agriculture definition

          Patrick O'Donnell's recent posting of Marion Nestle's interview with a Western grower CEO and  attendant commentary, contributes greatly to understanding the irreconcilable differences between farm labor skills with the risk of agricultural enterprises facing decreasing labor shortages.  At this juncture, a brief reminder is further required and the goal of this post. One avenue suggested is to increase immigration entry to meet growers' labor needs.  This trajectory however will not satisfy the laborers needed to cultivate and harvest the crops worth billions across the nation.  This results because federal law, agricultural policies and the agricultural hegemony that purports to seek protecting small owner operations are skewed to facilitate large scale agricultural industries. In contrast, attempts to amend or revise federal law to protect workers are met with the unmitigated force of agricultural lobbyists, political representat...

Authors: Kazuhiko Shimasaki and M. Tanabe Faculty of Agriculture, Kochi University, Monobe B200, Nankoku 783-8502, Japan Abstract Hostas are perennial herbs native to eastern Asia including Japan, Korea, and China. About 20 species are recorded in Japan now. There are about 12 Hosta species on Shikoku Island. Eleven species are recorded just for Kochi Prefecture, among 13 species on Shikoku Island, including: H. alismifolia (baran-giboushi), H. capitata [syn. H. nakaiana (kanzashi giboushi)], H. sieboldiana var. montana [syn. H. montana (ohba giboushi)], H. sieboldii (koba giboushi), H. longissima (mizu giboushi), H. longipes [ syn. H. longipes var. caduca (saikoku iwa giboushi)], H. gracillima [syn. H. longipes var. gracillima (hime iwa giboushi)], H. kikutii var. polyneuron (sudare giboushi), H. kikutii var. caput-avis (unazuki giboushi), H. kikutii var. tosana (tosano giboushi), and H. tardiva (nankai giboushi). Hostas are used as garden plants, materials for fl...