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Beginning farmers face big obstacles on the road to having a farm of their own
By Deborah Luhrman
Photography by Margaux Gibbons and Ted Holladay
Juan Cuevas lost his job at a grocery store and took a part-time gig selling produce at the farmers' market in Santa Cruz. Before long, he was helping out in the fields and last year launched his own tiny organic farm in Soquel. "It started with a need for employment, but then I fell in love with farming and now I'm hooked," he says.
Two-acre Branch Out Farm is a partnership between Cuevas and Fran Grayson, who owns a food truck business called The Truck Stop. "Nothing makes me more ecstatic as a chef than cooking food we've grown. It's a ton of work, no doubt about it, but people love it," says Grayson.
Branch Out is typical of a new wave of startup farms in the Monterey Bay area—planted on small plots of leased land by people, usually in their 30s, who've already had a variety of jobs and life experiences.
It's a stark contrast to most parts of the country where the average age of farmers has climbed to 58. Around the country—including California's Central Valley—small and mid-sized farms are disappearing at an alarming rate as farmers retire. Young people are not stepping up to run the farms, and properties end up getting swallowed by big agribusinesses.
But in our area, there's an abundance of small farms and beginning farmers, thanks in part to the world-class training programs at UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College and ALBA (see below) and also due to our mild climate, which allows year-round growing, making small farms more profitable than in areas with harsh climates.
Cuevas took classes at the Cabrillo Horticulture Program and Grayson was an apprentice and assistant teacher at the UCSC Center for Agroecology, so they were able to tap into a vast network of resources and supporters to get started.
The first season they planted just half an acre and grew cover crops on the rest of the property to build up the soil. Now they have lush rows of tomatoes, strawberries, kale, chard and cabbage. They fashioned a greenhouse out of an old trampoline and borrowed a tractor from a neighbor when it was time to plow.
"It took a village to start this farm," says Cuevas. Grayson agrees, "All our farming friends have been really supportive, giving us transplants and lending us equipment. That's been great."
Nationally, the USDA says 91% of farm households rely on off-farm jobs to make ends meet, and the agency projects the average farm income will fall this year to negative $2,534. In some ways farming is easier in our area than in many parts of the country, but the attractions of agriculture here breed other problems.
"Access to farm land around the Monterey Bay is as bad as anywhere in the entire country and that's why we left," says Rebecca Thistlethwaite, who worked as head of programs at ALBA and formerly owned TLC Ranch in Aromas, but now lives in Oregon.
Thistlethwaite is author of the book Farms With a Future, which offers practical, step-by-step advice on starting a sustainable farm business. "Leasing land is not building any equity," she warns. "It's really hard on young farmers because investing in land is really the only longterm security that farmers have."
Now residents of a small town east of Mt. Hood, the author and her husband own a five-acre farmstead with pigs, sheep, vegetables, fruit trees and berries. She cites access to land, access to financing for equipment and access to distribution channels as the biggest obstacles for beginning farmers—this on top of the usual farmer woes like bad weather and pests.
Caleb Barron of Fogline Farm, which is into its fourth season, says he and his former partner Johnny Wilson were very lucky to find their scenic hilltop location just outside Soquel. "Through FarmLink we found a farmer who was ready to retire and had 80% of the equipment we needed. So we didn't have to buy much of anything and needed very little capital to start."
Wilson left Fogline at the end of last year to manage an experimental farm near Healdsburg for philanthropist Peter Buckley.
"Partnerships are a great way to start out a farm because you have a sounding board and two investments of capital, but after a few years you start feeling you can't make enough money to support two owners. Fortunately, Johnny got an offer he couldn't pass up," says Barron.
Fogline grows 40 varieties of organic vegetables and raises pastured hogs and poultry. Barron runs a 55-member CSA (community supported agriculture) program and participates in five farmers' markets a week, but his farm is probably best known for the delicious chicken it provides to some of the best farm-to-table restaurants in Santa Cruz, Monterey and Carmel.
Prematurely going gray at age 33, Barron clearly has a lot on his plate. He's on a short-term lease and feels insecure about the land. "It's really scary not knowing if we'll stay. I'm almost to the point where if I have to leave here and can't find land within a 20-minute commute, then I'm ready to throw in the towel," he says.
And he's coming up on some hard choices about the future of the farm. "The pigs don't make that much money. The broilers and the veggies make the most, but even the veggies are kind of a waste of time," he reasons. "So where do I go? I don't want to be a mono-cropper. I think it's important to have diversity and not over-extend the land, but I have to make tough decisions in order not to kill myself."
With all of the challenges that new farmers face, creativity can go a long way in helping them survive and prosper. Robert Brunet, who owns E.C. Organics in Aromas with his girlfriend, Kelly Coxe, just put up a chicken coop using wood from discarded pallets. It houses 92 Barred Plymouth Rock chickens that Coxe, a 36-year-old yoga instructor and Ayurvedic nutritionist, is raising for the first time with encouragement from the Sustainable Poultry Network.
"At this point it won't be very profitable, because organic feed is expensive and we had to buy the incubators and hatchers to get started," she admits, adding her goal is to help restore the beautiful black and white heritage breed that was once prized for providing both eggs and meat.
Brunet, 38, definitely has a green thumb as well as an entrepreneurial streak. He spent 10 years growing marijuana in southern Humboldt County before he was busted. After serving a year in Lompoc federal prison, he signed up with ALBA's farmer training program in 2012.
Now he grows vegetables on three acres leased to him by ALBA at the Triple M Ranch in Las Lomas and on the five-acre property he shares with Coxe in Aromas.
"Pot farming is totally different. It's mono-cropping. This is much harder—I have 50 different varieties from all the crop families," he says. "But I don't have to hide what I do anymore."
He grows a colorful array of heirloom tomatoes—including Prudens Purple, Pink and Red Brandywines and Amana Orange—and he's slowly putting in rows of raspberries whenever he has enough extra cash to buy trellises. "My biggest challenge is the equipment. We have to hire a tractor because my credit isn't good enough to buy one," he explains.
Brunet's also experimenting with a new British hybrid vegetable called flower sprouts. It's a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale, with a small greenish purple sprout surrounded by curly leaves, and chefs go crazy for it.
To keep up with trends and make new contacts, he belongs to the Bay Area Chef's Lounge that brings together chefs, farmers and foodies. Through those contacts he began selling directly to restaurants like Birk's in Santa Clara and Good Karma Vegan Café in San Jose. Sometimes he adds produce from neighboring farms to his restaurant deliveries, and he's quickly learning that's also a good business.
"I can make more brokering produce from other growers than by farming," he says. "And it pays off more quickly, usually in 30 days or sometimes 10 days. With farming you have to plant, irrigate, wait and lots of things can go wrong. With buying and selling produce, there are a lot fewer losses."
While it's hard to know exactly how many new farms start up every year locally, farmer/educator Jim Leap says he advises about 30 farms as part of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program he runs through UCSC for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Leap is mentor-in-chief for our area's young farmers, offering one-on-one counseling and teaching practical workshops on everything from bed formation and irrigation to nuts and bolts. And yes, the nuts and bolts workshop was really about the fasteners, taps and dies needed to maintain farm equipment.
"All the beginning farmers I'm working with are small-scale, organic, community food activists. They see some real problems in the food system and want to change them," says Leap, who's been growing his own food in Aromas for 40 years and was garden manager at the UCSC farm until 2002. "They're not going to be shipping to Safeway. More likely they're going to have a CSA and sell at farmers' markets."
But there's the rub. "Farmers' markets in our region are highly impacted, and competition is fierce," he says. "There are four-, five-, six-, even 10-year waiting lists for some of the markets. The Ferry Building, Mountain View and Palo Alto are the big ones you just can't get into, and even Cabrillo has a huge waiting list."
"It's going to take years and years to get into the really good markets, so you've got to start with the small ones where you're going to make $300–500 a day, instead of $2,000 a market," he adds.
Nesh Dhillon, director of the five markets run by Santa Cruz Community Farmers' Markets, feels there are just too many small, organic farmers here. "UCSC keeps popping them out and then they don't want to leave. In some parts of the country, there's a real advantage to growing organically, but here they're coming up against the epicenter of the organic market," he says.
"Each market has a carrying capacity and there's a point where you just have too much stuff and nobody is making any money," he adds.
Aside from accessing new distribution avenues, as Brunet has done with chefs in populous cities to the north, small farms also benefit when they can grow valuable niche products that aren't readily available.
"But that is getting real difficult," Dhillon admits, "because everything that can be grown around here is already being grown."
Kelly and Beth Bradford of Old House Farm, are determined to find a solution. "They say there are two things not to do in Santa Cruz—farming or acupuncture," Beth jokes.
The sisters have been defying this wisdom for three years, successfully running their little farm on a steep redwood studded slope in Scotts Valley. The 12-acre property was purchased by their mother decades ago and it's not the kind of place you'd think to put a farm, but
it was already in the family so they cleared brush from a sunny hillside and built cinderblock terraces. The terraces are now brimming with tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and three varieties of heirloom cukes.
Kelly and Beth, who each have a young son, live in the namesake old house with their mom, while a couple of interns are housed in mobile homes parked in the driveway.
"We tried the CSA route," explains Kelly. "It was really successful. We filled it immediately with 65 members and we had a huge waiting list, but it wasn't a viable model for us because we're so small and we're not at a point where we can take on employees. The hours required for the CSA weren't returning what we needed."
So they talked with Dhillon and found he needed vegetable starts for the markets and tried growing those. "It's laborious but quadrupled our sales," Beth says.
This season, they're excited about growing the first crop of ginger in our region, along with turmeric and galangal—an intense relative of ginger popular in Southeast Asian cooking. They've leased greenhouse space in Aptos, sourced organic seed from Hawaii and are cultivating the exotic crops in big grow bags until they get the hang of it. "It's already sold 10 times over and it's not even going to be ready for months," Kelly adds.
With an eye on the future, they're also planting 100 fig trees on a lower slope of the farm, thinking figs will eventually be a good cash crop at the farmers' market.
"Part of my personal mission here is to show that a very small farm can be economically viable," says Kelly. She is working to develop new distribution avenues and hopes to write a book someday on her experience launching Old House Farm, so that beginning farmers of the future might have an easier time navigating all the obstacles.
"I think there needs to be a certain number of people farming, and this role fits for me," Kelly says. "I love having my hands in the dirt. I love growing things for people. I love the freedom it brings to do something I feel is important in this world."
HOW TO HELP: Support our local organic farmers—and enjoy fresh, seasonal and healthful food—by shopping at farmers' markets, requesting local and organic at the grocery store and, perhaps best of all, signing up for a CSA. See our Local Source Guide and our CSA directory.
Do you want to learn to farm?
Two renowned training facilities—the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) and the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) in Salinas— are primarily responsible for the blossoming of small, organic farms in our area.
CASFS includes the 30-acre farm on the UCSC campus and the historic three-acre Alan Chadwick Garden—considered one of the cradles of the organic movement in the United States.
The center offers a residential apprenticeship that attracts budding farmers from all over the world. It's a six-month program that begins in spring and covers all aspects of farming through classes, hands-on training on the farm and field trips.
Tuition is $6,000 for the full program, including housing in cabins and communal meals. Financial aid is available.
ALBA is a nine-month, non-residential program aimed at people who work full time. The program was originally designed to help farmworkers start their own ag businesses but has shifted to also include others interested in learning to farm.
Classes are taught in English and Spanish one weeknight each week and on Saturdays. Like UCSC, there's a combination of lectures, work in the fields and visits from Salinas Valley farmers. Tuition is set on a sliding scale from $500–$2,000.
What really sets ALBA apart is its farm incubator program available to graduates of the training program. Alumni can lease prime farmland from ALBA at below-market rates and sell the vegetables they grow on it through the business arm of the operation, Alba Organics. Farm equipment is also made available for their use.
Each year the new farmers get to lease a few more acres and learn how to scale up until after five years they are ready to strike out on their own. "We often say it takes longer to learn to be a good farmer than to earn a Ph.D.," says Nathan Harkleroad, education program manager at ALBA.
"You have to be incredibly hard working. It's not really like any other job. It's a whole lifestyle that you have to accept and love," he adds.
Cabrillo College in Aptos also offers excellent training in organic farming and a two-year degree through its Horticulture Department.
Individual apprenticeships are a great way to find out if farming suits you. Love Apple Farms in Santa Cruz and Everett Family Farm in Soquel have well-established apprenticeship programs, and the website www.WWOOF.net (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) lists apprenticeship vacancies around the world. Housing and meals are usually provided in exchange for farm work. Young people often find it's a good way to see the world, while at the same time learning valuable farming skills.
For further support, help is available locally through California FarmLink, Eco-Farm's newly launched Farmers' Association and from the Central Coast Farmers Guild, which meets monthly in Santa Cruz. And online resources for beginning farmers are provided by the USDA's New Farmer portal and www.thegreenhorns.net, a grassroots support network for new farmers.
Deborah Luhrman is a lifelong journalist who has reported from around the world. She returned home to the Santa Cruz Mountains a few years back and enjoys covering our growing local foods movement. She also edits EMB's electronic newsletter.
Eat like a farmer!
Zuccanoush, aka "what to do with giant zucchinis rather than compost them"
Courtesy Fran Grayson, The Truck Stop and Branch Out Farm, Soquel
I like to serve this variation on baba ganoush on a large deep platter, drizzled with olive oil, along with warm flatbread (pita, naan or something similar) that also has been drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Za'atar, a Mediterranean spice mix that is totally addictive. It can also be served as a dip for vegetables or in a sandwich.
1 very large zucchini (technically, "a lunker") or any other summer squash, one measured in feet, not inches. (If you do not have a garden or know someone who does, just use a few of the largest you can find at the store.)
1 cup tahini
1 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup lemon juice
Salt to taste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
(All ingredients can be adjusted to taste.)
Roast the zucchini whole. The best way is on the grill. It should get totally charred on the outside and be soft all the way through.
You can do this under the broiler in your oven. The last resort is oven roasting at maximum heat, but you won't get the char that gives this dish really good flavor.
Put all ingredients except for zucchini in a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade and spin until mixed, maybe 30 seconds. Add as much roasted squash as you can, and process until smooth and mixed. If all of the zucchini fits, then you are done. Taste to see if flavor balance is correct. If there is still more zucchini, process it in batches and then mix thoroughly in a large bowl.
Fresh Pesto with Lime Basil or Spicy Globe Basil and Pine Nuts
Courtesy Beth and Kelly Bradford, Old House Farm, Scotts Valley
This is our most beloved pesto recipe. For a delicious and different twist on traditional pesto, we often combine lime basil or Spicy Globe (fino verde) basil with sweet and large-leaved Genovese. Delicious!
3 plump garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
4 cups basil leaves, stems removed, leaves washed and dried
1 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, add bit more if too dry
Process the garlic, salt and pine nuts in food processor until chopped. Next, add the basil and olive oil and blend until smooth. When smooth, add the cheese and blend. Then add about 2 tablespoons softened or melted butter and process just to combine.
Pesto keeps very well in the freezer in small quantities. Whether you store in the refrigerator or freeze it, seal with a thin layer of olive oil on top and cover well to keep it from turning dark.


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"Everybody Matters" by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia
When it comes to maximizing potential, Bob Chapman and his team at Barry-Wehmiller have mastered this leadership practice. This is the story of how the Barry-Wehmiller company has experienced enormous transformative change with the manufacturing companies that they acquired by simply applying leadership principles that build cultures of trust, security, and fulfillment. And the best part of the story is the business results that have resulted from adoption of these core principles and leadership practices. There is a reason why this book is on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list. Check it out!

subset: commoncrawl


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DownTown Café - Where the food is delicious, coffee is warm and conversations are never ending.
Have a look at our menu featuring a wide array of freshly sourced items, entrées, mains, smoothies and desserts. Try our classics with some of our soul food, guaranteed to put a broad smile on your face.
Don't forget there's something for everyone at DownTown Café!
DownTown Café opened its doors to Karama, with the launch of its very first outlet. The inaugural event was held on Tuesday, 22nd November 2016. The event was a huge success, where the visitors got a chance to experience its exquisite taste and ambience.


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Every Korean kitchen has a box of these: plastic disposable gloves. Or if not, a big pair of pink rubber gloves.
Why? Because Korean food has to be literally made by hand.
The most common phrase in Korean cooking is 손맛, "son-mat," literally "the taste of one's hands." Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a famous chef, if you are a good cook, you will be praised for the taste of your hands. What makes your food taste like yours, and not like anyone else's, is the taste of your hands.
In some sense, the phrase is figurative. Koreans know, like all food lovers, that the best cooks don't become that way through formal training or expensive equipment, but by the heart and spirit they bring to their food.
But more I cook Korean food, the more I feel the phrase is also quite literal.
Even though I don't want to scare anyone away from Korean cooking, I can't pretend that Korean cooking, at least when done in the traditional way, isn't labor-intensive. You try julienning a giant Korean radish—it takes a really long time. (I finally took out my Cuisinart manual today to figure out the "julienne" function.) We have a relatively small number of sauces and condiments, which means that so much of the variety that makes food a joy comes from texture and color. You might have Napa cabbage in three different dishes on the table, and in each dish, it will have assumed a different form. Or think about something like totori-muk, or acorn jelly. People are impressed if you make your own instead of buying it in blocks like tofu. But to dump a cup of acorn powder and water into a pot and stir for 15 minutes or so is nothing compared to what it takes to actually gather acorns, clean them, dry them, and grind them. "Plating" isn't just a concern for fancy restaurant chefs. Even a home cook knows that if you're cooking for guests, you should have the appropriate garnishes, like eggs cooked and slivered artfully or raw chestnuts chopped into an impossible fineness.
But in an even more literal sense, Korean cooking expects you to plunge your hands into that giant bowl of kimchi. Whether you're seasoning fern bracken for namul, or you're rubbing salt onto cabbage, you're supposed to do it with your hands. Spoons, spatulas, even chopsticks are nothing compared to the tools you have in your hands. My mother even said to me, "It'll taste better that way." After all, how can your food have the taste of your hands if your hands haven't touched it?
The gloves, of course, are a modern touch, and maybe the taste of your hands can't get through plastic. The woman who runs the most amazing bibimbap house in Korea has hands that are stained and cracked from years of soy sauce and ground red pepper. But having rubbed my eyes one too many times after making kimchi, I'll put on the gloves at least when I'm dealing with hot pepper, and hope that the love that I have for what I do makes the taste of my hands still come through.
Tags: Home Cooking


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Can I disclose a bit of of what's been going on lately with you guys? I feel like this blogger-reader dynamic is open enough for me to chronicle what's up before I proceed into the "The Black Friday Remix" of Justin Timberlake's "TKO."
For the last six months or so, I have been racking my brain with ways to incorporate more video, more OOTD, more photos and personal style advice here all the while going through a professional and personal breakdown. Trying to work several jobs, balancing my purse, trying to have a productive, socially active life and bring more of me to this. Ladies and gents, I am exhausted. I feel worn out. Hence me taking a step back the last few months. I am beginning to feel like regurgitation, and that is unacceptable.
So that's what's going on with me! Moving on…
Gone is Justin Timb's velvety voice over lyrical sex and replaced by explosive verses by J. Cole, Pusha T and A$AP Rocky. Cole uses the opportunity as a vehicle for responding to current/former rap friend Kendrick Lamar's call to action during his verse on "Control." Is it me or does Jermaine have a bout of Drake syndrome midway through his verse ala "Versace"? A$AP goes on to address the blogs and rumors while Pusha gloats over his achievements, credibility and "murking" the competition.
Be Extraordinary- Alyssa Peacock


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Not all traditions are worth keeping.
The Raiders visit the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in the throes of a stretch of road futility remarkable even for a franchise that hasn't had a winning season since 2002.
As visitors, the Raiders have lost 11 consecutive games and are 2-22 since Reggie McKenzie took over as the general manager before the start of the 2012 season. That doesn't include a neutral site Week 4 loss in London last season to the Miami Dolphins.
The losing streak as the "morning" team in the Eastern time zone is at 16 games, with the last win coming on Dec. 6, 2009, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The next week, the Raiders fell 23-9 in Cleveland, where they return as they attempt to chart a new course under Jack Del Rio.
"It's all mindset," Del Rio said. "We're working on the things you need to be a good team, and part of that is traveling with a purpose, traveling well and performing on the road.
"Clearly there's an advantage to playing at home, but we want to be road warriors. We want to travel well, play in any conditions, any weather, any kind of crowd and be able to impose our will."
Which would, of course, be the reverse of what has gone on in recent years, not that the Raiders are of a mind to address it. Del Rio's edict from the outset is to embrace the traditions of the golden years and ignore the failings of the recent past.
Quarterback Derek Carr, 0-8 on the road as a rookie starter a season ago, is toeing the company line the week after starring in a 37-33 home win over the Baltimore Ravens.
"This team hasn't played on the road yet," Carr said. "We saw what it takes to win against a good team, the effort it takes all week, in the film room. As long as we have that, we just have to fly somewhere to play the game."
Tight end Lee Smith doesn't see the point in getting caught up in the Raiders' struggles on the road, noting, "This team hasn't won many games anywhere. … You can see things are changing around here."
Games against the Browns and Chicago Bears, both considered lower-tier NFL teams at best through the first two games, afford the Raiders an opportunity for a breakthrough over the next two weeks.
The manner in which the Raiders failed over the past three seasons, as well as their minimal success, provides a road map for a U-turn:
Taking a lead
The Raiders have continually played from behind, enabling the home crowd to become a factor.
In 16 of 24 games, the Raiders have trailed at the end of the first quarter by a combined score of 174-66. They've trailed at halftime in 18 of 24 games.
They usually don't waste any time. In 16 of 24 games, the Raiders have fallen behind after each team has had a single possession. Only three times have they held a lead.
The last time Oakland won a game on the road was Nov. 17, 2013, when Matt McGloin directed a 28-23 win over the Houston Texans.
The Raiders quickly jumped to a 14-0 lead and, although they later fell behind and had to rally to win, were buoyed by their fast start.
"Getting out to an early start is helpful to quiet the crowd and gives you a little more confidence," McGloin said. "Hopefully Sunday we can get off to a real good start."
Generating run game
Only twice over the past three seasons have the Raiders had a running back break 100 yards in a road game, and they won both. Rashad Jennings had 150 yards on 22 carries in the win over the Texans, and Darren McFadden had 114 yards on 29 carries in a 26-16 win in Kansas City in 2012.
Oakland's other 100-yard game came from a quarterback, as Terrelle Pryor ran for 112 yards on scrambles and some designed runs in a 21-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Running the ball is another way to keep the environment from becoming a detriment.
"If we could control the game, control possession, we could quiet their crowd," running back Latavius Murray said. "Just keep moving, chipping away."
Del Rio knows how difficult it can be to win on the road. His first Jacksonville team, in 2003, was 0-8 on the road. When he got his first win in the first road game in 2004, the Jaguars beat Buffalo 13-10 on a short touchdown pass with no time left on the clock.
Rather than dwell on the past, Del Rio's point of emphasis is that good, fundamental football wins anywhere, and the Raiders are following his lead in terms of preparation.
"The only thing I've heard about our road record has been from people outside this building," left tackle Donald Penn said. "Everybody keeps bringing up the past. The only way we can change it is to fix it ourselves, and we can't do that until Sunday."
For more on the Raiders, visit the Inside the Oakland Raiders blog at ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders. Follow Jerry McDonald on Twitter.com/jerrymcd.


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ORANGE WHEAT Crisp, Tart, and Refreshing. Whole locally grown oranges added throughout the brewing process perfectly compliment this unfiltered wheat and barley based beer. Our oranges are purchased through the Old Grove Orange company (affiliate of the non-profit Inland Orange Conservancy) whose main objectives are to save the local orange trees from disappearing, spread the word about the local citrus growing heritage, and to feed the hungry with the unutilized oranges. Please visit them at www.inlandorange.org. All we need to do to save the orange trees is to eat locally grown oranges!
- Type: Wheat


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More than 36,000 runners from 96 countries ran in the 118th Boston Marathon last month, from elite athletes to committed amateurs. But what does it take to qualify for the world's oldest marathon? Here are tips from veteran runner Jeanette Dumbrell, whose 2014 run was her fourth time in the Boston race. Dumbrell, 45, is the apparel buyer for Potomac River Running and lives in Falls Church, Virginia.
Picture of Jeanette at 2014 Boston Marathon
Jeanette Dumbrell at 2014 Boston Marathon
HealthCentral: How did you get into running, and when did you first decide to try to qualify for Boston?
Jeanette: I started running at age 29 after losing a close co-worker to lung cancer. Like me, she had been a smoker since age 14. I didn't want that to happen to me and I felt that running would help me quit and reverse the damage. I decided I wanted to qualify for Boston after hearing about the race while training with TNT (Team in Training) for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in 2000. My time in that first race was four hours and 20 minutes. At the time, I needed to hit three hours and 40 minutes to qualify for Boston in the 30 to 34 age group.
HealthCentral: How many tries did it take for you to finally qualify?
Jeanette: The first five marathons I ran were very close in time and done six months apart. My times were 4:20 at MCM 2000; 4:26 Nashville Spring 2001; 4:16 MCM Fall 2001; 4:13 Philly Fall 2001 and 4:05 National Spring 2002. I would hit the wall and end up alternating walking and running after approximately 18 miles or so.
HealthCentral: Did you ever feel like giving up?
Jeanette: After the 4:05 when I still wasn't even breaking four hours, I decided it just wasn't for me. My brother who was also a new runner—he ran MCM 2000 with me—talked me into entering the lottery for the New York City Marathon. He said you can't quit until you've at least done New York. I entered thinking he would get in and I wouldn't and could just go watch him. Or I'd get in and he wouldn't, then I would just not do it. But we both got a spot.
HealthCentral: So what did you do differently in your sixth attempt?
Jeanette: I decided I needed to up my game for this final marathon and that I obviously needed to work much harder than most people in order to run well. I downloaded an advanced training schedule from Runners World, and followed it, training solo. I also started using a recovery protein/carb powder after my runs.
I did find I was able to up my mileage and added speed and tempo runs. I didn't get tired or break down. I didn't run super high mileage, but it was more than I had previously. I started to run faster times in training then I had in races.
By the time New York Marathon arrived, I knew I was going to do it. My brother had come over from the U.K. to run and planned to pace me. I just tucked in behind him and he fetched me drinks, paced me, encouraged me, got the spectators to cheer for me and when the going got real tough for the last mile he grabbed my hand and basically dragged me across the line in 3:38. It felt like Olympic gold! It came so hard and I never thought I would do it.
HealthCentral: Do you think you could have done anything differently to qualify more quickly?
Jeanette: Looking back, I think I could have done it quicker if I had trained my brain! That's another new thing I did prepping for NY. I would mentally visualize myself on the course running that time. If my training run was tough, I would use it to mentally prepare. I would tell myself, this is how it's going to be in the 20's—you have to suck it up. I don't like my training to go too smoothly to enable me to get inside my head and work through running in pain. The marathon is too far for your body to run—it's all mental will for that last 10K.
HealthCentral: So you ran Boston for the first time in 2003 and again in 2004 and 2005. Would you say it was easier to qualify the second and third time?
Jeanette: It did get easier—much! The accumulation of training, your body's adaptation, etc. And ever since New York, I started training with Potomac River Running, and I've continued to obtain faster times thanks to their coaching. I think it makes it easier to train when you have guidance and other motivated runners around you. So I maintained my fitness by continuing to train and run marathons. I kept chipping away at my times—that kept it exciting. I qualified to run in the National Championships at London marathon in 2008, which meant I got to go in the early elite start with the world's fastest women. It was an opportunity that I could never dream of happening to an ordinary runner like me. I had the entire course to myself with all the crowds cheering. I felt like a rock star. Then the elite men catch up in the early 20's so the motorcade, press trucks, etc. all came past. I was on TV for a good 20 seconds.
HealthCentral: You then took a long break after 2005 and didn't run Boston again until this year. Why was that?
Jeanette: After London 2008 I battled injuries for the first time, and did not run a marathon for five years. I had gone up to 87 miles in prep for that race. It was probably too much for me. During the five-year break I had been watching the Women's Masters Team results at Boston and wanted to go back and run it as a team. I chose 2014 about two years prior and pitched it to my fellow female master runners to qualify for it and run. At the time I was off the road with an injury and not even running. They all came through tough, decided to do it. The Shamrock Marathon in 2013 was where I qualified. I ran the least mileage I'd run in preparing for a marathon with no speed work. I was still working through some leg issues. The race went well though and I did the minimum I needed to get into Boston, but still had the 20-minute maximum cushion required for first day sign up (3:34). It was the first marathon I felt good from start to finish and didn't suffer!
HealthCentral: What's the biggest lesson you've learned throughout the years when it comes to reaching sometimes seemingly unattainable goals?
Jeanette: If you want it and believe it, it will happen, but you have to do the work. With running, the sky is the limit, and you get out what you put in. I've also learned I don't need as much mileage as I thought I did and doing some all over strength training is key. I do power yoga regularly, and have a good physical therapist. Together, it keeps me on the road. I also use more gels then I did for my earlier marathons, and that has been a big help.
HealthCentral: What's your best piece of advice for someone at "the back of the pack" who wants to qualify for Boston?
Jeanette: If you want it, you can get there. If I can, anyone can. I couldn't run down the road when I first started. It doesn't feel good during your run when you're new to it, but it feels good after. That makes you want to do it again, and each run gets a little easier. You just can't quit.
Dumbrell's 2014 Boston Marathon swag


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In microbial communities such as those found in biofilms, individual organisms most often display heterogeneous behavior with respect to their metabolic activity, growth status, gene expression pattern, etc. In that context, a novel reporter system for monitoring of cellular growth activity has been designed. It comprises a transposon cassette carrying fusions between the growth rate-regulatedEscherichia coli rrnBP1 promoter and different variantgfp genes. It is shown that the P1 promoter is regulated in the same way in E. coli and Pseudomonas putida, making it useful for monitoring of growth activity in organisms outside the group of enteric bacteria. Construction of fusions to genes encoding unstable Gfp proteins opened up the possibility of the monitoring of rates of rRNA synthesis and, in this way, allowing on-line determination of the distribution of growth activity in a complex community. With the use of these reporter tools, it is demonstrated that individual cells of a toluene-degrading P. putida strain growing in a benzyl alcohol-supplemented biofilm have different levels of growth activity which develop as the biofilm gets older. Cells that eventually grow very slowly or not at all may be stimulated to restart growth if provided with a more easily metabolizable carbon source. Thus, the dynamics of biofilm growth activity has been tracked to the level of individual cells, cell clusters, and microcolonies.
Biofilms play an important role in almost all aspects of microbiology and may appear as either beneficial or potentially harmful populations of microorganisms. The bacteria constituting the biofilms in our intestines, sewage treatment plants, bioremediation plants, etc., are mostly beneficial. Harmful biofilms are also abundant, ranging from relatively harmless dental plaque toPseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in the alveoli of cystic fibrosis patients, but biofouling of ships and offshore material is also a serious problem in the oil and shipping industries.
In order to improve the performance of some beneficial biofilms and to avoid or remove harmful biofilms, it is important to understand the mechanisms of biofilm formation, growth, and maintenance. Microbial biofilms consisting of either single or multiple species are structurally organized in patterns, which depend on several factors such as nutrient supply, flow rate, pH, temperature, etc. In such dynamic systems, the individual cells experience conditions determined by the outer environment, the already existing structures, and the local microbial activities. Furthermore, subpopulations may form locally which are completely different from the majority of the community. Microbial biofilms have been investigated either by visual inspection of biofilms cultivated in flow cells (6, 28, 37) or as disrupted samples withdrawn from either natural systems such as drinking water pipes (26, 32) or artificial model systems such as the Robbins device system (25).
In either case, the results of such analyses are primarily descriptive, yielding limited information about parameters like growth states of individual cells. Several methods of assessing different types of single-cell activity have been described, such as the use of (i) 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride staining (33) to identify actively respiring cells, (ii) ribosomal probing to monitor the number of ribosomes as a measure of growth rate (13, 30), or (iii) classical visual markers such as lacZ to monitor the expression of several genes in situ (31). Energy charge has also been used to measure cell activity by cryosectioning of biofilms (23). More recently, the green fluorescent protein Gfp (7, 10) has been used for in situ investigation of living biofilms (8, 9, 15, 28, 29, 35). While some of these methods are useful for actively growing cells, they may not prove effective for investigation of starving cells or cells exposed to changing environments. The intracellular marker compounds may accumulate and thus reflect the history of the cells rather than the present growth physiological state of the organisms.
We have recently developed new derivatives of the green fluorescent protein which, unlike the native protein, have short half-lives (3). The Gfp protein has been modified by the addition of a few amino acid residues to its C-terminal end, rendering it a target for indigenous tail-specific proteases. Through the construction of an expression cassette consisting of this novel gfp gene expressed from an Escherichia coli rRNA promoter, a reporter system was obtained which generates green fluorescence in fast-growing cells of both E. coli and Pseudomonas putida. By use of these monitor strains, we have been able to discriminate between fast- and slow-growing cells in structured surface communities of microbial biofilms and to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of growth activity.
Strains, plasmids, and growth conditions.The bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study and their relevant characteristics are listed in Table 1. Strains were grown in FAB medium [containing 1 mM MgCl2, 0.1 mM CaCl2, 0.01 mM Fe-EDTA (Sigma E6760; Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.15 mM (NH4)SO4, 0.33 mM Na2HPO4, 0.2 mM KH2PO4, and 0.5 mM NaCl], and unless otherwise mentioned, 10 mM Na-citrate was added as a carbon source. When required, antibiotics were added at final concentrations of 50 μg/ml for nalidixic acid and 25 μg/ml for kanamycin.
Constructions.A linker fragment of 72 nucleotides, containing the E. coli rrnBP1 promoter region, corresponding to nucleotides 1156 to 1228 in the published GenBank sequence (accession no. J01695 ), was synthesized with a DNA synthesizer (Applied Biosystems 373A). The linker was designed with SacI- andXbaI-compatible protruding ends. The promoter fragment contains nucleotides −70 to +3 relative to the transcription initiation site (4). Due to the high level of expression from the rrnBP1 promoter, the linker could not be inserted into our general high-copy-number gfp cloning vectors (pUC18 derivatives [3]). Therefore, a NotI fragment carrying the synthetic ribosomal binding site (RBSII), thegfpmut3b* gene, and the transcriptional terminators T0 and T1 was moved from pJBA25 (3) into the NotI site of the low-copy-number plasmid pLOW2 (18). The pLOW2 derivative carrying the RBSII-gfpmut3b*-T0-T1 cassette was subsequently digested with SacI and XbaI, and the 72-base rrnBP1 promoter fragment was inserted to produce plasmid pSM1690 (see Fig. 1 for details). Plasmid pSM1690 was digested with NotI, and the fragment carryingrrnBP1-RBSII-gfpmut3b*-T0-T1was inserted into the unique NotI site of pUT-mini Tn5-Km, resulting in transposon delivery vector pSM1695.
Finally, by triparental mating of CC118 λpir(pSM1695), HB101(RK600), and P. putida R1 (strain JB156), therrnBP1-RBSII-gfpmut3b*-T0-T1cassette was inserted at random positions on the chromosome of P. putida R1 (JB156). One normally growing transconjugant colony was picked and designated SM1699. For construction of a P. putida R1 derivative carrying therrnBP1-RBSII-gfp(AAV)-T0-T1cassette, we used a procedure similar to the one described above, resulting in SM1639.
The chosen transposant clones showed no sign of phenotypic changes relative to the parent strain when tested in both liquid medium and flow chamber biofilms. The orientation of the gfp reporter cassette within the mini Tn5 transposon was such that no transcription from flanking chromosomal sequences could interfere withgfp expression.
Runout experiment.Exponential growth was allowed for at least 10 generations at 30°C before the cultures were diluted (to an optical density at 450 nm [OD450] of 0.05) into prewarmed FAB medium containing 8 mM sodium citrate. After entering the stationary phase at an OD450 of ∼2.0, the cultures were monitored for more than 5 h. During the entire experiment, samples were taken for measurements of OD450 and green fluorescence emitted by the cells. To avoid autofluorescence excreted by the cells into the medium, 2-ml cell suspensions were harvested by centrifugation and resuspended in 0.9% NaCl. Both resuspended cells and the supernatants were measured in a fluorometer (RF-1501; Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan). To determine the relative fluorescence activities of the cells, the OD450 values of the resuspended cells were also determined.
Chemostat experiments.To determine specific activities of the different rrnBP1-gfp gene fusions at different growth rates, cells were grown in chemostats. A chemostat was made from a 50-ml tube (syringe) with a rubber stopper containing a glass tube for intake of air, which passed through a 0.2-μm-pore-size filter before entering the chemostat, and another tube for outlet of the effluent culture. Furthermore, we introduced a thin hypodermic needle for injection of medium and another for withdrawal of samples from the chemostat.
Five parallel chemostats were run at the same time. Tubings with different bore diameters were used in the same peristaltic pump (Watson Marlow 205S; Watson-Marlow Inc., Wilmington, Mass.) to obtain different dilution rates (resulting in different growth rates). The chemostats were each inoculated with approximately 15 ml of an overnight culture, and then medium flow was started. The volume of each operating chemostat varied between 40 and 45 ml. For each chemostat, the exact flow rate and chemostat volume were determined. The growth rates were calculated by dividing the flow rate by the chemostat volume. The chemostat cultures were run for at least 60 h before the first sample was taken from each chemostat. This corresponds to approximately 5 or 6 generations for the slowest-growing cultures and approximately 50 generations for the chemostat cultures with the highest growth rates. Samples were taken at least three times from each chemostat with intervals of approximately 12 h. All samples were harvested as described above, and OD450 and fluorescence were determined from the resuspended cells, as well as from the supernatant.
Flow chamber experiments.Biofilms were cultivated in four-channel flow cells (37) with individual channel dimensions of 1 by 4 by 40 mm supplied with a flow of FAB medium supplemented with benzyl alcohol (Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) as a carbon source to a final concentration of 0.5 mM.
The flow system was assembled and prepared as described by Christensen et al. (9). The substratum consisted of a microscope glass coverslip (Knittel 24x50 st1; Knittel Gläser, Braunschweig, Germany). Flow cells were inoculated with an overnight culture ofP. putida JB156, SM1639, or SM1699 diluted to an OD450 of 0.1 in 0.9% NaCl. After inoculation, the medium flow was arrested for 1 h. Medium flow was then started, and the substrate was pumped through the flow cells at a constant rate of 0.2 mm/s using a Watson Marlow 205S peristaltic pump.
Embedding and 16S rRNA hybridization of hydrated biofilm samples.For 16S rRNA hybridization, probe PP986 (specific forP. putida subgroup A [16]) labeled with the indocarbocyanine fluorescent dye CY3 was used. In situ detection of biofilm cells expressing Gfp in combination with 16S rRNA hybridization was performed by fixing and embedding of the biofilm, followed by hybridization as previously described (9).
Microscopy and image analysis.All microscopic observation and image acquisition were performed on a scanning confocal laser microscope (SCLM) (TCS4D; Leica Lasertechnik, GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany) equipped with detectors and filter sets for simultaneous monitoring of fluorescein isothiocyanate/Gfp and CY3.
Simulated fluorescence projections (shadow projections) and vertical cross sections through the biofilms were generated by using the IMARIS software package (Bitplane AG, Zürich, Switzerland) running on a Silicon Graphics Indigo2 workstation (Silicon Graphics, Mountain View, Calif.). Images were further processed for display by using Photoshop software (Adobe, Mountain View, Calif.).
Construction of monitor strains.In order to monitor the growth activity of bacteria in a complex environment, it is important that the monitoring system respond rapidly to local environmental changes and, at the same time, be suitable for detection at the level of single cells.
We therefore employed the growth rate-regulated E. coliribosomal P1 promoter (4, 17) to drive expression of the marker genes. An oligonucleotide linker containing the growth rate-regulated 72-bp rrnBP1 promoter sequence (4) was synthesized and inserted upstream of the various monitor genes to enable monitoring of ribosomal synthesis, i.e., bacterial growth activity.
The gene encoding the green fluorescent protein is an excellent marker gene, since no external substrates or inducers are needed for its expression and detection. However, Gfp is a very stable protein (3, 36) which is only lost from cells by dilution during cell growth. Recently, we described new variant Gfp proteins (3) which have considerably shorter half-lives than wild-type Gfp. We chose one of these, Gfp(AAV), as a rapidly degradable marker protein.
The rrnBP1::gfp monitor cassettes were introduced into the pUT-mini Tn5 transposon delivery system (14, 20) and subsequently inserted into the chromosome of our model biofilm organism, P. putida R1. Materials and Methods and Fig. 1 contain the details of the various constructions and the mating procedure. The resultingPseudomonas transconjugants (monitor strains) were tested prior to biofilm growth to determine their behavior in nutrient-limited chemostats and in energy exhaustion batch experiments to verify that growth rate control of the E. coli P1 promoter took place inP. putida R1 as well.
Gfp expression in liquid cultures.In chemostats, cells growing with fixed rates determined by the substrate dilution rate expressed fluorescence signals which could be determined as a function of the growth rate. Each strain was grown in five parallel chemostats with different dilution rates. After initial stabilization of the chemostats (60 h or more), samples were taken for determination of the fluorescence signal emitted by the culture. As the wild-type strain, even in the absence of the gfp gene, exhibits considerable fluorescence, we also did a chemostat analysis of wild-type P. putida R1 (Nalr) (JBA156). For determination of a maximum reference activity, we included measurements of bacteria grown exponentially in batch cultures in minimal medium supplemented with surplus (10 mM) citrate.
The fluorescence data for P. putida JB156 (wild type, Nalr), SM1699, and SM1639, harboring therrnBP1-gfpmut3b* orrrnBP1-gfp(AAV) cassette, are plotted in Fig.2A. The strains expressing stablegfpmut3b* fused to the rrnBP1 promoter showed reduced signal intensity as the growth rate was reduced. However, even at the slowest growth rates (in the present experiment, approximately 0.1 h−1), the signal intensity was more than three times stronger than the background autofluorescence signal emitted by wild-type strain JB156 itself. In contrast, the strain carrying therrnBP1-gfp(AAV) cassette showed a detectable fluorescence signal only at growth rates above 0.4 h−1.
Since Gfpmut3b and ribosomes are rather stable compounds and are both under the control of the rRNA promoter, we expected comparable correlations between the ribosome and Gfpmut3b concentrations and the growth rate. We therefore compared the ribosome concentration that was estimated from hybridization data by using oligonucleotide probes targeting 16S rRNA (for a description of the technique, see, e.g., reference 27) with the fluorescence signal emitted by strain SM1699 carrying the cassette with rrnBP1 fused to stable gfpmut3b*. For comparison of the two different experiments, fluorescence intensity was normalized to that of cells exponentially growing in citrate medium. The results obtained for SM1699 (P. putida RI; gfpmut3b*) corresponded well to data obtained from rRNA probing experiments conducted under similar conditions (Fig. 2B). However, the fluorescence signal emitted by strain SM1699 decreased more with decreasing growth rate than the corresponding signals obtained from the rRNA hybridizations.
Energy exhaustion experiments in batch cultures, in which the cells experience the changing growth conditions from exponential growth to stationary phase, were employed to test the regulation of the P1 promoter and the stability of the Gfp proteins. Cultures were grown exponentially in the presence of a carbon source (citrate in these experiments) excess for at least 10 generations with repeated dilutions. In the final dilution, the cells were inoculated in medium with a carbon source limitation calculated to limit carbon source availability at an OD450 of approximately 2.0. Throughout the experiment, samples were withdrawn for measurement of OD450 and the Gfp fluorescence signal (Fig.3A and B). When expressed from therrnBP1 promoter, the stable Gfpmut3b protein remained relatively stable during the time of observation after the cells had exhausted the citrate supply. In striking contrast, the strain encoding the ribosomal promoter fused to gfp(AAV) showed a marked drop in fluorescence just prior to entering stationary phase, in accordance with published data for the phenotype of therrnBP1 promoter (4). After less than 1 h in stationary phase, this strain had Gfp fluorescence below the detection limit. Consequently, the strain carrying therrnBP1-gfp(AAV) fusion seems to be a useful marker for kinetic studies of changes in microbial growth behavior as changes in environmental conditions occur.
Assessment of single-cell activity in biofilms.For determinations of bacterial activity at the single-cell level in complex biofilms, bacteria containing rrnBP1 fused to either the wild-type or the unstable variant gfp gene were introduced into flow chambers. To ensure that the signal emitted was caused by the Gfp protein and not by autofluorescence, we included the wild-type strain JB156 as a control. The autofluorescence of the wild-type strain was barely detectable in flow chamber experiments (Fig. 4A and B).
When the bacterial colonies in the flow channels reached a certain critical size (Fig. 4D and E), the light emitted by the cells carrying the rrnBP1-gfp(AAV) cassette decreased in the center of the colony, indicating that the growth activity of these cells was reduced compared to that of cells in the periphery of the colony. In fact, the signal intensity of the cells in the internal part of the microcolony was similar to the fluorescence activity of wild-type cells without Gfp (JB156) (compare Fig. 4E with 4B). When the cells carried rrnBP1 fused to the stablegfpmut3b* gene, a reduction in activity (or signal intensity) could not be detected in colonies comparable in size (Fig.4G and H). The cells at the centers of these colonies continued to fluoresce long after the critical colony size (determined for the unstable gfp fusion) had been reached (data not shown).
The sensitivity of our monitor system with strain SM1639 [rrnBP1-gfp(AAV)] was also compared to 16S rRNA hybridizations. A biofilm in a flow channel with microcolonies having reached the critical size (i.e., only cells at the periphery of each colony were green fluorescent) was fixed and embedded in acrylamide, leaving the biofilm in its native hydrated structure. Subsequently, the embedded biofilm was subjected to 16S rRNA hybridization using aP. putida-specific probe (PP986) labeled with the indocyanine dye CY3. This permits monitoring of the hybridization signal (proportional to the ribosome number) in combination with the Gfp signal emitted by the cells. Figure 5shows a horizontal cross section of a representative microcolony from such a hybridization experiment. The hybridization signal from the center of the colony is only slightly weaker than that from the edges, whereas the green fluorescence signal varies from bright fluorescence at the border of the colony to very faint fluorescence in the middle. Thus, the strain carrying the new rrnBP1-gfp(AAV) cassette seems to provide online monitoring of changes from high to low bacterial activity. Such changes cannot be monitored by rRNA hybridization, because the ribosomes remain intact for a considerable time after de novo synthesis of rRNA has ceased.
Time course analysis of microbial activity during microcolony development.Using the monitor system described above, the time course of a developing biofilm was monitored. With a confocal microscope equipped with a programmable XY specimen holder, we monitored several randomly selected positions in the biofilms. One such spot is shown in Fig. 6. During the early phases, single cells and small colonies consisting of only a few cells are seen. Virtually all of the bacteria in these phases are brightly green fluorescent as an indication of relatively high growth rates. After approximately 20 h (Fig. 6C), the colonies have become larger and the fluorescence from the central parts of these colonies is reduced, probably due to a lowered rate of Gfp synthesis. At the surface of the colonies, most cells are still fluorescent, indicating locally higher activity closer to the void space. The smaller microcolonies, however, are still fluorescent throughout and remain so for some time. Eventually (Fig. 6D), all of the cells in the microcolonies turn pale and only a few bright green cells are left. At this stage, most of the cells seem to have reduced their growth activity to a low level. This condition will persist if the conditions otherwise are kept constant.
The cause of reduced growth activity in the biofilm colonies may be decreased penetration of nutrients through the biomass as the biofilm gets older and thicker. It is also possible that the biofilm cells gradually lose their capacity to become reactivated by nutrient supply. To investigate these possibilities, a developing biofilm consisting ofP. putida R1 SM1639 [rrnBP1gfp(AAV)] growing on a poor carbon source (benzyl alcohol) was monitored by confocal microscopy to the point where green fluorescence had faded (Fig. 7A). At this time, the carbon source in the medium was changed to citrate while the flow rate was kept constant. After a short period (approximately 2.5 h), the cells started to become green fluorescent again and remained so for approximately 2 h (Fig. 7B to D). Several hours after the upshift, fluorescence faded again and remained at a low level thereafter.
The in situ rRNA hybridization technique has created a revolution in the field of microbial ecology with respect to identification of individual bacteria in the most complex environments. The ribosome target for this method has turned out to be nearly ideal, since the cellular content of this organelle most often is sufficiently high to allow unambiguous identification at the single-cell level (1, 2). It was also realized very early in the development of the technology that in addition to species identification, quantitative rRNA hybridization might provide information about the growth state of the cells due to the direct correlation between ribosome concentration and cellular growth rate, such as it was known for several bacteria (27, 30).
The ribosome counting method should, however, be used and interpreted with caution. First, when using it in the context of new or even unknown organisms, it is essential to document that the correlation between growth rate and ribosome number is valid. This requires isolation of pure cultures and tests in chemostats or other types of conditions creating different cellular growth rates. Second, the stability of ribosomes under a variety of conditions may be different in different bacteria, and consequently, single determinations of cellular ribosome concentrations are not directly comparable. In fact, it is only in cells growing under steady-state conditions that the concentration of ribosomes truly reflects the growth state of the cells (27, 34). Third, the correlation between growth rate and ribosome concentration may be relevant only for bacteria able to grow fast under optimal conditions (carrying several copies of the rRNA operon). Thus, environmental monitoring of growth activity using this approach may, at best, only give indications of overall tendencies for fast-growing bacteria and only under conditions in which bacteria have a significant nutrient supply.
In order to expand the use of the well-known stringent control of ribosome synthesis, a method allowing determinations of rates of rRNA synthesis rather than the accumulated concentration was developed to better monitor the actual growth state of the cells, in particular if the conditions are heterogeneous with respect to nutrient status or if the outer environmental conditions change over time.
In our design of such a system for monitoring of bacterial growth activity, an rRNA promoter system, the rrnB operon fromE. coli, was chosen because it is very well characterized and the promoter sequences are easily manipulated. The rrnBribosomal genes are expressed from the rrnBP2P1 promoters. The ribosomal promoters are among the strongest described in E. coli, and the background expression is rather low when the cells are in late stationary phase. However, only the P1 promoter is growth rate regulated (17), for which reason we used it for expression of the reporter gene, gfp. This growth rate control on transcription from the E. coli P1 promoter is also exerted in P. putida, as demonstrated in our chemostat experiments, which also showed that the fluorescent signal emitted by strain SM1699 seemed to decrease more with decreasing growth rate than the corresponding ribosome number estimated from data obtained from the rRNA hybridizations. The cause of this difference could be that whereas general ribosome synthesis is normally controlled by tandem promoters like P1 and P2, the Gfpmut3b expression in our test system with SM1699 is under the control of only the rrnBP1 promoter. In this way, a steeper gradient of fluorescence signal intensity between slow- and fast-growing cells was obtained.
In test tube cultures of bacteria, rates of rRNA synthesis can be determined in hybridization experiments in which the growing RNA chains are labelled over a short period with radioactive precursors. The higher the frequency of transcription of rRNA, the more radioactivity is incorporated. This scheme, however, is not relevant in a complex and heterogeneous microbial community. Instead, we employed an unstable monitor system which, on one hand, reflects the rate of synthesis and, on the other, will indicate cessation of rRNA synthesis through disappearance of the signal. The monitor system was based on the Gfpmut3b protein. In its natural form, the protein is very stable, and consequently, when it was expressed from the stringently regulated P1 promoter, the energy exhaustion experiments showed that no significant decrease in fluorescence intensity occurred after entry into the stationary phase. However, by fusing the ribosomal promoter to thegfp(AAV) gene, encoding an unstable variant of Gfp, entry into stationary phase resulted in an immediate reduction in the fluorescence signal intensity.
In chemostats, the cells are continuously growing and the amount of the stable Gfp in the cells will be determined by the rate of transcription from the P1 rRNA promoter relative to the growth rate. In cells carrying a fusion to the unstable variant Gfp, the overall amount of fluorescing Gfp was lower under similar conditions, reflecting the fact that in these cells the Gfp level is determined by the rate of synthesis as well as the rate of degradation. Cells harboring fusions between the ribosomal promoter and the stable gfpmut3b* gene are good candidates as tools for estimating bacterial growth rates when the culture is in exponential growth, as in chemostats. In nature, however, bacteria rarely experience such well-defined and stable environments, and in such scenarios, the unstable Gfp reporter system has several advantages.
Microbial surface communities exhibit, in many ways, different physiological traits compared to suspended cultures (11), and it is therefore of interest to investigate the cellular response patterns to changing environmental conditions. If the key regulatory pathways in surface-bound cells differ from those known to control macromolecular synthesis in planktonic cells, there is a possibility of misinterpreting measurements of specific macromolecular synthesis rates. Recently, we documented, however, that the general correlations between cellular growth and parameters such as cell volume, ribosome concentration, division frequency, and DNA content seem to be unaltered in cells of P. putida when they are transferred from liquid- to solid-phase growth (27). It is therefore assumed here that the connection between rRNA synthesis rates—monitored by our gene fusions—and cellular growth activity in biofilms does indeed mimic what was demonstrated in the chemostats.
Thus, with the Gfp(AAV) physiological probing system, the cellular growth activity levels in biofilm samples were monitored on a temporal basis. One notable observation in biofilm microcolonies at stages later than the initial colonization phase was the appearance of dark centers in the colonies. In order to rule out the possibility that these nonfluorescent centers were caused by low oxygen concentrations (the maturation of Gfp has been reported to be dependent on molecular oxygen [19]), we measured the oxygen levels needed for Gfp maturation. Even at concentrations lower than 1% of the atmospheric oxygen tension, the maturation of Gfp was not inhibited (data not shown). DeBeer et al. (12) and others have measured the oxygen concentrations at various depths of biofilms, and within the distances which apply to our biofilms (i.e., less than 100 μm), the oxygen levels have been reported to drop less than 30-fold. Taken together, it seems unlikely that oxygen limitation inhibits Gfp maturation, even in the central parts of the microcolonies. We therefore suggest that the dark centers resulted from cells with reduced growth rates and, consequently, lower de novo Gfp synthesis. Strains tagged with stable Gfp versions were quite unaffected for the stage of colony development, and fluorescence persisted for several days in such microcolonies, in analogy with the persistence of high concentrations of ribosomes as monitored by in situ rRNA hybridization.
The down-regulation of microbial activity in the biofilm cells seemed to occur in at least two steps. First, the cells in the centers of the largest microcolonies reduced their growth activity whereas cells in smaller colonies remained highly active. Second, after a while, the cells in the smaller colonies also showed reduced growth activity. Some of the microcolonies in Fig. 6D (24.5 h after inoculation) were smaller than many of the colonies observed 7.5 h before (Fig. 6B), but nevertheless, their activity was also down-regulated. This indicates that it was not just the size of each individual microcolony that determined the reduced growth activity. It is possible that the major cause was a general exhaustion of the nutrient supply as a consequence of the overall higher density of bacteria. Thus, even in a rather thin biofilm, such as those analyzed in the present study, the microcolonies cannot be considered independent units since the activity of the single organisms inside one microcolony was dependent on factors caused by the surrounding microcolonies, e.g., depletion of nutrients.
In many studies of bacterial growth physiology, shifts or perturbations of the growth conditions have proven very informative with respect to clarification of the cellular response repertoire. A shift-up condition obtained by addition of an easily metabolizable carbon source to a slow-growing or stationary culture may thus document the level of responsiveness and the effects on different parts of the macromolecular synthesis. In bacteria with stringent control of ribosome synthesis, it is expected that ribosome synthesis is rapidly increased after a nutritional shift up. In addition to such cellular responses, the distribution of reactions to a shift up in a heterogeneous surface community may contribute to the understanding of how local environments differ with respect to penetration and diffusion of nutrients. Finally, growth inhibition of cells in structured communities could be determined by signals different from the nutrients. If the structure or size of the microcolonies determines the biological activity of the cells, a shift-up response to increased nutrient availability would not be expected.
The shift to a better carbon source in the present experiments clearly activated the cells in the microcolonies, as indicated by the significant increase in fluorescence. Moreover, the activation appeared to penetrate all the way through the microcolonies, showing that even the cells in the centers, which were the first to reduce their growth activity, were ready to respond to the improved nutrient supply. Overall, these results indicate that all of the cells in developing biofilm microcolonies are ready to respond to renewed supplies of nutrients. In addition, these findings support our conclusion that the oxygen levels in the microcolonies are sufficient for Gfp maturation.
The experiments performed in the present study have revealed a modulated growth activity of bacteria involved in the establishment of a new biofilm. In the initial phases, all cells were highly active, with ribosomal promoter activity corresponding to that of rapidly growing cells. After primary colonization and formation of small microcolonies, activity gradually decreased, first in the central parts of the microcolonies and eventually also at the surface. By choosing other variants of the Gfp protein, it is possible to construct reporter proteins with longer half-lives than those of the proteins employed here (3, 21). When fused with the rRNA promoter, such reporter systems may display alternative levels of cellular activity, which may be useful in monitoring the fine-tuning of microcolony development.
This work was supported by grants from the Danish Biotechnology Program.
We thank Anne Nielsen for technical assistance.
- Received 3 March 1999.
- Accepted 23 June 1999.
- Copyright © 1999 American Society for Microbiology


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Yesterday was World Rivers Day, a day to promote the stewardship and health of our rivers. In Ontario, the government is responsible for protecting the Oak Ridges Moraine, a 160-kilometre ridge of sand and gravel hills running along the northern part of the Greater Toronto Area, for its value to Ontarians: providing headwaters to 65 river systems, homes for more than 70 threatened and endangered species and drinking water for more than 250,000 people.
Every day, however, the Ontario government allows millions of litres of water to be pumped from the Moraine to water golf courses, sort sand and gravel, keep water bottling companies in business and, during the winter, to make snow. These industrial and commercial activities threaten a sensitive ecosystem that naturally filters the water many Ontarians get from their taps.
This week, Ecojustice and Earthroots are launching three infographics that set out the challenges, symptoms and solutions to this problem. We wanted to show Ontarians how the government is managing its Permit to Take Water program on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
A Permit to Take Water is required for most activities that pump more than 50,000 litres per day.
Moraine Drain
Today's infographic (scroll down to end of post to view it) looks at the trouble we encountered during our investigation and outlines the ongoing threat.
These infographics build on two previous reports, 2008's Ontario's Water Hazard and 2012's Protecting Greenbelt Wetlands: How effective is policy? In both reports, we found a lack of connection between the nature and water protection goals in specific land use laws and the operation of the water management program. Based on our findings in 2008, we sought to expand our analysis to include all commercial, industrial and municipal water users across the entire Moraine.
Who's draining the Moraine?
We found that it's near impossible for the public to obtain the information needed to determine the cumulative impact of water pumping on their sources of clean and safe drinking water. In August 2009, we asked the Ministry of the Environment for information about all the existing commercial, industrial and municipal ground water takers across the Moraine. It took 17 months for the ministry to fulfill our request. And the information the ministry provided was in a format that made analysis difficult. We were at the first step in our investigation and already we'd reached a roadblock.
We wanted to know if there were clusters of permits and, if there were, we intended to ask for more information about how those clusters might affect the Moraine and those who rely on the Moraine for their drinking water. Given the difficulties in obtaining other data, we didn't ask the government for any more information. Instead, we learned that some information is available through Land Information Ontario, an online data warehouse. I could tell you more about the information gathering exercise, but that's another story.
Analyzing the Permit to Take Water program
We were limited in what we could do to determine the impact of water pumping across the Moraine. We analyzed all the permit information and had our cartographer create several maps (see additional resources below). We divided the information to determine the large (sources greater than 500,000 litres-per-day) and highly consumptive (as defined by governments in the United States and Canada) users of water. The combined total of all the large municipal and communal water supplies are outweighed by industrial, commercial and other large and highly consumptive uses by a factor of 2.8.
For every litre of your Moraine community's water supply, 2.8 litres goes to other uses such as golf courses, aggregate washing, bottled water and snow making.
There is no legal mechanism to determine whether drinking water supplies should be considered of higher importance than other large and highly consumptive uses.
Our vision
We believe that more can be and should be done to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine. The lack of easily accessible information and the lack of attention being given to the total impact of all the water pumping on the Moraine threatens Ontarians' access to safe and clean drinking water.
We believe that Ontarians have a right to clean water and that it is the role of government to protect that resource.


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Listen Up: Mick Jenkins, Sip EP
Guest post by Louis Fagelson
For those of you sleeping on Mick Jenkins, it's time to get hydrated. If you are unfamiliar with the Southside Chicago native, you should take a moment to give his newest two-track EP Sip a listen. While staying true to the unique and down-to-earth flow that he operates with in his first three projects, Mick shines light on the gang activity taking place in Chicago and his experiences with violence in the city.
Although he was born in Huntsville, AL, Mick grew up in Southside Chicago and his music is massively influenced by the city. His first project, Trees and Truths, is a heavily lyrical project that tells the story of his childhood and provides a crucial background on which his belief system is based. His next project, The Water(s), takes listeners on a journey through Mick's mind and allows him to express his views concerning love, life, and religion. Listeners will notice his frequent references to water as a symbol for truth in life and how the distortion of it in the media causes big problems for the underprivileged. The follow up, Wave(s), reveals Mick's range in style. His flow changes from an introspective discussion with listeners to a high energy retro-pop sound.
His most recent work, Sip, is from a collection of songs that Mick has been working on with producer, THEMpeople. The EP features a lucid feel that matches up with the free flowing feeling of The Water(s). The first track, "Grenade Theory," takes listeners on a journey through the dangerous streets of Chiraq. Mick uses clever lyricism to shine light on the motives of the gangs and uses personal experiences from his life to paint a vivid picture of the struggle. Again, he uses water as a symbol for truth and virtue. The second song, "$3,000 Advice," features a synthy instrumental on which Mick discusses the effects of his herbal treatments and their effects on his relationships. Fans of Mick will notice a drop-off on the fluidity of the hook on this one, but the clever wordplay in his verses allow it to impress those that give it a listen.
In a world where songs with meaningless lyrics get the most radio spins, Mick tells the story of a real man who grew up overcoming racism, poverty, and more adversity than you could imagine. His knowledge of the imperative values in life and hints of sarcasm in his music reminds fans of the genre that intelligence still exists in the rap game.
Listen to both songs below.
King Louie reps East Tennakey with Super Saiyan swag. Dope instrumentals are great but I'm looking for lyrics that will tell a story. Wordplay and delivery are key. Hit me up on twitter @lfagelson.
Looking to share your music with the masses? Send a track with a short description about yourself to email@example.com or hit me up on Twitter @etbowser. If we like what we hear we'll feature you in an upcoming post.


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The Skinny on Communication
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By Jeff White and Jeffery Wallace
Everything you do and say sends a message to the people around you. So what message are you sending to the teenagers in your youth group—and to their parents and to other people connected to your ministry?
It's impossible to meet teenagers' foundational needs without effective communication. And the more effectively you communicate, the better you can give your students exactly what they're seeking and needing.
The Skinny on Communication isn't about formulas or a five-step plan that will solve your communication problems as a youth worker. But it will guide you through specific principles that can move you closer toward mastering this vital skill.
You'll explore practical ideas for communicating effectively with teenagers, parents, and other partners in your ministry—and you'll see how all of these practices can be rooted in Christ-like love. Prepare to be challenged, and allow yourself to be surprised. And along the way, re-examine your assumptions and seek a fresh perspective on communicating effectively as a youth worker.
While supplies last!
May not be available in Canada.
JEFF WHITE has written nearly 20 books for and about church ministry, and serves as development champion at Group, where he works with teams to create new digital resources. A graduate of Biola University, he has an extensive professional background in communication and branding, and has spent countless hours in the trenches of ministry to all ages.
JEFFREY WALLACE is an urban ministry communicator, innovator, and leader. He serves as pastor of youth development at Peace Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, and the co-founder of FrontLine Urban Resources, Inc. (everybodysurban.org), an organization that trains leaders to engage an evolving generation of families and reshape their traditional views of urban culture. He has authored or co-authored several resources designed to empower and equip youth leaders, parents, and students in urban environments.


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Twelve months in life of an Austrian farming family.
Short Summary
German UFA documentary film showing a year in life of an Austrian farming family in the Alps.
'Wien Film - Im Verleih der UFA - Das Bergbauern-Jahr'.
Austrian Alps.
Several scenic shots of Austrian Alps with snow capped mountain peaks. A man walks up the mountain through snow with sleigh on his back. He collects brushwood. Two children walking through heavy snow. Woman weaving. CU. A clock. More shots of the man collecting wood, children walking through snow and the woman cooking food on a large stove. Man going down the slope on sleigh loaded with wood. He gets to his farm. Children also arrive and they all get into a house. Woman helps them with their coats. Old man carving a figure - toy for a little boy. Boy takes it to have a look. Several shots of the family around table, eating. Several shots of a calf suckling and the man milking a cow. Various very good scenic shots of the mountain at arrival of spring, snow is melting, water dripping, spring getting heavier, etc. Various shots of the farm with animals milling around - sheep, pigs, hen with little chicken, cockerels, cat etc. The man sheering sheep with children helping. Little boy strokes sheep's head as the father cuts the wool with scissors. Two men weighing a calf, dog sitting near by. Various shots of the farmers with wives working on land - on mountain side. Several shots of the men ploughing with horses on a slope, quite difficult it seems. Men women and children working on land. Various shots of a village with houses and people moving around. Village church seen. Children going home from school across green fields, blossoms and flowers see - it is summertime. More shots of the family working on farm. People harvesting on slopes. Hay being stored. Woman putting bell around cow's neck to let them go on slopes for a summer. Several shots of the cows on mountain slopes. Several shots of two men and a woman climbing up the mountain with ropes. They cut the grass and clear the mountain side. Man with sheep on mountain side. Dark clouds seen - summer is gone. Man saying goodbye to an old woman in a mountain cottage, he walks down the slopes arriving to a farmhouse, greeted by farmers and family. Cows returning to their winter home. Dark clouds swirling around mountain tops. Various shots of the snow falling, woman cooking on a stove, man sleeping with a cat and chicken around, more shots of heavy snow outside. Man walking up the slope with sleigh on his back - repeated shots from the start of the film - year circle is completed.
Cataloguer's note - brilliant footage of life on the Alpine farm.
- Film ID:
- 2409.08
- Media URN:
- 66826
- Group:
- Unissued unused
- Archive:
- British Pathé
- Issue Date:
- Sound:
- Mute
- HD Format:
- Available on request
- Stock:
- Black & White
- Duration:
- 00:14:55:00
- Time in/Out:
- 01:23:28:00 / 01:38:23:00
- Canister:


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We are competitively priced with certified grooming - grooming can be selected without any other services
Come in for a tour and see our state of the art Grooming area with (2) Sav-Ur-Fur systems that help specifically with de-shedding. We have two state of the art tubs, selection is based on comfort for your dog
Your dog will look awesome, be healthy (with trimmed nails and clean ears) and most of all be happy
To reduce stress - our grooming cage banks allow your dog to not have to face another dog whilst waiting their turn whether bathing, drying or cutting
We will provide an excellent grooming experience for you and your dog
Regular drop-off is between 8:30am and 9:30am
- Most pickups are between 11am and 3pm but we will call you when ready
- If you need drop off or pickup outside of the above hours: We have Play & Groom (or Stay and Groom) to be of service for you.
- Our extended Play & Groom (or Stay & Groom) offers drop-off and pickup anytime within our lobby hours: Play and Groom option or Stay and Groom -- we will provide excellent care during their day with us and they will be all freshly groomed for you


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User talk:StopEditing
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Welcome to Wikiquote! Your test edits, such as the ones you did on Dragon Ball Z: Season 6, will not be tolerated. Please stop, for if you continue, you will be permablocked. Thanks. Tony Soprano (talk) 9:12 amp
It appears this account is just a sock puppet account, and has been blocked accordingly. EVula // talk // ☯ // 00:44, 12 September 2012 (UTC)


text: On 27/01/12 16:10, Kent James wrote: > On 1/26/2012 4:55 PM, Unicorn.Consulting wrote: >> >>> <snips> >> When I send my signed message to someone, or SMIME message, I would like to think >> that I don't have to produce my copy to prove what I sent to the recipient as a >> matter of course. If your going to use this type thing, and I can understand where >> editing the subject may be valid, I would like to see the digital signature removed >> by Thunderbird if the content is changed. >> >> Microsoft Outlook, which is the application sited most when people are asking for >> this, will not save an existing signed mail without you also having a digital >> signature, I assume it replaces the signature as a part of the edit. >> >> Certainly there is always the opportunity for a message to be modified in a text >> editor, but please lets try and make fraudulent modifications as hard as possible. >> As I understand it a digitally signed message is a legal document in the EU. >> Should we be making the modification (without obvious forensic fingerprinting of >> the process) a simple process for add-on authors to execute. >> > > When reviewing addons that modify messages, I have not known what to require with > respect to original message integrity. I would welcome suggestions along this line. +1 > But I am not the only reviewer of Thunderbird addons, and it is not easy to > communicate reliably requirements such as maintaining message integrity to all editors. > > rkent I would be of the same opinion. I think certain meta fields should be modifiable, such as keywords (tags). I think there is a requirement for extension editors to be able to manipulate things like subject and thread-id. While I do not currently know too much about the technical ins and outs, maybe this could be done by backing up original fields in an appended header area; original-subject, original-threadId etc. Axel Grude -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/tb-planning/attachments/20120128/a8247ddb/attachment.html>


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FOGGY conditions in Hervey Bay have led to a woman being hospitalised after she collided with a car on Monday morning.
A 65-year-old woman was taken to hospital with head injuries after she rode her bicycle into a car on Torquay Rd about 7.51am.
FOGGY FRASER: Thick fog blankets the region
She was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital in a stable condition.
Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Martin Kelly said the woman was currently being treated at the hospital.


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Pillows, just like the rest of the textiles in our homes, need occasional cleanings to remove dust, sweat, and oil buildup. Although it may seem easier to just buy new pillows, washing your old ones is a cinch! If your pillows are yellowed or haven't been washed in more than 6 months, use one of these methods to clean them up quick. You'll be sleeping happier knowing that you're resting on fresh fabric!
Method 1 of 2: Washing Cotton, Down, and Synthetic Pillows
Remove the case. If you have placed your pillow in a pillowcase or sham, take this off now. Some pillows come with additional zip-on cases that should also be removed and washed separately from the body of the pillow.
Put your pillows in the washing machine. Don't worry – it is perfectly safe to wash pillows (even down pillows) in the washing machine. Try to wash at least two at once so that the washer is balanced and the pillows don't get thrown around so much.
Add your detergent. For a regular wash job, add a cup/scoop of your regular washing detergent. To get your pillows ultra white, add the following in addition to the detergent: 1 cup of powdered dishwasher detergent, 1 cup of bleach, and ½ a cup of borax.[1]
Start the wash cycle. Adjust the settings on your washer so that it runs with hot water and goes through a 2nd rinse cycle. Then let it work its magic!
Put your pillows in the dryer. Place your pillows in the dryer and adjust the settings; if your pillows are feather-filled, put your dryer on the 'air' setting. For synthetic pillows, switch your dryer to low heat.
Dry your pillows. Take two tennis balls and put them in separate clean, white socks. Throw these in the dryer with your pillows to fluff them and help decrease their drying time. Then start your dryer!
Check your pillows. When your dryer has finished its cycle, remove the pillows and feel them, checking for dampness. Smell the pillows to check for moisture in the center. If your pillows don't feel quite dry, repeat the drying process and check them again a second time. Otherwise, your pillows are clean and ready![2]
Method 2 of 2: Washing Memory Foam Pillows
Remove the cover. If your pillow has a pillowcase or sham, take it off prior to washing. Most memory foam pillows also have a zip-on protective cover that should be removed as well. These items can be washed separately and in a washing machine.
Fill a tub with water. Washing machines prove too rough for sensitive memory foam, so pillows of this material must be hand washed. Fill a tub (or your sink) with warm water. You only need enough water to cover the pillow.
Add your detergent. For each pillow, add a tablespoon of liquid clothes detergent to the water. Swirl it around with your hands a bit to bubble it up and get it evenly mixed.
Wash your pillow. Place your pillow in the water, and move it around the bit to help the detergent to work its way in. Massage and squeeze the pillow with your hands to help get dirt out and to freshen it past the outer layer.
Rinse the pillow. Run the pillow under fresh water. It is important to get as much of the soap out as you can, checking for suds in the runout. Rinsing the pillow may take several minutes longer than washing it.
Dry the pillow. High heat levels can ruin the memory foam and cause it to crumble, so do not put your memory foam pillow in the dryer. Instead, lay it out on a clean white towel in a dry area. If possible, allow it to dry in the sun.
Check the pillow. Memory foam is especially susceptible to holding water for a long time, as it is made out of a sponge-like material. Make sure that there is absolutely no water left in the material before bringing it back for use on your bed, otherwise it will begin to grow mold and mildew


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Decathlon: Joyce Mason Judges
Built by Team Xuat, this Solar Decathlon China entry has an open concept inside.Certified Green Professional and Pardee Homes VP of Marketing Joyce Mason is one of 15 judges in China's inaugural Solar Decathlon, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and China's National Administration of Energy.
Organized by Peking University and staged in Datong in Shanxi Province, the Decathlon's Solar Village showcases 20 homes created by college and university student teams who represent 35 nationalities in countries from six continents.
Student teams build the homes in concert with professional contractors, aiming for attractive, energy-efficient, solar-powered designs.
One of 15 judges charged with evaluating the students' success, Joyce joins a group of experts from diverse disciplines related to renewable energy and sustainable design. A judge in three previous U.S. Solar Decathlons, Joyce has contributed significantly to Pardee Homes' greener and more sustainable residential development.
More than a decade ago, Joyce developed Pardee's LivingSmart® brand to promote energy and water savings, indoor air quality and use of earth-friendly building materials. Since 2001, LivingSmart® has been a standard for all new homes built by Pardee Homes, which is also well known for its advocacy of sustainable development practices in the homebuilding industry and with home buyers and general consumers.
We invite you to view photos of the Solar Village, which Joyce is sharing from the event in China, in the Solar Decathlon China photo album on our Pardee Homes Facebook page.
Click here to see student-produced videos of the design/build achievements in previous Solar Decathlon events.
Learn more about this year's event.
Connect with a Pardee Homes New Homes Specialist.
Inland Empire 951-298-9675
San Diego 619-727-6105
Las Vegas 702-337-2753
Los Angeles/Ventura 661-713-1996


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Brokerteam proudly presents its own YouTube channel
In our continuing search for optimisation of support to our partners, we have implemented a new tool. We have set up our own YouTube channel.
Please visit us at: http://bit.ly/YouTubeBT
Here you will already find a number of instructional videos explaining our Routing & Billing platform. 'How to' instructions for e.g. managing customer data, creating trunks, assigning DID's and invoicing. Please feel free to watch them all and give us your feedback.
We will continue to add other videos to the list. If you have certain wishes on which topics you would like us to adress, please let us know.
You may reach us by phone on 00.31.(0)10.3060160 or send us an email at email@example.com.
Happy watching!


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Careful alignment of business processes and the strategy of the company or organization is to a large extent key in determining its success. Particularly in a weak economy it is essential to make sure that:
Are you able to tune your services completely to your clients' expectations? Is your staff doing what they should do? Are you working in a cost-cutting but at the same time flexible and reliable manner? And what about the extent to which your staff is self-managing in order to make all this happen? Are you capable of successfully warding off the risks that may threaten your business, institution or department?
These questions come up in many an organization and (government) institution. ASI Consulting helps organizations to answer in the affirmative. We assist your organization in focusing on the right activities, on achieving quality and on listening to your clients even better.
Whether it's about entire Six Sigma programs, the implementation of Lean, or the 'voice of the customer' that you strive to get across in your company, we possess the knowledge and expertise to assist you to the optimum extent. In order to do this, we focus entirely on the people, in addition to the substance. After all, people largely determine the success of the change.
Among other things, we can help you with:
Would you like to learn more about how our services can help your organization in this department?
Please contact us.


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3 January 2014
Henning Nordgulen has accepted an engagement as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in Bergen Group ASA from January 6th 2014.
Henning Nordgulen (pictured below) has accepted an engagement as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in Bergen Group ASA from January 6th 2014 and until further notice. He replaces Ståle Rene who February 1st is taking over the position as CFO at Karsten Moholt AS.
CEO Asle Solheim is very pleased with Nordgulen having accepted an engagement as CFO of Bergen Group ASA.
"Mr. Nordgulen has a comprehensive background from leading positions in finance, shipping and industry. His extensive network and solid knowledge will be a strong contribution to the ongoing process of further development of the group", says Asle Solheim.
Henning Nordgulen (48) has for the last seven years been Director of the corporate division and a member of the corporate management team in Sparebanken Vest. Previously, he has held positions as Manging Director in Rikett AS and Finance Manager in Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Shippping Company. Mr. Nordgulen's international management experience also includes a five year stay in London as Ass. Vice President Finance & Corporate in Gearbulk (UK) Limited.
Henning Nordgulen is a graduate from the Norwegian Business School and from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland (IMD). He lives with his family in Bergen.
Contact persons:
CEO Asle Solheim, tel. +47 993 28 465
Henning Nordgulen, tel. +47 952 65 990


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Here are my goals for today:
Look at these amaaaaazing monster hoodies! Oh, if only I had an extra hundred bucks lying around...I'd totally buy them for Addison and Drew in a heartbeat! Alas.
Well, my tea is cold and I still need to put on pants before the mouse guy comes (again) (that's what he said) (I'm so sorry, had to be said). Later gators!