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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Farm Waste Doubles as Construction Material

Tractors plowing on farm

Naseem Buras/Unsplash.com

Agricultural waste (agro-waste) such as manure, leaf litter and crop residues may not be thought of as likely raw materials for sustainable construction, but with traditional materials like concrete eliciting a negative environmental reputation, implementation of agro-waste is being explored around the world. Recycling, as an important part of agro-waste’s green potential, is making the use of construction materials more organic and sustainable, and helping reduce landfill issues.

A 2018 study, Agro-industrial wastes and their utilization using solid state fermentation: a review, notes agro-wastes are an eco-friendly means of manufacturing “biofuels, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, animal feed, antibiotics and other chemicals.” This same study observed, “Many agro-industrial wastes are untreated and underutilized, therefore disposed of either by burning, dumping or unplanned landfilling, which contributes to climate change by increasing greenhouse gases.” Another study found that integrating agro-wastes such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husks and groundnut shells improved the construction materials by enhancing their sustainability properties, boosting their durability and reducing costs.

In-Print Agriculture recycling National Content Global Brief Global and Health Briefs September 2021
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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