. Friends help us blow off the steam created
by the pressures of life.


On the other hand, friendships can have a dark side if they're not
chosen wisely. Sadly, I have counseled many marriages that have been
shipwrecked because of things the husband has done when he was out
with the boys.

A real friendship is so much more than just hanging out, watching
hockey and shooting pool. If we allow them to, a good friend has the
power to be a tremendous source of strength in our life. God loves to
use good friends to bring the best out of us. Here are some
suggestions for getting the most out of your friendships.

 Set the Bar High for Your Own Life

Each of us has a choice to make in terms of what we expect out of our
friendships with others. You see, some may be content with just
hanging out with the boys after a game. It's fine just throwing the
ball around, getting dirty, having some laughs, pounding a few brews
back and then going home. For many that's enough; that's what
friendship is. But if you want something more for your life, you have
to go after it. You need to find people who are looking for the same.

Do you want to have a better marriage, or do you want to let it
slide? Do you want to be a good Dad, or just stand by frustrated
while your kids go sideways? Set the bar high for yourself. Ask God
what He still needs to do in your life. Then, commit to being a
person of character and integrity, and build friendships with people
who you know will help you get there.

 Choose Your Friends Wisely

It's an old adage, but it's still true: a bad apple wrecks the whole
lot. You will become like those you hang around with. Look to the
people you spend the most time with: in essence, you become the
average of your five closest friends. They are a good indicator of
the kind of person you are going to become.

That's why it is so critical to choose those friends wisely. Be
careful on surrounding yourself with people who are going to bring
you down and possibly pull you away from your family and from what
you know is right. Decide to bring people around you who are going to
lift you in some way; who will challenge you and help you grow as a
person, as a husband and as a father. Every man needs friends who are
going to make them stronger. There are a lot of things in life we
have no control over, but we do have the ability to decide who we
spend our time with and who we are going to be the closest to. Look
for those who will strengthen your convictions and not draw you
towards compromise.

We hear a lot about the dangers of kids falling into the wrong crowd.
Peer pressure leads them down roads that they shouldn't be going
down. What we often don't realize is that the same thing happens as
adults. As I said, I have worked with many couples who are fighting
over, and even breaking up over what one partner did with his or her
friends. If that describes your situation, you need to make things
right with your spouse, and put some boundaries in place so that it
doesn't happen again. Don't defend stupid, selfish behavior.
Now, does this mean that you have to shut people out of your life if
they don't measure up? Absolutely not. In fact, maybe you can be the
friend in their life who helps them to grow to their true potential.
But this is not the kind of friend that you should spend most of your
time with or go to for advice. For that, you need a friend that you
admire - someone who inspires you to be your best.

 Be Willing to Share

Okay guys, I know what you're thinking. Oh, here we go. This is where
he tells me to get in touch with my feelings; to sit around in a
circle with my friends, hugging and weeping…

Well, good news: you don't have to go that far. But to really
experience the benefits that good friendships can bring, you do need
to be willing to let your guard down and open up more. Share your
life goals, and even take the risk of talking about where you're
falling short of them. This seems dangerous, because we somehow think
that we're the only one with problems. But as we courageously let
others see this side of us, we will discover that they are struggling
too. Then we can support each other to begin to make the changes we
know are needed. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one
man sharpens another." A good friend brings the best out of you,
always helping you do what's right.

For the past fourteen years, I have been meeting weekly with my
friend Larry. He's been bringing the best out of me. I'm not afraid
to tell Larry that I want a better marriage – and he's not afraid to
admit that he wants a better marriage too. And most guys, if they are
willing to get that vulnerable, would admit that. No one gets married
saying, "I want a shoddy marriage." Everybody wants a good marriage
and family life, but no one finds it easy. So we can relate to each
other on this level and help each other through the battles, because
we've all been there.

You may not be used to sharing with other guys in this way. That's
okay. It takes time to develop trust - a feeling that this is a safe
place to expose who I really am. But as you take that risk and work
towards openness, you will experience the benefits.

 Be Accountable

Let's go one step further. A good friendship provides a safe place to
share our deepest struggles. The temptation, though, is to keep
things safe. Supporting a friend does not mean excusing or enabling
behavior patterns that need to change. A real friend is not afraid to
share hard truth in a sensitive manner. Remember, "as iron sharpens
iron." This only happens as we courageously speak into other people's
lives with our cautions and counsel, and give them permission to do
the same for us.

For example, suppose your friend is struggling with workaholism. He's
fixated on getting ahead in his career and pleasing his boss, to the
point where he's beginning to neglect his family. It would be easy to
keep things comfortable by saying, "Well, I'm sure your family
understands. And it's not like you can quit your job. You're doing
the best you can. Just get through this busy period, and then you can
focus more on the family."

That may make him feel good, but it doesn't address the fact that
there is a real problem here. If we want to help each other grow as
husbands and fathers, we need to be prepared to ask each other the
tough questions. What effect is this overwork having on your
relationship with your wife and kids? Does the way you are spending
your time match what you say your priorities are? What changes could
you make so that you are meeting your legitimate work obligations
while also being home more for your family? How can I pray for you,
and how can I help you in this?

This is a level of friendship that most guys never experience. Again,
it takes time to get there. It's built on a mutual commitment to go
deep, and on a foundation of trust based on the knowledge that we
truly want the best for one another.

One final note: you may be wondering why your wife can't just play
this role in your life. Isn't it enough that you have to be
accountable to her? Definitely, you and your wife have invaluable
roles to play in spurring one another on in your character
development and family commitment. Nevertheless, it's important that
you each have friends of the same sex to work your personal issues
with. There are temptations that you face as a man that your wife
can't fully understand. You may even have issues that you need help
facing (sexual temptations, pornography, etc.) that would cause too
much strain in your marriage if your wife was the one keeping you
accountable. That's why a close friend is truly indispensable.

I am encouraged because I see this kind of friendship growing in
popularity in today's society. And with the temptations that assault
us on a daily basis, it's absolutely critical to have someone to walk
through life with if we want to stay on a godly path. Regarding your
friendships, if you keep on doing what you've always done, you keep
on getting what you've always got. Take the risk. Go deep. And go out
with the boys with real purpose. As it says in Ecclesiastes 4:10, "If
one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who
falls and has no one to help him up!"

George Washington Carver, The Black History Monthiest Of Them All : Code Switch : NPR

George Washington Carver, The Black History Monthiest Of Them All : Code Switch : NPR