Organic Gardening and Farming in Fiji

FREE HONEYMOON BURE UPGRADE ON ALL 10 DAY PACKAGES!   Book any of our packages to go fishing, diving, bird watching, or indeed just hanging out at Matava – Fiji’s Premier Eco Adventure Resort during the whole month of January and get upgraded to our exclusive Honeymoon Bure free!   Email us and ask for the “10 DAY HONEYMOON UPGRADE!”

MEDIA RELEASE: 29 th November 2010 Recognition for Matava at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 Matava has won in the Best in the Marine Environment category at this year’s Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 organised by responsibletravel.com . The Judges said “Matava is a beacon for responsible tourism and an example to other dive sites. They maintain a strong commitment to both the conservation of the marine environment and the development of the local Fijian community. All staff and dive guides are from local villages, they have signed an agreement with local villages designating 3 established marine reserves as 100% no-take zones, across large geographic areas, and even succeeded in assisted in getting marine conservation on to the Fijian National Curriculum.” At a ceremony hosted at World Travel Market (WTM), Docklands, London, on Wednesday 10 th responsibletravel.com , organisers and founders of the Awards, and Amanda Will

I just returned from a week in the Fiji Islands , in the South Pacific. The 333-island archipelago is located east of New Zealand and Australia and southwest of Hawaii, with only about 100 islands inhabited. The entire population is less than 900,000. Renewable energy has been developing in Fiji for some time now. In fact, the Fiji government has adopted a Strategic Development Plan as part of its ambitious goal to become a 100% renewable energy power-reliant by 2011. There are several reasons why the government is promoting non-fossil fuel based resources: Less expensive More convenient Easier to install and maintain Infrastructure needs are usually minimal Smaller carbon footprint – i.e. more environmentally friendly Solar panels at Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort Diesel costs have dramatically soared to over 200% over the last 4 years, yet 50% of electricity demand in Fiji is met by diesel generators. No wonder there is increasing usage of solar panels and wind energy ther

Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort has installed a new Satellite Communications System with new telephone numbers. We have new methods of contacting Matava in the Fiji Islands including new telephone and fax numbers and a new Skype name! All running off the in-house solar power! Our new permanent contact numbers are: TELEPHONE: +679 603 0685 FAX: +679 603 0684 SKYPE: MatavaFiji "And so what does this mean to you?" I hear you ask? Well one of the big step forwards is that we now have a 24 hour contact via Skype technology and voice-mail there-in on site at the resort. This will revolutionise our online reservations and booking system. Matava Resort is proud to install this communications solution purely using the alternative power already available at the resort. We will maintain our current CDMA/Easytel phone (+679 368 0080) until the end of August 2010, at which point they it be disconnected. The new system runs

Matava Resort - Kadavu, Fiji Islands Originally uploaded by Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Fueling up on coffee to power through a bike ride? Sure. Using your bike to power a coffee shop? Now you're getting interesting. Comprising two bicycles, a fold-up coffee bar, and a hand-cranked grinder, Kickstand Coffee is a mobile shop that aims to provide "the best possible cup of coffee to community events in [New York City] with the smallest environmental impact possible." The owners tow the components of the stand behind their bikes and set up shop in locations around the city. Once they've put together the bar, they hand grind the beans for each cup. The cold coffee is cold brewed, and the hot filters through a set of handsomely modified Chemex glass beakers. Each cup of coffee—hot or cold brewed—costs $2.50, which is pretty reasonable considering it might be the most sustainably produced eye-opener in town. New Yorkers (or people visiting the Big Apple) can follow @KickstandCoffee on Twitter to find out where they are next. Photos via the Kic

He learned the practice from his siblings and father growing up and now has about 50 bee boxes producing honey all Spring, Summer and Fall. Mr Xi uses two types of bees to produce different honey: Italian and Chinese bees. Italian bees are the industry standard in the United States as well as China. They are favored for long hive life-span and their high production. Xi says he buys Italian bees from local breeders and can easily start new colonies to increase honey production. Full story here: The Green Wall » Blog Archive » Local Honey and Brillinat Beekeeping at Mutianyu.

June/July 2010     Features: Tomato Trifecta , page 30 Three talented chefs share their favorite varieties (think heirlooms!), tomato-growing tips, and delicious ways to enjoy them. Learn more about growing your best tomatoes . Coming Home to Roost , page 36 Chickens are the pets du jour for good reason: they're fun and easy to keep, and they yield delicious benefits. Find out why there should be a chicken in every back yard. Learn how to quell your neighbor's concerns about your backyard flock . From Mild to Wild , page 44 Not every pepper is a three-alarm fire. Some simply tingle; others have a smoky burn. Here are our favorite varieties of peppers . Departments: Common Ground , page 18 Jeff Cox on how everything is connected . Tips from Our Readers , page 13 Organic Gardening readers are creative and resourceful—and they like to share . Flower Power , page 24 Cool the summer garden with a moss urn .

Foods you should be eating but aren't... * COCONUTS * Msn News and Forbes.com give a informative and interesting article about foods that you should be eating, but probably aren't, and most importantly.... why. The article is packed full of interesting facts.... especially about COCONUTS ! *** To see the full article please click here *** ...."Then there are coconuts, a terribly misunderstood food, according to Bowden. The fat in coconuts is a particular kind that's good for you. It's called MCT, or Medium-Chain Triglycerides. The body doesn't store MCT as fat, says Bowden, but rather uses it as energy, like a carbohydrate. Coconuts are also high in lauric acid, a fatty acid that tends to kill pathogens. In addition, coconut oil is great for cooking since it has a ve